1/10/2013 Rocket Ship Ska Trip

(1/10/13)

A set of some of ska’s best non-Jamaican oldies kicked off the “Ooh” this week, led by Cyril Stapleton’s band backing Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds (“The Beazers”) doing The Blue Beat. We also threw in some Lost Decade stuff by artists like Zap Pow, Vin Gordon and Gichy Dan. When we got to Sherwood’s place, a pre-Tennessee Birdwalk, Joe Meek-obsessed Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan (a.k.a. “Jacqueline Hyde”) were waiting for us, inviting us to run away with them_ which we did, through a sonic landscape peppered with weird-era Ferrante & Teicher (think “Soundblast”), Milt Raskin, Arthur Lyman,the Dusk ‘til Dawn Orchestra (conducted by the one and only Mort Garsonwho we’re seriously gonna have to do a tribute to one of these weeks),“Knuckles” O’Toole (doing a cha-cha!) and the Art Of Noise, among others. In the Home Stretch, Millie Small had the GotchaSKAvered Lollipop-of-the-Week in mixed English/German, the 5@5-past-5 featured tracks from Jump Up-label compilations, and Graham Reynolds and his Golden Arm Trio, augmented by horn section, fired up the ol’ Miracle Machine. ‘Til next time, Tune In… and Stay Tuned.