Tunes for My Students in Beijing

Several of my students are interning at the Olympics, gathering quotes from competitors in cycling for media from around the world. The last several weeks they've been exploring Beijing, interacting with locals and eating things I'd be embarrassed to tell my mama about.

I've been reading about their adventures with great interest and with pride. Check out the blogs by Andrea Thomas, the editor-in-chief at the college newspaper where I'm the news adviser, and by Lauren Harrington, a former news editor at the paper. At their sites, you can find links to blogs by some of my other students.

Both Andrea and Lauren are big music fans — Andrea's an Elvis freak and Lauren's a Nine Inch Nails nut. They've also taken the opportunity to make fun of my tiger phobia by tagging me on Facebook with photos of tigers in Beijing. OK, I'm amused, Andrea.

So here's a mix just for them. Have fun in China, guys.

1) Elvis Presley: "Gotta Lot 'O Living to Do"
2) Nine Inch Nails: "All the Pigs Lined Up"
3) The Ramones: "Chinese Rocks"
4) The Clash: "I'm So Bored with the USA"
5) Charlie Parker: "Slow Boat to China"
6) M. Ward: "Chinese Translation"
7) The Hard-Ons: "Olympic Diver"
8) Thievery Corporation: "Facing East"
9) David Bowie: "China Girl"
10) The Kinks: "This is Where I Belong"
11) Clem Snide: "Chinese Baby"
12) Rosie Ladet: "Biker Boys"
13) Melissa Ferrick: "Beijing"
14) Lionel Hampton: "China Boy"
15) Bobby "Blue" Bland: "She's Putting Something in My Food"
16) Amy Correia: "The Bike"
17) Gene Vincent: "Race with the Devil"
18) R.E.M.: "7 Chinese Bros."
19) James Armstrong Trio: "Beijing Girl"
20) Carrie Rodriguez: "Seven Angels on a Bicycle"
21) David Murray: "China Doll"
22) Les Baxter: "Peking Tiger"
23) Pink Floyd: "Bike"
24) The Dead Kennedys: "The Great Wall"
25) Rickie Lee Jones: "Tigers"

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-31-08

The daily mix:

1) The Dipsomaniacs: "Sun Shine Through"
2) Marah: "Hard Up!"
3) J. Geils Band: "I Do"
4) Bruce Springsteen: "Adam Raised a Cain"
5) Crazy Horse: "One Sided Love"
6) Jacobites: "Big Store"
7) Frank Black: "I've Seen Your Picture"
8) The Whigs: "Hot Bed"
9) The Mr. T Experience: "Can I Do the Thing?"
10) Superdrag: "I Guess It's American"

Whigs?

Cindy and I are thinking about seeing The Whigs' at Birdy's in Indianapolis on Tuesday. (For some time I've been hoping to catch them in Athens when I visit my parents a few miles down the road.)

Everyone seems to compare the band to The Replacements. I don't really hear that, but I like The Whigs' no-nonsene rock 'n' roll. Reminds me of a lot of good times in the '70s and '80s.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-30-08

Wednesday morning soul:

1) Don Bryant: "Can I Change My Mind?
2) Mable John: "Catch That Man"
3) The Velvelettes: "He Was Really Saying Something"
4) Barabara Lewis: "My Mama Told Me"
5) Betty Everett: "Danger"
6) Luther Ingram: "These are the Things"
7) Hank Ballard and the Midnighters: "Look at Little Sister"
8) Jimmy Hughes: "Let Em Down Baby"
9) James and Bobby Purify: "Let Love Come Between Us"
10) Eddie Floyd: "Raise Your Hand"

The Roy Hargrove Quintet: 'Earfood'

"Mr. Clean" is the wildest tune on trumpeter Roy Hargrove's new album, "Earfood," but the catchy funk of the Weldon Irvine cover is still imbued with an underlying feel of tranquility.

In fact, the whole album is lovely; I doubt you'll find more serene jazz tunes than "Joy is Sorrow Unmasked," "Starmaker" and "Rouge." The album is also old school. In a way, it's a spiritual homage to the jazz artists who've come before him.

Listen to "I'm Not So Sure," my favorite track on the album, and I'll bet you're reminded of a song by your favorite Blue Note artist. It's a bop tune with a lively but gentle groove. And Hargrove's cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" is reminiscent of the best soul jazz tunes of the '60s.

The band is terrific. Pianist Gerald Clayton adds bluesy touches throughout. Bassist Danton Boller and drummer Montez Coleman keep the pace varied. But the highlight, at least for me, is the way saxophonist Justin Robinson interacts with Hargrove. They play so well together that it's occasionally hard to tell their instruments apart.

I highly recommend Earfood" ... it's an album you should play for the folks who contend good jazz isn't being made anymore.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-29-08

Tuesday morning blues:

1) J.B. Lenoir: "Feelin' Good"
2) Michelle Willson: "Cry Me a River"
3) Dinah Washington: "Trombone Butter"
4) Mildred Anderson: "Kidney Stew Blues"
5) Alberta Hunter: "Sweet Georgia Brown"
6) Wilbert Harrison: "Pretty Little Woman"
7) Little Milton: "Lump on Your Stump"
8) Memphis Slim: "Forty Years Or More"
9) Howlin' Wolf: "Keep What You Got"
10) Big Maybelle: "So Long"

The Lazy Cowgirls: 'Rank Outsider'

I'm filled with a little rage tonight because someone backed into my new car in a parking lot yesterday. There wasn't a lot of damage — probably not enough to make a claim with my insurance agent — but the two small holes in the rear bumper are an annoying reminder that someone did me wrong.

That's why I pulled out the Lazy Cowgirls' "Rank Outsider." They nailed my mood when they recorded "Bad Time" and "Don't Turn Your Back on Me."

I love the band's "Ragged Soul" album, but it's filled with more straight-up punk. I needed something that was more appropriate for a guy who feels like the punchline of a bad country song. And on "Rank Outsider," the Lazy Cowgirls secured their place in the pantheon of great twangy shitkickers.

You can have Lynyrd Skynyrd and their ilk. I want some country rock that serves up someone's head on the end of a Stratocaster.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-28-08

The daily mix:

1) Mark Knopfler: "The Trawler Man's Song"
2) Ray Davies: "Real World"
3) Eef Barzelay: "Could Be Worse"
4) Blake Babies: "Girl in a Box"
5) The Pillcrushers: "Something Right"
6) XTC: "The Disappointed"
7) Spoon: "Decora"
8) Supergrass: "Lose It"
9) The Moaners: "Flannery Said"
10) Juliana Hatfield: "Sunshine"

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-27-08

Sunday morning jazz:

1) Paula Shocron Trio: "Urbes"
2) Kenny Drew Jr. "Evening in the Park"
3) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: "Night in Tunesia"
4) Horace Silver Trio: "Safari"
5) Illinois Jacquet: "After You've Gone"
6) Shirley Scott: "Blues Everywhere"
7) Julius Hemphill Big Band: "Bordertown"
8) Grachan Moncur III: "The Twins"
9) Branford Marsalis: "Joey's Tune"
10) Cees Slinger: "Sunday"

Papa Groove: 'We're Not Blind'

I don't know a lot about Papa Groove, but the Canadian funksters certainly livened up my Saturday afternoon.

Their most obvious influence seems to be Fela Kuti, especially on tunes such as "Afro-Taxi" and "Papa Groove." I hear a bit of Jimi Hendrix' Band of Gypsies at times, too. There might even be traces of Sun Ra hovering above the bass lines. There are even some Mid-Eastern influences. But mostly I hear the freshest young funk band I've listened to in a while.

I don't think the CD is available in the States yet, but you can download their mp3s at Amazon or emusic. You can get a taste on their myspace page. Just be prepared to groove.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-26-08

The daily mix:

1) Peter Rowan: "Little Maggie"
2) David Lindley: "She Took Off My Romeos"
3) The Plimsouls: "I'll Get Lucky"
4) The Fleshtones: "Hard-Lovin' Man"
5) Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels: "I Had It Made"
6) The Blasters: "It's All Your Fault"
7) Damnations, TX: "Kansas"
8) Buddy Miller: "You're Running Wild"
9) Joe Ely: "Long Snake Moan"
10) Billy Joe Shaver: "Slim Chance and the Can't Hardly Playboys"

Johnny Griffin Dies

It's hard to talk about the great saxophonist Johnny Griffin without focusing on his speed. He played as fast as any free jazz saxophonist I've ever heard, but he never lost touch with soul of song. And that's what I treasure most about Griffin, who died today at age 80.

For example, he blazes through "The Way You Look Tonight" on his classic "A Blowing Session" album, but his play is incredibly nuanced, sweet even. That's quite a trick.

My favorite recordings by Griffin, though, are the ones he made with fellow saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Here's a loving taste:

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-25-08

Friday morning jazz:

1) Jonas Kullhammar: "For X"
2) Janusz Muniak: "Annie"
3) Scot Ray: "Bitteroot"
4) Gil Evans: "Big Stuff"
5) Gerry Mulligan and Johnny Hodges: "What's the Rush"
6) Serge Chaloff: "Love is Just Around the Corner"
7) Robert Drasnin: "Hindara"
8) Joe Locke: "Blue"
9) Ernie Henry: "Free Flight"
10) Miles Davis: "So Near, So Far"

Janusz Muniak Quartet: 'Annie'

I downloaded "Annie," the new album by Polish saxophonist Janusz Muniak, from emusic because, frankly, I didn't want to wait for an import copy to arrive.

Not so many years ago, Muniak's music was sharp and angular. I dug it a lot. This album's as soft and smooth as anything I've heard in a long time, and I'm not talking about smooth jazz. I think I like Muniak's gentle side even more than his wild side, and that's saying something.

On the title track, which you can listen to on Muniak's myspace page, he plays gentle, rounded notes that seem to linger. Pianist Piotr Wylezol, who reminds me a bit of Red Garland, shares the spotlight on the tune, glides through his solos on the tune.

I love "Late-night-out-ism," too. Muniak sounds as if he transposed the sparse beauty of Miles Davis' trumpet ballads for the saxophone. Bassist Adam Kowalewski and drummer Lukasz Zyta help make it a perfect song for reflection.

In fact, I like all of the songs on "Annie." It's an album worth acquiring in whatever form you can find it.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-24-08

The daily mix:

1) Warren Zevon: "Run Straight Down"
2) The Gestures: "I'm Not Mad"
3) Swag: "Please Don't Tell"
4) Brian Jonestown Massacre: "Nevertheless"
5) Penelope Houston: "Frankenstein Heart"
6) Aimee Mann: "Thirtyone Today"
7) The Rosebuds: "Drunkard's Worst Nightmare"
8) Sugar: "Armenia in the Sky"
9) David Bowie: "Joe the Lion"
10) The Small Faces: "Mad John"

Best Baseball Songs

I've been listening a lot to Scott McCaughey and Steve Wynn's new CD of jangling songs about the nation's pastime, "The Baseball Project, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails." It's a fun album that also features Peter Buck and Linda Pitmon.

The album put me in the mood to listen to some of my favorite baseball songs, so here goes:

1) The Treniers: "Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)"
2) Jimmy Martin: "Homerun Man"
3) Buddy Johnson: "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball"
4)The Intruders: "Love is Like a Baseball Game"
5) Steve Goodman: "Go Cubs Go"
6) John McCutcheon: "Baseball on the Block"
7) Les Brown and His Orchestra: "Joltin' Joe and His Orchestra"
8) Dexter Gordon: "Home Run"
9) Whiskeytown: "Empty Baseball Park"
10) Warren Zevon: "Bill Lee"
11) The Baseball Project: "Satchel Paige Said"
12) Ismael Miranda: "roberto"
13) Mabel Scott: Baseball Boogie"
14) Summer Hymns: "Pete Rose Affinity"
15) Dion: "I Used to Be a Brooklyn Dodger"
16) Bruce Springsteen: "Glory Days"
17) Simon and Garfunkel: "Mrs. Robinson:
18) Watermelon Slim and the Workers: "Max the Baseball Clown"
19) Mustard Plug: "Ball Park Skank"
20) Billy Bragg and Wilco: "Joe Dimaggio Done It Again"
21) Echo and the Bunnymen: "Baseball Bill"
22) Wynona Carr: "The Baseball Game"
23) John Fogerty: "Centerfield"
24) Nat King Cole: "The First Baseball Game"
25) Kristin Hersh: "Baseball Field"

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-23-08

The daily mix:

1) Jacky Jack White: "It'll All Come Back to You"
2) Mary Gauthier: "Prayer Without Words"
3) Gillian Welch: "My Morphine"
4) Eilen Jewell: "Heartache Boulevard"
5) Dave Alvin: "Somewhere in Time"
6) Doug Sahm: "Cowboy Peyton Place"
7) Chris Gaffney: "Help You Dream"
8) The Jive Five: "What Time Is It?"
9) Bobby Lewis: "Yes, Oh Yes It Did"
10) Elvis Presley: "When It Rains It Really Pours"

Barbara and the Browns: 'Can't Find Happiness'

In the liner notes for "Can't Find Happiness," Dean Rudland proclaims the collection of soul recordings by Barbara and the Browns is as good as anything that ever came out of Memphis. I don't know about that, but he's not far off. At any rate, I'm thrilled to own the album.

Lead singer Barbara Brown and her siblings, who back her on the album, were raised on gospel music and that's clear on most of the tunes. On "Things Have Gone to Pieces," for example, Brown's voice soars above the gospel chorus of her brothers and sisters. The tune would work be a great closing hymn of a church service if it weren't about a broken love affair. As it is, "Things Have Gone to Pieces" sounds like a soul version of a George Jones song, and I can't think of many things better than that.

There's a lot of pain and angst in Brown's sweet voice, which often sounds as if it's about to crack. But it never does. Instead, Brown burns, especially on "It Hurts me So Much (To Be Able to Look and to Know I Can't Touch)," the album's most powerful song.

"Pity a Fool" and "If I Can't Run I'll Crawl," a couple more of the album's highlights, sound almost like sad, slow Irma Thomas songs. And "Big Party," the closest thing Barbara and the Browns ever had to a hit, is a sultry mid-tempo R&B tune that I could listen to all night.

In fact, I've been listening to the whole album all night and it's been a great evening.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-22-08

Tuesday morning soul:

1) Barbara and the Browns: "Plenty of Room"
2) Gene Chandler: "It's No Good for Me"
3) Joe Simon: "The Chokin' Kind"
4) Spanky Wilson: "He Called Me Baby"
5) The Sweet Inspirations: "Emergency"
6) The Intruders: "Me Tarzan, You Jane"
7) The Delfonics: "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time"
8) Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes: "Where Are All My Friends"
9) Willie Hightower: "Poor Man"
10) Bessie Banks: "Go Now"

Geechie Smith and Crown Prince Waterford

I picked up "Swingin' Small Combos Kansas City Style, Volume 2," on a whim when I saw it this weekend at Chicago's Jazz Record Mart. I'd never heard of Geechie Smith and I was only vaguely familiar with Crown Prince Waterford. But I'm a big fan of Kansas City jazz and blues and I saw the album included great sidemen such as Pete Johnson, Jay McShann and Maxwell Davis. Besides, the cover looked cool.

Both men are billed as blues shouters, and there's no doubt they both knew how to make Kansas City dancers hop. Smith's vocals and trumpet playing are joyous as he boogies through "Daddy Does It just for You," "T-Town Jump" and "Geneva Sue." And Waterford's vocals are like a compact series of explosions on"Move Your Hand," "Strange Woman Blues" and "Eatin' Watermelon."

They knew how to seduce listeners, too. Smith's voice is soothing and smooth on tunes such as "Got You On My Mind," "Let Your Pride Be the Guide" and "Wild, Mild and Mellow." Waterford's ballad style is gruffer but no less effective. On "Weeping Willow Blues" and "Crown Prince Blues," for example, Waterford vocals sound like muted shouts. The tunes are raw and filled with emotion.

I don't buy as many albums on a whim as I used to do, but I'm glad I found this one. Listen to it and you'll hear the pulse of Kansas City in the '40s and '50s. It'll make your heart race.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-21-08

The daily mix:

1) Neil Young: "Dirty Old Man"
2) Jerry Lee Lewis: "Rockin' Little Angel"
3) The Skeletons: "Teardrop City"
4) Spanic Boys" "Bigger Fool Than me"
5) The Mekons: "Work All Week"
6) The Jacobites: "It'll All End Up in Tears"
7) Paul Westerberg: "Let's Not Belong Together"
8) Tom Waits: "2:19"
9) Bob Dylan: "Motorpsycho Nitemare"
10) Matthew Ryan: "Devastation"

William Parker and Fred Anderson at The Velvet Lounge

I don't think a smile ever left Isaiah Spencer's face Saturday night.

And why would it? As part of the JVC Jazz Festival in Chicago, the dynamic young drummer backed bassist William Parker and saxophonist Fred Anderson for the first set. For the second set, they were joined by flautist Nicole Mitchell, bassist Josh Abrams and saxophonist Zim Ngqawana, Ernest Dawkins and David Boykin — Windy City jazz royalty.

In the opening set, Anderson, now 79, wailed for almost an hour without a break. With Parker's and Spencer's note swirling around him, Anderson sounded like he was creating a series of little musical tornadoes.

I didn't see how the second set could be better, but it was. The impromptu octet created a pulsing wall of sound that was as powerful as anything I've ever heard. As the group played, I kept thinking the show was an avant-garde jazz equivalent to the Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts when Norman Granz surrounded gods like Charlie Parker with other jazz giants of the day.

Parker was magnificent, of course. I've always thought he was like the spiritual son of Charles Mingus. He didn't take a lot of solos, but he guided every part of the music by setting the rhythm. One moment his hands would fly up and down his bass; the next he'd take out his bow and gently lead the band into what sounded almost like a free jazz lullaby. He also played some wooden flutes and horns, creating songs, accompanied by Spencer on a series of percussion instruments, that drew inspiration from Native American, Latin and African music.

And, like Mingus, Parker is a great bandleader. On Friday night, for example, my friend and I watched Parker instruct Spencer and trumpeter Pharez Whitted during an hour-long rehearsal. When they were joined by saxophonist Greg Ward for the show, Parker and his Chicago quartet sounded like they had been playing together for years.

In all, I got to listen to Parker play for almost nine hours this weekend ... and that put a smile on my face.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-20-08

Sunday afternoon jazz:

1) William Parker: "The Mayor of Punkville"
2) Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble: "The Messenger"
3) John Coltrane: "Tunji"
4) Arthur Blythe: "C.C. Rider"
5) Jackie Mclean: "Song for My Queen"
6) Fred Anderson: "Black Woman"
7) Phil Ranelin: "13th and Senate"
8) Yusef Lateef: "Jungle Fantasy"
9) Ronnie Cuber: "Prince Albert"
10) Mal Waldron: "Goldon Golson"

Pitchfork

Cindy and I have a new mantra: Follow the tattoos.

After a rain-filled Saturday morning, we decided the Chicago skies looked clear enough to head to the Pitchfork Festival via the El. Cindy lived in Chicago for many years, so she was a veteran of the subway system. Still, she's lived in Indiana for a long time and the route to Union Park seemed a bit confusing until we saw hordes of young people boarding a train. Follow the tattoos. Then the kids all got off, even though we thought we were on the right train, we followed the tattoos. It seems it had become an express train without an announcement. With our young friends' help, we found the park.

Then we had to hit the Will Call window because our tickets had never arrived by mail and the TicketWeb folks had been a pain in the ass when we called. It seems we weren't alone in our disdain for the ticket broker. Scores of others were in the Will Call line with us, many because they'd never received their tickets either.

If we hadn't had to screw with tickets, we'd have been able to catch all of the Fleet Foxes' set. Instead, we heard only a couple of their songs as we walked into the park. They sounded to me like the spaced-out, psychedelic offspring of CSN&Y and the Bodeans. The songs were lovely. Wish they were going to be at the Austin City Limits Festival this fall.

Vampire Weekend will be at ACL, but after seeing the group on Saturday, I doubt I'll line up to see them in Austin. Don't get me wrong, I love Vampire Weekend and I thought their set was nice. But I don't think their sweet pop translates as well to an outside venue as, say, the Hold Steady's boisterous music, which rocked Pitchfork. The only other act we caught on Saturday was Dizzee Rascal. I'm one of the only card-carrying AARP members I know who likes rap, but Dizzee Rascal's tunes seemed juiced with a little too much testosterone for me.

I wish the sound systems had been a little more muscular, though. Compared to the sound systems at ACL, Pitchfork's were anemic. The music was hard to hear unless you were close. (Bear in mind, though, that I'm an old dude who's starting to lose his hearing.)

The festival also seemed overly crowded, compared to ACL, mostly because Union Park is so much smaller than Austin's Zilker Park. Navigating through the crowds at Pitchfork was a chore at times.

But the American Poster Institute booths at Pitchfork kicked the hell out any vendors at ACL. To me, the posters were the coolest part of the afternoon, only partly because one of my former students, Dave Windisch, had a booth with his partner at Mile 44. The posters were incredible; Cindy and I bought five.

It seems every kid with a tattoo ended up at the booths and many of the poster artists had great ink, too. We should have known: Follow the tattoos.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-18-08

Today's mix:

1) Doris Duke: "I Don't Care Anymore"
2) Dusty Springfield: "Silly Silly Fool"
3) Dionne Warwick: "Wishin' and Hopin'"
4) Marlins: "Everybody Do the Swim"
5) Wynona Carr: "Boppity Bop (Boogity Boog)"
6) The Shangri-Las: "Right Now and Not Later"
7) Darlene Love: "Not Too Young to Get Married"
8) Candy and the Kisses: "Soldier Baby of Mine"
9) The Orlons: "South Street"
10) Christine Kittrell: "I'm Just What You're Looking For"

Adrian Iaies: 'Vals de la 81st & Columbus'

On his new album, "Vals de la 81st & Columbus," Argentinean pianist Adrian Iaies opens "Round Midnight" with delicate and elegant keystrokes. About midway through the tune, bandoneon player Michael Zisman joins Iaies, giving the tune a dreamlike quality. As a result, their interpretation of Thelonious Monk's classic is fresh and memorable.

The band's take on Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti" is delightful, too, with Juan Cruz De Urquiza playing the trumpet parts and Pablo Aslan marking the changes with bold bass riffs. I'm sure Miles Davis would have loved the combination of jazz and tango on the cut.

The tunes Iaies wrote for the album are just as memorable. The title track is particularly lovely. It's filled with subtle flourishes that wash over you.

I recommend "Vals de la 81st & Columbus" without reservations. It's one of the prettiest jazz albums I've heard in a long time.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-17-08

The daily mix:

1) The Lights: "I'm a Dangerous Snake"
2) John Doe: "Hotel Ghost"
3) The Queers: "Danny Vapid"
4) The Jam: "The Modern World"
5) The Clash: "Charlie Don't Surf"
6) The Hold Steady: "Joke About Jamaica"
7) Bush Tetras: "Cowboys in Africa"
8) The Sleepy Jackson: "Vampire Racecourse"
9) Mysteries of Life: "Ready When You Are"
10) Grant McLennan: "Haven't I Been a Fool"

The Sleepy Jackson: 'Lovers'

Mowing my lawn wiped me out tonight. When I came in, I needed to chill so I've been listening to the dreamy pop of The Sleepy Jackson's "Lovers" all night. The album sounds like a really cool update of an ELO album (is that possible?) with guest appearances by Neil Young and Leonard Cohen.

At any rate, I'm about as relaxed as a tired old fart can be after courting death in the oppressive heat.

Enjoy:

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-16-08

The daily mix:

1) Eleventh Dream Day: "Testify"
2) Mark Sandman: "Wig"
3) Sex Clark Five: "Ridin' Streight With Nathan"
4) Modest Mouse: "The World at Large"
5) Beck: "Think I'm in Love"
6) Charlatans UK: "Chewing Gum Weekend"
7) Teenage Fanclub: "About You"
8) Foxymorons: "Bending Back"
9) Frightened Rabbit: "Heads Roll Off"
10) Cub Country: "Be Yer Own Hitman"

Blues Blog Special: Jimmie Lee Robinson, 'Chicago Jump'

Pull out some of your old blues albums by Little Walter, Big Mama Thornton, Homesick James, Willie Mabon and Eddie Taylor and you'll probably find Jimmie Lee Robinson playing guitar or bass.

On "Chicago Jump," the last album Robinson recorded before his death in 2002, the Chicago bluesman paid tribute to a lot of his old friends and colleagues with a memorable album of blues covers.

In a way, Robinson was a blues chameleon. His cover of Little Walter's "Tell Me Mama," for example, is lively and playful. His rendition of Little Walter's "Last Night" is slow and mournful, a classic Chicago blues lament for a love gone bad.

Robinson's vocals glide through a jumping version of Willie Mabon's "Poison Ivy" and growl through a raucous cover of Jimmy Reed's "Ain't That Loving You Baby." Robinson's vocals on Charles Brown's "Driftin' Blues" might be the best on the album — close your eyes and it's easy to imagine that Brown's singing.

But it's Robinson guitar playing that distinguishes "Chicago Jump" from albums by a lot of other Chicago blues journeymen. He played ferociously and subtly at the same time. And though he paid tribute to other bluesmen, he added flourishes that made every song distinctive.

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

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-15-08

Tuesday morning jazz:

1) Gerald Wiggins: "The Royal Barge"
2) John Hicks: "After the Rain"
3) Ernie Henry: "Active Ingredients"
4) Junior Cook: "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You"
5) Sam Rivers: "Downstairs Blues Upstairs"
6) Rod Levitt Orchestra: "Jelly Man"
7) Phil Woods Quintet: "The Duke"
8) Oscar Peterson: "Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way"
9) Stefon Harris: "The Prophet"
10) Kenny Barron: "Swamp Demon"

Sexy Grooves

A list of 50 drop-dead sexy soul and blues tunes for a Monday morning:

1) Sam Cooke: "A Change is Gonna Come"
2) Etta James: "I'd Rather Go Blind"
3) Otis Redding: "I've Got Dreams to Remember"
4) B.B. King: "The Thrill is Gone"
5) Sam and Dave: "When Something is Wrong With My Baby"
6) James Brown: "It's a Man's Man's World"
7) Albert King: "Angel of Mercy"
8) O.V. Wright: "I Don't Know Why"
9) Bobby "Blue" Bland: "I've Been Wrong So Long"
10) Freddie King: "Help Me Through the Day"
11) Donny Hathaway: "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"
12) Little Willie John: "Fever"
13) James Carr: "To Love Somebody"
14) Bill Withers: "Ain't No Sunshine"
15) Aretha Franklin: "You're All I Need to Get By"
16) Luther "Snakeboy" Johnson: "Lonesome in My Bedroom"
17) Al Green: "Back Up Train"
18) Maxine Brown: "One Step at a Time"
19) Bettye Swann: "My Heart is Closed for the Season"
20) Nina Simone: "Do I Move You"
21) Johnny "Guitar" Watson: "One Kiss"
22) James and Bobby Purify: "I'm Your Puppet"
23) Lou Rawls: "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"
24) Bettye LaVette: "Your Turn to Cry"
25) Jerry Butler: "Moon River"
26) Janiva Magness: "You Were Never Mine"
27) Luther Allison: "It's Too Late"
28) Wilson Pickett: "I'm in Love"
29) John Lee Hooker: "Annie Mae"
30) Luther Ingram: If Loving You is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Right"
31) Irma Thomas: "A Woman Will Do Wrong"
32) Clarence Carter: "Slip Away"
33) Darrell Banks: "I'm Gonna Hang My Head and Cry"
34) Garnet Mimms: "I'll Take Good Care of You"
35) Willie Hightower: "I Can't Love Without You"
36) Johnnie Taylor: "Steal Away"
37) Lou Ann Barton: "Maybe"
38) Shemekia Copeland: "It's My Own Tears"
39) Curtis Mayfield: "So in Love"
40) Latimore: "Let's Straighten It Out"
41) Betty Harris: "I'm Evil Tonight"
42) Katie Webster: "Pussycat Moan"
43) Johnny Copeland: "It's My own Tears That's Being Wasted"
44) Johnny Dynamite: "Eveybody's Clown"
45) William Bell: "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"
46) Bobby Womack: "That's Heaven to Me"
47) Don Covay: "I Stole Some Love"
48) Joe Tex: "I Believe I'm Gonna Make It"
49) Mable John: "Your Good Thing"
50) Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross: "My Mistake"

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-14-08

Monday morning blues:

1) Joe Hicks: "Rock Me Baby"
2) Ray Bailey: "Love Her With a Feeling"
3) Eddie Tigner: "Knock Me a Kiss"
4) Blind Willie McTell: "Low Rider Blues"
5) Curtis Jones: "Please Say Yes"
6) W.C Clark: "Why I Got the Blues"
7) Tommy Bankhead: "Are You Ready?"
8) Louisiana Red: "Working Man Blues"
9) Raful Neal: "Down and Out"
10) Big Joe Williams: "Banty Rooster Blues"

Blues Blog Special: Willie Cobbs, 'Down to Earth'

I'd never heard of Willie Cobbs before I came across a couple of his tunes on the "Mississippi Masala" soundtrack in the early '90s. I've been a fan ever since.

Originally from Missisissippi, the Chicago bluesman is probably best known for penning "You Don't Love Me," which has been covered by scores of artists, including Luther Allison, The Allman Brothers, John Hammond, R. L. Burnside, Jimmy Dawkins, Otis Rush, John Mayall, James & Bobby Purify, and Ike & Tina Turner. Cobbs covered the song himself in 1994 on "Down to Earth."

"Eatin' Dry Onions" and "Goin' to Mississippi" are my favorite tunes on the album because Cobbs attacks the tune with his harmonica. Johnny Rawls and L.C. Luckett contribute fierce guitar licks, too. Other highlights on the album include "My Baby Walked Away," "New Slow Down Baby" and "Stackhouse Rock," all rollicking blues tunes.

"Down to Earth" won't supplant the albums by your favorite blues harp slingers, but it does belong by their side.

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

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-13-08

The daily mix:

1) Wilco: "Shouldn't Be Ashamed"
2) Alejandro Escovedo: "Little Bottles"
3) John Eddie: "Nobody's Happy"
4) Tom Petty: "Out in the Cold"
5) Boss Martians: "I Am Your Radio"
6) J. Geils Band: "First I Look at Your Purse"
7) The Swans: "The Boy With the Beatle Hair"
8) The Supremes: "Back in Your Arms Again"
9) Jackson 5: "Sugar Daddy"
10) Stevie Wonder: "Monkey Talk"

Rescheduled Show

I just learned that Wayne "The Train" Hancock will be at the Lafayette Brewing Company on Sept. 20 to make up for a show that got snowed out in March. I'm stoked.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-12-08

Saturday morning jazz:

1) Willis Jackson: "Mellow Blues"
2) Dinah Washington: "Time Out for Tears"
3) Red Garland: "Softly Baby"
4) Andy Bey: "Never Let Me Go"
5) Illinois Jacquet: "How Now?"
6) Abbey Lincoln: "Blue Monk"
7) Gigi Gryce: "Blues in the Jungle"
8) Etta Jones: "Don't Misunderstand"
9) Shirley Scott: "Brand New Me"
10) Nina Simone: "Don't Explain"

Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis: 'Two Men With the Blues'

It shouldn't surprise anyone how good Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis sound together on "Two Men With the Blues." Nelson's best songs have always been leisurely strolls through the intersections of country and blues. Marsalis is from New Orleans, where bluesy jazz can be heard on every street.

"Two Men With the Blues" is a delightful album. When I listen to it, I'm reminded of the spark between Muddy Waters and Dizzy Gillespie on "The Muddy Waters Band Featuring Dizzy Gillespie." Like Gillespie, Marsalis channels Louis Armstrong and Nelson obviously adores Muddy Waters.

Nelson and Marsalis perform rollicking versions of "Bright Lights Big City" and "Caldonia." They slink through sexy renditions of "Night Life" and "Georgia on My Mind." They've rarely sounded better.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-11-08

The daily mix:

1) Spiritualized: "Death Takes Your Fiddle"
2) The Ting Tings: "Fruit Machine"
3) Dandy Warhols: "Everyone is Totally Insane"
4) Juliana Hatfield: "Houseboy"
5) Parsley Sound: "Ease Yourself and Glide"
6) Guided By Voices: "My Kind of Soldier"
7) New Pornographers: "The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism"
8) The Posies: "My Big Mouth"
9) Michael Penn: "Walter Reed"
10) Elvis Costello: "Turpentine"

Eef Barzelay: 'Lose Big'

The songs on Eef Barzelay's new album, "Lose Big," seem more personal than the ones on his last album, "Bitter Honey." As a result, the quirky former lead singer of Clem Snide sounds stronger and more comfortable than ever.

On the album's best song, "The Girls Don't Care," Barzelay slips into an easy groove that belies his annoyance with women who prefer sweet melodies to Frank Zappa and John Coltrane. And he spins a mighty pretty melody on tunes such as "I Love the Unknown" "How Dare They" and "Take Me."

A lot of folks refuse to listen to Barzelay because he doesn't have a traditionally pretty voice; you can call it shaky, if you want. That was certainly the case when he he opened for Ben Folds at Purdue in March.

That's OK. In the '70s, I remember a lot of my college classmates thought Neil Young's voice sucked. And lord knows a lot of folks have been turned off by Bob Dylan's and Bruce Springsteen's voices over the years. I'm not sure that Barzelay is headed for superstardom, but I do think his songs mine the same emotional territory that Young, Dylan and Springsteen do for their songs.

Barzelay's wit is sharper than ever on "Lose Big." So skip the album if you like pleasant canned pop, but check it out if you like challenging music that's going to keep you thinking about the lyrics hours after you put the CD away.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-10-08

Thursday morning blues:

1) Karen Carroll: "Ain't It Nice"
2) Lavelle White: "Why Young Men Go Wild"
3) Alberta Hunter: "We Ain't Makin' Honey"
4) Francine Reed: "You Bug Me"
5) Angela Strehli: "Mean Mistreater"
6) Jessie Mae Hemphill: "Shake It Baby"
7) Sippie Wallace: "Up the Country Blues"
8) Merline Johnson: "He Roars Like a Lion"
9) Georgia White: "Rock Me Daddy"
10) Big Mama Thornton: "Sassy Mama"

Best Songs About Insects

It's summer — the perfect time to share a list of my favorite songs about insects and creepy crawly critters:

1) Earl Hooker: "Two Bugs and a Roach"
2) The Cramps: "Badass Bug"
3) John Coltrane: "The Inch Worm"
4) Slim Harpo: "Buzz Me Babe"
5) Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires: "Biting Insect"
6) Jimmy McGriff: "The Worm"
7) Smiley Lewis: "Bee's Boogie"
8) Big Bill Broonzy: "These Ants Keep Biting Me"
9) Jim Reeves: "Butterfly Love"
10) NRBQ: "Termites"
11) Silas Horner: "Rats and Roaches in My Kitchen"
12) Richard Thompson: "Beeswing"
13) Long John Hunter: "Bugs on My Window"
14) Brook Benton: "The Roach Song"
15) David Murray: "Do Green Ants Dream?"
16) Fiddlin' John Carson: "Ain't No Bugs on Me"
17) Tex Ritter: "Boll Weevil"
18) Wild Child Butler: "Love Like a Butterfly"
19) Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers: "Hey There Little Insect"
20) Blind Lemon Jefferson: "Mosquito Moan"
21) Bobbie Gentry: "Bugs"
22) Muddy Waters: "Mean Red Spider"
23) Bo Carter: "Ants in My Pants"
24) Penelope Houston: "Worm"
25) Stan Getz: "Mosquito Knees"
26) Laura Love: "Little Black Beetle"
27) Echo and the Bunnymen: "Bed Bugs and Ballyhoo"
28) Tom Waits: "Army Ants"
29) The Flaming Lips: "The Spiderbite Song"
30) Eddie Palmieri: "Bug"
31) The Pogues: "Worms"
32) Temptations: "Firefly"
33) The King Bees: "Buzzin' at the Beehive"
34) LaBelle: "Gypsy Moths"
35) Dr. John: "Black Widow Spider"
36) Weston Prim and Blacklash: "Spider Web"
37) Mae Glover: "Grasshopper Papa"
38) Cassandra Wilson: "Honey Bee"
39) Randy Travis: "Ants on a Log"
40) Leadbelly: "Blue Tail Fly"
41) Attila Zoller: "The Birds and the Bees"
42) Supergrass: "Butterfly"
43) Harry Connick Jr.: "Lofty's Roach Soufflé"
44) Johnny Horton: "Birds and Butterflies"
45) The Mr. T Experience: "Spiderman"
46) Renee Austin: "Bugs"
47) Jeff Buckley and Patti Smith: "Fireflies"
48) Pee Wee King: "Between You & the Birds & the Bees"
49) The Gourds: "Ants on a Melon"
50) Eels: "Flyswatter"

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-9-08

The daily mix:

1) Billy Preston: "Do What You Want"
2) Sam and Dave: "You Got Me Hummin'"
3) Lonnie Mack: "Susie-Q"
4) Memphis Minnie: "Kid Man Blues"
5) James Davis: "Getting It"
6) H-Bomb Ferguson: "My Brown Frame Baby"
7) Jody Reynolds: "Feel So Good"
8) Taj Mahal: "She Caught the Katy"
9) Geater Davis: "I Know My Baby Loves Me"
10) O.V. Wright: "It's Cold Without Your Love"

Teddy Thompson: 'A Piece of What You Need'

One of my friends frequently says she'd leave her husband for Teddy Thompson faster than you can say Teddy has the sweetest voice in rock 'n' roll. She's joking, I think, but if I were her husband I'd do everything I could to keep Thompson's latest album, "A Piece of What You Need," away from her.

For one thing, Thompson looks pretty dapper in the photo on the album cover. My friend will take several long looks at it, I'm sure, but she's more of a sucker for a great pop hook. And make no mistake, "A Piece of What You Need" is filled with one great hook after another. "Can't Sing Straight," for example, sounds a lot like a gorgeous reworking of Michael Penn's "Brave New World."

My friend digs funny men, too, and "What's This" is one of the most amusing songs about relationships I've heard in a long time. Then again, Thompson's lyrics are often dark. Moreover, he seems to write a lot of songs about troubled relationships. "In My Arms," for example, is beautiful, to be sure, but are women really looking for a guy who says he's looking for an easy way out of a relationship?

Maybe so, if the guy in question has just recorded the best pop album of the year. I'm just glad I'm single so I can enjoy "A Piece of What You Need" without worrying what effect Teddy Thompson's golden voice would have on my wife.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-8-08

It's Twang Tuesday:

1) Jeannie C. Riley: "The Price I Pay to Stay"
2) Bobbie Gentry: "Mississippi Delta"
3) Jean Shepard: "Many Happy Hangovers to You"
4) Tom T. Hall: "The Year That Clayton Delaney Died"
5) Jim Ed Brown and the Browns: "Looking Back to See"
6) Johnny Cash: "That's One You Owe Me"
7) Patsy Cline: "Hungry for Love"
8) Webb Pierce: "There Stands the Glass"
9) Hawkshaw Hawkins: "Sunny Side of the Mountain"
10) Steve Young: "Honky Tonk Man"

Jazz Blog Special: Bobby Hutcherson, 'Head On'

I don't like using headphones — even with my iPod — but I always make an exception for Bobby Hutcherson's "Head On." Listening to the album with headphones always makes me imagine I'm at a jazz concert on the moon.

Hutcherson makes his vibes sound otherworldly on most of the tunes, creating an airy atmosphere that flirts with free jazz, bop and funk. Harold Land, on saxophone and flute, provides the perfect complement, with his sparse notes orbiting around the ones created by Hutcherson.

It's not an album for everyone. It's sort of like a minimalist cross between Sun Ra and Miles Davis during his "Bitches Brew" period. And if you're interested in a jazz album to help you commune with the heavens, I think you'll like "Head On" ... just keep your headphones handy.

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

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-7-08

Today's mix:

1) Jarvis Cocker: "Baby's Coming Back to Me"
2) Ray Davies: "One More Time"
3) Eef Barzelay: "The Girls Don't Care"
4) Joe Pernice: "The Pill"
5) Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield: "$1,000 Wedding"
6) Gillian Welch: "Orphan Girl"
7) Nanci Griffith: "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness"
8) Suzanne Vega: "No Cheap Thrill"
9) Patty Griffin: "No Bad News"
10) Amy Correia: "The Bike"

Buck Owens and Susan Raye Video

This duet between Buck Owens and Susan Raye on "Love is Strange" is about as sweet a country tune as I know:

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-6-08

Sunday night blues:

1) Vanessa Davis Band: "Wild Child"
2) Katie Webster: "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights"
3) Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows: "300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy"
4) Little Buster and the Soul Brothers: "My Darling"
5) Philip Walker: "Laughin' and Clownin'"
6) B.B. King: "Help the Poor"
7) Otis Rush and Willie Dixon: "She's a Good 'Un"
8) Willie Mabon: "I Don't Know"
9) Roosevelt Sykes: "Boot That Thing"
10) Michelle Willson: "Big Long Sliding Thing"

Blues Blog Special: Mighty Joe Young, 'The Sonet Blues Story'

Mighty Joe Young isn't the best-known Chicago blues guitarist, but his " Sonet Blues Story" collection represents just about everything I love about blues from the Windy City.

Young's guitar playing on "Drivin' Wheel" is just about as fierce as Roosevelt Sykes' tune itself. And his feisty guitar work on "Just a Minute" makes the tune one of my favorite blues instrumentals.

I love Young's voice, too. He had a deep, gritty voice that always sounded earnest and believable, especially when he was pleading with women on songs such as "Rock Me Baby" and "Baby, Please."

Mostly, though, I love the carefree attitude that pours from even his saddest songs. It's hard not to smile, for example, when he laughs as he plays "It's Alright." Check out this youtube clip and see for yourself why Young was one of Chicago's blues treasures.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-4-08

My family's coming soon, so here's wishing you a happy Independence Day and holiday weekend.

1) Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: "Independence Day"
2) Dave Alvin: "4th of July"
3) Johnny "Guitar" Watson: "Statue of Liberty"
4) James McMurtry: "Holiday"
5) Paul Thorn: "Mission Temple Fireworks Stand"
6) Ike & Tina Turner: "Philadelphia Freedom"
7) The Admirations: "I Want to Be Free"
8) Roy Ayers: "Stoned Soul Picnic"
9) Buddy Miles: "69 Freedom Special"
10) Champion Jack Dupree: "Freedom Blues"

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-3-08

The daily mix:

1) Mike Ness: "A Thief in the Night"
2) Slobberbone: "Get Gone Again"
3) Son Volt: "Catching On"
4) Hacienda Brothers: "Leaving on My Mind"
5) Lambchop: "The Man Who Loved Beer"
6) John Wesley Harding: "If You Have Ghosts"
7) Roky Erickson: "Haunt"
8) Billy Childish: "Jezebel"
9) Jerry Lee Lewis: "I'm On Fire"
10) Billy Lee Riley: "Rock With Me Baby"

Jimmy Witherspoon on NPR

I should be dusting or baking a cake or something because my family's coming to visit tomorrow, but earlier this evening I started listening to Nancy Wilson's show about Jimmy Witherspoon on NPR's "Jazz Profiles." Great interviews with Witherspoon's friends and admirers. And, needless to say, the music's as cool and smooth as anything you're likely to hear.

I love my family, but some things are more important than a freshly baked cake. I'll just take my nieces to Chuck E. Cheese and all will be forgiven.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-2-08

Wednesday morning jazz:

1) Duke Ellington: "Concerto for Cootie"
2) Hot Lips Page: "My Gal is Gone"
3) Benny Goodman: "Running Wild"
4) Nat Adderley: "Scotch and Water"
5) Robert MacGregor: "Event's Horizon"
6) Bobby Watson: "Monk He See, Monk He Do"
7) John Coltrane: "By the Numbers"
8) Thelonious Monk: "We See"
9) Vandermark 5: "Both Sides (For Bud Johnson"
10) Sex Mob: "Roswell"

Owen Gray: 'Shook, Shimmy & Shake"

Anyone who has any doubt about the roots of reggae should listen to "Shook, Shimmy & Shake," a 50-song anthology of reggae pioneer Owen Gray's recordings.

On the album's first disc, tunes such as "Jenny Lee," "Cutest Little Woman" and "I Feel Good" feature Gray singing '50s style R&B with a big dollop of New Orleans flavor; he sounds a lot like Roy Brown, or maybe Clarence "Frogman" Henry. And, needless to say, the tunes are incredibly danceable.

"Shook, Shimmy and Shake," "You Don't Know Like I Know" and "Help Me" are hard-driving soul tunes that owe a debt to both Stax artists and early rockers. The lessons in blues and soul proved useful to Gray when he turned to reggae and ska.

His vocals on tunes such as "Sitting in the Park," "Answer Me, My Love" and "Guava Jelly" are among the most soulful in reggae. Gray knows how to groove, too; "Bongo Natty," "Ain't Got No Money" and "Fire in Trenchtown" are funky delights. And I can't listen to "Turning Point" without wondering what James Brown might have sounded like if he'd tried reggae.

I'm a big fan of early reggae artists who incorporated American roots music into the sounds of the islands and Gray was one of the best.

Cahl's Jukebox, 7-1-08

It's Twang Tuesday:

1) George Jones: "Still Doin' Time"
2) Red Foley: "Hillybilly Fever"
3) Don Gibson: "Today I Started Loving You Again"
4) Earl Taylor and Jim McCall: "Hillbilly Preacher"
5) Hank Locklin: "Why Baby Why"
6) Kitty Wells: "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"
7) Sammi Smith: "I've Got to Have You"
8) Waylon Jennings: "Burning Memories"
9) Merle Travis: "Cincinnati Lou"
10) Jimmy Martin: “Losing You”

'The Best of Sammi Smith'

Some of my coworkers play a local country radio station every day. That's OK, I suppose, because everyone's entitled to listen to the music that speaks to them. But whenever I venture out of my office I have to bite my tongue to keep from telling them that Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and I don't speak the same language.

I like country music that rattles around in your head and still evokes a response hours after you've heard a tune ... the kind Sammi Smith always sang. I've listened to her sing "Help Me Make It Through the Night" hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times and I still shake a bit every time I hear it.

"The Best of Sammi Smith," the best collection of her work, is filled with heartbreakers like "He's Everywhere," "I Miss You Most When You're Right Here," "Today I Started Loving You Again" and "What a Lie." Smith, who died in 2005, had one of the prettiest voices in country music, but there was a hint of huskiness in it that, more often than not, reminds you of the worst days you ever had.

Even so, I can't help but smile when I listen to the album because it's so uplifting to hear someone sing with such passion. And 40 years after she recorded her biggest hit, her music still resonates. I wonder whether my coworkers and students will be able to say that about their modern country heroes four decades from now.