Monday, September 03, 2007

Remembering Doug Sahm and other heroes


It seems incredible that it's nearly eight years since the great Doug Sahm died. I am reminded of the last time I saw him perform - at the Blues Estafette in Utrecht a few weeks before his untimely death in 1999 - because at the weekend I picked up a copy of an LP that I really should have had in my collection years ago. It's Doug Sahm and Band, released in 1973, which includes contributions from Bob Dylan and Dr John, as well as more likely collaborators such as Augie Meyer and Flaco Jimenez. Doug's Tex Mex sound, as exemplified by the Sir Douglas Quintet and much later the Texas Tornadoes (which also included the late Freddy Fender) had so many influences it's hard to know where to start - blues, country, rock, Cajun, Mexican and a few more besides. One of the greatest gigs I can remember was the Texas Tornadoes at the Town and Country Club in the early 90s, and another (but with Roy Head replacing Freddy) was at Tipitina's in New Orleans a few years later.

Another hero whose life appears to be in the balance is Bo Diddley, who suffered a heart attack a few days ago. Coming so soon after his stroke the signs don't look good. But what a giant of rock and roll and blues he was and, hopefully, still is. I first saw him at the ABC Croydon in 1963 I think it was (with the Everly Brothers if my memory serves me right) and later with Chuck Berry and I've seen him many times since, including a stunning show at the House of Blues in New Orleans in 2000 and most recently at the Jazz Cafe a couple of years back. Get well soon Bo.

Another hero, who may well shortly be a fallen one, is Phil Spector, whose marathan murder trial is nearing its end. There have been so many twists and turns in this amazing case that it's hard to know how it will end, but for a good review look here: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/03/spector.trial.ap/

Meanwhile I'm about to become something of a jet setter. I'm off to Belgrade on Thursday (to train some of our executives in how to deal with the media) and as soon as I get back to Heathrow on Saturday I'm off to Jo'burg (for media interviews with our CEO). No time for music I fear.

1 Comments:

At 2:54 am , Anonymous Anonymous said...

4--I agree, in general, with my friend the other side http://storyah44.info/bmw+galerie+motor%C3%B3w.html of the room--which he never should have said but at a public meeting.. Age is http://startso11.info/emilian%C3%B3w-sala+weselna.html no protection against folly.. The taxi always reminds me http://startso11.info/www.ryba+gotowana+na+parze.html of the table d'hote.. Firstly come those which exhibit a non-repressed, non-concealed desire ; these are dreams of the infantile http://startso11.info/gry+java+na++sagem+mye77.html type, becoming ever rarer among adults.. It was past midnight, and our guest http://startso11.info/neostrada+tp..html arose to go.. Nobody responded for two or http://startso11.info/Star+Wars%3A+Battlefront+II.html three minutes.. The gentlemen of the jury will find it in the http://startso11.info/www.mpis.gov.pl.html Song of Solomon , page 548, chapter II, verse 5.. There, whenever I chanced to look, I saw him kneel and pray; and there, by day and by night, a funeral hymn was http://startso11.info/stonka+kukurydziana.html chanted.. Uncle Mose took a chair and laid his hat carefully on the floor beside http://rebestal.info/rozk%C5%82ad+jazdy+autobus%C3%B3w+PKS+Radom.html it.. Will you pe take de odder pottle, or 'ave you pe got zober yet, and come to your zenzes? I made haste, hereupon, to nod my head twice--once in the negative, meaning thereby that I would prefer not taking the other bottle at present; and once http://startso11.info/www.kup+auto.pl.html in the affirmative, intending thus to imply that I was sober and had positively come to my senses.. Tutt was used to charging by this http://startso11.info/IBnGR.html time, and he betrayed no hesitation.. Buller rose http://startso11.info/owady+-mole.html and stretched out his hand.. It will be put to you, gentlemen, when the counsel on the other side refrains from mere interruption and http://startso11.info/inisterstwo+polityki+spo%C5%82ecznej.html confines himself to reply, that my unfortunate client has no action--no remedy at law--because there were no spoken words of endearment.. So was http://startso11.info/www.gzrybniadabrowa.pl.html it that before Dr.. For an hour they had laughed with the Colonel, wept with him, been stirred to personal indignation or patriotic exaltation by his passionate and lofty periods--what else could they do than give him their verdict? If it was alleged by some that the American eagle, Thomas Jefferson, and the Resolutions of '98 had nothing whatever to do with the contest of a ditch company over a doubtfully worded legislative document; that wholesale abuse of the State Attorney and his political motives had not the slightest connection with the legal question raised--it was, nevertheless, generally accepted that the losing party would http://startso11.info/bip+szczecin.html have been only too glad to have the Colonel on their side.. Can we wonder that Master Horner determined to make his empire good as far as it went? A new examination was required on the entrance http://rebestal.info/rozgraniczenia+nieruchomo%C5%9Bci.html into a second term, and, with whatever secret trepidation, the master was obliged to submit.. Here are several examples of the dream material http://startso11.info/granty.html which is offered me to refute this position.. You must permit me to walk back, at least http://startso11.info/www.edu.lo.pcdn.pl.html to the road, with you, he insisted, gathering up her armload of branches.. I wish, said Caroline, I was not so prone to be taken with http://startso11.info/www.money%2Cpl.html ridiculous recollections.. The day before he was assiduously reading about great heroes. http://startso11.info/folia+stretch.html..

 

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home