Jazz duo's lost 'Escanaba Beat'

The song is called "Escanaba Beat." You probably never heard of it, much less heard it.

But, it's a standout track recorded by jazz great Edward "Sonny" Stitt in 1974. You may never have heard of him, either.

Just so you know, Stitt was a renown alto and tenor saxophonist, almost as influential as Charlie Parker. Recognized for his great improvisations, Stitt's prolific career included 10 albums in 1974 & 1975 alone, including one called "Tornado." It's there you'll find "Escanaba Beat," a slightly Latin flavored number, featuring some funky keyboards, clocking in at just under five minutes.

The track was actually written by electric keyboardist Eddie Russ, hailing from Pittsburgh, whose band The Mixed Bag, also appeared on the disc.

Gladstone resident Jim Rockwell, a top jazz deejay in Detroit for decades, remembers Stitt as an influential performer in numerous bands which played in the metropolitan area during the1950s and 60s. "He played with everybody," Rockwell recounted.

Rockwell should know. During his career all the jazz greats who came to Detroit while on tour stopped by Rockwell's radio program which broadcast from the top floor of the Sheridan Cadillac Hotel.

"First they came by as guests, then friends. We'd just talk and I'd play the songs they wanted to hear," Rockwell remembered. Among the jazz stars appearing on Rockwell's all-night radio program were Miram Makeba, Maynard Ferguson, Nina Simone, Wes Montgomery, Ramsey Lewis, Bill Evans, Al Hirt, Johnny Hodges, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, perhaps the 20th century's greatest musician-- in any genre.

In fact, Rockwell recalled Ellington, by himself, paying a visit to his penthouse studio to appear on the area's top-rated jazz program.

Rockwell retired from Detroit radio in 1968, and was surprised to learn of Stitt's recording of "Escanaba Beat," which came out six years later.

The song appeared on a long play record on the Jazz Masters label, based in Grand Rapids, and has not been reissued on compact disc.

So, it's not surprising you probably haven't heard it. With no compact disc version available, you'll have to hunt down an LP and pay about $25 to hear the tune named after our fair city.

Designed by Travis Erby, the LP's purple and blue cover features the artist's conception of a city skyline with a twister approaching.

The sessions were produced and directed by Bob Crawford, who also had an interest in the Jazz Masters label, still located at 1232 Drexel Court in Grand Rapids. The album was recorded at a local facility, Cinema Sound, while re-recording was done at DXM Studios in Farmington.

Besides "Escanaba Beat," the long player included the title song, also written by Russ; the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun;" "Natural High," "By My Side," and a groovin' rendition of "Spinning Wheel," a 1969 smash for Blood, Sweat and Tears just begging for a jazz treatment.

While it's apparent the aim of the recording was to expose younger jazz listeners to Stitt's sounds with contemporary pop tunes, there is some mystery involved, too.

How did "Escanaba Beat" come to be named? Producer Crawford told me: "Russ named the song because he once worked in Escanaba and was really fascinated by the city."

Did Stitt ever visit or perform here? Stitt was a musical road warrior for over three decades. Plus, he lived in Saginaw, merely 300 miles from here. Crawford, however, said to his knowledge Stitt never came to Escanaba.

Did they play "Escanaba Beat" in concert or was it strictly a studio creation? According to Crawford, the pair played the tune in concert many times.

Since Stitt died of a heart attack in 1982 and Russ passed away in 1996, further questions about the song might be difficult to answer.

Still, jazz fans, including former Detroit deejay Jim Rockwell, hold Stitt in high regard. So, why would only a handful of his more than 100 albums be available on compact disc?

As we ponder those questions, the "Escanaba Beat" goes on.

Bob Seger's 'delicious dilemma'

Bob Seger has a delicious dilemma. The veteran Michigan rocker has so many tasty hit songs that he can't perform them all in a two hour show. It's not even close.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer released his 20th album, "Face the Promise," in September, and yielded to fans who begged him to tour for the first time in 10 years.

There begins Seger's predicament. With so many hits, it was easy to put together a strong set list. On the other hand, many great songs couldn't be included in the 120 minute program.

Consequently, Seger trimmed his biggest single, "Shakedown," the theme song from Beverly Hills Cop 2. He cut "Shame on the Moon" and "Still the Same." There was no room for "Fire Lake," "Feel Like a Number" or "Like a Rock," either. Seger's song choices were sure to please some fans but disappoint others.

So what would he play? Well, I knew what I wanted to hear, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." My favorite Seger song had capped off an incredible string of hard rock singles including "East Side Story," "Persecution Smith," "Héavy Music," "Looking Back," and "Ivory," which, remarkably were only regional hits. Reaching number 17 on the Billboard singles chart, "Ramblin'" opened Seger's first LP and caught my attention along with many other fans and should have made the hard-working Ann Arbor native a superstar. But it didn't happen due to record company ineptitude.

Despite not succeeding with tons of memorable follow-up singles, Seger continued to record and tour. He deserves kudos for tenacity during those lean years. Seger recorded seven albums, only one of which, "Smokin' O.P.'s," has been issued on CD.

For years, I've heard stories from folks attending pre-fame Seger shows for a $2 admission. He even played concerts in the Upper Peninsula numerous times. But, I didn't go to any of those shows, thinking I'd catch him next time. Then Seger's 10th album,"Night Moves," struck in late 1976 and he no longer performed in northern Michigan.

When Seger announced his 2006 tour schedule, the time was right to see him in concert, at last. My wife Sue and I got tickets to the Nov. 16 concert at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, just the fifth show of the tour, at the cost of $60 a seat, 30 times the early 70s price.

Seger and his Silver Bullet Band performed their first concert since 1996 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Nov. 8. Not wanting a rude surprise in Milwaukee, I got a copy of the set list from the Michigan show. They played Sue's favorite Seger song, "Sunspot Baby," but, unfortunately, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" was not included.

Still, my anticipation was high as we took our seats at the Bradley. Just as the set list confirmed, Seger opened the show with "Roll Me Away," and "Tryin' To Live My Life Without You," before launching into "Wreck My Heart," the opening track from the new album. Then came "Mainstreet" and "Old Time Rock & Roll," the song an underwear-clad Tom Cruise so effectively ruined for me in the movie Risky Business. Next came the hard rockin' "Tomorrow" from "Greatest Hits 2," followed by two more new songs. Five additional classics came before intermission: "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight," "We've Got Tonite," "Turn The Page," "Travelin' Man" and "Beautiful Loser."

After a short break, the group was back on stage with another new track, "Simplicity." Then, to my astonishment, came the unforgettable opening notes of my favorite Seger song, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." Seger had dropped a new song and instead performed just this one record from his early years! There he was singing, "Cause I was born lonely, down by the riverside; learned to spin fortune wheels and throw dice." Chuck Berry's "C'est La Vie," "Wait For Me," and "Sightseeing" followed.

He finished the night with nothing but smashes: "Sunspot Baby," "Horizontal Bop," "Katmandu," "Night Moves," "Hollywood Nights," "Against the Wind," and "Rock & Roll Never Forgets."

Seger and his 13-member band, including three female back-up singers and the Motor City Horns, were wildly received by fans, playing a total of 25 songs.

Just one of the evening's highlights came on "Turn the Page." With saxophonist Alto Reed adding effective horn flourishes, Seger took to the piano for the classic tune, which he recalled he "wrote in a small town in Wisconsin in 1972."

Moving continuously across the stage during the evening, Seger showed plenty of energy, singing with unrestrained gusto, and drew cheers when he told fans he was 61. But, because the stage was "old school" there was no video screen. For folks who weren't seated near the front, like us, Seger was about half an inch tall.

The tour will continue into next year, so don't put off seeing one of rock's greatest talents, like I did. But, if you can't see the show, don't be surprised if Seger reviews his song list again in the next year or two for a concert album to put along side classics like "Live Bullet" and "Nine Tonight."

Popular music may have changed in the last decade, not necessarily for the better, but Seger still has his audience and thankfully we still have him.

Old records tell family stories

My Dad brought me a box of old records the other day. I see vintage recordings often, but this collection was different; it was a group of LPs and 45s from our house when I was growing up in the 1950s and 60s.

He pointed out a couple of 78s, too. Many people know 78s as the thick fragile discs played on Victrolas in the World War II era and the decades before.

Dad (you might know him as Don Seymour) told me he bought the recordings in Japan while on leave when he was serving near Seoul during the Korean War in 1950-51. Since I've got a turntable which can play at 78 rpm speed, I thought it would be interesting to give the old platters a spin.

The first disc, on the Victor label, contained the titles "Ginza Kankan Musume" and "Waga Yume, Waga Uta." My Dad recalled soldiers in his outfit singing the first song, which translates to "Ginza Cancan Girl." The song was a pop hit in 1949 and was included in a Japanese film of the period starring Hideko Takamine, who apparently performed the theme song, as well. Pressed on the Columbia label, the second disc included "China Night," which he said reminded him of a soundtrack to a movie depicting a Chinese scene; and a song translated into English as "Hill of Pure Heart."

Manufactured in Yokohama and Kawasaki, the discs credit the artists only in Japanese characters, making further identification difficult.

Dad chuckled upon recognizing songs he hadn't heard in half a century or more. Another record in the box, meanwhile, elicited outright laughter from my brothers and sisters.

You may recall David Seville and The Chipmunks who captured number one on the Billboard top singles chart in 1958 with both "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song." Born Ross Bagdaserian, Seville created and provided the voices of cartoon characters Alvin, Simon and Theodore, beloved by generations of children.

My siblings were shocked when I revealed to them the long-play record they remembered was actually by another group, The Grasshoppers. "You're kidding!" remarked my sister Karen Germain. Yes, it seems The Chipmunks were so phenomenally popular, eventually spawning a animated television series and 22 hits, that imitators appeared.

The Grasshoppers-- Dennis, Archie and Rickey-- were even so bold as to record their own version of "The Chipmunk Song," adding to the the cartoon character confusion among the young people of America. In fact, The Grasshoppers probably equalled or surpassed The Chipmunks in sales as their album, aimed at the budget conscious customer, was issued in dozens of versions over the years.

The edition in the Seymour family collection appeared on the Parade label and allowed kids to sing along with those musical bugs on such songs as "Big Rock Candy Mountain," "On Top of Old Smokey," and "Glow Worm." The novelty group added to the disarray, intentionally or not, by also including a cover of "Alvin's Harmonica," by the rival Chipmunks.

The Grasshoppers never had enough cache to get a TV series, but they were sharp dressers, especially for insects, wearing straw hats, red vests and green and black striped bow-ties on the record cover.

As The Chipmunks enjoyed their final hit with "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" in late 1962, the Seymour family's music interest switched to a piano player born in Denmark named Bent Fabricius-Bjerre. Actually this musician smartly dropped the last section in his name and became simply Bent Fabric. His signature composition was called "Alley Cat," for which he received a Grammy award in 1963 for best rock 'n' roll recording. In Danish, "Alley Cat," appearing on the Atco label, was known as "Around the Piano," a title record executives didn't think would entice the American record buying public.

Some folks moved nimbly to a dance invented just for the song and played it at weddings and dance parties. As children, we heard "Alley Cat," dozens of times as our parents learned to square dance while that catchy instrumental played on the hi-fi in the basement.

Mom and Dad belonged to a local square dance group, and danced to waltzes, polkas and western swing numbers by the likes of The Four Notes, Al Russ, and The Southernaires. Those 45s even came with lyric sheets so the tune could be "called" for the dancers.

The box of old records also contained an album of big band tunes with titles many older people recall fondly such as "Song of India," by Tommy Dorsey; "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Benny Goodman; and "I Can't Get Started," by Bunny Berigan. The two disc set also includes the original versions of "Begin the Beguine," by Artie Shaw; "In the Mood," by Glenn Miller;" and "Take the 'A' Train," by Duke Ellington. Also represented in the family collection were numerous LPs by Ray Conniff, which I remember buying at a local dime store to give to my parents as Christmas gifts. During the 1960s, Conniff produced an average three albums (two instrumental and one vocal) every year. He even mined gold in 1966 with a Top Ten take on "Somewhere My Love," also known as "Laura's Theme," from the classic movie Dr. Zhivago.

So, there you have it, a few family stories as told by a box of old records.

Dr. Demento spins camp songs

Nationally recognized radio personality Dr. Demento knows his novelty songs and has actively promoted hunting tunes by Da Yoopers and Bananas at Large to the delight of his many fans.

Demento, also known as Barry Hansen, isn't a hunter himself, but he's played "Second Week of Deer Camp" and "Da Turdy Point Buck" on his syndicated weekly radio program dozens of times.

Da Yoopers, based in Ishpeming, have been Upper Peninsula favorites for more than two decades, with "Second Week," written by Joe Potila and Jim DeCaire, probably their biggest hit. Demento said the song, clocking in at just under three minutes, "was a monster hit on our show in 1988, and still gets requests every hunting season. Same goes for 'Da Turdy Point Buck,' which we first aired in 1991," he added.

I asked Demento, owner of the world's largest collection of novelty and comedy recordings, why those two songs struck a chord with his listeners.

"Before 'Second Week' there'd never been a good funny song that celebrated deer hunting in the north woods. Since a lot of people are passionate about that, Da Yoopers had an instant audience.

"There had been hunting songs before that, but they were all southern, so with their colorful northern accent, Da Yoopers created something new and unique and had an instant jukebox hit clear across the northern tier, anywhere from Maine to Washington where deer hunters gathered to hoist a few.

"I've never hunted deer, but as a northerner, born and raised in Minneapolis, I was all too happy to hear a funny song that celebrated the culture of my part of the country."

"Da Turdy Point Buck," meanwhile, was recorded by Bananas at Large, a trio of "weirdos" (their word) from Amherst Junction, Wis., who tracked the successful footsteps of Da Yoopers.

Written by Mike Skurek, Gary Nilsen and Shane Totten, the song, appearing on Impact Media, consumes a radio-challenging five minutes and 12 seconds. The disc's cover sports a familiar fluorescent orange color and the drawing of an amazingly-antlered snorting buck, demolishing a firearm while a bullet whistles through his ears.

The good doctor had some insight into that deer season classic, as well.

Demento said the Bananas at Large recording "added a new wrinkle with its great storyline and its sly use of rap and reggae and became even more popular." Still, the Wisconsin group "didn't have quite the success making a career out of it that Da Yoopers did," Demento added.

Da Yoopers are immortalized on the Dr. Demento "25th Anniversary Collection," a compact disc set on Rhino Records. The opening track on the 34-cut album is "Smells Like Nirvana," a smash hit by "Weird Al" Yankovic, who's career Demento helped launch. He's played Yankovic's music on his radio program since 1976 when the Grammy winner was sending him homemade tapes while still in high school.

Demento is a classmate of well-known slide guitarist Ry Cooder, and in his early days served as a roadie for blues heavies Canned Heat as well as Spirit, who had a hit with "I Got a Line on You." He was later employed by Specialty Records and compiled 35 reissue albums for the label. In addition, he worked for Warner Brothers on their acclaimed "Loss Leaders" series of double-LP sampler albums during the early 70s.

A classical music graduate of Reed College in Portland, Ore., Demento has operated his weekly radio program for over 35 years. Now 65, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife Sue.

Continuing to record on the You Guys Records imprint, Da Yoopers are preparing their ninth album called "21st Century Yoopers in Space." Bananas at Large count three compact discs and a video release to their credit.

As deer hunting season approaches in Michigan, it may be time to give these two fall anthems another spin, just for laughs.

You know Dr. Demento will be doing just that.

Island Casino's blues acts shine

With major entertainment being offered twice a month in recent years, the Island Resort and Casino has often stressed country and oldies acts.

Yet, the Harris-based casino has also hosted a series of great blues performers, including the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jim Belushi and George Thorogood. My wife Sue and I were impressed by all four shows.

Today's Thunderbirds, featuring harmonica master Kim Wilson and firebrand lead guitarist Kid Ramos, kick started a national blues revival in the early 80s, and were the perfect act to launch the casino's foray into the genre.

Of course, if you're a blues fan you know Stevie Ray Vaughan's older brother Jimmie was the original lead guitarist in the T-Birds when they burst upon the scene more than two decades ago with four incredible albums.

By the time of the band's appearance locally, "Tuff Enuff," had scored hit status, but Vaughan had departed for a solo career. Demonstrating some muscular guitar power during a show on Nov. 25, 2000, Ramos ably showed why he was a fit replacement.

Along with veteran keyboardist Gene Taylor, the Texas-based band tore through its repertoire, including "My Babe," "The Things I Used To Do," and "Wrap It Up." Actually, the program was more jam than hit-driven with Wilson blowing some lung-challenging harp solos, to the delight of the crowd, while alternately showcasing his baritone-tinged vocals.

Another fine show was headlined by blues sensation Kenny Wayne Shepherd along with the influential Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughan's original rhythm section. Comprised of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton, Double Trouble had recently put out a disc, "Been a Long Time," featuring different guest singers on each cut.

Shepherd, born in Shreveport, was just ten days shy of his 24th birthday when he appeared on June 2, 2001. The young guitarist, sounding like a seasoned pro, played tracks from his "Ledbetter Heights" compact disc, including the memorable "Blue on Black," which had earned considerable radio play.

Pacing the stage, Shepherd drew roars of approval from the audience with his fiery technique.

You might think of Jim Belushi mainly as an actor, with credits ranging from television's "According to Jim," to numerous movie roles, but there's more to him than that. True, he has a likable personality and good sense of humor, but he can sing the blues, too.

He proved that on stage on March 23, 2002, during an appearance with the Sacred Hearts. Belushi, no slouch on harmonica, led the band through a raucous set including "29 Ways," "36-24-36," and "Born in Chicago," changing the Paul Butterfield Blues Band song's original 1941 reference to 1951.

A master at building rapport with the audience, Jim showed why his late brother John wasn't the only member of the Belushi family who could relate to the blues.

Delaware native George Thorogood, meanwhile, brought his FM hit-filled show to the casino on May 28, 2005. Thorogood has a audience-pleasing formula, and doesn't stray too far from riffs originating in the Chuck Berry songbook. Dressed in black, the 2005 Billboard magazine Blues Artist of the Year took the crowd through thirty years of blues-rock classics.

As you might expect, he did "Bad to the Bone," "Born to be Bad," and the John Lee Hooker song he made his own,"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer." You might not expect mature women to scream, but they did for Thorogood, bringing a sly smile to his face.

In just a few years, the casino hosted a series of outstanding blues performers that in the past you would have had to travel to see. Hopefully management will continue to book such acts as the casino readies its new 1,300-seat showroom.

Local audiences would surely love to see blues legends like B. B. King, Buddy Guy or Robert Cray. Wouldn't you?