Never Forgotten

Otis Redding Memorial statue, Macon, Georgia.

9/9/1941 - 12/10/1967

Note the Macon Coliseum in the background.

RUDE

I ain't lyin'

Tassel Twirler Tuesday!

Brain_Twist!

Dallas/Fort Worth - Norton Records Benefit Show!

Attention North Texas Ichibaners/Nortonites: Don't miss the D/FW Norton Records Benefit Show in Fort Worth! Sunday, Dec. 9th! Details Here!

December Is Rudy Ray Moore Month On Ichiban

Lakeside Lounge

Kogar's Big Thrill-O-Rama Trash Show #2!

Here is the 3rd in a proposed series of 4 CD's that will eventually all be available here at Ichiban! Special thanks once again to JR Williams for the amazing cover!

Get_Trashed!

(volume one is here http://wfmuichiban.blogspot.com/2010/08/thrill-o-rama.html )
Volume Zero is here http://wfmuichiban.blogspot.com/2010/06/big-thrill-o-rama.html )



McHouston "Mickey" ("Guitar") Baker, 1925-2012

As many of you are already aware, Mickey Baker died a couple of days ago. He was the greatest non-household-name guitarist that Rock & Roll has ever known and quite possibly the greatest guitarist period. He played on countless sessions for Atlantic, Savoy, Okeh, and a zillion other labels. He was half of Mickey and Sylvia of "Love Is Strange" fame. There was no one like him. No other musician of such enormous chops would have the good taste to play a one-note solo and the power to play it as authoritatively as he did (see the Coasters' "I'm A Hog For You Baby"). We'll never know for sure how many records he played on, since he was very busy as New York's first-call R&B session guitarist from the mid 50's to early 60's, and the record keeping was not so meticulous in those days. This was before the powers that be decided that Rock & Roll was art and if somebody farted within a few blocks of where the Beatles were recording, we would know who did it and what they had for lunch that day. Mickey Baker was ranked 53rd in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists list, behind such greats as The Edge, Joe Perry, and the guy from Metallica.

Today on my Ichiban show (1 to 3 PM), the majority of the two hours will be dedicated to him, showcasing his scorchingest recorded work and making the case for Mickey as the all-time champion of Rock & Roll Guitar.

In a way we should count ourselves lucky that Mickey Baker never became a mainstream household name, because he had the kind of life tailor-made for a horrible Hollywood biopic, and with any luck we will now be spared that movie. For more on Mickey, we recommend this piece from 2009 by the Hound (sadly, most of the mp3 links are now dead), and this amazing photograph and story by Jim Herrington.

Ichiban Is Back From Exile

The Jersey City Ichiban server has finally been brought back to life, and thusly your Thursday live programming will again be heard on the Ichiban stream: Matt from 1 to 3 PM and Ted from 3 to 5, Eastern Standard Time. Debbie's show will not be heard this Friday; check this webpage for updates.

Immeasurable gratitude to Doug Schulkind at our sister stream Give The Drummer Radio for keeping us on the webwaves during Sandy's aftermath, and to WFMU tech guru Jeff Moore for getting us back on our feet.

Oh, and: WFMU has reached its post-hurricane fundraising goal! Thanks to everyone who donated.

Tassel Twirler Tuesday!

Fiesta!

I've Got A Polecat By The Tail (MP3)

Abbie Gaye with Ken & Mel  -  I've Got A Polecat By The Tail

I don't know what Buck Owens would say about this take-off on his Tiger By The Tail, but I approve wholeheartedly.

---

Ichiban HQ

The Usual

Do It Again!

Thanks to Billy for this photo of the Norton 3

DJ lineup for today's Norton Records Wash-A-Rhon Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Whyte Street

11:00 PM * GREAT GAYLORD FIELDS
(The Sultan Of Squat)
10:00 PM * JOSH STYLES
(Smashed! Blocked!)
9:30 PM * PETER ZAREMBA
(Fleshtones)
9:00 PM * ANDY SHERNOFF
(The Dictators)
8:30 PM * AVI SPIVAK
(Norton Records)
8:00 PM * KEENAN POPWELL
(Friars Club)
7:15 PM * DREW REDMOND
(Metropolis Vintage)
6:30 PM * DAVE THE SPAZZ
(Music To Spazz By, WFMU)
6:00 PM * ANDY MALTZ
(Little Killers, Piggies)
5:30PM * REX
(Fool's Paradise, WFMU)
5:00 PM * MATT FIVEASH
(Rock N' Soul Ichiban)
4:30 PM * LEAH BETH
(The Nouvellas)
4:00PM * NEIL DEVLIN
(Norton Records)