Tremendous fun and a lot of learning tonight in the School of Jazz! Author Robert Lawson has a jazz collection to die for and we got a small taste of it tonight. The panel for Saturday Jazz consisted of four experts and one newbie:
Robert Lawson (serious author and hardcore jazz collector)
As the talk veered from Miles Davis to Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and more, my wishlist grew and grew and grew. Stay tuned to the end to see some of Robert’s most enviable box sets.
As we often do, we started the show with some unboxings. Check it all out below! See you next week.
Upcoming schedule:
Friday March 11 – The 10 Year Anniversary Show – Record Store Tales and mikeladano.com (with Harrison and Tim Durling)
Friday March 25 – 2 Years of the LeBrain Train (with Tee Bone and Robert Daniels)
Friday April 1 – The Prank Show (With Chris Thuss and Michael Morwood)
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike & Friends
Episode 100 – Saturday Jazz
When a guy with the musical intelligence and credentials of author Robert Lawson asks if he can participate in your Saturday jazz show, you say yes!
Much like Donnie in The Big Lebowski, I’m out of my element here. A casual jazz fan like me cannot compete with the knowledge of the guests this week. It’s a Cinco de Listo Top Five Jazz records and the panel consists of:
2021: the year of the hamster wheel. It sure felt like we were spinning our tires all year! Sometimes inching a little forward in the mud, only to slide right back. What a year. But we did get some great music out of it.
Here at LeBrain HQ, if you go strictly by the numbers, there were two bands that dominated the year, both oldies acts from the 1980s: Coney Hatch and Iron Maiden! They (or members thereof) appear numerous times in the lists you’re about to read. Not so “oldies” after all eh? Five appearances for Iron Maiden, and a whopping seven for Coney and its members!
Even I was surprised by the lists this year! All my favourite things, and the stats of 2021, are curated below.
Not even disconnections and bad internet can keep a good man down. Robert Lawson — author of great listener’s guides on Cheap Trick, Nazareth and The Guess Who — persevered and eventually defeated the internet demons plaguing the start of Friday’s show. Hang in there folks — it starts rough but gets better!
This free-flowing chat covers numerous topics:
The Guess Who and Burton Cummings
Nazareth and “the kids”
Cheap Trick encounters
Band management
Rarities
Aerosmith’s Done With Mirrors
Martin Popoff
Sean Kelly
Gene & Paul
5150
King Kong
When it comes to Cheap Trick, Robert gets raw and tells it from the heart. You’ll have to see for yourself but we appreciate Robert’s candor and willingness to relive some emotional moments in his rock and roll life.
Thank you Deke for introducing me to Robert, and thank you Robert for being patient and generous with your time tonight!
REMINDER – The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and Meat
Saturday – Episode 72 – Jacob Moon
“Jacob is an incredible Canadian talent.” — Andy Curran
If you only know Jacob Moon from his jaw-dropping Rush cover of “Subdivisions”, then you are in for a treat. That viral video catapulted him to Youtube fame, but he is about so much more than just covers. With nine albums to his name (so far), Jacob has been around. When guys like Andy Curran sing his praises, you know he’s seriously good at what he does. He has also won the admiration of Rush, Marillion, and many more. What’s it feel like performing a Rush song in front of Rush? Let’s find out from Jacob himself!
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and Deke
Friday – Episode 71 – Robert Lawson
Robert Lawson is the author of some excellent listener’s guides: Still Competition (Cheap Trick), Wheatfield Empire (The Guess Who), and Razama-Snaz! (Nazareth). Join Deke and I as we quiz the writer on these books, the experience of writing them, and rock fandom in general. This show is guaranteed to be a fun hang. Make sure you catch it live — have your questions locked and loaded for Robert!
The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and Meat
Saturday – Episode 72 – Jacob Moon
“Jacob is an incredible Canadian talent.” — Andy Curran
If you only know Jacob Moon from his jaw-dropping Rush cover of “Subdivisions”, then you are in for a treat. That viral video catapulted him to Youtube fame, but he is about so much more than just covers. With nine albums to his name (so far), Jacob has been around. When guys like Andy Curran sing his praises, you know he’s seriously good at what he does. He has also won the admiration of Rush, Marillion, and many more. What’s it feel like performing a Rush song in front of Rush? Let’s find out from Jacob himself!
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mikeladano.com 