Who's Gonna' Fill Their Shoes?

It seems like we are losing a generation of musicians too soon.

J J Cale, who passed away on Friday, is the latest. If you don’t know the musician, you probably know the music. He wrote “Cocaine” and “After Midnight” recorded by Eric Clapton. The Oklahoma native gave us the ‘Tulsa sound.’

Taylor Hicks tweeted on Saturday:

“RIP JJ Cale He was the quintessential #americana #roots-musician”

Cale’s “They Call Me The Breeze” made a hit by Lynyrd Skynyrd, has long been covered by Taylor.

We also lost country music pioneer and legend, George Jones, earlier this year. The musical competition, The Voice, was in its live competition shows. A duo from Oklahoma,  the Swan Brothers, paid tribute to Jones singing one of his songs posing the stirring question, “Who’s Gonna’ Fill Their Shoes?”

It was also a challenge for those new artists competing. It started a personal dialogue for me. I wondered beyond country music and asked myself who’s going to fill the shoes of artists like The Beatles, Elvis, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and now, musician/songwriters…

like J J Cale.

Will our plentiful singing competitions and hit producers of today give us singers and music that will take the place of those who molded our musical roots and genres—the unforgettable music that still plays today and will for a long time after we say goodbye to these great musicians?

What makes music and artists unforgettable? It is music and artists that we never tire of hearing, music that is never eclipsed by something on the Top 40—here today, forgotten tomorrow.

It’s music and performances that connect with people. That is the elusive link that the best musicians create—a strong connection and music so good that no other artist is associated with it.

I attended a small graduation this spring. At the socializing afterwards, a small band—just five guys who got together to play music—entertained with “House of the Rising Sun,” “Margarettaville” and then “Let It Be”—all songs that have stood the test of time. I was singing along and lost in the moment. Seldom are covers better than the original. I can’t even recall a cover of “Let It Be.”

That is the unforgettable—the purist example of the best.

And those shoes will be difficult to fill.

What new song today will be here after we are gone? What new artist will be remembered as a “quintessential” of music when they die?

And,  just as importantly, what artists today will carry on the legacy of this great generation of musicians? 

Truly, only time will tell.  Singer/songwriters who live for their music and connect with their audiences will have the lasting impact on the next generation of music.

There will be some who fill those shoes. That is the bright side of this.

~~~
Taylor Hicks covers “They Call Me the Breeze:”


Eric Clapton, J. J. Cale “After Midnight” and “They Call Me the Breeze:”


For more about J J Cale, visit: http://jjcale.com/top.html
~~~
Note: “Quintessential” is from the Latin meaning “fifth essence,” the purist example; in Medieval philosophy it suggested that after Earth, air, fire, and water, this was the Fifth Element.

I wondered, “After Earth, air, fire, and water, might MUSIC be the Fifth Element?”

Just a thought…

TTHC interviews "The Distance" producer, Simon Climie

In 2008, Alabama soul met UK pop in the French countryside.

Alabama native, Taylor Hicks traveled to France that year to collaborate with renowned London musician and producer, Simon Climie, for Taylor’s first release, “The Distance,” on his own label, Modern Whomp Records.

Simon was kind enough to give an extensive interview to TTHC and talked about Taylor Hicks, music, and success.

“…The first thing that struck me was his passion for Music...and in particular “Song Sense” where he really has vision , and the ability to recognize what’s special about certain songs and how to bring that through...”

The British songwriter and producer is the former lead singer of the 1980s UK pop duo, Climie Fisher. With his partner, Rob Fisher, they had top five charting records, that Simon describes like a “Hall and Oates type of thing—two guys making good music.”

“I started as Songwriter ...without a huge ambition to be a “Rock Star” - And when I met Rob Fisher at Abbey road - … We wanted to write songs and both loved experimenting in the studios....It was fun having a band... like there was a force there that was definitely bigger than the both of us....”

Simon released his own solo album, Soul Inspiration, in 1992 for Sony’s Columbia label. He branched out into a role in the production side of the business, producing and writing songs for a number of 1990s pop artists. He is best known for his work as a collaborator with Eric Clapton on albums such as Pilgrim, Reptile and Riding with the King.

“His most recent work with Clapton is on Clapton and J.J. Cale's album The Road to Escondido, which was released in 2006. Apart from Clapton, he also worked with former Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald on his Motown albums. He produced the 2009 album by the American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, The Distance.” (wikipedia)

Also a prolific songwriter, Simon co-wrote The Distance tracks, “What’s Right is Right,” “New Found Freedom,” and “Once Upon a Lover.

In the music production business, Simon is recognized for a “common thread of quality” from his work with Eric Clapton to his own Climie Fisher Group.

Read much more from Simon—his take on the legendary artists with whom he has worked, how he put Taylor to the test, and his own defining piece of work.

Simon Climie's Interview on our message board, Connections:

http://taylorconnections.com/topic/3245790/1/

Listen to Simon Climie’s songs:
http://www.simonclimiesongs.com/


Blog Sources:
Simon Climie’s Interview with The Taylor Hicks Community

http://www.sonnoxplugins.com/pub/plugins/User-SimonClimie.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Climie

Photos: One of Simon Climie's studios in the U.S.; Simon (right) and Rob Fisher; Simon's loft studio.

Taylor Hicks ~~ Showdown at High Noon!

Taylor Hicks always brings it!

From a cold Florida last week to a colder Wisconsin next week, he would do well to bring the heavy velvet jacket and add a cashmere scarf!

What we know he will bring is extraordinary talent to the acoustic stage at High Noon Saloon.

In late 2007, Taylor promised a string of acoustic concerts. Historically, the acoustic stage featured music raw and bare—just the singer and his music without wires and little or no backup. Performers like Elvis, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Jon Bon Jovi and many others presented new versions of their hits without trappings or large production elements. It was the backlash to the big metallic techo sounds of the 1980s that had become band staples.

The concept was brought front and center when MTV launched “Unplugged” performances by rock singers, primarily known for playing electric amplified instruments . Fans wanted to see if rock entertainers could stand up to a stripped away version of their hits. The first ones to perform on the series were Jethro Tull, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Samborie.

Eric Clapton recorded an Unplugged performance in 1992 that was both widely praised and criticized for heavily reworking many of his famous songs so they would work in an acoustic context, some to the point of almost unrecognizability. Clapton's Unplugged album went on to become the bestselling unplugged album in the U.S., with sales of 10 million. He won a grammy for Song of the Year with “Tears in Heaven” from this album.

MTV Unplugged website describes the re-emergence of the concept with today’s most successful stars who are, “…taking the stage and peeling away the trappings of their music to reveal the essence at its core. From established heavy-hitters like Korn to rising stars like R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and the sexy, soulful Joss Stone, Unplugged remains the hallmark of intimate, exclusive concert performances that can't be seen anywhere else.”

We had a glimpse of Taylor on the acoustic stage during his 2007 Solo Tour when he would occassionally sit on a stool with only a guitar and sing an encore, such as “My Home’s in Alabama,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “Louisiana.”

The “acoustic” Taylor music should not be confused with sleepy, slow tunes. Taylor is as intense in this kind of show as when he is moving all other the stage with a full band all plugged in for a show like WorkPlay. He has two or three other musicians for backup, and he really does sit on a stool. It is the “intimate, exclusive concert performances that can’t be seen anywhere else.”

At a time when music industry bloggers are saying the biggest stars are doing “autotuned” concerts—lip syncing on stage with perfect tracks of their music going out to fans who think they are seeing their stars real on stage—it is transparently true that Taylor Hicks is real in concert and doesn’t need any “fixing.” It is real music with its flaws, but rich with heart and soul.

Taylor Hicks brings real music, and that is enough.

He brings it to The High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI, Friday, December 11, at 8:00 p.m.

For more information visit: http://www.taylorhicks.com/

We’re bringing the PalTalk chatcert team to share the music showdown! Join New Found Freedom, Season of the Soul, The Official Soul Patrol and The Taylor Hicks Community for Taylor at The High Noon Saloon. Visit these boards for more information on how you can enjoy the acoustic concert from Madison on your computer. It’s the new wave of cellcerts! Don’t miss Taylor at The High Noon, wherever you are!

Sources: http://www.mtvunplugged.com/ Portions of this blog were written for and first published in Taylorsezine, The Soul Connection.

Photo courtesty of Gypsee from the acoustic concert at The Magic Bag in Detroit, MI.