Cahl's Jukebox, 6-30-08

The daily mix:

1) Ronny and the Daytonas: "Hot Rod City"
2) Detroit Cobras: "On a Monday"
3) Little Richard: "Miss Ann"
4) Clarence "Frogman" Henry: "I'm in Love"
5) Chuck Berry: "Too Much Monkey Business"
6) Blues Busters: "Donna"
7) Owen Gray: "Guava Jelly"
8) Jimmy Cliff: "Hard Road to Travel"
9) Dave Davani: "Pig Foots"
10) The Blue Magoos: "(We Ain't Got) Nothing Yet"

Neil Young Covers The Beatles

Here's Neil Young tearing up "A Day in the Life" in Dublin. Pretty damn cool.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-29-08

Sunday morning jazz:

1) Ronnie Cuber: "Star Eyes"
2) Coleman Hawkins: "Meet Doctor Foo"
3) Fred Hersch: "Rain Check"
4) Junior Cook: "Play Together Again"
5) Zoot Sims: "Why Cry?"
6) Buddy Rich: "Waltz of the Mushroom Hunters"
7) Magali Souriau Orchestra: "Ask Me Now"
8) Jason Lindner Big Band: "The 5 Elements and the Natural Trinity"
9) Miles Davis: "Just Squeeze Me"
10) Lucky Thompson: "Invitation"

Killer Ray Appleton and Mel Rhyne: 'Latin Dreams'

Call me a homer if you want, but I think "Latin Dreams," an album by a couple of Hoosiers, Killer Ray Appleton and Mel Rhyne, is as funky a blend of Latin and soul jazz as you'll ever find.

Rhyne, of course is the great Hammond B3 organist who collaborated with Wes Montgomery on so many classic albums. Appleton is a drummer mentored by Montgomery. He's also backed John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Brother Jack McDuff and Jimmy Witherspoon. On "Latin Dreams," they're joined by guitarist Ilya Lushtak and percussionist Milton Cardona.

Montgomery's "Cariba" is the album's centerpiece on which Rhyne and Lushtak trade solos that establish a swinging easy groove. Cardona adds some fiery Latin beats and Appleton adds texture with some extraordinary brush work on his cymbals. The group's rendition of "The Very Thought of You" is tender and lovely. And their take on "Tequila" is even saucier than The Champs' version, if you ask me.

Other highlights include Rhyne's "Night Vigil," Barry Harris' "Lolita" and Dizzy Gillespie's "Blue 'N' Boogie."

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-27-08

The daily mix:

1) Femi Kuti: "Beng Beng Beng"
2) Jimmy Castor Bunch: "Say Leroy (The Creature From the Black Lagoon is Your Father)"
3) James Knight: "Funky Cat"
4) Rahsaan Roland Kirk: "Blacknuss"
5) Neville Brothers: "Yellow Moon"
6) Lonnie Liston Smith: "Cosmic Funk"
7) Donald Byrd: "Sexy Dancer"
8) Weather Report: "Black Market"
9) Rufus Thomas: "Do the Double Bump"
10) Fela Kuti: "Chop and Quench"

Deep Blue Organ Trio at the Jazz Kitchen

Guitarist Bobby Broom said Friday night that when he was a kid he used to lament that he'd missed the era of great organ trios. But that was long before he hooked up with organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg Rockingham.

Their group, the Deep Blue Organ Trio, would have been contenders in the crowded organ combo field of the '50s, '60s and '70s. That was clear from the first notes of their concert Friday at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis.

The first song, I think it was "A Deeper Blue," started with a gentle blues riffs; my friend says Foreman plays the softest notes on the Hammond B3 organ he's ever heard. Then, almost imperceptibly, they burst into a meaty funk groove; Foreman has a wicked right hand.

Broom can bring the funk, too. But the most amazing thing about Broom, I think, is his ability to improvise. (My friend compared him to Sonny Rollins, with whom Broom has played since he was a young man.) For example, on "You Don't Know What Love Is," Broom deconstructs the standard, taking many unpredictable turns without blowing up the melody. As a result, the tune sounds both vaguely familiar and refreshingly vibrant.

The band sounded even better when it played "Moon River," moving seamlessly from lullaby to frenzy. It's been a long time since I've heard a band with better timing. Credit Rockingham for that. He set the tempo and provided the transitions between the dynamic solos of Foreman and Broom.

The Deep Blue Organ Trio is playing at the Jazz Kitchen again tonight. You should go if you live anywhere near central Indiana. You'll hear a throwback organ combo that sounds thoroughly modern

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-27-08

Friday morning soul:

1) Clifford Curry: "She Shot a Hole in My Soul"
2) Otis Redding: "I'm Coming Home"
3) Mable John: "It's Catching"
4) Servicemen: "I'll Stop Loving You"
5) Betty Harris: "What a Sad Feeling"
6) Tammi Terrell: "What a Good Man He Is"
7) Laura Lee: "Wedlock is a Padlock"
8) James Carr: "What Can I Call My Own"
9) Irma Thomas: "Let's Do It Over"
10) Sam Cooke: "Nothing Can Change This Love"

Otis Redding Camp

Rock 'n' Roll camps for kids seem to be in vogue now. I'm all for that. But the coolest one of all, as far as I'm concerned, is the Otis Redding Singer-Songwriter Camp.

Almost makes me wish I had kids.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-26-08

The daily mix:

1) Supersuckers: "Rock-n-Roll Records (Ain't Selling This Year)"
2) The Cramps: "Dopefiend Boogie"
3) Swell Maps: "Harmony in Your Bathroom"
4) Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: "Rockin' Shopping Center"
5) The Clash: "Brand New Cadillac"
6) The Ugly Americans: "Candyman"
7) Mary's Danish: "Don't Crash the Car Tonight"
8) The Standells: "Little Sally Tease"
9) Neil Young and Crazy Horse: "Farmer John"
10) The Strangeloves: "Night Time"

Eliza Gilkyson: 'Beautiful World'

I'll admit I'm easily bored by a lot of newer folk music, but I've been digging Eliza Gilkyson's latest album, "Beautiful World."

I'm not sure it's fair to categorize it as a straight folk album anyway. Some of the tunes sound like classic country; others flirt with rock 'n' roll. But whatever you call the music, Gilkyson's defense of nature and her insights on love sound like modern folk parables.

The album's first song, "Emerald Street," is a downright peppy love song. It's hard to keep from humming when you listen. I manage, though, because I prefer to join the whistles on the tune. Somehow, that seems more romantic.

Don't get too sappy. Gilkyson explores the world of a 16-year-old prostitute on "Dream Lover." And the loveliness of "The Great Correction" belies the message of song, a cynical condemnation of folks wrapped up in their own lives at the expense of others and, indeed, the world. It sounds almost like a prediction of an apocalypse. But through dark times, through war, Gilkyson suggests a great correction will come. She continues the theme on "Unsustainable," a jazzy tune on which she muses that perhaps we should start again.

"Beautiful World" is pretty. But if you listen hard, you'll find deeper meaning. And isn't that what folk music's all about?

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-25-08

Wednesday morning jazz:

1) Bob Brookmeyer: "Louisiana"
2) Cannonball Adderley: "Planet Earth"
3) Herb Geller: "Pensive"
4) Al Cohn: "Suddenly It's Spring"
5) Houston Person: "Blue Velvet"
6) Charlie Rouse: "Lil Rousin'"
7) Kenny Garrett: "Chief Blackwater"
8) Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: "Day By Day"
9) Thad Jones and Mel Lewis: "Ahunk Ahunk"
10) Jimmy Heath: "CTA"

Big Weekend

I have a big weekend planned. Friday night, a buddy and I plan to catch Bobby Broom and The Deep Blue Organ Trio at The Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis. The Deep Blue Organ Trio is one of the best organ combos working in jazz today and Broom is a fabulous jazz guitarist.

On Saturday, weather permitting, I'm going to the Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering in Battle Ground, Ind., just a couple miles from my house. I'm looking forward to hearing some of the relatively obscure old-time musicians, but I suspect the highlight, at least for me, will be the set by guitarist Frank Vignola and violinist Aaron Weinstein, who've made names for themselves in the jazz world.

It's going to be a great weekend.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-24-08

The daily mix:

1) Marcia Ball: "Peace, Love & BBQ"
2) Kathy Mattea: "Walk the Way the Wind Blows"
3) Wanda Jackson: "Bye Bye Baby"
4) Michael Doucet & Cajun Brew: "Do You Want to Dance"
5) Los Lobos: "Let's Go"
6) Little Feat: "Skin It Back"
7) Roy Brown: "Hard Luck Blues"
8) Little Walter: "It Ain't Right"
9) Dave Richardson and the Invincibles: "Heart Full of Love"
10) The Olympics: "Big Boy Pete"

Alejandro Escovedo: 'Real Animal'

On "Real Animal," Alejandro Escovedo blasts through memories of a lifetime in rock 'n' roll.

The album's a musical yearbook of sorts. Escovedo hears the echoes of his former bands — The Nuns, Rank and File, The True Believers and Buick MacKane. He also communes with the spirits of old friends and colleagues who've departed — Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club, Sid Vicious, Nancy Spungeon...

Tony Visconti, a producer for David Bowie and T. Rex, helped Escovedo channel the memories of his musical heroes, including Mott the Hoople, whose imprint is all over the album. Chuck Prophet, who cowrote the songs and leant his guitar, added both grit and grease.

In short, the album rocks. I love hearing Escovedo's poignant ballads — there are a few here, notably the gorgeous "Sensitive Boys — but he's best when he finds a frenzied groove and rides it to the end of a song.

Give "Real Animal" a listen and let Escovedo guide you down your own path of rock 'n' roll memories.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-23-08

The daily mix:

1) T-Bone Burnett:"The Long Time Now"
2) Charlie Sexton and Shannon McNally: "When We Were Younger"
3) Kevin Gordon: "Pauline"
4) Randy Newman: "Big Hat, No Cattle"
5) Arlo Guthrie: "Jesus Christ"
6) Billy Joe Shaver: "When I Get My Wings"
7) Louvin Brothers: "My Baby Came Back"
8) Blue Sky Boys: "I'm Just Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail"
9) Julie Miller: "By Way of Sorrow"
10) Gillian Welch: "Hickory Wind"

The Gestures

Hard-core rock fans know The Gestures for their hit "Run, Run, Run." It's one of the prettiest garage rock tunes you'll ever hear. You'll find that tune and the only three other tunes the band released, including the beautiful "Don't Mess Around," on "The Gestures," a collection released by the Sundazed label. But the covers on the album, most previously unreleased, are the telling tunes.

The Gestures' cover of The Beatles' "Things We Said Today" is spot on. Their rendition of Tommy Tucker's R&B classic "Hi-Heel Sneakers," is even better. The tune sounds raw and fresh with their mix of blues and surf guitar. And The Gestures translate Marvin Gaye's sensuous energy on "Can I get a Witness" into pure rock 'n roll jubilance.

Many of the tunes on the album are ragged, sure, but make no mistake, The Gestures were a great American group and one of the best cover bands of all time.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-22-08

The daily mix:

1) Dinah Washington: "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby"
2) Abbey Lincoln: "Lonesome Cup of Coffee"
3) Jo Stafford: "Blue Moon"
4) Mel Torme: "I Don't Want to Cry Anymore"
5) Frank Sinatra: "I Get a Kick Out of You"
6) Lambert, Hendricks and Ross: "Gimme That Wine"
7) Jackie Paris: "That Ole Devil Called Love"
8) Freddy Cole: "Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues"
9) Kay Starr: "Vagabond Shoes"
10) Mildred Bailey: "Squeeze Me"

Sarah Vaughan: "Peter Gunn"

I replayed Max Sedgley's remix of Sarah Vaughan' s "Peter Gunn" on the "Verve Remixed 3" album several times tonight. I think it's the best track on the album, partly because Sedgley didn't deconstruct the song. Mostly, he added some electronic reverb, which complements the original instrumentals.

And, to tell you the truth, he didn't need to do much. Vaughan's rendition of "Peter Gunn" is one of the hippest tunes in jazz.

According to the liner notes, we can thank Quincy Jones for the recording. Hank Mancini says he never thought the song would work with lyrics, but Jones kept pestering him to try it. So, Jay Livingston and Ray Evans wrote some lyrics and Bill Holman arranged the song. Vaughan provided the fireworks.

Vaughan infuses the song with the same kind of slinkiness found on Peggy Lee's "Fever," but Vaughan manages to sound sultry at a much faster tempo.

I pull out "Verve Remixed 3" periodically, but I've listened to Vaughan's original version every couple of weeks since I bought "Sarah Vaughan Sings the Mancini Songbook" many years ago.

My students often ask me for a list of my desert island albums. I don't know if Vaughan's Mancini album would make the cut. But if I could take my iPod to the island, you can bet her version of "Peter Gunn" would be one of the first tunes I'd load.

"Sarah Vaughan Sings the Mancini Songbook" seems to be out of print, but you can probably find cheap used copies. Or just download "Peter Gunn" from iTunes. Your hipness quotient will improve exponentially.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-21-08

The daily mix:

1) X: "When Our Love Passed Out on the Couch"
2) Foggy Notions: "Need a Little Loving"
3) New York Dolls: "Bad Girl"
4) Plimsouls: "How Long Will It Take"
5) The Hold Steady: "Barfruit Blues"
6) Supergrass: "Kick in the Teeth"
7) The Magicians: "An Invitation to Cry"
8) The Dickies: "Zeppelina"
9) Minutemen: "Black Sheep"
10) Pixies: "No. 13 Baby"

Weekend Kickstart

I'm listening to The Beat Farmers' "Loud and Plowed ... Live." I don't think there's a better way to start the weekend.

Man, I miss Country Dick Montana.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-20-08

The daily mix:

1) Janis Joplin: "A Woman Left Lonely"
2) Dan Penn: "Cry Like a Man"
3) Sammi Smith: "Sunday Morning Coming Down"
4) Eliza Gilkyson: "Emerald Street"
5) Mary Gauthier: "Soft Place to Land"
6) Christopher Guest: "Well-Intentioned Blues"
7) Larry Jon Wilson: "Ohoopee River Bottomland"
8) John Prine: "Crazy As a Loon"
9) Lucy Kaplansky: "Don't Renege On Our Love"
10) Sandy Denny: "Late November"

Plans for JVC Jazz Festival

A buddy has persuaded me to go to the JVC Jazz Festival in Chicago the weekend of July 18. It didn't take much persuading; Cindy and I will be in town for the Pitchfork Festival anyway.

William Parker and Fred Anderson will be playing at the Velvet Lounge. Ari Brown, Von Freeman and Frank Catalano will be at the Green Mill. Greg Osby will be with the Corey Wilkes Quartet at Andy's Jazz Club. And John Abercrombie will be at the new Jazz Showcase with his organ trio.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-19-08

Thursday night blues:

1) Big Mama Thornton: "My Heavy Load"
2) Bukka White: "Parchman Farm Blues"
3) Sunnyland Slim: "I Had It So Hard"
4) Willie "Big Eyes" Smith: "Tell Me Mama"
5) Tail Dragger: "Tend to Your Business"
6) Carl Weathersby: "Leave It Alone"
7) Albert King: "Angel of Mercy"
8) Bonnie Lee: "Sad and Evil Woman"
9) Hubert Sumlin: "I Don't Want No Woman"
10) Muddy Waters: "I Don't Know Why"

John Dee Holeman: 'You Got to Lose, You Can't Win All the Time'

John Dee Holeman's latest album, 'You Got to Lose, You Can't Win All the Time," is an example of why The Music Maker Relief Foundation is my favorite charity. The foundation provides financial assistance to Southern blues and roots musicians who need help. It also records many of these musicians, and almost all of the albums are great.

"You Got to Lose, You Can't Win All the Time" is one of the best I've heard. It's an eclectic mix of the lessons he learned as a youngster listening to Blind Boy Fuller, Lightnin' Hopkins and scores of Piedmont blues musicians.

Holeman's snarling guitar and bemused vocals on Hopkins' "Mojo Hand" are electric. His rendition of the traditional "One Black Rat" sounds like bluesy hoedown music. "Early Morning Blues" is great, too. It's biting electric blues that sounds like it's straight out of Clarksville, Miss.

But the album's centerpiece, I think, is Holeman's cover of "Hoochie Coochie Man." There's something magical about hearing a 79-year-old dude tear through the song. Because make no mistake, John Dee Holeman is a man.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-18-08

Wednesday night blues:

1) Big Time Sarah: "Tribute to Big Walter Horton"
2) Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows: "Nobody Wants to Lose"
3) Vanessa Davis Blues Band: "Who You Gonna Turn To"
4) Lazy Lester: "Tell Me Pretty Baby"
5) Katie Webster: "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights"
6) Pee Wee Crayton: "Blues at Daybreak"
7) Zora Young: "Steppin' Stone"
8) Big Leon Brooks: "Please Mr. Catfish"
9) Koko Taylor: "Bad Rooster"
10) Freddie King: "Same Old Blues"

Blues Blog Special: Nora Jean Bruso, 'Going Back to Mississippi'

A buddy of mine pulled Nora Jean Bruso's "Going Back to Mississippi" out of a stack on Saturday while he was rebuilding the base of my stereo cabinet, which had been damaged by water that seeped into the basement. We played one album after another all weekend, but I think Bruso's might have been his favorite.

I bought the album, released in 2004, because I heard there was a young blues singer with a massive voice living in LaPorte, Ind., just a few miles from where I spent six years as a reporter and editor at northern Indiana newspapers in the '80s. To say that Bruso has a big voice is an understatement. In the album's liner notes, Koko Taylor says Bruso sounds just like she did when Taylor was young. That's not far off.

This is real blues, a raw chronicle of a young woman's struggles growing up in Mississippi. Bruso's thick voice defiantly pounds listener's with her life story on "What I Been Through." And you know every aching lyric of "Broken Heart" must be true when you hear her sing the tune.

Bruso know about good times, too. She boogies through "Miss Mae's Juke Joint," a celebration of drink and dance. It's the album's best tune.

Everything about the album's first-rate, including the musicians who accompany her, notably Carl Weathersby on guitar, Ron Graham on saxophone and Rob Waters on the Hammond B3 organ and piano.

I don't know whether Bruso will become a big star. I do know she has a new fan in my friend Hak, who has discriminating tastes in the blues. And if you give Bruso a chance, I'm betting you'll want to join her fan club, too.

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

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-17-08

Tuesday night jazz:

1) Charles Mingus: "Sophisticated Lady"
2) Hamiet Bluiett: "Blues in F and C"
3) David Murray: "Doni's Song"
4) Anat Cohen: "No Moon at All"
5) Phil Woods: "The Duke"
6) Roy Campbell: "Heavenly Ascending"
7) Henry Grimes:"Son of Alfalfa"
8) Joshua Redman: "Wait No Longer"
9) Oscar Pettiford: "Not So Sleepy"
10) Herbie Mann: "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"

Martial Solal: 'In & Out/Plays Ellington'

This morning I bought a limited edition set of two albums by French piano player Martial Solal because I saw the first one, "In & Out," paired Solal with saxophonist Johnny Griffin.

The album's good; it might even be better than "Close Your Eyes," an album I've long admired on which Griffin collaborated with another jazz pianist, Horace Parlan. On "In & Out," Griffin, who might have had the best fast ball of any saxophonist, lobs one delightful change-up after another. He takes his solos at a leisurely pace, occasionally punctuating his runs with gentle squawks. Solal adds piano riffs that are crisp and clear. I think their rendition of "You Stepped Out of a Dream" is particularly good. Griffin and Solal skip around each other, each sounding jubilant and playful.

The other album in the package, "Martial Solal Dodecaband Plays Ellington," is the real treat, though. Solal and his band inject hints of free jazz into the oft-played Ellington standards. As a result, tunes such "Satin Doll," "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" and "Caravan" sound fresh and exciting. Solol's wonderful arrangements, sound almost as if they were written by Charles Mingus. And I'm always up for a little controlled chaos.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-16-08

The daily mix:

1) The Easybeats: "The Music Goes Round My Head"
2) The Creation: "Biff Bang Pow"
3) Matthew Sweet: "Reaching Out"
4) Elliott Smith: "Son of Sam"
5) Heartless Bastards: "My Maker"
6) The Minus 5: "Dear My Inspiration"
7) Wilco: "Company in My Back"
8) Spanic Boys: "Looks Good to Me"
9) The Bottle Rockets: "Smoking 100s Alone"
10) Carl Perkins: "Glad All Over"

Solomon Burke: 'Like a Fire'

Don't buy Solomon Burke's new album, "Like a Fire," expecting a reprise of the slinky soul and blues on "Don't Give Up on Me" and "Make Do With What You Got." There aren't a lot of similarities to Burke's 2006 country album, "Nashville," either.

"Like a Fire" is more of an odd cross between pop and gospel. Burke's husky voice is as smooth as ever. It's smoldering on "A Minute to Rest," a Ben Harper tune. It's the album's best tune. I love "The Fall," too; it's a slow-boiling philosophical tune that emphasizes the power of Burke's voice.

But several of the songs on the album don't click. The two songs by Eric Clapton, for example, are too slick and sappy for my taste. And the others don't allow him to start thundering.

Still, this is an album by Solomon Burke, one of the greatest soul singers of all time, and I'll gobble up any morsels of his work the record companies want to throw my way.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-15-08

Sunday morning jazz:

1) James Spaulding: "Premonition"
2) Sam Jones: "Sonny Boy"
3) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: "Controversy"
4) Frank Strozier: "The Man That Got Away"
5) Joe Gordon: "Diminishing"
6) Dimitri Vassilakis: "Ocean Groove"
7) Curtis Amy: "Katanga"
8) Gene Ammons: "The Five O'Clock Whistle"
9) Kenny Clarke: "Tricotism"
10) Phil Ranelin: "13th and Senate"

Jazz Showcase Reopens

I'm thrilled that Chicago jazz impressario Joe Segal has finally reopened the Jazz Showcase. The club's schedule for the next few weeks is impressive. I'd love to catch Charles McPherson's show, but my family will be visiting me in Hoosierland then and I don't get to see them nearly enough.

I'll find a way to get there soon, though. The world needs more great jazz clubs and Segal's venues have always offered incredible jazz.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-14-08

The daily mix:

1) The Undisputed Truth: "Law of the Land"
2) Al Green: "I Stand Accused"
3) Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen: "Sometimes I Wonder"
4) Chris Gaffney: "The Man of Somebody's Dreams"
5) Alejandro Escovedo: "Little Bottles"
6) Marcia Ball, Lu Ann Barton and Angela Strehli: "Gonna Make It"
7) Dusty Springield: "If You Go Away"
8) John Hammond: "Fannon Street"
9) Tom Waits: "Saving All My Love for You"
10) Neko Case: "Dirty Knife"

Bummer

My friends and I are skipping the Indianapolis Jazz Fest tonight because of nasty weather. That sucks because I was really looking forward to hearing Bettye LaVette again.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-13-08

I bought a new car Thursday, so a mix about cars and driving seems appropriate.

1) Wayne Hancock: "Brand New Cadillac"
2) Drive By Truckers: "Carl Perkins' Cadillac"
3) Lucinda Williams: "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"
4) Sue Foley: "Let Me Drive"
5) Jack Ingram: "Runaway Cadillac"
6) Clem Snide: "Tiny European Cars"
7) The Clash: "Car Jamming"
8) Wilson Pickett: "Mustang Sally"
9) The Beatles: "Drive My Car"
10) Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheel: "Jenny Take a Ride"

Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater on The World Cafe

I conducted a Google news search for Otis Clay tonight while listening to "Testify," a mesmerizing collection of his early recordings with One-derful Records. As a result, I stumbled upon The World Cafe's show featuring Eddy Clearwater; Clay, Lonnie Brooks and Jimmy Johnson make appearances on Clearwater's new album, "West Side Strut."

It's a great show with interesting comments and great music from Clearwater. Check it out.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-12-08

The daily mix:

1) Small Faces: "Green Circles"
2) Edward Burch and Jay Bennett: "Shakin' Sugar"
3) Wilco: "How to Fight Loneliness"
4) Kathleen Edwards: "Maria"
5) Richard Thompson: "She Said It Was Destiny"
6) Suzanne Vega: "Stockings"
7) Tanya Donnelly: "Whiskey Tango"
8) Admiral Twin: "No. 1 Fan"
9) Marshall Crenshaw: "Stop Doing That"
10) Camera Obscura: "The False Contender"

Jazz Blog Special: 'Mucho Calor'

Don't be fooled by the title of "Mucho Calor," which means "much heat." The album, recorded in 1958, features what you would expect when you pair Art Pepper and some of the finest West Coast jazz musicians of the day with a Latin rhythm section: Cool Latin jazz.

Pepper, on alto saxophone, was joined by an amazing crew for the recording: Conte Candoli on trumpet, Bill Perkins on tenor saxophone, Russ Freeman on piano, Jack Costanza and Mike Pacheko on bongos, Chuck Flores on drums, and Ben Tucker on bass. And, yeah, there are some hot moments, especially on "Vaya Hombre Vaya," written and arranged by Bill Holman, and "Mambo Jumbo," written and arranged by Candoli. But, for the most part, the music is pure silk.

Take "Autumn Leaves," arranged by Benny Carter. Pepper and Freeman ooze through the song, with the rhythm section providing a blanket of steam, the cool, thick kind that floats in the air above a layer of dry ice. Or "Pernod," written and arranged by Johnny Mercer. The musicians take their solos at a pretty rapid clip, but they play so gently and eloquently that the song sounds almost like a ballad from Duke Ellington's band. And the group's rendition of "That Old Black Magic" sounds like a sexy Latin whisper.

"Mucho Calor" is a lovely album, and I'm willing to bet it's unlike anything else in your jazz collection.

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

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-11-08

The daily mix:

1) Chris Smither: "Origin of Species"
2) The Kinks: "Apeman"
3) Steve Goodman: "Vegematic"
4) Preston School of Industry: "Her Estuary Twang"
5) Joseph Arthur: "Black Lexus"
6) Kama Del Sutra: "She Taught Me Love"
7) Julie Ritter: "Bed"
8) Weeping Tile: "The High Way"
9) Velvet Crush: "Gentle Breeze"
10) Mott the Hoople: "Backsliding Fearlessly"

Rupa and the April Fishes: 'Extraordinary Rendition'

I bought "Extraordinary Rendition" by Rupa and the April Fishes on a whim because I had a Borders coupon and, frankly, the store no longer carries many albums I care about.

The band, led by Rupa Marya, is from San Francisco, but it draws its bohemian sensibilities from all over the world. Marya sings in French, Spanish and English ... sounding a bit like Edith Piaf, Elis Regina or Nora Jones backed by a rowdy band of gypsies.

The music's playful, danceable and, in many ways, tender and sweet. It's not a perfect album, but it certainly is fun.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-10-08

The daily mix:

1) Sly and the Family Stone: "Stand!"
2) Junior Parker: "The Outside Man"
3) Otis Rush: "Double Trouble"
4) Don Bryant: "Weak and Broken Hearted"
5) Bobby "Blue" Bland: "Recess in Heaven"
6) Bobby Moore & the Formosts: "It Was a Lie"
7) Maxine Brown: "You Upset My Soul"
8) O.V. Wright: "Don't Let My Baby Ride"
9) Ruby Andrews: "Guess That Don't Make Me a Loser"
10) Big Maybelle: "Goin' Home Baby"

Feeling Hopeful About Movie

I usually don't like film biopics about musicians; too often, they're negative caricatures of the stars. But last night I watched Don Cheadle play DJ Petey Greene in the movie "Talk to Me." He was amazing.

So I'm feeling a lot better about Cheadle's portrayal of Miles Davis in a film about the jazz star's mercurial life. In fact, I'm excited.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-9-08

Monday morning jazz:

1) Quincy Jones: "Solitude"
2) Lucky Thompson: "Sun Out"
3) Paul Desmond: "Let's Get Away From It All"
4) Ike Quebec: "It's All Right With Me"
5) Elmo Hope: "La Berthe"
6) Ray Bryant: "Con Alma"
7) The Jones Boys: "You Leave Me Breathless"
8) Jacky Terrasson: "Happy Man"
9) Stan Hope: "They Can't Take That Away From Me"
10) Walter Norris: "Sunburst"

Mark Your Calendars

If you live in central Indiana, mark your calendars because the Deep Blue Organ Trio, featuring Bobby Broom, will be at The Jazz Kitchen on June 27.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-8-08

The daily mix:

1) Art Tatum: "Sweet Emalina, My Gal"
2) Laura Rucker: "Something's Wrong"
3) Frank Sinatra: "The Second Time Around"
4) Tommy Flanagan: "Angel Eyes"
5) Dinah Washington: "Blue Gardenia"
6) Julie London: "Blue Moon"
7) Etta James: "I Never Meant to Love Him"
8) Darrell Banks: "I'm Gonna Hang My Head and Cry"
9) Charles Earland: "Is It Necessary"
10) Cees Slinger: "Ballad for Mrs. H."

James Hunter: 'The Hard Way'

Just about every review I've ever read of James Hunter compares the British soul singer to Van Morrison and Sam Cooke. Those comparisons are inescapable if you listen to Hunter sing. A lot of folks compare him to Jackie Wilson and Boz Scaggs, too. I can hear that. But I'd like to add Frank Sinatra to the mix.

It's not that Hunter sounds like Sinatra, not at all, but Hunter's music is filled with the same kind of hip swagger found in Sinatra's recordings. On Hunter's new album, "The Hard Way," he sings about love, heartbreak and even Lady Luck. And he does it with a gentle ease that's about as smooth as anything I've heard since Sinatra died.

Hunter can swing, too, but on "The Hard Way," he does it with a distinctly New Orleans flavor, thanks in part to the presence of Allen Toussaint on three of the tracks, "The Hard Way," "Til the End" and "Believe Me Baby."

Toussaint lends his vocals as well as his keyboards to the title track and they add fever to Hunter's beautiful loping vocals. "Til the End" is a slow, jazzy soul tune punctuated by Damian Hand's and Lee Badau's saxophones and Dave Priseman's trumpet. Damn, it's sexy. I like "Believe Me Baby" even more. Toussaint kicks off the tune with a saucy blues piano riff, which seems to inspire Hunter to add a couple of dollops of funk to both his vocals and his guitar licks.

"Don't Do Me No Favours" — with its pounding beat, explosive horns and steamy vocals — sounds like it's straight out of the Stax vaults. It's an old-school soul tune that I could listen to all day.

Understandably, most folks focus on Hunter's soulful vocals (he does sound a bit like Sam Cooke, after all), but I think he's an exceptional guitarist, too. His bluesy guitar riffs on "Ain't Goin' Nowhere" are scorching. On "Strange But True," Hunter's intricate guitar play on "Strange But True," the only accompaniment to his vocals, is much softer, but just as rich.

I loved Hunter's 2006 release, "People Gonna Talk," but I think "The Hard Way" might be even better. Toussaint and the horn section add energy. And Hunter sounds sassier and sexier ... somewhere, both Sam Cooke and Frank Sinatra are smiling and swaying to the beat.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-7-08

The daily mix:

1) The Mountain Goats: "Linda Blair Was Born Innocent"
2) Clem Snide: "Made for TV Movie"
3) The Pieces: "Lauren"
4) Gentle Readers: "City of Vacant Women"
5) Hefner: "I Love Only You"
6) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: "Took Out a Loan"
7) Stephen Malkmus: "Freeze the Saints"
8) The Hentchmen: "Love"
9) Mark Lanegan: "Wedding Dress"
10) Evan Dando: "Ride With Me"

Cahl's Rules for Dating

When I was in my 20s, I developed a rule for dating: I never went out with a woman who couldn't spell "cosmopolitan." These days, I have a new rule: I don't go out with a woman twice if she asks me to turn down the stereo when I'm playing The Hentchmen.

The Hentchmen, a group that hails from Michigan, plays biting garage rock that sounds especially meaty when John Hentch starts banging on his Farfisa organ. And I can relate when the guys play "All About Girls," a song from their "Form Follows Function" album.

They sing: "What do girls think that they're doing? Why do they do those things? Do they care about cars or guitars ... or the way I sing? 'Cause I gotta know."

Yeah, me too.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-6-08

The daily mix:

1) Roxy Music: "Both Ends Burning"
2) Midnight Oil: "Sell My Soul"
3) Bob Mould: "Stupid Now"
4) X: "White Girl"
5) Jesus and Mary Chain: "Reverberation"
6) The Smiths: "Shoplifters of the World Unite"
7) Yo La Tengo: "Tried So Hard"
8) Portastic: "Center of the World"
9) The New Pornographers: "All the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth"
10) Modest Mouse: "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes"

Wayne Raney: 'Songs of the Hills'

"Songs of the Hills," a collection of Wayne Raney's recordings for King Records, makes a compelling case that traditional country music and blues are first cousins. Raney, a pioneer of the harmonica on country records, easily could have backed Elmore James, Muddy Waters or Jimmy Rogers. Except for the drawl of Raney's vocals, you might easily think "Lost John Boogie" was a tune by Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter or James Cotton.

He was probably a hit at square dances, too. It doesn't take much imagination to picture skirts twirling at a Western hoedown when you listen to "The Roosters are Crowing." And I know my sweet old grandmother would have grooved to the yodel-like vocals on "Gone With the Wind This Morning." I also wonder how many rural parents used "Mama Don't You Remember When You Were Young," a lovely country lullaby, to serenade their children to sleep.

But I'm most enthralled by the hillbilly boogie on tunes such as "We Love to Live" and "Jack and Jill Boogie," which were certainly models for rockabilly pioneers. Raney tears through the song on his harmonica. Raney, backed by the Delmore Brothers, rocks hard as any modern rocker I know.

I'd say most rockers, country artists and roots musicians owe Raney a big debt whether they know it or not.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-5-08

The daily mix:

1) Leonard Cohen: "Night Comes On"
2) Kinky Friedman: "Before All Hell Breaks Loose"
3) Tompall Glaser: "Drinking Them Beers"
4) Ray Wylie Hubbard: "Heartaches and Grease"
5) The Beat Farmers: "Blue Chevrolet"
6) Drive-By Truckers: "When the Pin Hits the Shell"
7) Billy Joe Shaver: "Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me"
8) Benton Flippen: "More Pretty Girls Than One"
9) Levon Helm: "Poor Old Dirt Farmer"
10) Carl Perkins: "Honey Don't"

Special Guest?

I noticed this morning that the Austin City Limits Music Festival schedule includes a 15-minute slot Sunday for "Special Guest" just before slot for the Paul Green's School of Rock. Wonder if Jack Black's going to make an appearance at ACL. Or maybe it's a band called Special Guest and I'm just incredibly old and square.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-4-08

Wednesday morning blues:

1) Memphis Minnie: "I'm Not a Bad Gal"
2) Charley Patton: "Jersey Bull Blues"
3) Lacy Gibson: "Dirty Old Man"
4) Otis Rush: "Checking On My Baby"
5) R.L. Burnside: "My Babe"
6) Roy Byrd and His Blues Jumpers: "Oh Well"
7) Peg Leg Sam: "Poor Boy"
8) Sweet Betty: "Your Tears Become My Tears"
9) Bonnie Raitt and Weepin' Willie Robinson: "Walking the Dog"
10) Eddie C. Campbell: "Messin' With My Pride"

ACL Festival Schedule 2008

The Austin City Limits Music Festival schedule always includes conflicts for me. I suppose that's unavoidable. But picking which acts I'm going to see this year is going to be tough.

On Friday, I'm going to have to choose between Gogol Bordello and Patty Griffin; I'm sure I'll choose Gogol Bordello because the band has so much energy, but I do love Griffin's music, so that's going to hurt.

Saturday's even tougher. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, the Drive-By Truckers and Eli "Paperboy" Reed are all scheduled to perform at approximately the same time. I'm leaning toward the Drive-By Truckers because I missed their set the last time they appeared at ACL, but I adore Sharon Jones, too. It might depend on how hot I am and whose venue offers the most shade. I'll also have to choose between Robert Earl Keen and Erykah Badu; my friends will probably opt for Keen, but I'm not so sure which show I'll pick. Then Roky Erickson is scheduled at the same time as Robert Plant and Alison Krause. I was looking forward to seeing Plant and Krause, but Roky trumps everyone. I might even skip John Forgerty's set at 6:30 so I can get a good spot to see Roky again. This year he's playing for an hour and I plan to stay for every minute of it, even though it overlaps with some of Beck's set.

There aren't a lot of conflicts for me on Sunday. Yeah, I'd like to see Neko Case and Joe Bonamassa. I'd also like to see Galactic and The Raconteurs. The beauty of ACL is that I can. I figure I'll wander from show to show on Sunday.

The good news, is that the Old 97's have been added to the festival. Make that great news. I'm also psyched that Rodney Crowell will be there.

At any rate, it looks like my friends and I will have a great weekend. Here's my tentative schedule:

Friday
• 12:30 p.m.: Rodney Crowell
• 3 p.m.: Vampire Weekend
• 4:30 p.m.: Gogol Bordello
• 6:30 p.m.: David Byrne
• 7:45 p.m.: Alejandro Escovedo

Saturday
• 12:30 p.m.: Old 97's
• 3 p.m.: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings or the Drive-By Truckers
• 4:30 p.m.: Robert Earl Keen or Erykah Badu
• 6:30 p.m.: John Fogerty
• 7:45 p.m.: Roky Erickson
• 8:30 p.m.: Beck

Sunday
• 3 p.m.: Gillian Welch
• 4:30 p.m. Neko Case
• 5:30 p.m.: Okkerville River
• 7 p.m.: Galactic or the Raconteurs

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-3-08

It's Twang Tuesday:

1) Wayne Raney: "Lost John Boogie"
2) The Stanley Brothers: "Don't Cheat in Our Hometown"
3) The Osborne Brothers: "Where Did the Sunshine Go?"
4) Faron Young: "Wine Me Up"
5) Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper: "Tramp on the Street"
6) Jim Ed Brown and the Browns: "Southern Loving"
7) Marty Robbins: "The Little Green Valley"
8) Billy Walker: "Down to My Last Cigarette"
9) Ernest Tubb: "Half a Mind"
10) Johnny Cash: "Bird on a Wire"

Bo Diddley, RIP

Bo Diddley rumbles:

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-2-08

Bo Diddley died and I'm bumming:

1) Bo Diddley: "Doing the Crawdaddy"
2) Dr. John: "Fess Up"
3) Kermit Ruffins: "Drop Me Off in New Orleans"
4) Little Sonny James: "I Would If I Could"
5) Sunnyland Slim: "Bad Times (Cost of Living)"
6) Ruth Brown: "Shine On"
7) Buddy and Ella Johnson: "(Gotta Go) Upside Your Head"
8) Jimmy and Jeannie Cheatham: "Worried Life Blues"
9) Lou Rawls: "Sweet Slumber"
10) Charles Brown: "A Hundred Years From Today"

'Raphael Rabello and Dino 7 Cordas'

When I went to Spain in 1974, I found an old craftsman who built some of the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen. I almost bought one, but instead I decided to spend my money on a 10-foot tapestry for my mother and silver earrings for my aunt.

I used to tell myself that owning one of those magnificent instruments might have inspired me to become a great guitarist. But whenever I listen to "Raphael Rabello & Dino 7 Cordas," I realize that my dream was really just a delusion. I wanted to be an NBA player, too, but I gave up on that dream the first time I saw Julius Erving dunk and Earl Monroe pass.

Rabello, a Brazilian guitar prodigy a few years younger than me, and Dino 7 Cordas (Horondino José da Silva), one of the greatest of all Brazilian guitarist, were giants every bit as impressive as Dr. J and Earl the Pearl.

Rabello died in 1995 when he was just 32; Dino 7 Cordas died in 2006 at the age of 78. But they left behind this album of Brazilian tunes that's elegant and moving. When you listen to them play, it's often hard to follow the paths of the two great guitarists because their notes intertwine so seamlessly. And I can't think of any guitar tandem I'd rather hear.

Cahl's Jukebox, 6-1-08

Sunday morning jazz:

1) Danilo Perez: "Sideways"
2) Eddie Green: "In & Out"
3) Junior Mance: "Shepherd of the Night Flock"
4) Willie Pickens: "Peace Like the River"
5) John Hicks: "Speak Low"
6) Horace Parlan: "Rastus"
7) Joe Zawinul: "From Vienna With Love"
8) Tete Montoliu: "Scandia Skies"
9) Keith Jarrett: "When I Fall in Love"
10) Bobby Timmons: "My Funny Valentine"