music clip of the day

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Tag: Johnny Otis

Monday, 12/31/12

William Ferguson, “The Music They Made,” New York Times (12/27/12): Etta James, Dave Brubeck, Davy Jones, Levon Helm, Donna Summer, Chuck Brown, Ed Cassidy, Greg Ham, Jimmy Castor, Ravi Shankar, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Ronnie Montrose, Jon Lord, Michael Davis, Joe South, Chavela Vargas, Duck Dunn, Johnny Otis, Whitney Houston, Jimmy Ellis, Adam Yauch, Mickey Baker, Bill Doss, Ketty Wells, Bob Babbitt, Robin Gibb, Andy Williams, Terry Callier

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lagniappe

musical thoughts

To love anything—music, literature, comedy, sports, whatever—is to be perpetually saying goodbye.

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reading table

clamoring geese—
over there is the year
ending too?

—Kobayashi Issa, 1763-1827 (translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue)

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 found words

FASTEN SEATBELT WHILE SEATED
USE BOTTOM CUSHION FOR FLOTATION

—Saturday morning, on a flight from Chicago to a family gathering in Lincoln, Nebraska, this was on the back of the seat in front of me

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random thoughts

Some things are better left unexamined. Like, for instance, flying on a commercial airplane. If I thought much about it, I’d never do it.

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radio

WKCR-FM’s Bach Festival, mentioned the other day, concludes at midnight.

Saturday, 1/21/12

 passings

Etta James, singer, January 25, 1938-January 20, 2012

“I’d Rather Go Blind”

Live, Austin, Tx. (Austin City Limits), 2005

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Recording (1967)

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lagniappe

She was discovered, as a teenager, by yesterday’s featured artist; he produced her first record, which was a hit.

Etta James, “Roll With Me Henry” (AKA “The Wallflower”)
Produced by Johnny Otis, 1954

Friday, 1/20/12

passings

Johnny Otis, December 28, 1921-January 17, 2012, singer, songwriter, piano player, bandleader, disc jockey, TV host, etc.

“Willie and the Hand Jive” (The Johnny Otis Show), c. late 1950s

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lagniappe

Genetically, I’m pure Greek. Psychologically, environmentally, culturally, by choice, I’m a member of the black community.

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Society wants to categorize everything, but to me it’s all African-American music. The music isn’t just the notes, it’s the culture—the way Grandma cooked, the way Grandpa told stories, the way the kids walked and talked.

Johnny Otis