NGC: Favorite Offbeat Musicians

[LowRyter]

https://youtu.be/Cx8qITIIRiU

Nothing offbeat about Charles Bradley.   He didn't catch on until well in 60s.  RIP Charles.  A great one.   

[CT Dharma]

Just thought of a few more that I like...

Marcus King band
JD McPherson
Low Cut Connie

Marcus King Band - second that!!

[Dave Swanson]

Because I ended up owning the Sparklehorse 1000S I have been learning to enjoy Mark's music.

[T4halo]

Da Yoopers

[radguzzi]

I’m a big fan of American folk singer Slaid Cleaves.  Out of Austin, previously from Maine. 

We too love us some Slaid Cleaves, we have foe many years.  We go give him a listen whenever he and Karen are in the area, Gardiner or Portland, Maine usually.  We hope to go see and hear him in Austin one of these days. 

The guest guitarists and/or mandolin or fiddle players that he will show up with is a real treat.  What a personable young man.

One thing that he does on stage is, once every three to four bars he will stomp one boot on the beat, just gives the tune some added authority. 

I asked him one night after the show how he came to do that...  He didn't know, just kinda happens.

I took this shot of his boot and that awesome Gibson one night at the historic Johnson Hall. .



An obscur artist that we have followed for years is another Maine folk singer by the name of Ellis Paul.  Check him out.


Great thread here.
Rob

[rjamesohio]

Well - this is the kind of question that would happen only on Wild Guzzi!

At the Michigan Rally last year - we started talking music and it turned out there were a few of us that are hardcore Jazz fans - we discussed Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Sonny Rollins, et al. All great Jazz artists from the 60s. And I think I saw another one already on this thread in Dave Brubeck!

Well - Jazz ran headlong into Jazz Fusion in the late 60's, and I'm not talking Kenny G. I'm talking Miles Davis' groundbreaking record Bitches Brew. Featuring: Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Wayne Shorter, John McGlaughlin etc. The electrification of jazz, which then led to groups like Weather Report, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra.

And out of THAT - or maybe simultaneously springing forth - came Progressive Rock, which Yes and King Crimson came forth from. And yes - I LOVE Prog Rock, and there are SO many bands that sound so great. Including RUSH, who I've seen maybe 20 times with my son.

I've probably already lost everyone, so I'll leave you with the ONE Prog Rock band that I've been listening a LOT to lately:

Porcupine Tree.  Check out the cut Train......

Sorry you asked now, aren't you. LOL

[bobrebos]

John Prine
Iris Dement

Those are my favorites by far!

[radguzzi]

Well - this is the kind of question that would happen only on Wild Guzzi!

At the Michigan Rally last year - we started talking music and it turned out there were a few of us that are hardcore Jazz fans - we discussed Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Sonny Rollins, et al. All great Jazz artists from the 60s. And I think I saw another one already on this thread in Dave Brubeck!

Well - Jazz ran headlong into Jazz Fusion in the late 60's, and I'm not talking Kenny G. I'm talking Miles Davis' groundbreaking record Bitches Brew. Featuring: Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Wayne Shorter, John McGlaughlin etc. The electrification of jazz, which then led to groups like Weather Report, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Wes and Sonny and Dave Brubeck...  Great stuff.

Also funny that you mention Jack DeJohnette... We Just saw and heard Pat Metheny here in Maine at the Strand Theatre in Rockland.  A-mazing show.

Another favorite that we caught up with at the Savage Oaks Winery last Summer was James McMurtry. 

Great, great story teller with a side of social comemtary.

[DonT]

What a list of really good music!!!!  Everyone must add Donna the Buffalo.  A groove band out of Fingerlakes region of NY.  Jeb plays guitar and Tara fiddle, (mostly electric) and they have great songs, lyrics, and a sticker on the back of my Norge.

[Knuckle Dragger]

Personally (& what is musical preference if not intensely personal), only the girls really do it for me.  Only the feminine voice can leave me weak at the knees, creating those characteristic waves of frisson that denote intense emotional engagement.  I honestly don't mind the fellas.  I'm not particularly homophobic in this regard, but I just love the ladies more.

Two of the more 'offbeat' ladies whose precocious vocal talents I currently love with an intensity bordering on passion are Sevara Nazarkhan and Cecile McLorin Salvant.

The former is a classically trained Uzbek superstar, possessed of a tiny frame from which emanates a prodigious voice.  Singing an eclectic collection of originals & standards in multiple languages (her native tongue, Russian, French & English), and styles (Uzbek & Russian folk, standards, contemporary and "world beat" originals), she is predictably a genuine bona-fide superstar at home and in Russia, yet all but unknown in the rest of the world.  She's one of the few singers to actually make me tear-up on occasion. Considering what a jaded, curmudgeonly old bastard I tend to be, that's actually saying something.

Cecile is a different fish altogether.  She is astonishingly accomplished.  This Floridian has gathered accolades aplenty for her vocal interpretations of both standards and obscure long-forgotten jazz recordings.  Winton Marsalis has described her precocious talent as possessing "poise, elegance, soul, humour, sensuality, power, virtuosity, range, insight, intelligence, depth and grace".  Who am I to argue with this eloquent and accurate description from such an esteemed personage?

Thing is, in vocal circles, she's still incredibly young.  At only 30, her best years are yet to come.  Given that all the accolades, awards and testimonials in the world don't sell either albums or bums on concert seats, Cecile is ironically born about 90 years too late to actually achieve the commercial and cultural success she so rightly deserves.  Jazz unfortunately is forever condemned to be an unfashionable 'fringe' musical style to the I-tunes generation.

[Turin]

The Cramps
The Violent Femmes
XTC
The Replacements
Husker Du
The Pixies

[JC85]

Can't believe I forgot the include BRMC, also known as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Absolutely must listen for anyone who digs bluesy rock with some attitude.

[AJ Huff]

Currently enjoying the new Drivin N Cryin release and Elephant Stone.

-AJ

[John A]

of course all you old weirdos like Zappa, some of the worst music ever produced!!

I once worked for a chef who, when he was in a bad mood or angry with the staff, he would punish us by playing a frank zappa CD on repeat for upwards of 8hrs straight...  it was torturous

Then two guys said they really dug Zappa, so he switched to playing the Deliverance Soundtrack on repeat.....  dueling banjos all day will drive you insane...

Of course no one was brave enough to turn it off or change it, that was a scary dude!





That would have made me get real ignorant.  I don't like Frank's music either but there is one song, Willie The Pimp, that is somehow really good. I linked it on a post a couple lines back. as a kid I bought a Hot Rats album because I liked the artwork on the album cover

[John A]

Nobody has mentioned SRV, Texan musician Stevie Ray Vaughn.https://youtu.be/grBmQwLSlDw

[Shorty]

AJ Lee & Molly Tuttle

Appalachi Don w/ Marshall Brothers

Blue Mitchell

Michael Burks (RIP)

Poppa Chubby

Lucinda Williams

Mean Mary James

The Jolly Beggarmen

[John A]

George Thorogood https://youtu.be/grBmQwLSlDw

[LowRyter]

[rschrum]

Delbert McClinton

[oldbike54]

 Hot Tuna and Delbert M aren't all that offbeat .

 OK Rocker , one from your neck of the woods , Zorro and the blue footballs , never famous , heck , the two frontmen are dead , but they could bring down the house .

 Dusty

[jdgretz]

It's interesting what different people see as "offbeat".  Probably as some of us are more Off that others, some folks offbeat is others normal listening.  Some of us being older have been listening to some of these offbeat musicians while the younger ones are just discovering them.

Local talent always seems to be more "off" than national acts.  RJamesOhio talking about some of the blues greats - none of which I would currently consider offbeat, but back when Bitches Brew came out, Miles was so far off the beaten track as to be mind blowing for a decade until the others caught up.  Same with Thelonious Monk.  Monk's early stuff was very avant-garde at the time - even his later albums pushed the limits.  Now, it sounds pretty mellow.

Back in the 70s, I got caught up in the Austin Music Scene and hung out with some amazing musicians including some mentioned here already, along with Michael Martin Murphy, Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys (they still perform a lot around Austin), Extreme Heat (also known as Steamed Heat - jazz), Doug Kershaw, Jimmie Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jessi Colter, Tompall Glaser, David Allan Coe, Cowboy Doug Davis, and a whole bunch of others.

Popa Chubby first came to my attention back in 1992 at the Long Beach Blues Festival.  He plays around the LA area a lot.

If any of you are in the LA area on a Monday night, drop by the Baked Potato for the Monday Jam - jazz oriented, but you never know who will show up or be in the house band or the night.

Possum Dixon is/was a local LA group (1989-1999) described as neo-new wave pop and post punk who were influenced by Talking Heads, Human Hands, Wall of Voodoo, Dream Syndicate and Camper Van Beethoven.  Talk about offbeat musicians.  Holy smoke! Incidentally, the lead singer, Rob Zabrecky, is now an internationally known and respected magician whose magic is just as offbeat as their music was.

Lots of interesting stuff(tm) to find and listen to in this list.

I participate in a Secret Santa exchange on ADV and have gotten some wonderful music from local bands around the world as gifts from random riders.  I've gotten a couple of real clunkers as well.  But, hey, not everybody has the same taste in music (or motorcycles)

So much good music available if one takes the time to look for it.

jdg

[Kiwi Dave]

The common theme appears to be Zappa.  Me too, especially "Apostrophe" (don't eat the yellow snow), and "Overnight Sensation".

But nobody else has mentioned Ramsay Midwood and his album "Shoot Out At The OK Chinese Restaurant".  I first heard the whole album played  at the San Francisco saloon in Los Angeles.  I pestered the barman to tell me the artist, and he was pleasantly surprised that somebody else liked his choice.

[jdgretz]

You know the relationship between Zappa and Steve Vai, right?

Steve began transcribing Zappa music when he was 18.  Frank was in New York and asked Steve to come to his hotel and talk about doing more transcription work.  When Steve showed up, Frank took a look at this skinny 18-year old, with tattoos, an earring, black leather coat and says "You're Steve Vai???"

Then a couple of years later, there was the audition... https://youtu.be/Xx1RguHA4XE

Really an unbelievable musician (both Frank and Steve).

jdg

[JohninVT]

I think Tom Waits and Townes Van Zandt are the two best American songwriters of the last fifty years.  Steve Earl said Townes was better than Dylan and I agree with him. 

Motörhead.  Yes, everything Lemmy did sounded the same and it was simple but sometimes simple is good.  I’ve had a thing for Motörhead since I was 12(1981).

Bjork.  She’s otherworldly.  I don’t always like her electronica stuff but her voice is beyond incredible. 

The Clash(aka the only band that really matters).  When my 18 year old daughter stole my London Calling and Sandinista CD’s I knew I’d done something right when raising her.  If nothing else, the kid has good taste in music. 

[kingoffleece]

Gotta put Dave Alvin in that group, too.

Lots of great musicians mentioned here.  Add The Iguanas.  If they ever get within 500 miles of you it's a must see band.  Their records are great but live it's completely fantastic.

[pat80flh]

Since no one's mentioned him, Steve Earle.

[rjamesohio]

You know the relationship between Zappa and Steve Vai, right?

Steve began transcribing Zappa music when he was 18.  Frank was in New York and asked Steve to come to his hotel and talk about doing more transcription work.  When Steve showed up, Frank took a look at this skinny 18-year old, with tattoos, an earring, black leather coat and says "You're Steve Vai???"

Then a couple of years later, there was the audition... https://youtu.be/Xx1RguHA4XE

Really an unbelievable musician (both Frank
jdg

Yes - zappa ill be a me too on that! My son was a music student at Oberin and I begged him to do an arrangement of Dental Floss Tycoon for his Senior trombone choir event. That didnt happen but weve sung Zappa at full strength in the car on many  trips!

[rjamesohio]

Laurie Anderson.

Love it. I have Apple Music and have been exploring many of these this morning. Great new music!

AJ Huff - its been forever and I like Elephant Stone.

[M0T0Geezer]

Let's Hear It For The Girls:

Eliza Gilkyson (daughter of Frankie Lane):
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHNXE7waflY  Is It Like Today
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N8ohExQENo  Beautiful World
   
kd lang:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5KRVtjgMkM  Helpless
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE  Halleluja

Eve Cassidy
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UVjjcOUJLE  Fields Of Gold
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzLd2MDAHK8   People Get Ready


Quiet enjoyment for geezers of all ages...

[harry h]

Don't think anyone has mentioned King Crimson.