Jan 142009
Let’s take a walk, shall we? Tell David whatever’s on your mind.
Mar 032007
All-Star Jam. Look us in the eye and say that!
10 Responses to “All-Star Jam”
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I sure do hope no one’s been rigging the polls. These polls are for The People to decide. Now look me in the eye and tell me you haven’t been rigging the polls!
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72 votes for the Mekons in the poll? The fix is in!
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I do smell a fix, but it’s hard to argue that The Mekons are long overdue for learning how to master their instruments, isn’t it?
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Came across this posting tonight: Inspired by Joe Strummer, Billy [Bragg] has launched a new initiative to provide guitars to prisoners in UK jails.
Jail Guitar Doors takes its name from the B-side of a 1978 single by Strummer’s classic punk band, The Clash.
“Aware that this is the fifth anniversary of Joe’s passing … I was looking for a project that underscored the transformative power of music,” said Billy as he launched the initiative – and a web site – today.
The idea for supplying guitars to help reduce re-conviction rates among prisoners came from Malcolm Dudley, a drug and alcohol counsellor working at HMP Guy’s Marsh near Shaftesbury in Dorset.
Re-conviction rates among ex-prisoners who have actively participated in music workshop sessions are between 10% and 15%, compared to the national average of 61%.
Billy helped to provide the first half a dozen acoustic guitars and some percussion instruments. The guitars were from by Hanks Guitar Shop in London, and customised with stickers bearing Clash-style slogans by Jeff Behan.
But Billy doesn’t want it to end there. “It cost just under £375 to provide guitars and percussion instruments for Malcolm’s project in Guy’s Marsh. It’s a relatively small amount of money which could be raised at a benefit concert by any band or artist that can draw a crowd. I’m asking musicians, particularly those of you who were inspired by the Clash, to raise the money to provide a prison with enough equipment to help inmates find that same sense of release.”
Go to http://www.jailguitardoors.org.uk/ and contact Billy to get involved…
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An anarchist co-op near where I live has a program where they give books to prisoners. I think it’s called “Books Behind Bars”. I wonder if the recidivism rate is as low as what the stats were above or if there’s a study that’s been done on such a thing. Anyway a few weeks back they were screening a few Johnny Cash related things including the San Quentin concert and asking everyone who came to bring books or a donation. I haven’t done it yet but I plan to in the future.
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Thanks for posting about that Matt. Do you mean that they weren’t going to allow the San Quentin concert as a donation? I didn’t even think about that, but interesting.
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Thanks for posting about that Matt. Do you mean that they weren’t going to allow the San Quentin concert as a donation? I didn’t even think about that, but interesting.
No I meant that they were showing (as in screening) the San Quentin Concert and the train-related film he made (sorry I forgot the name of it), not screening people at the door for Johnny Cash-related items. LOL. 🙂
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tooooo funny:) 🙂 🙂
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still laughing…
So, did anybody catch the episode of Spectacle with The Police? Elvis and Sting! Together at last!
TB
And jamming on Sunshine Of Your Love!
Yeah, that one threw me for a bigger loop than their combination/medley of “Watching The Detectives” and “Walking On The Moon”. All of a sudden, they’re jamming Cream.
I’ve always thought The Police were a pretty talented group and I like most of their stuff.
I did enjoy Stewart Copeland’s story of them ripping the Clash off and the Clash’s single was called “Police and Thieves”.
TB
Well, it is
http://www.comcast.net/articles/music/20090114/Music.Rock.Hall.Inductees/
TB
I am obsessed with videos of Microsoft’s program, “Songsmith”. You sing into the computer, and it composes the chords and rhythm parts for you. But of course, you could put anything into it, so…
Here’s Microsoft’s ad:
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=45364217334&h=mnxJl&u=YKxnW
Here’s my favorite use of it so far: The unicorn song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exFi5Hus5Gs
Running With the Devil?
http://music.metafilter.com/2943/Runnin-With-The-Songsmith
Marvin Gaye?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbtlEPIlyfU&NR=1
Doobie Brothers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOLjQhe7QqE
This one almost passes…. Oasis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1e_h1OJfS4
Enjoy?
Tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET, on the Smithsonian HD channel: “Making the Monkees.”
Wow, I just captured the audio of that “Running With the Devil (Songsmith Mix). Life changing. If that’s the best it can do with someone who’s actually singing in rhythm I’d say man still has computer foiled, if not in chess at least in music making.
Happy Birthday to the good Captain! Don Van Vliet turns 68 today.
The Metallica “Enter Sandman” meets Songsmith video has arrived:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmC28cXWqLc
How can Cheap Trick be tied for the lead in bands you’d most like to hear cut loose and jam? Am I missing some untapped jamming potential?
YES!!! The Phils just signed arbitration-eligible Cole Hamels up to a 3-year, $20.5 million dollar deal.
I dunno about that but speaking of Cheap Trick – can anyone here hook me up with the stuff they did backing Lennon up? I heard a track on XPN one day and thought it was pretty interesting…maybe that was the only track? “I’m losing you”
You guys know I’m a huge pimp for anything SCTV-related. That was the funniest show in the history of the universe, for sure. Just wanted to de-cloak in All-star Jam land to say that the funniest running gag on that show was…
… the Juuls Hallmeyer Dancers!
Interesting interview with Barry Gibb regarding Odessa, Mr. Mod.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jan/30/bee-gees-odessa-forgotten-album