Today’s been a funny ol’ day. Slept/lay in till almost midday. Went to work in the afternoon. I’d intended to make some hand made Xmas cards over the weekend. Or failing that, today.
But it’s been yet another day of total and utter exhaustion, combined with below zero motivation. Bummer!
Miles figures here mainly on account of discovering a treasure trove of live 1970s bootleg recordings. It reminded me I still want the Complete On The Corner Sessions. Trouble is they fetch silly money now. Sadly he crashed very badly in ‘72, leading to something of a hiatus.
Been listening to Original Recordings by Dan Hicks, et al. And as a result reading a bit more about Hicks’ history…
Pre-Hot Licks Hicks, with San Fran’s Charlatans. Apparently the handbill below is regarded by some as seminal – ‘The Seed’, no less – in the history of psychedelic rock poster design, etc.
I’m a big fan of the ‘69-76 Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks era. I found out in my recent reading, however, that it wasn’t working for Dan. It was becoming rote. And unsatisfying. Ha! I can dig that, man. Ain’t that always the way, when bread is concerned?
I’d like to read Hicks’ biography/autobiography. It’s called I Scare Myself. And I’ve heard it described as ‘brutally honest.’ I don’t know the details. But I believe he wound up going down an alcoholic black hole. Not sure what else was part of that picture. May learn, if I ever read the biog’?
In the end Dan got sober/clean. The love of a good woman, and a return to making music both helping. And then he upped n’ died of cancer, in his mid-seventies.
I’ve been really enjoying listening to lots of music in the car, whilst working. Recently that’s included – as well as Dan Hicks & co – some Pat Metheny, and lots of ‘Groove’ Holmes, Herbie Mann, Dorothy Ashby, and Grover Washington’s terrific Mr Magic.
As ever, there’s tons more music I want to get/explore, such as the above. Plus stuff like recordings on CTI/Kudu, and labels like Black Jazz, Groove Merchant, and so on. Id really like to acquire all that great Phil Upchurch stuff from the early to mid ‘70s.
It never ends!
And I’ve always got time for Crumb!
Well, as usual these days, I’m in bed pretty early. 8.30 pm tonight. I have an oily start tomorrow. So I’ll read a little War of Wars, and be off to Dreamland.