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(Sparks in their earlier incarnation as Halfnelson - further evidence the name is everything)

Sparks became something of a West Coast institution in the early 1970s. Led by the inimitable Mael Brothers (Ron and Russell), they were first introduced to the record buying public in 1971 as Halfnelson via their first album which was a set of reworked demos whipped into shape by Todd Rundgren. The album barely made a dent, in fact it made so negligible a dent, Bearsville, the label which released it, re-released it with Halfnelson now known as Sparks - to considerably better results. Which just goes to show you that there really is something to be had in a name.

Sparks have grown and changed over the years, but have always maintained their idiosyncratic style set by Ron and Russell.

And in case you've either forgotten what they sounded like in the dim-distant past or have never heard them when they started out, here is a track off that first self-titled album, No More Mr. Nice Guys.

Still classic. Honest.

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(photo credit: Alex Tekeshi)
(Crooked Cowboy and The Freshwater Indians - quickly becoming one of L.A.'s favorite bands)

A few weeks ago I ran a new track from Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians on my Nights At The Roundtable post. I got a lot of positive response from readers and requests for more. A few days later I got a note from Bron Tieman (Crooked Cowboy himself) alerting me to the fact that there was a live recording of a recent gig around and maybe I should check it out. The thing about Crooked Cowboy is they are constantly evolving and heading into new areas. Bron indicated to me that one of the big things he's working on is a live presentation with over 70 musicians - taking the Crooked Cowboy concept to new places. It's been a slow process, but it's one that has built up a loyal and growing following in Los Angeles (and the West Coast for that matter) over the past few years.

So for those of you not familiar, or not on the West Coast and were wanting a taste more, here is Crooked Cowboy and The Freshwater Indians live from (I think) The Echoplex here in L.A. in March this past year.

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(The Peanut Butter Conspiracy - naming your band after a food product had certain disadvantages)

Despite the name and despite the hype, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy were actually a good band with a lot of talent. I saw them several times during the period 1967-1969 and they held their own with some pretty stiff competition. But they were straddled with that name, and as history has proven, bands with food-group names (Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Ultimate Spinach, Vanilla Fudge, etc.) generally fell out of favor rather quickly or were pegged as "novelty bands" and not taken seriously - which was too bad.

They did however, have tons of promise when they first came out, and the gimmick worked (bumper stickers and posters plastered all over Hollywood proclaiming "the Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading" created an impression) and their first album sold quite well, with their initial single "It's A Happening Thing" in the top 40. It was their second single, the one I'm featuring today, Why Did I Get So High that got them in trouble. I remember hearing it once over KBLA (a sort of renegade top 40 station in Burbank) with the disclaimer "let's put the boss on a bummer with a record only the Burner dare play!" (the Burner being DJ Dave Diamond). And yep, it was banned right after that.

(You know you're in trouble when your Publicist has to send around notes assuring people you're not dangerous)

They couldn't seem to shake the dope-soaked characterization and the Food Group Name and their subsequent singles got very little airplay. After switching to another label and failing to score there, by 1970 the band had broken up.

Despite all that, they have gone on to achieve cult status and a reevaluation of their merits as a legitimate band. Luckily, fans are forgiving.

Moral of the story: Be careful what you name your band - it may be stuck with you for the rest of your life.

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(Gerald Wilson - at 91, no stopping in sight)

I was thinking today about what a great Jazz scene there was on the West Coast in the 1940s, 50s and early 60s. Certainly in Los Angeles and the famous Central Avenue scene. There have been some books written and a few compilations that introduce an audience to this rich vein of musical history, but so far nothing that really dives in and explores the extraordinary talent that showed up and gigged around L.A. during those days.

One of those extraordinary greats was/is Gerald Wilson. Still going strong at 91 (last I heard he was music Director for the Monterey Jazz Festival), Wilson has hosted a veritable who's who of Jazz greats over the years.

This track, Mambo Mexicano, comes from a series of sessions he did in 1954 with his band that included Clark Terry, Paul Gonsalves and Teddy Edwards. This pre-dates his long association with Pacific Jazz, and is an indication of which direction he was headed.

Things were definitely happening on the West Coast.

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(Jean Shepherd - Occupation: Cheerful Chaos Merchant)

Living on the West Coast, I didn't have the opportunity of experiencing Jean Shepherd as so many in New York did. I got it by way of rumor, his album on Elektra and his syndicated radio show that periodically ran on KPFK. I heard he was good friends with a lot of the Beat Generation poets, and growing up with a well-thumbed copy of "A Coney Island Of The Mind" in my high school notebook, anyone who was anywhere near that scene had to be a hero of mine.

Years later, I ran across a collection of tapes which featured his live shows and a bunch of his studio shows from the early 60's, which this is one.

Shepherd is pretty much known today as the guy who wrote "A Christmas Story". And even though it's achieved a kind of "classic Americana" status - it doesn't really explain who Shepherd was and why he was so loved by everyone who heard him. His was a skewed vision of the world, often darkly humorous and completely iconoclastic.

To a 16 year old mind, he was just what the doctor ordered.

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(Powder in 1968 - file under: Could've been, Might've Been, Should've Been)

A power trio from San Jose in 1968 whose sound bore a strong resemblance to The Who from their "Happy Jack" period.

Not a bad idea, but maybe the timing just wasn't right and the enthusiasm was going off in other directions. In 1968 power trios were on the wane (Blue Cheer being one who, despite a great debut, never quite caught on outside the West Coast - the notion that "being louder than god had it's drawbacks").

And as was the case with so much music at the time, the powers that were just didn't know what to make of them. So there was a lot of polite head scratching and perplexity going on.

A few years ago my friend Alec Palao put together a compilation of various demos and not-quite-issued singles from the band, known variously as Powder and The Art Collection, recorded between 1967 and 1969, from which this track "Turn Another Page" comes from. And what it did was cast light on what was truly a talented outfit, capable of achieving much notoriety. But sadly, history had other plans.

I can't think of a better way to start the week.