{"id":12233,"date":"2025-03-03T07:00:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/?p=12233"},"modified":"2025-02-28T08:38:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T14:38:45","slug":"newsletter-for-march-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/newsletter-for-march-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter For March 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS<\/strong><\/p>\n

DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP<\/strong><\/p>\n

THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE THE SECOND SUNDAY, MARCH 9TH\u00a0<\/strong>2:00<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0PM<\/strong><\/p>\n

HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEXT MEETING, APRIL 13TH<\/strong>\u00a02:00<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0PM THE SECOND SUNDAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS SUNDAY MARCH 9TH. CLOCKS SPRING FORWARD 1 HOUR<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

THIS MONTH’S MEETING<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our guest last month shared many wonderful stories about his beginnings in music, what he is currently doing and some much more in between. I can’t imagine someone would have the time to do what he did and work full-time as a school teacher as well. As mentioned in last months’ newsletter Jerry Wasley played bass for Brenda Lee’s touring band during the 1980’s and served as the ‘lead’ roadie for a heavy metal band that toured Europe and opened for AC\/DC. And then hearing about so many other performers he spent time with and so many fun stories he told that I know everyone there was very impressed. Jerry will be back again hopefully before the year is out so be sure to make it when he returns.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This month we will be having a ‘business meeting’ as we begin our preparations for our August Record Show. We need all hands on deck as we begin this process. Before the business part of the meeting starts we will have some fun with an interesting historical music happening. Come and see what that will be.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

DUANE AND HERBIE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in 1969 or 1970 I was introduced to The Allman Brothers Band music. One of my best friends played an album by them when we were at Logan Martin Lake and I have been a fan ever since. Recently that same friend sent me an article he came across about Duane Allman as a session player for a surprising LP. Below is that article which is by Matt Wake of AL.com entitled:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Grammys 2025: Legendary guitarist did a flute album way before Andr\u00e9 3000.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

——————————————————–<\/strong><\/p>\n

The basic premise sounds like a \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d skit. A rapper from a yesteryear superstar group finally releases his long-awaited debut album, except now he\u2019s a flautist and the album\u2019s all meditative instrumentals with zero vocals. It\u2019s just as silly if you substitute \u201crocker\u201d or \u201ccountry singer\u201d for \u201crapper.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Somehow, Andr\u00e9 3000, who rose to fame with \u201cHey Ya!\u201d hitmakers OutKast, pulled it off<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/strong>His 2024 solo LP ‘New Blue Sun’\u00a0<\/strong>is nominated for Grammys not just in a niche category, Best Alternative Jazz Album, but also a biggie, Album of the Year. Whether Andr\u00e9 3000, an Atlanta native, wins zero, one or two Grammys this Sunday, the album\u2019s already received Pitchfork’s imprimatur<\/strong>. And soundtracked many a yoga sesh.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As weird and wonderful as Andr\u00e9 3000\u2019s album is, Herbie Mann\u2019s 1971 LP \u201cPush Push\u201d says, \u201cHold my flute.\u201d The cover art features a waist-up photo of a shirtless, middle-aged Mann with a flute slung over his shoulder like a gun. But like \u201cNew Blue Sun,\u201d the music on \u201cPush Push,\u201d also all instrumentals, is better than one might expect. Partly because Mann\u2019s album features Southern rock\u2019s greatest guitarist, Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPush Push\u201d opens with a jazz-funk title track\u00a0(‘Push, Push’)<\/a>. Following Mann\u2019s extended flute salvo, Allman plays his first guitar solo on the album 3:18 into this 10-minute track. Playing off R&B drum great Bernard Purdie\u2019s groove, Allman\u2019s solo starts slow and over the next two minutes builds into bluesy fire.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After more butterfly-like lines by Mann, Allman\u2019s lead playing returns to the conversation around 6:22. This time he\u2019s playing slide, the guitar technique he\u2019s most associated with, from Allman Brothers cuts like \u201cDreams.\u201d Fluid improvision was Duane\u2019s wheelhouse. The Allman Brothers were wizards of jazz-inspired jamming, as heard on “At Fillmore East,”\u00a0<\/strong>the now-classic live album which released about a week after \u201cPush Push\u201d in July \u201871.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lithe and greasy Allman solos can be heard on tracks like \u201cSpirit in the Dark\u201d and\u00a0\u201cMan\u2019s Hope.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0(click on title to play) There\u2019s some lovely subtle slide at the end of \u201cNever Say Goodbye.\u201d Allman opens up more on a cover of Ray Charles R&B raver\u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019d I Say.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0(click on title to play) Allman\u2019s playing on album closer \u201cFunky Nassau\u201d evokes trippy explorations from Allman Brothers songs like \u201cIn Memory of Elizabeth Reed.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tragically, Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident just three months after \u201cPush Push\u201d and \u201cAt Fillmore East\u201d were released. He was just 24. In an interview with rock magazine Creem\u00a0<\/strong>published posthumously in 1973, writer Laurel Dann asked him if he was pleased with the sessions for Mann\u2019s album.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHell, yeah,\u201d Allman replied. \u201cHerbie Mann\u2019s a really talented guy. I felt real good when he asked me to play with him. These sessions are goin\u2019 good because everybody\u2019s free. Any session is as creative as you make it. You\u2019ve got to feel free to introduce your own ideas.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Allman told Creem his early career experience as a studio musician prepared him for recording with Mann. \u201cLike, when I worked on the Wilson Pickett sessions in Muscle Shoals,<\/strong>\u201d Allman said, \u201cI suggested he cut [The Beatles song] \u2018Hey Jude.\u2019 It ended up that he used my arrangement, and it worked out just fine. Everybody was happy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

While growing his band\u2019s career, Allman continued to play on other artist\u2019s records. Most famously, he was a vital contributor to Eric Clapton\u2019s Derek & The Dominoes album \u201cLayla.\u201d Besides those early Shoals sessions and Mann\u2019s album, Allman\u2019s guitar-elevated tracks like Aretha Franklin’s<\/strong>\u00a0version of The Band tune \u201cThe Weight\u201d and Delany & Bonnie cut \u201cLiving On The Open Road.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to music website Something Else<\/strong>, Allman and Mann connected through soul-rock husband and wife duo Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett<\/strong>. From his apartment one night, Mann heard Allman jamming with Delaney & Bonnie nearby. He brought his flute, went over and joined the jam. Mann and the Allman Brothers were both on Atlantic Records imprints, so a studio session made sense business-wise as well as artistically.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arif Martin, whose resume also boasts work with artists from Aretha to Queen, produced the \u201cPush Push\u201d album. Besides Allman and drummers Purdie and Al Jackson, Jr., ace musicians on the record include bassist \u201cDuck\u201d Dunn, guitarist Cornell Dupree, pianist Richard Tee, among others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mann\u2019s \u201cPush Push\u201d album was a mild commercial success, reaching about midway on the Billboard 200 albums chart while hitting 21 on the R&B albums chart. The Brooklyn native later hit paydirt with dance-chart topping 1974 single \u201cHi-Jack.\u201d He died in 2003 at age 73 at his New Mexico home. In more than 50 years since \u201cPush Push\u201d released, the album has become a cult classic among crate-digging vinyl collectors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flute has been memorably featured on many mainstream hits. For example: Mama & the Papas\u2019 folk-pop hit \u201cCalifornia Dreamin\u2019\u201d; Marshall Tucker Band\u2019s Southern rock anthem \u201cCan\u2019t You See\u201d; Eric Burdon and War\u2019s surreal funk \u201cSpill the Wine\u201d; and Men at Work\u2019s \u201880s fave \u201cDown Under.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jethro Tull\u2019s classic-rock sound is distinguished by singer Ian Anderson\u2019s flute playing, as heard on songs like \u201cLocomotive Breath.\u201d More recently, rappers like Lizzo and Future incorporated flute into their tracks. Now with his Grammy-nominated album, Andr\u00e9 3000 is giving the instrument a spotlight once again.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

BRC RADIO<\/strong><\/p>\n

And don’t forget that BRC radio is still on the BRC website. Our 3 hosts play all kinds of music including hit songs from the 1950’s – present, LP cuts, songs that received little or no air-play, and all genres. Just go the birminghamrecord.com and click on the ‘RADIO’ icon and chose a show.<\/strong><\/p>\n

See ya,<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charlie<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE THE SECOND SUNDAY, MARCH 9TH\u00a02:00\u00a0PM HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209 NEXT MEETING, APRIL 13TH\u00a02:00\u00a0PM THE SECOND SUNDAY DAYLIGHT SAVINGS SUNDAY MARCH 9TH. CLOCKS SPRING FORWARD 1 HOUR THIS MONTH’S MEETING Our guest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newletters","comments-open"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p46vzC-3bj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12233"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12234,"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12233\/revisions\/12234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.birminghamrecord.com\/brc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}