Soul Stream

yeah, Eddie Henderson's notes weren't very insightful or interesting. That was the only downer of the set.

So that's the type of people who listen to your music, huh? No, really, I can't see the logic on how a ban on smoking in public places should take away your audience. Eventually, they'll filter back in. Well, I hope you're right. But I've been playing in smokey bars a long time. They're smokey for good reason. The "Nightlife" people I play to... smoke. Plain and simple. I'm not saying all of them, but a good number. They're not affluent, educated people for the most part, just work-a-day folks and people that seem to live on the fringe of society. Let's face it, not many white collars stay out late till 1:30 on a wednesday night(unless it's a strip joint ). If affluent, educated and non-smoking people want to go hear live music 7 nights a week till 2 a.m., I can't wait....

I'm not sure what's wrong. It's not the leslie because I changed amps and it kept dying. Changed out the tubes in the organ preamp, but nothing. Aside from that, but tech skills are horrible...tubes, oil, and an occassional obvious solder is about it for me. I had to call the "man" out for a service call on Monday since I've got problems with my A102 at the house too. Figured I'd bite the credit bullet and kill two birds with one stone. One thing's for sure, I need it fixed, and fixed right, by Tues. I've got residency gigs on tuesdays and thursdays(maybe not for long), so I can't really have it sitting in a repairman's garage for 2 weeks.

i've been quite a few very, very, very smokey bars. To the point where it is obviously a major health hazzard. However, to be blunt, these are usually "working class" beer joints where almost everyone is smoking. I don't think health is on anybody's mind here, they're chuggin' back huge amounts of beer and chain smoking. That's not the kind of place the majority of people who want a ban on smoking care about. What they're basically trying to ban is "nucence(?)" smoking. Like shrugs is talking about, 10 people in a bar of 150 who are smoking. Mildly bothering the few people in their immediate vicinity. Not a health hazzard, just an annoyance in today's bar scence where most people don't really smoke anyway. It bothers me, but not much (and yes I'm even "technically" alergic to smoke)...i'm in a bar! that's like bumming about getting wet at the beach. Until these same people ban alcohol (now we can talk about deaths and money spent), I don't buy their argument. I'm tolerant of many things, smoking and drinking are but two of them.

I had a tough one last night. Right before we hit, the club owner (actually a real great guy) came up and said..."so...more funk, less jazz tonight. Right?" It really took me by surprise since he's usually a real hands-off club owner. However, I've been starting a regular gig there and the turnout has been dismal. So I can't really blame him too much. But it was a drag. Also, it's hard to do when you only have about a 6 funk songs in your set list. Anyway, then we got up and the B3 died after 3 songs. It couldn't be revived, and had to call it quits. REALLY a drag because the club was packed due to a street festival that was happening. I've never had the B go out to the point where it couldn't be revived on the gig. I lost money on the gig because I paid the sidmen the full amount. Also, now I've got some major organ repair coming up. All to be done before my next gig Tuesday. And I have no money. Ahhh.... But for some reason, I'm not too bummed out because I like playing so much. Wish I could have been at YOUR gig B3-er, sounds like a blast. Hope it's a trend!

let me just say that this initiative was undertaken by a single person....Mayor Gus Garcia...he wants a smoke free Austin to be his legacy (oh, VFWs, Bingo Halls and Pool Halls are exempt. they don't care about those people's health I guess.). That said, if this were a time of an economic boom, I wouldn't be so inclined to care. However, now's not the time to experiment imho. A smoke free world would be wonderful. It would also be nice to play music in concert settings instead of smokey clubs full of drunk people. However, until something changes, Budweiser and Marlboro make it possible for me to play music and get paid (meagerly). Banning drinking in public places would save more lives than any smoking ban will, but I don't think that will happen.

Increased patronage in a smoke-free nightclub is something i'd love to have (proponents always show staticstical evidence for this). however, realistically I think we'll see a major drop. I guess I'll find out in September when the ban goes into effect. Historically, vices have always fostered a good environment for music...booze, smoke, even drugs and (dare I say prostitues in other times). Without these things we may never have heard the many of the musicians we love so dearly now. Would Bird, Diz, Bud, Monk and others have developed without the "nightlife" people who patronized the bars they played? Before Carnegie Hall comes a lot of smokey clubs.

Last night our Mayor Gus Garcia, in one last blaze of glory before he leaves office in a couple of weeks, pushed through a surprise "no smoking" ban in the clubs and restaurants of Austin, Texas. As a musician in a town that has seen landmark clubs close left and right due to a bad economy and unsupportive city council the last 2 years....this is about the last straw. Mind you, I'm a non-smoker and would love to play in smoke-free environments. However, I have to make a living. Smokers hang at clubs where live music is. Non-smokers hang at Starbucks and listen to CDs. These are huge generalizations, but when push comes to shove I think they are basically true at the core. Guess I better start looking for a job at Starbucks....latte' anyone?

hey, that's a real shame. chaulk another one up to capitalism. and another one down for arts, artists, jazz and general creativity. every club wants a "hot" group so they can sell a lot of drinks and pack the house. few clubowners want to nourish talent. Small's, and to a lesser degree Smoke, are two that did (do).

I picked this up the day it was released. I've been totally BLOW AWAY ever since. I never did dig the old Blackhawk Cds at all. But I LOVE this reissue. You really feel like you are there, 5 feet from the stage. You can hear every nuance. Get this...you won't be sorry....

I doubt "Understanding" could be topped when it comes to groove and freaked-out sax skating over it all. Patton and Hugh Walker make that shit swing (and that's HARD to do without a guitar player along for the ride,--- Patton did it better than anyone IMHO.) This record sets the bar for this kind of thing. 30 years ahead of it's time...groove and avant meet. That Certain Feeling is a whole different ball of wax. More open-ended. Beautiful... Boogaloo is a gem. His playing is downright some of his best on record. And George Brown may have been Patton's perfect drummer.

GREAT POST LON!!!!!!! Man, I love it when people are passionate about certain albums! This certainly hit the nail on the head for Lon and Jsngry, as well as many others. This is a good example of why Album of the Week is so great. It's been responsible for me opening up to albums I wouldn't have otherwise. Armstrong plays W.C. Handy is on my "to buy" list now, with a big star buy it. Although I probably won't be able to get it in time for this week, I will post when I can comment on it. Great job everyone (especially Lon). Album of the Week is one of the best aspects of this board, and one that (to my knowledge) hasn't been "successfully" attempted anywhere else. Not even the old BNBB. I really look forward to it each week, even if I don't have the album or time to thoroughly participate.

Turning Point is some bad stuff, as you would expect. But in typical Lonnie-esque style....it's got some twists and the team of Lee Morgan and Maupin is an inspired choice and are nice to hear on an organ date!

got mine today... Basra was a TOCJ, but... Look Out by Stan T. was the old U.S. 80's print and Night of the Cookers was the old U.S. print as well... musics nice on all, but I wish they all had been TOCJs.

i lost track of aretha after "pink cadillac" -_-

I almost consider Donny Hathaway beyond the catagory of "Soul" singer. His concept was beyond soul the way that Marley's was beyond reggae.

i ordered mine saturday... basra, cookers1&2, and something i can't remember(!).... anyway, look forward to getting them all. thanks for the tip on these!

THE BIRDS!!!! They used to show that on t.v. on rare occassions growing up...it used to scare the hell out of me!

great job mike. it's always amazing to see somebody make something happen because of their own enthusiasm for the subject.

i think these "favorite" polls are a bit tongue in cheek. at least that's the way i take them. saying anyone is your favorite anything is tough....much less something a wide and varied as soul singers. and if it really came to push and shove...the Pilgrim Travelers are really my favorite "soul" singers.

O.V Wright or James Carr, it's a toss up to me. With an honorable mention to William Bell.

The show stopper was no doubt "Cherokee." Did the band lay out and let Lou go off? If so, it was probably was.... He kills that. To hear Lou play "Cherokee" by himself is as close to Charlie Parker as I'll ever come. Amazing. I LOVE LOU!!!!!

...hey...can't WE come? have fun!

i picked 1...nobody ever picks the obvious.

Groove Homes-"Comin' On Home" Bobby Humphries-"Satin Doll" Jack McDuff-"Moon Rappin'" Blue Note comp. BLUEBREAK BEATS VOL 1 John Patton "Blue John" George Braith "Two Souls in One" George Braith "Boptronics" on excellence records it's summer and I'm really groovin' on some of the old Rare Grooves. To me, summertime is time to lighten up, musically too, (hey, even bobby humphries is doing for me and that's mizell! )