Swedish rock festival cancelled

The Swedish rock festival Hultsfredsfestivalen has been cancelled this summer due to low ticket sales.
The news is published on the festival website http://www.hultsfredsfestivalen.se/nyheter/hultsfred-slanger-in-handduken
The festival has been an annual event on the Swedish rock scene since 1986.
Scissor Sisters, The Hives and The Ark were among the acts booked for this years festival.

Former Kinks bassist Pete Quaife dies

Former Kinks bassist Pete Quaife has passed away aged 66.
BBC reports that it is not clear how Quaife died, but he had been undergoing kidney dialysis for over a decade.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10415297.stm

Builds museum to honour Tinseltown celebrity

You Frank Zappa fans out there may recognize this detail from the Tinseltown Rebellion album cover. The person on the picture is the Hollywood star Warner Oland. He used to play the detective Charlie Chan in several movies in the 1930's. Since he was born not too far away from the Radio Dupree headquarters we can't regret to tell you that he will now get his own museum in his old home village.
The news is published in Västerbottens-Kuriren and they claim that Oland had such a "cult status" that Frank Zappa put his picture on the front cover of his album Tinseltown Rebellion in 1981.
http://www.vk.se/Article.jsp?article=359204&sc=2

Warner Oland (Johan Värner Ölund) was born in Bjurholm in northern Sweden in 1879. The Warner Oland Academy, a group of four people, hopes to be able to have built the museum by 2014. Bjurholm already has a cinema and a road named after Oland.

Current favourites on Radio Dupree

With July just one week away here's what the listener's voted Top 10 among the currently spinning songs on Radio Dupree:

1. Peter Gabriel - Eindringling (Intruder) - (3) Ein Deutsches Album
2. King Crimson - Heartbeat - B'Boom
3. Frank Zappa - Heavy Duty Judy - The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
4. The Rolling Stones - Pass The Wine (Sophia Loren) - Exile On Main Street
5. Chicago - Rediscovery - VI
6. Carly Simon - When We're Together - This Kind Of Love
7. Kate Bush - How To Be Invisible - Aerial
8. Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Pygmy Twylyte - Roxy & Elsewhere
9. Donna Summer - Slide Over Backwards - Crayons
10.Robert Fripp - Breathless - Exposure

Yes, that's a song from our Album of the Month at number 1! But as the chart published early July covers all the songs played in June we expect quite a few changes in the top 10 compared to the chart above. Let's see in seven or so days!

P.S. Somebody wondered what Carly Simon's song is doing in the Top 10 and on the Radio Dupree playlist? Easy! It is Carly Simon's 2008 version of a song that originally appeared on her daughter Sally Taylor's debut album Tomboy Bride in 1998. Sally's version mixed by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and produced by Donald Fagen. What her version sounds like? Just listen to Radio Dupree. We play Steely Dan as well as the somehow-Steely Dan-connected stuff. Like Sally's song.

Steely Dan Australian dates coming soon

According to a short notice on undercover.com.au the dates of Steely Dan's November tour of Australia will be announced "shortly".

The band toured Australia for the first time in 2007 and the question is if any/all of the dates will be full album nights like the 2009 Rent Party tour of the USA?

Donald Fagen ASCAP Jazz Hall of Fame video

There's no official video footage from last week's ASCAP Jazz Hall of Fame ballyhoo and hoopla, but somebody attending focused his/hers camera on the stage to captured Donald Fagen delivering a fine version of Florida Room from the Kamakrirad album, followed by the award presentation and acceptance speech:



(Thanks to Klaus the rooster and The Dean over on The Blue for finding the clip!)

New on donaldfagen.com: Flamingo Park

FLAMINGO PARK
A Play in One Act

By David Scamit

Donald Fagen inducted to the ASCAP Jazz Hall of Fame

Yesterday (June 14) ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) added five musicians to the ASCAP Jazz Hall of Fame:

* Donald Fagen
* Phil Woods
* Eddie Land
* Thelonious Monk
* Dinah Washington

Press release here.

Steely Dan to tour Australia 2010?

It looks like Steely Dan could be heading to Australia later this year. In a Billboard article about The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue one sentence says:

Steely Dan is currently off duty until a November tour of Australia...

And that's all the information regarding that available for now.

ADDED June 17:

From an article in The Hollywood Reporter on Steve Winwood:

Winwood will be on the road much of this year, with Eric Clapton in Europe,
Santana in North America and possibly with Steely Dan in Australia.

The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue tour dates 2010

And as promised before the weekend; here's the complete tour dates for Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs as The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue.

August 19 Danbury, CT Charles Ives Center
August 20 Atlantic City, NJ The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
August 22 Loudoun, VA Belmont Country Club
August 25 Charlotte, NC Roadrunner Mobile Amphitheatre
August 26 Atlanta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
August 28 Raleigh, NC Raleigh Amphitheatre
August 29 Richmond, VA Innsbrook Pavilion
August 31 Boston, MA Wang Theatre

September 2 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
September 3 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Theatre
September 6 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair
September 8 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
September 10 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion
September 11 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
September 14 Council Bluffs, IA Mid-America Center
September 15 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater
September 17 Tunica, MS Harrah's Tunica
September 18 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre
September 27 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
September 29 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre

October 1 San Francisco, CA Golden Gate Park
October 2 Las Vegas, NV The Joint

From the press release:

Donald Fagen explains the genesis of the tour, "Back in the early '90s, my wife (Libby Titus) was producing little shows in Manhattan restaurants featuring mostly friends -- musicians, comedians and so on. This grew into 'The New York Rock & Soul Revue' which toured nationally for two years and produced an album, Live at the Beacon Theater. The 1993 show featured, among others, Mike McDonald, Boz Scaggs and myself. The shows were such a blast that we decided to tour together again this year as the mighty 'Dukes of September.' We'll be playing the kind of R&B tunes that made us want to be musicians way back when, as well as select numbers from our personal repertoires. We've enlisted a swell group of players and singers -- in fact, I'm so excited that I just can't hide it. Be there or be square, chillin'."
Boz Scaggs continues, "This time around, we're going a little farther afield with our trio, but the setlist in progress reflects the basic approach which is: out of the hundreds of songs we've picked out of the hat, what are the gems and how can we fit it all into a two hour show? How about Mike McDonald singing 'Hurt So Bad' by Little Anthony or doing Ray's 'Tell the Truth' or Donald Fagen doing David Ruffin's "My Whole World Ended"? And I might get to do Mink DeVille's 'Cadillac Walk' or some Curtis Mayfield. What I know for sure is that I'll have the best seat in the house."
Michael McDonald states, "The music of Donald Fagen (with Walter Becker) and Boz Scaggs figures heavily in memories of my early years in California. Having the privilege to take the stage with them, two of my all time favorite artists, is one thing; but because they're guys that I've shared such an ongoing history with, this makes it all the more special for me. I only hope it's nearly as much fun for the audience."
With this year's "The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue," Fagen, McDonald and Scaggs are giving fans an unprecedented opportunity to hear them delve deep into their individual classic catalogs of music, along with selected hits and tributes to their influences accompanied by a crack group of top players including Jon Herington (guitar); Freddie Washington (bass); Michael White (drums); Michael Leonhart, Walt Weiskopf and Jay Collins (horns); Jim Beard (organ); plus background singers Carolyn Escoffery and Catherine Russell.
Tickets go on sale to the public beginning June 18. Fans should check local listings for updated tour and ticketing information.

ADDED July 15: There's an article at Billboard.com about the tour with some additional information (and ponderings). Well worth reading.

ADDED October 5: First two dates for the short December tour. Read more here.

Donald Fagen: 2010 tour news and new album in 2011

Donald Fagen, Boz Scaggs & Michael McDonald's tour as The Rhythm Dukes Of September will run between August 19 and October 2. The complete tour schedule is expected to be announced on Monday (June 14).

Donald's new album has mainly been recorded "away from studios" and is, once finished, set for release in 2011.

These are the main news in this Reuter's article published by numerous sites today. You can read it here.

UPDATE January 4, 2012:
Since we just noticed a link to this blogpost from the Wikipedia page on Donald Fagen we thought we might update it with what news there's been inbetween:

October 1, 2010: Donald Fagen friday quips
July 7, 2011: Dukes of September (Fagen, McDonald, Scaggs) touring in 2012
July 27, 2011: Donald Fagen in the studio
October 1, 2011: No Dukes of September DVD/TV

That's it for now! As 2011 passed without any more news about the solo album most feel sometime in 2012 is when it will arrive. Maybe Donald will play a couple of new songs on the yet-to-be-annnounced Dukes of September tour?

Oh. And the title of Donald Fagens new album; Soul Instinct, came from a fan page done as a joke. Complete with song titles and a cover. Just a joke, but it still was taken as the truth and is now quoted on among other sites Wikipedia!

UPDATE February 5, 2012: As we've written in the comments to this post we mixed up the fan page joke about the new Fagen album with the title listing on Wikipedia. Two different things. As we'll sort out in a blog post later today. A post we'll link to here.

UPDATE February 8, 2012: It took a couple of days extra but here's the promised blog post.

Circus Money is two!

That's two years old today as it was released June 10, 2008. We're still enjoying Walter Becker's solo album here on Radio Dupree.

And the very same thing can be said for the latest Steely Dan album Everything Must Go. It is seven years old today.

Zappa Plays Zappa announces summer tour dates

Zappa Plays Zappa in Stockholm 2009.

Dweezil Zappa announces dates for the Zappa Plays Zappa summer tour. They are touring all over the US right now, but in July the tour hits Europe including Nice Jazz Festival and London Classic Rock Festival.
"We have added an additional keyboardist once again. His name is Chris Norton. He sings well too. We've learned several new songs that we've never played on tour and we've brought back a few we haven't played in a while. Here are just a few of the new ones. Pick Me I'm Clean, The Blue Light, Big Swifty, Easy Meat, Blessed Relief, The Little House I Used To Live In."

http://zappaplayszappa.com/tourdates.html

Jim Hodder

Jim Hodder died June 5, 1990.

He was a drummer and one of the original members of Steely Dan. Here he is pictured on the left in this photo from the 1973 album Countdown To Ecstasy.


There's a short article on Jim from 1991 and the Metal Leg fanzine:

From the time the band was put together, Donald wanted two drummers. I was against it at first, but what the hell, we had two guitarists and two keyboard players, so why not two drummers? And my favorite band has two drummers -- Frank Zappa and the Mothers. It can work like a locomotive, especially on tunes like "Do It Again." It gives us both time to relax in different parts and we can concentrate more on the next fill.

Read the whole article online here.

He sang lead vocals on two Steely Dan songs; Dallas and Midnight Cruiser:

After leaving Steely Dan in 1974 he worked as a session musician until his death.

Radio Dupree Top 20 - June 2010

1. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin - The World Spins So Slow
The Singles

2. Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Pygmy Twylyte
Roxy & Elsewhere

3. Donna Summer - Slide Over Backwards
Crayons

4. Jimi Hendrix - Lover Man
Valleys Of Neptune

5. Chicago - Rediscovery
VI

6. Frank Zappa - Muffin Man
Philly '76

7. The Rolling Stones - Pass The Wine (Sophia Loren)
Exile On Main Street

8. Kate Bush - How To Be Invisible
Aerial

9. Carly Simon - When We're Together
This Kind Of Love

10. David Bowie - Dodo (bonus track)
Diamond Dogs

11. King Crimson - Heartbeat - B'Boom
12. The Rolling Stones - I'm Not Signifying - Exile On Main Street
13. Frank Zappa - Camarillo Brillo - Philly '76
14. Reform - Happy Landing - Reformed
15. The GTO's - I'm In Love With The Ooo-ooo Man - Permanent Damage
16. Frank Zappa - Little Umbrellas (LP) - Hot Rats
17. King Crimson - VROOOM - B'Boom
18. Reform - Amanita Muscaria - Reformed
19. David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Why Don't You Love Me? (feat. Cyndi Lauper & Tori Amos) - Here Lies Love
20. The Insect Trust - Our Sister The Sun - Hoboken Saturday Night

21. Steely Dan - Slang Of Ages - Everything Must Go
21. Sarah McLachlan - Blue - A Tribute To Joni Mitchell
22. The Rolling Stones - Yesterday's Paper - Great Hits
23. Pink Floyd - Candy And A Currant Bun - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
24. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Lila's Dance - Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
25. Larry Carlton - L.A., N.Y. - Friends
26. Keith Moon - When I'm Sixty-Four - All This And World War II (various artists)
28. Human Instinct - Black Sally - Stoned Guitar
29. Frank Zappa - Heavy Duty Judy - The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
30. The Crimson Jazz Trio - Red - King Crimson Songbook Volume One
31. Magma - Liriik Necronomicus Kahnt - Attahk
32. Lars Hollmer - Nationsjazz - Sola
33. Jethro Tull - Apogee - Under Wraps
34. David Bowie - Sons Of The Silent Age - "Heroes"
35. The Beatles - Run For Your Life - Rubber Soul
36. Human Instinct - Jugg-a-Jug - Stoned Guitar
37. Hansson & Karlsson - Richard Lionheart - Monument
38. Frank Zappa - Ain't Got No Heart - Buffalo
39. The Beatles - Baby's In Black - Beatles For Sale
40. Roxy Music - Pyjamarama - '73 single B-side

-------------------------------------------------------

Chart compiled by listeners voting

on the songs they hear on Radio Dupree

A lot of listeners votes this time around coupled with a wish to give a better picture of what's being played (and liked) on Radio Dupree made us extend the Top 20 to a Top 40.

Two newly released from-the-vaults recordings proved popular. Valleys of Neptune from Jimi Hendrix is the first of more promised unreleased goodies from the guitarist's archives and The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street was expanded with 10 tracks recorded back then but finished now to sound like the 70's and added to the original in a re-release that seem to have made both record company, band and fans happy.

One question that might be asked is what the Queen of Disco; Donna Summer, is doing at #3 on our chart? Radio Dupree is no disco channel and although we mix it up pretty good at times disco records are far and few between.
The answer here is that Donna doesn't sound like you'd expect her to do on this track from her 2008 record Crayons. The song is delivered in a hoarse, blues inspired growl and apparently of the type that listeners like.

And we can't forget the Swedish group Reform at 14 and 18. Instrumental and the words "jazz", "rock", "progressive" and even "garage" has been used in different combinations to describe the sound.

But let us not forget our number 1 this month; Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin and The World Spins So Slow.
This particular Dave has nothing to do with the Dave in popular 1980's group Eurythmics. But he's been around just as long if not longer playing with Hatfield and the North and National Health and more in the 1970's. The collaboration with Barbara Gaskin has been on since the early 1980's and we'll add some stuff from their latest (and first in 20 years) album as soon as we get it! Barbara sang backup vocals in Hatfield and the North and was 1969-1974 one of the members of the folk-prog band Spirogyra that shouldn't be confused with jazz-fusion outfit Spyro Gyra. OK? OK!

BBC John Bonham documentary narrated by Dave Grohl

A brand new one hour BBC radio documentary on John Henry 'Bonzo' Bonham, drummer with legendary rock outfit Led Zeppelin is online now and for six days. Narrated by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.

Listen here:

http://bit.ly/bDCHCf