Happy Birthday Jerry Lee Lewis

Today—September 29— is Jerry Lee Lewis' 75th Birthday. So a couple videos as a Happy Birthday salute.

The title track from his recently released album, "Mean Old Man"



A short interview about the new album, which includes the piano his family bought him when he was 8 years old.




If you like this, try these previous posts:

We Remember the King - August 16, 2010

Jerry Lee Lewis - November18, 2009

Rock & Roll - September 24, 2009

Autumn Leaves

I have missed the beginning of autumn by a couple days, and last Friday felt too much like summer in hell for a fall day. Still I am going to do this post to mark the change in seasons. This is a beautiful song that Paolo Nutini wrote about his grandfather. There are several live videos of it available, but it is difficult to get a good version of such a quiet song on a live recording, so here is the track from the album with fall pictures.

"Autumn Leaves"



If you like this, try these previous posts:

Fall - October 19, 2009

Paolo Nutinin - January 15, 2010

Trouble So Hard - February 1, 2010

Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone

Mavis Staples has a new album out this month produced by Jeff Tweedy. Titled You Are Not Alone, here are some videos of the two of them performing and discussing songs from the album.

From this summer's Lollapalooza concert, here is the title track.



"Wrote A Song For Everyone"



Staples and Tweedy discuss the album.




If you like this, try these previous posts:

Hard Times Come Again No More - September 10, 2009

Mavis Staples - April 30, 2010

The Staple Singers - May 13, 2010

Farm Aid 1985

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Willie Nelson's first Farm Aid Concert. Held in Memorial Stadium at my Alma Mater, the University of Illinois. Here are a couple videos from the concert.

"Heart of Gold" - Neil Young



"Rock and Roll" - Sammy Hagar & Eddie Van Halen



"Highwayman" - The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Glen Campbell substituting for Kris Kris Kristofferson)



Another video from the concert in this previous post:

John Prine Covers (Duets) - September 3, 2009

Jelly Roll Morton

Today may mark the 125 anniversary of the birth of Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, although the actual date of his birth is in dispute. One of the most important influences in American music, he was one of the founders of Jazz Music. He considered himself the inventor of Jazz Music, but not everyone agreed with this.

I don't see any video of Morton, but here is some audio, some including photographs.

"Steamboat Stomp"



"Finger Breaker"



A young Billy Taylor as Jelly Roll Morton




If you like this, try these previous posts:

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band - January 22, 2010

St. Louis Blues/Bessie Smith - September 7, 2009

Trombone Shorty - Pt. 2 - October 23, 2009

Jimi Hendrix

Today is the 40th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's death on September 18, 1970. He was not quite 28. A couple videos as a commemoration.

"Hey Joe"



"Wild Thing" - Disclaimer for Children: Despite what happens in this video, squirting lighter fluid into a burning flame is not a bright idea.



"Voodoo Child"




If you like this, try these previous posts:

Bob Dylan Covers - August 23, 2009

Danielia Cotton - January 11, 2010

Danielia Cotton Recent Concerts - September 8, 2010

Rosanne Cash and The List

Rosanne Cash won album of the year at the Americana Music Awards a couple days ago. Many years ago her father, Johnny Cash, gave her a list of what he considered the 100 essential country music songs. All of the songs on her album, The List, are from that set of songs. Some of them are old traditional songs, and some are more recent. Here are three videos of songs from the album.

"500 Miles" written by Hedy West



"Girl from the North Country" written by Bob Dylan



"Motherless Children" an old traditional song




If you like this, try these previous posts:

Odetta - January 25, 2010

July 4th - July 4, 2010

Darrell Scott - December 2, 2009

Howlin' Wolf

I am a couple months late on this, but June 10 was the centennial of Howlin' Wolf's birth. So here are a couple videos as a belated Happy Birthday.

"Smokestack Lightning"



Here he discusses "What is the Blues?" I am guessing that the name of the song he sings is "Bring Me My Runnin' Shoes".



"Shake It for Me"




If you like this, try these previous posts:

Happy Birthday B.B. King - September 13, 2010

Homemade Jamz' Blues Band - September 1, 2010

Chris Isaak & Stevie Nicks

This is one of those videos that I just stumbled on by accident.

Chris Isaak & Stevie Nicks performing "Red River Valley"

Robin & Linda Williams

I realized after seeing Robin & Linda Williams at the Prairie Home Companion show tonight that I have not previously posted any video of them. There are not a lot of good videos of them available, but here are a couple. This is a song they performed tonight at the show—"Green Summertime".



They did two Carter Family songs tonight—"Hello Stranger" and "Anchored in Love". No video of either of those two, but here is part of another Carter Family song, "Wildwood Flower".



Finally, here is a new song, "Lonesome".




If you like this, try these previous posts:

June Carter & Johnny Cash - August 19, 2009

Emmylou Harris - How She Could Sing the WIldwood Flower - April 9 , 2010

Flowers - August 25, 2009

Danielia Cotton Recent Concerts

I did a post on Danielia Cotton a couple months back. Some good videos from concerts over the summer has been posted since then, so I am going to post some of them today.

"Bound" from a Lilith Fair concert over the summer.



"Make U Move" from the same concert.



"Pride"



"Nature Boy" an old song that Nat King Cole used to do.




If you like this, try these previous posts:

Danielia Cotton - January 1, 2010

Robert Randolph and the Family Band - August 11, 2010

Squirrel Nut Zippers

The Squirrel Nut Zippers were a band from the 1990's who went on hiatus in the early 2000's. They have been performing again and I think they are working on a new album. Their My Space page lists their style as Swing / Jazz / Alternative, but you really have to hear them to get their style. So here are a couple videos.

"Put a Lid On It" from the 1997 album Hot.



"What a Little Moonlight Can Do" - This is a song that Bill Holiday used to do, but I don't think that SNZ has every recorded it.



"The Ghost of Stephen Foster" from the 1998 album Perennial Favorites.



If you like this, try these previous posts:

Billie Holiday - October 12, 2009

Hot Club of Cowtown - February 8, 2010