The Beatles' invasion of America in early 1964 and later rush of British acts spawned a lot of rock bands in the United States. Here's one in the seemingly endless list, The Fabulous Pharaohs of Newark, Delaware. The band's take on Bobby Troup's "Route 66" is notable in the lyrics are about as butchered as any version … Continue reading Another tune from the garage
Category: Music
Take a cruise with Snookum
Here's an old jazz version of Bobby Troup's "Route 66" you probably haven't heard. It's by pianist Isaac "Snookum" Russell and his All Reet Orchestra. https://youtu.be/u3ADEN8Q5jw Russell's band on the recording features Justin Adams on guitar, Artie "Weasel" Langston on bass, Frank Parker on drums, Wallace Davenport on trumpet and Hollis Carmouche on clarinet. Details on Russell are sketchy, although it's reported he and his band … Continue reading Take a cruise with Snookum
A look at Route 66 in 1985
This 1-hour, 42-minute documentary film from 1985, "Route 66," has been making the rounds on the Internet since it was uploaded it on YouTube a few days ago and Route 66 yahoogroup creator Greg Laxton posted it on Facebook. Roadies praise it because it provides the Mother Road's most comprehensive look just before U.S. 66 was … Continue reading A look at Route 66 in 1985
“Return to Route 66”
A reader tipped me off about Kingman, Arizona, resident Chris Commisso, who wrote this song and shot the video on the Mother Road in Kingman. https://youtu.be/wL0eWO_19c0 It seems to be a mix of jazz, hip-hop and 1960s lounge. I like it a lot. Commisso has his own YouTube channel here. His official website is here.
Los Angeles and Woody Guthrie
Folk singer Woody Guthrie's many links to Route 66 have been long documented. However, this excellent clip by filmmaker Aric Allen shows that Los Angeles played a crucial role in Guthrie's road to fame in 1937. Amazingly, many of the places where Guthrie hung around in L.A. still exist, as this film shows. https://youtu.be/FCh4O9nv0mo (Image … Continue reading Los Angeles and Woody Guthrie
Cow Bop gets its kicks
The western swing and jazz collective Cow Bop recently completed another edition of its Route 66 music tour, this one called the Linear Music Festival. You can follow what they did here with blog posts, audio and a lot of other goodies. But here's a performance of Bobby Troup's "Route 66" at Cars on the … Continue reading Cow Bop gets its kicks
“The Mother Road”
Country-music singer Jess McEntire, who's spent the last few years using his music to promote Route 66, apparently has produced a new video for one of his songs, "The Mother Road." https://youtu.be/hTU_o3og4G4 McEntire will be at the International Route 66 Festival in Kingman, Arizona, on Aug. 14-16. Later this year, he's also selling raffle tickets for … Continue reading “The Mother Road”
Strike up the Band-Box
Jo Ellis, a columnist for the Joplin Globe newspaper, reported about a sometimes-overlooked but cherished part of the history of Carthage, Missouri -- the rare Chicago Coin's Band-Box, also known as “Strike Up the Band," in the Pancake Hut restaurant along Route 66. The Band-Box is a coin-operated miniature, robotic big band that's been in … Continue reading Strike up the Band-Box
Springfield will simulcast Ozark Mountain Daredevils concert during festival
If you didn't have a ticket to the Ozark Mountain Daredevils' headlining concert at the Gillioz Theatre during the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, on Aug. 9, no worries -- the sellout show will be simultaneously broadcast for free on a 16-by-30-foot screen in Park Central Square downtown. The band enthusiastically endorsed … Continue reading Springfield will simulcast Ozark Mountain Daredevils concert during festival
The miracle of the Coleman Theatre’s restoration
The history and eventual revitalization of the historic Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, is one of the most inspiring and interesting stories you'll hear on Route 66. It continues to amaze how a town of just 13,000 people with nominal funding could return an opulent theater back to its old glory. And who better to … Continue reading The miracle of the Coleman Theatre’s restoration