Jim R

Really interesting comments, and this track has been driving me nuts (if only for trying to I.D. the guitar player, and what instrument he's playing, etc). I totally agree that numerous names occur to me, but nothing seems to stick. I hear traces of Elek Bacsik at times too. Something european-sounding about this player. It sounds like a big guitar (like an 18" Gibson Super 400) at times with that beefy low end, but someone like Phil Upchurch sometimes got that big sound out of a smaller semi-hollow instrument (like an Epiphone Riviera) using different pickups. The pickups on this recording sound like either single-coil (like the classic Charlie Christian pickup seen in my avatar; or a Gibson P90; or a DeArmond floating pickup), or a mini-humbucker, as on the aforementioned Epi Riviera. Whoever and whatever it is, it's a pretty rare thing to achieve this kind of tone- big, fat, powerful and broad, yet airy, crisply defined, and with a shimmering sustain... just great stuff. That actual playing doesn't even impress me that much. It's good, but it's that tone that really draws my attention.

Howser was the butt of a lot of jokes due to his quirky personality and down-home style, but he did produce some good material over the years, taking us to many California destinations that many of us may never get around to seeing in person. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/huell-howser-dead-beloved_n_2426682.html?ref=topbar

Finally figured out track 5 (aka side 2 track 1). It the opening track from http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,65905,00.html I think the tune was slightly more familiar to me from the Cannonball version, but come to think of it, I think I might like this one better.

First of all, I downloaded from the Mediafire link, and although I got the zany album artwork, I didn't get any tag info that identified the material (story of my life ). 1. This is a favorite of mine, and every time I hear it, I wonder why I don't play it more often. All three brothers on this track, which is a good thing when it happens! http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/window/media/page/0,,6103263-17659514,00.html 2. I don't know who this is (yet), but the guitarist's tone has got me sitting up and paying attention. 3. This one is leaving me a little cold. The main theme, with the unison line sounds a bit like it could have been a 70's tv theme (not that I recognize it). 4. Love the way the reeds and brass are arranged here, with rotation, overlapping, and nice tight harmonies. 5. Proud, graceful, dignified, lovely, soulful. No way to improve on this. I think I may own it, but I'm blanking. Need to ponder this… 6. Pretty sure I've never heard this before. Goes well with a cold, quiet, overcast day. Hmm… pretty Miles-ian sounding trumpet solo there. Hmm… 7. Just saw Carlos the other day. Not in person, on tv. He was in the "white-out" (white t-shirt giveaway) crowd at the Oracle arena for the Warriors' win over the Clippers. Anyway, very nice tune, simultaneously invigorating and relaxing. Nobody else sounds like Carlos. 8. See, they want you to think this song is about Colorado, but the trick is, it's really about Wyoming. I haven't heard this in ages (thank god). No no, just kidding. It's not something I'd listen to frequently, but it has that singing cowboy feel (or sing around the campfire feel) that takes me back to portions of my childhood. This is from one of the later (Verve) albums by this famous guitarist that played a self-designed Gibson guitar with his name on it. I forget who the singer was… I'll have to look it up. 9. Fantastic rhythm section. Not wild about the tune, but the groove can't be denied. 10. Wait- is this Dan Gould's BFT? At any rate, what's not to like? One thing I'm sure of- that's Kenny Burrell on the guitar. 11. I liked this in the opening minutes, but tired a bit as it went on. Great foundation, I'll say that. 12. Sonny Stitt? 13. Wow, that's as big a tone as I can recall hearing from an el-p. Maybe just the way it was recorded? No ideas on this. 14. Commmme and play… everything's- Ayyy-okayyy… Right?… No? Okay, then I dunno. The 12-string flat-top acoustic isn't really working for me, but it could just be me. 15. Well, this one's a gimme for me. I listened to this band constantly throughout the 70's, and saw them live a few times. "Way Back Home". The live version of this tune (recorded about a year later?) with the great band member intros at the beginning is the one that really gives me goosebumps to this day (40 years later). I'm tearing up just thinking about it, in fact. 16. If you listen closely, this one is about Wyoming also. 17. Bee-YOOTY-ful. Would that be Ben? I've never heard this one, afaik. Okay, back to the top for me, and hopefully I'll come up with some more coherent thoughts.

Get OUTTA here! That can't be right. We're talking about YOUR little daughter? Are you making this stuff up just because you've been too lazy to put the BFT together? I know- you're just flustered because you still haven't finished your Christmas shopping, and you know you only have a few days left before Christmas arrives, and... ... oh wait. Maybe I'm the one who's a little behind here. But come on... MARRIED? YOUR little daughter? I gotta check one of those family photos again... where did I put those... wait- where are my glasses... wait- what was I going to look for?

Okay, I think I'm awake now. Count me in! Download, please.

there's no shame in saluting late 60's early 70's Johnny Winter It was the way you saluted him (for me, at least). I'll just leave it at that, as I think it's time for this discussion to go away.

It's really interesting (borderline fascinating) to read everyone's reactions to this recording, which seem to vary even more than reactions to musical selections. I think some of the reactions take this a bit (or completely) too seriously and kind of (or completely) miss the intent, but as Jim pointed out in the discussion, comedy is a highly subjective thing (and dark comedy even moreso). Anyway, "disturbing" and "shocking" are not reactions that occurred to me at all during this bit (it was a historical reference to Jolson in blackface, not a 1970's attempt to revive minstrelsy), but I guess I can understand where that reaction comes from, if one is not inclined to accept the references to a different time in our history. As for the dead body element, if you're shocked by that, don't see "Weekend At Bernie's".

Forgot to mention something. Regarding track 5, one of the guesses was... show #5, December 15, 1973 "The Show Must Go On". I still find it somewhat odd that this guess was apparently (?) wrong, in that "The Show Must Go On" seems like a better/more accurate title than "A Laugh From The Past". This page: http://www.marksverylarge.com/nlrh/nlrh731215_05.html even lists one specifically as "Al Jolson / The Show Must Go On". I guess I can't help but wonder if wires got crossed at some point between the radio broadcast and the Epic LP, and if we even have the right performer here.

Well, I was wrong when I said I'd never heard track 4. "Age Of Steam" passed through my hands (long enough to play it at least once..... yeah.... probably just once). I'm a little surprised (and slightly disappointed) that the guy who did Jolson is an unfamiliar name. I was expecting to recognize it, as he sounded pretty familiar. I tried a google image search (in case I remembered the face), and so far have come up empty. Thanks again for an enjoyable ride.

Nah, it's too tempting to see the reveal now. I'm just glad I latched on to Roberts at the last minute there (sorry I didn't pitch in more ideas here over the past week or so, but with the Holidaze and all... just didn't find the energy I guess). I was never really a big Roberts fan, and when he departed the straighter, narrower path, I kind of waved goodbye, but the guy was definitely a great talent.

Aha. Now, what to do with this information... This isn't nearly as "oddball" as some of the stuff he did, I know that. Pretty sure I've never heard this, and I'm wondering if it's some kind of obscure L.A. studio musicans' jam session. Maybe "The Wrecking Crew"? Wait- is this one of his sessions with Lalo Schifrin?

There you go. You're welcome.

Can we eliminate Howard Roberts as the guitarist on #4?

Gee, ya think? I can't even believe this is happening. It's almost 2013, right? I just watched the whole show on Youtube. Good stuff. Liked the Hoffman tribute; sort of skimmed through the ballet (just not my thing); Tina Fey was fantastic; liked the soulfulness of Kim Wilson and the cool simplicity of Jimmy Vaughan; and thought the "Stairway To Heaven" finale was very well done. I guess it's too late for T-Bone Walker?

I mentioned Deschutes earlier. Just wanted to add that it's tricky to generalize about "distribution". My brother in Oregon has been recommending various Deschutes brews to me for years, but I've come across them pretty rarely in terms of casual observation (checking restaurant menus, shopping at big retailers like BevMo, etc). When I do turn up out-of-state products, they tend to be just the most popular beers from a given brewery (Widmer hef always being available at Safeway being the obvious example). Finding specific products- particularly seasonal offerings- is another matter. I did find a couple of Deshutes brews (Inversion IPA, Twilight Summer Ale) in a supermarket in Kailua-Kona last Summer, which was a bit of a surprise.

I don't know, although she reminds me a bit of Karen Valentine circa 1970... By the way, the companion to this Hyundai ad (the male version) has a guy opening a gaudy snowman necktie. He just goes... "This is great...", and has a very distressed look on his face. It's perfect, and cracks me up every time. I wanted to show it to my daughter, but I haven't been able to find it online.

Back in the 70's, when I was drinking Michelob, Miller, Budweiser, Coors, etc, like all my friends, stepping up to an import like a Heineken or a Beck's or a St. Pauli Girl or (etc) was like dining with royalty. Now, I'd rather have something from Widmer or Deschutes or Sierra Nevada or (etc).

Mike, I can't get your image to load.

I've sold off all of my vinyl, but I used to store it two ways. This isn't my photo, but the idea is about the same. The shelves being deeper than 12" helped to keep most of the dust out (in addition to plastic sleeves for every LP). The rest were in these: They hold about 50 LP's each, which is just about perfect in terms of weight when you have to move them. I stored some of my collection in these for almost 20 years. No dust.

Here's the un-photoshopped version: