Born on this day ...

[James Otto Sweet Heart]

I pray that country singer Trace Adkins has himself a safe and awesome 59th birthday today.

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly (a day one fan of Trace)

[Ruby]

James Vincent McMorrow was born on this day in 1983, in Dublin, Ireland. He's been around for ten years now and is probably best known for his first two albums. Couple of lovely songs on the first which is the only one I know - haven't heard it in a while actually. I listened to a new track of his and don't like what he's doing now which errs too much on the side of rap crap for my ears but then again - it's not all about me.    

These are the two tracks I remember best ...

[Ruby]

George Grantham was born on this day in 1947, in Cordell, Oklahoma. He and Rusty Young played in a band together before Young went off to join Buffalo Springfield which resulted in him recruiting Jim Messina and Richie Furay, and subsequently Grantham who is a drummer and vocalist, to form a band named Pogo. Due to potential difficulties with copyright, however, that name was swiftly changed to Poco. Such is the genesis of certain band names! 

He was with Poco for their first ten albums, reuniting with them in 80’s and then again in 2000. He suffered a stroke on stage in 2004 which put paid to any further performances although he recovered sufficiently to contribute vocals on a 2009 reunion. Grantham is recognised for his part in the band’s distinctive harmony sound as well as his drumming skills, and still has a loyal fan following.

Here’s the song they wrote for Gram Parsons … “Crazy Eyes” …

[Ruby]

Michael Chapman was born on this day in 1941, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. His website says "I had an art college education and on a rainy night in 1966 I went into a pub in Cornwall, but I couldn't afford to pay to go in. So I said, I'll tell you what, I don't want to stay outside in the rain, I'll play guitar for half an hour for you. They offered me a job for the rest of the summer and I've been at it ever since." http://www.michaelchapman.co.uk/

I listened to his most lauded album (he’s released an astonishing 50) Fully Qualified Survivor, recorded in 1970, and now I understand the acclaim! Another crib from his site – not sure who said this – it’s already in quotation marks - "Michael Chapman was never just a singer-songwriter - his gritty brand of guitar-based songs span folk, ragtime, jazz and blues ... it's on the tracks which feature Chapman's magnificently bleary vocals that this album really scores. “Hell To Pay” and “Only Pretend” are outstanding tracks, that world-weary voice singing words of bitter experience. This man is so laid back that he makes JJ Cale sound like he's on helium." Lol! This refers to his album True North (I think) that was released in 2019 – listened to this one too and concur with whoever made that fabulous comment, except “Only Pretend” is not on that album which is a bit odd!

Another surprise was finding that Andrew Latimer appeared on one of his records – that man might possibly challenge the ubiquity of MK!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA4aaY7Ybxk

He’s hardly a folk singer (which he’s referred to) – far more blues oriented and much darker than the regular folkies. Difficult to categorise – he’s a one off, IMHO. Pretty sure he’s always been his own person and has taken direction from absolutely no-one – interesting character. I might investigate some more of his back catalogue. He certainly manages to commandeer some serious talent to contribute to his offerings – Paul Buckmaster’s strings on the lead track from Fully Qualified Survivor and the bassists I’ve heard so far are excellent too. Several other noteworthy collaborators, including Mick Ronson.

From True North - “Youth is Wasted on the Young” – ain’t that the truth! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYiZc-B697A

The epic “Aviator” from Fully Qualified Survivor” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeHr1hRIz_A –  somewhat ahead of its time I’d say – gorgeous strings and great bass – aaah – that makes sense – it’s Rick Kemp from Steeleye Span.

A shorter track, also from FQS – “Kodak Ghosts” …

[Ruby]

Rich Williams was born on this day in 1950, in Topeka, Kansas. No prizes for guessing which band he joined! He is distinctive by the eye patch he wears having lost his eye in a childhood mishap with fireworks. A split second is all it takes to change your life forever – sobers one up a little! Suppose it could also be for the better though I suspect it's usually not. 

He and Phil Earhart are the two remaining founder members of Kansas, and both have played on all the band’s releases – 47 years’ worth to be precise – ye gods! Williams initially shared guitar duty with Kerry Livgren but after Livgren left, he took the lead in that department – pun fully intended. At some stage of the proceedings, he and three fellow bandmates also formed a side project called Native Window who made one eponymously titled release. Naturally, that’s the one I’m determined to listen to and only managing to find in dribs and drabs - the full album is elusive …

I like this one … David Ragsdale on violin which just lifts the whole thing up to another level, IMHO …

[Ruby]

I think Chris Rea deserves a second Happy Birthday mention in this thread. He's 70 today which is a helluva feat considering he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in his 30's, not to mention the other health trials and tribulations that have beset him along the way. This is a little piece on him - his personal philosophy, fame, family, music,  etc. https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/entertai.../chris-rea

The track I think I might have spammed the board with several times now - just fabulous ... 





Incidentally - fun fact: "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was his first single and remains the only song he's ever not played guitar on. A sort of accidental hit which thoroughly depressed him until a nice fat royalty cheque landed in the letterbox saving him from penury and thoughts of chucking in music as a career.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

^^
a greatly under appreciated artist for sure.

[Ruby]

A long gone composer, Maurice Ravel, was born on this day in 1875, in Ciboure, France. I've been listening to classical music lately, having a little hiatus from chatter. Ravel's mother was of Basque extraction and quite feisty from what I can gather which may have had some influence on this thinking, which was progressive, and less than conservative; he was a bit of a maverick in his time, musically speaking and possibly in other areas too, and his compositions are remarkable, IMHO. Equally remarkable is the playing of the soloist in the clip below, Martha Argerich, who was 73 at the time of this recording. Now that is why you need to practice your scales!! Dazzling virtuosity of the highest order and yet still conveying the emotion and colour of the work. And then popular culture would have us believe that what the likes of the disgusting 6ix9ine and his cohorts spews out is music and artistry too. I'm not buying it - not for one second!   

The adagio in the middle is divine ... (that part on its own here with another virtuoso pianist, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli at the helm ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHjuFabw-y0), and another beautiful and probably better known piece of Ravel's - "Pavanne for a Dead Princess" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKkeDqJBlK8. 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

REGGIE DWIGHT  aka  Elton John:

aged 74:

30 studio albums
7 soundtrack albums

no other words needed other than "up there with the best of them" IMO

so hard to pick a favorite but heres one i have always loved:

[Ruby]

Happy Birthday to Steve Ferrone who turns 71 today. He was born in Brighton, England in 1950. He’s loaned his skill with the sticks to the work of a wide range of musicians - from Eric Clapton, Tom Petty (he was a Heartbreaker) and Paul Simon, to Chaka Khan, George Harrison and Duran Duran not to mention a whole lot more in between!

He’s had nothing if not a colourful career! And it all started with tap dancing, lol! As a three-year old with a mother who was a Fred Astaire fan, when young Steve started banging his spoon on his plate at the table, he got packed off to tap lessons at which he was adept. A little further down the line, he spotted a drummer in an orchestra pit, became intrigued with the fact that he was doing two (or more) different things at the same time and decided to give it a whirl for himself.

Added to that the fact that when he was at a Manfred Mann concert (at the age of 12) and the girls showed far more interest in the band than they did in the dance troupe he was with, his mind was made up – he persuaded some buddies to start their own band, and voila! He figured things out for himself and seems to have had a curiosity, which along with a positive attitude, and some crucial mentoring by music producer Arif Mardin, probably stood him in good stead throughout his career. That, and a well developed sense of humour.  

He tells a good story about this clip which has been watched a gazillion times – Prince was an unexpected addition to the line-up at the behest of the event organisers, and to the mild distaste of some of the musos, if their body language is anything to go by. Steve Ferrone says that Prince did a little solo during their practice - none of them had any idea he was going to steal the show, throw himself backwards off the stage in front of them, or toss his guitar at the end, and that he (Steve) thought it was more of a performance for them, the ‘band’ than the audience.  They all conceded that solo tho’ … would have been churlish not to, really, cheeky as it was … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SFNW5F8K9Y

There’s this – with Paul Simon which was a real challenge - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-WAfxOEKY

“Fault Lines” from Tom Petty & The Heartbreaker’s final album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-4-sT2KFdo

And because I chose to listen to Christine McVie’s eponymously titled album ...