THE MUSIC RAMBLER

Welcome To The Music Rambler

The Music Rambler is a blog for people who like to go places and then hear some music when they get there. Here are some of the things that you can expect to find here:

    * Music and travel guides to all of America's great music towns including New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Austin, Memphis and the Mississippi Delta, and Nashville. We'll tell you about the great clubs, concert halls and other music related sites in these places and elsewhere.

    * News and information about music festivals from around the U.S.

    * Music and book reviews

    * Links to websites and news articles that we think are interesting. 

Chicago Blues Festival This Weekend June 5 - 8, 2008

The free Chicago Blues Festival takes place over four days this weekend in Grant Park. Highlights include the following performers:

Thursday, June 5:  Johnny Winter will make his first appearance at the Chicago Blues Festival since the inaugural event in 1984.  He'll be part of the opening night celebration of Muddy Waters on Thursday, June 5th, sharing the spotlight with "Superharp" James Cotton and others.

Friday, June 6: The Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine headlines on Friday night, along with a set by Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater. There will also be a tribute to the past with a set featuring Ruby Andrews, Cicero Blake and Jackie Ross.

Saturday, June 7: Buckwheat Zydeco will headline on Saturday. The 60-year-old accordionist will bring one of the classic sounds of New Orleans to the stage. Also appearing that night will be Chicago favorite Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials.

Sunday, June 8: The legendary B.B. King makes his first appearance at the festival in over 20 years. Other headliners on the final night include keyboardist Little Willie Littlefield, guitarist Bobby Parker and vocalist Karen Carroll, who performs with Charlie Love and Lurrie Bell.

Full schedule below

Also see: Chicago Blues Guide

Bob Dylan To Play Brooklyn

After returning from a tour of Eastern and Central Europe, Bob Dylan will continue his Never Ending Tour with a number of open air dates in the U.S., including a stop at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York on August 12, 2008. Other dates include:

August  9 Pittsburgh at The New American Music Union Festival
          10 Baltimore at The Virgin Moblie Festival
          30 Aspen at Jazz Aspen Snowmass

Tom Waits' Interview With Himself

Tom Waits  interviews himself on the Anti music label blog and (presumingly) finds himself most interesting. There's a good chance you will also. Read all about:

his gambling debts, his animal magnetism, coupled with his disregard for the feelings of others… His elaborate gun collection, his mad shopping sprees, the face lifts, the ski trips, the drug busts and the hundreds of rooms in his home. The tax shelters, the public urination...

Actually, there isn't any of that, but you will find some interesting insight into Tom's influences and favorite music, among other Waitian minutiae.

Tom Waits' True Confessions  (Anti Blog)

"I'm Not There" Buyers Quiz

"I'm Not There" the Todd Haynes directed Bob Dylan biopic will be released on DVD on May 6th. In the event that you did not see the film on the big screen, here is a short quiz to help you determine if you should purchase the DVD. 

1) You consider yourself a fan of Bob Dylan and have:

a) some of his official recordings (1 point)
b) have all of his official recordings except the gospel stuff (5 points)
c) have all of his official recordings including the gospel stuff (10 points)

2) The photo on the cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" album features Bob Dylan and a woman, you:

a) don't know who the woman is (0 points)
b) know who the woman is (5 points)
c) know who the woman is and have read her recent memoir (10 points)

3) The Basement Tapes is the most famous bootleg in recording history, you:

a) don't have a copy of it (0 points)
b) have a copy of the official 2 disc Columbia release (2 points)
c) have a copy of the unofficial 4 disc fan project "A Tree with Roots" (4 points)
d) have both the official and unofficial versions (6 points)

4) You have a copy of "A Tree With Roots" and:

a) have never listened to it all of the way through (0 points)
b) have listened to it all of the way through once (1 point)
c) listen to it all of the time (1 point for each time you've listened to it all of the way through)

5) You hear the name "William J. Clinton", you think of:

a) Hillarys' Dude (0 points)
b) Monicas' Dude (10 points)

6) It's nighttime in the big city, you:

a) are home sleeping (0 points)
b) are home trying to tune in The Theme Time Radio Hour on your old Victrola (10 points)
c) are home trying to download The Theme Time Radio Hour from pirate bay (5 points)

7) Listening to the weather forecast you hear "expecting rain", you:

a) expect it to rain (0 points)
b) remember that you forgot to check last nights' Reykjavik set list on expectingrain.com (10 points)

If you scored:

More than 50: You already have the DVD pre-ordered
More than 25: Order the DVD
Less than 25: Better to start with "Live at Newport"

Tom Waits Announces U.S. Summer Tour Dates

Tom Waits has announced venues and dates for his Glitter and Doom U.S. Tour. Time and date of ticket sales have been announced on Anti Records website . Ticket prices haven't been set but the Columbus, OH show was posted on ticketmaster at $82.50. It has now been withdrawn. At the "press conference", Tom stated that he would also tour Europe following a path from "Spain to Dublin". Check out tomwaits.com for more information.

June 17- Phoenix, Orpheum
June 18 - Phoenix, Orpheum
June 20 - El Paso, Plaza Theatre
June 22 - Houston, Jones Hall
June 23 - Dallas, Palladium
June 25 - Tulsa, Brady Theatre
June 26 - Saint Louis, Fox Theatre
June 28 - Columbus, Ohio Theatre
June 29 - Knoxville, Civic Theatre
July 1 - Jacksonville, Moran Theatre
July 2 - Mobile, Saenger Theatre
July 3 - Birmingham, Alabama Theatre
July 5 - Atlanta, Fox Theatre

Here is a video with highlights from the press conference

New Orleans Jazz Fest Kicks Off This Thursday (April 25th)

The 39th annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicks off tomorrow and will continue throughout the weekends of April 25-27 and May 1-4, 2008. Headliners include New Orleans legends The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, and Allen Toussaint with Elvis Costello. Plus, non-New Orleans crowd pleaser's such as Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Tim McGraw, Santana, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Sheryl Crow, Widespread Panic, Dr. John, Al Green, Diana Krall, Keyshia Cole, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and The Raconteurs (Jack White's band).

New Orleans Jazz Fest Website

Chicago's Best Blues: Rosa's Lounge and Melvin Taylor

Looking to head to Chicago for some serious blues?  You can checkout the best club and best band at the same time and place when Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band are playing at Rosa's Lounge.

Mircosoft Creates "Cringe-Inducing" Springsteen Video Parody

Microsoft has produced what they are now claiming is an "internal spoof" video ( it sure doesn't look like an inside joke ) promoting it's Vista operating system that features Bruce Servicepack and the Vista Street Band. Gizmodo says that this atrocity "damages the dignity of not only everyone involved in its production, but everyone who watches it". We think that Gizmodo may be overreacting a bit, but the awfulness of it all is quite funny.

CBGB's Space Now Home to $2500 Jackets

The rent went up and CBGB's moved out. Moving in is fashion designer John Varvatos, who's clothing reportedly has a "punk theme". Apparently some of today's punks want to wear $2500 leather jackets and $275 jeans. Word is that the new tenets have preserved the poster and graffiti covered walls, but have cleaned up what had to be one of planet Earth's worst bathrooms.

Fashion Designer Moves Into NY Club CBGB's Space  (New York Times)

Beale Street Music Festival Lineup

The Beale Street Music Festival will take place at the riverside Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis on May 2-4, 2008. This year's lineup is an impressive mix of big name crowd pleaser's ( Fergie, Santana, My Chemical Romance) and the great soul, blues, and rockabilly musicians who call Memphis home. A three day pass costs $63.50 and day pass is $27.50.

Friday lineup: My Chemical Romance , Sheryl Crow, The Roots, Keb 'Mo', Richard Johnston, Hellogoodbye , Jonny Lang, Ben Folds, Charlie Musselwhite, Robert "Wolfman" Belfour, Flyleaf , Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Project Pat, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, Lord T & Eloise, Amy LaVere, JJ Grey & Mofro, Lurrie Bell

Saturday: Santana, Disturbed, Matisyahu, Bettye LaVette, Richard Johnston, Lou Reed, Seether The John Butler Trio, Pinetop Perkins & Hubert, Sumlin W Billy Gibson, Blind Mississippi Morris, Buddy Guy, Simple Plan, Arrested Development, Watermelon Slim, Cat Power, The Whigs, Colbie Caillat, Back Door Slam, Duman, Saving Abel, Tegan and Sara, Kenny Neal, Muck Sticky, Oracle and the Mountain, Al Kapone, Preston Shannon, Eli "Paperboy" Reed

Sunday: Fergie, Michael McDonald, The Black Crowes, Doyle Bramhall, Richard Johnston Finger Eleven, Aretha Franklin, O.A.R., Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Robert "Wolfman" Belfour, Gavin DeGraw, Jerry Lee Lewis, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, Rue Melo, Duman (from Turkey), Umphrey's McGee, Samuel James, Carney, Billy Lee Riley, Pete Francis, Calvin Cooke

The Beale Street Music Festival Website

The Virgin Mobile and The All Points West Music and Arts Festivals Announce Lineups

The increasingly crowded music festival scene adds two more to the ever expanding list with The Virgin Mobile and The All Points West Music and Arts Festival both taking place on the second weekend in August.

The inaugural All Points Festival will take place on August 8, 9 and 10 at Liberty State Park in New Jersey with Radiohead headlining the first two nights and Jack Johnson doing the honors on Sunday. Other acts include Underworld, Kings of Leon, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Cat Power, The Roots, The New Pornographers, Youssou N'Dour, and Animal Collective. Single day passes are $89 and three-day passes are $258. A portion of the event's proceeds will benefit "Friends of Liberty State Park"

Nine Inch Nails, The Foo Fighters,  Stone Temple Pilots and Jack Johnson will headline the Virgin Mobile Festival at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course on August 9 & 10th. Full lineup and ticket prices have not been announced.

The All Points Music and Arts Festival Website

Virgin Mobile Festival Website

Miles From India: Miles Davis Sidemen and Indian Musicians In Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Miles Davis sidemen and Indian jazz and classical musicians have joined together to interpret well known  Davis compositions on a CD that will be released on April 15th and a concert at New York's Town Hall on May 9th, 2008. The CD features over two dozen musicians from two continents including Miles collaborators Dave Liebman, guitarists Mike Stern and John McLaughlin, bassists Ron Carter and Chick Corea. The Indian musicians include members of Shakti  Vikku Vinayakram, V. Selvaganesh, U. Shrinivas  and a host of others. For the Town Hall concert Ron Carter, Wallace Roney, Lenny White, Pete Cosey and Badal Roy will  be joined by a half-dozen Indian musicians. Excerpts from the CD can be found at this Town Hall web site.

Town Hall Ticket Information

Also See: New York City Jazz Guide

King Crimson Summer 2008 Tour Dates

Prog rock legends King Crimson will play a three city tour of the U.S. this summer.  The dates are:

August
6, 7, & 8th at Park West, Chicago
11 & 12th at the Keswick Theater, Philadelphia
14, 15, &16th at the Nokia Theater, New York

The line-up for this tour is Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Gavin Harrison.

“This is a historic find, the earliest known recording of sound,”

The New York Times is reporting that researchers "have unearthed a recording of the human voice, made by a little-known Frenchman, that predates Edison’s invention of the phonograph by nearly two decades." Follow the link to read the story and hear the recording.

Researchers Play Tune Recorded Before Edison  (New York Times)

Dr Pepper Wants To See Chinese Democracy

We suspect think that Dr Pepper isn't thinking of the beleaguered Monks in Tibet when they declare their support for "Chinese Democracy". In this "pressreleasetosavetheworld", the purveyor of tooth decay promises that they "WILL GIVE EVERYONE IN AMERICA A FREE SODA IF AXL ROSE RELEASES NEW GUNS N’ ROSES ALBUM, CHINESE DEMOCRACY, IN 2008". Everyone except Slash and Buckethead that is.

Dr Pepper officially declares support for Chinese Democracy

Bob Dylan 2008 Canada Tour Dates

Bob Dylan will be headed toward Canada's Maritime provinces in mid-May on his way to Iceland and Europe. Tickets on sale for all of the Canadian shows on March 29th.

5/19    Saint John NB    Harbour Station   
5/20    Moncton NB    Moncton Coliseum Complex      
5/21    Halifax NS    Halifax Metro Centre    
5/24    St. John's NL    Mile One Centre

Bob Dylan Tour Dates  ( bobdylan.com)

Clarksdale Mississippi's Juke Joint Festival

If you have ever wanted to experience the genuine down-home blues of the Mississippi delta than you will have a hard time finding a better experience than Clarksdale's Juke Joint Festival taking place April 19th,2008. This is far from a one day affair as there will be related events all weekend starting on Thursday the 18th and continuing until late Sunday night. The official live music part of the festival will will take place on a half-dozen stages around town on Saturday until about 6pm. And that's just the beginning, after dark there will be live blues at close to another dozen venues, including actor Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero and the legendary Red's Lounge.

Juke Joint Festival Website

The Music Rambler in the coming weeks will be posting a music guide and travel information about Memphis and the Mississippi Delta.

San Fracisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival Announces Lineup

Radiohead, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Jack Johnson are the headliners of the inaugural Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival which will take place in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco on August 22, 23 & 24, 2008. General admission 3-Day festival ticket will cost $225 and go on sale March 30th at 10AM. There will be over 60 acts performing on five stages. Some of the other acts include Beck, Wilco, Widespread Panic, Steve Winwood, and Steel Pulse.

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival

Steely Dan Summer U.S. and Canada Tour Dates

   

Steely Dan will start a ten city tour of the U.S. and Canada on June 8th that includes two performances at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal and three nights at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Complete list next page   

George Harrison's "Fifth Beatle" Dies

There have been any number of "fifth Beatles" over the years, but only Neil Aspinall was called that by George Harrison when the Beatles were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.  The New York Times has a nicely written and informative obituary. 

Neil Aspinall, Beatles Aide, Dies at 66  (New York Times)