Full Show Friday: Bo Diddley - Jerry Lee Lewis - Chuck Berry - Little Richard - Toronto Rock and Roll Revival 1969

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week... Bo Diddley - Jerry Lee Lewis - Chuck Berry - Little Richard

For November The Masters showcases the greats of early rock and roll

We close out our monthly showcase of the early rock and roll greats with this killer find, The Toronto Rock & Roll Revival footage from 1969. The greats were getting long overdue respect around this time and this video captures four of the best to ever grace a stage, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. 

These clips are so cool and this is the perfect way to wrap up this month's Masters series spotlight. The series will be taking a break next month, but will hopefully be back in the future, hope you enjoyed it.   

Pro Shot and Pro Sound for 1969, this is some history right here. Enjoy:

The Masters: 50's & 60's Early Rock & Roll - Best Live Albums

RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.

For October The Masters focuses on Early Rock & Roll

Unlike our previous list this month which was more of a chance to just discuss the legends and their greatest hits, since they never focused on albums during their heydays and were only out for the hits, this list will be official live shows/releases from those artists and others. 

Then again, this list is kind of pointless as EVERYTHING was live back then, so the ripping King Curtis saxophone blare, or Lloyd Price bellow or DJ Fontana snare slap was captured as is. Even though almost all of their studio records were recorded live in the studio, some of the classic concerts from that era are worth revisiting.

We cover a few we left off our list of top studio work, but some of them also pop up. Remember these lists are made to start conversations, so without further ado let's go up, down, down up, any way you wanna let it roll, yeah, yeah, yeah...

The Masters: 50's & 60's Early Rock & Roll - Best Studio Albums

RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.

For November The Masters Series focuses on Early Rock and Roll

Like we did back in March with The Blues, when RtBE dives into the foundations of rock and roll it is impossible to pick just one legend to focus on, so we are going to try to give thoughts on the whole era this month.

The truth is more than any other era of music, RtBE has been digging this time period over recent years and continues to be amazed at the sheer number of artists who crafted cool tunes which we never heard of. Artists like Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, The Flamingos and H-Bomb Ferguson were unknown to RtBE until 2019 and we are sure to find many more artists in the upcoming years from this golden era of sound.

That fine line between rhythm and blues songs and rock and roll numbers has never truly been defined. "Rocket 88" is a good starting point, and while a lot of these songs stuck to a formula that was selling, it is amazing how small nuances create great listening. The intersection of commercialism and art was at the beginning as artists would try to recreate hits with basically the same song, but then once in a while magic broke out. Sure The Beatles and Stones, took these artists influences and formed something new through their British ears...but it is time to pay respect to the forefathers of the genre. 

Unlike other top studio albums lists in this series, all of these will be greatest hits or some sort of deviation of, as these artists did not make full length albums at one sitting when they were at their peak. Instead they shot off 45's to appease the fan base, cranking them out to make as much money as their shitty contracts allowed. There are so many racial, financial, exploitative dynamics at play with these artists, but we will try to keep those at bay as much as possible when just trying to discuss their output.

If we limited to just individual albums, a few like Wanda Jackson's Rockin' With Wanda and Solomon Burke's Rock 'n Soul might have come close...but even those were compilations (although it took looking them up to know that). I may be wrong, but I feel like full albums really came into vogue with or February Masters focus The Beatles, but maybe someone else knows better. Feel free to comment below...

This list is not definitive, but it is just what we think are the best of an era...one that somehow doesn't get the love it truly deserves for inspiring, racial desegregation, a British invasion and a generation of change in popular music. Also we kept country and soul artists mostly out of here even though all of these artists were clearly influenced by both...So in the spirit of starting discussions as opposed to ending them, here are the top five studio collections from early rock and roll...

Jazzfest Posters Through the Years

Thanks to my friend Allen, who forwarded this link regarding the full history of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Posters dating back to 1969. 

We love the fest and the posters are iconic but this trip back through the years to see how they evolved is pretty telling to just how massive this event has become. The 1969 Pencil drawing shows you the roots and this years 3d image proves just how far the art has progressed, not necessarily improved though.

Our personal favorites? 2007 Jerry Lee Lewis shall hang on our wall one day.

1991 has a cool vibe to it and we love the 1978 edition.

All of this fantastic art makes us more and more anxious for the festival...which starts tomorrow. Enjoy if you are there for those of us who can't make down yet, here are some tunes to get the party (mentally) started:

2015 NOLA Jazzfest Lineup

Well we tried to predict yesterday, got a few right and most wrong because it is official.

Here is your 2015 Jazzfest lineup:

Well we went Billy Joel and it is Elton John behind the ivories, and we guessed Drake and got Pitbull and T.I. instead and while not an overall super exciting headlining crew the festival lineup itself is pretty deep.  

The Who make an interesting choice and I am not sure how well one of our favorite bands of all time will go over in 2015 generally and in the hot NOLA sun specifically. Jerry Lee Lewis plays another Louisiana big time show, that is a hell of a plus.

You can sort through all of the days right here and it should be pointed out that the final headliner on Sunday has yet to be announced as a TBA. Last year the fest did the same thing when it was first announced and that turned into Bruce Springsteen so odds are that one big bullet is still waiting to be fired in the next few weeks.

We can't wait to be there.

Album Review: Jerry Lee Lewis- Rock and Roll Time

Jerry Lee Lewis

Rock and Roll Time

**and1/2 out of *****

You don't get the nickname The Killer unless you are a supreme bad ass and Jerry Lee Lewis is most certainly that. We mentioned in the past that we have always been a fan of JLL and think he is, even with his notoriety, still criminally underrated in most circles. His bio is the best ever written on a rock star, it was a privilege to have seen him live and it makes us happy that he is still alive let alone making records such as the one we are about to review, 2014's Rock and Roll Time.  

Jerry Lee Lewis last two releases have been guest-centric with the A-listers dwarfing the man they came to guest with. On Rock and Roll Time there are still guests of the best quality but non except Shelby Lynne takes the mic away from him, everyone else is contributing on an instrumental/backing vocal level. It is Lewis who takes the reigns from the beginning as he comfortably returns to Sun Records and tracks he has covered thousands of times.

The title Kris Kristofferson song rolls out easy with Lewis voice sounding every inch of it's 79 years but still manic enough to bring a smile. When Chuck Berry's "Little Queenie" gets a greasy airing it is fitting that both Rolling Stones guitarists help out Jerry with his ode to young love as Richards and Wood give encouragement so Queenie can go go; not mad, but still slinky.     

His blues roll take on Bob Dylan's b-cut "Stepchild" fits his voice perfectly before the barroom stomp and easy roll of Jimmy Reed's "Bright Light's, Big City" which shows off not only Lewis, but a dream team of Neil Young and Ivan Neville. By far the oddest pairing on this disk it pays off with winning results; giving these three a full album worth of material would probably lead some insanely cool playbacks.

Unlike say the cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" which finds Lewis sounding gassed behind guitar pickers Robbie Robertson and Nils Lofgren. The cooking swing of closer "Promised Land" lets Doyle Bramhall cut a bit loose on guitar as Jerry bangs away but the truth is there is nothing vital on this disk but at this point nothing has to be.

The playing is fun and rocking for a man a year away from 80, the tracks are expertly produced and played, Lewis voice is strong and he sounds comfortable in his surroundings. You can't ask for much more at this point from The Killer.   
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Well we are ending 2014 with two of our favorite artists of all time via Uncle Neil and The Killer Jerry Lee. While not their best work, it makes us happy both are still kicking both literally and figuratively. Thanks to everyone for reading in 2014 and stay tuned for Jazzy January starting tomorrow.

Support The Killer here, buy the album here and peep some video below...New and old to end the year proper.  




Hallelujah!

See ya in 2015....