Thursday, May 12, 2022
Darwin, Ohio
Wandering across this still young century
Earlier this week I got my bike out a prepped it to ride. Izze had been riding her Honda Monkey around the Ranch environs and we figured, ‘What the heck… let’s go for a ride. So we hopped on Black Beauty and off we went. With 115 horsepower and 115 foot pounds of torque, what’s not to like? As if the week weren’t perfect enough already, today she got inducted into the National Honor Society. Then to celebrate her accomplishment I was furloughed to take another ride and meet the girls in town for dinner at Salaam in Athens.
As I was taking Old Rt. 33 into town it occurred to me that I have been riding these beautiful roads for over thirty years. This is where my spirit lives on a good day. Wheeling through the corners with a smile on my face.
I have grown old here doing that and by the grace of G_d I can still do it.
It has been a good day indeed!
Husky-voiced Judy Henske:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ-So8S-29M
Times has a story on 50th anniversary of “Exile on Main St” (unread by me). You had it as a desert island disk, Mr. K. Leon has bonus tracks, with Jagger singing, on a CD I own. I was struck by how much it sounds like Exile. Then I watched some of a viddy put together for a streaming channel – the band fleeing UK taxman and renting a Mediterranean villa and everyone for miles knew Stones were making record and it was an extravagant months long gathering. But the footage shows a couple of them rehearsing something somewhere, with muddy sound inserted. Bore-ring. FFWD to the singer leaving tape with Leon and Wrecking Crew, for editing and overdub. So: record most listeners favor was made mostly by…
@Dave S.
Thanks to you and to Jorma for more detail about Judy Henske and “High Flyin’Bird”. That’s been rolling around the back of my brain since I recently listened to the song. I thought, “Is that Jorma playing guitar on that track?”
Somebody in the Airplane listened to Judy because their version of “High Flyin’ Bird” (recorded during the Takes Off sessions & later released on Early Flight) was very similar to Judy’s. My guess is that it was Paul who suggested the song as I recall an interview where he was asked about HFB and he said “that was Judy Henske”.
Hey Dave… but of course. Remember, the first iteration of the Airplane was a folk rock band… pre Grace. I don’t know whether it was Signe, Marty or Paul who brought the song to us and since they’re all gone we can’t ask them but it was definitely one of them. They would have all been familiar with Judy’s work.
Young enough to ride young enough to have Bob Dylan at the Ranch for a show I always say…
Well, “seems to have” and “did” leaves a pretty wide gap for interpretation. Damn shame we can’t ask Janis, though.
Congratulations to Izzie!
Ah, old Rt. 33. I used to live in Burlingham – what there is of it – and I recall a few sharp turns in the road getting there. Creek used to flood there every year or so. Used to be a strip pit near Pratts Fork that was a favorite skinny dippin hole. The new road is quite an improvement in many ways, but folks get in way too much of a hurry. As for Jorma, he ain’t in no hurry…m
Just read an obit in the Post about Judy Hensley. Had never heard of her. Sounds like she was quite a presence on the Beat scene back in the day. The article stated “her brassy and full throated delivery seems to have made an impression on Janis Joplin and Grace Slick.” She, in turn, had been influenced by the Vaudevillian Sophie Tucker and none other than Bessie Smith. I just started this book, “Tunesmith”, by Jimmy Webb in which he goes all the way back to Stephen Foster in the 19th century and follows American cultural influences in the evolution of American popular music. Fascinating stuff. We don’t stand on each generation’s back as much as incorporate styles from the past into the sounds of the present. As fine an example of cultural evolution as I’ve read about, that Judy Hensley. May she forever rest in peace. Peace.
We’d have to ask Grace, which I’m probably not going to do but I’d be surprised if she listened to Judy Henske. Grace was not a folkie… Janis was. I’ll bet she knew all about her. Judy Henske was also not a rock and roller in an era when so much pop music was disposable. I’m talking about pre 1965. Just my opinion and you know what they way about opinions. Maybe I will ask Grace…
You are Magic.
Always striving to stay in the present moment. A fine example, intended or not.
I love reading good news, and love this story! Thanks Jorma!