A Brooklyn native “who could fairly be called the quintessential New York City. Starting out in Greenwich Village clubs in the mid Sixties, Garland Jeffreys first recorded in 1969. He continued honing his craft over a number of albums including the celebrated Ghost Writer (1977) and in 1980 the song “Matador” hit # 1 in numerous European countries and remains a radio staple there today. In 1981 he broke through to American audiences with Escape Artist and in 1992 released the searing Don’t Call Me Buckwheat, his reflections on being multi-racial in America.
Jeffreys has long held the respect of his peers and the breadth of contributors to his albums and performances reflect that respect as well as an ahead of his time penchant for musical genre-bending: Dr. John, The E Street Band, John Cale, Michael Brecker, Larry Campbell, The Rumour, James Taylor, Phoebe Snow, David Sanborn, Sly & Robbie, Sonny Rollins, Linton Kwesi Johnson and Lou Reed among many more have recorded with him. With a string of critically acclaimed records and radio hits including “Wild in the Streets” and his cover of the garage rock classic “96 Tears” it’s a testament to both the broad appeal and diversity of Jeffreys’ music that his songs have been covered by hardcore punk legends The Circle Jerks (whose version of “Wild in the Streets” is a skater anthem), psych-folkies Vetiver and jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker.. His songs have been featured in numerous TV shows and commercials and “Wild in the Streets” This concert is from 2017, here is Garland Jeffreys live at The Linda.
Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Leslie Mendelson is supporting her most recent studio album. All Music writes that Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Leslie Mendelson evokes “1970s songwriter influences in the vein of Carole King and Carly Simon,” while The Aquarian declares she is “the closest thing one can get to a truly honest musical experience.”
Leslie Mendelson’s previous work, including 2009 Grammy-nominated debut album ‘Swan Feathers’ and 2017 album, ‘Love & Murder’ dealt with matters of the heart. When it came time to compose the songs that comprise ‘If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…,’ however, she and her longtime writing partner Steve McEwan set out to examine the anxiety stemming from the current socio-political climate with songs like "Medication," "I Need Something To Care About" and "Would You Give Up Your Gun.” It’s fitting extension of a more socially conscious outlook offered on “A Human Touch”—Leslie’s duet with Jackson Browne for the documentary film, ‘5B,’ released in 2019.
If Leslie Mendelson’s only collaboration with a legendary musician was Jackson Browne, it would be a worthy point to celebrate. What’s truly telling is that Leslie has also drawn the attention of The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir who recorded a duet with her on Roy Orbison's standard, “Blue Bayou,” while no less than classic rock royalty The Who invited her to open two shows at Madison Square Garden last year. She was set to open three more dates for the band in 2020 that were unfortunately postponed due to the pandemic. With some of rock music’s most legitimate voices seeking Leslie out, it leaves no doubt the rarefied air she inhabits as an artist.
This Concert was this past summer in August 2021, here is Leslie Mendelson Live at the Linda.
Ok. It’s time to jump back in time to the more innocent year of 2010 as we dig into The Linda vault and pull out a recording from Chip Taylor. Chip Taylor is responsible for one of the most famous songs to come out of the 1960s—The Troggs’ 1966 hit “Wild Thing,” which was famously covered in 1967 by Jimi Hendrix. His other big hits include Merrilee Rush’s 1968 “Angel of the Morning” (also covered by Juice Newton), and The Hollies “I Can’t Let Go” (1966, also notably covered by Evie Sands and Linda Ronstadt). His songs have also been recorded by such luminaries as Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and Frank Sinatra, with Norway’s premier folk singer Paal Flaata recording an entire album of Taylor songs, Wait by the Fire, and taking it to his country’s Top 10 and a Norwegian Grammy nomination.
Taylor was born James Wesley Voight in Yonkers, N.Y., on March 21, 1940. His older brother is the Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight (Voight’s Oscar-winning daughter Angelina Jolie is Taylor’s niece), and a second older brother, Barry Voight, is an award-winning volcanologist and engineer in his own right. After a failed attempt as a professional golfer, Taylor commenced a career in music, writing songs by himself and with others including Brill Building session player Al Gorgoni—with whom he recorded in the duo Just Us and notched a hit in 1966 with “I Can't Grow Peaches on a Cherry Tree" with Billy Vera (they co-wrote “Storybook Children,” which Vera recorded with gospel singer Judy Clay in 1967 as the first major label interracial duo) and Jerry Ragovoy, with whom he wrote the Janis Joplin hit “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder).” Chip played The Linda back in 2010. Here is that concert from the vault, it’s Chip Taylor live at The Linda.
Thanks for listening to Live At The Linda, recorded live at The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio. Tune in next week for our broadcast of another World Tour: Seamus Egan 2022, Ester Rada 2014, Teitur Lassen 2012, and Marit Larsen 2012.
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