“The demons in Circle Three are licking their poisoned-saliva lips, devising Trump’s punishments. Not to let the cat out of the bag, but it will likely involve a gag, a treadmill, and the Squad’s Bluesky feeds.”
Of course, silly fun & a granfalloon. Hard to figure the calculus between world impact & MN connections used. Most tenuous? Sam Shepard.* How’s he different than many sports stars who missed the cut?
*not knocking Shepard’s art—just its & his MN connection.
good morning - Geri Allen (piano, composer), Anthony Cox (double bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums). Recorded February 8 or 9, 1984 at Tonstudio Zuckerfabrik, Stuttgart. Engineer: Johannes Wohlleben
I went to read some Edna St Vincent Millay poems looking for beauty and elusive desire during our time of vainglorious cruelties. Instead, I found this declaration of anger and disgust. Good enough for the likes of now—crank up the electric guitar army frankhudson.org/2026/03/07/a...
1953 Gretsch Sparkle Jet with silver metal flake finish & Bigsby vibrato in a vintage case.
I’ve read less about company thoughts and intents at Gretsch, but another earlier in the 50s it must be for Rock design candidate would be the Sparkle Jet.
Your point about the Explorer (and the Flying V) is similar, though they sold in such small numbers that their shock is mostly retroactive. My “after they called it Rock’n’Roll in the mainstream east-coast press” era guitar candidate would be Bo Diddley’s rectangular twang machine.
Fender clearly knew & had expectations of use by those new styles of music everyone was talking about—Gibson/Gretsch/Epiphone were still with pre-war big band expectations. The Tele couldn’t look like that—it a plank, uncouth! Bigsby’s solid body too from that era.
It depends on how narrowly one defines “rock” I suppose. The kind of Country and R&B being played in Southern California when Fender created the Broad/Telecaster counts for me. But I know opinions differ.
And yet, despite your username you forgot the hit 45 rpm single by that Canadian Lorne who was behind an NBC behemoth.
Given the thoughts in the lead off post here, I’d say there’s a parody opportunity being missed.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXJ...
Brass knuckles? What about woodwind shillelaghs?
That’s moving the decimal one place from Costco.
This morning’s Minnesota Star Tribune feature for notables celebrating their birthdays today lists musician Chris Rea who died in 2025.
Saw a small-print goof in this daily feature this morning: Chris Rea died late last year.
Not a big thing, but I don’t recall that error in this kind of feature before.
“Oh put some shoes on will ya. I’ve got work to do!”
There are rumors that members are in a new project with that guy from The National: Turkey & Dressner. Zak Starkey’s name also in the reports, but we still don’t know who’ll get the drumsticks.
Written in March The cock is crowing, The stream is flowing, The small birds twitter, The lake doth glitter, The green field sleeps in the sun; The oldest and youngest Are at work with the strongest; The cattle are grazing, Their heads never raising; There are forty feeding like one! Like an army defeated The snow hath retreated, And now doth fare ill On the top of the bare hill; The Ploughboy is whooping-anon-anon: There's joy in the mountains; There's life in the fountains; Small clouds are sailing, Blue sky prevailing; The rain is over and gone!
It’s March. It’s Monday. The sun’s out & it’s above freezing in Minnesota. Should I sing William Wordsworth’s poem? He’s been to March even if he hasn’t been here. Hey WW, do you mind a little bottleneck slide?
frankhudson.org/2020/03/31/w...
Beans & Nothingness?
Needs Norah Jones to sing it, but this’ll have to do. youtu.be/Zc-XCw13LFE?...
Been sick the last few days with a bad cold. Low energy, stuffy nose. Hard to do Parlando Project work or even read. Listening today to midcentury Jazz from @markstryker.bsky.social lists. This stuff isn’t new to everybody, but I’m ready to hear every version of Airegin & Bags Groove from back then.
Poets and poetry lovers, do you have a few minutes to complete a survey on line breaks? It’s part of a research project led by one of my graduate students. Please feel free to share. Thanks for considering.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Listening to “Oh! Karen” now. Reminds me that I need to listen to more trumpeters that aren’t Miles.
I’m an old (northern) man now, but still my muscles memory feels the snow in this one.
Also 2/3 of Cream: BBM (Baker, Bruce, & Gary Moore)
I know the world & the country are full of other things this month, but here are 12 poems of Claude McKay performed with a range of differing music I’ve composed for them—including 7 ones newly released this month. frankhudson.org/tag/claude-m...
I can recall back then going to a “head shop” & record store in Des Moines, & seeing there an informal (local store staff made) little display for the 1st LZ LP.
My thought: Gee, it’s surprising to see some attention given to a Yardbirds spin-off band, as the Yardbirds had sort of petered out.
When I play power chords I’m normally using just the bottom 2 to 3 strings, same as most guitarists. Always figured, just easier chord fretting shapes—but it turns out there’s a bonus.
In the other hand, the Rolling Stones method is familiar to me.
The striking thing about playing & editing a vocalist virtual instrument—after the uncanny valley unease it surely produces—is being in slow, deliberate control of that vocal expression, which this untrained human singer never has been. frankhudson.org/2026/02/26/t...
Not just strings, but all sorts of orchestral colors in Charles Stepney’s arrangements for The Rotary Connection’s Aladdin LP recorded in Chicago in 1967. To pick one cut, here’s “I Must Be There.” youtu.be/AWvsbYyPLkU?...
I keep trying to realize different kinds of musical expression in my long-running Parlando Project. Today’s piece, a setting of a Claude McKay poem, takes on a type of vocal expression that’s always been out of my reach. frankhudson.org/2026/02/26/t...
Yes! They are magnificent for the company they keep, an honorable, useful role.
Think of all the years you & I have listened to that record—they’ve always been there, reassuring….
BTW, love this entire series so far.
