Folk Monday – Bettysoo
So yesterday, I was debating whether or not to run and the side that said no was winning! But I finally said, ok let’s go but first we’ll put Bettysoo’s CD Heat Sin Water Skin on the mp3 player. So I did and took off on my four mile run and Dave Terry’s drumming on the opening track “Never Know No Love” got me off to a good start and soon I settled into a great mix of well written and produced songs. As I ran I kept saying to myself that was a great line, like “Am I a dirt road you left behind? Leading to a place you don’t want to find Not paved and pretty but I took you through, Why did you decide to pick up and move, Am I a dirt road you left behind? from “Just Another Lover” and then Blanket of night hides the ache in their souls ,Two bodies huddle with love that’s grown cold, That old twisted cedar taps, A familiar refrain on their window from “Forever” and I could go on and on so many great lines! Duh! That’s why she’s won some many awards like:
Today’s mix contains some forgotten music by some musicians I’ve mentioned recently. The mix started of with the song “Long Afternoons” by Paul Seibel from the album Woodsmoke and Oranges. I always loved this song, years after this album Jerry Jeff did a nice cover on his 1977 A Man Must Carry On album and rerecorded it on the Gypsy Songman album. Here’s Jerry Jeff performing it in 2009
First up was a self-titled album Tribaljazz from a band that I had never heard of, but the sticker on the cover said it was John Densmore’s (drummer of The Doors) band so, aside from the price, that was good enough reason for me to pick it up. The band is a great eclectic jazz band lead by John Densmore on drums and Art Ellis on flute and the rest of the band is composed of musicians from around the world. John Densmore from the liner notes:
Anyway I put the album Valleys of Neptune on the mp3 player and gave it a listen and thought it was pretty good but on the second listen my opinion rose to pretty awesome. All of the tracks were recorded in a four month period in 1969 after the release of Electric Ladyland and feature Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. These are the last recordings with these sideman who were shortly to be replaced by the Band of Gypsies, i.e. Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums. The tracks feature new unreleased versions of “Stone Free”, “Fire” and Red House” and a great cover of an Elmore James’ song “Bleeding Heart” (my favorite on the first listen) and an instrumental version of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”. Other good cuts include “Hear My Train A Comin'” and “Ships Passing Trhough the Night”. Overall it was a great listen definitely a 4.5 and maybe a 5 out of 5 after a few more listens.
