R.I.P. THE GENIUS!

Ray Charles died today. An Associated Press story is HERE.

I only got to see Ray in concert once, back in the early '80s at Albuquerque's Civic Auditorium.

What can I say? He was great.

I'll be honoring The Genius on both my radio shows this weekend (Santa Fe Opry on Friday night, Terrell's Sound World on Sunday, both starting at 10 p.m. on KSFR 90.7 FM

Here's an old Terrell's Tune-Up I wrote reviewing a Ray Charles box set.

DISCOVERING RAY CHARLES
Originally published in in The Santa Fe New Mexican Oct. 10,1997.

When introducing her guest singer at a 1971 concert at the Filmore West, Aretha Franklin exclaimed, ``I discovered Ray Charles!''

Those too young to remember the old Flip Wilson TV show probably won't get the joke. She is referring to one of Flip's most popular routines, the one where Columbus is pitching his expedition to Queen Isabella. The exuberant queen exclaims, ``Chris gonna find Ray Charles!''

Indeed, assuming that our music is one of America's greatest treasures, one of the most shining jewels is Ray Charles.

Rhino Records recently released the most comprehensive treasure chest of Brother Ray's music to date, the five-disc collection, Genius & Soul, The 50th Anniversary Collection.Half a century in show business. Prevailing over physical handicap, drug addiction, untold changes of musical styles. And almost every one of these 102 songs (which span the years from 1949 to 1993) sound fresh, vital and downright majestic.

It's true that Ray Charles is blind, but when it comes to music, he is a man of vision. Who else could sing blues, jazz, soul, pop, Tin Pan Alley, show tunes, country and even soda pop jingles? finding any kernel of passion, infusing it with his personality and making it sound like the only song that matters. Who else could record songs by Hoagy Carmichael, Buck Owens, The Beatles, the Gershwins and Quincy Jones and make it all sound like they were written especially for him?

Ray can even turn a fluffy little bubblegum ditty like Melanie's "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma" into a soulful howl. (It must have been a joyous kick in the head for Ms. Safka when she heard what Ray Charles did to her song. By the end of it, he's improvising, ``I'm insane, insane, mama, I'm goin' crazy, mama!'')

There are so many great tunes here, it doesn't seem right to mention just the few that space will allow. I doubt that I have to convince anyone of the wonder of such hits like "Hit the Road, Jack," "I Got a Woman," "Georgia On My Mind," "Unchain My Heart" and "What I Say." (If I ever become Ayatollah, I'll put Ray Charles on the $10 bill with the inscription, "Tell your Mama, Tell Your Pa, I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas.")

But here's some lesser known Charles tunes that ought to be more famous:

* "It Should Have Been Me": This is an early one, recorded in 1953, a proto-R&B tune written by someone named Memphis Curtis. It sounds a lot like the songs that Lieber and Stoller would later compose. Ray's voice is noticeably higher.

*"You Are My Sunshine": This is the greatest of Ray's country songs. But, with the help of singer Margie Hendrix (the real star of this tune), it doesn't sound ``country'' at all. In fact, it sounds like some kind of voodoo ceremony accompanied by a big band.

*"Ruby": Like many of Ray's tunes, this one features lush strings and a full-blown chorus. Rock purists might cringe, but Charles radiates so much passion here, your average loud, raunchy guitar group pales by comparison.

*"Don't Change On Me": A minor hit from the early '70s, showing Ray's sweeter side. It's just a sincere, simple love song with a chorus that clings to your brain.

*"Understanding": A disquieting thought: Did O.J. Simpson ever hear this 1967 song? Here Ray warns his woman better not cheat because if she does, Her soul better belong to the good Lord, 'cause her head gonna belong to me?

A personal note: When I first started getting seriously into music back in the third grade Ray Charles' "Hide 'Nor Hair," a minor 1962 hit written by Percy Mayfield, was one of my favorite songs. My mom bought me (actually, I put it in her grocery cart when she wasn't looking) Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, which was released about the same time, but to my grave disappointment, the song wasn't there.

Nearly a decade later I bought Ray's 25th Anniversary Collection, which until this box set was his best compilation. But "Hide 'Nor Hair" wasn't there either. Indeed, that single was never on an album. Until now. It's the first song on Disc Three. Naturally, it was the first song I played when I got this box.

Not only did I remember most of the lyrics though I hadn't heard it in more than 30 years I also remembered what first drew me to Ray Charles and to music in general. I won't argue that it's his greatest song. (At the moment I'm leaning to "In the Heat of the Night" or "I Believe to My Soul") But it sure means a lot to me.

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: STAMPEDE IN LAS VEGAS

As Published in The Santa Fe New Mexican

There was a little stampede at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas last Saturday.

It seemed that some of the major obituary writers in the free world were in our own Las Vegas on the day that Ronald Reagan died.

And pity anyone between the attendees of the annual Great Obituary Writers’ International Conference and a payphone when that news hit.

According to an article in The New York Sun, “A number of the approximately 45 assembled obituary professionals from America and Britain raced for the single payphone in the hotel lobby.”

Adam Bernstein of The Washington Post told The Sun, “I raced to the phone to block the Daily Telegraph from getting access. In an apparent reference to The Front Page, Bernstein said, “I almost wanted to put an ‘Out of Order’ sign on the pay phone.”

The writers had been attending a workshop on coverage of the Sept. 11 fatalities and casualties of the Iraq war.

The rush to the phones undoubtedly was a knee-jerk reporters' reaction. As the story goes on to explain, most large news organizations have the background material for obituaries of prominent people prepared years in advance, so most the writers in Las Vegas weren’t desperately needed by their papers that day.

Madam Governor: Local Democrats had a little party at Tiny’s Restaurant and Lounge Tuesday. Actually, it wasn’t that little. More than 100 crammed into the restaurant’s patio to greet state party Chairman John Wertheim and other party honchos, who are visiting each of the state’s 33 counties this week.

Speaking at the event was Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who gave a rousing speech to the faithful.

But one thing that seemed odd was the fact that two previous speakers -- Wertheim and House Speaker Ben Lujan -- referred to her as “Gov. Denish.” and Denish didn’t correct them.

Well, technically she was governor at the moment, an aide pointed out. The real governor, Bill Richardson was in California at the Reagan library, so officially Denish was in charge.

However, according to Denish, referring to the lieutenant governor as “governor” is proper protocol when the governor isn’t present.

Where did she learn this arcane knowledge? From the people who ought to know a thing or two about gubernatorial protocol -- the governor’s state police security detail.

The 527s are Coming! Although the Democrats at Tiny’s seemed to be having a pretty good time, there are some people who might want to work in campaigns but aren’t comfortable with the regular party organizations. These are the people to whom the group called America Coming Together want to appeal.

ACT, one of the major liberal “527” groups (named so after a section in the national tax code that pertains to them) recently opened a headquarters in Santa Fe at 1500 Fifth St.

State ACT Director Geri Prado -- who was John Kerry’s state campaign director before the February presidential caucus -- said Wednesday her group plans to do door to door canvassing in hopes of defeating Presdient Bush.

ACT and other groups associated with America Votes -- a coalition of various progressive groups, PACs and 527s, are having a kick off event 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 12 at the NEA New Mexico Building, 13 South Capitol St.

SANTA FE OPRY PLAY LIST

Sean Conlon, host of KSFR's Graveyard Shift (early Thursday morning, midnight - 2 a.m.) substituted for me last Friday (June 4) on The Santa Fe Opry.

Here's his play list.

Peter Stampfel & The Bottlecaps - Springtime in Alaska
Unholy Trio - Bring The Noise
Leon McAuliffe & His Western Swing Band - Blue Guitar Stomp
Rhythm Wreckers - Blue Yodel #12
Pine Valley Cosmonauts - Brain Cloudy Blues
Johnny Down - A Picture From Life's Other Side
Porter Wagner - The Rubber Room
Charlie Poole & His North Carolina Ramblers - Goodbye Booze

Janis Martin - Ooby Dooby
Blacktop Rockets - Froggie Went a Courtin'
Tina Turner - Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
Jon Langford - Homburg
Kelly Hogan - Whispering Pines
George Jones - The Cold Hard Truth
Terry Allen w/ Lucinda Williams - Room To Room
Carter Family - You've Got To Righten That Wrong
Lorette Velvette - Broke The Circle

from Health & Happiness Show (Disc 1) by Hank Williams -
Happy Rovin' Cowboy
Wedding Bells
Lovesick Blues
Old Joe Clark
Where The Soul of Man Never Dies
Sally Goodin'

Maddox Brothers & Rose - Hangover Blues
Whiskeytown - Drank Like A River
Sally Timms - Seminole Wind
Ronnie Dawson - Rockin' & A Rollin'
Niu Abdomineaux Dangereux - Ghosts
Michael Hurley - Monkey On The Interstate/Whiskey Willie

Zeb Turner - Travelling Boogie
Johnny Tyler & The Riders of the Rio Grande - Freight Train Boogie
Jimmie O'Neal & The Colorado Hillbillies - Streamline Boogie
Lonnie Glosson - Pan American Boogie
Harry Choates - Louisiana Boogie
Jeff Durham & His Rhythm Playboys - Tennessee Boogie
Curley Williams & His Georgia Peach Pickers - Georgia Boogie
Gene O'Quinn - Texas Boogie

Ted Hawkins - Long As I Can See The Light

HIGH MAYHEM FESTIVAL CALLING FOR PERFORMERS

Attention musicians: Dave "Twisted Groove" Barsanti sent me this e-mail from the High Mayhem Festival's Carlos Sanistevan:

"Please help us get the word out! Forward this to everyone you know who might be interested. More info can be found at www.highmayhem.com "

So do it! Here's High Mayhem's Contact Page.

(The Twisted Groove airs midnight to 2 a.m. Saturdays on KSFR, immediately following The Santa Fe Opry.)

ANTI-WAR SONGS

In my recent review of Patti Smith's Trampin', (scroll down just a few posts) I went off on a tangent about new anti-war songs.

My friend David Menconi, music writer for the Raleigh News and Observer and author of the novel Off the Record, pointed out he did a story on this very subject more than a year ago. It lists quite a few that I missed, so CHECK IT OUT.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAY LIST

Sunday, June 6, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants
Lightning's Girl by Nancy Sinatra
Youth Against Fascism by Sonic Youth
Heart Full of Soul by The Yardbirds
I Think of Demons by Roky Erickson
Tele Novella by Cellophane Typewriters
Silver Naked Ladies by Paul Westerberg
Mudflap Girl by Timbuk 3

Fake Blood by Mission of Burma
Right of Way by The Von Bondies
Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine by Country Joe & The Fish
The Day Industry Decided to Stop by The Three Johns
Strobe Light by The B52s
Ignoreland by R.E.M.
Sweethearts by Camper Van Beethoven

Cash by Patti Smith
Down on Me by Big Brother & The Holding Company
If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life by Prince
Careless Eithiopians by Toots & The Maytals with Keith Ricahrds
At the Border Guy by Joe Strummer
Hollyweird by Wolfboy & The Fantods
Jhumka Gira Re by Asha Bhosle

Phil and Jerry by Mylab
Only You by Portishead
Riff Blues by Skip Martin
Two Thousand Places by The Polyphonic Spree
I Wanted To by Richard Thompson
Low Ambition by Lambchop
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

A WEEKEND WITH THE HATCHET-WIELDING JEWS

I had a good time Friday and Saturday night playing my tacky tunes with Gregg Turner (and on Friday, Lenny Hoffman). Got to see some old friends and meet a couple of new ones, which, besides making a joyful noise, is the chief reason I still do this kind of thing these days.

Friday's Aztec Cafe show was officially opened with a genuine Hassidic rabbi (Gregg, Lenny, remind me of his name!) who blessed the macaroons that we passed out to the audience.

My major accomplishment during my set was performing the late Rolf Cahn's "Special Love" for the first time in public. Before we started, the rabbi asked if I knew any Jewish songs, so I guess Rolf's tune will have to do in that category. Although I've loved the song since Rolf gave me the cassette tape 20-plus years ago -- and through the years I've frequently found myself singing the line "You can loaf with some oaf on the shore by the sea," I only learned the song last week. I got a weird urge that I must learn the song -- maybe a message from Rolf in the Great Beyond -- Tuesday night at work writing my election stories. So I went home and learned it and I don't think I blew any of the lyrics at the Aztec. I believe every Santa Fe musician should do at least one Rolf Cahn song.

I didn't realize until I got there that Saturday's gig at Twister's, an antique clothing store, was a fashion show! Believe it or not, I've never done a fashion show gig before. I guess I was modeling my Big Ugly Guys T-shirt and my Albuquerque Isotopes cap. Turner modeled a lovely pair of shorts.

Twisters set up a stage in back of their store facing the alley, where the Second Street Brewery sold beer and Back Road Pizza sold food. If it would have had about 500 more people and The Waco Brothers, it would have reminded me of the great Bloodshot Records parties at the Yard Dog Gallery during South by Southwest in Austin.

The highlight of my set was a two-or-three year old kid wearing a Pinocchio T-shirt and a painted-on mustache who got on the stage with me, dancing and hopping around.

Finaly, there's no Santa Fe Opry play list, at least not yet. Sean Conlon of The Graveyard Shift substituted for me Friday so I could play at the Aztec. If he sends me a list, I'll post it. I'll be doing Sound World as usual Sunday night.

TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: PATTI'S STILL TRAMPIN'

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican, June 4, 2004

Patti Smith is pushing 60, but her new album Trampin’ shows her rocking as hard as ever.

In fact Trampin’ is an outright call to celebration in the face of adversity, to “be a jubilee” as the first song says, to let the doves multiply even though the hawks are circling.

The song “My Blakean Year” (with a melody and beat that will remind old fans of “Dancing Barefoot”) espouses a similar creed: “Throw off your stupid cloak/Embrace all that you fear/for joy shall conquer all despair/ in my Blakean year.”

Some of the tunes rock downright ferociously, such as “Stride of the Mind” -- a mystical mishmash of lyrics set to a thumping garage rock tune -- and a couple of trademark Smithean epics here -- “Gandhi” and “Radio Baghdad” -- both long, (nine minute and 12 minute respectively) freewheeling , politically charged inspired diatribes that start off slow but build up into monster guitar frenzies.

(Political side trip: The war in Iraq is starting to inspire some musicians, Besides Smith’s raging indictment, there’s “That’s the News,” by Merle Haggard; a sad and beautiful tune called “Baghdad” by songwriter Ed Pettersen; The Beatie Boys’ “In a World Gone Mad”; Spearhead’s “Bomb Da World,“ not to mention the entire Rock Against Bush CD featuring punk bands like The Offspring, NoFX, Pennywise, etc. Nothing has the strong anthem potential of Country Joe & The Fish’s “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” or Pete Seeger’s “Knee Deep in the Big Muddy” has emerged.)

There are a couple of slow, pretty numbers here like “Peaceable Kingdom” and “Trespass.”

And surprisingly, one of the strongest, most memorable tracks here is the title song, an old spiritual, gone here with Smith’s daughter Jesse on piano. “I’m trampin’, trampin’, tryin’ to make Heaven my home,” Smith sings in a weary but unaffected voice.
While nobody honestly can claim that Patti Smith is mainstream, she’s no longer on the cutting edge of rock ’n’ roll as she was during her wild ride of the mid to late 70s.

But who cares? She’s created her own sound, her own style that nobody’s ever pulled off imitating. And she’s always been true to her visions. The uninitiated might not hear the call, but Smith fans should celebrate Trampin’.

Also Recommended:

*Onoffon by Mission of Burma.
When most of us hear the name “Roger Miller,” we think of the hillbilly hipster who used to live in Tesuque who was responsible for “King of the Road” and “Dang Me.” But there’s a whole generation of old punk rockers from Boston who know Roger Miller as the guitarist, singer and main songwriter of a short-lived but influential band from the early ‘80s, Mission of Burma.

Mission only did one studio album before breaking up about 20 years ago. But now they’re back, three out of four original members intact. (Miller, bassist Clint Conley and drummer Peter Prescott, both of whom also sing and write songs.)

O.K., MOB was one bandwagon I didn’t jump on back in the day. So I’m approaching Onoffon with fresh ears, unencumbered by whether or not the band sounds as good as they did during their golden era.

And I like what I hear.

With Miller’s dense feedback-drenched guitar roaring over meandering but sometimes catchy melodies this record reminds me somewhat of Husker Du (who arose in faraway Minnesota after MOB’s demise). And I hear just a little bit of another Massachusetts band that came along later, Dinosaur Jr.

But neither comparison does justice to the band.
There are so many joys on this record. The opening song “The Setup” sets the frantic tone of the album with Miller shouting over the glorious din. The rhythmic noise rock of “Fever Moon” sounds like punk and metal had a baby and they named it Bo Diddley. And “Max Ernst’s Dream” is an apparent followup to a very early MOB song.

Basically this makes me want to go back and discover Mission of Burma’s first album Vs. and other early work.

*Ruby Satellite System by Cellophane Typewriters. This is the new band of Santa Fe’s Zelda Salazar, who used to call his group The Occult Morphinas.

I don’t care what he calls it, this probably is Salazar’s best album yet. It’s full of big psychedelic guitars, crunching riffs colored by Kevin Zoernig’s keyboards.

The first song “Belladonna” is an exuberant tune even though he’s singing to a pill-freak girl who’s “barely alive” and “full of fear.“ It shows traces of Eastern music -- filtered through ’60s garage psychedelia, to be sure.

“The Prize” has even more brutal lyrics about a druggo friend who he envisions getting “brutalized, victimized and sodomized for your prize”

One of the most moving songs is “Evil Star,” a child’s bitter rebuke to a bad father.

Salazar doesn’t gig much, but he’s pretty prolific with the recordings. And he just keeps getting better.

(Last I checked, the Cellophane Typewriters’ web site wasn’t working. For more info try e-mailing ctmusic@yahoo.com or writing Iron Lady Music, 369 Montezuma St., Box 129, Santa Fe, N.M. 87501.)

*Hear songs from all the above albums on Terrell’s Sound World, 10 p.m. Sunday , KSFR, 90. 7 FM. And don’t forget The Santa Fe Opry, country music as God intended it to sound, Fridays, same time, same channel. Sean Conlon will be filling in for me tonight while I do my gig at the Aztec Cafe.

FOr details on that gig, scroll down until you see the poster of Gregg Turner and me.

Are You a Music Snob?

Find out HERE

I am not a music snob.

I don't have bony knees.

But I do dig Monti Rock III.

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: PRIMARY MOP-UP

One of the real eye-openers during the recent primary season in Santa Fe was the sheer amount of money being raised by a couple of the candidates — tens of thousands of dollars all for a part-time position that pays a modest per diem.

Peter Wirth raised more than $101,000 according to his most recent report filed last week. If that’s not a local record, someone please let me know. Some of his critics grumbled that he was “buying” the election. And indeed he won the House District 47 race in a landslide.

But over in Senate District 25, Sen. Roman Maes reported raising more than $70,000, more than all his three opponents’ totals put together. But Maes came in second to John Grubesic, who raised less than one-sixth of Maes’ total.

So how much did the candidates pay for each vote?

Using the total amount of money the candidates reported raising as of last week (the final campaign finance reports aren’t due until July), assuming all that money got spent, and dividing the number of votes they received, according to unofficial results, here’s how it broke down:

Grubesic got the most bang for the buck. Each of the 2,928 votes he got cost $3.87.

That’s a stark contrast to Maes, who paid about $27.60 for each vote he got. And that doesn’t even include the $9,000 that Gov. Bill Richardson’s PAC paid for mail-outs and automated phone calls.

Maes’ votes cost less than those of Wirth’s. For his race, Wirth paid $31.83 per vote.

Down in House District 45, which was a low-key, low-budget race, Rep. Jim Trujillo, who handily beat challenger Robert Ochoa, paid $9.33 per vote.

Local government blues: A word to aspiring politicians. Local government positions in Santa Fe are rarely springboards to state office. At least not in recent years. My editor reminded me that a couple of guys named Bruce King and Ben Lujan started out on the Santa Fe County Commission.

But that was a long time ago. Two candidates from local government bodies got turned down by voters in legislative races Tuesday.

City Councilor Carol Robertson Lopez, who ran for the District 47 House seat, came in a distant second behind Wirth. Wirth had 65 percent of the vote in the four-candidate race, compared with 21 percent for Lopez.

Ochoa, who served on the Santa Fe school board for eight years, lost to Trujillo by a 70-30 margin.

The only Santa Fe local officials to go on to state offices in the last decade or so are senators Nancy Rodriguez — a former county commissioner, and Phil Griego, a former city councilor. Both senators won their unopposed primaries Tuesday.

Don’t forget the GOP: Democrats outnumber Republicans in Santa Fe by about 3 to 1, but several Republican legislative candidates will be on the ballot. Wirth will face Gregg Bemis in District 47, while Griego will be up against Republican Al Lopez in Senate District 39.

In Senate District 25 Grubesic has a Republican opponent in Bob Mallin. Also on the ballot is Green Party primary winner Rick Lass. Lass probably would have gotten more traction running against the more conservative Democrat Maes than Grubesic, who was endorsed by several progressive political groups.

Making good on his word: One opponent Grubesic doesn’t have to worry about is Robb Hirsch, who had been gathering petition signatures to get on the November ballot as an independent.

Hirsch on Wednesday did what he said he’d do if Grubesic won the primary. He officially ended his campaign and threw his support to the Democrat.

"The outcome of this election is a testament to the wonderful people who turned out to vote yesterday and who single-handedly defied the status quo power politics, overcame the special interest money game and put their confidence behind someone with new blood and integrity," he said in an e-mail press release.

Hirsch said he’ll devote his energy to a group he and his wife founded called Independent New Mexicans for Kerry.

He’s given up his campaign, but not his web site.