A High Five From Bob Dylan

Ever since my fascination with Bob Dylan and his music began in the mid-60's, there has been one other great friend who has shared this passion with me from the very beginning. I have referred to him as BobCat Numero Uno on this blog many times.


You could say that we spent the Bob formative years together. We went on trips to Roberts Records with Guitar Johnny Nicholas to buy our first Dylan albums. We have bought, shared and discussed hundreds of Dylan bootlegs since the release of the Great White Wonder. Beginning in 1974, we have seen Bob live countless times. Over the years, these live experiences have included some of the best and some of the worst of Bob, but we remember and enjoyed them all. If we hadn't spent all this time on Bob, we might have invented Facebook or something like that.

 Here in his own words is the BobCat's story from last Tuesday:

"So I caught a glimpse of Dylan receiving his medal live on CNN last Tuesday as I was finishing up an appointment in downtown DC. I decided to walk by the White House on my way back to the office to check out the action. From previous visits, I knew to cut through the tree lined walkway by the Treasury Department to get a less crowded look.

As I looked up from my iPhone halfway down the walkway, who was walking right at me not 20 feet away with that unique semi- shuffle, but Bob himself. He had his shades on and was fully buttoned up in 90 degree heat. I blurted out a quick: "Congrats on the medal, Bob." At which point, he pivoted toward me and stuck out his hand. We high-fived and I added: "If this was in London, I'd have to call you Sir Bob." We had a good laugh at that and he kept pointing back at me and smiling as he walked to his car."


What a great story and don't think I'm not a little bit jealous. After all, I'm a guy that dreams at least once a year about meeting Bob. I have had some close experiences in real life (See my post from July 22, 2009), but I haven't met him yet. I guess it is good to have something to look forward to. BobCat Numero Uno, you are a lucky guy.

Bob Dylan in shades at the White House

Bob Dylan was at the White House on Tuesday receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In true Bob fashion, he showed up for the ceremony in his dark glasses. Bob sporting shades at the White House. That is classic. Hello Mr. President, good to be here. Sorry you can’t see my eyes.

For those too young to remember, Bob Dylan invented cool. Before Bob there were a few cool cats like Frank Sinatra, James Dean and Marlon Brando. In the 60's, Bob took a bit from each of them and then took cool to a whole different level.

While his music was setting the folk world on its ear, he was also starting fashion and style trends. He did it without the help of YouTube, Twitter, Facebook or social media sites. His influence on our culture was enormous.

Here he is on the cover of Highway 61 Revisited:

Here is that signature dot shirt on the Tour 66:

And don’t forget the houndstooth check suit from the same tour:

On tour with Sons of Fathers

What is a 60 year old man doing out on tour with a rock and roll band? That's a good question. The answer is: having a hell of a good time, hearing some incredible music and watching history in the making.

It's no secret that I am very high on a new band called Sons of Fathers. Since last fall when I first heard their debut album, I have been spreading the word about this very talented group. In spite of my enthusiasm for the band, I had only been to one live show until recently.

 Last week with a few days to kill, I decided to sign on to the tour as photographer, unpaid roadie and life coach. I began with a show in Washington DC at the Hill Country BBQ. Can't say much about the food at that joint, but the room was good and the show was excellent. The after party in the wine cellar at the Mansion on O was even better. BobCat Numero Uno is still talking about it.

The unique sound of Sons of Fathers comes from the blended vocals of Paul Cauthen and David Beck. On the record, this sound sets them apart from anything being played on the radio today. Seeing them live is even better. On stage, the visual combination of Cauthen's inspired guitar work and Beck's love dance with his upright bass is captivating. When you add the rest of the band to the sound, you have something that is about to explode. Listen to this song from the DC show which will be their next single:

From DC, the tour moved on to Asbury Park, NJ. With visions of Bruce in my head, I walked the boardwalk and admired the sights. What a funky, interesting old town.

 The band played at The Saint which is nice old venue. Once again Paul and David delivered the goods, but that night I was also struck by the playing of the band. Dees was channeling his best Levon on the drum kit and the addition of Bryan Mammel on keyboards gave the band a fatter live sound. Considering that Bryan just joined the band on this tour, I can't wait to hear him once he really gets settled in.

Another recent addition to the band is Tony Browne. His lead and slide guitar adds punch and depth to the SOF sound. His playing and contribution is growing nightly. I hear a young Jimmy Page in the making.

Here is another song from the upcoming album Big Diamond Waltz recorded at The Saint:

Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom, Larry Redmon and Mint Juleps

 The first Saturday in May is the best day of the year. It is better than Christmas, birthday, golf weekend or the first day of quail season. It is even better than hearing the Sons of Fathers live. Sorry guys.  If you have to ask what happens on the first Saturday in May.....hit delete now.

 Derby 2011 was especially exciting for me since I was all over Animal Kingdom who was the long shot winner. I am studying hard trying to catch lightning in a bottle two years in a row, but I'm not counting on it. Nevertheless, it is going to be a great weekend. Read below what I wrote in a post on Derby a few years back. Good luck. I hope you pick the winner.

The Kentucky Derby is one of the premier sporting event in the world. For 135 years, the race has showcased top equine athletes at Churchill Downs, which is one of the great race tracks in the country. In addition to the horse racing, the Derby is a great spectacle of people watching. On Saturday, over 100,000 people from all walks of life will be at the track. There will be movie stars, rock stars, racing fans, show ponies and drunken college kids in the infield who might not even watch the race. There is a very wide range of fashion on display at the event.

I was lucky to be introduced to Derby in 1983 by a true gentleman and good friend from Louisville, Bill Blodgett. It was a great start on a lifetime of Derby experiences, because Bill has a true love for the Derby and everything that goes with it. Bill had access to a great box and the best parties in Louisville. He showed me the ropes of Derby, included how to "sweeten" a mint julep from a hip flask of bourbon. 30 years later, I am looking forward to seeing him at the track on Saturday.

In 1987, I joined the Walmac Farm Derby posse. Since this group is based in Lexington, the Derby schedule is slightly different. It might seem strange to do the Derby from another city (Check with Perry S on this), but it does open up some other social events. When the Madden Party was still in existence, it was the only way to go. I could tell you more about the Madden Party, but this is a family blog. Seriously, it was a huge charity party on the night before Derby every year. Held at Hamburg Place Farm, the party was an extravagant event that included interesting costumes and usually some kind of nudity. Many lasting friendships were made under those big tents.

Part of our Derby routine is going to see Larry Redmon play on Thursday night. I have seen Larry at many places over the years, but recently he has been playing at his own club called Redmon's in downtown Lexington. If you have never heard Larry, you are missing a great live act.

Before a crowd of rowdy college kids with only an acoustic guitar, he holds court. Drawing on a lifetime in the Bluegrass and a love of real country music, he puts together a set that includes original songs like Garth Brooks Ain't Playing Here Tonight, Last Kiss, Another Blue Grass Morning, and Propane. The later is my personal favorite. Sung to the tune of Cocaine, it is a comic tale of white trash country life that includes the memorable lines: When your hands are hot/And your cousin's not/Propane. Redmon's show is a celebration of the music of the American South and it is damn good. He plays real country music and calls bullsh*t on what Nashville is putting out these days.

In the live show, Larry also covers a number of classic songs by John Prine, Chuck Berry, John Fogerty, Steve Earle and David Allan Coe. Every night ends with the unfurling of the confederate flag and a rousing version of Dixie that morphs into Sweet Home Alabama. I hope to see you there on Thursday night.


Being a wine and vodka drinker, I don't drink bourbon during the rest of the year. I guess I am scared if I drink any of that dirty water, I might end up on the ground or dancing that old Saratoga no-step. Mint juleps at the Derby are a different thing. I don't know what they put in those drinks, but they taste good and do enhance the whole Derby experience. I am looking forward to have more than one this weekend.

Father and Son

 My father was into sports. He had very little interest in music. In fact, I'm not sure he ever owned an album or a CD in his life. I remember trying to introduce him to the music I liked back in the late 60's. Once I played him all four sides of Blonde on Blonde in one sitting. That didn't go over that well. "That guy can't sing" was his take on Bob Dylan. His reaction to the picture of Jimi and the band on the cover of Are You Experienced was the 1968 equivalent of WTF? That was the beginning of the realization that my music was not going to be our music.

Fast forward 40 years and I am now the father trying to get the kids interested in my music. This hasn't been easy. They are developing a taste in music from YouTube videos, the Disney channel and their mother. Nothing good there. I am trying to have an impact, but it has been hard so far.

With mom out of town, I saw an opportunity for the kids to have a live concert experience. This past Saturday we went to the J. W. Marriott Hill Country. Robert Earl Keen was playing a show as part of the Texas Open festivities. After a day at the pool, it was show time.

 It was a beautiful night to be outdoors in the Hill Country. Robert and the band seemed fired up and I think the kids had a great time. When my son wasn't begging to go out into the crowd, he did sit in front of the stage and seemed to enjoy the music. My daughter wanted to hear Ready For Confetti and "that song about Toby Keith." Robert played both of those as well as Man Behind The Drums, which is his tribute to Levon Helm. It was very moving under the circumstances.

It was a great night. Hopefully I got my two students on the right track. I'm thinking of starting them on the Basement Tapes next.

LEVON HELM 1940-2012

Levon Helm at the Electric Factory 1969

It is very sad that Levon Helm died today. I was lucky to see The Band twice early on in their history. The first show was at the old Electric Factory in Philadelphia in the spring of 1969. The second was at Tufts University in the fall of 1970. Both times the music was excellent and I was lucky to see them in very intimate venues.

 My love affair with The Band began after a trip to Roberts Records in New London, CT with Guitar Johnny Nicholas in the summer of 1968. I was already a committed Dylan fan at the time, so an album by his former backing band was a natural fit for me. Johnny had seen Dylan play in Hartford in 1965 and had met Robbie and some of the other band members after the show, so he knew the album had a good chance to be great. He was right. On his recommendation, I bought the record.

I took home Music From Big Pink with a lot of anticipation and immediately fell in love. From the opening notes of Tears of Rage, I was drawn into The Band's slice of musical Americana. Although at the time I didn't know or understand the background and relationship between the music on Music From Big Pink, John Wesley Harding and the Basement Tapes, I knew I liked what I heard on that record.

 The first Band records took a lot of listening. Although the music was simple, it was also dense and complex at the same time. There were layers of instruments with multiple voices that needed to be sorted out over time. Rick and Richard often sounded alike, but from the beginning there was no mistaking Levon's vocals. He was the voice that made The Band unique. Although he only sang lead on The Weight on the first album, he left his vocal mark with that classic song.

Later, his vocal contributions on Rag Mama Rag, Up On Cripple Creek, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, King Harvest (Has Surely Come) and Strawberry Wine defined the sound and the soul of the group. Levon was the heart of the rhythm section, but he was more than that. He was a symbol of the connection of the group to America and the rural values and events that they sang about so well. No song captures this better than King Harvest:

Recently I had a chance to go to the Ramble when Robert Earl Keen and his band played there. I didn't do it. I am really kicking myself now. Let's all have a drink tonight for the Man Behind the Drums and remember all the great music he left us. Thank you, Levon.

The Isle of Wight: Bootlegs & My Life Part 6

It was August of 1969 at the Isle of Wight. Bob Dylan was in his white suit. With The Band at his back, he took the stage and opened with She Belongs to Me. After the first song, he uttered the famous words of his comeback: "Thank you very much. Great to be here. Sure is."

 Except for a short appearance at the tribute to Woody Guthrie, three songs on the Johnny Cash show and a cameo with The Band in 1969, Bob had been off the stage since the Tour 66 ended in April of 1966. Three years is a very long time in the Rock and Roll business.

His performance at the Isle of Wight was greatly anticipated and was covered widely by the English press. The audience of 150,000 included the cream of English rock and roll royalty: all of the Beatles except for Paul, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, and Eric Clapton. It was even front page news in the New York papers. I can remember reading all about it. It was very exciting time for a Dylan fan who was starved for live music or news from Bob.

Bob played a 17 song set that mixed his old songs with two covers: Wild Mountain Thyme and Minstrel Boy and five songs from John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline: I Threw Is All Away, I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, Lay Lady Lay and I Pity the Poor Immigrant. Although the entire show lasted less than 60 minutes, it was well received by the crowd and sounds very good today.

My first taste of the concert came when Self Portrait was released in June of 1970. That controversial Dylan record included four songs from the show.  The complete set was not available in the United States until this bootleg was released on the TMQ label in 1972. The sound quality of the record reflected the improvement of the bootleg industry. Bootlegs had come a long way since the Great White Wonder.

I can remember listening to this record at Floyd's hotel. Being a big fan of The Band at the time, I loved the playing between Bob, Robbie and the rest of the group. There is some great energy on the Mighty Quinn. I love when Bob calls out for Robbie's guitar part after the third verse and Robbie blisters it.

 When I listen today and compared these tracks to the frightened, speed freak versions of many of the same songs that were delivered on the 1974 tour, the Isle of Wight tracks sound like gold to my ears. Bob might have been rusty that night, but he delivered a great show.

If you don't own this record or have a turntable to play it on, the concert can be found on several different bootleg CDs. There is a copy called the JTT Master Reel Copy that has very good sound. That's the version that I have on my ipod.

 Here is some audience video from that night. It starts with The Band playing The Weight, but stay tuned the Bob tunes come next: