Liner Notes…

Alex Chilton

3/18/2010

In light of my recent posting of Big Star’s ‘Thirteen’ on March 14th, I am sorry to report that Alex Chilton has died at the age of 59 from heart failure. He has left a legacy of wonderful music for us to enjoy…please give ‘Thirteen’ and some of his other classics a listen.

A link to his LA Times obituary: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/18/local/la-me-alex-chilton19-2010mar19

T Bone Wolk

3/2/10

In light of my comments about the passing of Norton Buffalo, I am sad to report that legendary bassist and producer for Hall & Oates, T Bone Wolk, has died of a heart attack at age 58. His charisma and talent graced stages for over four decades, his years with Hall & Oates starting in 1981. You also may have seen his work as a member of the Saturday Night Live band for several years with fellow H&O band member, guitarist G.E. Smith. It is a true loss for the musical community.

This is a link to his obituary in the L.A. Times:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/01/local/la-me-passings2-2010mar02

Norton Buffalo

2/16/10
One often wonders what major rock bands do when key members pass away. With the advancing ages of our beloved classic rockers, it is going to become a more prevalent phenomenon. I thought of this in reference to the virtuoso harmonica player Norton Buffalo. He was a member of the Steve Miller Band since the mid 1970s and has come to be a defining part of their sound. Tragically, he died of cancer late in 2009 at the age of 58. While many songs feature Buffalo and his harmonica stylings, the song that comes to my mind is ‘Wintertime’. It is featured on the diamond selling release Steve Miller Band’s “Greatest Hits”, so if you are familiar with Miller, you know the song. The beginning is a solo harmonica piece that becomes the riff that echoes the vocal line throughout the entire song. Without the harmonica arrangement, you have…no song. It is quite sad to think of a performance of it without Buffalo or his amazing talent. The list goes on, but another equally important harmonica showpiece is ‘Living in the USA’. The song, especially when played live, would become a harmonica solo piece that builds into a blues-rocking monster jam. I liken Norton Buffalo in this situation to Clarence Clemons in the E Street Band. His musical contributions are so important to the songs and live shows, you cannot imagine them being performed without their involvement. And much like the ‘Big Man’, Buffalo had a larger than life stage presence. His look was wild, to match the harmonica fury he unleashed nightly. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him and I’m sure even Miller himself would deem Buffalo the true showman of the group. Will the Steve Miller Band replace him with another harmonica player? I’m sure, they seem to tour each year. But how will audiences react? Only time will tell. But this is a situation that will begin to ignite controversy in the coming years. Think of your favorite groups…when is it time to call it quits? In the case of Steve Miller, he unfortunately hasn’t released an album of new material in nearly 20 years. We can only hope that these classic bands will make tasteful decisions that respect the musical legacy they have formed.

This is the original studio version of ‘Wintertime’

This is a pro shot, recent live show. ‘Wintertime’ is the second tune, Buffalo sounds great with some beautiful solo work.