April 18, 2012
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Levon

In the last couple days I’ve been reading many articles about Levon Helm, who is gravely ill with cancer. I love Levon’s music. When I heard first heard Dirt Farmer, I played the CD in my car over and over and over. It was perfect. Levon Helm was still doing it up right. We had a chance to attend one of his shows a couple years ago at Massey Hall, and though Levon couldn’t do a lot of singing, the show was joyous and beautiful and a real treat to see. I’d just like to take a minute to celebrate Levon Helm’s music.

April 16, 2012
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Boxcars

Last year I posted a heaping helping of train songs on this blog. The other day when I posted the Butch Hancock tune, She Never Spoke Spanish to Me, I recalled that Mr. Hancock wrote a great train song, called Boxcars. Sorry I failed to post it back when I did the series on train songs, but it’s never too late when it comes to train songs so here’s Butch Hancock…

Since we’re here, let’s have another taste of Butch Hancock. Here he is performing What a World this Mess is in.

Ok Ok, yeah I love his music too. Let’s here one more – The Wind’s Dominion

April 15, 2012
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A Pointed Search

Regular readers know I’m fascinated with the oddball things people search in order to get to the the right place – this blog. Every now and again, though, somebody uses just the right search terms to make sure they get here without delay. That happened today, when somebody entered the following into a search engine:

27th street newfie dog polka folky dokey

That pretty much covers the bases, doesn’t it?

April 15, 2012
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She Never Spoke Spanish to Me

For tonight’s Daily Dose, I’d like to feature a great Butch Hancock tune called She Never Spoke Spanish to Me.

Here’s the writer of the song with Joe Ely

I first heard this tune on a Texas Tornadoes record. Mr. Sahm and the boys did a great job on this one.

April 15, 2012
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Cheating at Chess?

In the 2006 match, Topalov accused Kramnik of consulting a program much like Rybka during his opponent’s frequent bathroom trips. Kramnik won what is remembered as “Toiletgate.”

Check out this article in the University of Buffalo Reporter by Bert Gambini.  I had no idea that there have been accusations of high-level chess players cheating. The article is about a computer science professor (and International Master chess player), Kenneth Regan, who has been investigating using a computer program to investigate. The program is called Rybka and it models situations where people have to make decisions based on many options.

 

 

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April 14, 2012
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Sailor’s Hornpipe

Today’s Daily Dose is all about The Sailor’s Hornpipe, a tune I’ve been playing on my triple row button accordion. It’s also called the College Hornpipe or Jack’s the Lad. This is one old tune, documented as far back as the 1790s. Here’s a few versions I enjoy.

April 11, 2012
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Kansas City

I wonder how it feels to live in a city that has been immortalized by a song? It turns out there is a song about Toronto, called The Toronto Song by Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie, but let’s just agree that The Toronto Song doesn’t really count….

Here’s Wilbert Harrison performing one of my fave tunes ever, Kansas City.

What’s your favourite city song?