First Clarence Reid gig in 35 years in NYC tonight
smokedog
34 Posts
You've dug the records -- now dig the mantonight - june 15Clarence ReidRalph soul JacksonRoscoe RobinsonSouthpaw525 5th stPark slope, Brooklyn nyc$159pmon june 23rd, the bill happens again at the hideout in chicago.www.myspace.com/clarencereid
Comments
in Boston (with our own PJ on the decks, too) and
it was really something else - I'm sure Cpeetz wouldn't
like it, as Roscoe is up there in years, but he puts on
a hell of a show, lots of humor and energy. My man Eli
"Paperboy" Reed & his band the Trueloves opened, and are
serving as Roscoe's backing band, and definitely bring alot
to the table, both on their own and as Roscoe's group.
EVERYONE IN NYC AND CHI SHOULD BE AT THESE SHOWS
Just added to the Chicago show: me. I'll be spinning a set sometime during the night.
Also: Hermon Hitson is at the Chicago show. Boom.
Didn't see many strutters there - A45, JP and Joe aside - but this was a great night for me.
Snapshots from the Chicago show:
DJing for about 40-50 songs longer than I thought I was going to, but not running out of 45s (DJs - always pack extra). Felt like a potential jerk for playing three/four sets worth, but never got the old shoulder-tap. Things turned out fine.
Upstairs in the Hideout lounge - sitting next to Hermon Hitson on the couch as he was teaching "Got That Will" to Eli Reed on an unplugged electric guitar. I committed a minor faux pas when the two dropped out - and I kept going - the "singing my hit record/called 'Time And Place'" section before catching myself too late. Oops.
Later in the lounge, Roscoe Robinson, Eli, and a vocalist friend of Roscoe's (Brian or JP - who was this?) were singing Sam Cooke-produced gospel songs a capella. SAR is probably one of my favorite labels ever, so I conservatively joined in on "Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross" and "Jesus Be A Fence Around Me" and got a few nods from Roscoe in the process. Roscoe's latter-day gospel years really came through in that mini-session, and he spoke of the deceptive nuances of Cooke's arrangements. Powerful stuff.
I started a set with Ralph's "Set Me Free" as he was standing right next to me. Alas, a short in the house mixer took out the left channel until the song was half over. It wasn't on me, but I felt like shit. Of course, I blamed it all on the sound guy.
"The Gorilla" by The Ideals sounds best when played as loud as possible. Thanks, JP.
Getting your show poster signed by soul singers as "To my friend..." Makes you feel 7 years old again.
Ralph Jackson was standing next to me in the DJ aisle when Eli's band was playing the lead-in to a song that sounded familiar. At the same time, Ralph and I instinctively launched into "A man can't do/no more than a woman let him/she won't make mistakes/if she knows she'll regret them" and stopped ourselves when it turned out not to be the Ollie & The Nightingales song.
Again: A major thanks to John Ciba. I'd love to do this again as soon as possible.
Probably Otis Clay, who also showed up the last time Roscoe played an East of Edens show.
Most every gig that me and John DJ, Chuck always reminds me to bring "The Gorilla." When I used to work in the post office in college, I remember once working the line as a mail handler when "Gorilla" started blasting from a nearby portable radio (tuned to an afternoon dusties show). The minute the bass voice started up ("GO, GO-GO, GO GORILLA GO NOW...") everybody on the 'sembly line started cracking up. I ALWAYS crank that intro up when I DJ it in a club.
Busch?
My god - it WAS Otis Clay. Aw, shit. Well, he was in great voice.