I Feel a Road Trip Coming On
Nothing to add here, the picture says it all …
Bo Diddley R.I.P.
Bo Diddley died yesterday of heart failure at 79.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in ‘87, he was one of the major influences of Rock ‘n’ Roll, with a distinctive, hypnotic sound.
Buddy Holly used that sound for Not Fade Away, and in the early ’60s many British bands (The Rolling Stones, Mona) , picked up on this and recorded his songs, or wrote songs based on that sound (The Who, Magic Bus) … Phil May even named his band The Pretty Things after a Bo Diddley song, and they played so much Bo Diddley music that they were almost a tribute band in their early days.
Bo Diddley, I’m a Man, Road Runner, Who Do You Love, Pretty Thing …
Doo Doo-Doo Doo, Doo Doo … repeat
Humph R.I.P.
Humphrey Lyttleton, great Traditional Jazz musician and a genuinely funny man, has died at the age of 86. Long a BBC radio fixture in such programmes as The Best of Jazz and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, I’ll remember him fondly as a master of innuendo. Arguably the best trumpet player in Britain, his music lives on …
“As we journey through life, discarding baggage along the way, we should keep an iron grip, to the very end, on the capacity for silliness. It preserves the soul from desiccation.” Humphrey Lyttelton
Jeff Healey R.I.P.
Jeff Healey died yesterday in Toronto after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was only 41.
Jeff was probably best known for his searing blues guitar, and his appearance in the movie Road House, for which he wrote the soundtrack.
I really enjoyed Jeff’s later Jazz Band efforts, specialising in early jazz music of the 20’s and 30’s, and his weekly radio show My Kinda Jazz on JazzFM91 featuring selections from his huge collection of jazz 78s.
Read all about him on the official Jeff Healey site.
Oscar Peterson RIP
Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest jazz pianists ever, died last night at his home in Mississauga. I have many happy memories of seeing Oscar Peterson live in Toronto jazz clubs.
To find out more about Oscar Peterson the man, read his autobiography A Jazz Odyssey. The CBC has an obituary here, and you can read all about him at his website … but the best way to remember him is to listen to his music.
Ike Turner R.I.P.
Ike Turner died yesterday at the age of 76. Ike was responsible for much great Rock ‘n’ Roll music in his long career, including arguably the first rock and roll recording “Rocket 88“.
The Kings of Rhythm, The Ikettes, The Ike & Tina Turner Review … boogie-woogie piano player, whammy-bar guitar player, great band leader and showman … the world will miss you, Ike.
Check out the official web site.
Vinyl to Digital Format
This isn’t the first USB turntable I’ve seen, but this retro-suitcase styling somehow just seems right. Available from the Crosley website, $149 is a pretty good price for the pleasure of listening to those old Widespread Depression Orchestra records on the road.