ALL BACK TO MY PLACE
Courtney Barnett, Tav Falco and Gary Clarke Jr. invite you into the shower stall.
REGULARS
Tav Falco PANTHER BURNS’ SHADOW DANCER Gary Clark Jr AUSTIN’S SOUL-ROCK GUITAR “I’m not going to lie, I wanted to be Michael Jackson.” MOONWALKIN’ GARY CLARK JR
What music are you currently grooving to? Presently, I am enthralled with an exquisite, hip-shaking tune called Blue Bossa off the album Exotic by the Atomic Leopards out of Barcelona. Childish Gambino is a reliable hoot. I also enjoy Antony & The Johnsons and the stylings of Paolo Conte.
What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album? Easy. Two Steps From The Blues by Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland on Duke records. No connoisseur in Memphis would admit to not adoring the high-strung tonalities of a sissy blues singer, and when you hear Bobby – “little boy blue” – you know what being mistreated is all about.
What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it? The first record bought for me was I Was The One by Elvis Presley, purchased by my mother at Stan’s Record Shop in Shreveport, Louisiana. The first one I laid down my own cash for was the 45 Al Di La sung by Emilio Pericoli, from the movie Rome Adventure.
Which musician, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be? None, but I long to master the sprezzatura [nonchalance] of Dean Martin, sing with the pipes of P.J. Proby, and incant with the operatic hillbilly splendour of Charlie Feathers.
What do you sing in the shower? Louis Armstrong’s version of Kiss Of Fire finds its way under my shower.
What is your favourite Saturday night record? The soundtrack The Wild One, composed and performed by West Coast horn player Shorty Rogers and his orchestra of jazz titans. This was recorded during a narrow window of jazz trajectory around 1953, when musicians celebrated moody washes of blue notes, arias of bleary horns, and sexy Beat girl hard bop. After this blip in the jazz continuum, poof! No one played like this again.
And your Sunday morning record? I open the windows to errant breezes and listen to the guitar revelations of John Fahey. In particular, Stomping Tonight On The Pennsylvania-Alabama Border. Tav Falco’s Panther Burns come to Europe in February. What music are you currently grooving to? Oxnard by Anderson .Paak, Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles. Oh, and Sammy Davis Jr. There’s a lot of that going on in my house right now.
What, if push comes to shove, is your all-time favourite album? Outkast’s Aquemini. It bridges the gap and it’s a beautiful album – I think it’s perfectly executed, produced, arranged. Also, a shout out to Dungeon Family. My favourite live album would be Marvin Gaye, Live At The London Palladium, which is perfection.
What was the first record you ever bought? And where did you buy it? I bought an Immature CD at Walmart in Austin, Texas, off of Mopac and 71, Oak Hill baby. The first album I bought was Boyz II Men, the second one with Water Runs Dry and I’ll Make Love To You and On Bended Knee on it. Also Arrested Development, the Mr Wendal single. I bought that at the same time.
Which musician, other than yourself, have you ever wanted to be? I’m not going to lie, I wanted to be Michael Jackson! [As a kid Gary was taught to moonwalk by his mum Sandi, and has been known to entertain family gatherings busting this move.]
What do you sing in the shower? I don’t sing in the shower, actually. That is my quiet time to get my mind together, to go figure out how I’m going to go out and be a winner for the day. So I’ll just enjoy the sound of the water.
What is your favourite Saturday night record? I don’t have a favourite Saturday night record or any-night record. All the days are the same when you’re out on the road and you don’t know what day it is, or what time it is, or even what time-zone you’re in.
And your Sunday morning record? Same thing for Sundays… I’m sorry, I really can’t say. Gary releases new music in early 2019.