Influences
Records & Such
Thinking lately, as I have been, about the music that's been so important in my life, I thought I'd try and put down in a sembalance of ordered electrons the who, what and, why of it all. This list may expand, contract and implode at any time and is likely to continue shifting in form for quite some time so, feel free to visit more than once...
BTW, So as not to seem commercially biased, I'll not be making links to most artists unless I know them to sell their music directly (as in Grateful Dead Merch., for example). But much of what I list is likely availible at one of your favorite on-line cd or lp retailers. If not, find a reputable record store, prepare for an overdose of dust, and start digging.
Here goes...
Grateful Dead - Who, of you who knows me, wouldn't have guessed this? From junior high school days starting off with the Skeletons In The Closet collection (an excellent primer), to these days when I'll honestly say I love all of their releases I've been a fan. Among the studio efforts, I'm hard-pressed to pick a fovorite but Workingman's Dead is probably it. Live Dead is crucial performance material along with Two From The Vault which comes from the same time period and beautifully showcases both Pigpen's blistering vocals as well as the bands instrumental acrobatics. These days, the Dick's Picks series is spreading round the live music quite nicely covering all phases of the band and presenting their broad range of sounds and material. For those who find official releases aren't enough, there are countless live bootlegs available for free exchange all over the internet.
Bob Dylan - Truely one of the greatest songwriters of our times, Dylan has continuously re-invented himself and re-proven his worth to the world. He would also be the first to tell you that he has nothing to prove. I have great affection for every one of his records through 1969's Nashville Skyline as well as some of his mid-70's and 1990's output. Of particular interest, I'd recommend The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan which has classic tunes such as "Blowin In The Wind", "Hard Rain..." and, my favorite Dylan song, "Bob Dylan's Dream". Other key albums for me include Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, the live album; recorded with The Band; Before The Flood, and the timeless masterpiece; Blood On The Tracks as well as its less successful follow-up; Desire. In the 90's, Dylan spent some time exploring his roots and released two solo, acoustic albums of folk & blues traditionals: Good As I Been To You and World Gone Wrong. Of course, I have to mention that the first Dylan album which I ever purchased was 1988's Dylan & The Dead which feature Dylan, backed by the Grateful Dead live in 1987. It was also my first Dead CD... Hmmm perhaps this is more telling than I thought.
The Band - Only fitting that I put theses guys here. After Bob Dylan went electric he needed a backing band to take on the road and who did he call? A tight, experienced rock & roll combo made up of four Canadians and one swell drummer from Arkansas. Known at the time as The Hawks, they backed Dylan as he faced boos from the folkie purists all over the US and Europe. When the tour ended, they followed Dylan back to Woodstock and holed up in a pink house and wrote songs together. This led to their first record in 1968, Music From Big Pink. This album packs such a broad influence that it motivated the Dead to re-explore their acoustic roots and Clapton to abandon the over-driven psychedelia of Cream. The songwriting and overall tone of this and the follow-up (1969's The Band) are lush and visual; painting pictures of and older, simpler Americana. Later live records prove that The Band was truely The Band as can be heard on Rock Of Ages, The Last Waltz (which features extensive guest performances including, Clapton, Dylan, Neil Young, and more) and, Live At Watkins. The latter features The Band's performance from 1973's lengendary Watkins Glen concert where they shared the bill with The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers Band before a crowd of approx. 600,000 fans.
Eric Clapton - Derek & The Dominoes Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs. This record amazes me each time I listen to it. Containing the made-in-heaven combination of Clapton and Duane Allman and a collection of songs that boggles the mind, this double set is too good to miss. Clapton had given up the psychedelia of Cream and gone on the rode as a sideman for Delaney & Bonnie. After the tour, he 'stole' their band and began working on his new sound in Miami. The Allmans came to town early on in the sessions for a second record and Clapton recruited Duane for the record which made for an all-time great album. I was given this on cassette by my friends father in eighth grade and, man, did it leave an imprint. Also influential to myself was Cream's Disraeli Gears. Strong, psychedelic and bluesy; this record (along with Hendrix) introduced me to the wah-wah pedal. Killer stuff.
Neil Young - Every year, I have a different favorite Neil Young album. First, in high school and college, I had a two-fer cassette of Harvest and After The Gold Rush. These two albums introduced me to Neil's songwriting and captured my imagination. His acoustic sounds probably resonate more strongly in my own playing than anyone elses. After these two, into my life came a slew of his records including Comes A Time, Time Fades Away, Harvest Moon, Unplugged and, Tonight's The Night which is currently my favorite.
John Coltrane - Where to begin? The first Coltrane record I purchased (on CD, actually) is 1959's Giant Steps. I'm still not sure what drew me to select this record from the stacks but after exploring each note and riff in and out I found myself progressively slayed by Coltrane's mastery of and ability to surpass bop. Paul Chambers and Wynton Kelly (Bass and Piano respectively) also left an impression on me and both of these artists led me to numerous great records from a wide range of performers. Soon afterward I discovered Blue Train from 1957 which also feature Lee Morgan on trumpet. (I later sought out a number of Morgan's records from the 60's). This album is stellar. I couldn't begin to describe the intensity in those grooves. And then came A Love Supreme. This is probably not a much of a Must Have as Blue Train in my book but it is similarly powerful. Here, Coltrane makes a personal, spiritual, sonic quest accompanied by the "classic" quartet of McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and, Jimmy Garrison (Piano, Drums & Bass). This record reaches into me. I can't help but respect it.
Jerry Garcia - I list Jerry separately because his solo/side projects have had significant impact along with his work in The Grateful Dead. Firstly I'd have to list Old And In The Way as the record that got me into bluegrass. Jerry, with David Grisman, Peter Rowan, the legendary Vassar Clements and Jerry's perennial bass player, John Kahn recorded a classic, chart-topping bluegrass record that I can hear in my mind right this very minute. Great songs and killer picking make this a classic to be reckoned with. Also with Grisman, Jerry recorded an album in 1991 entitled simply Jerry Garcia And David Grisman. Featuring sparse instrumentation (backed only by Grisman's Bass & Perssion players) these to old friends wrap their notes around each other in an exciting and stimulating groove that makes the eyes smile and the jaw drop.
Another album(s) credited to a duo that I must mention include the complete set of Garcia/Saunders Keystone albums. Paired with organist Merl Saunders, and backed by John Kahn on bass and Bill Vitt on drums, Jerry rises to a more R&B groove. Check out Vols. 1 & 2 plus the 2 "encores" albums all on Fantasy records.John Lee Hooker - The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker is the one that I think of first when I think of this man. This record showed me pure acoustic blues as it should be played on a front porch in the deep south. Certain songs such as "She's Long, She's Tall" and "Bundle Up and Go" taught me volumes about playing blues guitar rhythms and how to sing the blues as well. Although Zen-like I should note: you cannot be taught how to sing the blues (unless I shoot your dog or steal your girl or wash away your town with a river or something.)
Jelly Roll Morton - I discovered Jelly Roll Morton at a friends house in the days after high school when I did little but absorb music of all kinds. His father worked at the Lirbary of Congress and had brought home the complete 4-disc set from Rounder. I borrowed this set one disc at a time and pored through it, thrilled by what he played. To hear early jazz piano so clear and raw really turned me on. I made a compilation of the cds on a tape and carry it around to this day. "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say" is one of the many tunes that sticks in my mind although many were instrumental.
Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain comes first. Performed with an orchestra arranged by Gil Evans this record is not a jazz purists introduction to Miles. Instead, it introduces his voice in an unusual context; that of accompanist to an orchestra. It's a concerto of sorts themed heavily in Spanish music. Quite chilling in fact. Next I move to another end of things: Miles' funk. With Bitches Brew Miles pioneered the field of "fusion" and heavily funkified it taboot. From there he went further out notably on Dark Magus. I also quite like the pre-electric material including The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert and such records as Miles In The Sky, Seven Steps To Heaven and, In A Silent Way. Frankly, I'll listen to anything from Miles. He's got something for any mood or setting.
The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers Greg (organ/keys) and Duane (slide guitar), along with guitar slinger Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley on bass, and dual drummers, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe came together in the late sixties to form the definitive southern blues jam band. Comibining jazz with rock, soul and, blues; these guys quickley stepped up to make their mark. When I first heard their self-titled debut album, I was sold. I'd already been introduced to Duane's smoking slide via Derek & The Dominoes but within his own band... Transcendance. On top of that, rather, mixed beneath it, one could hear Greg's organ growling, the drummers playing off oone another and spreading out like a large sofa. Berry Oakley's bass pounds though your bones and Dickey's guitar plays an brillant counterpoint to Duane. Sadly, Both Duane and Berry died in seperate motorcycle accident a year apart (in '71 and '72, respectively) but the true sound of this band has been captured. Live performances, like jazz artists or The Dead, represent the greatest aspect of The Allman's spirit and the original line-up can be heard on at The Fillmore East which has been masterfully remastered and added to in the form of Polydor's Fillmore Concerts release. This set contains the great improvisational vehicles "Mountain Jam" and "Whipping Post" as well as many more phenomenal performances. For more live Allmans festuring the original line-up, check out Fillmore East, Feb '70. It should be noted that after many albums and almost as many line-ups and a long hiatus, the Allmans returned to the road featuring some younger, new brothers and have been going strong for the past ten years. The second album since their reformation Where It All Begins captures quite well both the original Allmans spirit as well as the new groove of the 90's.
©2001- jmh
About the Author jmh is a family man who is thankfull for beer, LPs, and extra guitar strings. Donations of any of these things or cash for their purchase will be happily accepted.