I was again fortunate this week to have another wonderful, talented and articulate guest, Les Kerr. And, it was so easy to prep for this show. Musicians can take a lesson from the efficiency of his press materials...concise, to the point and included all the essential info.
No opening theme today. The CD got off kilter in the player and wouldn't work. Technical glitch of the day. Not what I wanted when I had a guest in the studio so that threw me off a bit mentally.
Once again, it sounded like mic #1 was checking out. I couldn't hear myself in the headphones and Les said he couldn't hear me in the monitors. So a few words in I decided to bring up mic #2 which was over on Les' side and hoped it would pick me up until I had a chance to switch. But playing back the show, everything came out fine. So go figure!
I began with a few shout-outs to some of my fellow DJs:
- Bobby Bob, host of Bobby Bob's Rock and Roll Revolution on Saturdays at noon, for a heartfelt and emotional Memorial Day tribute on his show yesterday.
- Congrats to the Haggard and King Radio Hour which celebrated its 1st anniversary on the air this past Tuesday. Steve and Kimberly play some great music, pass on some facts and knowledge, have a real fun chemistry, they crack me up...and they're two of the dearest people I know as well. Tune in Tuesday from 4-5 p.m.
- I attended a reading and book signing yesterday by River Jordan, who is on a short leave from her show on Saturday afternoon supporting her new novel, "Saints In Limbo", which was a Random House pick of the month. Great to see her again and very happy for her success!
Segment 1: Picking Through the Record Box
For the "picking through the record box set" I asked Les to tell me some of his favorite oldies and I actually had a couple of those, believe it or not! I threw in a few New Orleans related songs and artists here, too.
Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel
Arlo Guthrie – City Of New Orleans
Ernie K-Doe – Mother In Law
Frankie Ford - Sea Cruise
Fats Domino – I'm Walkin'
Guest segment: Les Kerr
I came to hear of Les Kerr actually through the station. River Jordan had him on as a guest and I got a MySpace note from him the same day telling me that he listened to my show. I really appreciated that and all his support ever since. Les describes his music as "Hillbilly Blues Caribbean Rock & Roll." He is a cheerleader for all things New Orleans as a singer and songwriter and is also a prolific writer of blog entries and other things.
Born in Shreveport, LA but raised in Mississippi, Les has loved New Orleans, its music, its food and its culture all his life. He is also quite knowledgeable about its rich musical heritage. Les is just back from a trip from New Orleans. You can read about that and see pictures at his MySpace page.
In addition to being a musician, Les is also an accomplished writer. He is a freelance journalist and most recently contributed to the book Tennessee with photos by George Humphries. He's also a co-author of the All-American Truck Stop Cookbook. Keeping it in the family, many people may also be familiar with his wife, Gail Kerr, columnist for the Tennessean.
Tracks:
Retro (a wonderful song not yet recorded about many of the things folks our age loved about growing up with music...especially buying vinyl records and 45's. When I heard him do this song at the recent Pegram Park Writers Night, I begged him to do it on the show. It was the perfect fit I imagined it to be.)
Pray for New Orleans (done live, written years before Hurricane Katrina hit)
Smile Upon Your Soul
The Camellia Grill (last two from his CD New Orleans Set)
Links:
www.leskerr.com
www.myspace.com/leskerrmusic
Upcoming gigs:
May 28 2009 6:00P
Bluebird Cafe with Nashville ECLECTIC Service, Nashville, Tennessee
May 31 2009 8:00P
Les hosts Bluebird Cafe Sunday Songwriter Showcase, Nashville
Jun 20 2009 3:00P
Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival, Nashville, Tennessee
Jul 17 2009 7:00P
Red Caboose Park Concert Series, Nashville
Frequency To The Heart:
Setbacks will come in our lives. Things will happen to us that will seem puzzling or unfair. Jobs or people will leave us. Sometimes that means that where we were when those bumps in the road came may not have been the ideal places or situations for us at the time. But those are the times to hold fast to who we are and what our gifts are. Think about those you know of who may have been in similar situations, picked up the pieces and moved on...and landed on their feet. It may seem dark now...but morning will come.
Closer – Soul Serenade – King Curtis
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