DJ Hairy Larry Presents The Jazz Writers Big Band
From The Archives Of Something Blue April 9, 2023

Thanks Marty. Today we're hearing an original jazz composition recorded for Something Blue in Riceland Hall.

When I first came to ASU I played in Tom O'Connor's Big Band and I took some courses from him. We stayed in touch through mutual friends and when I returned to school after I retired he was the head of the Music Department.

I took composition lessons from Dr. O'Connor and most of my music theory classes. When he and Don Bowyer started the Jazz Writers Big Band I found the whole project intriguing. The idea was to have a Big Band that played all original arrangements.

Now I'm a composition major and I write jazz pieces. I have written a few big band charts and it's a lot of work. Now just think about an entire concert with all original arrangements. Now that is a lot of work.

I recorded the Jazz Writers Big Band on July 6, 2017, in Riceland Hall, here at ASU. They were the Monday night concert for the Delta Jazz Workshop.

One of the songs they played was a Tom O'Connor composition, "Body Art". I liked this song so much that I made it the first track on the Jazz Writers Big Band CD. I'll include a link to the CD on the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.

So now here's the Jazz Writers Big Band performing the Tom O'Connor composition, "Body Art", right here at ASU.

https://archive.org/details/hll-1054-Jazz_Writers_Big_Band

DJ Hairy Larry Presents Hairy Larry
From The Archives Of Something Blue 2023-04-02

Thanks Marty. Today, I'm singing a Willie Nelson song accompanied only by acoustic guitar.

Everyone says "Crazy" is a Patsy Cline song but Willie wrote it. I love both of them and I love the song. "Crazy" was a country music hit written to a 32 bar jazz change with a lot of blues in it. So when it comes to American roots music, Crazy's got it all.

On May 18, 2008, we were hosting Sunday In The Park at the Craighead Forest Bandshell. There was a little bit of time for a short set so I was the surprise guest. Just me and my guitar, I stood up to entertain the audience playing "Crazy", other jazz and blues standards, and a few originals.

From The Archives Of Something Blue 2023-04-02

Thanks Marty. Today, I’m singing a Willie Nelson song accompanied only by acoustic guitar.

Everyone says “Crazy” is a Patsy Cline song but Willie wrote it. I love both of them and I love the song. “Crazy” was a country music hit written to a 32 bar jazz change with a lot of blues in it. So when it comes to American roots music, Crazy’s got it all.

On May 18, 2008, we were hosting Sunday In The Park at the Craighead Forest Bandshell. There was a little bit of time for a short set so I was the surprise guest. Just me and my guitar, I stood up to entertain the audience playing “Crazy”, other jazz and blues standards, and a few originals.

From The Archives Of Something Blue March 26, 2023

Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear Lisa Ahia sing a Leon Russell song.

After I went back to school I spent a lot of time playing jazz and listening to local jazz musicians. I decided to do an ASU Jazz Festival, Bebopalooza!, on campus and featuring some great jazz by ASU students, alumni, and faculty.

With my close ties to KASU I wanted the station involved too and they were glad to help, both with promotion and then with booking some of the bands.

On October 15, 2011, we had Bebopalooza! outside of the Student Union. Closing the festival it was Gary Gazaway and The Memphis Jazz All Stars featuring Lisa Ahia singing. They played a great set with everyone thrilled by Lisa Ahia’s vocals.

This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Jay Shepherd, Dave Stryker, and Sunna Gunnlaugs. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.

Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM CST, at kasu.org.

Sunna Gunnlaugs – Becoming

    Sunna Gunnlaugs – Home

Dave Stryker – Blue To The Bone
www.davestryker.com/

Jay Shepherd – Delta Jazz Workshop July 12, 2016
www.jayshepherdguitar.com/jazz

DJ Hairy Larry Presents NJHB Playing Colossus
From The Archives Of Something Blue March 19, 2023

Thanks Marty, today we're going to hear a song I wrote that NJHB played at my Senior Recital.

The Senior Recital is a rite of passage for music students, the most important recital in their undergraduate studies. My recital was on November 8, 2013, and I had been playing all year with NJHB, the New Jazz House Band. It only made sense to me to bring this rehearsed act to the Fine Arts Recital Hall to close the recital with 4 of my original compositions.

My song, "Colossus", was one of our favorites and we kicked off the NJHB set with it.

This recording of Colossus featured Arkansas musicians, Suzanne Michell - vocals, Addison Boling - drums, Matt Jackson - bass, Jay Shepherd - guitar, Don Bowyer - trombone, Joseph Curtis - trumpet, Cody Ballard - tenor sax, and Hairy Larry - piano and vocals.

DJ Hairy Larry Presents Jay Shepherd Playing Footprints
From the Archives Of Something Blue March 12, 2023

Thanks Marty, today we’re hearing a Wayne Shorter standard played by Jay Shepherd at the Delta Jazz Workshop.

I took Jazz Arranging with Jay Shepherd and we both had a good class. Jay continued on to take a Masters in guitar performance and then taught at ASU until he moved to the other side of the state. I would still see him every year at the Delta Jazz Workshop where we worked together again teaching jazz improvisation and playing in the workshop’s small groups.

DJ Hairy Larry Presents Mike Dollins
From The Archives Of Something Blue March 5, 2023

Thanks Marty. Today we're going to hear some jazzy blues recorded live at the Craighead Forest Bandshell.

Mike Dollins is a blues musician and promoter from Little Rock. We had the idea to have an Arkansas Blues Caravan bringing musicians from all over the state to perform at the Bandshell. The acts performing included Suzanne and Fred, Sandy and Roy McCann, Ben "Swamp Donkey" Brenner, Jawbone and Jolene, and Mike "Whiskerfish" Dollins and The Big Blue Cats.

It was great weather with everyone enjoying everybody else's blues. A good time was had by all, the musicians and the audience.

This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Bob James, The New Mastersounds, and Club d’Elf. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.

Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM CST, at kasu.org.

New Mastersounds Live at Umeda Shangri-La, Osaka, Japan on 2023-02-09
archive.org/details/nms2023-02-09.AKG_C451B.24bit

Bob James – Grand Piano Canyon

Club d’Elf Live at Park City Music Hall on 2023-02-23
archive.org/details/delf2023-02-23.cmc622.sbd.matrix.flac16

DJ Hairy Larry Presents Bebop Beatniks Playing Sheltered
From The Archives Of Something Blue – February 26, 2023

Thanks Marty. Today we’re going to hear an original jazz song accompanying a spoken word poem by Walt Whitman.

The nice thing about the Delta Jazz Workshop is getting to play with musicians you haven’t seen for a year, as well as musicians you’ve just met.

On July 10, 2019, Bebop Beatniks were playing the Wednesday night concert featuring the working piano trio with Jeremy Jackson on bass, Alex Washam – drums, and Hairy Larry on piano.

Kevin Tinker was on trumpet and Emily Lindley on vibes. Both Kevin and Emily had played with us for years.

We also featured our frequent guest, Jay Shepherd on guitar. Rounding out the horns we had Michael McGowan on tenor sax. This was the first and only gig, so far, that Bebop Beatniks had McGowan as a guest beatnik.