Ray Manzarek of The Doors Dies At 74
This song and video seems very appropriate to watch on a day when The Doors keyboardist, Ray Manzarek, dies at the age of 74.
Posts from the ‘Music’ Category
May 20
The Art of Making, Alma Flamenca
A wonderful little film on the art of creating a flamenca guitar. For this maker, a single instrument requires 299 hours of work to make it.
Joan Baez In Concert In 1965
It makes sense to me to follow up a classic Bob Dylan concert with another classic from Joan Baez. This concert is given in 1965, one year after the “Quest” concert of Bob Dylan.
One thing that strikes me about this concert is Baez urging the audience to sing along with her, something that is a staple of folk musicians. Pete Seeger also had audiences singing along with him, and in a concert I recently saw with Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary), he asked the audience to sing along with him several times throughout the evening. And in a memorial concert on Martin Luther King day last year, I saw Baez again asking the audience to sing along with her. I’m assuming this is not common practice in today’s music scene, with perhaps U2 being an exception.
This concert is Baez at her best. Baez performed the following program:
- I’m A Rambler, I’m A Gambler
- There But For Fortune
- Copper Kettle
- Mary Hamilton
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
- I’m Troubled And I Don’t Know Why
- We Shall Overcome
- With God On Our Side
- Plaisir D’Amour
Bob Dylan Performs “The Times They Are a-Changin’” in 1964 Canadian TV Broadcast
In early 1964 Bob Dylan released his third studio album “The Times They Are a-Changin’”. A month before embarking on tour, the Canadian Broadcasting system offered Dylan a 30 minute concert on its TV program “Quest”. On February 1, 1964, Dylan performed the following program:
- The Times They Are a-Changin’
- Talkin’ World War III Blues
- The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
- Girl from the North Country
- A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall
- Restless Farewell
I think it’s Dylan at his best.
When Keith Met Mick
I’m willing to bet that more classic rock fans know about the first meeting between John Lennon and Paul McCartney than they do the one between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. The blog ‘Letters of Note’ has a letter up today that Keith Richards wrote to his Aunt Patty where he mentions his first meeting with Sir Mick.
Oh but my dear I have been soooo busy since Christmas beside working at school. You know I was keen on Chuck Berry and I thought I was the only fan for miles but one mornin’ on Dartford Stn. (that’s so I don’t have to write a long word like station) I was holding one of Chuck’s records when a guy I knew at primary school 7-11 yrs y’know came up to me. He’s got every record Chuck Berry ever made and all his mates have too, they are all rhythm and blues fans, real R&B I mean (not this Dinah Shore, Brook Benton crap) Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Chuck, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker all the Chicago bluesmen real lowdown stuff, marvelous. Bo Diddley he’s another great.
Anyways the guy on the station, he is called Mick Jagger and all the chicks and the boys meet every Saturday morning in the ‘Carousel’ some juke-joint well one morning in Jan I was walking past and decided to look him up. Everybody’s all over me I get invited to about 10 parties. Beside that Mick is the greatest R&B singer this side of the Atlantic and I don’t mean maybe. I play guitar (electric) Chuck style we got us a bass player and drummer and rhythm-guitar and we practice 2 or 3 nights a week. SWINGIN’.
Three months after this letter was written, the Rolling Stones held their first concert at the Marquee Club.
How Music Heals The Mind
I just had to share this here. Music can help heal or at least temporarily heal the mind in difficult times both physically and mentally. Oliver Sacks shows how music lights a man who has been in a nursing home for ten years and has barely responded beyond yes or no questions. Watch how he describes and sings about the music he loves.
Old Man In Nursing Home Reacts To Hearing Music From His Era – YouTube.
Free Grateful Dead Concerts At The Internet Archive
To Dead Heads the world over, the Internet Archive has a database of over 8,000 free (legal) and streaming concerts from The Grateful Dead.
Grateful Dead : Free Music : Free Audio : Download & Streaming : Internet Archive.
Nick Mason Interview At Google In Los Angeles
Nick Mason, drummer for Pink Floyd, visits Google in Los Angeles and talks about his time with the band. There are several great little anecdotes he talks about from throughout the band’s history. Just the one about Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli dropping by the studio makes me want to buy the box set for the Wish You Were Here – Immersion Box Set.
