Tag Archives: Martin Scorsese

Music Monday: January 27, 2025

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Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Less than a month into the new year and already a loss. Garth Hudson, the last surviving member of The Band, passed away on January 21 at age 87. He was a multi-instrumentalist and true musical virtuoso who added such a unique and resounding piece to what turned out to be an incredible group of musicians.

Born August 2, 1937 in Canada, he & the rest of The Band-Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson-formed in 1957 and a year later were the backing band for singer Ronnie Hawkins until 1963. By 1965, The Band were backing Bob Dylan during his electric phase. While he was recuperating from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in 1966, The Band rented a house in upstate New York where they recorded their first album, Music From Big Pink, released in 1968. The Band broke up in 1977 and their last concert in 1976 was captured in the film, “The Last Waltz”, released in 1978.

The Band circa 1975 (L-R): Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel and Rick Danko. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

After that Hudson played as a session musician, reformed The Band for a brief stint (with all but Robertson in attendance), did some solo work & performed with his wife, Maud, who died in 2022. According to the AP’s report on his death, Hudson faced financial struggles in the later years of his life including bankruptcy, foreclosure & an auction to sell his personal items in 2013 when he could no longer afford a storage unit. Like the other three members of The Band, Hudson had sold his interest in the group to Robbie Robertson who had been called out on several occasions by both Levon Helm and Rick Danko for taking advantage of his so called brothers while they were struggling at their lowest points. Robertson also refused to acknowledge their contributions to the songwriting process.

When he died in 2023 his net worth was allegedly around $50 million dollars, yet did nothing to assist Hudson at the very least by paying for the back rent on the storage unit to save his belongings. By that time they were the last two surviving members after Helm’s death in 2012. Whatever brotherhood existed in The Band during their 19 years together, it does not seem Robertson had any part of it once the group disbanded. By comparison one of his biggest admirers, Eric Clapton, agreed to give his Derek & The Dominoes bandmate Bobby Whitlock songwriting credit in 2017 for a few tracks for the group’s only album, 1970’s Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs, just ahead of its 50th anniversary reissue. Moral of the story: it is never too late to be a decent human being. And Hudson seemed to be one of the good ones who deserved a better ending to his story.

Eric Garth Hudson: August 2, 1937 – January 21, 2025.

Top: Hudson in the late 1970’s. Bottom: The musician circa 2015. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

The Band: “The Weight” (1968, written by Robbie Robertson).

The Band: “I Shall Be Released” (1968, written by Bob Dylan).

The Band: “Up On Cripple Creek” (1969, written by Robbie Robertson).

Until next time, happy listening!!!

Music Monday: June 6, 2022

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Hi, everyone. Welcome to the first edition of Music Monday for June.

Music Monday

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Two members of The Rolling Stones share the same birthday month. Guitarist Ron Wood celebrated birthday number 75 on June 1. Before he joined the band in 1976, he made a name for himself in The Jeff Beck Group, The Faces and with Rod Stewart. Their 1993 collaboration on Unplugged…..and Seated remains one of my favorites from that series.

Original member Charlie Watts was born June 2, 1941 in London, England. We lost the stylish dashing drummer last August & it hurt in a way I never saw coming. We all know musicians age like the rest of us but when a band is together for nearly 60 years, you start to believe they will outlive us all. Maybe that is just me. But what an ache Watts left behind in all of us who love The Stones.

Today’s song is in my permanent Top 10 list. It has been that way since the first time I heard it. It does not feature Wood but it is still one of the band’s greatest tracks of all time. It is from their 1969 Let It Bleed album and has been one of their signature tunes since then. I cannot even imagine my life without this monumental song in it. I am pretty sure Martin Scorsese feels the same way.

“A storm is threatening
My very life today
If I don’t get some shelter
I’m gonna fade away“.

Stones 2010

The Rolling Stones circa 2010 (L-R): Charlie Watts, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Ron Wood.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Rolling Stones: “Gimme Shelter” (1969, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards).

Stay safe & well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 406

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Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

May 2021 blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

On this day in 1978 one of my all time favorite music docs was released. “The Last Waltz”, a film about The Band’s farewell concert directed by eminent director Martin Scorsese, was released on April 26, 1978. This was the movie that let me see some of my favorite artists perform for the first time including The Band themselves, Neil Young, Van Morrison, The Staple Singers, Muddy Waters and my great musical love, Eric Clapton.

He had been covering many of his favorite blues songs since Cream’s 1966 debut album and he continued the tradition in to his solo career. Today’s song was recorded live at my old stomping grounds, The Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on June 28, 1975, as part of Clapton’s 1975 live album, E.C. Was Here. But watching him perform it with one of his favorite bands in this superb film made it extra special.

“You’re gonna reap just what you sow
That old saying is true
Just like you mistreat someone
Someone’s gonna mistreat you:”.

Eric and Levon

Levon Helm on drums and Eric Clapton on guitar in a scene from 1978’s “The Last Waltz”. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Eric Clapton & The Band” “Further On Up The Road” (From the music documentary The Last Waltz, released April 26, 1978. Recorded live on November 25, 1976 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Originally recorded in 1976, written by Don Robey and Joe Medwick Veasey).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 86

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Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

Kerouac

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day.  And if this helps anyone else, even better.

As all of you have realized by now, I love music.  Moreover, I am in love with it.  For me, it is one of the most beautiful & most necessary parts of life.  What would our lives sound like without it?  How would we transport back in time to special moments or years in our lives without it?

I can remember where I was the first time I heard certain songs because the impact they had on me was just massive.  They were so beautiful it actually hurt to listen to them.  The first time I heard the opening guitar riff of Derek & The Dominos “Layla” I froze.  All I could think was, “what the hell was that?”  Then the second riff followed and I thought, “My God, what the hell is that?”  I managed to stagger to the edge of my bed, sat down and stared directly into the radio as if a sign was going to pop up to tell me what this unbelievably gorgeous but heartbreaking sound was that I had never heard before.  I remember having to close my eyes and take in some deep breaths because I was in sensory overload.  And this was before Eric Clapton sang.  One. Single. Note.

Decades later and I still lose my breath whenever I listen to it.  And that includes the absolutely sublime four minute piano exit with the chirping birds at the end.  No wonder Scorsese used that part of it to end the movie “Goodfellas” with.  He is an artist who appreciates the craft of a fellow artist.  There was a reason someone declared “Clapton is god” back in the late 1960’s when this song was not even an idea yet.  He is just that  insanely talented.

As much as that song impacted me, so has today’s.  It is a beautiful ballad by a man who, initially frustrated by how long it was taking for his wife to get ready for them to go out, used that time to write a love letter to her.  No grand gestures, no gifts, no sugary metaphors, no special circumstances needed.  Just the love for his wife in an ordinary moment.  Simple.  Elegant.  Breathtakingly beautiful.  Eric Clapton has single handedly given every man alive a lesson on how it is done (although one missed it as evidenced in this commercial).  Bravo to an incredibly great man.  And to this unbelievably gorgeous song.

“I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don’t realize how much I love you.”

Eric-Clapton 6 30 1990 Knebworth

Eric Clapton at the Knebworth Concert, June 1990.  (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Eric Clapton:  “Wonderful Tonight” (1977, written by Eric Clapton).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 4

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Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

music heart

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are in a serious situation, but I need a break from the gloom, doom and bullying by way of hoarding. Music has always been my refuge and watching those beautiful Italians singing to each other from their balconies reaffirmed my belief that music is the answer. So until the old normal returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

I have been pulled over for speeding three times in my life.  The first time I tried crying but still got a ticket.  The second time I tried flirting and got a look of disgust to go along with the ticket.  The third time I was struggling to think of what I was going to tell the officer when he asked me if I knew how fast I was going.  A yes was an admission of guilt and no was a lie.  But the officer surprised me by asking why I was speeding and I panicked.  All I could think to do was turn up the radio and tell him the truth.

“Officer, every time I hear this song when I’m driving I think I am in a high speed car chase in a Martin Scorsese film.”

The cop stared at me for about 20 seconds then said, “Well you’re not, so slow down.  Have a nice day.”   Then he walked away.

Moral of the story:  The Rolling Stones, with a powerful assist from Merry Clayton, will get you out of a ticket.  Oh, and honesty doesn’t hurt either.

Rolling Stones

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Day 4: The Rolling Stones: “Gimme Shelter” (1969, written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

“And The Stars Look Very Different Today…”

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Not even two weeks into the new year and we already have a devastating loss in the world of music.  David Bowie, the 1970’s rock icon who transformed himself over and over throughout his illustrious career, died after an 18 month battle with cancer on January 10.  He was 69 years old.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Richard Young/REX (100574d) David Bowie DAVID BOWIE AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL - 1983

        Photo by Richard Young 1983

Born David Robert Jones in London on January 8, 1947, he changed his last name to avoid confusion with the other Davey Jones in The Monkees.  Bowie’s  musical career began with his break through album “Space Oddity” in 1969 and he spent the 1970’s establishing himself as a glam rock, art rock musician like no other with songs like “Changes“, “Golden Years“, “Rebel Rebel” and “Suffragette City“.  He easily segued from his Ziggy Stardust persona of the 70’s to the suave, well dressed gentleman in a string of 1980’s videos for hits like “Modern Love“, “Let’s Dance“, “China Girl” and “Blue Jean“.

Not only did Bowie do great work as a solo artist, but his collaborations were stunning as well.  Aside from his ground-breaking work with the likes of Lou Reed, Brian Eno and Iggy Pop, Bowie also worked with John Lennon on “Fame“,  covered the Motown classic “Dancing In The Streets” with Mick Jagger, joined Bing Crosby for a wonderful collaboration of “The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth” and teamed up with rock group Queen for “Under Pressure“, to name a few.  These collaborations showed how innovative, versatile and truly unique Bowie’s musical genius was.

David-Bowie-by-Frank-Micelotta-Hulton-Archive-419x6301[1]

Source:  ultimateclassicrock.com

Bowie also had several acting roles, most notably in the movies (he played Pontius Pilate in Martin Scorsese’s film “The Last Temptation Of Christ” as well as roles in “The Man Who Fell To Earth” and “The Linguini Incident“) and on the Broadway stage (he played the title role in “The Elephant Man” in 1980-1981).  He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 1996 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by David Byrne of The Talking Heads.  On January 8 2016, on what was Bowie’s 69th birthday, his last recording “Blackstar” was released.

My two best memories of Bowie after his collaborations are when the TV series “Without A Trace” used “Space Oddity” in Anthony LaPaglia’s signature episode entitled “John Michaels“.  The second was Bowie’s performance at the Concert For NYC in 2001.  He was humble and grateful to the men and women who kept his adopted home of Manhattan safe and showed that with a stand out performance of “Heroes”.  I cannot seem to find that performance online, so here is that song from his “Live By Request” show a year later in 2002.

Rest in peace, David Bowie.  “And may God’s love be with you”.

david-bowie-august-8-2002-photographer-adam-bielawski[1]

Source:  livinglifeboomerstyle.com

Please note that I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing some of my favorite music with you.