Volume 16 - Spring 2016

Volume 16 kicks off our matchbook series. The cover images for this and the next several volumes are taken from the wonderful collection of Mr. Craig Baxter. He's a local artist, former DJ on Berkeley's KALX, and lastly, a phenomenal matchbook collector.

As we begin this series, I want to point out we are still trying to catch up to the present day of King Bloodstone's ongoing and endless quest for instrumental and murky vocals. Songs from the past to soothe the poor souls of our fading rock. The tunes I culled last year (2016) saw many fine catches, especially in the Spring, as V.16 is the third volume from that season alone. I intend to bring us up to date sometime this year so that a new blog post will reflect a present-day completed set of music.

And now to this volume.

We'll start off with the sidemen band name of the month contest. Many contenders fighting for the crown this time out. I want to note this title has to go to an exceptional song, not just any damn fancy name.

The Ambers (and Duke) serve up a saucy sax-laden dose of lava in your glass with Volcano. The drunken, psychobillogical guitar is there as warning that more than two servings per night may be detrimental to your health.

Not these Nocturnes

The next contestants are The Nocturnes (and Don) with a heat-wave blast of Summertime. Yes, there was a surf band of the same name, but we won't hold it against them. Plus, my meager research show the surf band to be a different combo than those with Don. This is not the best quality here, and I think it's playing at 41rpm, but it's one hell of a version nonetheless. I think the sibling Gershwin corpses are ringing their coffin bells when they hear this one. They want back out!

Finally, another standard from The Zodiacs (and Red Garrison). Haunting and seductive just as Taboo must be. The shimmering guitar and sultry sax work effectively dulls the pain.

Since we have three contenders I'd like to put this one up for a vote, dear readers. However, there appear to be only three or four of you out there reading this blog alarm judging by the "likes" when I post a new volume. [I'm looking at you, Miko, Frankie Fink, Mr. B. Gone, and Debbie D.!] And so, King Bloodstone shall make a decree: The Ambers have the win! I may have been partial to their royal bandleader.

OK. Back to the music to watch the shrinking barrier reefs by.

G'day and g'bye!

Lots of standards here, except The Irridescents make Bali Ha’i less South Pacific and a little more outer-frickin’-space. Please Mr. Kennedy, I don't want to go!

Black and Blue by The Gigolo’s is nearly as good as Satchmo does it. The song gets cut short to remind us all the end is nigh, and we'll be bruised all over when the time comes.

Our pair of "Jazz in…" tunes come courtesy of Office Naps. (At least one, I think.) Exotica and foreign lands were all the rage back in the mid-century. It seems that adding "jazz" into your landscape was legitimizing the beats, the Jet Setters, and United Airlines. Just make sure you have your plane ticket booked ahead of time. The skies, they ain't so friendly.

Watch it burn, folks.

Plenty of other fantastic instros. I can't mention them all. There are a handful of slow, melancholic dirges to draw you in like a butterfly to a solar flare, a swollen heart to a black hole. Be sure and keep that cover open while striking. What's else is there to lose?

Strike match here.