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Daily Journal, 4/16, 2020, a Friday long-time-no-see edition

This has hardly been a ‘Daily’ journal. Sorry about that.

The coronavirus has been a big distraction. Too light a word, distraction. It’s been a scary life-changing event for most. If you’ve been following this blog, you’d think that all I’ve been doing since April Fool’s Day is listening to piano music.

Holy Titanic, that’s not the case!

To catch you up on what I’ve been doing these past few weeks, I’ll start with the point where I realized this was a huge deal.

It was Friday, March 13, and after an exchange of emails with Dr. Michael Saag that started the previous day, I received and read an Op-ed piece Saag sent me and it really opened my eyes. In clear straight ahead prose Saag laid out the pending crisis from transmission to infection to possible runaway contagion and worldwide shut-down. Saag’s piece was a hard-hitting , fact-filled, Paul Revere call- out.

I felt Saag’s sense of urgency now . The AL.com headline published Friday evening:

Renowned AIDS expert: Alabama not prepared for ‘major storm’ of COVID-19

On Saturday I talked to Saag again about some of the emails he had received from doctors he knew on the front lines in Italy. The emails painted a vivid and tragic scene: overrun emergency departments, bed shortages, medical staff weeping as they helplessly watched patients die. That story published Sunday, I believe.

Italian doctors reveal how COVID-19 is blowing up the health care system

Saag agreed to do a Q&A and follow that up with daily reports answering questions as the pandemic unfolded. We did get a couple in:

Saag’s Q&A’s

I did a few other virus related stories after that:

MVC asks: Proof that God doesn’t favor the devout. And is coronavirus testing a farce?

Alabama hunkers down for virus and tornadoes

Many of these stories were getting 10s and even hundreds of thousands of page views. Saag’s Friday the 13th Op-ed has had half a million page views to date. Millions were reading AL.com stories and our hard-working staff of several dozen have written and are writing hundreds of stories.

I have been in this business for 40 years at three major news organizations from Florida to California and have been involved in stories that have had major impacts. But in terms of public service and changing lives, the alarm bells — once we started ringing them — probably helped slow this thing down by educating the public. And while I’m viewing this through the lens of AL.com, I think it is true of the news media in general. It is a great example of where the value of journalism shines.

And so it is ironic, and yes cosmically intertwined — like Saag getting the virus — that my company announced pay cuts and mandatory unpaid furloughs this week.

The reason: The coronavirus has hit our economy with a wallop not seen a long long time. We make much of our money from advertising and businesses are slashing those advertising dollars. And of course, some business will not survive.

What do we do? Keep on keeping on. In the meantime if you are so inclined, we announced a new way for readers to help: voluntary subscriptions. We hope enough readers will chip in $10 per month to help us do our job keeping the public informed.

I’ll leave you with a song I have adopted as my own personal coronavirus song by one of my favorites:

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My top 10 Jazz piano players

As I mentioned in my Countdown Post 247 and 248 I have come to really enjoy certain jazz. Late 50s, early 60s cool jazz and bop. i also like jazzy Brazilian music and some modern jazz.

Miles Davis, Charley Parker, “Big” Bill Patton, Stanley Turrentine. Chet Baker, etc. are all folks I’ve listened to more on this journey than ever before.

Here’s my list of best jazz piano players. I may be out of my league judging fine jazz but here I go anyway.

  1. Erroll Garner. I had not heard of him until I found for a $2 bill a 10″ 33\ 1/3 record by him. Soon as I heard record I knew it was someone special. He was 5-feet -2-inches tall and never learned to read music — which at first kept him out of some good music schools. They relented and he came one of the best pianists of all time in the Jazz real.
  2. Bud Powell his music is precise and yet it still swings like it has that boppity bop.
  3. Art Tatum. I’ve heard him on several things; would like to hear more.
  4. Thelonious Monk. I recognize his great skills. I haven’t listened that much to really ‘know’ Monk. I have a couple of 78s with Monk, Bud Powell and Charley Parker.
  5. Keith Jarrett. Bought a box set of his music, mostly solo. I’d heard his name before, but the man can seriously play

6) Duke Ellington — The master leader could also play.

7) McCoy Tyner Everything I’ve heard has been good but haven’t heard much.

8) Keith Emerson. This is a little controversial because he didn’t play jazz per se but he played classical in a rock setting thus I think he was often ‘Jazzing up the classical bits). He as an amazing pianist. He performed Scott Joplin music and for one album. (Or half).

9/10. Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea. I recognize their talent but I was never a big jazz fusion fan beyond some home cookin’ bands, Sea Level and Dixie Dregs.

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Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles 247

ALBUM: At the Apollo. (1970s?)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$

Patti Labelle — like Diana Ross –first gained notice leading a ‘girl’ group.Diana Ross and the Supremes, Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles.

Both singers became stars and left their respective groups and became even more famous with long productive careers.

In fact, one of the Bluebelles became a “Supreme” — Cindy Birdsong.

But the comparisons end at the music. Diana Ross was a hit making songstress whose soft smoky voice appealed to a broader range of people than Labelle.

Labelle was a soul belter with an amazingly powerful voice, think Aretha Franklin, although higher and more piercing. This album is live and she works it out on songs like ‘I Sold my Heart to the Junkman’ and ‘Go On.’ The interesting thing on these older tracks is that Patti keeps her voice under rein. Later, with some big spots on television and concerts she would tend to let loose with her vocal acrobatics, scaling octaves like Mount Everest. A glass breaking voice that dominated and overshadowed anyone who might be on stage with her.

Perhaps her biggest recording was the multimillion seller ‘Lady Marmalade.’

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Montgomery rapper loves his mom

This kid from Montgomery contacted me on Twitter and directed me to a video of a song.

It’s about his mother and single mothers everywhere. (‘Single Mamas’)

I am a 60-year-old white man who loves music but this style urban contemporary hip hop is not one I listen to much. Sounds like it has radio potential.

I know there’s a thousand mix tapes and CD’s being pushed at streetcorners and online from folks who think they got something. Maybe they do. I think Rich Boi Streeter feat. the Younginz’ has something. Spread this around if you like it.

As always check out my music blog at www.myvinylcountdown.com

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Daily Journal March 26 9:39 a.m. Central and so we wait

Hope everyone is safe and healthy. I have talked to some who have been infected with COVID-19 and they say it is one nasty bug.

I’ve had a few stories appear on AL.com. If you haven’t seen them, here are a few.

Q&A with Dr. Saag

Postponing my death is the least I can do

Italian doctors offer harrowing look behind the scenes

OK, It’s the end of the world, now what

I’ve added to the countdown several times in the last week or so, with posts on Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, and Peter Paul and Mary.

I’m down 248 left to review from my 678 starting point — that means I’ve done 431 reviews — all posted here and available at your fingertips. Also there are probably about 100 other posts not specifically countdown related. Keep reading and thank you for all the kind words and support.

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ELVIS PRESLEY — 256, 255, 254, 253, 252, 251, 250, 249

ALBUMS: Elvis: The Sun Sessions (1979); Elvis Golden Records (1958 RE); Girl Happy (1965); Elvis Pure Gold (1975); Moody Blue (1977); Elvis for Everyone (1965) Blue Hawaii ( 1961); Elvis Country (1971).

MVC Ratings (in order of above): Sun, 5.0/$$$$; Golden Records, 4.5/$$$$; Girl Happy 2.5/$$; Pure Gold, 3.0/$$$: Moody,3.0/$$$; Elvis for Everyone, 2.5/$$; Blue Hawaii 2.5/$$; Country, 2.5/$$.

People looking at my eight Elvis records may think that I’ve got a lot of money tied up in that. I mean Elvis, come on. Got to be worth lots.

Truth is most Elvis albums aren’t worth that much. Coupla reasons. They made a lot of them as, for a time, anything with Elvis’ name and picture flew off the shelves. Secondly they weren’t that good. Elvis made a lot of mediocre to bad movies. He made a lot of mediocre to bad songs that Elvis recorded for these movies.

If you look at my list of albums I have and the photo, the two albums on the far left are the most valuable. The rest you can find at a used record store in the $4-$8 range. Or in a thrift store for $2. The other two go for 5 or 10 times that. Of course there’s other Elvis music that is worth a lot. We sat next to a couple at the Alabama Record Collector’s Association a few weeks ago who had five Sun Label singles by Elvis. He turned down offers that were in the many thousands of dollars. They actually may be headed to a museum.

Elvis had his growth stunted with the movies. I’m sure he made a lot of money and helped Col. Parker make a lot but his best stuff was clearly in his early years, starting out in 1954 when he was a 19-year-old truck driver. up until the time he was drafted in the army. He served two years, came back still putting out hit after hit, but then chose a path that I believe stunted his growth as a musician. By his early 20’s he already had an everlasting discography with classics like Jailhouse Rock, Love Me Tender, That’s All Right, Mystery Train, Don’t Be Cruel and Hound Dog.

I remember when I was high school age we went to visit some cousins, relatively distant I believe and, the one my age they called Twinkle. We watched an Elvis movie marathon and I was drawn by Elvis even if he was cheesy. She seemed to have been interested as well over Elvis. (Or was it me?) I don’t know I was watching Elvis do the ‘Clam.’

He came back and did movie music, silly music like Do the Clam. He felt like an outsider on the whole British invasion with Beatles. He staged a comeback of sorts when in 1968, dressed in all black leather he went on live TV in a performance hailed as a return to form. But while he had some good songs in the later stages of his career, they were mostly Vegas production pieces written by other people (as was the case always with Elvis). In that era came out ‘In the Ghetto,’ ‘Kentucky Rain,’ ‘A Little too Much Conversation, and ‘Fever.’

In my eyes, despite the many things you can find wrong, Elvis was the King who brought R&B to a mass audience under the new name of Rock ‘n Roll. He was talented, charismatic, good looking and could sing and dance a little bt.

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Daily Journal the virus expert edition (March 14, 2020)

Well as I reported yesterday, the world is ending. But we made it through Friday the 13th.

I often talk about my fatal disease Lewy body dementia. Eventually after some conversation one of us will say ‘Hey we are all going to die.’ Death rate of those on earth is still 100 percent.

But me, I have a fatal disease and I don’t want to die ‘early’ from some damn virus. I want as many good minutes as I can get.

This COVID -19 virus is supposed to get widespread in Alabama, infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Saag. His op-ed piece which we published Friday paints a bleak picture., especially if we don’t act swiftly.

The piece is essential reading.

IMPORTANT BROKEN LINK FIX: There was a link to a New York Times graphic that Saag pointed out in his op-ed. The graphic a nice job in a simple way of how and why we need to stretch and slow the infection rate down. I checked the link this morning and it was broken but I found it here. I’m now going to go correct it in Saag’s op-ed.

Keep checking back here for more My Vinyl Countdown on the virus, the end of life as we know it or going stir crazy with no basketball. This is changing our lives in myriad ways.

TIP OF THE DAY: Don’t check your retirement funds. Not even worth adding that to the worry list.

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Daily Journal March 13 (Friday the 13th edition vs. End of life as we know it edition and a little TLC, oops, I mean 10cc)

Hope you all saw my Top 5 playlist for the apocalypse or armageddon or end times — what ever you want to call it . Click here to start dancing in these grim times.

Other bits and pieces (not from the Dave Clark Five. ):

–My good buddy Chris Brown from Georgia , a reconnected friend from childhood sent me $100 dollar to buy an old relatively obscure album we used to listen to and laugh at. In support of MyVinylCountdown. The album is 10cc’s ‘How Dare You,’ a before-its-time musical theater about love and relationships with pristine musicality. I mean, for real, when the song ‘Don’t Hang Up’ ends there’s a dial tone. Not kidding — that was cool. Of course the album now languishes in garbage dumps and bargain bends because nobody now even knows what a $%^&* dial tone is.

Best line from that song: ‘When the barman asked what’s you’re drinking, I said marriage on the rocks.’

Chris, my brother, I sent you also another 10cc album in addition to that one. It’s called Bloody Tourists and is a little more commercial. It has ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ and that last song about the guy getting so drunk he ruins his night. It has amusing special effects.

It’s called the Anonymous Alcoholic.

— Look for a MVC story over the weekend about the most expensive records you can buy and how vinyl is still ruling.

–One vinyl note, the numbers next to the artists’ names on blog post indicate how many I have left to do. So, for example, now with Process and the Doo Rags there is the number 265, which means I have that many left to review. Starting at 678, I have reviewed and posted 413 records: 265 to go as we count down. There’s some really good stuff coming up as I roll into the last quarter.

I can’t say I’d keep you as entertained as NBA basketball and March Madness but I’ll give it a try.

Leave you with an apocalyptic song from David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, one of my fave all times. The album was purchased from me at the record convention by a good friend, Kevin. Here’s ‘Five Years.’

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3 best vocalist performances in Rock music

My Vinyl Countdown has found its favorite rock vocal performances.

Here’s a list of the Top 3 overall, followed by a list of Top 3 male vocal performances (not including the Top 3 I previously named.) And, yes, Top 3 female vocal performances.

This is highly subjective. When I say performance I don’t mean necessarily live – it could be live or a studio version. Here we go, short and sweet.

1) Joe Cocker ‘With a Little Help from Friends.’ Live at Woodstock. This cover of the Beatles song was turned inside out and milked to an explosion of emotion. Seeing him sing it makes it all the more potent as he writhes and sways as he pulls out deep feelings and blasts them into the souls of listeners who know not what is happening

2) Janis Joplin “Me and Bobby’ McGee.’ The cover of the Kris Kristofferson song came as a surprise. No one thought the shrieking hellhound from Texas could wrench so much emotion out of what was a deceptively well-written vagabond song. She gets under and over the notes in an amazing show of restraint letting it out, cathartically, at the end with the most natural sounding ‘na na na’ chorus this side of Wilson Pickett’s Land of a 1,000 Dances.

3) Sly Stone ‘If You Want Me to Stay.’ With its thumping thunking bass line forcing you on your feet, This mid-tempo Sly song covers all the bases vocally, from yodel flip to falsetto and back to heavy chest vibrating low octaves. It has soul and it is making the soul work.

Quick hits male and female:

Top 3 (Male vocal performance other than the above)

1) Prince “The Beautiful Ones.’’ Oh my! Nothing to say when you get to the end.

2) Wilson Pickett Hey Jude Beatles version is great but Pickett with guitar session help from Duane Allman tears the cover off.

3) Elvis Presley Fever (I also considered Jailhouse Rock and Kentucky Rain.}

Top 3 (Female vocal performance other than the above)

1) Eva Cassidy“Over the Rainbow” a pop ballad, not really rock. But when you hear this live version of the classic song, sung in a DC area night club with only Eva’s voice and acoustic guitar, you instantly are told by the chills down your neck that this is singing. And Magic. Singer died too young.

2) Gayle McCormick “Baby, It’s You.” The Shirelles did it, the Beatles did it but nobody did this song better than the lead singer of A Group Called Smith.

3) Tina Turner “Better be Good to Me’ Tina was the real deal, singer, performer, and role model.

Honorable mentions Aretha Franklin ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T and Hocus Pocus by Focus singer Thijs van Leer.

Hocus Pocus is one weird vocal.

And in signing off I’ll cheat with one more cannot be ignored vocal: Little Richard Tutti Frutti/Long Tall Sally

Suggestions, critiques – all welcome.

Also published in AL.com here.

BONUS QUESTION: Which one of these artists on the list are from Alabama. (Scroll down to see).

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Wilson Pickett born in Prattville.

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Daily Journal March 10, 2020 (Let’s go back to the beginning and Pick up the Pieces.)

For those of you catching up, we did pretty well at the Alabama Record Collectors Association. Sold 33 vinyl records and made more than $350. (Although expenses certainly cut into the profit margin. Maybe a nice dinner out with Catherine.

We learned some things.

  1. Unbelievable high end records. I never knew there were thousand-dollar records at these kind of shows, or anywhere for that matter. But I saw several plus records in the $200 to $400 range.
  2. Know your product. More than once, people came up asking how much. The sticker had fallen off and was now stuck to the bottom of someone’s foot. But because I had spent hours researching price and applying those stickers in advance. Even with my memory impairment, I found I could give an educated price. I know my records pretty well.
  3. Keep it real. Don’t put a 100-dollar sticker on a $15 record ‘just to see.’ Your credibility may suffer and you’ll lose the confidence of the buyers. Know what its value is to the best of your ability.
  4. Negotiations: At these events, the buyers often counter. This is something I already knew, but it takes a few times to get back upon the horse. For example, guy walks up with five albums, a $30, a $20, a $10 and a $3. That totals $63. He says: ‘How about $50 for all.’ In this case I would likely go for that but I quickly look at what he has and note silently that the $30 record was already marked down from a researched price of $45. So I quickly counter: $55 and it’s all yours. Deal struck. I think I knocked something off about one-third of the transactions — so about 11 records. All of this is happening in an environment where the prices are fair.
  5. Hands off the merchandise. As hard as this was to do, you are really trying to make money. Don’t buy records and stuff –and don’t rent a hotel when you are only 15 miles from the Gardendale Civic Center. We didn’t do the former — at least not with records, I did however buy for my two daughters and their significant others rock and roll black T’s from the heavy metal contingent behind us — They were awesome — the people and the T’s. But we did get us a room. And that’s on me because I suggested it. Otherwise, Catherine was going to have to drive to and fro for two days, at night and morning with some other work she had to do in Birmingham on Friday. It was worth the extra $100 (free continental breakfast; I got a big greasy sausage patty and biscuit and gravy.) Catherine joked we won’t put the hotel on the record convention cost side of the personal ledger and count it as ‘staycation.’

So for the big reveal (drumroll please): I grossed $407, according to latest data available. I spent $75 for a table, $40 for nylon outer sleeves and $10 for inner sleeves and other expenses, taxes, meals and gas about $60, ate cheaply. Total spent: $185.

407 – 185 = 216. Like I said a super high-end dinner for Catherine and me. Or that rare Beatles record. … perhaps? (Oh, and there’s this wedding).