Time To Kick It Up...Outlaw Style

Coming out of Tampa, today's taste is more proof of the incredible talent that came out of the south in the 70s. Legend has it, when they opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974, Ronnie Van Zant of Skynyrd yelled out to Clive Davis who was in the audience. “If you don’t sign the Outlaws, you’re the dumbest music person I’ve ever met—and I know you’re not.”  Indeed, they signed with Arista Records under Clive Davis.

The Outlaws featured heavy guitars, thunderous bass and plenty of drum work. Good old kick ass southern rock.


Let's take a taste of a few fine examples.


"Hurry Sundown"
"There Goes Another Love Song"

and a killer cover of
"Ghost Riders in the Sky"

Music on a Saturday afternoon doesn't get better than this.

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Oh, This Is Good, Actually It's Wonderland

A few months ago while listening to a Blues channel, I heard today's taste for the first time. Because my mind has as many holes as the proverbial Swiss cheese, I wrote down her name. I am so glad I did...and you will be too.

Coming out of Texas, Carolyn Wonderland eats the blues for breakfast and kicks the crap out of them for the rest of the day.

Able to play a mean guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, piano and trumpet... Carolyn Wonderland has one more weapon at her disposal, her voice...oh and a lot of attitude.


"Judgement Day Blues"  watch her play, listen to her wail
"Walk On"  kickin' it up big time, bring out the trumpet too
"Misunderstood" a little slide guitar, if you please
"The Wind Cries Mary" Hendrix yes...on electric mandoline

and the song that I first heard
"What Good Can Drinkin' Do" written by Janis Joplin

It's taken til now to find her, but there's no going back.
This is a bucketful of tasty treats...down 'em all.

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Early Morning, April 4

"Shot rings out in the Memphis sky,
free at last, they took your life, 
they could not take your pride."

1968: a time of conflict, a time of change, a time of incomprehensible violence.

April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee. A man who lived by the credo of non-violence was gunned down, thus ending his dream..but not his legacy.

Two simple songs to commemorate his passing.

U2 "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
Dion "Abraham, Martin & John"

Never forget what he accomplished without violence.

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What's Going On? Celebrating Marvin's Birthday

Today we celebrate hands down the smoothest singer ever to come out of Motown...no disrespect to Smokey intended.

Marvin Gaye was born on this day in 1939. From the late 60s until his death in 1984, Marvin Gaye had a string of hits that are still on the playlists of radio stations everywhere. From "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" to "What's Going On" right through "Sexual Healing",  Marvin sang with a style that cannot be duplicated.

More than I loved Marvin on his own, I loved him even more when paired with Tammi Terrell, another wonderful singer who died way too young. Today, let's taste both Marvin solo and along with Tammi.

As much as I love this first song, I detest when it is used as a sports theme. It is nothing but the sexiest song ever recorded (ok that's open for interpretation, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Marvin Gaye "Let's Get It On" ..live, sooo goood
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" ...a perfect duet

Happy Birthday Marvin.


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Wandering Back To Where It Started

Going back to some roots today.

As with virtually everything when we were growing up, my brother and I had vastly different tastes when it came to music.  He hated everything I liked and for the most part I felt the same about what he liked. But there were a few exceptions. Today's taste is one of those. Dion.

Dion DiMucci brought the tail end of Doo Wop into the rock and roll arena. And, he did it with attitude. Even in the old videos of Dion in the suit with the styled hair, he showed the swagger that would be his trademark...New York City all the way.

My brother had a 45 rpm of  "Runaround Sue" which I would play when he wasn't around. Back then, you had to sneak certain things so you didn't get your ass kicked (but that's a story for another day).  Backed up by The Belmonts, this song was so fun and lively, you couldn't help singing along.

Dion had a string of hits early on, faded then came back huge in the late 60s with "Abraham. Martin and John."


"I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
I'm never in one place I roam from town to town
And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world
Yeah I'm the wanderer yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around."



Still rockin' it today...a clip from back then and another with Dion showing how you do it...with years of practice.

"The Wanderer" circa 1961
"The Wanderer"  around 50 years later, damn he can still kick ass


"If your feet ain't tappin', baby you're dead."


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