the rix mix

Great musicians are dying all the time. Usually they're old. The Rix Mix could easily be a music obituary blog. So could a lot of other blogs. We resist. Should I write about Mauricio Kagel? No. I know hardly anything about him. Richard Wright? He'll get as many words as Pink Floyd sold records. Great musicians are born all the time, too. Then there's Earl Palmer, 84, premier New Orleans session drummer in the 50's at Cosimo Matassa's studio. Little Richard, Fats Domino, Lloyd Price. Moved to Hollywood, more work there, played on so many great records & movie soundtracks he couldn't recall them. Didn't try. Sinatra, Righteous Brothers, Jan & Dean, Beach Boys, Ike & Tina, Ricky Nelson, Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, The Monkees, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello. The trifecta of classic Warner Brothers private eye TV show soundtracks: 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Bourbon Street Beat. Played on plenty of bad records. Local 47 of the American Federation of Musicians. Look up drummer Hal Blaine you get pages of discography, gold records. Hal needs to tell us he's a legend. We know, we know. Earl gigged & went home. Maybe something to do with coming from New Orleans. Something to go home to, like a good supper. Nothing to prove. Working regular is proof. Earl, I hope your heaven is everything you loved about The Big Easy.

Labels: music, obituary