If you’ve never heard of Duck Dunn, don’t worry. Chances are you don’t play bass or you haven’t been paying attention. The bottom line is everybody has heard Duck Dunn, whether they noticed or not, on countless records of immense consequence. Take a moment to appreciate a legend. RIP.

Here’s Duck playing with John Prine, on one of my favourite tunes ‘Saddle In The Rain’

Be forewarned: not for the impatient or faint of heart!

Steve Sklar is one of America’s most talented and outspoken throat singers (of the Tuvan, not Inuit, variety). While I respect his ability and hard work in learning the art & technique of throat singing, he is obviously incapable of interpreting Tuvan culture with the authenticity of the natives. This does not mean, however, that he can’t find new applications of this beautiful timbrel singing.  Here Sklar is joined by multi-instrumentalist Alan Tower, who performs the hang and other atmospheric accompaniment.

Note: Sklar doesn’t start singing until about 6:30, and it’s about 8:10 before we hear any of his particularly notable kargyraa.

She ran away from Costa Rica at 14 to pursue a music career in Mexico. She drank hard, fired guns, smoked cigars, and became one of the great interpreters of ranchera cancion. In 2000, at the age of 81, Chavela Vargas announced to the world that she was a lesbian. Another gallant moment in a courageous lifetime.

She has, as Pedro Almodóvar has described, “la voz áspera de la ternura.” Listen to this selection entitled ‘La Niña Isabel’ and perhaps you’ll agree.

ATTN: NYC

My friend Adam Paolozza, who I was fortunate enough to work with during our stage adaptation of The Double, will be in New York City this April 27 - May 6 performing his remarkable brand of physical comedy. It’s an original production about the financial crisis, played by 2 incredibly adept actors. It’s at the Queen’s Theatre, and you can click the link for more details. I’ve seen the show and can vouch for its impressiveness and hilarity.

I’ve dedicated much of the afternoon to recapturing my interest in The Creaking Tree String Quartet, Toronto’s preeminent avant-garde string band. Avant, similar to progressive, is all too often tagged to groups who either a) overplay for the sake of playing, b) break songwriting conventions for no discernible reason or, c) try too hard to be out of the box, odd, or edgy. Fully aware of the pit-falls and pigeon-holes, I’m happy to consider The Creaking Tree String Quartet a truly progressive outfit because their compositions are smart and their playing exceptional. 

Here’s Little Green Men, the opening track to their 2011 release Sundogs. Take note of bassist Brian Kobayakawa, who I’ve seen perform with distinction in at least a dozen different contexts, and so remains a source of inspiration in my own musical development.

My former roommate was looking after my place while I was away. When I returned yesterday, I found 2 enormous suitcases of books I’d left at our old apartment. Needless to say, I’m drinking coffee in my underwear and revisiting some literary triumphs according to Riff.

SUICIDE SONG - Tony Hoagland

But now I am afraid I know too much to kill myself
Though I would still like to jump off a high bridge

At midnight, or paddle a kayak out to sea
Until I turn into a speck, or wear a necktie made of knotted rope

But people would squirm, it would hurt them in some way,
And I am too knowledgeable now to hurt people imprecisely.

No longer do I live by the law of me,
No longer having the excuse of youth or craziness,

And dying you know shows a serious ingratitude
For sunsets and beehive hairdos and the precious green corrugated

Pickles they place at the edge of your plate.
Killing yourself is wasteful, like spilling oil

At sea or not recycling all the kisses you’ve been given,
And anyway, who has clothes nice enough to be caught dead in?

Not me. You stay alive you stupid asshole
Because you haven’t been excused,

You haven’t finished though it takes a mulish stubbornness
To chew this food.

It is a stone, it is an inconvenience, it is an innocence,
And I turn against it like a record

Turns against the needle
That makes it play.

- Tony Hoagland from What Narcissism Means To Me, 2003.

“Blood is thicker than water,”
The young man said
As he knifed his friend
For a drooling old bitch
And a house full of lies.

- Ernest Hemingway, on the dissolve of his friendship with Bill Smith.

Hi folks! So much for my daily updates while on tour. As soon as the Internet shit the bed, my ambitions went the way of the fax machine. I’ll update as often as the wifi allows me. For now, I’m encouraging Canadian music fans to check out Kayla Howran on her Western Canadian tour. If you check out her show, make sure you tell the band that Riffy sent you. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

March 29th - Sudbury, ON - Townhouse
March 30th - Lavigne, ON - Lavigne Tavern
March 31st - Sault Ste Marie, ON - Lop Lop’s - WITH ROMI MAYES
April 2nd - Wabigoon, ON - Pappy’s Cafe
April 3rd - Kenora, ON- Shooters
April 4th - Kenora, ON- Shooters
April 5th - Winnipeg, MB- Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club
April 6th - HOUSE CONCERT - Dauphin, MB (e-mail: kayla.howran@cameronhouserecords.com for details.)
April 7th - Moose Jaw, SK - Kergano’s
April 11th - Prince Albert - Shananigan’s
April 12th - Saskatoon, SK - Lydia’s Pub
April 13th - Lethbridge, AB - The Slice
April 14th - Twin Butte, AB - Twin Butte General Store
April 17th - Calgary, AB - Ironwood
April 18th - Red Deer, AB - The Hideout
April 19th - Jasper, AB - Whistler’s Inn
April 20th - Stony Plain, AB- Early Stage Saloon
April 21st - Elkford, BC - Sneaky’s Pub
April 24th- Invermere, BC- Bud’s Bar
April 26th- Edmonton, AB - The Haven Social Club
April 27th- Nanton, AB - Nanton Auditorium hotel
April 28th- Calgary, AB - Mikey’s Juke Joint

Lawrence KS

Admitting my ignorance of American geography, I had fully intended to post Roger Miller’s classic tune ‘Kansas City Star’ before realizing, in perfect time, that KC is actually a part of Missouri. Pardon my stupidity but, if you’ve not heard the song, I strongly encourage you to listen to it, not only as an allegory about a big fish in a small pond but also an homage to the dozens of folks who drove from KC to the show tonight in Lawrence.

It’s difficult, maybe impossible, to think about Kansas and not conjure up some memory of The Wizard Of Oz. For this reason, I present to you an outtake of Judy Garland singing the reprise of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ from in the Wicked Witch’s castle. How or why the take was never used is a story unknown to me, but I am genuinely moved by her mournful performance and have often considered this to be a lost soundclip of movie gold. I hope you feel the same. Now, as the bus rolls on toward Texas, I can’t help but think I’m not in Kansas anymore. Good night!