Dark Days for 'Q Fans

As if last week's news of former NRBQ manager/muse Capt. Lou Albano's passing weren't troubling enough, now comes news (to me) that original Q guitarist Steve Ferguson also went over yonder earlier this month. Steve was only an official member of NRBQ for the first couple or three years, but his influence on the group was lasting. Read the Times obit here.

Here's a weird, wild clip of Steve doing his thing on what appears to be a Hudson Valley public access show, back in the day:


And here's one for the Captain:

Punks May Be Dying, But Punk's Not Dead

I've been remiss in not noting the sad and too-early passing of two punk greats: Lux Interior of The Cramps and Ron Asheton of The Stooges.

Today comes news of Lux's recent memorial service (Poison Ivy wore leopard print), as well as an item indicating that ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones, once host of Jonesy's Jukebox on the recently left-for-dead Indie 103.1, has been talking to Iggy Pop about replacing Asheton on tour.

I learned about all of this from the indispensable Daily Swarm. It affirms my belief that punk's not dead.

You see this cat Shaft is a bad mother...

(Shut your mouth.)

That would be Shaft, John Shaft. Sadly, the man who penned the film's immortal theme, Isaac Hayes, has died, at 65. The Times obituary by Ben Sisario may forever redefine the parenthetical use of "furthermore."

Hayes' first recording session was with Otis Redding. With his partner David Porter, he helped create the distinctive sound of Stax Records, which released some of my favorite music of all time.

I produced a soul music project once that wound up being mostly Stax artists, and when I drove cross-country on my way back from LA to NYC, planned my route so I could visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music on McLemore Avenue in Memphis , one of the better museums anywhere, which contains, among other exhibits, Hayes'1972 peacock blue, gold-trimmed two-door Eldorado Cadillac.

The next time you use a manual toothbrush, try doing it in rhythm to the opening of this tune and see if your recommended two minutes don't go a lot faster:

Goodbye to The Face of Folk Music, David Gahr

David Gahr could cuss up a storm. Most of the time he was just fooling...I think. He could also take a picture like no one else. David had a heart of gold too. If you knew him, you loved him, and he was a your faithful friend. The coin of David's realm was his photos -- I've got at least a half dozen. "Send me a Dylan, David" and you'd get something iconic. What about Lennon? Even more iconic. But pity the photo editor who screwed David out of his due. To the other guy, he could be, well tough is one word.

In about 1985, shortly after I met David but before I really knew his accomplishments, I asked him to take shots of my college band. He said yes in a second. I'd be surprised if we paid him anything, even his expenses.

David was a perfectionist to boot. No one else could print his photos. That's why his legendary 1968 photo book 'The Face of Folk Music' remains out of print. David wouldn't let anyone else make prints for a re-printing, and he was too busy to do it (at least that's the story I heard).


David's friends almost literally dragged him out of Brooklyn a few years ago for his 84th birthday party. He was irascible to the end.

David Gahr, we will remember you always.