OLD MUSIC

[Bad Gopher]

Someone told me that in the song Piano Man ….the piano man is a loser like the rest of the crowd.

It's autobiographical. The characters are based on real people he encountered when he was working a piano bar in L.A. in the early 70s. He had signed one or more bad contracts around the time of his first LP, Cold Spring Harbor, and he was essentially on the lam from the record company, writing new songs but not recording them and working in the piano bar under the pseudonym Bill Martin. The line, "Man, what are you doing here?" In a sense, the piano man IS a loser of sorts in that he's underemployed.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Damn - Spider John Koerner died this (Saturday) morning. 85-years old.

Koerner, Dave Ray and Tony Glover were a highly influential folk-blues group in the 1960's, performing as Koerner, Ray and Glover. They befriended a young kid from Hibbing named Bob Zimmerman (later Dylan) on the West Bank of the U of MN. Other musicians who cited Koerner, Ray and Glover as influences included John Lennon, David Bowie, Bonnie Raitt and others.

If you can find them, albums to look for include
"Blues, Rags and Hollers" and
"Lots More Blues, Rags and Hollers" from the mid-60's.
and "Running, Jumping, Standing Still" which was done by Koerner and Willie Murphy in 1969.

(if you were around the Twin Cities in the 70's, Willie and the Bees were a very popular Bar band. Use to play at the old Triangle Bar before that place bit the dust....)

 

[Ope3]

I am not familiar with a "Mad Dog Margarita". I am willing to try one, especially when I finally get to visit Austin, TX.

Guy Clark / Dublin Blues