Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Rockabilly

Session Three

Mac Curtis Glen Glenn Ray Campi



It is always great to get work!

I’m late with this blog because I’ve been busy putting the final touches on a short tour to Los Angeles. My pal Phil Friendly has done all the heavy lifting to get it arranged. He and his group The Phil Friendly Trio will provide backing:

May 15th (with Mac Curtis) - Doll Hut, Anaheim, CA

http://www.dollhutbooking.htm

May 16th (with Mac Curtis) - Spike's, Rosemead, CA

http://www.spikes_bar.htm

http:May 17th (with Glen Glenn & Mac Curtis) - Safari Sam's, Hollywood, CA

http://www.safarisams.htm

It will be my first time to play L.A. for a while. I lived there during most of the 1970’s.
We are happy to be able to sooth your hangover from hanging out at VLV in April.

I’m looking forward to working with Phil Friendly again. He has moved to L.A since we recorded my latest DVD.(actually it is the only one ever!). We filmed it in the Amsterdam, Holland area in October 2006. The folks at the Cruise Inn there were really cool and treated us like a part of the family. It’s titled: Mac Curtis Live at Cruise Inn. With special guests Phil Friendly and his Loners (excellent musicians and super fun to be around).

The American NTSC version of the project is available on line at:

http://www.maccurtislivedvd.com

And, we’ll have it at the L.A. and future appearances.

Ole Buddy Glen Glenn will join us as Co-Star at the Safari Sam’s show. We spent a lot of time talking over old times while at the Green Bay 50’s festival last year. Glen and I first met in 1959 in Korea. We were both in the U.S. Army then. I was with a G.I. Country
Band competing in a All-Army talent contest. Glen and Gary Lambert showed up in another category representing Hawaii.

Out side of the contest, my band and I were playing at a little club in Seoul. Glen and Gary sat in where I think we must have jammed all night long. It was a fun happening that neither of us has, or will, ever forget.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this gig turns out to be an All-nighter as well!

I hope you will be a witness.

Keep on Rockin’

Monday, February 18, 2008

Rockabilly

Session Two



For years I have been asked the question "How do you define Rockabilly?" I always reply, "I just know it when I hear it."



The Forties and Fifties were special times for me. I fell in love with music and eventually found I could actually carry a tune. And, there were a ton of tunes I heard that have influenced my music since I was a wee children.

The Big Band Era played a lot in my musical tastes. My Uncle Bill introduced me to the genre. He would always find it on the radio when he came home to visit. He knew all the hit songs; all the names of the bands; their musicians; and the lyrics to what I thought to be a thousand tunes. He always wanted to be a vocalist in one of the bands.

All of that was on my mind today. I heard The Dorsey Brothers Band mentioned on a Big Band station. One of my all-time favorites is a Tommy Dorsey instrumental: TD’s Boogie Woogie. If you never heard it, take a listen:

http://www.tuxjunction.net/td-boogiewoogie.htm

I don’t believe I have ever heard a Boogie I didn’t like. There is even a Gospel boogie song that I used to sing at the Gospel Music Festivals. Pat Boone and I may be the only Rock n Rollers to ever record it. The real title of the song is A Wonderful Time Up There.

And yes, I liked and sang all of Tennessee Ernie Ford’s boogies. Then there were boogies from the Andrews Sisters, Hank Williams, Moon Mulligan and on and on. Never heard a bad one.

Moon told me a funny story once. I have to premise this by telling you that he imbibed from time to time…aw hell, he drank like a fish. So be it, Moon was a friend of Jimmy Davis, the late Governor of Louisiana. The Gov. was quite free with his musician cronies when it came to appointing jobs at State Offices. You may have guessed it by now.
Moon was appointed to the State Alcohol,Tax and Tobacco Bureau. He laughed as he told the story and ended with the fact , “I was only there at the office one time…the day I was appointed."

I fondly remember those old songs. Just one facet of great music that I drew on when I started with the band and began appearing in public around Weatherford. We were just doing the kind of music that we liked and knew how to play.

No, we didn’t have a clue that we were eventually to be classified as …Rockabillies.

See you next time.
Keep on Rockin’

Mac Curtis


Visit:
http://www.maccurtislivedvd.com/



Monday, February 11, 2008

Rockabilly

Session One


Come on in!!

I have thought about starting this blog for quite awhile. Today is the day to do it. It is my pleasure to have you here. Hope is that you will share it with your Rockabilly friends.

This will be a series of sessions that will be totally from my point of view. But, I would like to hear yours as well. And I am well aware that there are plenty of views to go around about the topic of this blog; ROCKABILLY. Actually, that's TWO words.

There has been a lot of discussion about the ROCK...but not so much about the BILLY. I first saw the term in a Cash Box Magazine record review around 1956. Back then the term described most of us 'ole country boys (Hillbillies) whose music was, for the most part, R&B songs with rockin arrangements by a three or four piece band...lead guitar... slap bass...a vocalist playing accoustic guitar...and eventually a drummer added. A lot of that was controlled by economics. The fewer the players, the easier it was to split the $30 or $40.

That's it for the opening I will see you later. Until then (probably a week) please check out my WebSite. And...
Keep On Rockin

Mac Curtis

http://www.maccurtislivedvd.com/