Posted 28 February 2004
I'm overdue for a NEWS report. When last I wrote, I was in Tokyo, on a promo tour with Norah. Since then, I've come home to New Orleans, and gone back and forth between here and New York and Los Angeles, several times. We're still in promo mode, and that means television, and television means Burbank (Tonight Show) or New York City (Late Show). So, I travel. We also appeared on TV in Toronto, Canada (Canada AM) and went to Philadelphia to do radio promo (World Cafe on WXPN). There's more to come. We'll be on Saturday Night Live next Saturday, and on Late Night and Sessions@AOL next week. Look, Mom, I'm on the tee-vee! (If you want to keep up to date on every li'l thing Norah and the band are up to, please click here.)

In other not-so-newsy news, I've recently become obsessed with records from 1974. It started innocently enough. Several weeks ago, for no particular reason, I had been thinking about some records I liked from the early '70s — particularly some discs from the Warner/Reprise/Elektra catalog: Ry Cooder's Paradise and Lunch, Neil Young's On the Beach, Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark, The Meters' Rejuvenation. Music geek that I am (and, let's face it, "geek," unqualified), I checked out the liner notes on the aforementioned records, and found that all three were from 1974. Then I did a search online for other discs from '74, and found a whole lot o' goodness (not necessarily on Warner/Reprise/Elektra) — 10 CC's Sheet Music, Al Green's Al Green Explores Your Mind, Ann Peebles' I Can't Stand the Rain, Average White Band's AWB, Bad Company's Bad Co., Barry White's Can't Get Enough, Big Star's Radio City, Blue Oyster Cult's Secret Treaties, Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan's Planet Waves, Bob Dylan/The Band's Before the Flood, Bob Marley and The Wailers' Natty Dread, Dr. Feelgood's Down by the Jetty, Electric Light Orchestra's Eldorado, Eric Clapton's 461 Ocean Boulevard, Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), Frank Zappa's Apostrophe ('), Frank Zappa/Mothers' Roxy & Elsewhere, Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Graham Central Station's Release Yourself, Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel, Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky, James Brown's The Payback, James Taylor's Walking Man, John Cale's Fear, King Crimson's Red, Kraftwerk's Autobahn, LaBelle's Nightbirds, Linda Ronstadt's Heart Like a Wheel, Little Feat's Feats Don't Fail Me Now, Lou Reed's Rock'n'Roll Animal, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Second Helping, Millie Jackson's Caught Up, Mott the Hoople's The Hoople, New York Dolls' Too Much Too Soon, Queen's Sheer Heart Attack, Randy Newman's Good Old Boys, Richard & Linda Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom, Rory Gallagher's Irish Tour, Roxy Music's Country Life, Santana's Lotus, Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic, Supertramp's Crime of the Century, Tangerine Dream's Phaedra, The Eagles' On the Border, The Raspberries' Starting Over, The Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground Live with Lou Reed, Todd Rundgren's Todd, Tom Waits' The Heart of Saturday Night, Tower of Power's Back to Oakland, Van Morrison's Veedon Fleece, Willie Nelson's Phases and Stages. Not every record from '74 is a killer-diller, nor are the discs from '74 necessarily the artists' best. Black Sabbath's Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath has many cool moments, but it's not the band's finest hour. David Bowie's Diamond Dogs is not in most Bowie fans' top 5, nor would many Stones fans champion It's Only Rock'n'Roll. I picked up Can's Soon Over Babaluma, and I just do not get what the big deal is with Can (though I think I'm supposed to). I have mixed feelings, generally, about Mott the Hoople. But if 1974 has its fair share of most-embarassing moments, the year should be very proud of Stevie Wonder's Fullfillingness' First Finale. Wow. Do you know this record? I only heard it for the first time last month, in the midst of my '74 mania. This is one of the best records of all time. If you don't have it, you should buy it right now! No kidding, I'm more excited about this record than I've been about anything in a long, long time. Every song is so rich in lyric content, coupled with strong melodies, stirring harmonies, and inventive arrangements (Sneaky Pete's ethereal pedal-steel guitar on "Too Shy to Say," the Jackson 5 singing loud and proud on "You Haven't Done Nothin'"). Okay, did you go buy it yet!?!

Along with my 1974 kick, I've been buying Warner/Reprise Loss Leaders. Do you remember these 2-disc compilations, from the late '60s and early '70s? You could buy them for a mere $2.00, and they were chock full of cool music that you probably had never heard before. These weren't collections of "hits." They had brilliant odd and ends from the Warner/Reprise releases of the time. There's more info about these here. Insofar as I know, these haven't been released on CD. Until yesterday, I dind't have a turntable, and I bought one last night, just so I could listen to my Warner/Reprise Loss Leaders! I didn't want to waste time or money, looking for the "ultimate" turntable, so I just went to my local record store and bought a Crosley portable record player. I'm enjoying it so much, I think I may even take it on the road with me when I go to Europe with Norah in April. I always bring something from home, to make my hotel rooms feel a little more, you know, homey. What could be better than a record player, and a dozen choice discs?

Fans of this page keep asking me, "What about the food!?!" I used to write more about my wordly food finds, but have lately, for no good reason, lightened up on the food fare. Okay, fans, here's the five best things I've eaten so far this year (in no particular order):

1. The "ultimate breakfast sandwich": thick-cut country-style bread (toasted and buttered), fried eggs (just slightly runny), thick-cut bacon, garlicky mayonnaise, and kim chee (very spicy Korean-style pickled cabbage)

Mitzi's
100 Sorauren Avenue   Toronto, Canada

2. Grilled, bacon-wrapped shrimp, over a sweet-potato soufflé

Uglesich's
1238 Baronne Street   New Orleans, Louisiana

3. Squared "pillowcases" with pomegranate molasses (fried dough with powdered sugar and the sour-sweet pomegranage goo — the yummiest variation "carnival food" imaginable)

Prune
54 E 1st Street   New York, New York

4. Cornmeal griddle cakes (just like the description, and executed perfectly)

Bright Food Shop
216 8th Avenue   New York, New York

5. Matzo-ball soup and half a pastrami sandwich (likewise, executed perfectly)

2nd Avenue Deli
156 2nd Avenue   New York, New York

Runner up - Frito pie (small bag of Fritos, split open on a plate, drowned in beef-brisket chili and shredded cheddar cheese)

Cowgirl Hall of Fame
519 Hudson Street   New York, New York

 

Posted 21 January 2004

We've been in Tokyo for the past few days, since leaving Hong Kong. Today is our last day here in Tokyo, and then all the bandfolk are scattering — some for vacation, some heading homeward. Me, I'm going back to New York City for a few days. Not for gigs or even for anything in particular at all. It's just that now that I'm living in New Orleans, I miss my New York friends and even New York itself. I'll spend a few days catching up with my friends and with the City, and then head back to my new home in New Orleans. I moved to a new apartment just days before this trip to Asia, and when I return I'll have a lot of shopping to do. My previous New Orleans apartment was totally furnished — from beds and bedding, to pots and pans. My new place has absolutely nothing in it yet, except for a few guitars and my three favorite t-shirts. Cost Plus, here I come.

Posted 16 January 2004
Greetings from Hong Kong! I'm here with Norah Jones ("here in Hong Kong," not "here in my hotel room"). Norah's new CD, Feels Like Home will be released 10 February, and the big wheels of promotion have already started spinning. We peformed in Hong Kong last night for the press and, for reasons not clear to me, some world-famous jockeys (the horse-racing kind, not DJs). When an EMI representative told us that lots of important Hong Kong big wigs would be in attendance at our show, I asked if John Woo would be coming. I am sad to report: No. Damn! I wanted to chat him up about directing Norah's next video. Wouldn't that be the business!?!

Speaking of videos, we recently shot a video in New York for "Sunrise" — the first single from Norah's new disc. James Frost, director of Norah's "Come Away with Me" video, was at the helm again. I don't want to spoil things by telling too much here, but I will say that the imagery is part "Wizard of Oz" and part "H.R. Pufnstuf," with fantastic imagery and saturated colors. We got to watch a rough cut of it last night and it looks lovely. I don't know when "Sunrise" will debut on MTV (or MTV2, or VH1, or whatever), but I imagine it will be very soon.

After we leave Hong Kong we'll be going to Tokyo for more promotional appearances; then heading back home to the U.S. We'll be making appearances throughout February on late-night and early-morning TV. March will be somewhat quiet for us. In April we'll be heading to Europe for a 3-month tour. To see Norah's tour schedule, click here.

I read Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' on the l-o-n-g plane ride from New York to Hong Kong. It's a hell of a book. True crime. The tale of the murder itself is quite grim, of course, but Capote's writing is ace — with loads of colorful details, history, and characters. In that way, it reminded me of 'The Perfect Storm' (the book, not the movie). Highly recommended. Did you know that Capote was born in New Orleans?

Posted 22 November 2003

I'll be playing more-or-less regularly at the Blue Nile on Thursday nights. It's a great opportunity for me, as I hope the residency will help me establish myself here in New Orleans, my new home town. I don't have one particular band in mind for the gigs. I'll be playing with different musicians from week to week, experimenting as I go, bringing in surprise guests. This week was my first one, with drummer Kevin O'Day and organist Brian Coogan. The gig was a smash success, despite some technical difficulties (at one point, a small plume of smoke wafted from Brian's Hammond organ — eat your heart out, Jon Lord). My next gig is 4 December, and the band will include drummer Doug Belote and bassist Edwin Livingston. Come on down!

In heavy rotation this week:

1. Elvis Costello — North
2. Noe Venable — The World Is Bound By Secret Knots
3. Carla Bozulich — Red Headed Stranger
4. The Beatles — Let It Be... Naked

Posted 10 November 2003
Photographer Zack Smith sent me some photos he shot during my gig last month at Tipitina's with Johnny Vidacovich and George Porter Jr. Check 'em out....

	All Photos © 2003 Zach Smith

Posted 2 November 2003
I'm in nice feature in the December issue of Acoustic Guitar. The piece is about New York-based guitarists who are in NYC's jazz scene and also the pop singer-songwriter scene. Besides me, there's Brandon Ross (who plays with Cassandra Wilson), Jesse Harris (who formerly played with Norah Jones and now mostly plays with his own band, the Ferdinandos), Joel Harrison, Doug Wamble, and Matt Munisteri.

Posted 21 October 2003
Geez. My friends and fans click to my NEWS page to read the latest developments in my career, and they get my musings on heat rash. No wonder the number of hits on my site has been declining. (Just kidding. Maybe. I don't follow the numbers very closely.) In this posting, I'll address the stuff that more typically passes as "news."

First order of business is to mention that my li'l Buttermilk Junior trio (with drummer Brannen Temple and Hammond B-3 organist Red Young went on another tour this month, playing dates in Oxford, MS; Houston, TX; and Memphis, TN; as well as two dates each in New Orleans, LA and Austin, TX. There was a brief stretch of the tour wherein we played seven gigs in five days (both of our New Orleans shows were double-headers). Hey, make that eight gigs for me — I played a gig with sousaphonist Kirk Joseph between my band's early in-store at Louisiana Music Factory and late gig at the The Funky Butt. For some bands, doing three short tours over an eight-month span may not be all that novel or impressive, but for me it was a pretty big deal. Prior to this year, I had never taken a band on the road at all. I had been out as a sideman (Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, Dan Hicks) and as part of musical co-op groups (Trio Puttanesca, Lost Trio), but never as a band leader. On Buttermilk Junior's first tour, I had the help of tour manager Leslie Rice; Richard Lewis joined us on the second tour to oversee all things merch; on this last our, it was just me and the band. With dedicated helpers or without, touring is very hard work. I'm feeling the wear and tear. But taking my original music to the people — in clubs across the midsouth, south, southwest, and northwest — has been hugely rewarding, and cancels out the hard stuff by a thousandfold. If you have a band and have never toured, and are feeling ambivalent about the prospect, I'd say go for it. It's a great way to see what lies beyond the horizon of your home town. You'll make new friends, learn to appreciate the joy of spotting a sign with the words "breakfast served all day," get free drinks just about every night, and get to know your band mates much, much better. Oh, and you'll probably sell some CDs while you're at it.

9 October 2003, Long Shot Bar, Oxford, MS. At the end of our tour, I spent a few extra days in Austin to record with my band at the Hit Shack. We got eight tunes on tape, including a couple of old tunes of mine that had never been recorded and five new pieces that my band wrote collectively. The co-written tunes began as freestyle jams that we improvised at a rehearsal prior to the recording sessions. I recorded the jams, and later cobbled together cohesive tunes from our impromptu grooves and melodies. I had never written music that way before, but wanted to try. Usually, I write alone and then bring the finished tunes to the band. In writing with the group, I wanted to get into musical areas that I probably wouldn't have stumbled upon on my own. I think the experiment was a success. We played most of the tunes for the first (and, so far, last) time at the Elephant Room last week in Austin, and the new tunes fit alongside our usual repertoire (material from Buttermilk Channel and Get Your Glow On) very nicely. The variety of grooves in the new pieces made for interesting, flowing sets. I'm looking forward to getting the band back out on the road next year with this material. The CD should be out in February, around Valentine's Day. Speaking of recording, I'll be going back to New York before the end of this year to put the finishing touches on Norah Jones' sophmore CD. The disc should be out early next year. More, I cannot say. Photo © 2003 Adam Levy

 

Photo © 2003 Adam Levy

This is me, clowning at Tip's on Saturday night Posted 22 September 2003 Good News — Mister Atheletic Pants is back in business (see 15 September posting if you're not sure what I'm referring to). Lotrimin, take me away! The "footnote" to my story is this: I went to my weekly yoga class on Saturday and, though I'm mostly healed, my shins and feet are still a little scabby, like I accidentally stepped on an ant hill. So, I'm in yoga class, and our teacher is explaining the proper way to do a particular pose, and she wants to be sure everyone gets it right — especially the feet. As I'm getting my pose together, she says, "Adam, do you mind if I use you to help demonstrate? Okay, class, everybody come look at Adam's feet." I was mortified! But then I just had to laugh because it was such a ridiculous situation. Had a fun weekend here in New Orleans, particularly on the music front. On Saturday night, I went to the Rock 'n' Bowl and heard the great Crescent City guitarist/singer Snooks Eaglin. Simply put, he's a "blues stylist," but his trip is utterly unique. He doesn't use a pick, but rather uses an unorthodox thumb-and-fingers technique. He can effortlessly play rhythm, take solos (comping for himself), and double up on some of the bass lines as well. And did I mention that he sings his ass off? Then I went over to Tipitina's to check out Davell Crawford's birthday extravaganza. Davell is a big deal here, though few people outside of New Orleans know about him. He's an ultra-talented singer and pianist/organist, who has been playing professionally for 20 years — and this was his 28th birthday! Dr. John was there, Irma Thomas, Bo Dollis, and loads of other local musical celebs. Outside Tipitina's, a guy had a big barbecue rigged up on the back of a flat-bed pickup truck, and was giving out free chicken in honor of Davell's big day. They don't allow cameras into Tip's, which is a shame because there was lots going on there that I wish I could show you. They do, however, have a photo booth... At 2:00 am or so, I left and went to the Circle Bar, which has one of the best juke boxes in New Orleans. Where else can you find lots of vintage New Orleans r&b, plus Captain Beefheart, plus T-Rex, the Kinks, and the Zombies? It's truly a wonderful thing. And, though I'm not big on bars, this place is awfully cozy. I could see going back real soon, with a pocketful of quarters.

Posted 18 September 2003
For those who missed it the first time 'round and/or those who just want to relive those thrilling days of yesterweek, check out this piece — with mp3 audio bits! — by Derk Richardson from sfgate.com, about my band's Labor Day show in San Francisco: Read it now.

My CD has been selling pretty good, and continues to get nice mentions in the press. I've been blurbed in People, Rolling Stone, and U.S. News & World Report (yes, really), and got a 4-star review in the June issue of my very favorite music magazine, Mojo. So , while my album will not be going "gold" anytime soon, it does have legs," as they say in the business. And, I should know, being such a major player in the music business. It's like I was saying to David Geffen just the other day, "Davey," I says, "D-Man, let me tell you something about this crazy biz of ours...."

Posted 25 April 2003
Hey, kids, have you ever wanted to get into the music business? Of course you have, and now you can! You can be an influential music critic — visit amazon.com, post a review of Get Your Glow On, and urge all your friends and relations to do the same. Become a power-publicist by contacting your favorite magazines and sweet-talk them into running feature coverage on Get Your Glow On. You can be a radio-promotions kingpin — call your local radio station and demand that they play your favorite tracks from Get Your Glow On. You can be a market-shaping product manager simply by going to your local record store and insisting that they carry Get Your Glow On.

Posted 10 April 2003
On 2 April, we played our CD-release show at Makor in New York City. After getting off to a rough start (it took nearly two hours to drive from my Brooklyn apartment to the Upper West Side venue), the gig was a smash. Three of the special guest vocalists from my new CD were in the house — Otis Clay, the Holmes Brothers, and Norah Jones — so the audience was in for some tasty surprise treats. Playing at Makor brought back so many vivid memories. Before Norah's career took off, her band (with Jesse Harris, Lee Alexander, Dan Rieser, and me) used to play there nearly every week. We'd play three long sets, featuring all the songs that came out on Come Away with Me plus many cool covers. In fact, it was back in those days at Makor that I got intimately acquainted with Carole King's "No Easy Way Down," which I recently recorded for Get Your Glow On (sung by the Holmes Brothers).

The band enjoys a feel-good moment after our 2 April CD-release concert at Makor in New York City. Left to right: Brannen Temple, guest vocalist Otis Clay, Red Young, guitarist/producer Rob Coltun, and yours truly — sporting my patented Mona Lisa smile.

Feel-good moment, Take 2.

Jason Crigler lights up the Living Room. The Living Room is the kind of place where there's four or five bands on each night's schedule, each band starting on the subsequent hour — 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and so on. Lackawanna was on at 11:00, and Jason had played with almost every band that night. I don't know where he gets his stamina from, not to mention his bottomless cup o' creativity. Jason is my hero.

Group shot at the Living Room. (Note my "shock and awe" shirt.) Photo © 2003 Simran Zilaro

A closer look at the shirt. Don't stare for more than five seconds or you may go insane. Photo © 2003 Simran Zilaro

After all this Adam Levy madness, I took a "busman's holiday" trip to Richmond, Virginia, to make a cameo appearance on the upcoming Atomizer CD (scheduled for July release). Atomizer is a metal band, not far afield from the Tool school of rock. What am I — a jazz/blues/pop guy — doing on a metal album? Playing Delta-style slide guitar, Beatles-like melodic hooks, and jangly, Celtic-inspired drones. True!

In the control room at Sound of Music studio in Richmond, Atomizer guitarist Sean is about to throw down a crushing solo.

On this tour, I wore my magenta suede jacket on every show, so the photos of me all look more or less the same from show to show — but I am certain this pic was shot at Tractor Tavern in Seattle. Definitely!

Don't you step on my magenta suede shoes — er, um, jacket!

Same suede, different day.

"Hello, McKinleyville!"

It is martini time all the time at the Elephant.

Brannen is getting ready to "tang the hump."