Tag Archives: American music

RIP Howard Wales (1943 – 2020)

Howard Wales was a keyboardist best known for his collaborations with Jerry Garcia in the early 1970s.

However, solo, he produced little gems such as this “Rendez-Vous With The Sun, Part. 2” on his album of almost the same name in 1976.

The tracks is also included in DJ Harvey’s cult mix “Sarcastic Disco Volume 2” which you will find on Soundcloud.

“Rendez-Vous With The Sun, Part. 2”

RIP and thank you for the music.

RIP Jerry Jeff “Mr. Bojangles“ Walker (1942 – 2020)

Jerry Jeff Walker was an American musician best known for writing “Mr. Bojangles“.

Walker recorded “Mr. Bojangles” too, but when I hear that song I’m invariably only reminded of the heavily orchestrated version by the great Nina Simone.

The Nina Simone version wormed itself into my head in 2006 via the compilation Nova Classics 07 released on Radio Nova, keepers of musical taste in the early 2000s.

Nina first released on her cover album Here Comes the Sun from 1971.

Mr. Bojangles

RIP Eddie Van Halen (1955 – 2020)

Eddie Van Halen was a Dutch-American guitarist and songwriter working in hard rock. He enjoyed crossover success with “Jump” (1983), a song that was discouraged from being broadcast on American radio because during 9/11 Americans had witnessed too many jumpers.

In my universe he is known for his guitar solo on “Beat It” (1982) by Michael Jackson.

RIP Simeon ‘Silver Apples’ Coxe (1938 – 2020)

“Gypsy Love”, from their first album.

Simeon Coxe (1938 – 2020) was an American composer and musician known as a founding member of the electronic rock ensemble Silver Apples.

I guess I first stumbled upon Silver Apples when I bought the Underground Moderne cd by Nova Records. It had the track “Gypsy Love” on it, and I always skipped it. Silver Apples were undeniably of great influence, but none of their records would end up in my desert island selection.

RIP Gary Peacock (1935 – 2020)

Gary Peacock was an American jazz double-bassist. He recorded a dozen albums under his own name, and also performed and recorded with major jazz figures such as Albert Ayler, Paul Bley, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and Tony Williams.

Life Time (1964) by Tony Williams

On Life Time (Blue Note, 1964), Gary Peacock plays bass on tracks one to three.

RIP Hal Singer (1919-2020)

Hal Singer  was an American R&B and jazz bandleader and saxophonist. He was the last surviving male survivor of the Tulsa race massacre.

“Malcolm X”

He is known for such instrumentals as “Malcolm X” on the album Paris Soul Food (1969), produced by Bernard Estardy.

If you are a melomaniac, I’d check the latter’s “Ombilic Contact” en “Cha Tatch Ka”.