12 Straight Hours of Jonathan Richman

On WHRB, 95.3fm in Boston.

"Twice a year we have special programming called "Orgy Season" in which we play solid blocks of themed music (an artist, a record label, some more obscure theme - you can find info about them on our website: http://whrb.org/orgies.html.) This year, on Dec. 2nd, from 5am to 5pm, we're going to be doing a Jonathan Richman Orgy and playing as much of his music as we can fit straight through".

It can be heard at 95.3fm in the greater Boston area, or online at whrb.org.

More Ukulele

Ukuleles are go !

As Dorothee pointed out in her comment, here is another video of the Modern Ukulele lovers rehearsing "Egyptian reggae".



And there is Thierry Los another Jonathan afficionado (see interview) trying his brand new blue Ukulele...





Alberto shot this picture of Jonathan dealing himself with the Ukulele.

The Feelies Live in NYC

Live in NYC to download: Feelies: November 21, 2009 Maxwell’s via nyctaper (great sound) (link)

The Modern Ukulele Lovers

Here is a French band of fans of Jonathan's consisting in five ukulele players (one is left handed as you may notice), and a tub-bass player. Here they are playing their cover of Egyptian reggae. Definitely Jonathanish..

2009-2010 U.S. winter tour

New U.S. (southeast, east coast) tour dates (December through February) posted on High Road Touring (link)

We'll post them asap. Thanks Jay!

The Laura Palmer Tape

More cool stuff on Nugrape's webpage:

Laura Palmer Tape

The Historic Debt

"I'm just beginning to live" by JR and the Moderns Lovers from "The Historic Debt" video (released in 1991) on youtube.

Information about "The Historic Debt" from discogs: "This release is unique. All tracks have been donated royalty free and funds raised by this project will be used to pay back some of the huge debt still owed to independent labels from the collapse of Rough Trade Distribution. Special thanks to the artists who have donated their songs, and to everyone involved in the release who have willingly offered their services either totally free or at cost"

More infomation about JR discography and rare releases at:

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jonathan+Richman

Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins produce Vic Chesnutt's newest release on Vapor: Skitter on Take Off

Hat tip to T. Ballard Lesemann and Brooklyn Brewery, without whom I would not have known these exciting things about the amazingly prolific poet Vic Chesnutt because I have been under a rock sleeping for the past year:

THE VIC CHESNUTT RECORD AND WHY ME AND TOMMY WANTED TO DO IT

JONATHAN: "My drummer Tommy Larkins and I were driving in the van across the United States as we do two or three times a year on our tours of clubs and I said, 'Y’ know, we should produce Vic’s next record!' And he said he thought so too. We both were thinking that the way to get the feeling for Vic as a listener was to hear just Vic – no arrangements, no guest guitar solo guys, no 'ironic' touches or anything else to cloud his voice or his poetry. His guitar playing is also the guitar playing on this recording because we think no help is needed."

"Tommy and I have toured with Vic several times and he’s long been one of our favorites. So we’re both proud of this record and glad for the chance to make it our way. A lot of it was brand new stuff - a few hours old or becoming a song right there as he sang."

VIC: "I’m honored to work with Jonathan Richman. Over the years he’s taken me under his wing and mentored me in a very meaningful way, truly shaping me into the songwriter and performer I am today. And it is an ongoing process.”

Read more at All About Jazz: (link)

Here Vic teams up with Jonathan Richman (guitar, harmonium) and Tommy Larkin (drums). Richman dons his producers hat capturing everything live and off the cuff.

Read more at Aquarium Drunkard: (link)

Vic Chesnutt's current extensive tour schedule and bio on Vapor Records: (link) (must click through frames)

Skitter on Take Off (released on Vapor Records, 6 October 2009) (link) (info on Amazon, buy locally if you can)

Also new from Vic Chesnutt: At the Cut (released on Constellation, 22 September 2009) (link)

Vic Chesnutt Band at 40 Watt, Athens, 2 November 2009 live show mp3s at Southern Shelter (link)

This song is from At the Cut, performance from June 2009 tour with Jonathan and Tommy:

November 6: Happy Birthday Walter Johnson

Lineup for Yesterday

J is for Johnson

The Big Train in his prime

Was so fast he could throw

Three strikes at a time.

--Ogden Nash

Walter “Big Train” Johnson was a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators of Major League Baseball between 1907 and 1927. Johnson established several pitching records during his twenty-year career, many of which remained unbroken for nearly a century.

Johnson’s legendary gentle nature is still held up today as an example of good sportsmanship and friendly competition. Only fellow Hall of Famer Ty Cobb – coincidentally a prime example of the antithesis of good sportsmanship -- seemed to take advantage of Johnson’s disposition. While most batters were concerned about being hit by Johnson's blazing fastball, and were reluctant to stand close to the plate while batting, Cobb realized that the good-hearted Johnson was privately nervous about the possibility of seriously injuring a batsman. Almost alone among his peers, Cobb would actually stand closer to the plate than usual when facing Johnson—unless it was an overcast day.

Well now when pitchers throw their pitch to scare

They actually try to almost hit that opposing player

Walter Johnson wouldn't do that not even just a little
He made sure he through the baseball right down the middle
And all through baseball he was loved and respected
Was there bitterness in Walter Johnson? Well it was never
 detected

--Jonathan Richman

Vic Chesnutt on Daytrotter

Vic Chesnutt often appears with Jonathan. Here's a set of live stuff from Vic and Elf Power -- a June, 2009 Daytrotter session.