John loved this song because it usually ended up as a jam session. This one is no exception.My favorite memory of this night is Dave Batti standing on a speaker and playing the bass.
This was the last song of the night.
Later John said to me “we left ’em bleeding”. And they did.
Also from the Birchmere Tribute. With the same cast of characters. I forgot to mention that also playing keyboards is James Hooker, Nanci Griffith’s fantastic accompanist.
John was asked many times if he ever got tired of singing this song. Usually he would smile and say ‘no’. I honestly believe that he did love the song and that he loved to sing it.
It didn’t hurt, either, that the song kept him in what he called ‘couch money’. He sat on the couch and the song sent him money.
This is from the Tribute Concert at the Birchmere on January 12,2001. Accompanying John on this song as well as the next two posts are Pete and Maura Kennedy, Nanci Griffith, Rosanne Cash, Henry Diltz, Chuck McDermott, John Hoke, Dave Crossland, Jeff McDonald, Dennis Kenmore, George Grove, Bob Haworth, Dave Batti and Buffy Stewart.Daydream Believer
It seems appropriate to do this song. Recorded live on August 5, 1984, in Merseyside, England. John Stewart and Chuck McDermott doing a medley of Clack Clack and Oldest Living Son.Clack Clack/Oldest Living Son
This will be a hard one to write. Dave Batti. Possibly the nicest guy in the world. Would be nominated for Sainthood if it were a perfect world. Knows how to iron and pack a station wagon. Modest. Plays bass and accordion.
That’s only the beginning.
Dave joined John Stewart’s band back in 1982, after working with John and Chuck McDermott on the Blondes album. Tom DeLisle said about Dave “He’s John’s right-hand man despite the fact that Dave is left-handed”. Dave chalked up countless miles and huge amounts of fun on the road with John. In later years it was usually just the two of them on the road together.
John was well-known for being ‘prickly’ toward his band members and Dave bore the brunt of this on more occasions than it would be wise to count. When John passed Dave said “I’d do it all again in a minute”.
Here is Dave Batti. Recorded at the World Folk Music Association on January 12, 2001, at their presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to John Stewart.Bad Rats
To call Al Cook a fan of John Stewart’s music would be putting it too mildly. Many of us have said that John wrote the soundtrack to our lives. For a few of us it went farther than that. Al’s devotion and dedication to John and his music is well-known and much appreciated.
Al sent me a cd some time ago. It was a live recording from a gig that John did in September of 1995. The venue was, according to the cd label that I have, the Old Vienna. I don’t know if this was a coffee house or a club. I think it must have been somewhere in New England.
In 1995, the recordings that were made in the clubs were somewhat primitive by today’s standards. This one was probably recorded on a small cassette recorder that was sitting on the table or hidden under a chair.
John loved spoken word pieces. He was good at them and could add sections to pieces that he’d done in the past and make them fresh again.
This one was unusual. I sent a copy to Tom DeLisle who is without question the leading authority on john’s music. Tom had never heard this piece.
Please forgive the audio quality. It wasn’t good to begin with and I was only able to do so much to bring it back. I think it’s worth hearing, though.
Thanks to Al Cook for providing the disc.
The 1984 tour must have been great fun. John and Chuck, of course, had worked together for several years by this time and were, musically, on the same wavelength.
Their onstage repartee’ was also fun for the audience.
Here is Chuck doing one of his own songs. The song is Angeline.
John loved medleys. He tinkered with combinations of songs and sometimes he hit a combo that was perfect.
This recording was made at the Floral Pavillion in Merseyside England on August 5, 1984.
On this tour John was accompanied by his good friend and co-conspirator Chuck McDermott.
Thanks to Rod and Bite My Foot Bob.
Here’s California Bloodlines, Armstrong and Cheyenne.John Stewart and Chuck McDermott
Let’s start with Floyd and a short history lesson. Floyd B. Olson lived in Minnesota in the early 1900’s. He was, among other things, a champion of the farmer and the workers of the state. In his early life he held many workingman jobs. He was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and a Populist.
In the 1930’s Floyd B. Olson became Governor of Minnesota. During his three terms as Governor, Olson was able to implement many progressive programs such as a progressive income tax, a social security program for the elderly, a guarantee of equal pay for women and a system of minimum wage and unemployment insurance.
Since his death there have been erected many monuments to him that proclaim him to be ‘Minnesota’s Greatest Governor”.
Today, Fred Grittner lives in St. Paul. I was fortunate in meeting Fred at one of the early Trio Fantasy Camps and became instant friends. Fred has great talent as a musician and a songwriter. He’s also one of the good guys. This song is written and performed by Fred. It is from a forthcoming cd of his music.The Floyd B. Olson Blues.
The first 30 seconds are the ringtone on my Iphone.
John’s fans are a mixed lot. Some of them come for the words. Some come for the music. Others come for the package.
Having been John’s partner in the music business for about 10 years I got to know these fans and appreciated their love and dedication to John.
One of the most interesting fans is a guy known only as Toft. When I first ran into him Toft lived in Hawai’i. He later moved to Thailand where he does graphic arts, photography and poetry.
He produced this piece of music. The song and performance was John Stewart. Toft is responsible for the rest of it. I don’t know if John ever heard it but I think he would have liked the result.
Toft calls it The Tiger’s Dance. We know the music as Dance With the Tiger.
this old song 