I met Mitch in LA a couple of times through some music friends, but that was a long time ago. RIP.

Mitch Mitchell, drummer for the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience of the 1960s and the group's last surviving member, was found dead in his hotel room early Wednesday. He was 61.

Obama played in a Philly voter registration event. An American Reclamation project.

Springsteen: After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years. What we really need is, we need somebody to lead us in an American Reclamation project.

I've continued to find where ever I go, that America remains a repository of America's hopes and desires and that despite the terrible erosion of the standing in the world accomplished by our recent administration we remain for many, many people this house of dreams and 1000 George Bushes and 1000 Dick Cheney's will never be able to tear that house down.

(H/t Scarce)

"Stickshifts and Safetybelts" and "Love You Madly" at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. 

Waiting for the man. 

Since this lil' band will be doing a lil' gig in January....  Here they are from this past summer at Giants Stadium...

Corcovado from Getz/Gilberto

If you're like me and you'd like to get away - but you just can't afford the airfare for a trip to Rio - just close your eyes and let this song take you there.
 

Sorrow Tears And Blood from The Best Best of Fela Kuti  

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a man who made many dangerous enemies in his home country Nigeria, yet he lived fearlessly, in open defiance to the police, military and political leaders whom he enraged. He spoke truth to power, and he did so with every breath.  

His adopted middle name means "he who carries death in his pouch". His credo was "Music is a weapon". His music speaks for itself, 11 years after his death. 
 

Shake Ya Boogie from Cinco de Mowo!

It ain't just the title of the song, it's a command, bub! Cooling down after a long day of work? Shake Ya Boogie! Bored to tears in the cubicle at work? Shake Ya Boogie! At home with the toddler? No better time to teach them to Shake Ya Boogie!

So put down the cup of joe, turn up the volume, get up from your chair and Shake Ya Boogie.

Ya know ya want to.  

Waterloo Sunset from Something Else by The Kinks  

Sure it's easy to make a case that Ray Davies is a combative, neurotic jerk (just ask his bandmates- including brother Dave- and his ex-wives), a joker with a perverse sense of humor (listen to Lola), or just plain psychic when it comes to both Marvel Comics and the present state of the US of A (1979's Catch Me Now I'm Falling), but I'm tellin' ya here and now that if he never writes another song, Waterloo Sunset proves him one of the most hopeless romantics to walk the Earth. 

I hoped that my kids would inherit their Dad's musical talent instead of my tin ear and so far, they appear to have done so.  They take piano lessons and pick up technique and songs quickly, so we have lots of music in the house.  My youngest declared at the age of two the desire to play the trumpet (just like Daddy!) and was able -- from the first time picking it up -- to actually blow correctly and sustain true notes.  We saw a touring company of this show --  Blast -- and I think that's where the idea to play the trumpet came from...it's electrifying to see live.

I'm also a big fan of this segment of the show, the Drumline Battery Battle.

Heaven Just Got Funkier

Earl Palmer, perhaps the most recorded drummer in the history of popular American music, died last Friday at the age of 84. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, the New Orleans native set the beat for an amazing variety of artists, including, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Frank Sinatra, Lou Rawls, Bonnie Raitt, and Sarah Vaughan. In the 70's, I had the privilege of working with Earl for a few years in Maria Muldaur's band. He was a brilliantly inventive, caring, man. In recent years, in addition to continuing to play, he served as an executive officer of the LA Musician's Union, working to ensure that older musicians received credit and royalties they were due. We lost an immortal, one of the founding fathers of Rock & Roll.

"I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress to Keep on Dancing" from earlier this year.   Mike points out on his blog that the  usual MySpace profile is now required by law for all bands and musical artists.

Peggy with Max Bennett (bass) and Jack Sperling (drums). 

Ain't Too Proud To Beg - The Temptations

Norman Whitfield, 1940-2008, RIP

Norman Whitfield, who passed away yesterday at age 67 in Los Angeles after a long battle with diabetes, may not be a name immediately familiar to most music listeners. But I would venture a guess that virtually everyone reading this has at some point in their life heard Norman Whitfield's work--and well past the simple L.A. Times headline that accompanied his obituary: "Motown Songwriter And Producer Won Two Grammy Awards."[..]

Motown founder and chief Berry Gordy once noted that if any one person warranted his own wing in a Motown Museum, it'd be Whitfield. Without his contributions as a songwriter, arranger, and producer, it's hard to imagine that the label's "Hitsville USA" boast would have been taken very seriously--especially from 1966 to 1974, when he guided his main Motown charges the Temptations to no less than two dozen top 10 R&B hits, including 11 gold and five platinum-selling singles. Perhaps you've heard of some of them:

"Ain't Too Proud To Beg"
"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep"
"(I Know) I'm Losing You"
"You're My Everything"
"Cloud Nine"
"I Can't Get Next To You"
"Ball Of Confusion"
"Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"
[..]
Norman Whitfield had his share of difficulties later in life. Besides failing health, he also got into trouble with the IRS government in recent years for unpaid taxes. But in any event, everyone really should know who Norman Whitfield was. Without him, you know, there'd be no "War" --as in "War/What is it good for?/Absolutely nothin'."

Say it again.

A couple of years ago, C&L posted this Jeff Buckley cover of Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah".

I've always liked both the Buckley and Cohen versions very much, but this one by Allison Crowe is just mercilessly beautiful. Knocks me to my knees every time I hear it.

Allison Crowe -- Hallelujah