Gurf Morlix to Perform at Pausa Art House May 1

     Western New York native singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and Austin and Buffalo Music Hall of fame member Gurf Morlix will perform a solo evening of music at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at the Pausa Art House, 19 Wadsworth Street, Buffalo.

Photo of Gurf Morlix by Val Dunne/Barkloud Productions

     Tickets are $15 at the door or $16 online at www.pausaarthouse.com/gurf-morlix-51.html, and according to the Pausa Facebook page at 10 a.m. Wednesday, “just a few more reserved seating spots with advanced tickets” remain. Along with his solo work, Morlix is best known as the guitarist, arranger and producer of Lucinda Williams’ best work, her self-titled album and “Sweet Old World,” and partially “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.”

     Morlix’s most recent album is “Finds the Present Tense” (Rootball Records), and the electric full-band sound is utilized extensively and with excellent results, while some of his more acoustic/solo approach remains. Even the full band sounds of standout songs such as “Lookin’ for You,” “Bang Bang Bang” and “Present Tense” are compact and not overdone. “These Are My Blues” may be the meanest, dirtiest, gut-wrenching blues he has ever recorded, and demands repeated listening.

     Of course, this shouldn’t hide Morlix’s more personal side, even when another species seems less than approving. At about 1:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, after the NBA playoff games had ended, I let our dog Harold out for a final backyard visit before going to bed. Morlix, who often stays next door at the house of our neighbor, Buffalo Music Hall of Fame guitarist, singer, songwriter and Morlix childhood friend and bandmate Jim Whitford (the Pine Dogs, Twang Gang, Canal Street String Band), was outside with their dog, Nuala.

     While the dogs peed, howled and whined a bit, Morlix and I talked about a bunch of things, including how Gurf and Nuala were adjusting to each other. “I don’t think she likes my singing or guitar playing; I sat down in the room she was sleeping in and started to sing one of my songs, and she looked at me, got up and left. I later carried my guitar into the room she was in, and she took one look and got up and walked away again.” A moment later, Nuala, a vizsla/red coon hound blend, howled as she usually does; she basically never barks, just howls, which, as dog people ourselves, is no bother to Val or me. “She only howls one note,” Morlix said with a smile, and as Nuala howled again, he added, “See? The same note, a B.”

            Go see what Nuala was howling about Thursday night.

Dad's Records: From Elvis Presley to Spike Jones

I wrote about it a bit on The Buffalo Roots blog a few years ago, and my processing of my late father Edward's record collection continues.
This time, it is a major step. While I have been inventorying and discussing many of the other boxes and cases of records (33s, 78s and a couple of 45s) from Dad's collection, I am finally going to open what was described to me as a case of either his favorites or important/valuable records, which were kept in a14-inch tall, 18-by-14-inch wooden and cloth case with some leather on the top cover.
It is the case that my father's sole Elvis Presley record, a 78 RPM recording of "Baby Let's Play House," b/w "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" (RCA Victor 20-6383), which was moved to after it was found, without a cover, standing in one of those old wire record holders. Sadly, the record is very damaged, with a crack that runs through the middle of the record, leaving it held together basically by the label.
There are about 120 records in this case, and I haven't run across anything that seems overly valuable and/or famous/important yet as I start this project. Among the artists I've encountered so far are Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Tony Martin, Xavier Cugat, Dinah Shore, Danny Kaye, Vic Damone and Margaret Whiting. Dad was a major big band jazz and jazz vocalist fan, as you can probably tell.

As I go through my father's record collection, the one surprise and concern I have is that I have barely found many recordings from his favorite two artists. Dad was an immense Stan Kenton fan, particularly of his "Artistry in Rhythm" and related artistry recordings. Indeed, my father once helped arrange the Lancaster High School Band Boosters bring Stan Kenton and His Orchestra to the high school for a fundraiser, and proudly took us to the show; I still remember how happy he was that night.

Dad's other standout favorite was Spike Jones and His City Slickers; if you knew my father, you'd easily understand this, with his liking for incredibly corny puns and jokes and slapstick humor, as well as big band jazz. I can still hear Jones and his orchestra's recording of "Beetlebaum" to this day, especially when I hear the "William Tell Overture." So far, I haven't found a single one my father's Spike Jones recordings, but I do have a few boxes left to process.

Continental Reunion, WBNY Alumni Weekend

It seems that the weekend of April 25-27 will be a rather busy and fun one in the Dunne Hosey Estates.
The formerly annual WBNY 91.3 FM Alumni Weekend will be held from Friday through Sunday, April 25-27, at the studios in the Student Union at Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, and of course, on the airwaves at 91.3 FM, with a revised fund-raising effort included. I am very proud and humbled to have been a DJ at WBNY form 1984-1985, as host of the loudest morning show in Buffalo (6-10 AM Wednesdays), and I was lucky to get to play a lot of original local music as well. Details are still being finalized, and I will post them here as they become available.
The second annual Continental reunion, cleverly called Continental Reunion II, will be held Saturday, April 26, at the Town Ballroom (the site of the first reunion last year) on Main Street in downtown Buffalo. The event, which drew about 900 people last year to a night that no one present wanted to end, will again be produced by Bud Redding (Continental DJ, booker, virtual manager and musician) and Hard Productions, with lots of help from Jennifer Shanley.
The band lineup alone is amazing, including Nullstadt (who blew away everyone last year), the Enemies, Pauline and the Perils, Terry Sullivan and Friends, Tension. the Kevin K Band (former Toys, etc.), Johnny Revolting and Skinbound, and there will be nine classic DJs returning. In particular, Andre Frazier, DJ Andre, etc., should be performing double duty that weekend at both the WBNY Alumni Weekend and the Continental Reunion.
As we get closer to the reunion, I will be talking with Redding for a more extensive article and update, and for tickets or more information, visit the Town Ballroom box office or online at www.ticketfly.com. Also, for information on hotel packages for the weekend, check the Continental Facebook page. BTW, Continental Reunion II artwork courtesy of Bud Redding.

Rush to (Commercial) Judgment

Take off with Walmart, it's a beauty way to go.

Well, it seems that my continuing commentary (harping) on musical choices being used in commercials, mainly television, has taken an unexpected turn.
While I was watching the Winter Olympics from Sochi (and seeing little non-man made snow except February 18), I caught a commercial for Walmart, mentioning how allegedly committed the company is to the American (as in USA) workers it employs at its stores, warehouses, etc., as well as American factory workers and its acquiring of their products.
When I finished spitting out my snack and stopped laughing and shaking my head, I noticed that the music being used in the television commercial was..."Working Man," by Rush. That's right, Walmart was spraining muscles patting its own back for "supporting" American workers with a song from the proudly and unmistakeably Canadian progressive rock band which has set a course of independence, musically and politically, for years.
Of course, as well as this use of the song by one of the most vile mega corporations around, I am still confused with and trying to find more about Rush, its members and its licensing agents and staffers allowing the use of this song, even for money.
We have assumed control, we have assumed control.

Decided the Yogurt Sings the Song

Use of this photo of Simon LeBon proves how much I love my wife Val,
even though she is a bigger Jonathan Taylor fan

Yoplait yogurt has taken the lead in the use of music that surprises some people in advertising sweepstakes, most recently causing a mini controversy of sorts, at least among its fans, with the use of Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" in a commercial that aired last year and early this year.
The band claims that it was unaware that the song was going to be used in a yogurt commercial and said it would never have agreed to its use, but please, don't try to tell me the band and its management, legal team and licensing staff didn't know of and allow this. The band members asked that the advertising campaign using "Hungry Like the Wolf" stop, and Yoplait eventually ended using the ads, whether because of the request or the campaign simply ran its course I can't tell (although the latter seems more reasonable).

I think Depeche Mode now has more than enough.

Yoplait then cleverly used "More Than a Feeling" by Boston in its next commercials, which pushed the Boston Cream Pie variety of yogurt, and has been using other bands' music.
Last night, for the first time I caught the newest Yoplait ad, using "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode. I assume the campaign using this song has been out for a bit (I don't usually spend much time looking for yogurt advertising), but I have yet to hear any wailing or grinding of teeth or beating of breasts over this.
That's kind of surprising, considering that, while I enjoy both bands' music, I would certainly think of Depeche Mode as being a more cerebral and more serious band than Duran Duran.
 During my days as a DJ at WBNY 91.3 FM at Buffalo State College (1984-85), I played a lot of both bands and got way more requests to play their music. I remember that some early fans of Depeche Mode were kind of surprised and almost offended at the poppy sound of "Just Cant' Get Enough" compared to songs such as "Black Celebration," "Blasphemous Rumors," "Master and Servant" and "People Are People."  Somehow, I didn't expect the fans of the band that brought us "Girls on Film," "Rio," "Planet Earth" and "Hungry Like the Wolf," all songs I like, to get more publicly offended that Depeche Mode fans.
Maybe God does have a sick sense of humor.

Rage Against the Zamboni

     With Val and me major Buffalo Sabres fans, the Sabres having a pretty bad season so far (last in the NHL as of this writing) and me being a music geek, I have been noticing musical things while watching games a bit closer.
     First, the Sabres have adopted as their theme music for opponents' penalties "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine. I am a pretty strong Rage Against the Machine fan (their debut album is  a classic), but I am wondering of the person who chose this song is a bit uncertain about the lyrics, which are rather anti-politicians and the ruling class using the military-industrial complex to maintain control and power and use any means to defend themselves and their beliefs; also, "bulls" has often been used to describe uniformed police and law enforcement.
     In hockey, professional and otherwise, there are enforcers who play rough games, often fighters, and trying to blunt the other team's similar players, who do not play too many minutes; or, the referees are enforcers of the rules. Either seems a bit of a stretch for the song, despite being a real headbanger.
     During the January 21 Buffalo Sabres-Florida Panthers game, which Florida won, 4-3, the music played during one of the breaks at the First Niagara Center was "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath; an absolute all-time favorite of mine and classic anti-war, anti-military-industrial complex, anti-politician song.
     But as much as I like and would encourage the playing of this and the other above song at Sabres and all professional sports games, I have absolutely no idea what the point was of playing it here, especially when I hear sports team and venue owners and operators mewling about creating family atmospheres. I laugh when I think of what family this might be...besides our own.
     Oh, one more Sabres music thought: Doug Allen is the main singer of the American and Canadian national anthems at Sabres games. For years, the Douger used to point to the crowd near the end of the US anthem, ending it by pointing into the camera as he sang "Home of the brave." It is an absolutely over-the-top, maudlin but fun moment, and Val and I would always loudly cheer on the Douger until and as he did it. But this season, there is none of this; no pointing and, indeed, the camera does not end the US anthem with a closeup of Allen. What gives, Sabres?

Thumbs Up to 'Live from Daryl's House'

     After reading several positive articles and receiving a couple of recommendations, Val and I finally watched a few episodes of "Live from Daryl's House," a musical program hosted by Darryl Hall of Hall & Oates, and it is a really good program.
     Hall originally hosted the program from his house in Millerton, NY, but is now be taping it at a club called "Darryl's House" in Pawling, NY. The show began as a web cast in 2007, and was picked up for television and can now be seen on VH1, VH1 Classic and Palladia networks.
     I've seen parts and clips from a bunch of shows, but of the entire programs I've seen, my two favorites are those featuring Smokey Robinson and Nick Waterhouse. The hour-long program was originally set in renovated houses with live-in-studio performances featuring Hall on vocals, guitar and keyboard, as well as some talented musical regulars and special guests/cohosts.
     In particular, the Smokey Robinson episode features everything that is good about this format as well as the guest himself. The musical selections ranged from classic Robinson hits throughout his career to some lesser-known songs. Upbeat tunes such as "Tears of a Clown" and of a more obscure Motown song I wish I had caught the title of had the original kick with a bit more grit to them, and even "Being With You," not exactly a favorite Robinson song of mine (and I do consider Robinson among the true music geniuses), sounded soulful, as Hall traded lines with Robinson using his falsetto. They also performed a smoldering version of Hall & Oates' "Sarah Smile."
     The best song in my opinion was "Ooh Baby Baby," with the band really holding back as it should have while providing a soft, slinky, romantic backing. Robinson took most of the lead vocals, while Hall harmonized quite nicely, but eventually, except for the necessary harmony lines, you could see Hall just sit back with a wide grin to listen and watch Robinson amazingly sing everything, including the higher notes, without missing a single note or emotion. I kind of got chills listening, but the reactions of Hall and the other musicians were priceless, as they smiled, whistled, shook their heads and applauded in amazement and appreciation. As the show ended, Hall and others could hardly express their good fortune and enjoyment of performing with Robinson.
     While I had heard of Nick Waterhouse, I hadn't really heard more than a song of his, so his episode helped introduce me to his music as well as entertained me. Waterhouse plays revved up 1960s flavored rock and soul, sometimes with an early Elvis Costello and the Attractions feel, other times older, and he and Hall seemed to hit it off well musically. Let's just say the music and performances were good enough that it appears I will be using some of the funds I have in my iTunes account to get an album of his.
     My timing in writing this piece is better than anticipated; it appears that the newest "Live from Daryl's House," with Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, debuted yesterday, January 15, on the show's website, LFDH.com, with this and other new shows starting in February. Also, I hope to catch the shows with Todd Rundgren, Cee-Lo Green, Booker T and the MGs, Shelby Lynne, the late Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger and, yes, John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls.