THE SIGNAL from David Katznelson
“There's never been a rule of human behavior that hasn't been broken by someone, somewhere, sometime, in some circumstance mundane or spectacular. To be human is to transcend the rules.”― Ian McDonald
In the early nineties, Los Angeles still boasted some beautifully down-and-out venues and off-the-main-thoroughfare eateries that, if you watched closely enough, you could occasionally find an evening of performance from past R&B, blues and/or soul stars….taking a low-stage or simply riffing on a homemade dance floor in between dining tables and waiter services. Near the LA Airport was a place I BELIEVE was called Josephs (Johnnys?) where I happened to see advertised an upcoming tribute to Los Angeles blues great Lowell Fulson.
I had recently discovered Lowell Fulson by picking up his single Tramp on Back Beat Records at the La Cienega Record Store, near where I lived. I played that song over and over and over again in my apartment—it is such a groover and goes so quick—hearing his tales from Don Waller as we ventured into other parts of his career. He had an incredible story: born on a Choctaw reservation, having Native American ancestry through his grandfather, leaving for the big city as a youth and before being in his mid-twenties and sent off to war had already: been a veteran of a country string band, played harp in Texas Alexander’s band, and had a band with a young Ray Charles. His tour of duty found him in another band in Guam, ultimately ending stationed in Oakland, CA. After that it was a swift jump to Los Angeles and a career that made him one of the most important West Coast blues artists of his day.
That night at Joseph’s (Johnny’s?) showcased a dozen acts paying tribute to Fulson. One of the Four Top was there (which one, I do not remember) as well as several lesser known acts—all great—all playing in front of a house backing band that was out of site. Finally, accepting a framed tribute as he threw his electric guitar over his shoulders, Fulson took the stage (actually, it was more of a floor near the buffet)….took it and went right into one of the songs that made him famous: Tramp…and then following up with another killer, Reconsider Baby. He did a three song set with everyone swooning and swaying around his sweet guitar playing, every chicken scrawl of a solo. He was everything you wanted him to be (for a great compilation of his recordings go right here) all smiles with lightning coming from his fingertips.
Lowell Fulson would have been 100 today…happy centennial to the ultimate Tramp.
Archie Shepp :: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview
Archie Shepp! Hell yeah! Damn, do I love some of his legendary recordings like the space age African beat of The Magic of Ju-Ju (my favorite) and The Way Ahead. It is so nice to see that he has a new record out and. The track embedded in this nice check-in-of-an-interview, his version of Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child, is breathtaking.
I think it is safe to say that the van Gough siblings help make the argument that insanity can run in the family. I did not know the tales of Vincent’s sisters….pretty dark stuff.
Come Up From This: Jean-Pierre Roy @ Gallery Poulsen, Copenhagen
Jean-Pierre Roy’s paintings are a thing to behold…so surreal, so alive. This article shows several and each have such a distinct style and beautifully crazed view of things.
No Armageddon: NASA says Earth safe from asteroid Apophis for 100 years
One of the Butterflies
by W. S. Merwin
The trouble with pleasure is the timing
it can overtake me without warning
and be gone before I know it is here
it can stand facing me unrecognized
while I am remembering somewhere else
in another age or someone not seen
for years and never to be seen again
in this world and it seems that I cherish
only now a joy I was not aware of
when it was here although it remains
out of reach and will not be caught or named
or called back and if I could make it stay
as I want to it would turn to pain.
