Garland Jeffreys & Carmen McRae - Studio Recordings?

Does anyone know whether Garland Jeffreys & Carmen McRae issued any official studio recordings on albums or CDs? This is a classic video (Teach Me Tonight) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgoSngqTKEI:
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My single favorite song of 2011:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Ur3wi97tk

the only thread for this dude?! wtf

curiosity piqued by the Cale/Reed connections, didn't know Wild in the Streets was his

this dude's 70s output is some sort of inverted mirror-version of Reed's

wow..
carmen mcrae sounds fantastic up there, what a voice....

Read good reviews of that most recent cd of his but never listened to it. Used to play his '70s stuff on my college radio station

this dude's 70s output is some sort of inverted mirror-version of Reed's

This never occurred to me, but OTFM

i saw him at a local jazz place, he's tiny and walked all over the tables. that's my story

never knew he worked with McRae, thanks! His post of "Wild In The Streets":

Uploaded on Nov 17, 2009
Wild in the Streets is my pride and joy. I consider it my "first" Rock 'n' Roll record, written and released in 1973, and recorded with Dr. John and his band, with Alan Freedman, Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, David Spinozza, David Peel, Produced by Roy Cicala
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RzBZsOeqOQ-----------------------------------

Hadn't seen this before---Lou shows up onstage, extemporizing in a skillful festival way; somebody's cool guitar and GJ's voice push to strong ending (not the Chuck Berry song of same name)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIIXawbx1pQ

was there ever a more thankless task than duetting with Lou Reed

this dude's 70s output is some sort of inverted mirror-version of Reed's

Not sure what the original post was about yet, but came to see what people think of the latest album. So far I am liking it, nothing particular to say yet though.

Feel like some of the lyrics on this are a little slight and the playing and production are on the generic side but man I love hearing his voice.

I hear a little Van Morrison in it

Yeah, I kind of see what you are getting for but need to listen more. In the meantime I came to say: Hey, free show this summer
http://garlandjeffreys.com/tour
7.6 NEW YORK, NY ST. MARKS SQUARE 3RD STREET MUSIC SCHOOL FESTIVAL FREE SHOW

I just started to notice a similarity in his approach to another artist, by my lights at least.

I like the new album's title track "14 Steps to Harlem."

I am with you on this--

Feel like some of the lyrics on this are a little slight and the playing and production are on the generic side but man I love hearing his voice.

― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs),

Actually there are two free shows tomorrow.

And they are setting up, warming up for the second one now. At the Oval in Stuyvesant Town.

Which is where he lives

Did you see either one? How were they? How's his band?

Saw the later show. Very good. Great songs, performing and storytelling. Band was fine but a little subdued for various reasons-drummer playing with cajón instead of full kit, keyboard player switching off between keys and bass, etc. Guy is a great keyboard player- I used to see him all the time in the 90s- and when he switched out it left a little hole. Would definitely recommend to you if they go to D.C. I bought a t-shirt for the new album from his wife. She had to go back up to their apartment to get my size since a little kid bought the one I wanted that was on the table for his dad.

Looks like that already happened

Hopefully he'll come back down my way, and my schedule will work for seeing him

Maybe this is a reach, but in a way seeing him was like seeing Jonathan Richman or Alex Chilton-although he is not as ornery as those two, in fact seems super well-adjusted- because it's not necessarily a big loud rock show that's being put on, but the guy has such a strong personality and approach that you end up getting what you came for, whether he plays all your favorite hits or not.

Contemporaneous college kid review of Escape Artist seems to hold up pretty well: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1981/4/10/the-great-escape-pbabmerica-has-always/

Or does it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PJF46u8tho

He or his proxy posted this on social media recently. Really nice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plsQMB1o6Vg

Sooner or later, should start talking about Carmen McRae as well. Always like her Monk interpretations, right now learning a tune by one of her favorite accompanists, Jimmy Rowles. https://indianapublicmedia.org/afterglow/jimmy-rowles-jazzs-secret-weapon.php

I should listen more to both

Well since we're talking McRae -- Mainstream Records is now officially on Bandcamp and they've put up the live album Woman Talk:

https://cramenmcrae.bandcamp.com/

(They should fix that spelling, though! Link works.)

Yeah, several things (incl. ones I hadn't heard of) recently emerged from the Mainstream vault, posted a press release on Rolling Reissues.

Mainstream's Big Brother & The Holding Company, def. incl. Joplin, was a demo, sounds like, only issued when they became famous elsewhere, but worth hearing if you're into them/her at all; I especially like the Moondog round "All Is Loneliness."

Yesterday "Graveyard Rock" popped up on a playlist and I was instantly transported to 1981. I didn't realize it was a Jeffreys track until I looked it up, and I was surprised to see it wasn't released as a single. Was my local college radio station the only one that had this in heavy rotation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLInOChfc1k

I found Escape Artist in a used bin a few months ago and it's been in my own heavy rotation since. The only song of his I recall getting any airplay at the time was his cover of "96 Tears", and that was on the rock stations. I love his version but have never really liked the original. And they're not that different! Garland just makes it swing more. His music seems tailor-made for The Sopranos though I don't think they used any of it.

A mod for one of the Lou Reed Facebook groups got this message yesterday:

Garland Jeffreys: "The King of In Between"

"Hi, This is Claire Jeffreys, Garland's wife responding to your friend request. He is in the late stages of Alzheimer's and his personal Facebook page is dormant and will be closed. Please consider following the Facebook page for the documentary film I've made about him, which will keep his legacy and songs alive. Your support means the world to us".

https://www.facebook.com/KingOfInBetween/

FWIW, I'm completely new to his music, but I picked up Wild In The Streets (Best Of 1977-1983) (an Australian compilation) over the summer and like it quite a bit.

Looking forward to seeing that doc. I've been a fan of his since the 70's, and friended him on FB some years ago. For a while he was very good about responding to the comments on his posts. At least I think that was him. Hope he is as comfortable as can be in the homestretch.

This is sad,m, but I guess he is old and lived a good life as far as I know. I met him a few times and he was always super-friendly. Once I went to a show he did in the plaza outside his apartment in Stuyvesant Town, must have been 2017, and bought a 14 Steps to Harlem t-shirt from his wife, who was also nice.

He's older than I thought . 81

Yeah. He aged pretty gracefully.

"Matador" was some kind of hit. Who knew?

Don't think the film is easy to see at the moment.

Don't knoww what "in the fall"* is referring in the following, but glad it's gotten festival awards, is traveling on, and I signed up for updates

Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between continues to expand its reach. We will be distributed by Cargo Film + Releasing with a plan for theatrical release in the fall followed by streaming.

We have won 4 festival awards and continue on the festival circuit!

From director Claire Jeffreys: I've been Garland’s partner for more than 40 years. Many fans and friends have told me about turning people on to Garland’s music—and can't believe they’ve never heard of him. I decided to make this film not only to bring Garland to a wider audience, but also because it seems the world has finally caught up to his commitment to examining issues of race and social justice in his songs. He belongs in the conversation. His perseverance will inspire people everywhere.

The film has fiscal sponsorship which means that ANY contribution you make, of ANY size, will qualify as a tax deductible donation!

Thanks to Denver Film for teaming up with us on this as we finalize all licensing costs. Click here to donate!

james redd -- i think i was also at that stuyvesant town show. i know i saw him perform there, just not sure if it was 2017. sad to hear about his current status.

Did you get a 14 Steps to Harlem shirt as well?

Also Charlie Roth was playing keyboards with him, if that helps

Garland told a story about his dad who worked at Lindy’sLundy’s.

Think I need to listen to his live album Rock & Roll Adult right now, which I haven’t really paid attention to before.

i didn't get a t-shirt, sadly. it looks like the website is out of men's sizes. i also have a bunch of garland jeffreys albums i need to listen to more.

Very sorry to hear this news.

Afew years ago, I reissued his incredible 1981 "Escape Goat Dub" dub track that he made with Dennis Bovell.

He was very easy to deal with and even invited me to "join him on stage" when he played in Scotland in 2015. LOL! Sadly I couldn't get to that part of the country to meet him / see him perform

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErT7g51GGyk.

Good story!

The backing band on Rock ‘n’ Roll Adult is basically The Rumour with another keyboard player instead of Bob Andrews, in case that piqué’s anyone’s interest.

One apostrophe too many

Put on the album dated 2023 called Under the Bed, which I assume is a bunch of demos. Synth-heavy, voice sounds good, enjoyable upon this first listen.

Also have never gotten to the bottom of why his first band was named after Minnie Pearl’s hometown, Grinder’s Switch.

Also, shouldn’t go there, but it kind of bothers me to see all the mediocre grades from Christgau in Wikipedia.

I guess Escape Artist gets a B+, which is good grade from him, like Buddy Rich saying Ringo was “adequate, no more” which from him was a compliment.

Yeah, but the review itself is pretty good, and extensive; I would have guessed it to be an A-, at least.
Same thing happens w the s/t debut, which always reminded me of reading about how Dion, having parted w Belmonts, resurfaced in Village folk clubs, just him and his guitar: GJ sounds like he might be wearing denim and sharkskin, in a natural blend. Mad credits, but as w "Wild In The Streets," Cuscana never overproduces (provides a comfortable path through all the instruments, as on Bonnie Raitt's great Give It Up, also released in '73, I think).
"Wild..." found a home on 1977's Ghost Writer, my gateway and another peak, along with Escape Artist. The others I've heard (not yet incl. The King of In-Between and other later releases) are more uneven, but def. have keepers, incl., as xgau indicates, American Boy and Girl.

Another one that I still haven't heard is Garland Jeffreys and Grinder's Switch, although most of them, with replacement bass by A-list studio resource Harvey Brooks, which may be why they were billed as Penguin, played on Vintage Violence, ending with a Garland song, "Fairweather Friend"---perfect for Cale's voice!

Okay. Ghost Writer got an A-

Yeah, I saw Dion in the mid-eighties play a few song kind of unannounced at a comedy club and was (at the time) surprised at how good he was.

Songs

The King of In-Between also got an A-.

Okay, reading the whole page of Christgau reviews a lot better then just seeing the disembodied grades elsewhere.

The film is done and will open at IFC with special guests in attendance.

Tickets on sale here with more info about the film (including who they interviewed).

As for the Q&A's:

Friday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m.: Q&A with director Claire Jeffreys, Associate Producer Savannah Jeffreys, Executive Producer Evan Oppenheimer, and singer-songwriter Ivan Julian, founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids

Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m.: Q&A with director Claire Jeffreys, Pulitzer finalist playwright Dael Orlandersmith, NYPL fellow Alvin Eng, Nicky Paraiso curator at La Mama, and Cornelius Eady, co-founder of Cave Canem Foundation, a nonprofit organization for Black poets

Hope it hits the streamers soon! Probably won't see too many theaters outside NYC but one can hope.

I also hope that Garland is at least slightly cognizant that this is happening, but that's probably not realistic.

Oh wow I'd love to see this.

The youtube link is gone from my post upthread 13 years back but I was referring to Coney Island Winter. If you haven't heard it, you are in for a treat. But if you're clicking on a Garland Jeffreys thread it's safe to assume you know it.

I found both The King of In-Between and Don't Call Me Buckwheat on the curb a few years ago. That was a good day.

Rolling Stone interview with Claire, including a recent photo of Garland:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/garland-jeffreys-bruce-springsteen-lou-reed-documentary-1235352477/

Just came to post that

Considering going to the Q&A screening tomorrow evening

https://www.ifccenter.com/films/garland-jeffreys-the-king-of-in-between/

Ivan Julian will be there on Friday along with Claire and Savannah Jeffreys and some other guy who coproduced.

Okay, turned on Ghost Writer and bought a ticket.

Was this posted before? https://pleasekillme.com/garland-jeffreys/

Features a pun Garland had missed, among other things

Headed out in a few.

Looks like Ivan Julian just walked in

Q&A didn’t really add that much but the film itself is good.

Two of the many things this film has going for it:
1) it is mercifully short
2) all the talking heads know what they are talking about

I would've gone to one of these Q&A's if I was back in town, but glad to hear it's good. I seriously regret not investigating his music until now - had I known his final shows were in 2019 (at City Winery IIRC), I totally would've gone.

Trying to decide whether I want to type why I used to sell him short but now I think he’s great.

In any case, I could listen to GHOST WRITER and ESCAPE ARTIST all day long.

I didn't realize Ghost Writer was so rare on CD. Discogs lists only two releases: a Japanese release in 1989 and what's possibly a DIY edition that Jeffreys used to sell online and at shows but with different artwork (possibly due to licensing costs?) Otherwise, a CD has never been issued anywhere else and there's never been a wide CD release or even a boutique reissue in the U.S.

I don't even have a physical copy myself, the closest thing I have is this Australian comp which is pretty good and has most of Ghost Writer on it.

Interesting.

Came to say I finally got around to listening to the first, s/t album

Whadda ya think?!

It’s good!

Michael Cuscuna proved correct

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hepRCtfJAkc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvHfLhbOBHo

In other news: Don’t Call Me Buckwheat holds up really well.

Discussed this briefly with Claire last weekend, and with Garland himself back when it came out:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/12/opinion/loudon-wainwright-protest-songs.html

Still listening to this guy. Starting to think that something about his voice reminds me of Ronnie Spector.

Could be the shared Frankie Lymon influence

Could be some kind of authentic NYC voices except really in tune with

In tune, no with