Dear John, This is the second and last installment about Larry Taylor and Canned Heat. A bunch of us grew up during CH's hey day and I just wanted to honor LT's passing.
HEY GUYS/GALS!!!...Showdown is coming up on the 22nd. Go to our website www.phoenixblues.org to find your entry form or print it from our FB page. Get those entries in ASAP. We ain't gettin' any younger. Contact Jane Porras at FB Messenger with questions. Or contact me.
Let's make this one to remember.
Have a week, and don't forget to hug somebody.
Sincerely,
Jim Crawford - PBS
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LT pt.2
by David Mac @ Blues Junction
DM: You guys became a big damn deal with hit records and two high profile gigs that we should probably talk about. LT: Our management, Skip Taylor and John Hartmann, got us hooked up with the Monterey Pop Festival. This was the first Pop Festival ever. They had all the connections. They knew Lou Adler who put that thing on. Skip Taylor had a lot of experience in the music business. He was the one who gave all of us in the band names like Alan Wilson was the Owl. Bob of course was the Bear, Adolfo (de la Parra) our drummer was known as Fito and I was known as the Mole and so on. Skip always had these wild ideas. He was the guy behind the Chipmunks, if you remember that.DM: I do remember the Chipmunks. Come to think about it you could have been a chipmunk and not the mole. I think maybe you dodged a bullet there Larry.LT: (laughs) You are right about that. Anyway, our management got us that big gig at Monterey. DM: This is pretty heady stuff we are talking about here.LT: It really had to do with a certain time and place. It was an era which lasted from say about mid 65' to 1970. There was the Vietnam War that was going on and that kind of served as a backdrop to everything. There was rebelliousness in America and the music kind of reflected that. Everybody was doing their own thing. People played whatever they wanted to regardless of what others might think. We were sort of that in our own way, but we weren't like the Jefferson Airplane or the Grateful Dead. I had no idea what they were all about.Canned Heat was in the middle of all of that. We did our thing. For instance our first hit was On the Road Again which came from a Floyd Jones tune. We added our own lyrics and put it to kind of a 60's vibe with a tambura. It had that kind of droning sound which opens and closes out the tune. This was Alan's musicology coming out. He not only had studied and knew more about blues than anybody, but he was studying different kinds of Eastern musical ideas as well. Alan even played a sarod.DM: I have to be honest I hadn't heard Canned Heat's music in years. I got that Alan Wilson retrospective two disc box set in the mail from Severn Records which came out in 2013. I listened to that music again for the first time in years and from a new perspective. That is some pretty heavy stuff going on in there.LT: That's what I'm talking about. Skip and Fito were responsible for that CD coming out. That CD was our idea.DM: Let's talk about the song Going Up The Country.LT: That is essentially Bull-Doze Blues by Henry Thomas. Alan added his own lyrics. It had a real subtlety that a lot of people just never picked up on, which kind of irks me to this day. People just don't realize how heavy this guy was. Alan created his own idea of what blues could be using elements of country, folk and jazz. It was very creative stuff that often gets overlooked. I mean there isn't anything like that today. There wasn't anything like that then.DM: I ask about that as it was Canned Heat's biggest commercial hit and had kind of a second life as the unofficial theme song for the Woodstock Music & Art Festival, as it appeared prominently in the movie which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Film.LT: That song kind of fit the whole mood and the country vibe of the event. After all it was held in a country setting. That song represents the kind of freedom and creativity that was taking place in those days.DM: At the time you were performing on that stage at Woodstock, in front of that massive crowd, did you ever think this would be something people would still be talking about almost fifty years later?LT: I had an idea that it was going to be some kind of historical thing simply because of how big it was. It was just so big and unprecedented. A lot of people wanted to go there and (laughing) ended up in a lot of mud. It was pretty special being part of that moment. This event had some kind of special power. It was a very powerful thing. People keep trying to recreate it in some form or another. They try and put on festivals and give it that same kind of vibe. Hell, we still play these things. Let me tell you the God's honest truth, we could play these things until the end of time. That's how important that whole thing was to people. The period represented two things, rebellion and freedom. It's a powerful thing and Woodstock epitomized all of that. DM: You left the band shortly thereafter. Why?LT: That's a good question and one that is kind of hard to explain, but there was beginning to be a lot of dissention in the band. There were various reasons for that, but essentially we were over worked. We were playing too much. We had no time for ourselves and I got kind of frustrated. So I figured it was time to do something else.DM: Is this when you hooked up with John Mayall?LT: That's right. I needed a gig. To be honest, I never thought much of the music we made together. Musically I never was too excited about that music. We made a lot of records and none of them excited me much, but it is what I do, so I did it.After I left John I came back to L.A. and started studying and learning to play upright bass. From there I started working with Rod (Piazza). That is when I first played with Richard (Innes). I left the band when Honey joined. I had to leave.DM: Your departure from Rod and his band more or less led you straight to the Hollywood Fats Band.LT: It started out as you probably know as just Al (Blake), Fred and Fats. Richard joined up and I replaced Jerry Smith, who was a bass player that Richard knew.DM: Let's talk about Hollywood Fats. His stature has grown as a legendary figure through the years, but he really isn't as widely known and appreciated as he should be.LT: Let me put it this way; I play in a four piece band right now with a Hammond B3 and I'm playing strictly guitar. I'm influenced by Fats a great deal. I'm doing some of those old songs. His influence resonates to this day and he has been dead for coming up on thirty years now. His playing represents an endless stream of ideas executed to perfection.DM: ...and then there is Richard; I would like to talk about him in a moment, but first, you have logged a lot of miles and played on several recordings as a member of Kim Wilson's All-Star Blues Band. Let's talk about Kim for a moment.LT: I can sum it up real fast. He is one of the greatest singers and one of the greatest harmonica players in the world. You don't have to say any more than that. His harmonica and singing is just ridiculously good. Nobody out there can touch him.DM: What are your thoughts as it relates to the contemporary blues scene?LT: Modern blues has become this big guitar battle. It is so gluttonous....let me tell you nobody could touch Fats....NOBODY. Today you have Junior Watson, Duke Robillard and Jimmie Vaughan. Anson (Funderburgh) is right in there as well. That's pretty much it. Actually Rusty Zinn had a pretty good handle on the whole thing before he went off onto reggae. I should put Billy Flynn in that group as well. That's just my opinion of course.DM: In recent years it seems like if I turn on the television there is a pretty good chance I'll say to myself, 'Hey it's Larry. I know that guy.'LT: That comes from my long association with Tom Waits.DM: How did that gig come about?LT: I was playing with the Fats Band in L.A. at Club 88 on Pico. We had a good crowd that night as this entire retro music scene was just beginning to take hold. We had opened up shows for the Blasters and we were finally starting to get fairly well known. Anyway, we played a set and this guy comes up to me. I didn't know who he was, but he introduced himself. He told me he was recording in L.A. and said he would like to use me on upright bass on the session I said, OK and I've been with him ever since.DM: He is a real iconic figure in American music.LT: It is his songwriting that makes it. He is a unique figure...very original. We played on David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart's show. I've got to be honest and say I feel real fortunate that I've been able to play with a person like this. It was a first class experience all the way.DM: You played in the house band for another big time event that took place at Radio City Music Hall which, like Monterey and Woodstock, was made into a movie that came out in 2004. It was called Lightnin' in a Bottle. How did that gig come about?LT: I got that gig through Kim as he knows the musical director of that concert, Steve Jordan. That led to some gigs at the Beacon Theater in New York City, which was called the Rainbow Alliance, which led to me getting mixed up with Keith Richards. DM: OK, I've got to ask, what was it like working with Keith?LT: He was a real straight ahead guy. He does what he does. Nothing earth shattering. He is very meticulous on what he does on guitar. It is really well done. He has his own feel and his own way approaching his instrument. That is why there is nobody quite like him. Through that connection with Steve Jordan we did the soundtrack to the film Cadillac Records and that led to us playing at one of the galas for the Obama inaugural.DM: That's a long way from the White House in Laguna Beach. Larry this has been quite a journey for you. From rather humble and very modest living conditions as a child and young man to playing with some of the world's greatest and most highly acclaimed musicians on some of the world's biggest stages. You have really been at the crossroads of American music for well over 50 years now.LT: There was a guy over here shooting footage for a documentary film the other day and he said the same thing, but you know what Dave, I'm not done yet.
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| Out & About Tuesday, September 10 Tab Benoit w/Eric Johanson, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Wednesday, September 11 Tab Benoit w/Eric Johanson, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 7 p.m., Time Out Lounge, Tempe Chuck Hall, 6 p.m., Corrado's, Carefree Eric Ramsey, 7:30 p.m., Janey's, Cave Creek Leon J, 6 p.m., Cousin Vinny's Pizza, Peoria Thursday, September 12 Mike Eldred (acoustic solo), 6 p.m., Mountain Shadows, Fountain Hills Sugar Thieves Duo, 6 p.m., Culinary Dropout, Gilbert Eric Ramsey Hosts OPEN MIC, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Hans Olson EVERY THURSDAY, 6 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction Arizona Blues Project, 8 p.m., Harold's, Cave Creek Friday, September 13 Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Big Daddy D & The Dynamites, 8 p.m., Rags, Youngtown Cadillac Assembly Line, 6 p.m., Mountain View Pub, Cave Creek Mike Eldred (acoustic solo), 7 p.m., Bone Haus Brewery, Fountain Hills BluZone, 7 p.m., West Alley BBQ, Chandler Tommy Dukes w/Roger Smith, 6 p.m., Charly's, Flagstaff Saturday, September 14 Soul Power Band, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Eric Ramsey, 7 p.m., Cactus Jack's (Breathe Fundraiser), Phoenix Blues Review Band, 7 p.m., JD's, Lounge, Scottsdale Sunday, September 15 Too Slim & The TailDraggers, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 3 p.m., Birdcage, Prescott Big Daddy D & The Dynamites, 2 p.m., Windsock, Prescott True Flavor Blues, NOON , Copper Star, Phoenix Monday, September 16 Reed Turchi, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix
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Jams
Sunday
Rocket 88s JAM, 4 p.m., Chopper John's, Phoenix
Bourbon Jack's JAM w/Kody Herring, 6 p.m., Chandler
JAM Hosted by The Scott O'Neal Band. Every other Thursday, Windsock, Prescott
Sir Harrison, JAM every other Sunday, The Windsock, Prescott MONDAY
Bam Bam & Badness Open JAM, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Weatherford Hotel JAM, 6:30 p.m., Flagstaff
TUESDAY OPEN JAM Hosted by Jilly Bean & The Flipside Blues Band, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix
JAM Sir Harrison, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Gypsy's Bluesday Night JAM, 7 p.m. Pho Cao, Tempe
Tailgaters JAM, 7 p.m., Glendale
WEDNESDAY Rocket 88s, JAM, 6 p.m., The Last Stop (Old Hideaway West), Phoenix
Tool Shed JAM Party, 6 p.m. Gabby's, Mesa
JAM @ The Bench, Hosted by BluZone, 7 p.m., The Bench, Tempe
THURSDAY Tool Shed JAM Party, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix Jolie's Place JAM w/Adrenaline, 9 p.m., Chandler
Friday
Saturday Bumpin' Bud's JAM 2nd & 4th Saturdays JAM, 6 p.m., Marc's Sports Grill |
GOT BLUES? If you are a Blues musician, a group, or a club that features Blues music, and would like to be listed, please send your info to info@phoenixblues.org and we'll be happy to list your event in our weekly Out & About section of the newsletter
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| Moved? Changed email addresses? Please let us know of any changes in your address, email, or phone number so we can keep you informed about the Blues community in Arizona. Email us at: info@phoenixblues.org or write to: Phoenix Blues Society P.O. Box 36874 Phoenix, Arizona 85067 |
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