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bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers

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c.n.

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Mar 28, 2007, 5:13:12 AM3/28/07
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I ran across this quote (in an interview from a couple of years ago) on why
Bonnie Raitt enjoys doing covers.

"After this many albums and hundreds of songs," she says, "you want to find
new things to say, new ways to say them. For me, one of the most exciting
aspects of what I do is hearing some hidden part of myself reflected back in
the songs of someone else. It's why that connection to artists we love is so
deep. And then the alchemy of the band and I finding a way to make these
songs our own-that's what keeps me coming back. Like prisms reflecting back
on each other, we're souls alike."

Makes sense to me.

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Dick Waterman

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Mar 28, 2007, 11:37:53 AM3/28/07
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In a message dated 3/28/07 4:13:27 AM, cne...@HOTMAIL.COM writes:


> I ran across this quote (in an interview from a couple of years ago) on why
> Bonnie Raitt enjoys doing covers.
>
> "After this many albums and hundreds of songs," she says, "you want to find
> new things to say, new ways to say them. For me, one of the most exciting
> aspects of what I do is hearing some hidden part of myself reflected back in
> the songs of someone else. It's why that connection to artists we love is so
> deep. And then the alchemy of the band and I finding a way to make these
> songs our own-that's what keeps me coming back. Like prisms reflecting back
> on each other, we're souls alike."
>
> Makes sense to me.
>

Interesting quote . . . and sometimes her cover of a song becomes the 'real
song' for those who never heard the original. Many musicians do her version of
Lenny Welch's "Since I Fell For You."

John Prine's original "Angel From Montgomery" is very different from Bonnie's
version but few people go back to hear the way that he originally wrote it.

Here is an interesting story that I have never told:

Many years ago I found a song for her to do. I felt that it was a great song
and she could do it really well. The song was "Please Call Home" by the Allman
Brothers on their "Idylwild South" album. She listened to the song and then
moved the needle back on the photograph and listened to it again. Then she
shook her head and told me that she couldn't do it.

She said, "I can't put anything of my own into the song because it is too
perfect. Gregg's vocal is great and Duane's slide solo is exactly the way that I
would want to do it myself. They didn't leave me a single hole to add anything
of my own."

That was about 35 years ago and although she still loves the song, she has
never tried to play it herself . . .

Dick Waterman
Oxford, MS
www.dickwaterman.com

**************************************
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Dick Waterman

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Mar 28, 2007, 12:04:11 PM3/28/07
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In a message dated 3/28/07 10:54:09 AM, mpwi...@hotmail.com writes:


> i thought "since i fell for you" was a buddy johnson tune, though.
>
>
Buddy was the writer. Lenny Welch was the recording artist who had the early
hit.

michelle willson

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Mar 28, 2007, 12:46:52 PM3/28/07
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yeah, i thought buddy was the writer and i knew he and ella had recorded it; i had assumed that theirs was the early hit.
ah, but i guess that just proves what they say about assuming....
thanks very much for the info, you all.
i've never heard that lenny welch version - gotta check it out!
mich.

> Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:57:30 -0400> From: Jinx...@aol.com> Subject: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers> To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG> > In a message dated 3/28/07 10:54:09 AM, mpwi...@hotmail.com writes:> > > > i thought "since i fell for you" was a buddy johnson tune, though.> > > > > Buddy was the writer. Lenny Welch was the recording artist who had the early > hit.> > > > > > **************************************> AOL now offers free email to everyone. > Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.> > Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/> Archives & web interface: http://lists.netspace.org/archives/blues-l.html> NetSpace LISTSERV(R) software donated by L-Soft, Inc. http://www.lsoft.com> To unsubscribe from BLUES-L, send an email with the message UNSUBSCRIBE BLUES-L to: list...@lists.netspace.org
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Dick Waterman

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Mar 28, 2007, 1:19:58 PM3/28/07
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In a message dated 3/28/07 11:48:01 AM, mpwi...@hotmail.com writes:


> yeah, i thought buddy was the writer and i knew he and ella had recorded
> it; i had assumed that theirs was the early hit.
> ah, but i guess that just proves what they say about assuming....
> thanks very much for the info, you all.
> i've never heard that lenny welch version - gotta check it out!
> mich.
>

> * * * * *

e I Fell for Yo
"Since I Fell for You," was a '40 Buddy Johnson tune that had been recorded
countless times by everyone from Louis Armstrong to pop-and-R&B vocalist Lenny
Welch, who had a Top 5 hit with it in 1963.
---
David Nathan, Liner notes for CD Sugar in my Bowl

gtr...@prodigy.net

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Mar 28, 2007, 2:44:35 PM3/28/07
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This is what I like About This Blues-L Every now and them someone will start
a thread about something I'm listening to.Every time I get in my car
Recently I play A tape Of Buddy Johnson Ella. And Jimmy McCracklin Good
Stuff I play it real loud Especially when I pass those Car's with the big
sound system And that Noisy Rap That Supposed To Be for Black's Only.
Guitar Mac.
"BLUES BAND LEADER OF THE YEAR 2006"
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=guitarmac555
http://www.centralvalleybluesfestival.com/guitarmac.htm
http://www.guitarmac.com
http://www.soundclick.com/guitarmac
http://www.myspace.com/guitarmac
http://www.myspace.com/guitarmac1

Michael Huggins

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Mar 28, 2007, 4:15:13 PM3/28/07
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Maybe you can find it on youtube! =;>O
michael

If the human mind was a simple thing to understand, WE would be too
simple to understand it. <unk.>

Michael Huggins

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Mar 28, 2007, 4:15:43 PM3/28/07
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And that's what I like about YOU, G-Mac. No punches pulled. I hope this
list realizes the gem we have with you here.
michael

On Mar 28, 2007, at 2:44 PM, gtr...@prodigy.net wrote:

> This is what I like About This Blues-L Every now and them someone will
> start
> a thread about something I'm listening to.Every time I get in my car
> Recently I play A tape Of Buddy Johnson Ella. And Jimmy McCracklin Good
> Stuff I play it real loud Especially when I pass those Car's with the
> big
> sound system And that Noisy Rap That Supposed To Be for Black's Only.
> Guitar Mac.

Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/

Jef Jaisun

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Mar 28, 2007, 4:31:08 PM3/28/07
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On 28 Mar 2007 08:37:53 -0700, Jinx...@aol.com (Dick Waterman) wrote:

>Interesting quote . . . and sometimes her cover of a song becomes the 'real
>song' for those who never heard the original. Many musicians do her
version of
>Lenny Welch's "Since I Fell For You."
>
>John Prine's original "Angel From Montgomery" is very different
from Bonnie's
>version but few people go back to hear the way that he originally wrote it.

Some artists have a way of redefining a song and making it their own,
even to the exclusion of the originator's version.

Bonnie has always been big into material by other songwriters,
because she was never much of a songwriter herself until much later
in her career. As a result, we got to hear great renditions of tunes
by the likes of Joel Zoss, Libby Titus and others. I don't care what
you say about Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie's version of "Love Has No Pride"
is positively the most beautiful, soul-aching rednition ever
recorded. If Warner Bros had had a fraction of a clue, Bonnie's
version would have been the hit well before Ronstadt's.

There are many songwriters who owe their retirement pensions to
Bonnie, and God bless her for caring enough to seek out and record
that material.

Jef

Ron Weinstock

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Mar 28, 2007, 7:28:37 PM3/28/07
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I disagree with Dick. Buddy Johnson's original was a blockbuster recording (according to Eugene
Chadbourne in his All Music Guide entry on Annie laurie) that was covered by so many acts (many
like Dinah Washington and Annie laurie (with Paul Gayton) had substantial success with this song
long before Lennie Welch's pop crossover smash. There are so many R&B and jazz renditions of
this number that owe nothing to Lennie Welch.

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:46:32 +0000, michelle willson <mpwi...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>yeah, i thought buddy was the writer and i knew he and ella had recorded it; i had assumed that
theirs was the early hit.
>ah, but i guess that just proves what they say about assuming....
>thanks very much for the info, you all.
>i've never heard that lenny welch version - gotta check it out!
>mich.
>
>
>
>> Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:57:30 -0400> From: Jinx...@aol.com> Subject: Re: bonnie raitt
on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers> To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG> > In a message
dated 3/28/07 10:54:09 AM, mpwi...@hotmail.com writes:> > > > i thought "since i fell for
you" was a buddy johnson tune, though.> > > > > Buddy was the writer. Lenny Welch was the
recording artist who had the early > hit.> > > > > > **************************************> AOL
now offers free email to everyone. > Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://

www.aol.com.> > Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/> Archives & web

interface: http://lists.netspace.org/archives/blues-l.html> NetSpace LISTSERV(R) software
donated by L-Soft, Inc. http://www.lsoft.com> To unsubscribe from BLUES-L, send an email with
the message UNSUBSCRIBE BLUES-L to: list...@lists.netspace.org

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>To unsubscribe from BLUES-L, send an email with the message UNSUBSCRIBE BLUES-L to:
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=============

Dick Waterman

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Mar 28, 2007, 9:35:34 PM3/28/07
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In a message dated 3/28/07 6:29:00 PM, rbl...@YAHOO.COM writes:


> I disagree with Dick.  Buddy Johnson's original was a blockbuster recording
> (according to Eugene
> Chadbourne in his All Music Guide entry on Annie laurie) that was covered by
> so many acts (many
> like Dinah Washington and Annie laurie (with Paul Gayton) had substantial
> success with this song
> long before Lennie Welch's pop crossover smash.  There are so many R&B and
> jazz renditions of
> this number that owe nothing to Lennie Welch. 
>

I'm not sure what your point is here since you are saying that versions of
the song done prior to Lenny Welch owe nothing to his.

Well . . . duhhh . . . how could they if they were done before his?

Regardless, you absolutely correct and I am totally wrong . . .

Dick Waterman
Oxford, MS
www.dickwaterman.com

**************************************
See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

Ron Weinstock

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Mar 28, 2007, 10:01:43 PM3/28/07
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To clarify I do wish to emphasize that there are many versions of the song in the past few decades
that owe more to Buddy and Ella Johnson's original (and Dinah and Annie Laurie's renditions) than
Lenny Welch's rendition. Many here do not appreciate just how big Buddy Johnson was and how
much a signature tune this song was and remains decades later.

c. n.

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Mar 29, 2007, 12:37:15 AM3/29/07
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I dig a lot of Buddy and Ella's stuff, but another of my faves (from those
two together) is Ella singing, "It's Obdacious." chuck

>From: Ron Weinstock <rbl...@YAHOO.COM>
>To clarify I do wish to emphasize that there are many versions of the song
>in the past few decades
>that owe more to Buddy and Ella Johnson's original (and Dinah and Annie
>Laurie's renditions) than
>Lenny Welch's rendition. Many here do not appreciate just how big Buddy
>Johnson was and how
>much a signature tune this song was and remains decades later.

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fred dabney

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Mar 29, 2007, 12:53:47 AM3/29/07
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>I dig a lot of Buddy and Ella's stuff, but another of my faves (from those
> two together) is Ella singing, "It's Obdacious." chuck

They were hugely popular in Harlem in the late thirties, early forties.

Something folk here keep forgetting is that for every blues guitarist that
our group worships, there were many more black jazz based bands who
were in New York and they were the ones who sold the records, and a
lot of them appealed to white audiences as well.

Blues was pretty much a minority interest in urban circles.

Fred D.

Sandor Gulyas

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Mar 29, 2007, 11:32:32 AM3/29/07
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On 3/28/07, fred dabney <fda...@nmsu.edu> wrote:
> Something folk here keep forgetting is that for every blues guitarist that
> our group worships, there were many more black jazz based bands who
> were in New York and they were the ones who sold the records, and a
> lot of them appealed to white audiences as well.
>
> Blues was pretty much a minority interest in urban circles.
>
> Fred D.

Well yeah.
Blues has always been considered "folk art" while Jazz has been
considered "cultured" or "fine" art.
How else can you explain all that "high society" art work on those
jazz album covers.

--
Sandor Gulyas
Graduate Student - Louisiana State University
Dept of Geography & Anthropology
Vice President - Baton Rouge Blues Society

gtr...@prodigy.net

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Mar 29, 2007, 12:44:38 PM3/29/07
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I have always considered Blues for the Base of all Beat styles.Where Blues
people are generally below the poverty level . Jazz. People Rich somewhat
Serfistcated Rock and rollers The rich Kid's.that yawn to be Different.
From: "Sandor Gulyas" <sgu...@gmail.com>
To: <BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG>
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers

Patrick Hertel

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Mar 29, 2007, 2:07:58 PM3/29/07
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I have, for some reason, not heard a lot of Bonnie Raitt material. I have one
CD which I don't include in my Blues collection because (IMHO) it just isn't.
I bought it for her cover of the Shirley Eickhart song "Something to Talk
About" ... I don't really like the rest of it.

Is there some seminal. or "Best of" (blues) CD of hers, that you could
recommend?
I may be treading deep water here but it seems of late she has left the blues
behind. Now, IF that is true then that is perfectly Okay, she doesn't need my
or anybody else's permission :).... but quoting that great philosopher
Yosimite Sam "I paid my two bits to see the high divin' act and I'm a gonna
SEE the high divin' act."

Blue Stew

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Mar 29, 2007, 2:07:59 PM3/29/07
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Nuthin But the Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmqp1dmYm-Q&NR

Hint: Lose the N.Y. city cynical a-tude and perhaps you 'will' get a
date! Or not.
mike

Jimmy Jacobs

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Mar 29, 2007, 2:17:12 PM3/29/07
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Try a cd titled "The Collection". Good compilation of some of her earlier
stuff, including a great duet with Sipsie Russell.

-----Original Message-----
From: Blues Music List [mailto:BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG] On Behalf Of
Patrick Hertel
Sent: 03/29/2007 9:58 AM
To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
Subject: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers

Blue Stew

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Mar 29, 2007, 2:21:50 PM3/29/07
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Nuthin But the Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmqp1dmYm-Q&NR

sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays...I'll bet if you turn
that frown upside down you 'will' get a date!
mike

Michele Lundeen

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Mar 29, 2007, 3:41:35 PM3/29/07
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I first discovered Bonnie Raitt when I heard her cover of John Prine's
"Angel from Montgomery" and, as singer, wanted to know more about this
soulful woman that was different than the mainstream at the time. None of
her albums are completely Blues but most have Blues gems on them. Now Dick
Waterman will probably have some fab story about this as he was her manager
at the time... her self titled 1971 release (the one with "Since I Fell" on
it) has "Mighty Tight Woman" (Sippie Wallace), "Finest Lovin' Man" (Bonnie),
"Big Road" (Tommy Johnson)"Walking Blues" (Robert Johnson), and "Woman Be
Wise" (Sippie Wallace). The album was recorded in MN in a wood framed garage
on a 4 track and features Freebo (Edison Electric, Zappa) on fretless bass
(and tuba!), Junior Wells and A.C. Reed among others. There's "instrument"
credits listed such as "shingle," stick on plastic pitcher," "hambone," HA!
"The Bonnie Raitt Collection has some of those tunes and a few more Bluesy
fare IMO like "Love Me Like A Man," "Guilty," "I Feel The Same, "Give it Up"
(N'Awlins flavor), "Sugar Mama," "Leave Home Boy." Purists won't agree but
this "works" in my book of things I dig.

Have a great weekend... I'm playing a Blues & Art Fiesta in San Felipe, MX!
No Bonnie in the sets mainly originals (but I may throw in one Aretha!) :-}

Michele Lundeen
www.michelelundeen.com

-----Original Message-----
] On Behalf Of Patrick Hertel

Is there some seminal. or "Best of" (blues) CD of hers, that you could
recommend?

Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/

fred dabney

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Mar 29, 2007, 10:05:59 PM3/29/07
to
> Well yeah.
> Blues has always been considered "folk art" while Jazz has been
> considered "cultured" or "fine" art.
> How else can you explain all that "high society" art work on those
> jazz album covers.

Yeah but...

Almost from the beginning, Jazz had an appeal to white, urban
mostly better educated listeners, and black audiences and artists
in particular regarded blues as being simplistic and of little interest
to an educated people.

This was the case, not only in the northern urban areas but in the
south as well. New Orleans bands certainly knew the blues and
used it in their music, but they tended to look down on their
less-educated fellows. They were regarded as being low-life
types.

One can argue till the cows come home about how much of the
attitudes of black artists were based on what they perceived the
whites around them to be interested in, respectful of.

No matter. It was at least in part the work of largely European
white educated critics who embraced blues as being "primitive"
just as native African art became fashionable that gave blues
at least some currency in the mainstream. But the cover art
on 78rpm albums of jazz was little different from the cover
art on any other pop music of the time.

Fred D.

c. n.

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Mar 30, 2007, 1:27:01 AM3/30/07
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>From: fred dabney <fda...@nmsu.edu>

>Almost from the beginning, Jazz had an appeal to white, urban mostly better
>educated listeners, and black audiences and artists
>in particular regarded blues as being simplistic and of little interest
>to an educated people.

Well hmpphh! Pass the foie gras please. (As soon as you get through
digesting that backhanded slap to blacks, delivered as deftly as only a
better educated man like Fred could pull off).

BTW, at the risk of being flooded with lists of jazzers who couldn't stand
those "simplistic blues," I never could help but notice that the really
great, hip jazzers might not have played a lot of basic I IV V type
blues--they never the less they appreciated what the blues genre had brought
to the musical buffet. Go ask the Marsalis boys, or even an older white cat
like Herb Ellis. "Of little interest?" Maybe to Fred Waring, Benny Goodman,
and Kenny G!

_________________________________________________________________
Exercise your brain! Try Flexicon.
http://games.msn.com/en/flexicon/default.htm?icid=flexicon_hmemailtaglinemarch07

gtr...@prodigy.net

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Mar 30, 2007, 1:35:31 AM3/30/07
to
In my experience. I have notice Snobs In most every style of music.That ol
professional Jealousy rear's it ugly head.Which is true Jazz people most of
them think they are better educated Musically than Blues people.But now
day's very seldom do they pack a house.
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 8:51 PM
Subject: JAZZ SNOOTS was: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing
covers

Blue Stew

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Mar 30, 2007, 1:36:41 AM3/30/07
to
JJ, I think you mean Blues/Gospel crooner Beulah "Sippie" Wallace
1898-1986, "The Texas Nightingale" or maybe Julius "Nipsey" Russell
1918-2005, a comedian best known for being a guest panelist on many
1970s and 1980s game shows, such as Match Game, Password, Hollywood
Squares, To Tell the Truth and Pyramid. In addition to his sharp
game-playing skills, Russell also delighted audiences with short poems.

Or, maybe you were just a little "Sipsie" when you clicked send?
mike
Just remember from now on, once you hit send, there's no coming back!
Thts why I 'allwaze' prufe reed evrythng fist.

Blue Stew

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Mar 30, 2007, 1:43:17 AM3/30/07
to
"...regarded blues as being simplistic and of little interest to an
educated people."

Thats the stoopuddust thong I aver herdd !
mkei


>> From: fred dabney <fda...@nmsu.edu> Almost from the beginning, Jazz
>> had an appeal to white, urban mostly better educated listeners, and
>> black audiences and artists
>> in particular regarded blues as being simplistic and of little interest
>> to an educated people.

Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/

gtr...@prodigy.net

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Mar 30, 2007, 2:01:04 AM3/30/07
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I can Tell you are A Blues Man!.
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 9:42 PM
Subject: Re: JAZZ SNOOTS was: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys
doing covers

Jimmy Jacobs

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Mar 30, 2007, 10:34:19 AM3/30/07
to
Occasionally my four-cylinder brain only hits on 3 cylinders. Obviously
this was such an occasion. Someone asked off-list if perhaps I meant to
refer to "THE Sipsie Russell; the obscure love-child of Nipsey Russell and
Sippie Wallace?"

Anyway, it's a good cd. The 'Women Be Wise' duet with SIPPIE WALLACE is
worth the price alone.

-----Original Message-----
From: Blues Music List [mailto:BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG] On Behalf Of Blue
Stew
Sent: 03/30/2007 12:36 AM
To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
Subject: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers

JJ, I think you mean Blues/Gospel crooner Beulah "Sippie" Wallace
1898-1986, "The Texas Nightingale" or maybe Julius "Nipsey" Russell
1918-2005, a comedian best known for being a guest panelist on many
1970s and 1980s game shows, such as Match Game, Password, Hollywood
Squares, To Tell the Truth and Pyramid. In addition to his sharp
game-playing skills, Russell also delighted audiences with short poems.

Or, maybe you were just a little "Sipsie" when you clicked send?
mike
Just remember from now on, once you hit send, there's no coming back!
Thts why I 'allwaze' prufe reed evrythng fist.

Jimmy Jacobs wrote:
> Try a cd titled "The Collection". Good compilation of some of her earlier
> stuff, including a great duet with Sipsie Russell.
>

Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/

fred dabney

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Mar 30, 2007, 5:24:00 PM3/30/07
to
> Well hmpphh! Pass the foie gras please. (As soon as you get through
> digesting that backhanded slap to blacks, delivered as deftly as only a
> better educated man like Fred could pull off).

No slap, intended or otherwise, backhanded or fronthanded either. Just
a statement of fact based on decades of reading the magazines and books
out of the thirties.

Jazz itself was regarded as being beneath dignified by a majority of white
folk then, but it made it past the defenders of public decency with kids,
intellectuals and a few musicians who heard something there beyond
the "noise". Read the Swiss conductor and critic Ernst Ansermet in
his essay on Sidney Bechet, and even he dismissed it in the end as
never being as valuable as "composed, European" music.

> BTW, at the risk of being flooded with lists of jazzers who couldn't stand
> those "simplistic blues," I never could help but notice that the really
> great, hip jazzers might not have played a lot of basic I IV V type
> blues--they never the less they appreciated what the blues genre had
> brought to the musical buffet. Go ask the Marsalis boys, or even an older
> white cat like Herb Ellis. "Of little interest?" Maybe to Fred Waring,
> Benny Goodman, and Kenny G!

I really wish you'd been paying attention to what I've been saying over the
years.

From the beginning, I've said that jazz and blues have always gone hand in
hand with the better the jazz the more blues it contains. Which is why I
don't much care for folk like Stan Kenton who neither swing nor show
any blues except in a sarcastic parody ("Blues in Burlesque").

A cliché in jazz has been that the blues was always the common ground
for artists out of different backgrounds, ages and styles. Have an all-star
jam and someone would call a blues to warm things up, or wrap things up
or both.

Listen to the really old stuff- twenties or so. Most of the white, "Hot"
dance bands made an effort to play jazz, Even Fred Waring's first
records are obviously influenced by the jazz of the day although that
went away later. And Goodman? Listen, damnit! His early records
have a very strong influence of the black clarinetists he heard in
Chicago as a kid, in particular the New Orleans clarinetist Jimmy
Noone, and he could get as "down and dirty" as anyone in his
first records.

If you set your starting point at the 1950's, you'll never understand
it. If you spend a few hours listening to the pop and jazz of the
twenties and go forward from there, you'll understand what I'm
talking about, and the more you listen, the more you'll understand.

And if you want I-IV-V listen to some of the bands like Bennie
Moten out of Kansas City, or some of the white groups out
of New Orleans.

But "country blues"? Forget it. Not because it was blues but
because it was country. And that's a divide which has existed
all over the world. Urbans look down on rurals and that's why
I made my remarks. Dozens of movies, hundreds of hours of
TV sitcoms are based on the premise of some poor, ignorant
country klutz coming to the big city and getting squashed. And
of course, those "ignorant klutzes" are ill-educated but hardly
stupid! They are usually the ones squashing their big city cousins.../

Fred D.

E Willett

unread,
Mar 30, 2007, 6:20:46 PM3/30/07
to
(Kenny G!)

and..to call that "Sax Wanker" Jazz is another kind of crime! "Horn Pop" comes to mind....
George

----- Original Message -----
From: c. n.<mailto:cne...@hotmail.com>
To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG<mailto:BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG>
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 12:51 AM
Subject: JAZZ SNOOTS was: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers


>From: fred dabney <fda...@nmsu.edu<mailto:fda...@nmsu.edu>>

>Almost from the beginning, Jazz had an appeal to white, urban mostly better
>educated listeners, and black audiences and artists
>in particular regarded blues as being simplistic and of little interest
>to an educated people.

Well hmpphh! Pass the foie gras please. (As soon as you get through
digesting that backhanded slap to blacks, delivered as deftly as only a
better educated man like Fred could pull off).

BTW, at the risk of being flooded with lists of jazzers who couldn't stand
those "simplistic blues," I never could help but notice that the really
great, hip jazzers might not have played a lot of basic I IV V type
blues--they never the less they appreciated what the blues genre had brought
to the musical buffet. Go ask the Marsalis boys, or even an older white cat
like Herb Ellis. "Of little interest?" Maybe to Fred Waring, Benny Goodman,
and Kenny G!

_________________________________________________________________
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jaywatt...@comcast.net

unread,
Mar 30, 2007, 7:15:43 PM3/30/07
to
You really should listen to some Benny Goodman. Nothing wrong with foie gras either.
The latter would be an acquired taste, perhaps, but you can feel the blues in Goodman without preparation.

Jay
-------------- Original message --------------
From: "c. n." <cne...@hotmail.com>

> >From: fred dabney
>
> >Almost from the beginning, Jazz had an appeal to white, urban mostly better
> >educated listeners, and black audiences and artists
> >in particular regarded blues as being simplistic and of little interest
> >to an educated people.
>
> Well hmpphh! Pass the foie gras please. (As soon as you get through
> digesting that backhanded slap to blacks, delivered as deftly as only a
> better educated man like Fred could pull off).
>
> BTW, at the risk of being flooded with lists of jazzers who couldn't stand
> those "simplistic blues," I never could help but notice that the really
> great, hip jazzers might not have played a lot of basic I IV V type
> blues--they never the less they appreciated what the blues genre had brought
> to the musical buffet. Go ask the Marsalis boys, or even an older white cat
> like Herb Ellis. "Of little interest?" Maybe to Fred Waring, Benny Goodman,
> and Kenny G!
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Exercise your brain! Try Flexicon.
> http://games.msn.com/en/flexicon/default.htm?icid=flexicon_hmemailtaglinemarch07
>

c. n.

unread,
Mar 30, 2007, 7:49:43 PM3/30/07
to
The only Benny I'm interested in hearing over more than a few times is the
stuff that Charlie C was on, other than that I tend to drift more towards
digging Fletcher's thing. chuck

>From: jaywatt...@comcast.net
>Reply-To: jaywatt...@comcast.net
>To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
>Subject: Re: JAZZ SNOOTS was: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys
>doing covers

_________________________________________________________________
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Blue Stew

unread,
Mar 31, 2007, 3:15:50 PM3/31/07
to
"Horn Pop"? I think you are being too kind to Mr. G. Most people probably think of Kenny G as an "Easy Listening" artist. However, I find it very difficult to listen.
mike
no offense intended to Kenny fans.

E Willett wrote:
> (Kenny G!)
>
> and..to call that "Sax Wanker" Jazz is another kind of crime! "Horn Pop" comes to mind....
> George
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: c. n.<mailto:cne...@hotmail.com>
> To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG<mailto:BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG>
> Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 12:51 AM
> Subject: JAZZ SNOOTS was: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers
>
>
> >From: fred dabney <fda...@nmsu.edu<mailto:fda...@nmsu.edu>>
>
> >Almost from the beginning, Jazz had an appeal to white, urban mostly better
> >educated listeners, and black audiences and artists
> >in particular regarded blues as being simplistic and of little interest
> >to an educated people.
>
> Well hmpphh! Pass the foie gras please. (As soon as you get through
> digesting that backhanded slap to blacks, delivered as deftly as only a
> better educated man like Fred could pull off).
>
> BTW, at the risk of being flooded with lists of jazzers who couldn't stand
> those "simplistic blues," I never could help but notice that the really
> great, hip jazzers might not have played a lot of basic I IV V type
> blues--they never the less they appreciated what the blues genre had brought
> to the musical buffet. Go ask the Marsalis boys, or even an older white cat
> like Herb Ellis. "Of little interest?" Maybe to Fred Waring, Benny Goodman,
> and Kenny G!
>
>

Blues-L web site: http://www.netspace.org/~blues-l/

jaywatt...@comcast.net

unread,
Mar 31, 2007, 3:29:23 PM3/31/07
to
Here is an interesting take on Mr. G from jazz guitarist Pat Methany:

http://www.johnharle.com/philosophy/articles-philosophy/KennyG.html

Jay

-------------- Original message --------------
From: Blue Stew <ma...@bluestew.com>

> "Horn Pop"? I think you are being too kind to Mr. G. Most people probably think
> of Kenny G as an "Easy Listening" artist. However, I find it very difficult to
> listen.
> mike
> no offense intended to Kenny fans.
>
>
>
> E Willett wrote:
> > (Kenny G!)
> >
> > and..to call that "Sax Wanker" Jazz is another kind of crime! "Horn Pop" comes
> to mind....
> > George
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: c. n.
> > To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG
> > Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 12:51 AM
> > Subject: JAZZ SNOOTS was: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing
> covers
> >
> >
> > >From: fred dabney >
> >

fred dabney

unread,
Mar 31, 2007, 4:45:21 PM3/31/07
to
> "Horn Pop"? I think you are being too kind to Mr. G. Most people probably
> think of Kenny G as an "Easy Listening" artist. However, I find it very
> difficult to listen.
> mike
> no offense intended to Kenny fans.

Horn pop? Horn poop. Better than the rap I hear from passing cars but not
by much.

And I do mean an offense. Anyone with that poor taste needs to be
offended...

Fred D

fred dabney

unread,
Mar 31, 2007, 5:16:17 PM3/31/07
to
And I do mean an offense. Anyone with that poor taste needs to be
> offended...
>
> Fred D

I just read Pat M's essay on Kenny Goop, and I was reminded of a similar
"tribute" to Django. A group of French guitarists did an album of overdubs
on the tunes from Django's last session (about a month before he passed
away)
and while it may have been deeply sincere, it added nothing but clutter to
his
music, and it wasn't all that well played either.

Has anyone ever done something like that which adds to the original?

It's nothing new though. Back when electric recordings were new, some
bozo at Victor decided to "enhance" some of Caruso's great records.

They played the original acoustic 78's in a studio in front of a live
orchestra.
And recorded the result.

Which was hilarious. You had that glorious voice complete with the narrow
audio bandwidth artifact, then as soon as he took a breath the new orchestra
came in and half the time the beats didn't match. Very audible on the result
as there are two, overlapping grunts from the bass on each beat.

They had the nerve to actually release them for public sale, and to add
insult
to injury they did LP reissues of them. And not as horrible examples of
marketing either.

BTW- Chuck's title keeps getting my funnybone. In railfan parlance, a
"Snoot" is a particular GM diesel locomotive distinguished by a much
longer nose than the standard for that series.

Fred D.

jaywatt...@comcast.net

unread,
Mar 31, 2007, 7:12:43 PM3/31/07
to
Fred asks: "> Has anyone ever done something like that which adds to the original?"

I agree for the most part. Overwhelmingly so. But. There was a group that formed in the 1970s called Supersax that recorded Charlie Parker solos note for note. Some of their stuff was quite good. And very interesting.

Jay
In 1972, Med Flory and Buddy Clark formed a five-sax nonet (usually including a trumpeter) dedicated to playing the harmonized solos of Charlie Parker. Their recordings for Capitol, MPS, and Columbia (unlike their live performances) did not contain any individual saxophone solos and found the sax section playing note-for-note Bird improvisations (including the roller-coaster "Ko Ko") with impressive precision. Clark left the band in 1975, but Flory continued the group on a part-time basis for several decades, sometimes using the L.A. Voices. Among the top sidemen through the years have been Bill Perkins, Warne Marsh, Jay Migliori, Jack Nimitz, Lanny Morgan, trumpeter Conte Candoli, and trombonist Carl Fontana.

fred dabney

unread,
Mar 31, 2007, 7:47:30 PM3/31/07
to
Fred asks: "> Has anyone ever done something like that which adds to the
original?"

I agree for the most part. Overwhelmingly so. But. There was a group that
formed in the 1970s called Supersax that recorded Charlie Parker solos note
for note. Some of their stuff was quite good. And very interesting.

Jay
In 1972, Med Flory and Buddy Clark formed a five-sax nonet (usually
including a trumpeter) dedicated to playing the harmonized solos of Charlie
Parker. Their recordings for Capitol, MPS, and Columbia (unlike their live
performances) did not contain any individual saxophone solos and found the
sax section playing note-for-note Bird improvisations (including the
roller-coaster "Ko Ko") with impressive precision. Clark left the band in
1975, but Flory continued the group on a part-time basis for several
decades, sometimes using the L.A. Voices. Among the top sidemen through the
years have been Bill Perkins, Warne Marsh, Jay Migliori, Jack Nimitz, Lanny
Morgan, trumpeter Conte Candoli, and trombonist Carl Fontana.

I'd forgotten about Supersax. I knew about them, but I don't remember ever
hearing their records at the station, and there wasn't a way in hell they'd
have
ever gotten to this area.

Thanks for keeping me honest here- I'll try to find some of their material
and
put it where I can use it when I do a mainstream jazz show. Mostly, I do
twenties, thirties records on my Saturday night program.

However, it wasn't the originals with overdubs as I remember. There have
been
hundreds of bands doing stuff "just like the originals" copying Glenn Miller
and
the other big bands among many. Time-Life and other record companies made
a living with that sort of thing.

Since I happen to love traditional jazz and blues, it can be hard to
distinguish
between clones and folk who simply play that way anyway.

Fred (Jazz snob) D.

c. n.

unread,
Mar 17, 2010, 6:09:09 AM3/17/10
to
I am up way early, bored, so I decided to clean up some email....and was whacking away at it, page by page, w/out paying a whole lot of attn to what I was erasing. Then, quite out of no where, my eyes were drawn to one particular entry--as if saying, 'WHOA THERE, not so fast, hombre!"

Surprising? No. Do I miss his musings, humor (hit and/or miss), and music? Yes.
chuck

> Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 22:35:51 -0700
> From: ma...@bluestew.com


> Subject: Re: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers

> To: BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG

Deb Lubin

unread,
Mar 17, 2010, 6:20:45 AM3/17/10
to
Great post.  I was thinking about him just yesterday.  One of the guys he used to play with lives here now and his band just recorded a new CD.  John Boutell (South City Blues Band), also a guitar player.  He and Stew had a band in LA.  That post from Jimmy made me laugh, and Stew's response was wonderful.  Thanks, Chuck!
Deb 

________________________________

Sent: Wed, March 17, 2010 3:08:50 AM
Subject: Blue Stew : FW: bonnie raitt on why she sometimes enjoys doing covers

Jimmy Jacobs

unread,
Mar 17, 2010, 10:03:08 AM3/17/10
to
I miss Stew as well. He made a lot of great contributions to the List and
his sense of humor was a real bright spot. Regret that I didn't get to meet
him in Memphis. I recalled this post a few weeks ago when I was loading
tunes from Bonnie's cd on my mp3 player and chuckled again.

I'm still waiting for someone to adopt "Sipsie Russell" as their blues name.
"Oklahoma Okra", "Cantaloupe Clem", and "Rhode Island Red" may still be
available too.

Jimmy

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