Three new roots albums

Roots music fans will be pleased to see the release of three new albums which stay very attuned to roots influences. Ry Cooder's new cd on Nonesuch Records,"Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down," is due out tomorrow but one can listen to the album's material here at Slate. The diverse range of musical styles Cooder draws from are on full display. Steve Cropper's new recording, a tribute to the fantastic Doo Wop/R&B 50's group The "5" Royales, is full of accomplished musicians. Check out some samples here. Finally, Billy Hancock, after excavating his repository of material from the early 1970's, has compiled a new set of previously unissued recordings based on his work with the eclectic, pioneering roots band "Danny Gatton and the Fat Boys," featuring Danny Gatton. This goes beyond their groundbreaking 1975 LP "American Music." This three box cd set is due out in December.

A Rocket in My Pocket

I will be initiating a new cycle of posts soon. Sorry the blog has been dormant so long.

The roots of I Got a Rocket in My Pocket
Most commonly associated with Little Feat's unique version and a cover by NRBQ, this classic actually sends us back to 1958. The song was originally composed by Vic McAlpin and Jimmy Lloyd, whose initial 1957 recording, Rio de Rosa for Roulette featured excellent work by session guitarists Hank Garland and Grady Martin. Both are also featured on the original "Rocket in my Pocket," Martin handles the solo work. The song enjoyed immediate success as it was covered the same year by Johnny Devlin and later Jimmy Grubbs.