vinyl findings, episode 1: grits and soul
I'm not one of the vinyl obsessed, mind you, but I do like to spend time digging through musty stacks of wax in the back of various music and antique stores. They are almost always scratched and quite a few years past pristine, but that often makes them too cheap to pass up. Anyway, I thought I'd occasionally share the fruits of these labors with you, dear reader or random internet peruser.
Raise your hand if you knew anything about the instrumental albums James Brown put out in the mind-sixties.
Now raise your hand if you suddenly find my thumb as odd looking as I do.
Now stop thinking about my thumb and return to the matter at hand. It's not nice to stare at deformities and such.
Yes, James Brown manned the Hammond B3 organ for four instrumental albums in the mid-sixties, and Grits and Soul was the first of these. I could spend the next couple of paragraphs telling you all about this time in his career but I'd only be plagiarizing it from somewhere else on the internet, so let's cut out the middle man. You can either consult your local library or go here for more info.
How is ol' JB on the B3? Well, had he decided to give up on the singing and stick with the keys full time I don't think we'd be calling him the "Godfather of Organ". However, he does hold his own within a group of very talented jazz and funk musicians and never seems to be in over his head. He throws down some tasteful solos and seems to know when to hold back and let Nat Jones or Les Buie or any of the other instrumentalists take center stage. He certainly knows his way around the keys.
My particular copy plays well enough through a few scratches and only set me back $3.99. I don't believe any of these are available on CD.
By the way, I'd like for those of you who raised your hands to please keep them up until a loved one or coworker (or loved coworker) enters the room and asks you what the hell you're doing.
posted by Rex L. Camino at 7:22 AM
8 Comments:
Well, how about that! I had no idea the Godfather did the instrumental thing, and now knowing that, it kind of surprises me that my father had none in his collection. He tended to collect a lot of instrumental stuff of the era - Herbie Mann, Memphis' own Willie Mitchell, much more. In any case, I learned something new today.
And your thumb is - I'm not sure what to say about your thumb.
As for the hand/arm up, since I work at home and don't think my dogs or cats care if I keep it up, I might be stuck like that until next week or later if I did that...
I wish Santa would leave a B3 under my tree. How fun would that be?
R. L....are you coming to the Kwanzaa Gathering? If you aren't, I don't know that I have a reason to go.
Saying nothing about the thumb only makes it worse, Lynnster.
I was planning to swing by if I'm not sick, Sista, but I've been on the edge of from godawful seasonal thing for days now. We'll see. I'd like to, but methinks it wouldn't do well to cough up a lung in a crowded room.
However, I think you'll still have a reason to go.
Competitive lung coughing has been a big west coast party hit, as I understand.
You could be the man responsible for bringing enlightenment to the savages, Rex...
OK then. The thumb is... spectacular on many levels.
I should be pretty good at projectile lung competitions by now, AT. This infestation sets down upon me with a vengeance every year when it drops below 40 or maybe even 50. I should invest in a bubble or something.
That's kind of you to say, Lynnster, but the whole matter has caused to begin rethinking all my fingers. Well, except for my pinkies...THOSE are spectacular.
I don't know Rex...That would fill my heart with even more Christmas cheer than it has now. Maybe if AT could make an appearance, I'd have a reason to go. I get tired of seeing the same ol' bloggahs all the time. Kerry Woo and CLC are starting to get on my last nerve.
I'm kidding. I adore all my blogging bretheren and sisteren.
Post a Comment
<< Home