Dave "Honeyboy" Edwards Dead at 96

The last of the great Delta bluesmen.  New York Times obituary here.
Honeyboy plays for the Lomax Library of Congress field recorder in 1942, "Wind Howling Blues."

Another great track recorded in 1950 during Honeyboy's stay in Texas, "Build Myself a Cave"

And finally, from the film "Walk Hard," young Dewey Cox, who has just cut his brother in half (accidentally), goes to the general store to buy a candle for the vigil, and gets a lesson in the blues from Honeyboy.

Dave with his Grammy for lifetime achievement last year.

Robbie Fulks kids Fountains of Wayne

Ofori Amponsah: "Babicue"

SONG OF THE SUMMER!  From the album ODWO, which you can purchase as an mp3 from Amazon.
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Read about Amponsah aka All4Real at this website.

Read Robert Christgau's review of the album at Expert Witness.

Farewell, Josef Suk

The great Czech fiddler (and violist) has died at the age of 81.  Read the NYTimes obit here.

The scherzo by Brahms from the "FAE" sonata with Julius Katchen.



The adagio from the Mozart concerto in G, K.216 (with the Prague Chamber Orchestra).

Doug Sahm "The Rains Came"

Doug's live cover of an old rocker.



And the original version by Big Sambo and The House Wreckers.

George Soule "Catch Me I'm Falling"

Not to snark too much, but the barrel-scrapings that indie-label soul reissue specialists have been foisting on some of us who are nostalgically drawn to Southern Soul have got me skeptical.  (Later, much, for Northern Soul.)  Every once in awhile, a lost gem does resurface.  (Jimmy Lewis! Jimmy Lewis!  OK, I'll save him for a later post.)  Check out the new album pieced together from demos from this tiny cat who played keyboards and drums for Malaco Records in the early days and then went on to Fame in Muscle Shoals.  He penned hits for, among others, Brook Benton and Percy Sledge.  Here he sings his own stuff in a voice that is by turns flexibly light and downhome gritty.  He slings the hooks, he tosses of a few cagy metaphors, he lets you know how hurt a man in love can be.  Thanks to Soulscape for another imaginative reissue.  (Find the CD here or here.)   Read an interview with gentleman here.

Laba Sosseh "La Bicycletta"

 

I've recently discovered this charming Senegambian salsero. He was a charter member of Star Band de Dakar and then formed Super Star (with whom he recorded this version of one of his signature songs).

More can be learned by clicking here.