passings
Clyde Stubblefield, drummer, April 18, 1943-February 18, 2017
“Funk Thing” (with Fred Wesley, trombone; John Scofield, guitar; John Medeski, organ; Fred Thomas, bass), 1999
***
“Funky James Brown” (with John “Jabo” Starks, drums)
passings
Al Jarreau (aka Alwin Lopez Jarreau), March 12, 1940-February 12, 2017, singer
“Take Five” (P. Desmond), live (TV performance), Germany, 1976
(Taking a break—back in a while.)
passings
Some drumming is solid. Some, like this, liquid.
Charles “Bobo” Shaw, drummer, September 15, 1947-January 16, 2017
With Lester Bowie (trumpet, MCOTD Hall of Fame), “Bugle Boy Bop” (Bugle Boy Bop, recorded 1977; released 1983)
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lagniappe
art beat: other day, Whitney Museum of American Art (New York)
Helen Levitt (MCOTD Hall of Fame), New York, c. 1940
only rock ‘n’ roll
What a way to close out a life—with some of the strongest work of your career.
David Bowie (January 8, 1947–January 10, 2016), Blackstar (January 8, 2016)
“Lazarus”
***
“Blackstar”
more
Joe Ligon (September 11, 1942-December 11, 2016) with the Mighty Clouds of Joy, “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired” (J. Cleveland), live, Charleston, S.C., 1996
passings
Joe Ligon [AKA Willie Joe Ligon], singer, September 11, 1942-December 11, 2016
Today, remembering him, we revisit a few favorites.
*****
October 18, 2010
“I’ve Been in the Storm Too Long,” live, Albertina Walker Memorial Service, Chicago, 10/14/10
Like a lot of impromptu performances, this starts a little shakily; but then it builds, builds, builds.
*****
May 27, 2012
two takes
“Steal Away To Jesus” (with the Mighty Clouds of Joy)
TV show (TV Gospel Time), early 1960s
***
Live, South Carolina (Charleston), 1996
*****
December 20, 2015
old school
“I’m Glad About It” (with the Mighty Clouds of Joy), live, Houston, 1967
*****
Gospel singers don’t retire, you know, they just die doing what they do.
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
passings
Sharon Jones, singer, May 4, 1956-November 18, 2016
With the Dap-Kings, live, Seattle, 2016
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
passings
Leon Russell, singer, songwriter, piano player, April 2, 1942-November 13, 2016
“His Eye Is on the Sparrow” (C. Martin, C. Gabriel), 2013*
*****
*Recorded in tribute to Sherman Halsey (video director and producer, artist manager).
passings
Mose Allison, singer, songwriter, piano player, November 11, 1927-November 15, 2016
Talking, singing, playing (Mississippi Blues Commission, 2015)
***
Pete Townsend, Georgie Fame, Elvis Costello talking about “Parchman Farm”
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“Parchman Farm” (M. Allison), 1957
***
NEA Jazz Masters Tribute, 2013
passings
Leonard Cohen, songwriter, singer, poet, novelist, Zen Buddhist monk
September 21, 1934-November 7, 2016
With Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone), “Who By Fire,” 1989
***
“Closing Time,” 1992
***
“Everybody Knows,” 2014
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“You Want It Darker,” 2016
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
music clip of the day 