From The Archives Of Something Blue May 14, 2023

Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear one of my songs played in the Fine Arts Recital Hall.

Bebop Beatniks have been playing jazz in Jonesboro for a long time now. Earlier this year I put together a retrospective album. I searched all of our live performances for original songs and then I selected the best of these to put on the album, “Church”. I will include a link to the whole album on the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.

On November 1, 2016, we played a composition recital in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. I picked my song “Dragonflight” for this week’s podcast. Playing on the song were Sid Davis and Chris Wilson – trumpet, Nicholas Graves – alto, Jonathan Vickers – tenor, Austin Lynn – trombone, Kyle Kempf – bass, Alex Washam – drums, and Larry Heyl – piano. All ASU students at the time and almost all of us from Northeast Arkansas.

We called ourselves the October Octet. So how did that end up on the Bebop Beatniks album?

It turns out that every musician playing, except two, played in Bebop Beatniks or were regular guests with Bebop Beatniks. The band rehearsed for the recital and the execution of the horn harmonies on this recording is excellent. Far and away the best recording I have of this song.

So, since I could include it on the album, I did.

And that’s the story about how my song “Dragonflight”, played by the October Octet ended up on the Bebop Beatniks album, “Church”

So now, from the new Bebop Beatniks album here’s a song I wrote, “Dragonflight” recorded right here at ASU.

archive.org/details/bebop-beatniks-church

From The Archives Of Something Blue May 7, 2023

Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a brand new blues rock song recorded in Wynne, Arkansas.

Mr. John B. Shepherd is famous for his live blues guitar shows. I like to say, “I ain’t saying John Shepherd is better than anyone else, but there sure ain’t nobody else that plays better than him.”

John also has a studio in his basement in Wynne, Arkansas. John calls it StudioJS. We recorded some of the tracks there for our Delta Legends album, “Two Woman Blues”.

Well, this winter John got to work down in his studio and recorded a new album, “Guitar Soul”, that we are planning to release on HairyLarryLand. And from that album we’ll be hearing a pre-release version of “One Eyed Jack”. Our friend, Michael Riley, played drums on the album but on this song John used Zoom drums built into his multitrack recorder.

From The Archives Of Something Blue 2023-04-30

Thanks Marty, today we’ll hear a piano feature on a jazz standard recorded for Alley Records.

When Joe Lee said he wanted to record another album playing the charts that he arranged to tour with, I was all in. I ended up as recording engineer and coproducer of the album “Boppin’ At The Forest”. It was a privilege to work with Joe Lee and all the fine musicians in his band, Joe Lee and Friends.

Joe decided to record the Erroll Garner standard, “Misty”, featuring Joy Sanford on piano. As you will hear Joy stepped up and did a fantastic job on this Joe Lee arraangement.

Playing on the track were Joy Sanford, piano; Joe Lee, tenor sax; Craig Baker, trumpet; Dru Davison, Bari Sax; Tom Mason, bass; and Mike Overall, drums. They all played and taught in the Jonesboro area. It has been wonderful to work with all of these musicians, over the years, at Blues Fest, Jazz Thursday, and other KASU shows.

“Misty” was released on the Joe Lee and Friends album, “Boppin’ At The Forest”, recorded in the Spring of 2001. Here it is now, featuring Joy Sanford on piano.

deltaboogie.com/alleyrecords/

music

And that was “Misty”, featuring Joy Sanford on piano, recorded in the Spring of 2001 by Joe Lee and Friends. Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 to hear Bob Reynolds, Graytheflutesmith, Stefan Kartenberg, and Adam Balusik.

From The Archives Of Something Blue April 23, 2023

Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a solo piano composition performed in the Fine Arts Recital Hall.

When I wrote “Bop Soup” I was taking piano lessons from Harriet O’Neal and Dr. Tacke was my composition instructor. So thanks to both for helping me prepare this piece.

On November 8, 2013, Brian Henkelmann performed the song at my Senior Recital. He did such a great job playing it that I made it the title track on my album, “Bop Soup”, consisting of all ten songs played at my recital. The song holds up after repeated listenings over the years. Both my work, writing the piece, and Brian’s performance, live and recorded, are excellent.

DJ Hairy Larry Presents The Reba Russell Band
From The Archives Of Something Blue April 16, 2023

Thanks Marty. Today we're going to hear the Queen of Memphis Blues sing a song her husband wrote about his ex.

Vivian and I have known Reba Russell and her husband Wayne since the nineties, back in the Blues-L days. I've heard her play at The King Biscuit Blues Festival, the Arkansas Roots Festival, and the KASU Blue Monday and Bluesday Tuesday shows. Before the pandemic my band, The Emporium Orkestra, would entertain blues fans at The Biscuit with our morning shows and Reba and Wayne would stop by to listen and eat breakfast.

The song we're hearing today was recorded at KASU Bluesday Tuesday on November 13, 2012. I was singing with Delta Vox at Riceland Hall that night so Mike Doyle, who was then the station manager at KASU, made the recordings. And since I couldn't run sound for Reba, Mike asked Sonny Burgess to do the sound work. As you will hear, they both did great.

Reba introduces the band including Doug McMinn on drums. Doug is the son of Papa Don McMinn, another Memphis Blues Legend. Don McMinn passed away in 2017.

And then there's a whole story about the song that Wayne wrote for his ex-wife. I'm gonna let Reba tell you about that, better than I possibly could.

So now, here's Reba Russell, singing the Wayne Russell song, "Almost A Memory" at KASU Bluesday Tuesday on November 13, 2012.

Memphis Blues Society Obituary for Papa Don McMinn
https://www.facebook.com/memphisbluessociety/posts/obituary-for-papa-don-mcminnhomer-l-don-mcminn-also-known-as-papa-don-blues-musi/1168845856555489/

Department of Music to present ASU Jazz Bands and Vocal Jazz Groups in 'Singing into Spring,' Nov. 13
https://www.astate.edu/news/department-of-music-to-present-asu-jazz-bands-and-vocal-jazz-groups-in-singing-into-spring-nov-13

From The Archive February 14, 2021 – Reba Russell – “At Last”
https://sbblues.com/2021/02/14/from-the-archive-february-14-2021-reba-russell-at-last/

Reba Russell website
https://www.rebarussell.com/

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

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.

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.