MetaFilter posts tagged with musician

Johnny Temple

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:29:06 -0800

Those familiar with the plaintive falsetto of Delta blues great Skip James will surely hear Skip's influence in the much lesser-known Johnny Temple's Evil Devil Blues, recorded in 1935, which features some delightfully unexpected melodic twists. And though Johnny Temple "never achieved stardom", he does have a Wikipedia page. The Johnny Temple YT clip is from PreWarMusic, who's posted several clips well worth your time and attention from early American music figures who aren't exactly household names. I really like this one, for example: Bed Spring Poker. Skip James, of course, has been featured in a number of previous MeFi posts.

I have to be a star like another man has to breathe.

miss lynnster — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:56:22 -0800

Sammy Davis Jr—entertainer , photographer... camwhore... SATANIST!!!??? Did hanging out with this guy make Sammy bad? Or was he just selling his soul to be groovy? Here are a plethora of links featuring the insanely talented, always popular, often controversial Sammy Davis Jr.. Can you dig it? Aaaand... okay, here's a little info on the Church of Satan.

Erkin Koray, Turkey's psychedelic minstrel.

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:54:31 -0800

Erkin Koray's long career as a major rock star in his native Turkey has seen him cover all sorts of musical territory. His songs are often a curious (some might say bizarre) hodgepodge of musical influences, and one thing's for sure: you couldn't call the man unadventurous! Here's a sampling of some of his psych-Turk-rock from decades past: Krallar - Gel Bak Ne Söylicem - Cemalim - Allahaşkına - Aşka Inanmıyorum - Yanlizlar rihtimi - Gönül Salıncağı - Anma Arkadaş - Aşk Oyunu - Gün Doğmuyor - There are two MySpace Music pages for Erkin Koray. At this one you can hear snippets (not whole tunes, unfortunately) but I recommend listening to them simply to get a further idea of the breadth of his output. Some great Turkish psychedelia to whet your appetite here. And at this one there are three tunes you can hear in their entirety.

Hey, one string's all you really need.

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 24 May 2008 00:09:09 -0800

One fine old day in old LA, in the year of nineteen and sixty, one Frederick Usher met Eddie "One String" Jones, heard him lay down some deep blues on his diddley bow, and was so taken with Jones' monochord masterpieces that he ran home, grabbed his tape recorder and recorded Jones in the alley. One other recording session ensued soon thereafter, which was released as an LP in 1964. By that time, however, the mysterious Eddie Jones (if that was even his real name) was long gone, and was never heard from again. [NOTE: see hoverovers for link descriptions] In case you didn't read the hoverover accompanying the released link in the FPP, I'd like to reiterate here: the Amazon.com page is linked to because of the reader comments, and one in particular, that includes a wealth of diddley bow-related links. And yes, those links are also to Amazon pages, but anyone really interested in this stuff will appreciate the pointers, I think. Eddie "One String" Jones also appears on this compilation. Here's a blog from a fellow who put the liner notes from the release One String Blues at the top position in his list of the Greatest Liner Notes Of All Time. A monochord player is part of this charming junk-instrument band in Malawi. In this clip, Alan Lomax makes mention of the African origins of the diddley bow, and takes a look at bluesman Lonnie Pitchford, another one-string plucker. Here's a fellow calls himself Seasick Steve, playing an instrument virtually identical to that of Eddie "One String" Jones, except that Steve has his running through an amp. And here you'll find One String Willie's replica of Eddie Jones' diddley bow. Here's his instructions on building a BIG diddley bow, like that made famous by Joe Willie Duncan. Finally, I should note that the man who purportedly recorded Eddie Jones, that is Mr. Frederick Usher, is shrouded in even more mystery than Jones himself. I could find absolutely nothing about him. I think he might've been a fictional character...

Eck Robertson drew a mean bow.

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:35:54 -0800

Alexander "Eck" Robertson (1886 - 1975) was one hell of a fine fiddler, friend. He made, in 1922, what many country music historians consider the first commercial recording of country music. And now some kind soul has made ol' Eck a MySpace page where you can get a taste (five tastes, actually) of some of that bodacious bowing. Then head over to Ragtime Annie's place. What? She's Done Gone? She must've run off with the Arkansaw Traveler. Guess you'll have to make do with that Turkey In The Straw. Three tunes from Eck at the Internet Archive. This page has a capsule bio and a great photo of Eck in later life, with a cool goatee and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. While fiddling, of course. This article goes into some detail in analyzing Eck's style and old-time fiddling in general. Eck's Wikipedia page. Eck's "Sally Gooden" was included in y2karl's FPP on Folktunes.org last year, which is where I first heard him. Thanks, y2karl!

Israel 'Cachao' Lopez, R.I.P.

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:19:45 -0800

Bassist, bandleader and mambo pioneer Israel 'Cachao' Lopez has died.

Grievous Angel

madamjujujive — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:56:37 -0800

Gram Parsons fans take note - there's a recent new biography and a release of 90 minutes of vintage Flying Burrito Brothers. Some rare footage has also recently surfaced online: performing with FBB and duets with Emmylou Harris 1, 2, 3. Other items of note: Emmylou talks about Gram in 2000; British biographical sketch; Keith Richards on Gram in Rolling Stone; an interview with Manuel, the designer of the famous Nudie suit. Prior mefi post by transient with much biographical info. Obit post by keswick for Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Flying Burrito Brothers steel guitarist extraordinaire who died last year Trailer for Fallen Angel, documentary about Gram's life. Emmylou's career after Gram's death 1962 Gram singing Rip It Up with the Legends - sound and photo only Free Parsons downloads offered by Amoeba NYT review of the new Gram biography Prior mefi post on Manolo by IndigoJones - the man who tailored Gram's famous suit Hickory Wind - 1975, performed by Emmylou Harris Hickory Wind - performed by Keith Richards at the Gram Parsons Tribute Concert

Salih Korkut Peker, strings man from Turkey.

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:56:05 -0800

Whether on fretless electric guitar or fretless Turkish banjo, mister Salih Korkut Peker sounds mighty fine. And here he is again on banjo, getting down on some Turkish grooves with percussionist Gencer Savaş. Sweet! [note: see hoverovers for link descriptions] And just for good measure (and, you know, to give the drummer some...), here's percussionist Gencer Savaş again, with three other folks (in funny hats!) in a charming rendition of "Sazendeler". Straight outta Turkey!

Alan Dargin RIP

tellurian — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:42:40 -0800

Master of the 'didge' - after veins burst in his throat some years ago while he was playing the didgeridoo, doctors warned that continued playing would threaten his life. Admitted to hospital last week with bleeding on the brain, he died on Sunday from a brain haemorrhage. He was 40. YouTubes You have to spell and say my Aboriginal name Busker Teacher

Joe Maphis, King of the Strings.

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:23:49 -0800

I tell you what, buddy, that ol' Joe Maphis fellow outta Bakersfield, he was one fast picker. Yup, fast as greased lightning and smooth as gaht-damn silk on that double-neck Mosrite guitar. He and the missus have a little advice for you, too: Don't Make Love In a Buggy. And though Joe was mainly a picker, he did pen one memorable little country ditty which you might've heard in some honky tonk along the line: Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and Loud, Loud Music). [note: see hoverovers for link descriptions] Here's the Joe Maphis MySpace page. As usual, a number of tunes to listen to here, on the player, including a straight up bluegrass banjo number. More YouTube instrumentals from Joe and sidekick Larry Collins: Flying Fingers and Early American. And this straight-up rock'n'roll number (which finds Maphis on a single neck Mosrite), Ramrod. Maphis worked quite a bit with rockabilly/country chanteuse Wanda Jackson. Catch his groovy solo in this clip of Wanda's Cool Love, and in this little gem, I Gotta Know. Plus Wanda's Hard Headed Woman. Here's Joe backing up Bobby Helms on that singer's cover of Hank William's Long Gone Daddy. Straight Outta Compton! Here's an older Joe, workin' it on out on acoustic, from a record he made with Merle Travis. The Joe Maphis Wikipedia page. The Mosrite Guitars Wikipedia page. Maphis' sidekick Larry Collins is featured in many of the posted YT clips. Here's a Wikipedia page on him and his sister Lorrie Collins, known as The Collins Kids. And here they are doing their rockabilly thing on Rockaway Rock. Following the Collins Kids on this same clip, Joe is seen in yet another duet with Larry Collins, once again sharing that doubleneck Mosrite. And here's the Collins Kids with a decidedly sultrier number, Rock Boppin' Baby, and a rockabilly version of Blue Moon of Kentucky. And here's little Larry, all growed up and still plucking that double neck, sharing the stage with Deke Dickerson just last year, doing Hurricane.