R.I.P. VINCENT CRAIG

Navajo songwriter/cartoonist/humorist Vincent Craig died last week at the age of 59.

The New Mexican's substitute editorial writer Inez Russell did a wonderful eulogy today.

New Mexico's urban and reservation Indians have long known about the legendary entertainer. Fans of the popular Sunday-afternoon KUNM-FM radio show, Singing Wire, know Craig through his humorous telling of the story of Rita and the candy bar, a twisting tale that shows how love can lead a poor boy astray. For Rita, the hero steals the crazy candy bar and ends up, without her, sitting in the Window Rock jail. It's just one of Craig's many songs, but for whatever reason, "Rita" crossed cultures and audiences to find fans.

Read the whole piece HERE.

I wrote about Vincent in a review of various music events at Indian Market for No Depression back in 1997.

The most poignant and emotional musical moment of the weekend was from Vincent Craig on the Plaza Saturday afternoon. When introducing his song “A Viet Nam Tribute”, he started talking about his brother, who fought in that war. His voice became so shaky, and he was fighting back tears so hard, it seemed for a moment he would not be able to sing it. But he did, and quite powerfully.

(The entire review can be found HERE)

Here's a couple of Vincent performances on Youtube. The first one is a long, humorous monologue. The other is one of his sad songs. (Unfortunately, I couldn't find "Rita.")


Rest in peace Vincent. Hope there's lots of Big Hunk candy bars in Heaven.

UPDATE: The name of the writer of the editorial has been corrected

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, May 16, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
I Need Somebody by Question Mark & The Mysterians
Baby Please Don't Go by The Amboy Dukes
Search and Destroy by Iggy & The Stooges
Howling Wolf Blues by Johnny Dowd
The Future is Now (and It Stinks) by J.J. & The Real Jerks
Monkey Mess by Thee Vicars
Stinkin' From Drinkin' by Calvin Boze & His All-Stars

Granny Tops 'Em At the Hop by The A-Bones
Winter Funeral by Manby's Head
How Can I Make Her Mine by The Lyres
Night of The Phantom by Larry & The Blue Notes
Black-Hearted Woman by The Standells
Rita by Thee Michelle Gun Elephant
Surfin' Dead by The Cramps
I'm Talking About You by The Remains
King Kong by Barrence Whitfield & the Savages
(We Want a) Rock 'n' Roll President by The Treniers

Just a Boy by The Butthole Surfers
Cowboy George by The Fall
Highball With the Devil by Les Claypool & Holy Mackeral
Blue's Theme by Batusis
Elle est Party by The Giant Robots
No Great Shakes by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Trembers
America by Andre Williams

Matador by Pinata Protest
Undercover Medley by Brave Combo
Big Legs by Gene Phillips & His Rhythm Aces
She'll Be Mine by King Shark
Bleeding Heart by Jimi Hendrix
Soul Man in the Underworld by Jon E. Edwards
Modest Proposal by Mose Allison
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, May 14, 2010
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Red Red Robin by Rosie Flores
Down in the Bayou by The Watzloves
Greasy Creek by Tha Legendary Shack Shakers
I Didn't Mean to Be Mean by Ray Campi
I Don't Work That Cheap by Bill Kirchen with Commander Cody
Rock-A-Billy Fever by Wanda Jackson
Black Road by Flathead
Red Rose by The Blasters
In a Holler Over There by The Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band
Clap Your Hands Billy Kaundart

Love of the Common People by Waylon Jennings (for Bob Barth)
Drinking Champagne by Willie Nelson
I Tremble For You by Waylon Jennings
Pretty When It's New by Merle Haggard
Jason Fleming by Roger Miller
The Selfishness in Man by George Jones
I Overlooked An Orchid Carl Smith
Forbidden Love by Mel Street
The Wheels Fell Off The Wagon Johnny Paycheck
The Taker by Kris Kristofferson

Orange Clown Train by Clothesline Revival with Charlie Musselwhite
Freeborn Man by Junior Brown
Back in Hell by Delaney Davidson
Teenage Kicks by The Dead Brothers
The Rounder by Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks
Jesus on the Mainline by Ry Cooder
Beedle Um Bum by Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions

Anchor by Alejandro Escovedo
My Love Lives in South Austin by Cornell Hurd
Nashville Blues by The Louvin Brothers
That Yodelin' Gal, Miss Julie by The Delmore Brothers
Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark by Robbie Fulks
Flower of My Heart by Sparkle Moore
Real Life by Susan Cowsill
Two Wings by The Rev. Utah Smith
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list

MARIACHI SUPERSTARS

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, who Santa Fe Fiesta Council President Herman Lovato calls Mexico's premier mariachi group, will be headlining the 298th Fiesta de Santa Fe Mariachi Extravaganza at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 8 at The Santa Fe Opera.

These guys have been around since 1897. No, that's not a typo! 1897!

From their Wikipedia site:

The Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan was born in a small city called Tecalitlan, to the south of Jalisco. Founded in l897 by Don Gaspar Vargas the formation during those years was provided by the guitarra de golpe (or mariachera) played precisely by Don Gaspar, the wooden harp by Manuel Mendoza, and two violins played by Lino Quintero and Refugio Hernandez. The combination of these instruments established the "Sonido Tecalitlan" which distinguished from the "Sonido Cocula". (The Mariachi from Cocula utilized the guitarron and the vihuela in place of the harp and the guitarra de golpe aside from the two violins). In 1913, Don Gaspar introduced one trumpet to the group but it was not well accepted and, in later performances, its high-pitched sound was considered annoying. The cornet was replaced by another violin. The group consisted then of five elements. The son of Don Gaspar Vargas, Silvestre Vargas, joined as a violinist in 1921.

In more recent times. this is the group Linda Rondstadt used on her Canciones de mi Padre album in 1986.

No Radio Shows For Me This Weekend

But thanks to Tom Adler and D.J. Phi for subbing for The Santa Fe Opry and Terrell's Sound World while I'm on vacation.

I'm in the Live Music Capitol of the World and I have seen a couple of shows.

There was Brave Combo at Threadgill's Friday

Then last night we saw a bunch of bands at Mohawk. Here's the grand finale by a group called The Midget Men, joined by a bunch of friends for the greatest version of "We Are the World" I've ever heard.





Back to Santa Fe tomorrow.

TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: WILLIE WORLD

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
May 7, 2010

There are no guest appearances by Kid Rock or Sting, no detours into reggae, and no covers of Grateful Dead or Fleetwood Mac songs.

The title of Willie Nelson’s latest album is direct and correct: Country Music. And though it’s hardly an essential addition to the vast body of work the prolific singer has given us in the last five decades or so, it’s a dandy little effort with some fine performances and classic country tunes.

The album is produced by T Bone Burnett, which instantly supplies an inroad to the NPR crowd. (A press release that came with the promo copy of the album announced it will be sold at Starbucks.) As with his other projects, Burnett is tasteful, if a little subdued. He’s gathered some impressive musicians here, including Buddy Miller on guitar, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, and Jim Lauderdale supplying background vocals.

This album probably could have been named “Bluegrass Music,” and only the most prissy purists would argue. Indeed, it’s the closest thing to a bluegrass album Willie’s ever done with songs like “Ocean of Diamonds,” “I Am a Pilgrim,” and “Gotta Walk Alone.” Even his covers of Hank Williams’ “House of Gold,” Ray Price’s “You Done Me Wrong,” and his own early tune “Man With the Blues” sound as if they came from the hills of Kentucky, thanks largely to McCoury, banjo man Riley Baugus, and Stuart Duncan on fiddle. True, there’s some steel guitar (by Russell Pahl), which isn’t a traditional bluegrass instrument, but most of the time it’s in the background.

And there are a few bluesy, jazzy tracks, the best of which are “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” which is carried by the stand-up bass of Dennis Crouch, and The Delmore Brothers’ “Freight Train Boogie.” Yes, I still like Doc Watson’s version best, but Willie’s isn’t bad.

That’s also true for this version of “Drinking Champagne,” a classic honky-tonker written by Bill Mack that’s been covered by folks from Carl Smith to Dean Martin. Willie’s version is nice and pretty, but it doesn’t have a fraction of the soul that Jerry Lee Lewis poured into the song in the ’60s.

And maybe Willie’s cover of the Porter Wagoner signature tune “Satisfied Mind” isn’t definitive. But it sure sounds good, and he sings it like he means it.

Willie Nelson just turned 77 a week ago. That he can still crank out albums as good as Country Music is nothing short of amazing.

Steve Terrell’s Ultimate Willie List

* Top 10 Songs written by Willie Nelson
1. “Something to Think About”
2. “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground”
3. “I Just Can’t Let You Say Goodbye”
4. “Bloody Mary Morning”
5. “Hello Walls”
6. “I’ve Got to Get Drunk”
7. “My Own Peculiar Way”
8. “I Still Can’t Believe That You’re Gone”
9. “Permanently Lonely”

10. “Funny How Time Slips Away”

* Best Willie album: Phases and Stages
* Best Willie tribute album: Twisted Willie (with outlaw pals like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson; plus ’90s “alternative” acts like L7, The Supersuckers, The Reverend Horton Heat, and Mark Lanegan, and Willie himself)
* Best Remake of a Willie album: Red Headed Stranger by Carla Bozulich. (Willie makes a guest appearance too.)
* Best Willie appearance on a tribute album: “Ride ’em Jewboy” on Pearls in the Snow: The Songs of Kinky Friedman
* Best Willie duet: Tie — “Seven Spanish Angels” with Ray Charles and “Sioux City Sue” with Leon Russell
* Best Willie & Waylon duet: “The Year That Clayton Delaney Died” (written by Tom T. Hall)
* Best song by a superstar trio featuring Willie: “Old Friends” with Roger Miller and Ray Price
* Best Willie Dylan cover: “Señor” (with Calexico from the I’m Not There soundtrack album)
* Best Willie cover: Tie —“Hello Walls” by Faron Young and “Night Life” by Ray Price
* Best Willie cover by Waylon: “Pretend I Never Happened”
* How many female vocalists does it take to cover “Crazy”?: Apparently all of them
* Last great song Willie wrote: “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” (circa 1980)
* Willie song most likely to supply a title for a sci-fi movie: “I Just Destroyed the World.”
* Willie song most likely to be played at a gay pride event: “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other” (written by Ned Sublette, performed by Willie)
* Best religious song Willie wrote: “In God’s Eyes”
* Weirdest Willie spoken-word piece: The conversation between the unborn Willie and God at the beginning of the Yesterday’s Wine album
* Best Willie TV commercial: Taco Bell, early ’90s (he sang a song called “Lady With the Rose Tattoo”)
* Best Willie tax return: The I.R.S. Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories (Willie recorded and sold this to pay off an enormous tax bill)
* Best guilty-pleasure Willie song: “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” with Julio Iglesias
* Best not-guilty Willie courtroom appearance: Last month at Billy Joe Shaver’s aggravated assault case in Waco. What Texas jury is going to convict somebody when Willie Nelson’s there to show his support?
* Willie album that proves marijuana can cause brain damage: Countryman (Willie’s reggae album)

TIN SOLDIERS AND NIXON COMING

Hard to believe it was 40 years ago when the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four student protesters at Kent State University. I was a junior in high school on May 4, 1970.

What scared me even more than police firing on demonstrators was the fact that so many Silent Majority types were so callous about it. Making excuses for the Guard was one thing, but there were many expressing the sentiment that the protesters deserved to be killed.

"Should have been done long ago ..."

So how would that reaction be if the same thing happened 40 years later?

Probably worse.

Here's a story about Neil Young's song "Ohio," which Young, along with Crosby, Stills and Nash were able to crank out and get on the air within three weeks of the killings. What's amazing is that commercial radio stations actually played the damned thing. That really wouldn't happen these days.

And below is Uncle Neil singing an acoustic version.

And here's a great version by The Isley Brothers. The video isn't much to look at, but listen to the song.