ROOTNOTEMUSIC BLOG

Category: Austin

King of Chitlin’ Circuit Bobby Rush still groovin’ into his 80s: SXSW 2014
One of the highlights of my time at SXSW 2014 was seeing Mr. Bobby Rush (who was nominated this past year for a 2014 GRAMMY Award in Best Blues Album for “Down In Louisiana”). There is a bit of discrepancy as to his age. He told the audience he was 81, however Wikipedia says 73. According to The Encyclopedia of Arkansas Music (where he lived for a while), “Bobby Rush, known as the ‘King of the Chitlin’ Circut’…was born Emmett Ellis Jr…in 1935, however the 1940 census lists him as three years old.” It’s a mystery. But what is clear is how incredible a performer, guitar player, blues vocalist and harp player this man is. He has been on over 200 records and played with the likes of Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Bobby “Blue” Bland, BB King, and Johnnie Taylor.

Here Bobby Rush is on harmonica and vocals for a soulful cover of The Beatles “Come Together”

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03/18/2014
Psychedelic hard rock dreams at SXSW: Ocean of Stars
I saw the new band my sister Melanie Martinez, bass player in Austin, just joined, called Ocean of Stars. They performed at their first SXSW showcase and it was awesome. People were gathering around the stage as their set unfolded, the band like the pied pipers of rock. I got seriously caught in the groove and vibe of the whole night.

Here is a short snippet I was able to catch on video/audio while loving the music. It’s pretty short but sweet, to hear more, check out Danny G’s bandcamp page here!

Please follow this band and their charismatic leader Danny G. Danny used to play bass with local Austin hard roots rock favorites, The Mother Truckers. He is a prodigious multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and a serious rock guitar player. They got something special and you will be hearing about them…

Songwriting: Danny Grochow
Guitar: Danny Grochow
Bass: Melanie Martinez
Drummer: Ric Furley
Saxophone: Derek Rodrigues

http://dannyg.bandcamp.com/album/ocean-of-stars
https://www.facebook.com/oceanofstarsmusic

http://themothertruckers.com/BIO.html
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03/18/2014
Johnny & June Carter Cash duets & other folk love songs
Well call me corny, but I get weepy for a beautiful love story. And inspired. One of my favorite girls Steph is getting married in 10 days to her dream man and to celebrate we had a karaoke night out. I felt creative and inspired so I baked lemon cupcakes for the occasion and sang my favorite love song dedicated to them, “If I Were A Carpenter” originally by Bobby Darin but of course famously covered by June and Johnny Cash. Jim and Steph also sang a Carter duet, “Jackson”. A fun night was had by all and everyone in the bar was feeling the love! Here’s to you Steph and Jim – and to all those couples out there who found their partner in crime (metaphorically speaking that is). Blessings for a long life filled with love, peace, and strength through all the inevitable twists and turns that this amazing life brings.

Here they are with “Jackson”:

This is really cute – “Where Did We Go Right” from a performance on Austin City Limits:

I just discovered this song by Vermont folk singer Anais Mitchell and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. “Wedding Song” – hauntingly beautiful:

A traditional Sephardic wedding song sung by Francoise Atlan during the Festival of Sacred world music in Morocco, “Scalerica D’oro” or “Stairway of Gold” in the Ladino (a mixture of Spanish and Hebrew or Judaeo-Spanish) language:

I love you Steph and Jim! Congratulations!

Links and Resources
Love story of June Carter and Johnny Cash
Austin City Limits
Robert Allen Zimmerman
Anais Mitchell
Bon Iver
Justin Vernon
Ladino language and history
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10/01/2010
Can’t get enough of Texas…part 2 (blues)
I’m back to finish my love letter to Texas by recognizing the Lone Star State’s contribution to the blues. I love the blues and you know that if you read my post on slide guitar. Some of the blues legends to emerge from deep in the heart of Texas: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson, Leadbelly, Lightin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, Big Mama Thorton, Albert Collins, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnny and Edgar Winter, ZZ Top, Janis Joplin, Doyle Bramhall II, and Los Lonely Boys, among others. Let’s take a look at some of these folks.

As I read about the lives and deaths of some of the early blues musicians, it really pained me to hear about the intense suffering many endured. Blues music was born as a way to express and communicate the everyday life of poor African-Americans living in the South at the end of the 19th century. A folk tradition born from the creative soul of a people who suffered the unimaginable, the blues gave voice to the voiceless. While most good blues really touches that part of our soul that knows deeply what it means to hurt, there is a sound in those early songs that is truly haunting in its ability to convey the human condition at its most vulnerable.
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10/13/2009
Can’t get enough of Texas…part 1
Oh Texas how I miss you so – the easy breezy drawl of your people, the down-home food, and the Blues done right. I’ve got so much to say about Texas and its music – they got it going on down on the third coast. This posting will mainly deal with the illustrious city of Austin, but the entirety of Texas is just overflowing with music history, scenes and styles. Dallas gave us Erykah Badu, San Antonio and South Texas gave us Tejano, and then there’s Texas Swing out of West Texas. This post will mainly sample a spattering of the Austin scene including Jazz, Fusion, Americana, and Blues. In a few days, I will post Part 2 of my ode to Texas that will focus on the blues history of Texas – ’cause rootnotemusic LOVES THE BLUES!

Tree at ACL Festival 2006. Photo by Melanie Martinez.

If you read my very first post, then you know my sister plays bass guitar with The Tiny Tin Hearts, an Austin folk-pop symphonic band getting a lot of attention. They recently had their album release party at The Parish. Check out Last Flight of the Martyr Aviator via Waterloo Records or I-Tunes. Steven Collins and Deadman played with TTTH that night. I really like their vibe and sound – they keep it rootsy! I immediately thought of The Band when I heard them, and I’m not the only one, but with their accordion and sprinklings of Spanglish, they could only be from Texas! Here’s Deadman at the Parish:

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10/08/2009
Roots, Routes, & Tiny Tin Hearts
Welcome to my new blog – thanks for stopping by! It’s all about music and how music that connects us to ourselves, each other, history, family, culture, communities, and to the world. There is so much to music to discover and to re-discover. No borders, just sounds. Join me on the journey!

My sister Melanie Martinez in her days playing bass with The Tiny Tin Hearts. Photo by Valerie Fremin.
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09/01/2009