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Richard Myknee Jones was from a musical family in New Orleans and played a variety of instruments before making the piano his main instrument. He played in Armand Piron’s Olympia Orchestra and led his own band called The Four Hot Hounds which included Sugar Johnny Smith and occasionally King Oliver. During World War One he played with Papa Celestin. He left New Orleans in 1919 and moved to Chicago where he set up the Chicago branch of Clarence Williams publishing company and music store. He played in bands in Chicago during the 1920s, but his main gig was as manager of Okeh records race records division. He led his own studio band called Richard M. Jones’ Jazz Wizards and accompanied a great number of singers and bands on piano. He continued to be active in music until his death both as a musician and talent scout. Jones is best remembered today as the composer of such Jazz standards as “Trouble In Mind” and “Riverside Blues”.

We have much to be thankful for this week, and I am thankful that the Mannish Boys are back to deliver another dose of righteous blues. Serving up an extra serving of delicious Delta-style blues, the latest incarnation of the Mannish Boys dish out the perfect way to start our holiday week off with some “Mary Jane”. Their old-time blues sound keeps those little-known gems alive for a new generation of music lovers.  Reprising their all-star roles in the band are Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones, Kirk Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser, and Randy Chortkoff, joined here by an entirely new and outstanding rhythm section comprised of Willie J. Campbell on bass (The James Harman Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Jimi Bott on drums (Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Woodbrain). With music this good, it’s no wonder we keep coming back to them time and time again.

The Mannish Boys
“Mary Jane (feat. Bobby Jones)” (mp3)
from “3rd Annual Delta Groove All-Star Blues Revue – Live At Ground Zero, Vol. 2″
(DELTA GROOVE PRODUCTIONS)

More On This Album

The Mannish Boys are no strangers to the stash, we have had them as our musical guests not once, but twice before. The group is actually an ever-evolving group of world class musicians from independent record label, Delta Groove that was originally brought into existence for the sole purpose of releasing the music of the Mannish Boys. The company has grown to include a full roster of talented blues musicians with a growing catalog of well-received releases. As the record label grew, so did the group who has borrowed many of the amazing blues musicians that have found them selves first at the record label, and then featured on the latest Mannish Boys CD.  Today’s toker tune, “California Blues” comes from their 2007 album, “Big Plans” and features Chicago singer Bobby Jones wailing through an original shuffle by bassist Tom Leavey. Founding member Randy Chortkoff adds some Jimmy Reed-ish, high register harp in this moody reworking of Howlin’ Wolf’s Memphis recording of the song.  The result is a slow-drag blues version that also features guitarist Kirk Fletcher on lead and Mitch Kasmar on harp. I thought that a blues song to ease the sting of last weeks election, and one called “California Blues” might be just the thing to get us through the first Monday after the election.

The Mannish Boys
“California Blues” (mp3)
from “Big Plans”
(DELTA GROOVE PRODUCTIONS)

More On This Album

Today I have brought you yet another local Wisconsin music act, Brok’n Arrow a Blues/Rock/Jamband, has been together since 1995. The trio from barely known Forest Junction, WI, consists of Jeffery and Jeremiah Smith and Cory Dedering. The song is “Hangin’ with the Viper’s”, here’s Jeffery Smith’s story behind this fantastic toker tune:

“For those who know music history they’ll know what we’re singing about. Back in the 1920′s players of color couldn’t even stay in the club on break, so they had to go in the alley between sets and smoke down as fast as they could, the sound was dubbed by the white patrons as sounding like a ‘nest of Vipers’. Hence the song, it’s taken from a player’s point of view and wanting to get out back and not hung up talking to a woman. That’s the low down on “Hangin’ with the Vipers.”

If you’d like to see Brok’n Arrow Live they’ll be playing the Grateful Garcia Gathering on July 29th in Black River Falls, WI or catch them at The Festival of Family Kaplan’s Farm, Millerton, NY on Aug 7th.

Brok’n Arrow can also be found on Facebook and myspace.

Download audio file (Brok’n Arrow – Hangin’ with the Vipers.mp3)

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We have enjoyed the music from the Mannish Boys before on the stash, back in July of 2008. They are back with a new album, that delivers all of the Delta Blues with the precision and soul only well-seasoned musicians could pull off.  The group is really an ever-evolving unit of world class musicians. Founding Member, Randy Chortkoff’s vision was to bring musical greats in the genre who have their own history of blues music and perform lesser-known gems from the blues vaults all while drawing attention to the music from decades past, creating a new generation of blues lovers and hopefully producing some royalty revenue for the estates of their blues forefathers. The result has been a five year project and some recordings that will stand among the legends it is honoring. The new album, “Shake for Me” is full of music from our past that sounds familiar, yet new with todays production values. Today’s tune is a blues standard that was a hit for Muddy Waters when it came out in 1981, on his “King Bee” album recorded when Muddy Waters was 65. Coincidentally, the Mannish Boys band name comes from the title of a standard blues song first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1955.

The Mannish Boys
“Champagne & Reefer” (mp3)
from “Shake for Me”
(DELTA GROOVE PRODUCTIONS)

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More On This Album

Just another note, one of the musicians listed on the track is Mike Zito who has graced the stash before with this amazing rendition of “Little Red Corvette”

Today’s Toker-Friendly Tune comes from our friends at MarijunaMusic.net.   The SOME x 6 Band was officially born during the summer of 2002 at Nat Bailey Stadium, Vancouver BC. Brad Curtis, Murray Mclaughlan, and Sandy Stewart, had just finished playing a Senior Men’s Baseball game at the historic Nat Bailey Stadium on a hot July afternoon, and were sitting back talking after the game. They soon realized they all shared a passion for playing music. Thus began the journey that today we call The SOME x 6 Band. Since it’s creation, founding members Brad Curtis and Murray McLaughlan, have played with a variety of excellent musicians, each helping shape the sound we now know as The SOME x 6 Band.

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Download audio file (SomeX6Band%20-%20420%20Stomp.mp3)

A few weeks ago, one of our music editors, Eric from Rockin’ Fridays, introduced us to Rick Harris. Today, we get to talk with Mr. Harris and let him tell the story of how he came to write “Legal Medicine Blues” in honor of the namesake of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act in Wisconsin. Thanks Eric for bringing us Bluesman Rick Harris.

Today, Rick blesses us with another one of his songs, the hauntingly beautiful “Empty Pocket”.

Tomorrow, Tuesday the 23rd, is a statewide day of prayer for compassion, with the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act in mind.

Download Link:

Today I have a very special toker tune! Legal Medicine Blues was written in honor of the namesake of the Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, It was composed by Rick Harris back in 2001 and it quickly became the anthem for WI MMJ supporters. Today I have a very special guest to help me introduce the song, who better to tell you everything about this great tune than the songwriter himself, I give you Mr. Rick Harris!

Quote from IMMLY.org website:

In his own words: Rick writes how he came to write “Legal Medicine Blues”:

“A while back a mutual old friend of Mark Shanahan and myself asked us to play a benefit gig for a friend of his. She, “Jacki” was a fellow member of a local group trying to promote the legalization of marijuana for medical use. Now I have to admit that this really wasn’t MY issue, but we gladly said yes to the gig. Before we started I was introduced to Jacki and she was then seated directly in front of me. While we were playing I would make eye contact with her and she seemed to really be enjoying the music. All through the night I watched her. I suspected she was having a tough time physically, but she had such warmth and radiated a certain kind of strength. She really made a strong impression on me. A couple days later I was thinking about the benefit and about her and the whole legalization issue. I grabbed my guitar and wrote the lyrics in about one-half hour. I put it aside for a couple of days to get a little distance from it, then tightened up the lyrics and worked out a simple straight forward arrangement. My partner Mark Shanahan added some tasty guitar touches and we recorded it.”

You can find a free download of Legal Medicine Blues at: http://www.immly.org/legal_medicine_blues.htm Also coming soon to iTunes!

Download audio file (LegalMed1.mp3)

Daily Toker Tunes and live chat available every even hour (Pacific) from 8am-10pm.

Our new format at NORML SHOW LIVE runs from 8am-10pm Pacific Time, with Daily Toker Tunes playing for an hour between the replays of the most recent show.  So many people have asked the names of the songs played that I’m posting the list here every day for your reference.

If you’d like to get your band or favorite tune played in the Daily Toker Tunes rotation, just send me an email to stash@norml.org with the subject Toker Tunes and I’ll forward it to our volunteer music editors for review.  Remember your tune needn’t necessarily be about cannabis – we also love tunes about freedom, justice, civil rights, and more.

Download audio file (norml-show-live-1.mp3)

Hemp Headlines

1. 8th Circuit Court rules industrial hemp is still marijuana
2. Pennsylvania lawmaker supports ending “drug-free school zones”
3. Colorado judge rules that patients have a right to purchase marijuana.

Daily Toker Tunes

Brought to you by Planet Fantastic and Bella Blue Tie Dye

• Roots Monday – Tom Morse – “Pipe Whipped”

Government at Work

• Ken Wolski from Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey on passing a bill within Gov. Corzine’s last week in office.