SXSW Wednesday

By the time I took this picture, Fuze and Canada were already in full attack mode. I got parched and drank a bit of the Strawberry and it wasn't bad. I won't be drinking that stuff persistently though.


Later that day, the Paula Nelson Band rocked the Saxon Pub on South Lamar. Americana radio peeps Rick Star, Big Kev, Erin and Fred were in attendance and we thank them for their support!

Rick Star (left) has played many records (Shelby, Joseph Israel, Ike and Tina) I have promoted and his station KFAN Fredericksburg is a an eclectic one. Check it out!

Big Kev (right) I only know for about five years. He's down in the Jersey/Pennsylvania corridor and is obviously a major personality too.

Paula Nelson and her band play Austin blues-house rocking music the city is known for and do it well. Her album Lucky 13 goes for Americana adds on Monday March 24, and it was hot when Erin, music director of KFAN (second from right), reeled off all the songs from the album they are already spinning. "Fire Below," "Baby You're Mean," "Day to Day Love" and the Prine cover "Angel From Montgomery" among others! "A core artist" says Rick Star later in the week in the glow of Willie's big Texas flag back stage at the Backyard show. It's a good hang in the Hill Country. Thanks for the hospitality folks!

Later that evening, R.E.M. moved the crowd at Stubb's. I was so heartened to see a band from one of my first conventions, CMJ '84, still on the scene working it. As the conference unfolded, gold seemed to be a persistent theme. And what's wrong with that? No that's not a veiled Paul McCartney divorce reference! As Jeremy Tepper once said, "that's too today for me."

Remember, this is still only Wednesday night.

The "Maharajah of the Keyboard"

Click here for the BBC article including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, President Sarkozy of France; quotes from Basie and Ellington and also mentions that he was the first living Canadian to be pictured on a stamp.

Diana Krall said Oscar Peterson had been "the reason I became a jazz pianist".

"We all know he was the greatest living jazz pianist after Art Tatum," she said.

"That's my person I looked up to most in my whole life who also happened to be Canadian."

My vibes to Diana and everyone who loved Oscar Peterson. He seemed like a sweet guy offstage, judging from all the honors he received around the world.

Sir John Dankworth: "He was a wonderful player, prodigious technique, fantastic ideas and a very humble man."

CBC Photo Gallery

Farewell Paul Yeskel and Oscar Peterson

I was driving in upstate New York the other day and a number popped into my head. I couldn't remember who it belonged to. It was 679-9111. If you are reading this post about Paul Yeskel, you might recognize that number. I just realized it was his, with deja vu/weird memories induced by having just read that he died yesterday in his sleep at 56 from undetermined causes. I'm very sorry to hear this news and send my sympathy his brother Dave and the rest of the family. I worked (but mostly hung at events) with both of them over the years, most recently last year's Who concert at Madison Square Garden and the wonderful Island Records reunion Patrick Jordan and Julie Sherwood threw last March. He was a classic rock guy and that's about the best thing you can be.

The songs are played out because they are good and Paul Yeskel helped get a lot of good songs played. I wonder if anyone reading this can name a few he promoted with a story or two. Radio promotion is a dying art and Paul Yeskel was great at it. Good offspring with the Syndicate kids and the legendary Kim White especially. Respect and farewell to Paul Yeskel and Oscar Peterson, who obviously had something to do with music too.

I feel like when I saw Oscar Peterson he was smiling a lot. I saw him at Steppingstone Park in Great Neck and maybe on Blue Note's 50th at Carnegie Hall. He played so many shows, so many notes. Pretty mind boggling to think of all those people, the joy he brought. It had to have been mostly through live shows but Oscar Peterson must have had some big albums too. I'm glad I got to see him. He played very, very fast with a lot of melody and taste. And he had the classic name of Oscar.