Happy Independence Day, July 4th, 2021! Let Freedom Ring!!!

Uninterrupted songs that are uniquely American, and songs that are not. Songs of struggle, songs of joy, and songs of freedom. Freedom means different things for different people. This show, (with no back announcing) is celebrating The 4th of July, The United States’ Independence Day. God Bless America!!!

I designed this episode of #ITWWSS to be the soundtrack to your holiday weekend. It's… joyful, patriotic, a toe tapper, thought provoking, and fun! I hope it makes you want to sing along and dance, blast it out loud on the beach, turn it up to 10 on the highway, backyard, park, mountain top, or anywhere you are right now!

I hope you’ll share the link with your friends and family, workmates, roommates, mates, lovers, haters, or any one else that you can.

We start where most children in the U.S.A. do, with the Pledge Of Allegiance, into a lovely choir, thanks to Neil Young, singing God Bless America. Enter Ray Charles to finish the song, as only he could. By chance, I thought the two versions blended well, so that’s how I mixed it.

Jimi Hendrix honors us with The Star Spangled Banner, into his original, Freedom. Both recorded live at the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970. As hard as that may be to follow, Willie Nelson, performing Paul Simon’s American Tune, makes for a great segue.

As you might expect, this is an eclectic journey, with multiple genres and artists, equally diverse. Rock N Roll, Country Western, Cajun, Folk, Jazz, R&B, Reggae, Funk, World, etc. No borders, no boundaries, no limits. Pure artistic freedom, that’s what it’s all about!

The non stop music continues with, Tears For Fears, Kinks, Neil Coty, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Heart, covering Led Zeppelin, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen covering Bob Dylan, Mumbo Gumbo, Martin Sexton, Boxing Ghandis, Loggins and Messina, Bob Marley, The Killers, No Doubt covering Talk Talk, Billy Idol, George Michael, Dianne Reeves, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Scorpions, and the New York Rock and Soul Revue, featuring The Rascals, Phoebe Snow, and Michael McDonald.

I cross referenced some of this music (all from my personal library) with Repeat Replay dot Com. The 20 Best Songs About Freedom. Some of these tunes would not be here, had I not read what they had to say. I support artistic freedom in every way possible!

Thanks for your patronage and support!

Let Freedom Ring!!!

• It’s All About The Bass (Part 5)

Into The Woods With Stewart Strauss is a listener supported podcast. I thank you for your patronage, by liking and subscribing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

On this episode of #ITWWSS we’re going to celebrate Black Music Month, and hear more from some of the best bassists to ever hold an upright, fretless or fretted bass! There will be plenty of great vocals, percussion, drums, horns, guitars, keyboards, instrumentals, live and studio tracks, and (did I mention) bassists?

You’ll hear from Chaka Khan and Rufus, Bill Withers, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Joni Mitchell, Phoebe Snow with the New York Rock and Soul Revue, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Stanley Clarke, and Tower Of Power (TOP)

The emphasis is on the musicians we’ve heard our whole lives, but maybe didn’t know who these most accomplished players were. As long as the music moves you, there isn’t much more to know, unless you feel like taking a little deeper dive.

Some of the bassists you’ll hear in the episode are…

Dennis Belfield, Jerry Knight, Paul Chambers, Jaco Pastorius, Larry Klein, Lincoln Schleifer, James Jamerson, Wilton Felder, Louis Johnson, Stanley Clarke, and Frances “Rocco” Prestia,

The rest of the bands are powerhouse musicians too. Herbie Hancock, David Sanborn, Larry Carlton, Drew Zing, Donald Fagen, Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Jimmy Cobb, Narada Michael Walden, The Brecker Brothers, Sam and Dave, Vinnie Colaiuta, Michael Landau, Billy Cobham, Darren Johnson, Najee, David Garibaldi, Lenny Williams, Emilio Castillo, Bruce Conte, Mic Gillette, Stephen “Doc” Krupka, Lenny Pickett, Greg Adams, Chester Thompson, and many more.

Please check out live performances of my original music, as well as cover songs, skits, and a new segment where I tell stories about meeting various icons of the entertainment industry, to promote this very podcast. All on the Sonny Michaels Show, June edition. Always available on YouTube. There’s lots of great talent on the show, including a live performance from Acoustic Alchemy. I performed Bob Dylan’s Tangled Up In Blue. Please tune in when the spirit moves you.

Cheers!

• It’s All About The [Iconic Rock] Bass! (Part 4)

This episode of #ITWWSS takes another dive into the deep end of a bass guitar shaped pool, where reaching the bottom, we find some of Rock N’ Roll’s greatest recordings. All the bass players in this show have great skill, soul and their own distinct sound and style.

I started playing cello at eight years old. Later in the elementary school orchestra. I wanted to play the upright bass, but I was too small to carry it. I picked up the guitar next. By the time I went to high school in 1967, the Summer Of Love had just taken place. The British Invasion was a few years in. The Doors and Jefferson Airplane just played at a local high school’s football field.

I’d begun playing guitar in middle school bands, made up of friends. I was playing clarinet in the school orchestra. The Byrds, Monkees, Seeds, Love, Buffalo Springfield, Doors and others were all performing all around L.A. I didn’t know at the time that many of those soon to be legends lived about 15 to 20 minutes away, in Laurel Canyon.

At about 16 I bought a used Gibson SG Bass, at Saul Betnums Music. Within a day or two, one of the few working high school bands I knew needed to replace their sick bass player, Ed Elowe for a Halloween dance, at a local park. The highly talented Steve Elowe walked me through as many of their songs as possible, including In A Gadda Da Vida, by the Iron Butterfly. I somehow got through the gig, got paid, and became a professional musician. (LOL)

As I’ve been putting together this series of (radio show type) podcasts, the hardest part is choosing what to leave out. There are countless performances by many more bass players that I could ever fit in, plus all the greats I haven’t heard of, yet.

Part 5 is coming together nicely and I’ll do my best to publish it during Black Music Month. It will be the last podcast in the series, but not even close to the last time I’ll feature great bassists.

I play the bass on all of my original and cover songs. I’ve only owned three basses in my life. The Gibson bass was traded in towards a new Fender Telecaster. I didn’t by another bass until 1994. After the Northridge Earthquake, lots of retail stores had millions of dollars worth of damaged goods. I bought a new Fender Precision Bass that had fallen off the wall and had a gouge in it. As you can imagine, it was sold at a bargain price. I kept it for several years and used it on a few demos, but ended up selling it to a friend in Reno, Nevada.

I bought another Fender bass last year, but this time went for a Jazz Bass. I love it to death! Bass is in my bones and DNA. I hope you love it even half as much and enjoy listening to my shows.

Perhaps, you’ll be inspired to pick up a bass and send me something you’ve recorded? I’ll definitely listen and possibly include it in a podcast. @stewstrauss on Instagram and Twitter

In this show you’ll hear music from… Jethro Tull, Yes, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, Cream, Free, The Who, The Clash, Rush, Muse, U2, and Joe Walsh. A heavily British slanted show, no doubt. I came of age during the British Invasion and was heavily influenced by the music that followed.

Bassists include… Glen Cornick, Chris Squire, John Deacon, John McVie, Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Andy Fraser, John Entwhistle, Paul Simonon, Geddy Lee, Chris Woltenholme, Adam Clayton, and George “Chocolate” Perry.

Thanks for your continued support and patronage!

Happy Listening!!!