I’m watching the tournament and playing records too.  These are some I’ve been listening to:

I took a picture of the B side of Back To Ypsilanti playing on my record player because I wanted to hype it’s arrive coming soon to hear.  Van kept bugging me to make him a copy.  I made him a copy of Back To Ypsilanti and he kept asking for that B side.  Everyday, he’d say, “You got that other joint yet?”  I’d say no man, you gotta trade me.  He had this studio recording of the Temptations and Marvin Gaye and a few others all singing together, practicing.  One of the Temptations sons, who he knows on the Detroit soul and R&B karaoke circuit, gave it to him.  Van’s a big soul karaoke guy - he goes over to Detroit from Ypsi about 3-4 times a week to sing or host events.  And he sings to his middle school students everyday (he’s a gym teacher).  The nights he’s not singing he goes to watch high school basketball games.  But anyway, he wouldn’t give it to me.  He liked having that recording that nobody else had (or I had).  So I never made him a copy of that B side, Tarnished Love Affair.  But I will trade him though. 

But look Van, don’t you wish you just finished listening like I did?  It was good too - I can still hear it - (AND HERE’S A TEASER) so long, so long, so looooooooong…..

This next one is good for relaxing.  Like that end of the week relax when you first get home.  Jimmy Smith, with Grant Green.  A Blue Note classic.  And one of the best covers ever made.

Just a walkin’ the dog, if you don’t know how to do it, I’ll show you how to walk the dog.  1963 Stax.  Rufus Thomas.  I wonder if my wife will let us name our son Rufus?  I’m guessing no.  As you can see from the cover, ol’ Rufus sure did know how to make white people dance!  It must have been easy.

I love bluegrass.  And I love local music.  That’s why this is one of my favorite records in my collection.  The RFD Boys first record on Jessup.  I’d compare them to The Seldom Scene.  Which is another of my favorites.  They do a great version of Country Road.  And some good originals.  Overall just so good…I’m going to go see them on the 25th - maybe you should too?

After seeing the Holmes Brothers at the Ark a few weeks ago, I dug back into my gospel section.  Detroiters The Rance Allen Group is similar to The Holmes Brothers in their ability to blend gospel with uptempo soul and rhythm and blues.  This is their second album, on Gospel Truth, a Stax label.  They do a song called Just My Salvation that’s set to the music of the Temptations Just My Imagination.   

So that’s what I’m on so far tonight.  I’m thinking about making a mix CD from my vinyl collection, but I can’t decide if I want to pick a genre or do a multi genre.  My genre options I’m considering are: all Michigan bands, bluesgrass, funk, 50s to early 60s R&B, Blues, Funk, Reggae, or even something crazy like Gospel, Bluegrass Gospel, Zydeco/New Orleans, or old school Rap.  Of course, my laziness always takes over and I end up just playing them and thinking about making a mix some other day.

In other news, Max Conroy is visiting Cousin Justin this weekend.  Max is part of the 586 Gunson Street band from East Lansing that I’ve heard so much about.  Apparently there’s a long lost recording still floating around somewhere.  I’ll see the both of ‘em tomorrow so I’ll see what I can dig up.