This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Gary Gazaway, Lisa Ahia, Rebekah Todd, and Karina Rykman. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at kasu.org.
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Lisa Ahia Singing Confessin The Blues
From The Archives Of Something Blue 2025-05-25
Gary Gazaway and Lisa Ahia
Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear Lisa Ahia Confessin The Blues
About 15 years ago I wanted to do a Jazz Festival and I came up with the name Bebopalooza! I got help from the Music Department and KASU publizing and putting on the event. I knew some student groups and some faculty groups and we also heard some ASU instrumental and vocal groups.
On October 15, 2011, our headline act was Gary Gazaway and The Memphis Jazz All Stars, a great jazz act that featured Lisa Ahia singing. And we’re going to hear “Confessin The Blues”, sung by Lisa Ahia at Bebopalooza!
Gary and Lisa have played at KASU events many times always delivering stellar performances. I am glad to have recordings of many of their shows for the From The Archives Of Something Blues podcast. I have also recorded them at other ASU events and at library events. Over the years we have become good friends.
“Confessin The Blues” was written by Walter Brown and Jay McShann and first recorded by the Jay McShann Band in 1941.
According to Wikipedia, “Brown was born in Dallas, Texas. He joined McShann’s orchestra, which also included the saxophonist Charlie Parker, in 1941. Brown sang on some of the band’s most successful recordings, including “Confessin’ the Blues” and “Hootie Blues”…”.
Esther Phillips had a hit on the song in 1975 as the title track of her most authentic, straight ahead blues album.
Besides Esther Phillips and Lisa Ahia “Confessin The Blues” was also covered by B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and The Rolling Stones.
So there you have it, a blues classic.
Now here’s Lisa Ahia at KASU Bebopalooza! singing the blues, for you.
Something Blue Archives Featured Concert
Gary Gazaway Live at Arkansas State Student Union Outdoor Stage on 2011-10-15 archive.org/details/gg2011-10-15
Something Blue – Always – May 24, 2025 The James Quintet
This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Bob Reynolds, The James Quintet, and Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at kasu.org.
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Hairy Larry Singing Twin Stars
From The Archives Of Something Blue – 2025-05-18
Hairy Larry and George
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”.
Something Blue Archives Featured Concert
Hairy Larry Live at Fine Arts Recital Hall on 2013-11-08 archive.org/details/hl2013-11-08
This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring luvtrst. and Jeff Parker. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at kasu.org.
DJ Hairy Larry Presents luvtrst. Playing Straight No Chaser-Bb Blues-Blue Monk
From The Archives Of Something Blue 2025-05-11
Cody Ballard
Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear the Bb Blues with heads from two jazz standards recorded live at Stage Too.
Stage Too is a new club in Jonesboro, Arkansas, featuring music every Friday night. They are located at Main and Monroe. When I heard they were having a jazz band I just had to go.
I heard that Cody Ballard and Addison Boling were playing. They were both friends of mine from the Jazz Department at ASU. Cody guested with several of my bands including The Swing Band Project and Bebop Beatniks. I recorded Addison on the Caprice album, an album of original jazz songs by ASU Students that remains popular on KASU today. And they both played with NJHB at my senior recital where I recorded the album, “Bop Soup”.
Also playing was Derek Doyle who I have recorded with Jazz Alliance at The Edge and with Grant Garland at KASU Bluesday Tuesday. Filling out the band was Matt Dixon on guitar, who I got to meet for the first time at the show. So, something old, something new, just like Something Blue.
The song I picked today is a tribute to Thelonius Monk, a Bb blues featuring the head parts or melodies from two of his most covered songs. luvtrst. plays the head in on “Straight No Chaser” and then after they jam for a while they close with the head from “Blue Monk”. Just remember you heard it first on KASU.
So now, recorded at Stage Too on May 2, 2025, here’s luvtrst. playing Straight No Chaser/Bb Blues/Blue Monk.
This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Animal Liberation Orchestra and Daniel Donato. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at kasu.org.
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Sky City Playing Rain Song
From The Archives of Something Blue May 4, 2024
Sky City
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.
I will leave many links at the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
I picked a beautiful tune, a live version of “Rain Song” debuted on their album “Quantico Traveler”, to play for you today. Nathan Crouch wrote it.
And here they are now, Sky City playing “Rain Song”.
Something Blue Archives Featured Concert
Sky City Live at City Water and Light Park on 2017-04-08 archive.org/details/sc2017-04-08
Hairy Larry and George plus guests
Live at Jazz Thursday, February 28, 2013
At TheArts@311 in Jonesboro, Arkansas
Three songs from Astral Weeks archive.org/details/hl2013-02-28
This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Jay Shepherd, Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, and Billy Cobham. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at kasu.org.
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Jay Shepherd Playing Maiden Voyage
From The Archives Of Something Blue – 2025-04-27
Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a Herbie Hancock song played at the Delta Jazz Workshop.
Jay Shepherd
On July 12, 2016, Jay Shepherd was playing in the Fine Arts Recital Hall as part of the ASU Jazz Department’s Delta Jazz Workshop. He put together a fine band and these recordings are some of my favorites.
We’re going to hear “Maiden Voyage”, played by Jay Shepherd, guitar; Tyler Worsham, keys; Terrell Montgomery, bass; and Keyven Dunn, drums. All of these musicians were students at ASU.
Maiden Voyage was released in 1966. The band was an all star lineup. Besides Herbie Hancock on keys the band included tenor saxophonist George Coleman, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams.
So now, here’s Jay Shepherd playing “Maiden Voyage”, recorded right here at ASU in the fine Arts Recital Hall.
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