I’m always late to the party when it comes to internet audio-visual finds. After hearing about the wonders of You Tube through a handful of channels, I finally got around to spending some time over at site and sifting through its vast library of videos. It’s been a fixture in the news lately thanks mostly to its exponentially-expanding content, a growth rate perhaps only surpassed by MySpace? The reservoir of footage varys radically in terms of AV quality: everything from grainy, nth generation television dubs to pristine digital captures. Amateur home movies occupy an inordinately large percentage of files and there’s also the question of dubious legality when it comes to the more professionally shot stuff (many of the blues clips below were obviously pilfered from Yazoo’s Masters of the Blues video series), but the presence of so much cool content collected in one easily accessible and fee-absent place makes it easier to turn a blind eye (Napster, anyone?).
Below is a modest cache of my favorite finds thus far (Each bolded title should provide an active link direct to the corresponding video file). I’ve been searching for the Stevie Washington for quite awhile so I figured I’d lead off with it, a nifty blend of beatnik 60s cartoon style and absurdist humor. The face-off between Animal and Buddy Rich is also pretty classic. As always, I’m curious to learn of other folks finds too, so please, list ‘em below…
Stevie Washington, The Angry Youth.
Fred McDowell – “Goin’ Down to the River”… and “John Henry”.
Bukka White – “Medley #1” … “World Boogie” … ”Medley at Newport” …”Aberdeen Mississippi Blues” … ”Gibson Hill” …“Newport Medley #2” … and “Poor Boy’s Long Way From Home”.
Son House – “Death Letter Blues” …”Forever on My Mind” … “Medley #1” … “Medley #2 …“John the Revelator” … and “Death Letter Blues”
John Lee Hooker – “Hobo Blues” … and “I’m Leaving”.
R.L. Burnside – “Hey, Bo Diddley”.
Charles Mingus – “Flowers for a Lady”… Live in Oslo ‘64… “So Long Eric 1”… and “So Long Eric 2”.
Thelonious Monk – “Blue Monk (1968)”.
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – “Blues March” …“Dat Dere” … and with Sunny Murray & Elvin Jones.
Buddy Rich vs. Animal en Espanol(!)
Roland Kirk – “Say a Little Prayer for Me”.
Miles Davis – “All of You” …“Joshua/The Theme” …“So What” …
John Fahey – “The Death of the Clayton Peacock”.
Hüsker Dü - “New Day Rising”, “It’s Not Funny Anymore”… “Celebrated Summer”… “I Apologize”, “If I Told You”, “Folklore”… “Diane”... and “EIGHT MILES HIGH”.
Bad Brains – “At the Movies”… and “Attitude”.
Jimi Hendrix – “Wild Thing” …“Hey Joe” …“Red House” … and “Like a Rolling Stone".
Curtis Mayfield – “Superfly” …“Keep On Keepin’ On” …
Al Green – “Sweet Sixteen” … and “Here I Am”.
Sugar Hill Gang – “8th Wonder”.
Posted by derek on May 14, 2006 9:20 AMThanks for the links, Derek. I was about to complain that YouTube is another internet addiction I don't need in my life (I don't own a television, but things like Multiply and Flickr very ably take up that space) but the provided links are a nice distillation of the musical side of it.
Posted by: djll at May 14, 2006 10:11 AMHoly s**t! Buddy Rich is THE GREATEST F**KIN' DRUMMER IN THE WHOLE GODD**M WORLD!!!
Posted by: djll at May 14, 2006 10:19 AMFuckin shit- million thanx for that ... just browsed a bit and found Cecil Taylor, John Coltrane quintet w Eric Dolphy, Zorn's Naked City, even Weasel Walter Sextet and now i am enjoying ''damaged goods'' by Gang Of Four ...
Posted by: lukaz at May 14, 2006 11:01 AMWeasel Walter Sextet AWESOWE
Posted by: electric larry at May 14, 2006 11:47 AMDerek - Thanks for the link!
I nearly wet my pants when I saw the promo clips from Fatima Mansions...I didn't even know these guys did videos.
Here's a link to add - Sun Ra "Tiny Pyramids":
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GvhhMzPaRiA&search=sun%20ra
Does anyone know the history of this clip?
There's also a great Ra interview from "Night Music" [one of the greatest weekly live TV shows ever - I think I even a copy of this one on Beta]:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qoT3kBnG0Ek&search=sun%20ra
Ra in Chicago:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=avUH5xb-6qo
J.B. & Sammy D:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wcFQCxYpZK8
Best. Talent show. Ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrt2RAnOyBo
(Sly '68)
CECIL TAYLOR-SOLO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP5L8tjnB6w
Absolute genius.
Derek, thanks for these links!
Do you know more about the Blakey jazz messengers video? It seems W. Shorter and L. Morgan chorusing.
But more important (for me) : Where and when was it recorded ? I thought it was in Paris, but I am not sure...
hey derek,
many thanks!
GREAT to see this roland kirk video,
cheers
Hey, all that Beefheart!
Posted by: walto at May 16, 2006 4:14 AMDid everyone see that Residents interview [shot at Canada's first music station MuchMusic]?
Half-way through, one of the Residents turns off the camera. Hilarious stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwLXPEYZi2M&search=the%20residents
Thanks to everyone for the links, please keep ‘em comin’…
Jacques, I’m not sure about the provenance of the Blakey footage, but given the line-up (w/ Timmons & Merritt) Paris ‘60 or early ‘61 sounds like a good bet.
why follow the youtube links when you can watch that pink butt?
Posted by: unwrinkled at May 16, 2006 11:20 AMTar for that
Posted by: yob at May 17, 2006 9:44 AMI like America, America likes me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTOD5Pu6uVM
Beuys Beuys Beuys!
Posted by: Dan Warburton at May 31, 2006 5:30 AMIn my mind the two most perfect artists are Dannie richmond and Beuys....
Posted by: Damon smith at June 2, 2006 11:00 PMThat's the second time you've mentioned Dannie here - yep, with you all the way. Never understood why he wasn't mentioned in the same breath as Elvin and Tony. Well I suppose because he stuck with Mingus all the time. Don't get me started on the Adams Pullen quartet either!
Dan - what didn't you like about the Adams-Pullen Quartet? I thought they had their moments - more than their fair share, in fact.
I should dig out my old Soul Note records....
No, I meant I LOVED them - absolutely loved them. Saw them about 15 times during the 80s and cried for real when I heard Richmond had died just a few days after I moved here to Paris in March 88. And he was followed by George and Don shortly after.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at June 3, 2006 10:43 AMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpwhMiFNPcI
Getting back to Scott Walker again..
Posted by: Dan Warburton at June 3, 2006 1:18 PMDan - I cried when I found out Don had passed shortly after I saw him during the early 80's as part of one of David Murray's best line ups.
Real shame....so much potential left unexplored!
Raymond Pettibon's "Sir Drone" Starring Mike Watt & Mike Kelly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYEik2JBzzw
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GvhhMzPaRiA&search=sun%20ra
Does anyone know the history of this clip?>>
Hi Tom. I made it three years ago just for fun and to practice my editing skills. I put it up on a website and stopped working on those kinds of videos until this year. Someone else uploaded it on youtube.
I've made a better one which you can find at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dXVxeEuj89M
I'm working on a final (for now) Sun Ra / Galaxy Express 999 video, then I'm doing some Ventures tunes.
Posted by: emerpus01 at July 30, 2006 11:56 AMHere is a me playing solo in Tel Aviv:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w2eY6lT_1M
There is an additional duo video with the great spoprano saxophone
player Ariel Shibolet that was too long for YOUTUBE in my myspace videos, Here:http://myspace.com/smithdamon
The bass I am playing was a beautiful full size German flatback, lent
to me by Jean-Claude Jones. This was from Oct. of 2005.
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