Interesting -- that era had some interesting pranks played -- Buck Henry was involved in a political spoof about a prudish group of activists who were insisting that animals be clothed which fooled even Walter Cronkite on the Evening News -- and Jay Ward had a sillier cross-country trip demanding statehood for the fictional Moosylvania which took him from West Hollywood all the way to the White House -- well, the fence outside anyway.
Seems so Steve Allen. A similar, but less high minded story is art by "Sarah Jenkins" --who turns out to be a white male artist. And it seems that the intent was to get sales and entry that a genuine ethnic artist would get (yeah of course there's irony in needing to fake being Black to get entrance). And additionally it's really cool artwork that, to me, seems a genuine celebration of Black culture. And yeah I'm posting a tune in the hope of having it heard, which is also problematic. If that bothers skip to the Art Story link...
This sounds like it is SO Steve Allen. I certainly remember my parents watching him on TV when I was a kid. I would now watch anything I could find of his
I hope your piece will inspire someone to reissue the album.
It's for sale on vinyl on Amazon for $45.
Who could forget Steve Allen diving into a swimming pool of Jello?
Steve Allen was a genius.
Excellent story! Someone with this album has got to just upload it to YouTube at the very least.
Is that a David Stone Martin illustration on the "Buck Hammer" record jacket?
I suspect it’s an imitation of his work.
Buck Hammer [piano hammers?]; Marry Ann Jackson [Mary Lou Williams?]; what could possibly be "Prismatic" about "Fidelity?"
Interesting -- that era had some interesting pranks played -- Buck Henry was involved in a political spoof about a prudish group of activists who were insisting that animals be clothed which fooled even Walter Cronkite on the Evening News -- and Jay Ward had a sillier cross-country trip demanding statehood for the fictional Moosylvania which took him from West Hollywood all the way to the White House -- well, the fence outside anyway.
Steve Allen is a National Treasure!! He needs to be “Rediscovered.”
This could be the start of something big...
Haha… 60 years or so before John Lurie’s Marvin Pontiac… which I love.
Steve Allen, my idol, the renaissance man of the 20th century...inventing a jazz musician out of whole cloth. How stunning!
Seems so Steve Allen. A similar, but less high minded story is art by "Sarah Jenkins" --who turns out to be a white male artist. And it seems that the intent was to get sales and entry that a genuine ethnic artist would get (yeah of course there's irony in needing to fake being Black to get entrance). And additionally it's really cool artwork that, to me, seems a genuine celebration of Black culture. And yeah I'm posting a tune in the hope of having it heard, which is also problematic. If that bothers skip to the Art Story link...
Music: https://jeffroberts.bandcamp.com/track/quiet-sunday
Art Back Story and Other Pieces: http://chefjuke.com/blog/?p=296
An early version of “Hammer Time”!
John Fahey and Joe Bussard did something similar, IIRC
He doesn't play any of the music, but Steve Allen does show and briefly discuss the album here: https://youtu.be/MP5U-__Hj3A?t=2027
This sounds like it is SO Steve Allen. I certainly remember my parents watching him on TV when I was a kid. I would now watch anything I could find of his