Songs for Foodies #5

Here we bring the Songs 4 Foodies series to a close—65 foodie songs I like, as well as a couple of solid suggestions from readers’ comments.

This week’s baker’s dozen is an eclectic batch: some jazz (old & new), some punkers, some country, some etc. It’s also a bit quirky for two other reasons; it includes the one song I know mostly from performance & don’t have on any recording, & (horror of horrors) it includes a song out of alphabetical order. “Shocking,” as Eberle would say; but, alphabetization aside, I’m happy to include the last song on the list—it really needed to be in this series.

Hope you’ve enjoyed Songs 4 Foodies, & that perhaps one or more of the tunes inspired you to check out some different sounds; I’ll be back with more song lists in the New Year. Also, I’ve appreciated the support the wonderful NoLa blog, New Orleans Ladder has given to the Songs 4 Foodies posts. Thanks a lot!

• “Scrambled Eggs”: This song begins with possibly the greatest one-string cardboard electric bass solo ever recorded, played by Carrie Bradley. The song's composer, Dani Leone, sings & plays banjo uke, while Jonah Winter adds some really nice clarinet work. No matter what kind of eggs Dani tries to make—omelets, over easy—they turn out scrambled. But that's not all that's going wrong. Leave it to Dani to use scrambled eggs as a metaphor for unrequited love. NOTE: Thanks to Dani, the band line-up (instrument-wise) was corrected from the initial version of the post! (Ed’s Redeeming Qualities: At the Fish & Game Club: Slow River)
• “Scrapple from the Apple”: Scrapple is odd stuff, coming from thriftier days when it was important not to let any part of a butchered animal go to waste—How does the old saying go? “Those who like sausage shouldn’t inquire too closely into its making.” Of course, the great Bird could certainly make something out of scrapple; actually, in this case, Charlie Parker made something great out of “Honeysuckle Rose,” because “Scrapple from the Apple” is a “head” based on the chord changes of the earlier tune. A caveat on the recording I refer to—it happens to be the one “Scrapple from the Apple” recording we have, but this was recorded live in a club in 1950: there’s background noise, & the sound quality overall is so-so. On the other hand, there’s the excitement of Parker live on his alto; & Roy Haynes gets in some fine drum licks. (Charlie Parker: Bird at St. Nick’s: JWS)
• "Seafood Mama (Hold Tight)": Fats Waller’s pæan to seafood of all varieties, which he performs with great drama in a collection of Looney Toonesque voices. Eberle & I are huge Fats Waller fans; his piano & organ playing continue to amaze, & no one can sing a song quite like him (that’s Waller in the pic at the bottom of the post). The Andrew Sisters covered this tune at their peak—an odd selection for them in terms of repertoire, perhaps, but a version that stacks up very nicely, even when compared with the mighty Waller. Oysters, mackerel, porgy & tasty butterfish—this tune has it all, & it’s finger poppin’ good. (Fats Waller: The Very Best of Fats Waller: Collector Choice Music; The Andrews Sisters: The Golden Age of the Andrews Sisters: Jasmine)
• "Shoo-Fly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy": From 2003 to 2005 Eberle & I performed in a lounge trio called The Blue Notes. Eberle mostly played drums, & I mostly played bass in support of local piano player Bill Shore. We did dances & community functions & had a regular monthly date at the Council, ID Senior Center—playing music at senior centers & nursing homes is a great experience, & one that I’m planning to return to this spring. “Shoo Fly Pie & Apple Pan Dowdy” was always a big hit, & I’ve played bass lines to this song till they were (as my mom would say) “coming out of my ears”—literally (in a surreal sense…ok, almost literally). But I can’t recommend a specific recording of the tune, because I only have a passing familiarity with recorded versions—notable performers of the song include June Christy (with the Stan Kenton Orchestra) & Dinah Shore. For the uninitiated & curious: Shoo-Fly Pie is a molasses pie from Pennsylvania Dutch country & also popular in southern cooking.
• “Sponge Cake & Spinach”: This wonderful tune was written collaboratively by clarinetist Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington, & Irving Mills. The recording is by Barney Bigard & His Jazzopators, a band that featured Duke on piano, Juan Tizol on valve trombone & Cootie Williams on trumpet. A nice upbeat number that really showcases Bigard’s clarinet & Williams trumpet. Lots of interplay between the two on this; & lots of fun. (Duke Ellington: The Duke’s Men: Small Groups Vol. 1: Columbia Jazz Masterpieces)
• "Struttin' With Some Barbeque": Also in the classic jazz vein, here we have another instrumental appearance by the Hot Five, with Louis Armstrong on cornet, Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Lil Hardin Armstrong on piano & Johnny St Cyr on banjo. The song kicks off with Louis’ cornet & Ory’s trombone weaving together, then Dodd joins the fun. As I understand it, there’s some question as to who really wrote this song; it’s credited to Louis Armstrong, but there’s apparently some thought that it really was written by his wife, Lil Hardin. Hardin was a very talented composer as well as a fantastic pianist, & she does get credit for a number of the Hot Fives’ songs (her composition “My Heart” is not to be missed). (Louis Armstrong: Hot Fives & Sevens: JSP)
• “Sweet Kentucky Ham”: As I mentioned in a previous post, Dave Frishberg is such a great songwriter I can even forgive him for being a Dodgers fan. He’s also a marvelous pianist & singer. “Sweet Kentucky Ham” is a jazz ballad about life on the road & how eating in diners & all-night joints is never the same as “home cooking,” in any sense of that term. Frishberg sums up a lot of loneliness without ever beginning to stray into the maudlin or self-pitying, & accompanies his singing with some fine jazz piano. This is a gorgeous song that really deserves a listen, as does most of Frishberg’s material. (Dave Frishberg: Classics: Concord Jazz)
• “Swiss Chard”: I never had the good fortune to know Dom Leone, Chris & Dani’s cousin & one of the founding members of Ed’s Redeeming Qualities; Dom died in the 80s at an age that now seems impossibly young. But he wrote some wonderful songs in his time: of course “Driving on Nine,” which was an Ed’s tune before the Breeders brought it more to the forefront—I played & sang it an one of our monthly jam sessions & was delighted that Tomm & Michelle Lemon knew the song from the Breeders’ version. “Swiss Chard” is another of Dom’s songs—a lovely parable about moving away from the familiar to celebrate going “where life’s hard.” Carrie Bradley sang this song with feeling, & it was captured on the Big Grapefruit Cleanup Job from an Ed’s show at the out-of-the-way but essential Baghdad by the Bay performance space, Kommotion, back in the 90s; Carrie’s singing & guitar is supported by Jonah Winter on mandolin & Dani Leone on one string bass. “Swiss Chard” is a “gardening” song—but, hey, that’s where food comes from, right? (Ed’s Redeeming Qualities: Big Grapefruit Cleanup Job: Slow River)
• "Texas Cooking": When I think of the great songwriter Guy Clark, the first thing that comes to mind would be ballads—“Desperadoes Waiting for a Train,” “That Old Time Feeling,” "L.A. Freeway.” But Clark has written some wonderful up-tempo numbers, too, & this is one of them. Clark & his backing band give this celebration a full electric country gospel treatment, with piano & back-up vocals & a nice bass beat. The song praises fare like chicken fried steak with white gravy on the side, fried okra, ranch-style beans, etc. Sounds good to me! (Guy Clark: The Essential Guy Clark: RCA)
• “Velveeta”: Now I hadn’t listened to this song for a looong time before making this list—I forgot how much fun the Mr. T Experience was—a sort of Beserkely, CA incarnation of the Ramones. There’s very little that’s subtle about the music, but there isn’t supposed to be—the guitars, bass & drum are just coming straight at you. The lyrics are a trip, however, because here’s a tune that equates a cozy (?) gal friend with the most infamous of processed cheese foods—“All my friends keep telling me/’Frank you must be sick/How can you have fun with a gooey processed chick?’/But she’s much more than that/she’s got a heart of gold.” etc. A blast from the past. (The Mr. T Experience: Night Shift at the Thrill Factory: Lookout)
• "Watermelon Man": OK, I know this tune has come up on another Robert Frost’s Banjo song list, but it’s just a great tune. Herbie Hancock apparently wrote "Watermelon Man" with an eye toward commercial success, which he gained, not from his own version on Takin’ Off, but from Mongo Santamaría’s version. Hancock said of the tune, “"I remember the cry of the watermelon man making the rounds through the back streets and alleys of Chicago. The wheels of his wagon beat out the rhythm on the cobblestones." Hancock also recorded a more funk-based version on his Head Hunters album. “Watermelon Man,” like a number of Thelonious Monk’s compositions, proves just how much you can do with a three-chord blues progression. (Herbie Hancock: The Essential Herbie Hancock: Sony)
• “Would You Like To Have Something to Eat?”: I once made a passing reference to this song at an Alice in Wonder Band show, while introducing one of our own numbers—& heard at least one audience member register rather loud disgust. I realized after the fact that if you’ve never heard the Donner Party—a very fun San Francisco trio from the late 80s— the band name & song title might lead to a misunderstanding. The Donner Party was much in the tradition of Camper Van Beethoven or They Might Be Giants or Ed’s Redeeming Qualities—good clean fun. This is a cautionary tale about what will happen if you don’t eat the stuff mom tells you to. I have The Donner Party on a homemade tape (courtesy of Dani Leone); you can find this tune on the group’s Complete Recordings, but unfortunately this is a tough item to come by. (The Donner Party: Complete Recordings, 1987-1989: Innerstate)
• “I Like Bananas Because They have No Bones”: OK, so why is this at the end of the list? Long story short: my multiplication skills were off the day I came up with the “final” list. I was lucky enough to get a Hoosier’s Hot Shots cd for Christmas, & I can’t recommend them too highly—at least if you like your typical vocal/guitar/banjo/bass/clarinet/Wabash washboard/slide whistle band. & I mean, Hezzie Trietsch could really play the slide whistle—full-on solos, fills, call & response with the clarinet; you have to hear it to believe it. “Cabbages & onions hurt my singing tones. I love bananas because they have no bones”—words for musicians to live by(?) Needless to say, these guys were a big inspiration to Spike Jones; & as with Spike & the City Slickers, the Hot Shots were hot musicians beyond all the comedy. (The Hoosier Hot Shots: Havin’ Fun with the Hoosier Hot Shots: Collectors’ Choice)

Songs 4 Foodies #4

We’re home safe & sound from our midnight musical endeavors—thanks to Eberle’s intrepid snowstorm driving, & studded tires, & all-wheel drive. Last night, this part of Idaho was a wild winter wonderland….

It’s almost time for Christmas dinner, & this week’s line-up of Foodie songs would make a truly odd menu—no turkey or duck or goose for starters. But there’s a lot of fun, high-energy listening for your holiday delight (with a few mellow numbers & at least one that’s just downright odd).

• “Marmalade”: A great LA band from the 90s, The Geraldine Fibbers featured the memorable vocals of Carla Bozoulich, some really intriguing lyrics, & a sort of orchestral cowpunk sound (fuzz guitar & bowed bass on this cut!) This is a love song with some sweet dissonance, & just a hint of country around the edges of frenetic drums & rave up guitar hooks. (Geraldine Fibbers: Lost Somewhere Between Earth & My Home: Virgin)
• “Memphis in June”: OK, this song makes it simply on the strength of Cousin Amanda’s rhubarb pie—like “A Dreamer’s Holiday,” this isn’t really a foodie tune. But I love pretty much anything by the great Hoagy Carmichael, who on this occasion provides the music while Paul Francis Webster provides the lyrics. I also like to hear Hoagy sing his own songs—the version of “Memphis in June” on Hoagy Sings Carmichael (which features Johnny Mandel arrangements of the Carmichael tunes) is a delight, & the album as a whole is a must-have for anyone who loves Carmichael’s music. “Memphis in June” paints a lovely landscape both in words & melody. (Hoagy Carmichael: Hoagy Sings Carmichael: Pacific Jazz)
• “Onions”: A 2:10 ode to “Onions, Green Onions,” sung with a lot of gusto by the magnificent bluesman John Lee Hooker. Some chorused, riffing saxes, some honky honk piano, bass, & Hooker’s own guitar fills. We can assume that John Lee definitely liked his chicken & potatoes with onions—it’s heartfelt. I have this on an import cassette tape—remember those? —apparently this particular collection was also issued on lp & cd, tho all seem kind of hard to find based on a quick Google search. (John Lee Hooker: 16 Greatest Hits: Blue City)
• “Pig Ankle Rag”: A jolly country rag—picked in this case by Sam McGee, one of the truly great country fingerstyle guitar players. Between Sam McGee’s intricate picking & the nice back up by Clifton McGee, this piece turns positively fugal. McGee was a blacksmith when he was discovered by the great medicine show banjoist (& later Grand Ol’ Opry fixture) Uncle Dave Macon. McGee also played the banjo, as well as the banjo-guitar, & was himself a fixture at the Opry for years; he also was one of the first to add the right hand middle finger to old time style guitar fingerpicking; the real old-timers tended to do everything with the thumb & the index finger, as if they were playing a banjo. One thing you can say about Southern cuisine (to get back to the song title): they make the most of the pig. (Sam McGee: Grand Dad of the Country Guitar Pickers: Arhoolie).
• “Pig Meat on the Line”: Speaking of pig meat—tho one would be stretching things to claim that this tune is about Sus domestica. Memphis Minnie was a great guitarist & singer—the fills she provides from her hollow-body electric are impeccable—& she’s nowhere near as well known as she should be outside of blues aficionados. The blues—especially in the 20s thru the 40s—was “a man’s world” for sure, & for a woman like Memphis Minnie to make it to the top she had to be really good. She was. It’s a shame she isn’t more widely known; this may be in part because she died before the 60s folk-blues boom could incorporate her into the old-time “blues canon” that developed during that period; also, she did play electric guitar, which the folkies tended to frown upon; I've read that the folkies always wanted to hear Big Bill Broonzy play acoustic guitar, even tho he'd been playing electric for a long while before the folk revival. That's Memphis Minnie in the pic at the bottom of the post. (Memphis Minnie: Queen of the Blues: Columbia)
• “The Pot Wrassler”: OK, here’s the oddity. I have this old cowboy tune on an anthology tape called Back In The Saddle Again: American Cowboy Songs. Dani Leone recorded this for Eberle & me back in the late 90s, & knowing Dani it was taped from vinyl. Harry Jackson was a working cowboy, & he sings the song a capella. “The Pot Wrassler” tells the story of a camp cook from the cook’s perspective. We know he must be a good cook because: “I sorts all the big rocks right out of the beans, & I don’t wipe the frying pan off on my jeans.” (Back In The Saddle Again: American Cowboy Songs: New World Records; there are also MP3 downloads on several sites, including this one.
• “Potato Head Blues”: Although this recording dates from 1927—usually thought of as Satchmo’s Hot Fives & Hot Sevens period—this session found him as part of a nine-piece hot jazz orchestra; notably, the great Earl “Fatha” Hines also was in this group. “Potato Head Blues” is a piece that shows off the band soloing talents nicely: an Armstrong solo with those characteristic clear high notes, a beautiful clarinet break by Boyd Atkins, & a short but fun banjo break by Rip Bassett. (Louis Armstrong: Hot Fives & Sevens: JSP)
• "Red Beans”: Between the boogie piano & a hot horn section, ‘Fess has more than his red beans cookin’ on this number. Hot sax breaks—hot piano breaks; as Professor Longhair sings, he will have you “jumpin’ for joy.” Dr John (who plays guitar on this album) said, “Professor Longhair put ‘funk’ into music." This is music to dance to, & as infectious as music can be. (Professor Longhair: Crawfish Fiesta: Alligator)
• “Ritz Cracker”: It’s a truism to say that the uke gets little respect, but given a uke of reasonable quality & a competent player, the jumping flea is capable of making some lovely music. Lyle Ritz is far beyond just a competent player—he’s really a master of the instrument—he was in the 50s when he recorded this original composition (along with a several old standards) & he still is today, in his “golden years.” Ritz was a professional bass player for years—he was the bassist on a number of 60s hits, including “Good Vibrations”—but in his retirement, he turned back to his first musical love, the tenor uke. How About Uke is an essential uke album. (Lyle Ritz: How About Uke: Verve)
• “Roly Poly”: Western Swing at its finest from the King of same, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. The hybrid styles of Americana music are all fascinating, whether it’s New Orleans music or Western Swing, which combines big band sound with a cowboy sensibility. “Roly Poly” is, of course, about the corn-fed boy of American fable—eating “everything from soup to hay.” The guitar work on this one by Cameron Hill is spectacular. (Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys: Take Me Back to Tulsa: Proper)
• "Salt Peanuts": All of us who were around during the 70s will recall the White House version of this tune with Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet & President Jimmy Carter on vocals: “Salt peanuts, salt peanuts.” But this version—on old vinyl—dates from the mid 40s, from the birth of be-bop, & not only features Dizzy on trumpet, but also Charlie Parker on sax. “Salt Peanuts” is a well-known tune, but it may be less well-known that the song is based in part on “Rhythm Changes”—for those who don’t know, these are the chord changes of Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm,” a song that has inspired a ton of jazz “heads” (i.e., songs based on the chord changes of an old standard). Besides “Salt Peanuts,” just a few of the more famous heads built on “Rhythm Changes” are Charlie Parker’s “Anthropology,” Duke Ellington’s “Cottontail,” Thelonious Monk’s “Rhythm-A-Ning,”—& of course, “The Flintstones’ Theme.” (Dizzy Gillespie: The King of Bop: Everest Records—apparently not issued on cd)
• "Save the Bones for Henry Jones": The upbeat swing version by Nat King Cole is no doubt better known, but Danny Barker—who composed the song—puts a slower, bluesy spin on one of the all-time foodie tunes. Anyone who scoffs at a rhythm guitarist for “just playing chords” should check Barker out; he creates a beautiful texture behind his singing with chromatic chord runs, moving bass lines, & interspersed single string riffs. Sadly, it’s difficult to check Barker out, because his recordings all appear to be discontinued. Some of his music (including this song) is available at LastFm. (Danny Barker: Save The Bones: Orleans)
• “Savoy Truffle”: You probably won’t see a lot about the Fab Four on Robert Frost’s Banjo; it’s not that I don’t respect The Beatles’ songwriting & musicianship, because I do. However, I try to lean toward pointing out musicians folks may not know as well, & let’s face it: if the Beatles have an exposure problem, it’s not under-exposure. But George Harrison’s “Savoy Truffle” is a great dessert song—& a cautionary tale about the effect of confections on one’s teeth. The distorted saxophones apparently were Harrison’s idea—according to Wikipedia, the saxophonists involved in the session weren’t pleased by the distortion added to their parts. (The Beatles: The White Album: Apple)

Songs 4 Foodies #3

Last week’s Songs 4 Foodies elicited a nice response, & here we come back at ya. The song list is a bit more diverse this time around—last week had a distinct New Orleans’ flavor, while this week’s features artists & songs that are a bit more across the map—from indie bands of the 80s to members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

& I should add one Robert Frost’s Banjo reader’s suggestion; K suggested Jorma Kaukonen’s "Holiday Marmalade" from his 1996 album Christmas. I still haven’t made the time to look this song up on the www, but I like marmalade (which will make an appearance on an upcoming list courtesy of another band), & I respect Kaukonen’s guitar fingerpicking skills—especially when he’s exploring old blues material à la Reverend Gary Davis—I even have old Jefferson Airplane & Hot Tuna on vinyl around here somewhere.

• “Give Him Cornbread”: This song’s underlying structure is reminiscent of “Shortnin’ Bread,” but Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers take their tune for a high energy, rocking & rollicking ride thru zydeco accordion, hot electric guitar solos & full bodied vocals—how does Beau Jocque bring so much soul to such a simple lyric? “Give Him Cornbread” shows what you can happen when you let fantastic musicians loose with a simple song structure—they transform it & make it their own. This is a song with a high danceability quotient; & it refers to the perfect side dish to a famous food sung about by Hank Williams & Professor Longhair in an entry below. (Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers: Louisiana Spice: Rounder)
• “Grapefruit Moon”: There are a lot of sides to Tom Waits; one of them is bringing his Old Crow & Chesterfields growl to a beautiful melodic accompaniment; there are a number of examples, both from earlier & later in his career. “Grapefruit Moon” is from Waits’ first album, before his voice “changed,” & before the 3:00 a.m. poetry or crazed Americana or Klezmer-blues of his later incarnations. It’s a lovely lyric—piano playing against a backdrop of strings; & while “Grapefruit Moon” doesn’t match the poetry of later Waits’ lyrics, the title itself is a nifty image—not only visual, but literally “bittersweet.” Perhaps you have to be young to sing about this kind of heartache—Waits makes it sound real. The pic at the bottom of this post is Waits in a posture that’s not recommended for piano playing. (Tom Waits: Closing Time: Asylum)
• "Gravy Waltz": This infectious song, with wonderfully surreal lyrics by Steve Allen & glorious music by bassist Ray Brown, is just about my favorite jazz waltz. It’s a tune we did with the Alice in Wonder Band, & always had fun playing. But check out Bill Henderson’s version with the Oscar Peterson trio (Peterson: piano; Ray Brown: bass; Ed Thigpen: drums); after Brown’s bass intro, Henderson comes in for a duet with the bass—a very effective match-up when a singer can pull it off. Henderson has wonderful phrasing, & was a jazz singer who never got his due. Along with his characteristic smooth swing, he brings some R&B inflections to this tune as well. (Bill Henderson: Bill Henderson & The Oscar Peterson Trio: Polygram)
• “Groundhog”: This old-time song may remind you (thematically, that is) of “Carve That Possum” from the first installment of the series. My father was a squirrel hunter, & we used to eat “squirrel pie” in the autumn, but he drew the line at ground hog, or woodchuck as we called them in Vermont. This song refers to the groundhog as a “gristle pig” —which doesn’t necessarily make it more appetizing; it also advises us to “eat up the meat & save the hide.” Doc Watson sings this song & picks it out on the banjo, & reminds us—in case we needed it—that he’s great on that instrument, too; Doc isn’t just a killer flatpick guitarist. Doc Watson’s voice is always perfectly nuanced for the song he’s singing—tenderness or devotion or, as in this case, humor. (Doc Watson: The Essential Doc Watson: Vanguard)
• "Ham 'n' Eggs": Danny Barker is an overlooked treasure as a songwriter, singer & musician. A New Orleans great (not using that word lightly), Barker was an exceptional jazz banjoist & an exceptional jazz rhythm guitarist. On “Ham & Eggs”—one of his many compositions—Barker’s warm vocal is punctuated by an alarm clock, as he sings a bluesy lament for the fact he doesn’t have “Ham & Eggs.” Listening to the rich chords Barker brings out of that beautiful Gibson archtop makes you realize what a fine musician & a fine acoustic instrument sound like in combination. With gospel amen ending, of course. (Danny Barker: Save The Bones: Orleans)
• “Hang on Little Tomato”: Back when Eberle & I were involved in the Alice in Wonder Band, a few people told us the band’s sound reminded them of Pink Martini, & even gave us cds to prove it. I appreciated the cds of course, especially because I like Pink Martini’s music, but I have to admit I could never quite see the connection. “Hang on Little Tomato” has a retro lounge sound, with a beautiful clarinet intro, & then nice clarinet & guitar fills punctuating China Forbes’ singing. A song of encouragement, it’s urging the little tomato to “hang on, hang on to that vine.” (Pink Martini: Hang On Little Tomato: Heinz Records)
• “Happy High Cholesterol Blues”: This is Sister Exister’s ode to the notion that having love is prophylactic against high cholesterol—because when you’re too poor even to eat the chicken’s you’re raising, you just end up eating three meals a day of eggs. It’s also an ode to country living & making do, & the power of love, as well as taking a definitive stance on the old chicken & egg conundrum (per Sister Exister, it’s the egg). Besides Sister Exister’s steel pan supporting her singing, there’s some sort of percussion (I’m guessing this falls under the category of “various kitchen things” mentioned on the back of the album—an oatmeal container?)—& the fuzz baritone uke solos are not to be missed. Sister Exister, please get your cd on CDBaby! (Sister Exister: Scratch: self-released)
• "I Like My Chicken Frying Size": OK, there’s definitely a skewed aspect to this lyric; Merle Travis says “I like my chicken frying size when I get my skillet hot,” & continues in this vein throughout the song. But the tune itself is some really nice western swing, with trumpet & pedal steel & fiddle, & of course Travis’ marvelous guitar playing, which he showcases in two short but impressive solos. As I’ve noted before, when you have a whole style of playing named after you—“Travis picking” in this case, for those who don’t know—it’s a sign you’re pretty darned good, & Travis was. (Merle Travis: The Best of Merle Travis: Rhino)
• “Ice Cream Man”: Not the Tom Waits’ song from Closing Time (tho the premise is about the same) & not the Van Halen cover of this tune—to my ear, it’s rare when the rockers improve on a blues song, even electric blues, as this is. So I’m talking about the original John Brim version, featuring Brim’s guitar & vocal, which is more sweet & sassy than outrageous braggadocio, & which features some wild harp playing by James Dalton. Brim has got “cream sandwiches, dixie cups, popsicles, & push ups, too,” but he’s not talking about the treats you find in the frozen food section. (John Brim: Elmore James/John Brim: Whose Muddy Shoes: Chess/MCA)
• "Jambalaya": Practically everyone knows the Hank Williams song about one of the all-time great foods (& also about crawfish pie & filé gumbo), but you may not know that the tune wasn’t written by Hank—it’s actually an old Cajun song called “Grand Texas.” There’s also some controversy about whether Williams wrote the lyrics—some claim he bought the lyrics from honk-tonk pianist & songwriter Moon Mullican. This song has been covered by scads of people—but if you’re gonna check out one cover, check out Professor Longhair’s. He makes the song his own & turns it into a New Orleans dance tune—with heavy emphasis on dance, courtesy of bassman Will Harvey, Jr. Snooks Eaglin provides a hot guitar solo, & while Fess doesn’t take a piano break, his voice is like butter. (Hank Williams: 40 Greatest Hits: Polygram [to list just one]; Professor Longhair: Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge: Rhino)
• “Keep Your Skillet Good & Greasy”: Now this is a song that’s lots of fun to play—nice on the banjo with lots of slides so you get the feeling of something greasy, perhaps. This is as much about drinking & living a life of ease as about eating, but you do need a sack of flour & a greasy skillet, so it qualifies here. The version I’m referring to is by the great Woody Guthrie, accompanied by Sonny Terry on harp & Brownie McGhee on guitar & back-up vocal (tho they’re not credited on this album). It’s a hot take on the song, moving along at a nice clip, & you can never have enough Woody Guthrie. I always think of this song as “Keep My Skillet Good & Greasy,” but they list it as “Your” on this album—tho Woody sings “my.” (Woody Guthrie: The Very Best of Woody Guthrie: Music Club)
• “Kitchen of Life”: Back in the dim past of the 1980s, the album Cabin Flounder by the band Fetchin’ Bones got a lot of play on my turntable. This band, fronted by amazing singer Hope Nicholls, could flat rock out, & Nicholls was a powerhouse; her voice was compared more than once to Joplin’s, but with a distinct 1980s alt rock edge. Don Dixon, of R.E.M., Guadalcanal Diary, & Smithereens fame, produced this album, which is a mosh pit waiting to happen. “Kitchen of Life” is a rocker about sexual politics—“How do you handle a hungry man? The Manhandlers”; & it rocks with the best of them, propelled by Nicholls’ vocal & Danna Pentes’ insistent bass—& we love lyrics that refer to the “radar range.” (Fetchin’ Bones: Cabin Flounder: DB rec)
• “Knockin’ Down Chickens”: Ed’s Redeeming Qualities was a band whose members all really appreciated good food—I happen to have inside knowledge of this, but even if you didn’t you could guess it from their songs. After all, they are the only band I can think of who recorded the sound of bacon cooking as an intro for a song. “Knockin’ Down Chickens” is one of Dani Leone’s songs about her favorite food—in this case, chicken is chicken, not a metaphor; & Dani sings about how chickens can be consoling in hard times—she “never turns to liquor,” because there’s always a chicken to barbecue. The tune has a sweet melody, & was recorded live at a show that brought original Ed's band member Neno Perrota back with the mid 90s incarnation of the band; Neno plays bongos, while Jonah Winter adds some lovely accordion & Carrie Bradley some lovely violin. Is it true you can fail a sobriety test just from eating too much chicken? (Ed’s Redeeming Qualities: Big Grapefruit Cleanup Job: Slow River)

Songs 4 Foodies #2

Hope you’ve all come with a good appetite—in particular a lot of soul food & New Orleans cuisine on today’s musical menu. OK, I’ll admit I’d pass on the chitlins & the pigfeet, but red beans & rice is heavenly, as are collard greens & black-eyed peas. On the non-soul food side, who can pass up doughnuts, or eggs & sausage?

For those who missed last week’s installment of foodie songs (with the series intro, which you can check out here), over the next few weeks I’ll be posting lists of food songs with some commentary, & (as the title strongly implies) this is the second installment in the weekly series. Food songs have always been near & dear to both Eberle & me—in the Alice & Wonder Band two of our favorite originals were “The One Potato Shuffle” (which Eberle co-wrote with our singer, Deadre Chase) & “Toad in the Hole,” one of Eberle’s trademark piano-banjo-violin-oboe instrumentals in F#—those keyboard players sure like the black notes!

‘Nuff said—serve it on up!

• “Chitlin Con Carne”: Chicago blues legend Junior Wells brings some truly amazing vocal effects to the harp on this one, & in between the wild honks & moans he just blows pure passion, while Buddy Guy (guitar), Jack Myers (bass), & Billy Warren (drums) lay down a funky beat; The Hoodoo Man Blues cd has an alternate take that features more of Guy’s guitar playing & also brings the drums forward in the mix. (Junior Wells: Hoodoo Man Blues: Delmark)
• “Clarinet Marmalade”: This is a jaunty Dixieland number that features great interplay between Bix Beiderbecke’s cornet & Jimmy Dorsey’s clarinet on a recording of Frank Trumbauer & His Orchestra—like so many great clarinet numbers it takes the instrument from its whistle-like upper register to its warm & mellow low range. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band also did a nice version of this way back in 1918. (Bix Beiderbecke: Singin’ the Blues: Columbia Jazz Masterpieces; Original Dixieland Jazz Band: The 75th Anniversary: Bluebird)
• “Coconut Milk”: This tune involves some serious New Orleans funk courtesy of Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias. "Wild" indeed—these guys definitely get some frenetic energy going. Bo Dollis is chief of the Wild Magnolia tribe— for those who don’t know, the New Orleans Indian tribes aren’t Native Americans, but African American societies that are integral to the Mardi Gras celebration; that’s Bo Dollis in full carnival regalia in the pic at the bottom of the post. “Coconut Milk” is resplendent with funky guitar & piano, chorused horns, a backbeat with guaranteed danceability, & Dollis’ soulful vocal. (Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias: Louisiana Spice: Rounder)
• “Collard Greens & Black-Eyed Peas”: Bud Powell was one of the many tragic jazz stories, but at the peak of his powers he was a masterful piano player. Powell brings this keyboard genius to his take on Oscar Pettiford’s “Collard Greens & Black-Eyed Peas,” taking the song from almost prehistoric funk to beautifully lyrical runs. Bass player George Duvivier gets to show off his chops on this one, too, while drummer Art Taylor keeps everything moving at a finger-popping pace. The recording is from 1953. (Bud Powell: The Blue Note Years: Blue Note)
• “Come on in My Kitchen”: This resophonic classic brings the eerie whine of a National guitar into our virtual kitchen. Taj Mahal’s live version features some jazzy chromatic chord riffs, Mahal’s big vocals, & a big ringing sound from his National; Rory Block’s version is soulful & spare—she seems to understand that elemental National sound when she says, “Listen to that wind blow,” & adds a fill riff. & of course, don’t forget blues wizard Robert Johnson who penned this tune—between his otherworldly guitar & his poetic lyrics, Johnson was in a class by himself. (Taj Mahal: An Evening of Acoustic Music: Ruf Records; Rory Block: Gone Woman Blues: Rounder; Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues, vol. 1: Columbia)
• “Cornet Chop Suey”: This Louis Armstrong composition features a young Satchmo blowing a swaggering cornet, backed by the rest of the Hot Five: Lil Hardin on piano, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Kid Ory on trombone, & Johnny St Cyr on banjo. Although the song is an Armstrong showcase, Hardin comes in with a nice stride style piano solo midway thru; meanwhile Dodds & Ory are laying a texture of fills, while St Cyr pretty much provides both chords & drum with his 6-string banjo. This version was recorded in 1925. (Louis Armstrong: Louis Armstrong Hot Fives & Sevens: JSP)
• “Crawfish Fiesta” – Professor Longhair: OK, so this is “Rum & Coca Cola, with a side order of “A Tisket, A Tasket”—but when Professor Longhair starts going wild on the 88s (with a crazy bass back up), it’s completely his own. Fess, as he was known, comes up with dizzying piano runs that are rocking & lyrical all at once. Professor Longhair was one of the true greats of New Orleans music—that sonic stew simmering with heaping tablespoons of blues & jazz & rock & roll, & when it's done, just being savory & hot with its own unique Creole sound. (Professor Longhair: Crawfish Fiesta: Alligator)
• "Dem Red Beans & Rice": It’s only right that food as sublime as red beans & rice should have inspired lots of songs—I know least one other will appear on a later list. This wild Dixieland tune is by Rahsaan Roland Kirk & it features Kirk playing the manzello (I believe—it sure sounds like a soprano sax). For all Kirk’s experimentation, he knew his jazz history, & here he’s channeling soprano great Sidney Bechet thru the filter of be-bop. "Dem Red Beans & Rice" really swings, & besides Kirk’s amazing horn work, it also features some nice piano by Ron Burton. This take was recorded live at San Francisco’s Keystone Korner in 1973—what a show that must have been! (Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Bright Moments: Rhino)
• “Diggin’ My Potatoes” Lead Belly does catchy upbeat version of Big Bill Broonzy’s tune, along with Brownie McGhee sharing the guitar & vocals, Sonny Terry on harp, Pops Foster on bass & Willie “The Lion” Smith on piano. Of course this is more about gardening than eating—tho it’s actually not about either, unless there’s a lot of moaning involved in potato digging; moaning somehow alerts Lead Belly to this illicit activity…. Lead Belly: The Bourgeois Blues: Smithsonian Folkways)
• “Doughnuts”: If you lived in Baghdad by the Bay in the 90s you had to love The Buckets; they were simply the acme of cowpunk (acknowledged influences: Hank Williams & The Pixies) with great songs & vocals by front man Earl Butter (AKA Ray Halliday) & wonderful support by such colorful characters as Wanderlean Taters, Kid Coyote, Bea Donna Potts, & Slim Volume. This song (which also features nice pedal steel by Steve Cornell) suggests doughnuts as a mediating force when there are tough times in a relationship, & points out that “they’re often better than beer.” Makes sense to me. It’s great to see The Buckets are back with a new album, Sod. (The Buckets: The Buckets: Slow River Records)
• “Dreamer’s Holiday” Eberle & I were kind of obsessed with this delightfully quirky old standard a few years back & came up with a wacky baritone uke/toy piano arrangement, with yours truly trying the navigate the tricky vocal jumps (with very mixed results). The version we know is by Leon Redbone; his own relaxed vocal style is a great match for the tune. & I know it’s not about food, but it has some great food lines in the lyrics: “Ev’ry day for breakfast there’s a dish of scrambled stars/& for luncheon you’ll be munchin’ rainbow candy bars./You’ll be dining à la mode on Jupiter & Mars/on a Dreamer’s Holiday.” (Leon Redbone: Up a Lazy River: Rounder)
• "Eggs & Sausage”: In 1975 Tom Waits was perfecting his gravel-voiced beat poet-as-singer-songwriter incarnation, & one milestone along the way was his tremendous Nighthawks at the Diner album. Backed by jazzmen Pete Christlieb on tenor sax, Bill Goodwin on drums, Jim Hughart on upright bass, & Mike Melvoin on piano (Waits also plays piano & guitar as well as adding his inimitable vocals) Waits takes listeners on a tour thru bars & diners, onto lonesome late night freeways, & even into strange suburban landscapes. “Eggs & Sausage” captures the eerily compelling beauty & loneliness & illusion of the real night life—sitting in an all-night diner watching a “lead-pipe dawn” falling. The intro to this song is hilarious, including a surreal story about a fight between a veal cutlet & a cup of coffee that’s “too weak to defend itself.” (Tom Waits: Nighthawks at the Diner: Elektra)
• “Gimme a Pigfoot”: Bessie Smith’s voice resounds with life & energy, even on recordings made way before any idea of “clean sound”—the “Empress of the Blues” sang with passion & power. This tin pan alley blues gives a rather detailed description of a wild party, where besides a “pigfoot & a bottle o’beer” you can get reefer & gin, but should check your razor & guns at the door. This session produced by John Hammond was one of Bessie Smith’s last recordings, made in 1933, & with more of a big band setting than on her classic 20s sides—but she was still in her blues-shouting prime. (Bessie Smith: The Bessie Smith Collection: Columbia Jazz Masterpieces)

HOPE Y'ALL ENJOYED THIS—CHECK BACK NEXT THURSDAY FOR NEXT WEEK'S SONGS 4 FOODIES!

Songs 4 Foodies #1

Two of our favorite subjects here at Robert Frost’s Banjo are food & music—so I’m thinking, especially in this holiday season when both should abound, why not come up with our own list of foodie songs? This isn’t a novel idea, I admit. Such lists are easy enough to find on the ‘net, including one here, with 525 songs (in my opinion he stretches things a bit here & there, but it’s an entertaining read); in the blog world, I’ve seen foodie sites that feature a “food song of the week,” a concept I wholeheartedly endorse; & if my memory’s not failing too badly in my AARP days, I believe good pal Dani Leone made a killer mix tape of food songs—also one of her favorite subjects—back in the 90s.

So I’ve come up with a list of 64 songs based on the following criteria: 1.) I’m familiar with a specific recording of the song. 2.) The song’s is primarily about food, either literally or metaphorically. 3.) No songs about coffee or booze, because including either one would have made the list amazingly looong; there’s a good chance I’ll do song lists for both at some later point. 4.) Rules are made to be broken; I broke rule #1 once, including a song Eberle & I played lots in our old “Blue Notes” band, but which we’ve never had on any recording. I also broke rule #2 twice, because there were a couple of songs that had such great lines about food I had to include them, even tho food wasn’t the main “topic.”

Each list includes a baker’s dozen songs. Here’s the first installment:

• "Alice's Restaurant Massacree": The assumption when you say a food song isn’t really about food is that it’s actually about sex. Arlo Guthrie’s talking blues “Alice’s Restaurant” is about neither, tho it covers a lot of other topics during its 18+ minute run time: Thanksgiving, littering, the law, the draft & ways of avoiding & protesting same. “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” has a great fingerstyle riff—good thing, considering how much it’s played—& a very hummable chorus, tho you do have to wait about 15 minutes between the first & second times that’s sung. (Arlo Guthrie: The Best of Arlo Guthrie: Warner Bros)

• "All that Meat & No Potatoes": So what is this great Fats Waller song about? We know a lotta food songs are more about sex than supper, but it’s hard to say what’s going on during this surreal romp. Waller was sort of the Mel Blanc of singers: he could adopt more voice personas per tune than anyone I can think of, & “All that Meat & No Potatoes” is one of the best examples of this—he switches effortlessly from a high-pitched whimsy to a basso mock dudgeon, & channels a few other characters in between. (Fats Waller: The Very Best of Fats Waller: BMG)

• “At the Chocolate Bon Bon Ball”: A dream tango in a “sugar-coated hall” finds assorted candies partying in wacky Leon Redbone style to gypsy violin & accordion. There are a number of “sweet” lines: e.g. “Those chocolate-coated butts & those assorted nuts made love to old-fashioned taffy” or “little peanut brittle played the jazz upon her fiddle.” (Leon Redbone: Up a Lazy River: Rounder)

• “Bacon Fat”: Not really about bacon fat, tho “bacon fat” is mentioned during the widely scattered vocals—the song clocks in at close to seven minutes, & for the most part its an enjoyable & mellow electric blues with some sweet blues harp thrown in for good measure. Taj Mahal’s musicianship, including his singing, is always a real pleasure—does any other singer sound that relaxed? (Taj Mahal: Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home: Columbia)

• “Big Butter & Egg Man from the West”: A wild hot jazz number by Louis Armstrong & his tremendous Hot Five, joined on this occasion by singer May Alix, who’s full of gusto describing how a butter & egg diet can give a man various sorts of prowess—Armstrong joins in the singing to confirm this. Who says high cholesterol is bad for you? Besides Armstrong (on cornet back in ’26) the Hot Five are Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Lil Hardin Armstrong on piano, Kid Ory on trombone & Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. Now there’s a band that can cook. (Louis Armstrong: Louis Armstrong Hot Fives & Sevens: JSP)

• “Big Foot Ham” – Jelly Roll Morton’s business card proclaimed him the “inventor of jazz”—an outrageous claim, of course, but if any one could get away with such a boast, Jelly Roll probably could. This is a beautiful piece, with ragtime elements but played in swing time. There are a lot of humorous moments, as occur with all the best jazz pianists. Hearing Morton’s left hand makes you realize he could make a piano sound like a full jazz band. This tune is sometimes called “Big Fat Ham”—the recording I’m referring to also has a version of it under that title played with a five-piece backing band. That's Jelly Roll in the pic at post's end. (Jelly Roll Morton: Jelly Roll Morton 1923/24: Milestone)

• "Big Rock Candy Mountain" – This song about a hobo’s paradise may or may not have been written by Harry McClintock, a hobo who later became a country singer. True to its roots the lyrics include plenty of references to cigarettes & booze, as well as to various food items. In this live version, it’s clear how accustomed Seeger was to audience singalongs—he slows the tempo down very smoothly to match the crowd on each chorus. Audiences are notorious for dragging rhythm, whether they’re clapping or singing. (Pete Seeger: Folkways: A Vision Revisited: [also Woody Guthrie & Lead Belly] Legacy)

• “Bunion Stew”: Catching all the words to this talking blues would require translating Lightnin’ Hopkins’ deep Texas drawl—suffice it to say the song’s about eating soup & dancing. But mostly the song’s about Lightnin’s guitar picking, which here burns thru a boogie pattern like the strings were struck by you know what. It’s instructive how a set form like a blues boogie pattern comes alive when the guitar’s played by a master like Hopkins. (Lightnin’ Hopkins: Country Blues: Tradition)

• “Butter My Brother”: An ode to the many benefits, culinary & otherwise, of butter by good Robert Frost’s Banjo pal Sister Exister—who would no doubt agree with the sentiments expressed in “Big Butter & Egg Man.” Whether or not “butter is better than love for the heart” might be a topic worthy of debate, but Sister Exister makes her case for this in a wonderfully melodic mélange of vocal, steel pan, baritone uke fills, & one-string bass. (Sister Exister: Scratch: self-released)

• “Candy Man”: Both Reverend Gary Davis & Mississippi John Hurt have songs called “Candy Man.” Of course, neither song is really about a man who sells candy; late in his life, Hurt seemed abashed to sing his lascivious version on a live recording I’ve heard. Davis’ “Candy Man” is ultimately about the same thing, but the lyrics are way more surreal, with red lights & green lights & beer drinking babies. Both the performances referred to here are Davis’ song. Taj Mahal accompanies himself on banjo—the banjo is a very under-rated blues instrument—while Van Ronk does a wonderful fingerstyle guitar version à la Reverend Davis. (Dave Van Ronk: A Chrestomathy: Gazell; Taj Mahal: Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home: Columbia)

• “Cantaloupe Island”: This gorgeous piece from Herbie Hancock’s 1964 album Empyrean Isles features Freddie Hubbard’s cornet work alternating with Hancock’s fine piano solos. The rest of the time Hancock lays down the modal background on the keys & Ron Carter & Tony Williams keep up a funky groove on bass & drums. The basic melody is minor pentatonic, tho the underlying harmony adds some chromatic notes to the palette—“Cantaloupe Island” is actually a 3-chord song, tho far from your typical I-IV-V; it’s Fm, Db7 & Dm in the original. (Herbie Hancock: The Essential: Sony)

• “Carve that Possum” A song that tells you everything you wanted to know & then some about how to catch, prepare, cook & eat a possum. For those of you who’ve never lived in possum territory, I will point out that these critters look like huge albino rats from outer space. On the other hand, Uncle Dave Macon claims, “Possum meat am good to eat, always fat & good & sweet” sweet potatoes in the pan, sweetest eatin’ in the land,” & he probably knew more about it than I do. Great interplay between fiddle & banjo, & Uncle Dave sings with his inimitable élan. (Uncle Dave Macon: Go Long Mule: County)

• “C-H-I-C-K-E-N”: What would a song list be without Mississippi John Hurt, & what would a food list be without chicken? In case you ever forget how to spell “chicken,” this song tells you how, tho there are different versions. Hurt for instance sings “C for to season the bird” for the second “C,” while some folks sing, “C you’ve already heard.” (Mississippi John Hurt: The Best of Mississippi John Hurt: Vanguard)

Don't be shy about leaving a comment on your own favorite food songs, & CHECK BACK NEXT FRIDAY FOR THE SECOND INSTALLMENT!