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David Lindley was one of a kind - The ultimate sideman.  “The Prince of Polyester” played a mind-boggling array of exotic stringed instruments and musical genres with swing and inventiveness. One of the pillars of the Southern California folk-rock sound that dominated the airwaves in the 70s, this Sancho Panza to the dueling Quixotes of Jackson Browne and Ry Cooder was founder of the legendary 1960s world music pioneers Kaleidoscope, and deeply beloved. When he went solo I guess it was too hard to pin him down commercially. For example, this satirical Hawaiian Slack-Key pastiche is one of several styles covered in his “Very Greasy” album - which also includes a cover of the Temptations Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone and Bobby Freeman’s Do You Wanna Dance (in a Ska rhythm). It’s a brilliant evocation of a drunken, middle-class, luau themed office party.He was a humble genius, I suspect. When my wife went to see him in Santa Monica I asked her to have him sign my Kaleidoscope CD. She told me that when he saw it he wa

The earth shifted for me when I heard Uncle Dave Macon for the first time. This was when the Harry Smith Anthology was released on CD in 1997. The energy of this man, swingin’ his claw hammer banjo and elating me with his infectious humor, brought the sepia-toned 19th century to boisterous life, and I was smitten. I began listening to, and reading, as much as I could get my hands on, and although the “Dixie Dewdrop” died the year before I was born, he was kinetically alive for me, lifting me out of whatever funk I happened to have been in, into a realm of pure joy. What an inspiration for an aging aspirant: He was discovered by accident by Marcus Loew of the Loews Theatre chain at the age of 50, and elevated to the heights of radio stardom on the Grand Old Opry, and national recording acclaim. How fortunate that these technologies, though in their infancy, were around to document the power of this entertainment fireball.He was a beloved amateur (in the truest sense of the word), who had simply enjoyed enterta

HOTEL BOHEMIA IS DESIGNED TO LEAD YOU TO A DESTINATION CONSTRUCTED WITH THE HOPE OF EXAMINING THE HOLY PAST, THE PUZZLING PRESENT AND THE POSSIBILITIES OF OUR IMPENDING FORTUNES.THIS PROGRAM IS DEDICATED WITH LOVE TO THOSE WHO INSPIRED THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS HOTEL BOHEMIA PREVIEW:MEL BLANC, PHIL OCHS, ANDY DEVINE, SAM LAY, EUGENE O'NEILL, ROBERT RYAN, NICK GRAVENITES, BEN WEBSTER, DAVID MAMET, AL PACINO, LEON FUCHS, CHUBBY CHECKER,  BUDD SCHULBERG , ROD STEIGER, MARLON BRANDO, ELIA KAZAN, AL JOLSON, MURRAY 'THE K" KAUFMAN, TRACEY DEY, THE ROCK, JOHN BELUSHI, DON RICKLES, FRANK SINATRA, JOHNNY CARSON, JEFF LYNNE, RODNEY DANGERFIELD, DIANA KRALL, EDWARD R. MURROW, ROBERT THOM, ED BEGLEY,  SYLVESTER STALLONE AND BILL MESNIK.

"I am a determinist. As such, I do not believe in free will...Practically, I am, nevertheless, compelled to act as if freedom of the will existed. If I wish to live in a civilized community, I must act as if man is a responsible being."- Albert Einstein,"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." — John F. Kennedy.1) All Going Down Together – Bobby Stevens of The Checkmates LTD-From The 1971 Album "Life".2) Down We Go- Kaleo-By The Icelandic rock band Kaleo  in 2016 and released as the second single for their second studio album on Elektra Records.3) Mr. Nasty – The Remars- Written in 2016 by Film Director Steve Karras  ("About Face: The Story of the Jewish Refugee Soldiers of World War II") and performed By The Remars.4) They Watered My Whiskey Down – Phil Burdett- Recorded in 1993 By United Kingdom Singer and Songwriter Phil Burdett And The New World Troubadours -From The Album Diesel Poems.5) Oh Baby Don

There was a crippling blizzard in Iowa in April of 1973. Over a foot of snow fell, coupled with 50-70 mph winds. But, inside my dormitory at U of I, I was warmed by the eternal sunshine of Pentangle’s evocation of the 12th century. The plangent voice of Jacqui McShee, accompanied by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch’s jazz infused “baroque folk” sustained me throughout that challenging season. Not usually one to subscribe to any woo-woo, New Ageist practices, I nonetheless became convinced that I had lived before as a medieval troubadour - a sensation that recently resurfaced when I was introduced to the Witcher saga, because I strongly identified with Dandelion, that narrative’s ironic balladeer. Ms. McShee was my gateway drug to the time-traveling vocal intoxications of Anne Briggs, Shirley Collins, Maddy Prior, June Tabor, Sandy Denny, Kate Rusby, and others. A.L. Lloyd and Richard Thompson became my “spirit guides” through the library of Child ballads; a path which eventually led me back home to the USA via A

The original line up of Traffic had it all: mysticism, funk, folk, world music, and a healthy dose of irony. For an acid head like me they were the perfect accompaniment for a trip through shifting patterns of synchronicity. Of course, Traffic was helmed by the one and only Steve Winwood, who as a teenager impressed the world, shouting the blues on “I’m a Man,” and “Keep on Running” with the Spencer Davis Group, and was now considered a full-blown genius. But they also needed Dave Mason for ballast, because after he left the rising balloon, Winwood navigated the group into extended jazz noodle-ville - (but, that’s another story!) Who knows what tomorrow may bring from the group’s eponymous second album is a deceptively simple groove and mantra that resonates across genres, time-zones, and philosophies, releasing a blast of joy-filled dopamine to one’s synaptic receptors, even as one contemplates the evanescence of life. And, that swinging organ counterpoint is smoking! As I felt the waves of dislocation begin

Bizarre was originally formed in 1967 as a production company when Frank Zappa and his manager Herb Cohen negotiated their own production deal with Verve Records. The purpose of forming his own production company was to give Zappa complete creative control over his work and the works he planned to produce for others.Bizarre Records was then established in 1969 along with a companion label, Straight Records, with the intention to release albums by avant-garde artists on Bizarre, and recordings by more mainstream artists on Straight. Both labels were distributed by Warner Bros. Records.However, the original Bizarre Records concept failed to work out as expected due to issues with distribution and management. This led to some very unusual albums on the Straight label (Captain Beefheart, Alice Cooper), and Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were the only artists who stayed with Bizarre Records.When the original distribution contracts with Warner Bros. ended in 1973, most Bizarre and Straight recordings were re-is

Buck Owens (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), and Dwight Yoakam (b. October 23, 1956) :  two master navigators of a very unique tributary along the stream of popular music, inspired and learned from each other - one, being the progenitor of the "Bakersfield Sound", and the other his adopted musical progeny.  "The Streets of Bakersfield," originally recorded by Buck Owens in 1973, was revived as a duet between the two men in 1988, becoming  a chart hit and a popular video.  Buck, whose career had gone dark after losing his friend and musical partner, Don Rich in 1974, was sparked back to life when Dwight came into his life.  Here Bill and Rich attempt to connect some of the musical catalogue and biographical dots  of these two musical giants.

DELICIOUS by Jim Backus and Friend (Jubilee, 1958)This lascivious one-off came to me via Dr. Demento, the famed broadcaster and collector of novelty records. The evocative cocktail music by Mort Garson and Buddy Kaye sets the salacious scene. I immediately recognized the familiar voice of the tipsy seducer as Jim Backus  (known for Mr. Magoo and Thurston Howell III). But, who was that sexy siren playing footsie with him? It was Kay Connell, who couldn't reveal her name on the record, as she was under contract at ABC-Paramount - so she remains deeply obscure, known to recorded history only as Jim’s “friend”. Everyone loves to laugh; it’s contagious. JIm and Kay's chortling is so infectious that it sparks spasms of glee in anyone who hears it. I dare you to try to listen to this record while resisting the effervescent bubbles of mirth that these two wobbly wantons are serving up.Jim Backus did some estimable dramatic acting, including as James Dean’s dad in Rebel Without a Cause, but he hit comedy pay

The singer-songwriter’s singer- songwriter; the Americana artist’s Americana artist, John Hiatt doesn’t get anywhere near the respect he deserves. From way back in 1974, when 3 Dog Night made a hit out of “Sure as I’m Sittin’ Here”, up to today, Hiatt has written and recorded more classic songs than most, and although his voice sounds like vinegar on sand paper, I love his unique vocalizations. He is one of my favorite singers. Born in Indiana, just like that other heartland rocker-poet John Mellencamp, Hiatt represents a no frills, tell it like it is approach - (but with consummate lyrical style) - and, always with a wink. Even when he makes me cry with lines like,  from “Icy Blue Heart”: “To melt your icy blue heart, Should I start - To turn what's been frozen for years Into a river of tears?” - I smile, appreciating his unerring craftsmanship.Hiatt provided a ligature in the sinew of my marriage. Chemayne and I met in ’87 in Atlanta - and the album Slow Turning accompanied our journey northward to New

"MY HEART TOOK A LEAP - THE POETIC INNOCENCE OF THE SHANGRI-LAS" -RICH BUCKLAND'S EPIPHANY NOTEBOOKLike so many pre teens growing up in the sixites I slept with a transistor radio under my pillow. That receiver was the best friend a 12 year old could possibly have. It told me only what I wanted to hear and unlike the parental tunes regulary dispensed, I could slide the dial to another frequency and change the feel and tempo. 1964 was an extraordinary year for popular music and youthful urges. My wireless companion delivered the sound of pleading voices reciting urgent love calls through the night air. The first feminine intonations that whispered directly to my adolescent hunger ariived through The Supremes in June of that year.  I would wait anxiously through the bedtime darkness to hear the DJ conduct another spin of the salvation revealed  within a Diana Ross plea requesting an explanation to what would become the eternal question of  "Where Did Our Love Go".  I was fully captured

Call it “dream logic”; call it a time-collapsing mind meld. It came to me in a dream: a snatch of nonsense lyric and melody, an ear-worm summoned up from 60 years in the past. I didn’t know what it was, why it was teasing me, or precisely where it came from, but there it was… “and, so on, so on, so forth…” What was it? I googled just that much, and up it came: “The Hut-Song,” sung by the eponymous elephant in Horton Hatches an Egg, a cartoon that I had watched as a toddler. And, digging back a bit further, I discovered that preceding that animated Dr. Suess adaptation, The Hut-Sut Song was a monster pop hit, with several cover versions - the most popular being Freddy Martin’s. Thereby, not only did I jump start my memory, but I made a new discovery, as well. So, here we are: A Sunny Song from the deep recesses of my sub-conscious. I’m including both versions because the pop hit has a whole backstory to explain the indecipherable lyrics.I think the genesis of this whole mission was that I recently became a gra

Bayside High School in Queens, New York began an early celebration of its 80th anniversary, making it one of the oldest public schools in the five boroughs.At a ceremony Saturday, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing), state Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) and state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) gathered with students, staff and alumni of the storied school to mark the occasion. The lawmakers presented proclamations declaring the importance of the school and the significance of the anniversary.Opened in 1936, and built during the Great Depression, Bayside High School was the first in the city to be constructed with federal funds from the New Deal-era Public Works Administration. The school cost $2.5 million.Gregg Sullivan, chairman of the Friends of Bayside High School, ran through many of the great historical events the school had borne witness to.“This school takes us through a number of great human events,” he said. “The Great Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars and the J.F.K. assassinat

Buck Owens (August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006), and Dwight Yoakam (b. October 23, 1956) :  two master navigators of a very unique tributary along the stream of popular music, inspired and learned from each other - one, being the progenitor of the "Bakersfield Sound", and the other his adopted musical progeny.  "The Streets of Bakersfield," originally recorded by Buck Owens in 1973, was revived as a duet between the two men in 1988, becoming  a chart hit and a popular video.  Buck, whose career had gone dark after losing his friend and musical partner, Don Rich in 1974, was sparked back to life when Dwight came into his life.  Here Bill and Rich attempt to connect some of the musical catalogue and biographical dots  of these two musical giants. 

How does one define Romance in the era of "me, too"?  Bill and Rich, The Splendid Bohemians, wrestle with this question as they examine the work of the man who was dubbed "France's Frank Sinatra."Charles Aznavour (22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018), one of Armenia's favorite sons, was a cultural force as a singer, writer-composer, actor, and artistic diplomat around the world. His catalogue is voluminous.  For much of the 20th century, Aznavour promulgated what the ideal of romance should be.  Jean Cocteau once said:  "Before Aznavour despair was unpopular".  His voice describes the longing of desire, and the pain of regret. Can these emotions ever be considered out of date?

Getz and Gilberto - an immortal pair of musical lovers - The Czar and Czarina of sexy insinuation. The coolest purveyors of cool jazz, swinging sweetly with a Portuguese inflection. Just try to listen to them without moving involuntarily -  you can’t. Before you know it, your shoulders will be swaying gently in the fragrant summer breeze that perfumes the air all around you with longing and lust. This cut represents the epitome of what a Sunny Song should be: you can literally feel the warmth from old Sol on your face as you picture brown bodies frolicking along Rio’s beaches. It may have emerged specifically out of the time and place of Brazil’s Bossa Nova craze of the early 60s, but it’s timeless. The sound, the feeling, the groove - immutable. Rich and I covered The Girl From Ipanema on a previous episode of Put On a Stack of 45s, so I won’t rehash the particulars of Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto’s biographies. Let the music suffice to tell their story - and, It’s so compelling that it leads one to wonder:

On Aug. 18, 1969, legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix stepped onto the stage at the Woodstock, N.Y., Music Festival and embarked upon an uninterrupted set lasting nearly two hours--one of the longest performances of his career.FOUR MONTHS LATER...........December 31, 1969 -Prior to their two concerts later that evening, Hendrix and his Band Of Gypsys held an afternoon sound check and rehearsal at the Fillmore East.Fillmore East, New York Two Shows Prior to their two concerts later that evening, Hendrix and his Band Of Gypsys held an afternoon sound check and rehearsal at the Fillmore East. Later that evening, before a sold out crowd of 2,639, Hendrix rang in the New Year and new decade with two unforgettable performances. The evening’s festivities opened with a spirited set by the Voices Of East Harlem, an enthusiastic young gospel ensemble. With the anticipation of the sold out Fillmore audience heightened to fever pitch, Hendrix led his trio through a scintillating, seventy-five minute opening performance. Non

Starting with the salutary opening voice over: “The Sir Douglas Quintet is back, we’d like to thank all our beautiful friends all over the country and all the beautiful vibrations, we love you…” - this Tex-Mex, flower-power rave up let’s you know that you’re in for a groovy ride. Doug Sahm’s Tejana inflected combo from the borderlands broke up after their weed bust, and he relocated to the Bay Area where his head was turned around by the Hippies up there. Inspired by what he was experiencing, he re-recruited 3 of his original compatriots, including his childhood friend, the sizzling Vox organist, Augie Myers, and they produced this powerful tribute to the Northern California scene. I didn’t know much about this group, and what I did know was fabricated. They were dubbed The Sir Douglas Quintet by their record producer in order to capitalize on the British Invasion juggernaut that was happening in ’65, and their first single, She’s About a Mover struck gold. That’s all I knew until I heard this anthem with its

https://www.fayboundalberti.com/blog/2017/10/19/its-not-unusual-says-tom-jones-but-he-misses-the-pointWhat goes around, comes around. Tom Jones, the happily married man who claimed to have slept with 250 women in a single year opens up about his own sexual harassment early in his career.

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