Sunday, January 31, 2010

Lost & Found Cosmic American Soul

*No post today.* All hell broke loose with the excitement of Mrs. G.'s return last night. Wanda got a bad case of the zoomies and almost tore off a footpad in the backyard. Lotta blood. Had to take her to the animal ER for stitches, and then she couldn't get used to the victorian collar, so she was softly whimpering much of the night, making it hard to sleep. However, we're having an interesting little discussion on the metaphysics of Dark Knight at the end of the previous post, so feel free to join in...

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I like to think I know my Cosmic American music, but somehow the great Bettye LaVette had escaped my attention. I picked up a used CD of hers the other day, and was blown away. She's been around since the early 1960s, but didn't finally break through and achieve a modicum of success until the 2000s. Check it out:



Here's a more recent clip of her performing The Who's Love Reign O'er Me before a reverent Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry. Not exactly her style of music, but the look on their faces is priceless:



Another good one:

14 comments:

JWM said...

Hey, let's get in a pissin' match over Jazz!

All goofin' aside, Bob. Thank you for today's post over at the wfb.

JWM

Joan of Argghh! said...

Whoa!!! Missing that bit of Cosmic Music is like finding out there's a Holy Spirit after years and years of honorable and contrite obedience while struggling with faith.

If you've never seen a woman sing like that in a little 50-seat carpenter gothic church in the South, (half the church is taken up by the piano and organ and drums) it's hard to believe that you've ever really worshiped. It's just that much more amazing when directed upward.

Great second video. It wasn't about how many slides and notes she could cram into the music, it was about how much the music could pull out of her very being.

Wow. Just. . .wow!

walt said...

When The Who's hammer player, "Rabbit" Bundrick, recently lost his wife to illness, they had someone sing Love Reign O'er Me at the funeral.

Thanks for this version, Bob!

Gagdad Bob said...

Speaking of which, the other day I snagged an absurdly underpriced copy of the rare and out of print MFSL audiophile gold CD version of Quadrophenia. Check out some of the used prices. They say gold is a good investment in these uncertain economic times. If I want to, I can sell mine at a 1,000 percent rate of return, like Hillary in pork belly futures...

walt said...

Re: those prices.

I'll just quote another tune by Pete and let it go at that: "I've got it all here in my head ... there's nothing more needs to be said."

Stephen Macdonald said...

Currently we alternate between a Baptist church and my wife's Catholic one. At Baptist church today we heard an awesomely powerful rendition of Amazing Grace by a young woman with pipes made in Heaven itself.

Then I come home to find this most wonderful musical racoonmendation! Great day so far.

julie said...

Wow - she's amazing.
There's an Amazon store full of her stuff, with a few more streaming tracks.

Re. the expression, there's a woman who solos for our choir every once in a while when we do a bluesy/ old spiritual type piece, Margo Reed. She doesn't sing with us usually, but she's a member of the director's church. She looks very petite, almost frail, and is quite possibly one of the most humble people I've ever met, but once she starts singing, she's really channeling something. Also has a habit of weeping when she's singing or even just listening about God. People like her and Bettye make me wish my grandmother hadn't been so intent on passing for white.

black hole said...

Alejandro Escovedo is an artist I recommend for this group.

robinstarfish said...

OMG...where's she been all my life?

Gagdad Bob said...

Speaking of whom, today's Search of the Day:

mystical esoteric starfish

robinstarfish said...

Well. That explains a lot.

julie said...

I've been meaning to ask how Mrs. G is doing, but didn't want to be intrusive. And poor Wanda! I hope her foot is better soon!

Leslie Godwin said...

Thanks Julie!
I'm tired but fine. Wanda will be OK but can't get stitches out for two weeks and has the cone on her head. Very pathetic looking.

I appreciate your asking...don't worry about intruding.

Thanks!
Leslie

julie said...

We haven't had to use the collar in quite a while, but they are terribly pathetic. Lyra used to get the most tragic expression; I don't think we ever made her wear one for more than a couple of hours. For the ears it never helped much, anyway.

I'm glad you're doing alright; I hope everyone (besides Wanda) was in good shape when you got home :)

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