Dupuytren's Contracture
Commercials have begun to air about this condition, it only stands to reason because every other possible ailment has a drug and jingle to go along with it these days. No jingles yet for this. Why should I care? Well, I suffer from this most bizarre of maladies.
First identified and studied by Baron Guillaume Dupuytren a French anatomist and military surgeon, it was initially known as The Viking Disease due to the majority of the affected being of Scandinavian and Celtic heritage. There is no cure nor is it known why it happens and it is hereditary.
Underneath the palm of a hand is a layer of tissue called the "fascia". This layer of tissue hardens over time and creates nodules and eventually hardening bands form and wrap around ligaments pulling fingers inward. Once pulled all the way in, only surgery can somewhat straighten the finger but it is not a cure but rather only a temporary fix, it can and most often does return.
Not a painful ailment, it is, however, a total pain in the ass to deal with. Shaking hands is impossible, putting hands in a pocket or putting on a pair of gloves is a chore and I have also found it is getting harder nd harder to write. While I have done in-office treatments during my early stages, the disease always returned. My next and final step was to seek out one of the top hand orthopedists in the NY area and now have a consultation later in May.
Ball Breakers
The year was 1975 and the entire planet was wallowing in a sea of senseless vile horseshit. Not since Frank Zappa, as the story goes, crapped on his piano strings on stage and then played it has anything so unbelievably putrid been foisted upon the ears of man.
Disco, a natural progression in the way things progress, I guess was born out of well-meaning R&B mixed with the new techno-wizardry that made a band somewhat less needed. Lots of folks dug it. Drugs, rampant animal humping, and wild parties flew out of the 60's caverns and exploded on the scene with a "get on or get lost" attitude. It was everywhere, in movies, in fashion, and on the dancefloor. Some of the staunchest purveyors from the hallowed halls of rock checked their balls at the door and joined in. Eager for a piece of the cocaine and money pie they paraded like shameless schoolboys on a panty raid. The Stones, Rod Stewart, The Eagles right up to, and including, the zenith of mediocrity, Edgar Winter's "They Only Come Out at Night". The Who were right "Rock is Dead"
The early '50s was a time of transition in Scotland. The British government was offering fare to anyone who wanted to seek their fortunes in the far-off colony of Australia. Many families, sick of the inclement weather, low-paying jobs, and the general drudgery of everyday life took the bait and left. Lucky for us, bad for disco.
One family, which consisted of 5 brothers and 1 sister all played instruments, mostly guitars passed down from one to the next in age. Two of the brothers, Malcolm and Angus, formed a band in 1973. Malcolm 20 and Angus 18 began a world revolution to bring Rock N' Roll to the forefront. Borrowing the name of their sister's sewing machine, the band was christened AC DC. The 1st LP, "High Voltage" was released in 1975, featuring "It's A Long Way To The Top (if you wanna rock n' roll).
The band was electric! Angus in his schoolboy outfit, still only 18, Bon Scott (also a transplanted Scottish boy) with his tough-guy image and those bagpipes!
They hit England for their 1st tour releasing their 4th LP "Power Age". Many kids hated or were just plain tired of the pretentiousness and silly ways of Disco. Along came AC DC who saved us all. Soon to follow would be Stevie Ray, Thorogood, and countless others to snatch back the rockin' blues from the arid and acrid wasteland of music like a $2 wig of a Hooker's head. Ball Breakers, indeed!
Harry's Razors
The commercial is correct, why pay such high prices for razor blades. For me, it became a totally loathsome task, so much so, that I shaved with a dull blade until I finally had cut up my face so badly I was forced to once again make the investment.
To the store, I would go and invariably forget which razor I was using...Schick 5-blade retractable anal itcher or the Gillette 18-blade commando with ear wax remover? I would end up buying a new razor that would come with a couple of cartridges and a month later I would go through the same shit all over again.
Enter Harry's. Great razor, feels good in your hand, 4 German blade cartridges, the best-smelling shave gel I have ever come across, and after-shave balm....all for a reasonable price, PLUS you can get on auto ship every month or so and take the brain work right out. Thanks, Harry!
Click here for Harry's
Warby Parker Glasses
Extremely affordable, smart-looking frames. Ship 5 pairs to try on free! Postage supplied to and back!
https://www.warbyparker.com/
Re-release
The epic 1969/1970 recording: Junior Wells Southside Blues Jam, will be re-released by Delmark Records on 14 November. Featuring the top session men in Chicago at the time, this album is 2nd only to "HooDoo Man Blues" in importance tops any list in pure satisfaction. Re-released in Digipak expanded Deluxe Edition it contains unissued performances from the session and a 16-page booklet.
Living Blues Magazine
I have been a subscriber, off and on, for years. I'll let it lapse every so often and then will receive an off to re-subscribe which is too good to pass. The latest issue (6 yearly issues) for the Fall of 2014 is a special double issue dedicated to traveling to all the hot blues spots in Mississippi following the "Blues Trail". To be sure, it's on my Bucket List. Check it out and pick up a copy, great reading even if you never go.
Living Blues Magazine
Tasty Cooking Tidbits From the Kitchen of Muddy Waters
Yes, you heard it right. An old chum of Muddy's has compiled a short web page of some of Muddy's more favorite "Shotgun Shack" dishes including "Fried Bologna Snack", "Collard Greens", "Wine Chicken" and others. Check it out. As Andy Griffith would say "MMMMmmmmmmmmmm Goooooooooood"
Muddy Waters Recipes
New Book by Eric Wittenberg Coming this Fall 2014!
Best Seat in the House - Jerry Shirley
An absolutely fabulous read if you have any affection for the late 60's/ early 70's hard rock ala the UK (and I have TONS of affection). Jerry was the youngest in the band and was able to drink this amazing experience of playing with a world touring rock outfit in and lived to tell about it and the story is great! click here to order Jerry's book
What in the World was I waiting for?
I guess I was waiting for a sign from God. Well, that never came but I FINALLY picked it up today.
I first saw this LP in a store I was running back in the early/mid-80's. I always remembered the cover because 1) I had no idea who Furry Lewis was and 2) The picture on the jacket made him look like a Baptist getting struck by the Holy Ghost.
Fast forward quite a few years. I know who Furry Lewis is and I have several albums by him. He was a slide player born in Greenwood, Mississippi but moved to Memphis at a young age. He traveled around in his teen years playing parties etc. In 1922, he decided to settle down and became a street sweeper in Memphis, a position he held until he retired in 1966. The folk craze and the early rock n' rollers searching out their idols brought about his return to playing and recording. He was very active until his passing in 1981.
A strong singer ( in my opinion) and an absolute gem of a picker and slide player, this album is quintessential Furry and he does, indeed, Shakes It On Down!
Write Your Own Blues Lyrics!
James Cotton at the City Winery on Monday the 30th of September!
The "Cotton Mouth Man" himself will be passing through NYC and I'm making sure to catch him. It's been a long time since I've seen James and it is possibly close to the last chance to do so. He's one of the last of the "old guard" of Chicago bluesmen from the '50s and '60s. Gonna be rockin!
Chancellorsville's Second Front ~The Battles of 2nd Fredricksburg and Salem Church May 3, 1863
From the publisher, Savas Beatie:
"By May of 1863, the Stone Wall at the base of Marye's Heights above Fredericksburg loomed large over the Army of the Potomac, haunting its men with memories of slaughter from their crushing defeat there the previous December. They would assault it again with a very different result the following spring when General Joe Hooker, bogged down in bloody battle with the Army of Northern Virginia around the crossroads of Chancellorsville, ordered John Sedgwick's Sixth Corps to assault the heights and move to his assistance. This time the Union troops wrested the wall and high ground from the Confederates and drove west into the enemy's rear. The inland drive stalled in heavy fighting at Salem Church. Chancellorsville's Forgotten Front: The Battles of Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church, May 3,1863, is the first book-length study of these overlooked engagements and the central roles they played in the final Southern victory.
Once Hooker opened the campaign with a brilliant march around General Lee's left flank, the Confederate commander violated military principles by dividing his under-strength army in the face of superior numbers. He shuttled most of his men west from around Fredericksburg under Stonewall Jackson to meet Hooker in the tangles of the Wilderness, leaving behind a small portion to watch Sedgwick's Sixth Corps. Jackson's devastating attack against Hooker's exposed right flank on May 2, however, convinced the Union army commander to order Sedgwick's large, unused corps to break through and march against Lee's rear. From that point on, Chancellorsville's Forgotten Front tightens the lens for a thorough examination of the decision-making, movements, and fighting that led to the breakthrough, inland thrust, and ultimate bloody stalemate at Salem Church.
Authors Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White have long appreciated the pivotal roles Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church played in the campaign, and just how close the Southern army came to grief—and the Union army to stunning success. Together they seamlessly weave their extensive newspaper, archival, and firsthand research into a compelling narrative to better understand these combats, which usually garner little more than a footnote to the larger story of Jackson's march and tragic fatal wounding.
The success at Second Fredericksburg was one of the Union army's few bright spots in the campaign, while the setback at Salem Church stands as its most devastating lost opportunity. Instead of being trapped between the Sixth Corps' hammer and "Fighting Joe" Hooker's anvil, Lee overcame long odds to achieve what is widely recognized as his greatest victory. But Lee's triumph played out as it did because of the pivotal events at Second Fredericksburg and Salem Church—Chancellorsville's forgotten front—where Union soldiers once more faced the horror of an indomitable wall of stone, and an undersized Confederate division stood up to a Union juggernaut."
Having reenacted in the re-activated 3rd Regiment Infantry New Jersey Volunteers, this book makes me sit up and take notice. The 3rd was front and center in the actions of these battles, which have been totally ignored when writing about the Chancellorsville campaign. What IS written about is Jackson's brilliant flank march and surprise attack. However, just as devastating was the attack of Sedgwick's 6th Corps on the Confederate rear that, if successful, would have been Lee's demise.
New Jerry Garcia Band ~ Garcia Live Volume 1 ~ Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ March 1, 1980
Released Feb.19th, this show was originally simulcast on WNEW FM, New York!
Early Show:
Sugaree
Catfish John
How Sweet It Is
Simple Twist of Fate
Sitting in Limbo >
That’s All Right
Deal
Sugaree
Catfish John
How Sweet It Is
Simple Twist of Fate
Sitting in Limbo >
That’s All Right
Deal
Late Show:
Mission in the Rain
That’s What Love Will Make You Do
Russian Lullaby
Tiger Rose (w/ Robert Hunter)
Promontory Rider (w/ Robert Hunter)
Midnight Moonlight
E: Dear Prudence
Mission in the Rain
That’s What Love Will Make You Do
Russian Lullaby
Tiger Rose (w/ Robert Hunter)
Promontory Rider (w/ Robert Hunter)
Midnight Moonlight
E: Dear Prudence
~
3/9/2013I picked up this 3CD set today. Somehow, listening to Jerry with his own band sans The Dead is really satisfying. This particular collection is well mixed and produced, Jerry's guitar is rings like a bell and the backup band is awesome. Bob Weir once said that he would be exhausted after coming off tour and needed the time off to recharge. He marveled at the fact that Jerry kept going when everyone else was relaxing, making albums, doing other tours, etc. It is hard to imagine, Jerry packed a boatload of living into his life, that's for sure.
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Cowboy Joe
Spring 2012 I received my most anticipated purchase in quite some time. I bought it from "Sheplers" in Wichita, Kansas. Its a beautiful spanking new straw cowboy hat and I'm all a-tizzy with excitement.
All of my friends come to see me last night
I was laying in my bed and dying
Annie Beauneu from Saint Angel
Say "the weather down here so fine"
I was laying in my bed and dying
Annie Beauneu from Saint Angel
Say "the weather down here so fine"
Just then the wind came squalling through the door
But who can the weather command
Just want to have a little peace to die
And a friend or two I love at hand
But who can the weather command
Just want to have a little peace to die
And a friend or two I love at hand
Fever roll up to a hundred and five
Roll on up, gonna roll back down
One more day I find myself alive
Tomorrow maybe go beneath the ground
Roll on up, gonna roll back down
One more day I find myself alive
Tomorrow maybe go beneath the ground
See here how everything
Lead up to this day
And it's just like any other day
That's ever been
Sun going up and then
The sun going down
Shine through my window
And my friends they come around
Come around, come around
Lead up to this day
And it's just like any other day
That's ever been
Sun going up and then
The sun going down
Shine through my window
And my friends they come around
Come around, come around
The people might know, but the people don't care
That a man can be as poor as me
Take a look at poor Peter, he's lying in pain
Now let's come run and see
Run and see
Run and see
Run, run and see, and see
That a man can be as poor as me
Take a look at poor Peter, he's lying in pain
Now let's come run and see
Run and see
Run and see
Run, run and see, and see
Magic Slim & the Teardrops 7/12/11
It was by sheer coincidence that I discovered that my absolute favorite Blues Man was playing on Tuesday night. I just happened to go on his site, hadn't been on in months, and saw he was in town that very night. I was hoping that my car would be out of service that day, I received my box from Sheplers (above post). Along with the new hat I had acquired a couple o new short sleeve cowboy shirts, standard white with snaps, but cool and comfortable...at 5 o'clock my car was ready, the deal was sealed.Slim didn't go on til 10:30 so I had plenty of time to cruise on in, good thing too, cuz as soon as I got off the GW I wrong-turned onto Riverside Drive...now I had to go all the way down to 97th to get back on the Henry Hudson. Riverside Drive was amazing at that time of night...wide open and no cars at all, anywhere! Totally deserted, I cruised all the way down and got back on the Hudson. Pulled into Bleeker at 10:30 on the nose and parked less than a block away from Terra Blues.
Went on in and the band hadn't even started. The joint is tiny, I've played bigger places than this, I took a seat at the bar and had a Rolling Rock on tap...nice and cold. I didn't look too out of place with my cowboy hat on...yea, right, but NY is filled with all kinds, so I didn't feel weird, actually, I felt damn good. I like going out by myself...like the Dead say in Trucking "One of these days, you know you gotta get going, out of the door and to the street all alone".
The Teardrops took the stage a bit after 11:00 and got right into that sweet Blues Chicago shuffle, I was in fucking heaven! Slim then took the stage. I hadn't seen him in a while, still big as ever but he had to be helped onto the tiny stage where he sat in a chair and the guitar was strapped on him...another Blues great going...shit!
was drenched and the 2nd show was still looming! Between shows, I talked to the bass player, Andre, and then rapped with Slim's handler. He was none other than Jr. Wells cousin! Jr. had taught me most of my harp licks and had passed quite some time ago. We spent the next hour talking about Jr, Slim, Chicago, harps, and boatloads of other stuff...he said that if I had my harps I could get up and play during the 2nd set. I told him I was not foolish enough to get on stage with a master and hadn't even thought about bringing em. He gave me his card and said we should hook up next time they were in town, maybe I'll have the balls to bring my harps next time!
Rory Block
Her new album is out and is a tribute to one of my all-time favorite Delta bluesman, Mississippi Fred McDowell. You may have heard the Stones do a cover of his song "You Got To Move". Fred was the real deal and produced a sound that could make your bones turn to jello.
Rory, in her own right, is an accomplished slide player and has done numerous tribute albums recently giving the nod to the likes of Robert Johnson and Son House to name two. There is no way you can go wrong by picking up any of her numerous albums.
As Fred was heard to say "I Don't Play No Rock n' Roll, well, maybe so but his music stirs my soul and scratches an itch deep inside.
New Release - Grateful Dead - Live at the Mosque
The year 1977 spring tour is considered by many "Dead Heads" to be one of the finest tours of their long career. The mid 70's found them in hiatus, working mostly on individual projects, and just taking a break from the road and from each other. Enter Clive Davis with the newly formed Arista Record Label. The Dead, tired of running their own label make the jump to Arista. Clive talks them into using a midstream style producer who is a real taskmaster at getting the right sound, the right take, etc. The Dead takes to it, tighten their licks and the result is "Terrapin Station", an awesome studio album. Fresh from the studio and their time off, the band hits the road for some of the greatest shows they ever played. This is evidenced superbly on the new release "Live at the Mosque - Richmond, VA 5/25/77"
Disc 1
1. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
2. Jack Straw
3. They Love Each Other
4. Mexicali Blues
5. Peggy-O
6. Cassidy
7. Loser
8. Lazy Lightning>
9. Supplication
10. Brown-Eyed Women
11. Promised Land
Disc 2
1. Scarlet Begonias>
2. Fire On The Mountain
3. Estimated Prophet>
4. He's Gone>
5. Drums
Disc 3
1. The Other One>
2. Wharf Rat>
3. The Other One>
4. The Wheel>
5. Around And Around
6. Johnny B. Goode
This album was sold as part of a yearly subscription of 4 releases for 2012 plus one bonus disc. The subscription offer is over on Feb.7. You can still buy the album ala carte but there will only be 12,000 pressed. Available at Dead.net
*That was 2012, it's now 2019 and that and many other early releases are selling for up in $300-$400 range.
NJ Ink
Since my late teens, I have thought every now and again about getting a tattoo. Nothing crazy, but I just could never make up my mind what I wanted to be enshrined forever on my bod.
I pulled up in front of a new parlor I had seen which was just down the street from one of my doctors. I sat in the car for about 20 minutes. I got out, walked inside and put my money down:
Further / Coney Island / 7/14/12
Since the death of Jerry Garcia, I had not given the "carry-on" band, Furthur, much attention. This was a major mistake I shall always regret.
At about 2PM I made my way to Coney Island and MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. Arriving more than 5 hours before show time, the area was already mobbed, not with only the usual beachgoers but with the gathering of the "tribes" as well. Flea Market tie dye stands were numerous as was the wafting of the fragrant odor of cannabis.
After taking in the sites I felt somewhat hungry and went to a neighborhood bar to watch the afternoon Mets game, have something to eat and whet my whistle:
Lobster roll, fried clams and Brooklyn Lager, even though the Mets lost I was feeling full and content...ready for the 1st Dead experience in a long, long time.
The place was packed when I walked in, a full 1 1/2 hours before the show, I was already pouring sweat and the breeze off the ocean only dented it a bit, the evening would promise to be a lot cooler though. I had a General Admission ticket for the seats and found a nice one in a bit of shade with a good view of the stage.
Playing in the Band>The Wheel>I Know You Rider>One More Saturday Night was an epic end for a satisfying evening by the beach.
Dave's Picks 2013
I got the notice today that Volume 5, the 1st of 4 for 2013, has shipped and it's on the way. Exhilaration!
Pauley Pavilion, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 11/17/1973
Disc 1
1 Me And My Uncle [3:18]
2 Here Comes Sunshine [11:53]
3 Looks Like Rain [7:24]
4 Deal [5:08]
5 Mexicali Blues [3:39]
6 Tennessee Jed [7:58]
7 The Race Is On [3:27]
8 China Cat Sunflower> [9:10]
9 I Know You Rider [5:44]
10 Big River [5:22]
11 Brown-Eyed Women [5:27]
12 Around And Around [5:10]
Disc 2
1 Row Jimmy [9:39]
2 Jack Straw [5:18]
3 Ramble On Rose [6:37]
4 Playing In The Band> [15:02]
5 Uncle John's Band> [7:29]
6 Morning Dew [13:54]
7 Uncle John's Band> [1:44]
8 Playing In The Band [11:37]
Disc 3
1 Stella Blue [7:29]
2 El Paso [4:29]
3 Eyes Of The World> [14:18]
4 Sugar Magnolia [9:52]
5 Casey Jones [6:54]
The subscription for Dave Picks 5 thru 8 is over and Vol.5 ala carte is already sold out. The next Volume (6) is due out May 1, 2013. It is best to get on the stick early and order as the limited pressings sell out quickly (whatever remains that wasn't claimed by subscription). The next Volume is from the Fox Theatre in St. Louis 2/2/70, it promises to be awesome!
Rory Gallagher - Blues
Just released in late May 2019, an amazing 3cd, 36 track retrospective of Rory Gallaghers favorite Blues tunes. Recorded live and in the studio, it also features guest appearances from Muddy Waters, Albert King, and Jack Bruce to name a few. Culled from Rory's estate it has a wonderful amount of solo material with Rory playing his National Steel guitar the results are extremely satisfying.
Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records is a German Independent Record Company founded in 1975. They specialize in pressing long out of print archival music from Country, Rock N' Roll, and Blues genres. Some real gems can be found by checking out their web presence. They are mainly mail order as there are few stores left to carry their goods. Two recent purchases by myself are:
Reverend Robert Wilkins - Prodigal Son
Cover kinda look familiar? It's a knock off of the Stones "Beggars Banquet" album of which Reverend Wilkins song "Prodigal Son" was an intricate part. The royalties from the Stones version made the last years of his life pretty comfortable. Acoustic and slide guitar throughout, Reverend Wilkins playing and singing is crisp clear and unmistakenly haunting. Love it!
BR5-49 - One Long Saturday Night
In 1974 a 5 piece band of musicians held court regularly at Roberts Western Wear in downtown Nashville. Their mixture of Honky Tonk, good time hardcore Country with liberal helpings of Bluegrass helped make them a local and tourist favorite. Having "borrowed" their name from a skit on "Hee Haw", their music also tipped it's a cap to the Bakersfield sound of Hee Haw perennial, Buck Owens. Having long disbanded (Chuck Meade, guitar and vocals, has some great albums on his own with his band "The Grassy Knoll Boys"), this album is a real find for all of us long devoted fans.
