jazzbuskers

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Uncredited Photographer Two Musicians Playing Accordion and Washboard and Young Boy, New Iberia, Louisiana 1938

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Robert Doisneau L'accordeoniste, Paris 1955

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Bebop Beatniks New Jazz In Jonesboro May 24, 2025 Brookland United Methodist Youth Building Brookland, Arkansas

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From The Archives Of Something Blue

DJ Hairy Larry Presents Paul Lessard Playing White Rats And Meerkats

Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a song I wrote this year and recorded at HairyLarryLand.

Paul Lessard is one of the finest jazz saxophonists I have ever worked with. When he joined the faculty at ASU I went to meet him to talk about music composition because, the truth is, there’s just not that many people into the nuts and bolts of music theory and composition. When I found out that he played jazz saxophone I knew I wanted to play with him.

He played with Bebop Beatniks on the KASU Arkansas Roots Stage at the Beatles At The Ridge Festival in 2024. Then he played with us again at Blues Fest and we recorded the album, “The Blue Crane”, on our second gig together.

Then this year, over Spring Break, my friend Chris Isom was coming to town and I set up a session with an amazing band and we recorded an album, “1625 Groove Street”. I wrote two of the songs on that album, the title track and “White Rats And Meerkats” which I have seleceted to play for you today.

… more at the link

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DJ Hairy Larry Presents The Funk Donors Singing Troubled

Thanks Marty, today we’re going to bring the funk as played by a band that was popular here in Jonesboro before the pandemic.

Of course I’m talking about The Funk Donors. I never did get to hear them play live but I knew them by their reputation and I wanted to go see them since some of my friends were in the band. Fortunately they recorded a great album, “Flatland” and if you love live music like I do you can watch their videos on Youtube.

This all started when I went to see luvtrst. play at Stage Too. I was talking to Brian Nobles when he mentioned that he used to play in a band with Cody Ballard, the saxophonist in luvtrst. Well, my inquiring ears want to hear so I found out about the band and their album, “Flatland”.

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No More Kings

The Wee Free Men! Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna' be fooled again!

Terry Pratchett

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Drunk Skeletons by Vlad Gradobyk

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'Nighttime Travellers' by Barbara Sobczynska

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'Her Majesty led this strange orchestra' by Rosina Emmet Sherwood, 1888.

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“I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted.”

Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums

Photo:  Elliott Erwitt, 1953

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Art by Walther Klemm, 1911.

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DJ Hairy Larry Presents Hairy Larry Singing Twin Stars

From The Archives Of Something Blue - 2025-05-18

Thanks Marty, today we're going to hear a song I sang at my Senior Composition Recital.

I was taking Music History when I learned the music terminology art song and I thought, that's what I'm writing for my recital, art songs.

One of those songs I called "Twin Stars", a love song based on my life with Vivian.

It is performed by Hairy Larry and George with a guest, Pershauna Johnson, playing alto flute. Alto flute has a beautiful sound, breathy like a flute but with a lower pitch. Pershauna did a great job on this song. She was a graduate student at ASU at the time.

Also playing was George Hinds on bass, my partner in crime and a lifetime resident of Northeast Arkansas. George was from a musical family and he played with everyone, Billy Lee Riley, Larry Donn, Dennis Mathes, and myself. We played for years as a duo and also in The Swing Band Project. We recorded two albums, "Hip Sexagenarians" and "Aggie Road" and now that they changed the copyright law about streaming music we have one in the can, "Hairy Larry Does Dylan", soon to be released.

So now, recorded live in the Fine Arts Recital Hall on November 8, 2013, here's Hairy Larry and George with Pershauna Johnson playing my song, "Twin Stars".

Hairy Larry and George

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breakfast dance

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Jazz Buskers New Jazz In Jonesboro April 26, 2025 Brookland United Methodist Youth Building Sponsored by KASU and Arkansas Roots

Songs

01 Summertime 02 Ain't Misbehavin' 03 Sunny 04 Autumn Leaves 05 After You've Gone 06 Freddy's Blues

"Freddy's Blues" by Larry Heyl

Personnel

Danielle Russell - vocals, percussion Eliecer Tamez - vocals, trumpet, percussion Hairy Larry - vocals, piano

Photos by Dakota Krueger

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Hairy Larry Belting It Out

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DJ Hairy Larry Presents Sky City Playing Rain Song

Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear an original song recorded at the Arkansas Roots Festival.

I first met Sky City at Blues Fest. They volunteered so I booked them. They have always delivered wonderful performances.

Since then they played again at Blues Fest, Sunday In The Park and Bebopalooza. Nathan Crouch even joined us for an evening of Grateful Dead songs at TheArts@311. It is also through Sky City that I met Tonja McKay, an entomologist, and a fine violinist or fiddler, as we say in Arkansas. She helped me record “Three songs from Astral Weeks” at TheArts@311.

In fact all the musicians in the band are outstanding. Playing at the Arkansas Roots Festival on April 8, 2017 were Nathan Crouch – acoustic guitar and vocals, Grant Camp – bass and vocals, Tanja McKay – violin, Matt Pierce – electric guitar and vocals, and Jason Hatcher – drums, all long time Jonesboro residents.