Cahl's Jukebox, 1-31-08

Thursday morning jazz:

1) Benny Goodman: "Crazy Rhythm"
2) Fletcher Henderson: "Nagasaki"
3) King Oliver and Louis Armstrong: "Chimes Blues"
4) Paul Barbarin's New Orleans Band: "Bugle Call Rag"
5) Sharkey Bonano & His Kings of Dixieland: "Panama"
6) Chamber Jazz Sextet: "There's a Small Hotel"
7) Count Basie: "Down for the Count"
8) Mo'fone: "Big Chief"
9) Roberto Marquez: "Madrugada"
10) Lionel Hampton: "Hot Mallets"

Jazz Blog Special: John Lewis & Sacha Distel, 'Afternoon in Paris'

"Afternoon in Paris," recorded in 1956, sounds a lot like a Modern Jazz Quartet album speeded up a couple of notches.

Pianist John Lewis is joined on the album by fellow MJQ veterans bassist Percy Heath and drummers Connie Kay and Kenny Clarke. Lewis plays with his usual elegance, of course, and the others offer their usual excellent support. But it's the Frenchmen on the date — guitarist Sacha Distel, tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen and bassist Pierre Michelot — who ignite the gig.

Wilen, only 19 when the album was recorded, zips through the melodies like a water bug. Distel's guitar work is peppy, too. Lewis and his MJQ pals seem delighted to chase them through most of the album's six tunes.

"Dear Old Stockholm" is particularly bouncy as Wilen, Distel and Lewis trade solos with Michelot and Kay pushing hard behind them. Wilen's meaty tone also flies around at the start of "Afternoon in Paris," but it's tempered by the sweetness of Distel's guitar licks, the restrained elan of Lewis' piano riffs and the sophisticated bass work of Michelot.

"Bag's Groove" is another highlight. It's hard to think of Lewis playing the tune without Milt Jackson on the vibes, but Distel and Wilen add a couple of shades of blue to an already bluesy composition. The final track, "Willow Weep for Me," is even bluesier, with Distel featured for several minutes before Wilen, sounding remarkably like Sonny Criss, takes over. Appropriately, Lewis, backed beautifully by Heath and Clarke, closes the song and the album with a piano solo that sounds both classical and slightly impish.

"Afternoon in Paris" isn't a Modern Jazz Quartet album, but fans of the group will dig it. I certainly do.

(Jazz Blog Special is a regular feature that examines older jazz albums worth checking out.)

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-30-08

The daily mix:

1) Charlatans UK: "Can't Get Out of Bed"
2) Guided By Voices: "Cut Out Witch"
3) Blake Babies: "Nothing Ever Happens"
4) The Ladybug Transistor: "Oceans in the Hall"
5) Pavement: "Blue Hawaii"
6) The Sleepy Jackson: "Acid in My Heart"
7) Gem: "Carcass and Crow"
8) The Lemonheads: "Rick James Style"
9) Eels: "Mother Mary"
10) Cindy Reichard: "I Think I'm Gonna Die"

Blues Blog Special: Georgia White: 'Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order, Volume 2'

I’d never heard of Georgia White until I bought Ruth Brown’s fabulous "Blues on Broadway" in 1989. That album’s cover of “I’ll Keep Sitting on It” started my two-decade love affair with White’s music.

Like many female blues singers in the ‘20s and ‘’30s, Georgia White was funny and more than a little bawdy. For example, on the second volume of the Document label’s collection of her music, which includes her recordings made between May 12, 1936, and May 19, 1937, virtually every song is filled with saucy double entendres.

White sounds sweet, but you can almost hear her winking as she sings “I Just Want Your Stingaree,” “Dan the Backdoor Man,” “Biscuit Roller” and “I’ll Keep Sitting on It.” I wouldn’t play those tunes, or the 19 others on the album, for my mama, but I listen to them at least once a month because the songs are so damn funny. They’re mighty pretty, too.

I bought the CD, and several other Georgia White collections, but you can also download her songs at emusic. Trust me, White will heat up your cold winter evenings.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-29-08

It's Twang Tuesday:

1) Little Jimmy Dickens: "I'm Little But I'm Loud"
2) Orville Couch: "Dance Her By Me"
3) Tex Williams and His Western Caravan: "Ham and Eggs"
4) Earl Taylor and Jim McCall: "Hillbilly Preacher"
5) Buzz Busby: "Going Home"
6) Don Gibson: "Move It On Over"
7) Johnny Cash: "I Feel Better All Over"
8) Wynn Stewart: "The Long Black Limousine"
9) Junior Brown: "Moan All Night Long"
10) The Louvin Brothers: "Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar"

Drive-By Truckers: 'Brighter Than Creation’s Dark'

If I had Ryan Adams’ address, I’d send him a copy of The Drive-by Truckers’ new album.

Yeah, “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” shares some of Adams’ excesses — the album's 19 songs clock in at almost 75 minutes long — but there really aren’t any stinkers, which is a lot more than Mr. Adams can say lately. Moreover, the album’s mix of Southern rock, old-school country and greasy R&B offers a blueprint for the kind of tunes Adams and other alt-country rockers should aspire to record.

I was as apprehensive as most other Drive-By Truckers fans last year when I learned that Jason Isbell had left the band to pursue a solo career. We shouldn’t have worried. For one thing, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley are insanely witty writers. Many of their lyrics are a hoot on “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” — most of the others are poignant or pointed. Bassist Shonna Tucker, Isbell’s ex-wife, helps fill the void, too, by stepping out front for lead vocals on several songs. She sounds a bit like a twangy version of blues singer Angela Strehli, and I’m not about to complain about that.

But Spooner Oldham’s organ and John Neff’s pedal steel guitar define the sound of the album. They’re both pros, of course. Oldham’s played with everyone from Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin to Bob Dylan and the Flying Burrito Brothers, and he gives the songs both a historical perspective and a timeless feel. Neff, who’s played with the Truckers for years, offers a link with the past, too. His steel guitar reminds listeners that no matter how hard the band rocks, the Truckers are still Southern kids who owe as much to Hank Williams and Spade Cooley, Mike Cooley’s grandfather, as they do to the Rolling Stones and the Replacements.

And as someone who grew up in the South, I relate to the Drive-by Truckers’ music as much as I do with any modern band. I’d love to hear Ryan Adams record “Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife,” a pretty mid-tempo tune, or “3 Dimes Down,” a countrified scorcher, but who really needs him? The Drive-By Truckers already take care of the jones I have for great music that reminds me of my Southern roots.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-28-08

The daily mix:

1) Guy Forsyth: "Mamma's Favorite"
2) Ray Wylie Hubbard: "The Knives of Spain"
3) Leonard Cohen: "The Smokey Life"
4) Mott the Hoople: "I Wish I Was Your Mother"
5) The Waifs: "When I Die"
6) Kim Richey: "That's Exactly What I Mean"
7) Alejandro Escovedo: "Notes on Air"
8) Cary Ann Hearst: "Trouble About My Soul"
9) Grace Potter and the Nocturnals: "Stop the Bus"
10) Lucinda Williams: "Metal Firecracker"

Leonard Cohen to Tour

Apparently, Leonard Cohen will be touring again, finally, in the spring. What could be cooler than that?

Details of the tour haven't been released yet, but I'm going to do what I can to catch one of his shows.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-27-08

The daily mix:

1) Kokomo Arnold: "Shake That Thing"
2) Fiddlin' John Carson: "Old and in the Way"
3) Big Bill Broonzy: "Terrible Operation Blues"
4) Merle Travis: "Kinfolks in Carolina"
5) Big Chief Ellis: "Let's Talk It Over"
6) Roscoe Holcolmb: "Roll on Buddy"
7) Henry Thomas: "Bull Doze Blues"
8) Spade Cooley: "I Can't Help the Way You Feel"
9) Little Brother Montgomery: "Up the Country Blues"
10) Red Foley: "Chattanoogie Shoeshine Boy"

Buddy Miles Saves Franco's Ass

The dog woke me up early this morning, seemingly just a couple of hours after he finally let me go to bed last night. I figured I was awake, so I put on some coffee and fired up "The Best of Buddy Miles," which almost always gives me a jolt when I need one.

Didn't work this time. After I'd taken Franco out for the second time, I collapsed on the couch and the pulsing sounds of the album's funk carried me back to dreamland. Then about 45 minutes later, the little rat bastard started nudging me again.

I couldn't stay mad, though, because Franco woke me just in time to hear Buddy Miles say the band was going to slow it down for a cover of Neil Young's "Down By the River." It's the best cover of a Neil Young song ever. There really aren't any competitors.

Miles starts the song slowly, just as he promised, with one of the sexiest organ-drenched grooves ever recorded. But just as Otis Redding did on "Try a Little Tenderness," Miles and his band simmer for a while then start boiling. And the horn section burns, man.

Franco's just lucky I didn't grab another CD or he'd have to trade in his leather daybed for a doghouse out in the cold.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-26-08

The daily mix:

1) Dorothy Love Coates: "When I Reach My Heavenly Home"
2) Bettye LaVette: "Close as I'll Get to Heaven"
3) Johnnie Taylor: "Soul Heaven"
4) Sunnyland Slim: "Harlem Can't Be Heaven"
5) Otis Taylor: "Right Side of Heaven"
6) Bobby "Blue" Bland: "Recess in Heaven"
7) Willie Cobbs: "Angel from Heaven"
8) The Stanley Brothers: "The Angels are Singing (in Heaven Tonight)"
9) Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs: "I'll Be Going to Heaven Sometime"
10) New Lost City Ramblers: "No Depression in Heaven"

Why Not Charlie Rich?

Everywhere I go lately, it seems I hear Neil Diamond and Tom Jones. I've heard their songs in stores, on friends' car radios and on TV. Why them?

If we lived in a perfect rock 'n' roll world, Charlie Rich would be bopping into our musicial conciousness at every turn. I'll admit, I was a late-blooming fan. For a long time, I associated Rich only with his '70s country hits "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Most Beautiful Girl," which I heard zillions of times as a teenager. They're fine records, to be sure, but they don't come close to the raw power of Rich's Sun Records recordings — did Sam Phillips ever make a bad record?

Rich often sounded like a combination of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. His music might have been eclectic, but at his best, Rich blended country, gospel, R&B, jazz and rockabilly into one of the most intoxicating brews that ever came out of Memphis. Collect everything he recorded for Sun Records if you can. Play those puppies and treasure them. And, for God's sake, boycott any store, radio station or television program that opts to play Neil Diamond and Tom Jones instead of the Silver Fox.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-25-08

It's Friday. Let's rock.

1) Jerry Lee Lewis: "Real Wild Child (Wild One)"
2) The Blasters: "Keep a Knockin'"
3) Charlie Rich: "Right Behind You Baby"
4) Wanda Jackson: "Hard Headed Woman"
5) Joan Jett: "Tush"
6) PJ Harvey: "Sheela-Na-Gig"
7) The Hold Steady: "Same Kooks"
8) Compulsive Gamblers: "Pepper Spray Boogie"
9) Detroit Cobras: "Everybody's Going Wild"
10) Pretenders: "Rebel Rock Me"

Tom Petty Tour

I skipped Tom Petty's performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival a couple of years ago because the heat had knocked me loopy that day and because I didn't want to battle the crowds. But I see that he's touring again and will make stops in both Chicago and in Indianapolis in July.

I haven't seen a Tom Petty concert since his "Damn the Torpedoes" tour. It's time to remedy that.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-24-08

Thursday morning blues:

1) Earl Hooker: "Wah Wah Blues"
2) Johnny "Guitar" Watson: "I Don't Want to Be President"
3) Jimmy McCracklin: "Stay Away From That Monkey"
4) Guitar Slim: "Trouble Don't Last"
5) Chicago Beau: "I Am a Black Snake"
6) Eddie Taylor: "Soul Brother"
7) Big Joe Williams: "Jumpin' in the Moonlight"
8) Big Joe Turner: "Shake It and Break It"
9) John Lee Hooker: "Let's Go Out Tonight"
10) Slim Harpo: "Shake Your Hips"

Jazz Blog Special: 'Mary Lou Williams & the Trumpet Giants'

"Mary Lou Williams & the Trumpet Giants" is one of the most thoroughly modern old-school jazz CDs I own.

It's tempting to say that Williams serves as a bridge between Bobby Hackett, a traditionalist with roots in Dixieland, and Dizzy Gillespie, a modernist who helped create bebop, but that would be disingenuous. The fact is that the three musicians were all born between 1910 and 1917 and all were versatile jazz musicians.

Yes, throughout his career, Hackett's trumpet playing usually reflected the play of folks like Louis Armstrong and King Oliver, but he incorporated a lot of styles into his sound, including Hawaiian music and bebop. In many ways, I think Hackett was like saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, who managed to sound fresh every time jazz evolved. And, like Hawkins, Hackett had one of the clearest, sweetest tones in the business.

It's also true that Gillespie was decidedly new school, but he was one of our greatest jazz historians, and his sound was rooted in the music of those who came before him. The man could play a ballad, too; he had a muscular tone that grabbed and enthralled listeners.

Williams might have been the most versatile of the three. On this album, taken from a concert recorded in 1971, she certainly takes the lead, adding bits of stride piano, Dixieland blues and bebop on jazz standards such as "Love for Sale," "Autumn Leaves" and "Willow Weep for Me." And as I listen, I wonder whether any pianist ever had better control of her instrument, a softer touch, than Williams.

Together, Williams, Hackett and Gillespie, augmented by bassist George Duvivier and drummer Grady Tate, fashioned a multi-faceted tapestry that beautifully traces the history of jazz. The weird thing is that Williams doesn't appear on the last two tracks. Those tunes, recorded at a Berlin concert in 1955, feature Oscar Peterson on piano, but I'm not complaining because the rest of the lineup consists of Gillespie and Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Bill Harris on trombone, Flip Phillips on tenor saxophone, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Louie Bellson on drums. They're dynamic, to say the least.

Lonehill Jazz always seems to do an excellent job with its releases, but "Mary Lou Williams & the Trumpet Giants" just might be the best album in the label's catalogue.

(Jazz Blog Special is a regular feature that examines older jazz albums worth checking out.)

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-23-08

Wednesday morning jazz:

1) John Lewis and Sacha Distel: "Afternoon in Paris"
2) Charles Mingus: "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"
3) Nat Adderley Quintet: "Sister Caroline"
4) George Shearing: "Yesterdays"
5) Gene Harris: "Listen Here"
6) Frank Morgan: "The Rubber Man"
7) Wallace Roney: "Angel Eyes"
8) Teddy Edwards Octet: "The Cellar Dweller"
9) Christian McBride: "The Shade of the Cedar Tree"
10) Willie Pickens: "My God is So High"

Jazz Blog Special: Manny Albam, 'Jazz New York'

"Jazz New York" might not be Manny Albam's best album — it's hard to beat the two volumes called "Jazz Greats of Our Time" — but someone would have to be crazy not to love a recording that features Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, Gene Quill, Pepper Adams, Eddie Costa, Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Jerome Richardson and several other top-flight jazz musicians.

Albam's arrangements capture both the bustle and the sophistication of the Big Apple. And the band, well, it was as good as any you could find outside the Ellington and Basie outfits.

(Jazz Blog Special is a regular feature that examines older jazz albums worth checking out.)

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-22-08

Today's mix:

1) Joni Mitchell: "Hana"
2) Solex: "Mere Imposters"
3) David Bowie: "Heroes"
4) Lowell George: "I Can't Stand the Rain"
5) Jackson Browne: "Late for the Sky"
6) James Hunter: "Mollena"
7) Liz Tormes: "Fall Silent"
8) Clem Snide: "Something Beautiful"
9) Robbie Robertson: "Fallen Angel"
10 Patty Griffin: "Up to the Mountain"

Going Back to ACL?

I thought I was done with the Austin City Limits Music Festival, but it seems some of my friends are eager to return, so I might tag along ... heat and all.

The Coachella Festival just announced its lineup and I wasn't particularly impressed. I hope ACL's lineup is better. I would, however, love to see Gogol Bordello, Sons & Daughters, The Breeders, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and Dwight Yoakam. Maybe ACL will sign those folks, too.

And just in case the ACL folks are tuning in, my dream lineup would include Neil Young, Roky Erickson, The Blasters, X, Irma Thomas, Betty Harris, Bettye LaVette, Stevie Wonder, Solomon Burke, Alejandro Escovedo, Buddy Miller and The Hold Steady.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-21-08

The daily mix:

1) Tom Petty: "Saving Grace"
2) Los Lobos: "One Time One Night"
3) Freedy Johnston: "Sincere"
4) Dion: "Always in the Rain"
5) Scarecrows: "Certified Crazy"
6) Manfred Mann: "I'm Your Kingpin"
7) Elvis Presley: "So Glad You're Mine"
8) The Brigands: "(Would I Still Be) her Big Man"
9) Vulgar Boatmen: "Don't Mention It"
10) Voxtrot: "Brother in Conflict"

The Lost Generation: 'Young, Tough and Terrible'

I love The Pretenders, but when I want to hear "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," I turn to The Lost Generation. In fact, I'd rather hear The Lost Generation's rendition of the song than The Persuaders' version ... and lord knows I love The Persuaders.

The Lost Generation, a Chicago soul group influenced mightily by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, sound like the spent a lot of time in Philadelphia because their music shares the lush production, silky harmonies and burning funk of Philly soul groups like The Intruders, The O'Jays and The Spinners.

"Young, Tough and Terrible" is a flat-out beautiful soul album; "The Young, Tough and Terrible," "The Lost Generation" and "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," of course, are almost perfect chill tunes. "Sure is Funky," "Paulette" and "Talking the Teenage Language" are funky enough to start a riot. There's some nifty guitar work on the album, too.

The group's cover of "Tire of Being Alone" doesn't match Al Green's, but what could? Everything else on "Young, Tough and Terrible" is classic soul. Get this album while you can.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-20-08

Sunday morning jazz:

1) Dewey Redman: "Portrait in Black & White"
2) John Hardee: "Hardee's Partee"
3) Illinois Jacquet: "Robbin's Nest"
4) Johnny Hodges: "Gal from Joe's"
5) Arnett Cobb: "All I Do is Dream of You"
6) James Carter: "Sandu"
7) Ira Sullivan: "Mock and Roll Blues"
8) Gery Mulligan: "Makin' Whoopee"
9) Billy Harper: "Thine is the Glory"
10) Gene Ammons: "Goodbye"

Purdue Jazz Festival, 2008

The first thing I saw when I got to campus Saturday morning was a kid toting an acoustic bass case that was at least 2 feet taller than he was. A bit later, I saw the young bassist perform with his band, a group of middle schoolers, I think, at the 18th annual Purdue Jazz Festival. He was great. In fact, all the kids I listened to were impressive.

Yeah, some of the soloists missed some notes, but these are kids who, in many cases, picked up an instrument for the first time a couple of years ago … kids who’ve never had a professional lesson.

I went to the festival, which drew more than 1,000 teenage jazz musicians from schools around the Midwest, to hear my best friend’s sons, one a trumpet player and one a drummer. I had no idea they were as good as they are.

I also had no idea how much I would enjoy the music, which featured heavy doses of Ellington and Basie. It was a kick listening to 15- and 16-year-old saxophonists emulate Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonzalves, Ben Webster and Lester Young. How many professional saxophonists still play like that? James Carter, maybe? One or two others?

I could have listened to the students play all day, but I had to leave to meet a houseguest from out of town. I’m thinking, though, that I’ll get to hear a few of those musicians on a bigger stage in the future. The other kids, most of whom will remain jazz fans once they tower over their instruments, will be listening with me.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-19-08

Saturday morning jazz:

1) Jack Sheldon: "Just for a Thrill"
2) Roy Eldridge:"Lover Man"
3) Sonny Phillips: "Mobile to Chicago"
4) Grant Green: "Lazy Afternoon"
5) Mary Lou Williams: "Ghost of Love"
6) Benny Green Trio: "Something I Dreamed Last Night"
7) Herbie Hancock: "Fat Mama"
8) Yusef Lateef: "Belle Isle"
9) Nat Adderley and the Big Sax Section: "The Folks Who Live on the Hill"
10) Cannonball Adderley: "Hummin'"

The Treniers: 'They Rock! They Roll! They Swing!'

When I was a kid, I fell in love with "Say Hey," a hilarious tribute to Willie Mays, without knowing who performed the song. Much later, I bought an LP by The Treniers on a whim and discovered a frenetic blend of R&B, swing and rockabilly — they sounded like a supergroup composed of Cab Calloway, Billy Eckstine, Louis Jordan, Willis "Gator" Jackson, Earl Bostic, Nat King Cole, Big Joe Turner and Elvis Presley. I don't know about you, but that sounds like heaven to me.

You should buy "They Rock! They Roll! They Swing!" The 29 songs on the album are as manic as the music of The Ramones and as danceable as the music of Duke Ellington.

Here's a taste:

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-18-08

The daily mix:

1) Steve Earle: "Down Here Below"
2) James McMurtry: "Bad Enough"
3) Steve Goodman: "The One That Got Away"
4) John Hartford: "Here I Am in Love Again"
5) Billy Joe Shaver: "White Freightliner Blues"
6) Dar Williams: "The Christians and the Pagans"
7) Jemima James: "Small Town Girls"
8) John Fogerty: Diggy Liggy Lo"
9) Steve Young: "Rocksalt and Nails"
10) Rodney Crowell: "Still Learning How to Fly"

Steve Earle Records with Joan Baez

I learned in this feature story that Steve Earle's been recording with Joan Baez. It's been awhile — OK, 30 years — since I bought one of her albums, but I'll check out the new one. I think the rest of the story is interesting, too.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-17-08

It's a rockin' Thursday:

1) New York Dolls: "Lonely Planet Boy"
2) Marah: "Angels on a Passing Train"
3) Frank Black and the Catholics: "If It Takes All Night"
4) Velvet Underground: "I'm Waiting for My Man"
5) The Good Feelings: "Shattered"
6) The Breeders: "When I was a Painter"
7) X: "Universal Corner"
8) Gizmos: "Cry Real Tears"
9) The Dead Milkmen: "My Many Smells"
10) Bush Tetras: "Stand Up and Fight"

'Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young'

Most cover albums suck, but I'm a sucker for them anyway. So I was pretty excited when heard about "Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young," which will be released next month. Then I discovered the album's available on iTunes already. Naturally, I couldn't wait.

The album's a bit pricey on iTunes — $20.79 — but it's for a good cause. Besides, it's pretty good.

Some thoughts:

• I always thought Britta Phillips was the best thing about "Satisfaction," a forgettable film in the '80s that starred Justine Batemen, Julia Roberts and Liam Neeson. I also checked her out in Luna, which I thought was a solid band, but I'd almost forgotten about Phillips until I heard her cover of "I Am a Child" on this album. As much as I love Neil Young's version, I always thought it was a song that seemed written for a woman. Phillips nails it.
• Elk City, whose "New Believers" album was one of prettiest indie rock records of 2007, covers "Helpless" and the lead vocals sound every bit as vulnerable as Young's. The harmonies are gorgeous, too.
• Lori McKenna's rendition of "The Needle and the Damage Done" is simple and beautiful.
• I'd never heard of Euro-Trash Girl, but it's pretty cool listening to a group of women's rocking interpretation of "Cinnamon Girl." It's a nice take, though I wish there had been a bit more snarl in the vocals.
• Both Dala's and Darcie Miner's covers of "Ohio" are good, but they're not different enough to merit the inclusion of two versions on the album.
• Jill Sobule and John Doe collaborated on a cover of "Down By the River." At first, I thought Sobule's vocals were too meek for the song, but I find Iike the recording more with every listen. And I'd love to hear Sobule and Doe record more together because their voices mesh so well.
• I've never cared much for Veruca Salt, but I think the group's rendition of "Burned" is one of the most dynamic on the album.
• I love Tanya Donnelly, but though her cover of "Heart of Gold" is pretty, it's also a bit predictable.
• As far as tribute albums go, "Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young" is pretty good. It's certainly worth checking out samples of some of the songs on this myspace site.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-16-08

The daily mix:

1) Bobby Purify: "Better to Have It"
2) Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham: "I'm Your Puppet"
3) Hacienda Brothers: "It Tears Me Up"
4) Barbara West: "Anyone But You"
5) Merle Haggard: "Loneliness is Eating Me Alive"
6) Ray Price: "There Goes My Everything"
7) Luther Allison: "Think with Your Heart"
8) Shemekia Copeland: "The Other Woman"
9) Chuck Prophet: "Loving Her was Easier"
10) Al Green: "Look What You've Done for Me"

Jimmy Ponder: 'Live at the Other End'

"Live at the Other End," a recording of guitarist Jimmy Ponder's concert at New York's Other End in 1982, is one of my favorite solo jazz albums. All seven songs on the album are mesmerizing.

Ponder sounds like a one-man band as he snakes through the melody of Nat Adderley's "Work Song," playing several parts at once. And on Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance," he simultaneously creates a funky base and a breezy top.

Ponder performs a vigorous rendition of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammertsein's "All the Things You Are" that somehow seems more tender as a result. And I'm sure even Miles Davis would have grooved to Ponder's version of "Milestones."

I understand if the idea of a solo guitar album bores you. But trust me, "Live at the Other End" is filled with delightful surprises and I don't want to hang with anyone who doesn't like it.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-15-08

Tuesday morning jazz:

1) Art Pepper: "Over the Rainbow"
2) Keith Jarrett Trio: "All of You"
3) Stan Hope: "Easy to Love"
4) Randy Weston: "The Shrine"
5) Sonny Redd: "Bye Bye Blues"
6) Buddy Tate, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Roy Williams and Brian Lemon: "I've Got the World on a String"
7) Aaron Choulai: "Dreams of Paper Roses"
8) Eddie Henderson: "El Gaucho"
9) Leo Parker: "Blue Leo"
10) Gigi Gryce Quintet: "Down Home"

Pete Candoli Dies

I was saddened on Monday to learn of the death of trumpeter Pete Candoli, a Hoosier-born jazz great. My music collection is filled with albums on which Candoli played.

Candoli added fire to albums by Woody Herman, Stan Kenton and Gerry Mulligan. But I also loved his delicate touch when he backed singers, including Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Carmen McRae and June Christy. He was 84.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-14-08

The daily mix:

1) Billy Lee Riley: "Lookin' for My Baby"
2) Lightnin' Slim: "Nothin' But the Devil"
3) New Orleans Social Club: "99 1/2 Won't Do"
4) Rod Stewart: "Man of Constant Sorrow"
5) Betty Wright: "Is It You Girl?"
6) Percy Strother: "Love is Growing Cold"
7) Dinah Washington: "A Bad Case of the Blues"
8) Bobby "Blue" Bland: "I'll Take Care of You"
9) Buddy Miller: "That's How Strong My Love Is"
10) Bob Dylan: "Sweetheart Like You"

Soul Diva Betty Harris Returns with 'Intuition'

I'm happy that some young female singers are interested in old-school soul, but I prefer listening to the real thing, thanks. So I was delighted to learn that Betty Harris, one of the real divas of soul, was recording again after almost four decades.

Her new album, "Intuition," is the work of a woman who's poured a liftetime of experience into her music. And on songs such as "A Bible and a Beer" and "Is It Hot in Here," Harris sings with the same swagger she did on classic tracks such as "Evil Tonight" and "The Trouble with My Lover" 40 years ago.

Her vocals are a bit gruffer than they were when she recorded with Allen Toussaint in the '60s, but that works just fine because the album has a harder edge, with heavy rock and blues influences, than her earlier material did.

Check out some of Harris' music on Myspace. Then go order "Intuition." And, while you're at it, order "The Lost Soul Queen," too. It's one of the great soul collections of all time.

Joe Locke Quintet: 'Slander (and Other Love Songs)'

I didn't know quite what to expect when I bought Joe Locke's "Slander (and Other Love Songs)" the other day because I'd never heard the vibraphonist's music. I like some of the songs a lot.

Locke's rendition of Lalo Schifrin's "Mission Impossible" is the album's highlight. The quintet's take on the song is pretty straightforward, but Locke, guitarist Vic Juris and pianist Billy Childs give it a buoyant feel. Locke and Childs sound almost as if they're in a car chase as they speed through their solos. "Cecil B. Debop" is bouncy and vibrant, too, with a killer bass solo by Rufus Reid.

The quintet's cover of Joni Mitchell's "Blue" is just the opposite. It reminds me of the scene in "Three Days of the Condor" in which Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway talk about her photos; the music is lovely, but it's spare, lonely ... like an empty street at dusk or a leafless tree in winter.

There are a few songs I wish Locke had left off the album, notably Stevie Wonder's "Tuesday Heartbreak." Locke drains the song of its funky heartbeat and, compared to Wonder's original, it sounds almost like smooth jazz. Still, I'm not going to complain about the four bucks I spent on the album. In fact, most of the disc was a pleasant surprise.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-13-08

Sunday morning jazz:

1) Keystone Trio: "How Deep is the Ocean"
2) Wes Montgomery: "The End of a Love Affair"
3) Ernie Henry: "Free Light"
4) Clifford Brown: "De-Dah"
5) Mal Waldron: "Potpourri"
6) Lennie Tristano: "If I Had You"
7) Pee Wee Russell: "Some Other Blues"
8) Benny Goodman: "A Room Without Windows"
9) Bobby Hackett: "Albatross"
10) Shelly Manne: "Un Poco Loco"

I Hate Cable

It seems that my cable system doesn't carry "Austin City Limits" on its regular packages. I was already mad about the fact that cable doesn't carry the Big Ten Network. I'm dumping cable in a few weeks when I have time to mess with it.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-12-08

The daily mix:

1) Beck: "Emergency Exit"
2) Pavement: "Spit on a Stranger"
3) Dandy Warhols: "The Last High"
4) Sons & Daughters: "Dance Me In"
5) Supersuckers: "Bruises to Prove It"
6) Gitogito Hustler: "Love & Roll"
7) James Chance: "Contort Yourself"
8) The Clash: "Police on My Back"
9) Soledad Brothers: "Goin' Back to Memphis"
10) Talking Heads: "Girlfriend is Better"

Roky's an Inspiration

Roky Erickson has delighted and inspired my friends and me since we saw him at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2005. My good friend Rodd pointed out to me that Roky must inspire a lot of folks, including someone who designed a typeface called "Cold Night for Alligators," which also happens to be the name of one of Roky's best songs as a solo artist. It's amusing to me, at least, but I'm a journalism geek.

And don't forget to watch Roky on the "Austin City Limits" television show tonight.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-11-08

The daily mix:

1) Bettye Swann: "Stand By Your Man"
2) Tammy Wynette: "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad"
3) Richard Thompson: "Crawl Back (Under My Stone)"
4) R.E.M.: "Wall of Death"
5) John Wesley Harding: "If You Have Ghosts"
6) Roky Erickson: "It's a Cold Night for Alligators"
7) John Hammond: "Jockey Full of Bourbon"
8) Tom Waits: "Better Off Without a Wife"
9) Randy Newman: "The World Isn't Fair"
10) Etta James: "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield"

Don't Miss Roky

A reminder: Roky Erickson will be on "Austin City Limits" on Saturday. As far as I'm concerned, it's the television event of the year. Kings of Leon will be on the show, too.

And here's a clip from my favorite show ever, Roky at ACL in 2005:

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-10-08

The daily mix:

1) Parlor James: "The Devil's Door"
2) Handsome Family: "I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling"
3) Barbara Pittman: "I'm Getting Better All the Time"
4) Hank Snow: "The Golden Rocket"
5) Hobart Smith: "Claude Allen"
6) Merle Haggard: "The Fightin' Side of Me"
7) Rosanne Cash: "I'll Change for You"
8) Emmylou Harris: "Boulder to Birmingham"
9) Mary Gauthier: "Last of the Hobo Kings"
10) John Prine: "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness"

A Hankering to Travel

NPR is hosting an extraordinary jazz and samba concert featuring Trio da Paz and Kenny Barron. I don't know about you, but suddenly I have an urge to vacation in Brazil.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-9-08

Thursday morning jazz:

1) Wild Bill Davis: "Body and Soul"
2) Tiny Grimes: "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"
3) Gerry Mulligan: "Five Brothers"
4) Jerome Richardson: "Friar Tuck"
5) James Finn: "There's a Shadow of a Jazzman"
6) William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra: "Part One"
7) Marcus Strickland: "Sneaky Deaky"
8) Chico O'Farrill and Clark Terry: "Tin Tin Deo"
9) Pony Poindexter: "Skylark"
10) George Benson: "Doobie, Doobie Blues"

Doc Bagby and Luis Rivera: 'Battle of the Organs'

I bought "Battle of the Organs" on a whim because I'm a freak for jazz albums that feature the organ.

I was hooked from the first song, "Hay Ride," on which Doc Bagby creates a thick, bouncy melody with his organ. The synergy between Bagby and the lively guitarist and honking saxophonist is electric. Unfortunately, King didn't include liner notes or credits for the album, though a Web search leads me to believe Clifford Bush was the guitarist and either Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis or Bill Gaither was the saxophonist. "Soft Side," a lovely ballad, is the other highlight of Bagby's set.

I'd never heard of Luis Rivera before I picked up this album, but I love the athletic way he played the organ. His portion of the album opens with a seductive rendition of "Tangerine" on which the saxophonist answers Rivera's sinewy organ riffs with soft notes that sound almost like a whisper from Coleman Hawkins. "Fat Stocking" is even better. Rivera and the saxophonist, presumably Lockjaw Davis, engage in a spirited uptempo call and response. Rivera's swinging versions of "Heavy Hips" and "Bobby Sox" have vaulted to the top of my iPod playlists.

There were no losers in this battle, which features recordings from the mid-'50s, by these contemporaries of organists such as Milt Buckner, Jackie Davis, Wild Bill Davis and Bill Doggett. "Battle of the Organs" is an album I can recommend without reservations.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-8-08

The daily mix:

1) The Clash: "Know Your Rights"
2) Lonnie Mack: "Memphis"
3) Chuck Berry: "Rock and Roll Music"
4) Jerry Lee Lewis: "Down the Line"
5) Jo Ann Campbell: "Boogie Woogie Country Girl"
6) Slim Rhodes and Sandy Brooks: "Do What I Do"
7) Eddie Floyd: "Love is a Doggone Good Thing"
8) Major Lance: "Hey Little Girl"
9) William Bell: "A Smile Can't Hide (A Broken Heart)"
10) Mable John: "I Love You More Than Words Can Say"

My Calendar is Filling

It looks like a busy spring of music for me:

• Jan. 11: Liz Carroll and John Doyle. Duncan Hall, Lafayette.
• Jan. 18: Jon Faddis and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. Loeb Playhouse, Purdue.
• Feb. 2: C.J. Chenier. Long Center, Lafayette.
• Feb. 9: Monsters of Folk with Dave Alvin, Chris Smither and Tim O'Brien. Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago.
• Jan 31: Eric Bibb and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Loeb Playhouse, Purdue.
• Feb. 1: Asylum Street Spankers. Lafayette Brewing Company, Lafayette.
• Feb. 23: Galactic. The Music Mill, Indianapolis.
• March 21: The Red Stick Ramblers. Lafayette Brewing Company, Lafayette.
• March 22: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. The Vogue, Indianapolis.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-7-08

Monday night funk:

1) The Counts: "What's Up Front"
2) Bobby Byrd: "Try It Again"
3) Sound Experience: "40 Acres and a Mule"
4) Bobby Williams and His Mar Kings: "All the Time"
5) Edwin Starr: "Stop the War"
6) The Fatback Band: "Yum Yum (Gimme Some)"
7) Little Jr. Jesse & His Teardrops & the Tears: "Funky Stuff"
8) James Brown: "Super Bad"
9) Annakonda: "Wheedle's Groove"
10) United 8: "Getting Uptown (To Get Down)"

Jazz Blog Special: 'Gus Mancuso and Special Friends'

John Philip Sousa's marching band would have collapsed if they'd tried to keep up with the swinging beat of Gus Mancuso's baritone horn. In fact, Mancuso flies through most of the tunes on "Gus Mancuso and Special Friends" so fast that it's amazing that even his jazz colleagues could keep up. Luckily, they did, and the album, which combines Mancuso's two releases as a leader, is an unusual delight.

"Brother Aintz," which features a whirling duel between Mancuso on baritone and Richie Kamuca on tenor saxophone, is the album's centerpiece. The deep tone of Mancuso's horn will sound familiar to anyone who's ever listened to marching bands or British brass bands, but I've never heard it played with such power and speed. Vince Guaraldi's racing riffs on the piano will also come as a surprise to folks who know him only through Charlie Brown TV specials.

Mancuso also makes classic ballads such as "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" sound fresh. On that tune, accompanied only by guitarist Eddie Duran and bassist Gene Wright, Mancuso's baritone burns sweet like fine single-malt Scotch. "Guess Who Isaw Today" — which features Mancuso with tenor saxophonist Joe Romano, pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Buddy Greve — sounds even sweeter.

I love John Phillip Sousa — my friends and students will tell you I have an abnormal love of marching — but I'd rather parade around my house listening to Mancuso any day.

(Jazz Blog Special is a regular feature that examines older jazz albums worth checking out.)

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-4-08

Friday morning jazz:

1) World Saxophone Quartet: "Hattie Wall"
2) Andy Biskin Quintet: "No Bones"
3) 3 Cohens: "Lies and Gossip"
4) Joe Lovano and Greg Osby: "Truth Be Told"
5) Jason Moran: "Skitter In"
6) Hank Mobley: "Dig Dis"
7) Jesse Powell: "When You're Smiling"
8) Doc Bagby: "I Want a Little Girl"
9) Bob Cooper: "Somebody Loves Me"
10) Walt Dickerson: "Sugar Lump"

Jay-Z to Form Label with Apple?

Reportedly, the rapper Jay-Z is launching a record label with Apple. I don't know what to think about this. On one hand, I'm all for breaking the hold that the current music companies and the RIAA have on the recording industry. Still, Apple's a multinational corporation that's interested primarily in profit. My hope would be that the label would allow unknown artists to produce music for cheap; I think that would be great (and potentially profitable).

If Apple does form a record label, others will follow. The safe money is that Google will be next.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-3-08

It's Twang Thursday:

1) Buck Owens: "There's Gonna Come a Day"
2) Steve Sparkman: "Darling Nellie Gray"
3) The Country Gentlemen: "Paradise"
4) Jim Ed Brown: "You Can Have Her"
5) Buzz Busby: "Me and the Jukebox"
6) Bill Monroe: "Toy Heart"
7) Hank Locklin: "My Old Hometown"
8) Loretta Lynn: "Van Lear Rose"
9) Patsy Cline: "I'm Blue Again"
10) George Jones: "Yes, I Know Why"

One of My Heroes

I remember how excited I was when I saw this performance by Curtis Mayfield on TV when I was a youngster. I get even more jacked watching it now.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-2-08

Wednesday morning soul:

1) The Intruders: "Plain Old-fashioned Girl"
2) The O'Jays: "Backstabbers"
3) The Coasters: "Down in Mexico"
4) The Originals: "I Like Your Style"
5) Black Nasty: "We're Doing Our Thing"
6) The Tams: "Silly Little Girl"
7) The Manhattans: "Kiss and Say Goodbye"
8) Chairmen of the Board: "Hanging on to a Memory"
9) Clarence Carter: "Too Weak to Fight"
10) James Carr: "Stronger Than Love"

Lucero: 'Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers'

I didn’t fall in love with Lucero’s “Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers” the first few times I heard it. There’s nothing on the CD that’s as pretty as “Sweet Little Thing” or “Across the River” from Lucero’s “Tennessee” and “That Much Further West” albums, but the more I listen to “Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers,” the more I’ve found to like.

For one thing, it’s filled with energy; Lucero sounds like a hard-driving cross between Slobberbone and the Allman Brothers most of the time. And even though the slower tunes aren’t traditionally pretty, the gruff singing sounds sincere and appealing.

I’ve never seen Lucero live, but attending one of the alt-country band’s concerts is near the top of my musical wish list. And, needless to say, I'm looking forward to the group's next album.

Cahl's Jukebox, 1-1-08

Happy New Year:

1) Teenage Fanclub and Jad Fair: "Behold the Miracle"
2) Mark Eitzel: "Cold Light of Day"
3) The Pretty Things: "Walking Through My Dreams"
4) Ian McLagan and the Bump Band: "She Ain't My Girl"
5) Peter Case: "Ain't Gonna Worry No More"
6) The Walkabouts: "Sweet Revenge"
7) The Undertones:"True Confessions"
8) Talking Heads: "Girlfriend is Better"
9) The Ramones: "I Believe in Miracles"
10) The Plasmatics: "Tight Black Pants"