For The Good Times (#2)

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I saw Roy perform this live in Shreveport at The Hirsch in 1983 (roughly).  Never will forget it...thought the roof was gonna cave in!

Man...

The "Guitar Show"...

The MeanOlMeany has gotten in on The Guitar Show.  If you want to see four heavyweights go at it, you'll not likely do better than this.

The Great Guitar Show! (Episode #9)...

I'll tell y'all what...it is just about getting right now!

I don't know if I've EVER mentioned this before, but I despise cold weather...I don't even like "cool" weather.  I may have subtly mentioned that in the past, but I'm not sure.

And, today is actually the first really good hot, humid, sweat-popping day we've had this year.

I am in Heaven.  I spent about three hours swinging a weed-eater, and another close to an hour with a chain saw, taking care of badly untended business!  I took pictures and everything, but I'll save that for another day.

While me and The Mrs. were out there enjoying the good old Southern heat, and actually getting junk done, I kept thinking about "The Guitar Show."  I was thinking that I ought to post something by Jim Stafford.  Most folks just kinda' consider Jim to be a "clown."  He is a hilarious rascal!  And I think possibly because he's such a goober, folks don't really know just how accomplished he is on the guitar.

Well, as fate would have it, when I sat down to look at my computer letters this pm, our good friend Nancy had sent me a video of...guess who...c'mon....guess!

Yep...Jim Stafford.  I'll swear, I think our beloved visitors have got ESPN or something!  I mean, it's kinda' spooky ...

I'm gonna show you the very young Jim Stafford on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson first.  And then, I'm gonna show you a somewhat older Jim Stafford doing the same piece...and trust me, it'll be worth your time.

Would I lie to you?

Heck, no!

Jim Stafford on The Tonight Show





Okay, here's the one that Nancy sent me. Nyuk!  There is a "pay-off" in here...and actually something I thought you couldn't get away with back in that day.  Hmmm...well, the times they were a'changin'...

Jim Stafford on The Smothers Brothers program

Guitar Wars (now renamed)...Guitar Show!

So, Dapper Dan (who started this whole thing off) has proposed that we change the name to the Guitar Show! Dan makes a compelling argument. Again. His treatise includes references to Bill Veeck, Bob Cain, and a midget...

Hard to argue with that!

But then he threw two giants at us in the persons of George Benson, and Earl Klugh.

As I noted over there at Dan's place, I really had not heard of Earl Klugh.  But, I will state it for the eleventy-fifth time, "I have not heard of a lot of people...especially guitarists."

So, since this is no longer a "war," and just a show, I can go as lame as I want, without fear of defeat.  I love that...kinda like soccer where they don't keep score.

So I'm reaching in to the lame file here, and bringing y'all one of my all time favorites.  See, most folks think that the steel guitar is just a hick, hillbilly, country music must have.  But, not so!   Santo & Johnny are Brooklyn dagos, and they made music history!  Yes, they did.

I know it's "lame," but it must be posted.  This was recorded the year that I was born (1959), and is still very special to me.  I'm gonna show y'all the original, and then a kickin' bluesy version by a really good guitarist  by the name of Danny Gatton (if you skip Santo & Johnny, don't skip Danny...kickin'...seriously), and then the "lyrics."

Did you know that "Sleep Walk" had lyrics?  Yeah, I'll bet you did.  I started not to post the lyrics for a couple of reasons.  But I decided to anyway.

I challenge anyone to not enjoy the simple loveliness...or to fight back their own memories of  "Sleep Walk."

Saturday night's "Guitar Show,"  Santo & Johnny...




Danny Gatton...




Lyrics...

(Don Wolf/Santo Farina/Johnny Farina)

Sleep walk
Instead of dreaming
I sleep walk
'Cause I lost you
And now what am I to do
What to do
Can't believe that we're through
I don't care how much you tell me

Sleep talk
'Cause I miss you
I sleep talk
While the memory of you
Lingers like a song
Darling, I was so wrong
But I'll be right someday

The night
Fills my lonely place
I see your face
Spinning through my brain
I know
I miss you so
I still love you
And it drives me insane

Sleep walk
Every night
I just sleep walk
And when you
Walk inside the door
I will sleep walk no more

Sleep walk
Every night
I just sleep walk
And when you
Walk inside the door
I will sleep walk no more

I will sleep walk no more
I will sleep walk no more

Guitar Wars (round siete...in honor of our young artist)...

Well, we carry on today in the war which Buck observed is one in which "we all win." Our good buddy Dapper Dan threw two of the most trusted soldiers in any guitar war at us today in the persons of Les Paul & Chet Atkins teaming up. I noted that the guys are just so stinkin' great that you take it for granted that they will be.

But, he also entertained us with a lesser known fellow by the name of Hank Garland.  Well worth your time.

And, last night, Buck did the predictable, but in an unpredictable way with a roundhouse that I was not expecting.  Buck's posting of Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Riviera Paradise" was not the left jab I was looking for.

It seems we also have another friend who has decided to join in.  Andy (can you believe that there is more than one guy named Andy that has a blog?) over at Dipso Chronicles has thrown a non-conventional soldier into the fray in the person of one J. Mascis.  Thanks for joining in, Andy!  That's a new one on me...but then again many of these guys/gals have been.

So, here's another new one on me.  7 year-old Argentinian, Luciano Pizzichini.

Buck has also posted this same tune (even before Dan started all of this), "Samba Pa Ti," performed by some dude named Santana.  But Carlos just ain't cute.  I mean, he's all old and crap like the rest of us.

Enjoy...

Guitar Wars (round six...we've dropped el espanol on this 'un!)

Okay...ya' gotta admit we've had a lots of fun, and have all enjoyed "Guitar Wars" since Dapper Dan brought it up, and Buck joined in, and noted that "we all win!"

I know I have. I've enjoyed the heck out of watching all these fabulous guitarists that have made a good living with their talent, sacrifice, hard work, etc.  I'm sure that you all have too (except for those few miscreants that have sent me computer letters telling me that this is getting boring, and that I suck...and you two can just go butt a stump)!

But, I came across this video today. I'm pretty sure this gal doesn't speak Spanish (that's why we've dropped el espanol...and gone with the French for "six," which if my rememberer is right is "six").

I'm pretty sure she's from Barbados, Jamaica, Haiti, or Africa (but don't quote me, because it's just a guess).

Ya' gotta' love the dude in the background! He is thoroughly unimpressed with the whole deal. They're probably just sitting around on break from their back-breaking labor...doing whatever back-breaking labor they do, and he's heard it a million times before.

Still in all...this chick can pick!  Amazing how much talent there is out there, huh?

Guitar Wars (round quatro...still in honor of Cinco de Mayo which must be celebrated)...

Okay, so it has become abundantly clear that I am the least qualified human in the blosphere to be participating in any event that includes the words "Wars," and "Guitar."  Since Dapper Dan threw out a challenge, and Buck and I took it up, I have discovered that EVERY human on the planet knows more about guitarists than do I.

Of course, this is not surprising, because most EVERY human knows a lot more about EVERYTHING than I do.

Yet, we forge on with tips from our friends.  Yesterday, after I posted my B.B. King video, Paul Mitchell dropped a link to a duet with Chet Atkins, and Stanley Jordan.  I will admit that I was quite intrigued by this Stanley Jordan fellow...a truly unique style.  I had never heard of him.  And, doing a quick internet search, I realize just how Guitarded I am!  The guy is world renowned!  So, Paul in a follow-up comment wrote:  Andy, you should see Stanley do Stairway to Heaven, it is just flat out freaky.


There is one thing that I have learned about Paul, and that is when he gives you a recommendation on something, you'd better take it.

I am glad I did. This dude plays two guitars at once!

Guitar Wars (round tres...still in honor of Cinco de Mayo which must be celebrated)...

Okay, so Dapper Dan decides to throw up a couple more guitarists that I have never heard of. And, it's becoming evident that I am a guitar talent retard.

As if y'all needed any further evidence to make that conclusion...

So, Dan throws a video of Norman Blake.  Pfffft!  I'm not sayin' the guy ain't good.  I mean, I wouldn't throw tomatoes at him or anything...but in my humble expert opinion, he's no better than about a zillion other flat pickers...

Dan...SMACK!

But then Dan throws some "classical guitarist" named Segovia. (I'll bet he's from the Old Country, due to his name.) And, I must acknowledge a true kick to the proverbial groin.  Well done.

However, it occurs to me that in the Guitar Wars, we have not had a real negro blues player.

So, I'm throwing round tres in this fervent battle with a negro in my Army.  You know that no good war can be fought, nor won without a bunch of negroes.










Find me a guitarist of any race that can make the guitar sing like Mr. Riley King!  I challenge you to do that.  As you listen to Riley play, don't fool yourself into thinking that just anybody could play a song on a guitar, and MAKE YOU sing the words to it.  Nope!

Don't fool yourself...

It ain't gonna happen. 




When I was working "on the road" many years ago, I drove in to Indianola, Mississippi just as the sun was going down. Someone (maybe the City) had erected an enormous billboard that said, "Welcome to Indianola! The Home of The Legend, BB King." I'll swear, that billboard was the biggest thing in four counties.

Indianola, Greenwood, Leland, MS etc...ya' gotta admit that they've got not so much to brag about. (except for the homo muppet guy Jim Henson)...

Still in all, the Itta Bena boy ain't all that bad.

BTW, he's got "sugar." 

This video was shot at "Sing Sing" where it looks like almost everybody is negro.