August 13th, 2010
Guitar Gable, Michael Hurtt, Jockey Etienne at a Congo Mambo concert.
Today is the last of our cocktail-and-conversation series with the Louisiana State Museum and it’s a doozy- a conversation with swamp-pop guitarist Gabriel Perrodin, better known as Guitar Gable. Today, Aug. 13 at 5:30 p.m at the Cabildo in New Orleans’ Jackson Square. Free drinks, Swamp Pop DJ and admission!
PonderosaStomp.com on Guitar Gable:
In the annals of bayou guitar slingers, few men can claim a pedigree as distinguished as that of Guitar Gable. Born Gabriel Perrodin, Gable’s echo-drenched six-string licks define the exotic Crowley studio sound that producer J.D. Miller perfected during the ‘50s. Picking his Telecaster with an advanced-yet edgy feel, and with the help of the amazing Clarence “Jockey” Etienne on drums, Gable came up with a string of Caribbean-laced instrumentals like Congo Mombo,” “Guitar Rhumbo” and—perhaps the rarest and greatest of all of them—“Gumbo Mambo,” that are as much a part of South Louisiana’s rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere as the songs of Fats Domino and Bobby Charles.
Guitar Gable and King Karl soon revolutionized the swamp pop lexicon with bluesy, heart-wrenching ballads such as “Irene,” “Life Problem” and “This Should Go On Forever”—ridden to the top of the charts in 1958 by Rod Bernard—as well as rockers like “Cool, Calm, Collected” and “Walking Through the Park.” While their material is most closely associated with Excello Records, Gable and Karl had some excellent releases during the ’60s on the La Louisianne label and its subsidiary, Tamm. The Kings broke up in 1968, but reformed in 1995. With Jockey Etienne still behind the drum kit, their inherently raw, visceral approach is as close to what this music sounded like when it was invented as anyone will ever hear live in the new millennium.
Guitar Gable, Congo Mombo
Categories: Audio, Song of the Day |
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July 28th, 2010
Jaded ears may be crying over hearing this warhorse again. This horse can still kick however in the hands of a master. Case in point – Detroit vocalist Spyder Turner’s version.
This novelty take of “Stand By Me” includes impersonations of Jackie Wilson, David Ruffin, Billy Stewart, Chuck Jackson and Smokey Robinson and comes from Turner’s audition tape to MGM. The phrasing in the beginning demonstrates that Turner is a great singer in his own right. The masses agreed and in ’67 “Stand by Me” hit #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Soul charts.
If you have seen veteran R&B performers live they often include a song in which they mimic other performer’s vocals and moves. They may have even done it to this song. Chalk another one up for Spyder Turner.
Spyder Turner performs at the Detroit Breakdown in NYC on July 31, 2010.
Categories: Audio, Detroit, Ponderosa Stomp On The Road, Song of the Day, Soul |
Tags: Detroit, Detroit Breakdown, Spyder Turner | 1 Comment
July 27th, 2010
Before the Stooges, MC5 and the Nuge there was Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
Early in 1967, Mitch Ryder’s prototypical, riff-rockin “Sock It To Me-Baby!” became Ryder’s final Top 10 single, despite being banned on several stations for being too sexually suggestive.
Mitch and the boys will take Manhattan this Saturday at the Detroit Breakdown!
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Sock it to Me, Baby!
Categories: Audio, Detroit, Rock 'n Roll, Song of the Day |
Tags: Detroit, Detroit Breakdown | 4 Comments
July 16th, 2010
On July 31, 2010, Eddie Kirkland will kick off the Detroit Breakdown in NYC.
Eddie Kirkland, Saturday Night Stomp
Categories: Audio, Blues, Detroit, Ponderosa Stomp On The Road, Song of the Day |
Tags: Detroit, Detroit Breakdown, Lincoln Center | 1 Comment
July 2nd, 2010
Born and raised in rough-and-tumble Phenix City, Alabama, where he still resides today, Ralph “Soul” Jackson” grew up in a musical household. After a childhood spent tinkering with the piano while other boys played ball, Jackson penned an original called “Don’t Tear Yourself Down” during his senior year in high school and sent a demo of it off to Rick Hall in Muscle Shoals. The next thing he knew, Ralph was recording at Hall’s Fame Studio with the same band that backed the likes of Clarence Carter, Wilson Pickett and Arthur Conley.
In 1975 he cut a single for Neal Hemphill’s Birmingham-based Black Kat label, “Set Me Free” b/w “Take Me Back.” Considered a “Northern Soul” classic, it has been released on the CD “The Birmingham Sound: The Soul of Neal Hemphill” by Rabbit Factory as well as reissued on a Dusty Groove 45.
“Soul” will be appearing Thursday, July 8th, from 6pm-8pm at the Ogden Museum After Hours in collaboration with the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation for a performance and interview.
Ralph Soul Jackson, Set Me Free
Categories: Audio, Song of the Day, Soul |
Tags: Birmingham, Black Kat, muscle shoals, Neil Hemphill, northen soul | No Comments
June 29th, 2010
This just in – the Stomp’s Alison Fensterstock with the latest on the future of Ernie K-Doe’s Mother-in-Law Lounge.
Just about a week after deciding that she would close the landmark tavern she took over after her mother’s death last year, Betty Fox has announced that she will try to keep the Mother-In-Law Lounge open after all. The outpouring of support that came after her announcement on June 20 prompted a change of heart, she said.
Read more on NOLA.com, including the details on the upcoming July 5th benefit….
On March 25, 2000, four young New Orleans acts played with K-Doe at the Mother-in-Law Lounge as a tribute to one of their most important mentors. K-Doe loved to teach his children and they loved to learn from their favorite teacher. The bands that night were The Rubber Maids, Egg Yolk Jubilee, The McGillicuddys, Fireball Rockett and Mr. Quintron. (the blurry face underneath Martin Luther King is the Stomp's D Lefty Parker) Photo by Scott Saltzmann
When I think about the Mother-In-Law lounge, I always picture K-Doe singing this song in his club: “Come on Home.”
Ernie K-Doe, Come on Home
Categories: Audio, Fallen But Never Forgotten, New Orleans, Scene Report |
Tags: K-Doe | 1 Comment
June 25th, 2010
Over the years the Ponderosa Stomp has had insane guitars, wild guitars, scratchy guitars and just some plain great guitars: Link Ray, Scotty Moore, Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Kirkland, Classie Ballou, Travis Wammack, Guitar Gable, Ray Sharpe, James Blood Ulmer, Paul Burlison, Lady Bo, Nokie Edwards, Arch Hall JR, Dennis Coffey, Jimmy Lee Fautheree, and Herb Remington to name just a FEW! (whew).
This year, at the ninth annual Ponderosa Stomp, we will have the “King of the Twang” guitar- DUANE EDDY! DR Ike has had Eddy on his wish list for years- and now its going to happen!
Enjoy Duane Eddy’s 1958 hit “Ramrod” – which got to #27 on the billboard charts.
Duane Eddy, Ramrod
Categories: Audio, Ponderosa Stomp 2010, Song of the Day |
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June 24th, 2010
The king of truck driving music, Red Simpson, appearing at Ponderosa Stomp #9.
Red Simpson, Hello, I’m a Truck
Categories: Audio, Ponderosa Stomp 2010, Song of the Day, Uncategorized |
Tags: Bakersfield, Truck Driving Music | No Comments
June 23rd, 2010
Let’s take a trip down Whittier Blvd! Outta control Chicano soul from the Thee Midniters- who are appearing at Ponderosa Stomp #9.
Grab your slab from Norton Records!
Thee Midniters, Whittier Blvd
Categories: Audio, Ponderosa Stomp 2010, Song of the Day |
Tags: Chicano Soul, thee midnighters | 1 Comment
