timeless
Who would’ve guessed in 1966, when he made this record—a hit single in England and the United States—at the age of 17, that he would sound this good in 2020?
Steve Winwood (1948-), “Gimme Some Lovin'” (S. Winwood), published 8/11/20
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
what’s new
Lucinda Williams, “Bad News Blues,” “Big Black Train,” “You Can’t Rule Me,” “Man Without A Soul,” live, Nashville, published 7/27/20
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
passings
Peter Green, guitarist, singer, songwriter, October 29, 1946–July 25, 2020
Fleetwood Mac (with Peter Green, vocals, guitar), “Black Magic Woman” (P. Green), live, Boston, 1970
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
what’s new
Haim, live from L.A. homes (“The Steps,” “I Know Alone,” “Summer Girl”), published 6/17/20
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
Happy (Strangest Ever) 4th of July!
Blasters, “American Music,” live, Champaign, Ill., 1985
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Professor Longhair (1918-1980), “Big Chief,” live, Switzerland (Montreux Jazz Festival), 1973
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Sleepy LaBeef (1935-2019), “Strange Things Happening Every Day” (plus interview), live (TV show), 1994
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
only rock ‘n’ roll
PJ Harvey, live, London, 2004
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
*****
reading table
Falling blossoms.
Blossoms in bloom are also
falling blossoms.—Ryokan (1758-1831), translated from Japanese by Kazuaki Tanahashi
only rock ‘n’ roll
Little Richard, 1932-2020
“Tutti Frutti,” 1956 (screen test, The Girl Can’t Help It)
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“Long Tall Sally,” 1956 (Don’t Knock the Rock)
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“Good Golly, Miss Molly,” 1958
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“Rip It Up,” early 1960s
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“Lucille,” 1973
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When you look at today’s Grammy winners – God bless them – half of them were discovered when they were 10 years old, were groomed, and had managers and publicists. Little Richard just clawed his way to the top at a very early age with nothing except a tremendous amount of talent and gumption.
—David Kirby, author of Little Richard: The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll (2009)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
sounds of Buenos Aires
Juana Molina (vocals, guitar, compositions), live (“Un Día Punk,” “Eras,” “Estalacticas”), Mexico City, 3/7/20
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
what’s new
Rolling Stones, “Living in a Ghost Town,” 4/23/20
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
*****
reading table
Ghost I house
In this flat—
Your outpost—
My aftermath—Samuel Menashe (1925-2011), “Here”
only rock ‘n’ roll
Bo Diddley (AKA Ellas McDaniel, Ellas Otha Bates, 1928-2008), “Hey! Bo Diddley,” “Bo Diddley,” live, Los Angeles, 1965
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lagniappe
random sights
this morning, Oak Park, Ill.
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reading table
There is still something I’d like to explain,
yet can’t be sure I’m ready yet.
Beside, we’ve done pretty well with the non-sequiturs,
and they by us, don’t you think?—John Ashbery (1927-2017), from “Hierarchy of the Unexpected”
music clip of the day 