Gerald Lester “Jerry” Byrd - the king of lap steel guitar. He has a track record that includes
recording with both Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, and teaching both Jerry
Garcia and Jimmie Vaughn how to play steel guitar. This guy was a staple of the Grand Ole Opry,
and a true gem of American music. This
album showcases a combination of blues and Hawaiian tunes on the steel guitar,
which is both relaxing and captivatingly eerie. When the snow comes heaping down, there’s just no
better escape.
Sorry about the lack of meaningful music coming out of your favorite intern here at Real Folk Blog. I've been on vacation.
See, the beauty of being an unpaid intern is that I am free to come and go as I please around here. It's not like there are legions of hungry young english and journalism majors clamoring for an opportunity to crank out content for some crappy low-budget blog without any form of compensation.
(Visits Craigslist Writing/Editing Want Ads)
Aww, folk. I'm screwed.
In order to distract you and the bosses from my lengthy vacation, we're gonna pretend I never left.
Picking off where Mad Mackin' Mark Gruyere left off, we're going to continue to surf the cool blue sounds of soul-jazz. Who better to lead us to into new realms of soul than the self-proclaimed "Soul Man" himself?
Bobby Timmons, like Charles Earland is another impressive and talented soul-jazz musician to come out of the Philadelphia scene. In fact, Timmons and Earland were actually classmates at South Philadelphia High School, along with other jazz giants like Frankie Avalon and Lew Tabackin. Although I can't confirm it, the Internet is claiming that they all were in a band together. And to think, the best band at my High School just played Metallica and Neil Young covers.
Anyway, Timmons was raised by his Grandfather, a minister. He started lessons at nine, beginning with a solid gospel foundation on which he would heap liberal doses of jazz, a couple spoonfuls of soul, and a dash or two of funk, to taste. A seasoned session player, he still managed to find time to release a solo album at least once a year throughout the sixties.
This set from 1966 shows the soul man flexing some serious muscle. Jazzy enough for the purists, funky enough for the dancefloor, and soulful enough for anyone who cares to listen. It sounds like it could be the soundtrack for a Shaft sequel, if Shaft had decided to start wearing impeccably tailored suits and taking his martini's shaken, not stirred.
The opening track, "Cut Me Loose, Charlie" is featured here, and it pretty much gives you all you need to know about what The Soul Man is up to.
P.S. Big props to Wayne Shorter, the saxophonist, who pretty much kills it throughout.
