Posted on November 16th, 2008 by The Blues Blogger
I used to get a little down around this time of season. Spring and summer were definitely my favorite seasons, and when it came time to turn the clocks back for the fall and winter, a wave of melancholy would set it in for a little while… For many reasons, most involving good health and over all better life style, I don’t feel that way anymore. The cooler darker months that lay ahead don’t have that same dismal effect on me. I look forward to coming home and spending time with my family. And of course I enjoy exercising, writing and getting comfortable by a nice fire; letting my thoughts sail away…
My online persona of The Blues Blogger has brought out a side of me that helps generate that positive attitude. I owe most of that to my many readers which have developed over the past year. Thanks for being a part of the wonderful growth of this reflective musical blog…
One of my personal favorite Blues Blogger articles was something I wrote on legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius… At the time I was writing that piece, I was also reading about Australian bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld whose latest accomplishments have been nothing short of mesmerizing. As different as Jaco and Tal may be, I discovered a similar tone. I became interested in writing something about Wilkenfeld, as she is an extremely talented individual. She seems to possess a mature soul and I can hear many influences flow throughout her playing. One thing for sure, she is a very cool and extremely entertaining young lady to watch.
Tal Wilkenfeld
was born in Sydney Australia… She started to play guitar at 14, and then later switched to the bass 3 years later. Wilkenfeld would discover that the feel of the bass best matched her personality and form of expression.
“I’ve always just picked up any instrument and been able to play it― I could sit down at the drums or the piano and just play for fun,” Tal says of her musical gifts. “But as soon as I started playing bass I knew it was my instrument. It was like, ‘Yes this is it. I don’t even want to play guitar anymore, this is amazing.”
Making a bold move, Wilkenfeld decided to drop out of high school at 16 and move to the United States; choosing to spend her time focusing on a music career. She first settled in Los Angeles and after completing school at The Los Angeles Music Academy, moved to New York City. It didn’t take long for Wilkenfeld to get work. She started performing as a side person and band leader and eventually gained recognition around New York’s jazz clubs.
After only several months of bass playing, she was offered an endorsement deal with Roger Sadowsky; an independent guitar and bass designer and manufacturer… At the age of 20, she recorded her debut album Transformation. It features musicians Wayne Krantz, Geoffrey Keezer, Keith Carlock and Seamus Blake. Tal not only played bass, but composed, arranged and also produced the album. Shortly after Transformation, she would go on to have a guest spot with The Allman Brothers Band…
The following year Chick Corea, who had heard about Wilkenfeld, was looking for a bass player. Tal goes on to say that…
“Chick had heard about me and was looking for a bass player and so I sent them some of my stuff. Then I got this call from his people and they said: ‘Hey, do you want to do these gigs in Australia?’ And I was like, ‘Yes, sir!”
The gig that got her an incredible amount of public awareness was her collaboration with Jeff Beck for his summer of 2007 European tour. After playing in Europe the group would team up with on Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago.
In November 2007, while playing another gig with Beck at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in London, Tal was joined on stage by Eric Clapton; a truly incredible accomplishment to cap off the year.
Tal Has Also Appeared
with musicians such as: Herbie Hancock, Steve Vai , Joss Stone, Susan Tedeschi, Hiram Bullock, Wayne Shorter and Corinne Bailey Ray. In addition she has been voted as “The Years Most Exciting New Player” in Bass Players 2008 Readers Choice Awards. Quite an impressive portfolio by any veteran’s standards let alone a 22 year old who’s been playing the bass less than five years.
It’s hard not to notice Wilkenfeld’s incredible achievement. Her story is truly inspiring! Tal’s haunting soulful sounds may even of had the great innovator Jaco nodding with approval.
If you’re looking for more information on Tal Wilkenfeld you can go to her website… If you’re totally unfamiliar, perhaps a cool place to start is Wilkenfeld’s MySpace Page…Upon entering you will be greeted with a funky introduction that will help settle you in…
Below are two videos of Tal Wilkenfeld performing with Jeff Beck… If you haven’t already seen these you are in for a real treat… Are you familiar with Tal’s incredible musical journey? Your comments are welcome as usual…
I wrote a post called My Vinyl Daze. It was a two part post where I discussed the time I spent as a teenager working in an upscale record store. One of the things I really enjoyed back then was vinyl album art… Today those very covers act like a time capsules; taking me back to memories I haven’t thought of, in some cases over 30 years. It was this fascination that introduced me to the work of blues rock and fusion legend Gary Moore. One such LP was Colosseum II ‘s 1976’s release Strange New Flesh …
I Drove My Father Nuts
Like all teenagers, I began experimenting with different things… Ya Dig?
It was around this time I really got into fusion and Gary Moore was one of the reasons I walked through that musical door… Strange New Flesh and other Colosseum II albums like Electric Savage were huge staples in my teenage years. My bedroom would then boom with these new wild sounds… All I can say is this, “My poor father!” What he must have thought as I was listening to music with titles like Dark Side of The Moog… Here is a brief sound clip of the first two songs I ever heard that introduced me to Gary Moore.…
this wasn’t exactly big band music. In a nutshell, it drove my father crazy, and for whatever reasons that a rebel teenager comes up with, I used it as additional ammo to drive my dad around the bend… Interesting thing though, I always did love my father’s choice of music. But this was kick ass stuff of the seventies baby! And it was different than anything I had ever heard before. A kid has to discover learn and grow…
I still shake my head in disbelief when I think that 32 years has passed since I first heard Gary play on those Colosseum II albums… After a brief stint with Thin Lizzy, (what teenager of the 70’s wasn’t into The Boys Are Back In Town?) I sort of lost touch until 1990’s remarkable release Still Got The Blues. Every time I listen to that album, I winced with awe with every soulful and tasty note that Moore plays… When I heard about the latest release Bad For You Baby, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard many of his collaboration’s with blues greats such as Albert King and BB King and many others, but I seemed to drift off again… So many people’s expectations were set quite high since that classic release in 1990.
I have listened to Bad For You Baby many times, and I must admit this album comes closer than ever to matching what I think most of his fans will expect. I found that I was listening to the songs on this album over and over again. Yes… Moore was back in my personal musical rotation and it was great to be around that sound once again.
Track Listing
1. Bad For You Baby
(Moore)
A gritty blues rock number that sets the stage for the rest of the album. The above clip says it all!
2. Down The Line
(Moore)
Johnny Cash style playing, but with that Moore tone and feel.
3. Umbrella Man
(Moore)
A captivating… edgy and catchy groove.
4. Holding On
(Moore)
Moore slows down the pace to perform this bluesy R&B number. He gets help with the assistance of some nice vocal work by Cassie Taylor.
5. Walkin’ Thru The Park
(Morganfield)
Boogie tune that kicks it up a notch.
6. I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know
(Kooper)
Gary’s version of a Al Kooper classic. Moore takes control on this one, and makes the song his own.
7. Mojo Boogie
(Lenoir)
Twelve bar blues… With some great playing
8. Someday Baby
(Morganfield)
Blues shuffle with a foot tapping gritty feel.
9. Did You Ever Feel Lonely?
(Moore)
A soulful blues number with plenty of fantastic guitar work…
10. Preacher Man Blues
(Moore)
Cassie Taylor joins Gary again with a funky number…
11. Trouble Ain’t Far Behind
(Moore)
A beautiful and soulful piece of music that proves Moore was born to play the blues.
Bad For You Baby
is a combination of long-established blues tunes and Moore penned originals. He covers a lot of blues territory with a focus that’s exhilarating, very tasteful and one hundred percent pure Gary Moore. The album is addictive! And his unique tone and phrasing is in full form.
Gary Moore
was born in Belfast Ireland on April 4th, 1952. He has played music since the age of 8 and learned to play right handed despite being a lefty. Moore was influenced by the likes of Elvis Presley and The Beatles, and then later by musicians like Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall, which opened him up to the art of the blues.
Moore became the protégé of blues pioneer Peter Green, who he admired since the days of the Blues Breakers. He even obtained some of his guitars when Green quit the music scene. Many of Gary’s albums feature Green’s famous sounding 1959 Gibson Les Paul, and attributed to his identifiable sound and voicing. It was Peter Green that helped mold the career of a young Moore, and his deep appreciation of Green can be heard on his album, “Blues for Greeny.”
Moore has sustained a career that continues to receive the respect of all the major players, and now spans five decades. He has been involved in line-ups of several rock, jazz and fusion bands, most notably Colosseum II and Skid Row, and of course Thin Lizzy.
Throughout the years, Moore has preferred to better his technique and expose his true self, rather than enjoy commercial success. He is a tremendous inspiration to all his fans, peers and music lovers around the world.
Eventually To Keep The Peace
in the household I had to turn off the music once in a while… And when I did… It was my writing that my teen aged mind turned to… Today, it just feels great to be finally writing again… Regardless of your path, life always seems to come full circle… Nothing profound… Guess that just means I’m getting old.
For people who are not familiar with Gary Moore, you can’t go wrong making Bad For You Baby you’re first experience. The music on this album has a wide range of tastes for all fans of guitar based blues and rock to explore and relish.
Your Comments Are Welcome
Comparing Moore’s past and present work was really neat and represents a wild memory from my past. Do you have a Gary Moore story or favorite song or album that you would like to share? Here is one of mine… Please leave your comments below.
The following article was originally posted on Blogcritics.org and TheBluesBlogger site on December 15, 2007. I received some email requesting that I re-post the original article as many of my newer readers may not have seen this… As Dion has just recently released a new album called “Giants of Early Guitar Rock.” I thought the timing might be good… For more information on Dion’s new album you can go to the link located here. I hope you enjoy it.
-tbb
This weekend was really exciting for me. After several months of building up strength due my recent heart attack, I finally took my Golden Retriever Lucille for a walk. I missed going for walks with my dog as it was an opportunity for some exercise, some bonding time with my canine buddy and a chance to use my MP3 player.
I recently received a copy of Dion’s latest release Son of Skip James. I never really paid much attention to Dion’s career lately, so I didn’t know what to expect. I did recall reading that he was focusing more on his early blues influences, so I loaded the album on my MP3 and Lucille and I set out for our short journey.
Now I am not a music reviewer, so I won’t pretend to be. I didn’t feel the need to dig into any profound meanings or dwell on the historic detail of each song. I just wanted to go out for a walk with Lucille and let the music do its thing … Anyway …I started listening and I’ve got to admit, I really got into it . The album opens up with Dion’s rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Nadine.” and from there Willie Dixon’s “My Babe.” A tune made famous by recent Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductee Little Walter. As I listened to the third song; Junior Well’s “Hoodoo Man Blues” I knew I was going to be entertained by this. I found that each song held my attention and I didn’t feel the necessity of skipping ahead. This release is self produced and accompanied only by Dion’s acoustic guitar, great voice and only a few other musicians. The selection of tunes is fantastic. I have included the complete song listings and their original artists below:
TRACK LISTING/ ORIGINAL ARTIST
1. Nadine - Chuck Berry
2. My Babe - Willie Dixon
3. Hoodoo Man Blues - Junior Wells
4. Drop Down Mama - Sleepy John Estes
5. Hoochie Coochie Man- Muddy Waters
6. Baby I’m In the Mood For You - Bob Dylan
7. I’m a Guitar King - Tommy McClennan
8. The Thunderer- Dion
9. Interlude - Spoken Word - Dion
10. Son of Skip James - Dion
11. Preachin’ Blues- Robert Johnson
12. If I Had Possession (Over Judgement Day)- Robert Johnson
13. Devil Got My Woman - Skip James
14. Dust my Broom- Robert Johnson
15 I Just Wanna Make Love to You- Willie Dixon
As the album continued I got to a couple of Dion originals which can be heard on track’s 8 thru 10. These are excellent tunes that compliment the rest of the selections…. I kept trying to remember the last time I heard a Dion recording? One thing for sure, he never sounded like this to me before! Then as I normally do I drifted off and reflected on one of the many stories from my early childhood as told by my family and friends…
Fall 1961
My sister was 15 and I was only a year old at the time. My parents were working and my sister was given the task of looking after me on the weekends. I don’t think she was ever crazy about the idea. It really didn’t help her image. One afternoon she was strolling me home from the park and the usual comments from the neighborhood would begin.
NEIGHBOR: Hey I never knew you had a baby.
SISTER: (disgusted) That’s not my baby! He’s my little brother.
NEIGHBOR: Sorry I just thought …
SISTER: (interrupting) Well you thought wrong … Are you for real? … What kind of idiot are you?
My sister would briskly make her way back home cussing under her breath. As we headed into the house she placed me in the jolly jumper that was in the living room. She was gentle, but I got the impression she would imagine that the apparatus was a slingshot. She would then head to our console turntable smiling with anticipation and play the same LP she’d been playing for weeks on end. The volume was raised really high and you could hear the needle as it hit the vinyl with all its crackle and pops. The room filled with the sound of Dion’s “Runaround Sue.”
Then the dancing began. My sister would go into a trance as Dion would takeover our living room. By the time the song “The Wanderer” was heard, this love affair/dance ritual would attract a few of the neighborhood boys who would line up inconspicuously at the living room window to watch my sister make all her moves. I don’t think that was her intention, but she got attention that’s for sure. I of course would bob and weave with the rhythm in my rig….
Dion DiMucci
was born July 18, 1939, in The Bronx NYC. His recording career began in 1957 when he brought some of the neighborhood boys together, naming them The Belmonts after an Avenue in the heart of The Bronx. Dion and the Belmonts put together a string of hits from 1958-1960 that included songs like, “I Wonder Why” and “Teenager in Love. His band went on tour with such talented artists as The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly. A last minute decision not to spend $36 dollars to board a plane one frigid night back in February 1959 spared Dion his life. When he learned the following morning that he lost many of his friends in the infamous plane crash, later dubbed The Day the Music Died, it left him sombre and confused.
In 1960 Dion went solo and scored enormous hits with “Runaround Sue”, “The Wanderer” and later in 1963 with “Ruby Baby.” It was these songs that elevated him to the top rock n roll recording stars of his time.
After a brief hiatus and some personal challenges, he found a new focus and would resurface in 1968 with the hit “Abraham, Martin and John.” For the next 15 years Dion would came out with several gospels albums embracing his faith in God, and would be nominated for a Grammy in 1985.
In 1987 Dion put together a concert at The Radio City Music Hall that would celebrate his career. He shared the stage with several performers such as Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon; who both recalled Dion as one of their major influences. In 1988 Dion’s autobiography The Wanderer: Dion’s Story was published. The following year, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a speech given by Lou Reed.
Dion was a big part of my sisters and many teenage girls’ existence back in the late fifties and early sixties. You would think he’d grown up mostly on good old rock n roll, but that wasn’t the case. Instead Dion grew up listening to southern radio stations and was really influenced by Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, and Robert Johnson. Another great childhood inspiration was Hank Williams.
When the British invasion hit, Dion had a bit of a break from the limelight. It was around this timeframe that he started to once again listen to some of the classic blues artists that he recalled from his youth. Even though his management company was against it, he did some blues oriented recordings that were not too successful. In 1964 Dion met the legendary Skip James, who was a major influence to Robert Johnson. He looked up to artists such as Skip James as a father figure. This would be a moment he would never forget.
My father pulled up to the front of the house
in his Chevy Bel Air and he had my 9 year old brother with him. He looked with curiosity as he saw my sister and me bopping to the sound of Dion that was flowing out the window. Slowly he got enraged when he noticed the teenagers gawking at his daughter through the window. He approached the boys from behind who were unaware of my father’s presence.
FATHER: (tapping one of the boy’s shoulders) OK. Show’s over. What the hell is wrong with you?
(raising his voice) You better scram …
Both of these young fellows took off like the wind. No one wanted to confront the angry father of a teenage girl. No harm was meant and both my dad and my brother got some entertainment out of the situation. As they entered the house my sister was still in her trance, but would eventually be caught off guard by my dad’s sudden appearance. She went to the turntable, and with a heavy sigh her moment with Dion ended.
FATHER: Are you purposely trying to kill me?
Don’t you realize the disgusting creatures you’re attracting?
My sister ignored my dad and went off to her room, which is where she really wanted to be and would spend most of her time. My brother went to his bedroom and came back to the living room with his acoustic guitar.
BROTHER: Hey dad! Check this out …
He started to play Dion’s The Wanderer in a familiar but slightly different style. My dad started paying close attention to my brother’s playing and was nodding with approval. He then reached for something in his jacket pocket and pulled out his harmonica. Then both of them played one of their many impromptu jams. The house filled up with a natural acoustic resonance that made me continue to bop in my jolly jumper.
My reflections of the past
and my listen to Dion’s Son of Skip James album was all too soon coming to an end. The album closes with several Robert Johnson’s selections and one from Skip James. Willie Dixon’s song “I Just Want to Make Love to You”, which was first recorded by Muddy Waters, closes things off.
All these great blues artists that Dion celebrates would have an influence on him for his entire life, but it wasn’t until his 2006 Grammy nominated album, “Bronx in Blue,” that Dion truly concentrated on his love and dedication of the blues. With his release “Son of Skip James,” he continues the blues tradition and it’s very natural and entertaining.
The last time I did this walk with Lucille it wasn’t so pretty I thought. Today was a different story. I was getting close to home… What an unexpected surprise to hear Dion embrace his musical roots so naturally and full of life and vibrancy. You really get the feeling that he hears something in these songs that he needed to get out. I’m glad he did.
Now my stroll is over. I am happy to report that I have gained newfound respect for Dion and that Lucille and I feel great…
A random draw was just placed for a free copy of The Radiators latest 30th Anniversary CD Wild and Free. I really had a lot of fun listening to this disc. It’s a great retrospective and one that the winner is really going to enjoy…
Congratulations To
Butch
I will be emailing you shortly in order to get the details of where to ship your disc…
The music seen and heard on this site are meant to enhance the enjoyment of the articles and the reader's overall experience. My intention is to honor the artists that have inspired me by weaving my personal experiences together with my love of their music... If you like the music you hear, I urge you to support them by attending their performances and/or purchasing their music. If you hold the copyright and would like me to remove your song then please contact me. I will do so immediately upon request.
Track 1 & 2 Clip [2:13m]: 
