National Kazoo Day

Here's a little ditty featuring kazoos in honor of National Kazoo Day. We recorded this in 1995. Our little band, the Hokum Scorchers used to play it at festivals such as Northwest Folklife-

Revisiting my L.A. solo show

It was called "Dreamgirls and Ukes". It took place at Thinkspace in L.A. in Feb 2009.

There were 15 paintings and 13 painted ukes. The Hokum Scorchers (Lou Reimuller and I)

 played music at the opening. 

Here's one of my paintings- "Monkey Love Song" (Amy Crehore).

Here's the link to all images-

LINK

The Art of Amy Crehore

"The Leads All Gone" performed by the Hokum Scorchers

In 1990, the Hokum Scorchers performed a song called, "The Leads All Gone". It was originally done by Bo Carter (a.k.a. Bo Chatmon) in 1931 as "My Pencil Won't Write No More" and later it was recorded in 1980 by his brother Sam Chatmon on Flying Fish Records as "Pencil Lead Blues".

Lou Reimuller is singing and playing the National guitar and kazoo and I am singing, playing washboard and kazoo.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Some End of the Year Links for You!

A very old photo of a younger me

1. Johnny Depp to play Banjo uke in George Formby role LINK 
2. The Junky's Christmas, William Borrough's Claymation 1991 LINK
3. The Iceberg, a story by Zelda Fitzgerald when she was a teen 1918 LINK
4. James Brown Mystery of Black ad: LINK
5. Video of Francoise Gilot who still paints everyday at 92: LINK
6. Boingboing has a new movie available for download: LINK
7. Napoleon blowing bubbles! 1813 LINK 
8. The Hokum Scorchers on soundcloud, recordings from early 90s: LINK

The Art of Amy Crehore

A Papa Charlie Jackson song performed by The Hokum Scorchers

This song is from 1929. Lou is playing the guitar-banjo and I am playing the washboard. I painted the portrait of Papa Charlie Jackson. We recorded this in 1995.
Here is the link to the Hokum Scorchers songs on soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/hokumscorchers

The Art of Amy Crehore
 

Yanna's Donut performed by the Hokum Scorchers

This is the Hokum Scorchers's adapted version of a Spark Plug Smith tune of 1933 called "Mama's Donut". We recorded this in 1995. Lou Reimuller plays National guitar and I play the washboard.

 

The Art of Amy Crehore

Pick Poor Robin Clean performed by The Hokum Scorchers

Listen to Luke Jordan's "Pick Poor Robin Clean" (a song from 1927). Lou Reimuller guitar/ kazoo, Amy Crehore washboard/kazoo. Recorded by The Hokum Scorchers in 1990.
The Hokum Scorchers channel on soundcloud with free downloads.
 

"Please Don't Wake It Up"- performed by The Hokum Scorchers

In 1992, the Hokum Scorchers recorded the Mississippi Sheiks' "Please Don't Wake It Up" (a song from 1931). Lou Reimuller is on National guitar and I am playing a snare drum. We both sing. Have a listen.

The Art (and music) of Amy Crehore

Let's Get Drunk Again- performed by The Hokum Scorchers

The Hokum Scorchers at my "Dreamgirls and Ukes" gallery show.

(Photo taken by Mark Lowrie 2009 at Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles)



"Let's Get Drunk Again" (song by Bo Chatmon 1938). This is a 1990 tape recording- Hokum Scorchers. Lou plays National guitar, Amy Crehore (me) on washboard w/cups.

The Art of Amy Crehore

The Hokum Scorchers Perform "Stamps Blues"

This was inspired by the Tony Hollins 1941 version of the song. Lou and I recorded this in 1995. I'm playing the washboard and Lou is playing a vintage National guitar.

Hokum Scorchers Playing National Brand Instruments

More information about this 1930s song and the vintage National instruments that Lou and I play can be found here !

This song was featured on boingboing's GWEEK .

The Art of Amy Crehore

Combo Waltz performed by the Hokum Scorchers

Here is one of our Hokum Scorcher's recordings called Combo Waltz. I am playing the washboard and cups and Lou Reimuller is playing the National guitar, harmonica and kazoo. This song is based on a Memphis Jugband song from the late 20s, early 30s.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Kesey Party 1992

Ken Kesey

Hokum Scorchers (Lou Reimuller and Amy Crehore)

Okay, so Jerry Garcia got sick in August of 1992.The Grateful Dead were supposed to headline an event called "Field Trip" in Veneta, OR, but they cancelled due to illness. So, the musicians that were also supposed to play at the event headed out to Ken Kesey's property. My band, The Hokum Scorchers, played music for 20 minutes on a makeshift stage in a field next to Kesey's house. All the food was gone when we got there, so we played on an empty stomach. I think they paid us $5.

Here's my badge (front and back views above) sporting Kesey's own psychedelic artwork. I believe Gus Van Sant was there that day, too, filming the part where Kesey read his childrens' book on stage (wearing a bear costume).

Unfortunately, Kesey's outfit caught on fire as he was doing his thing. I think I heard him scream, "Turn the cameras off!!". My memory is foggy, but I know that I wore my vintage Foster Grant sunglasses like I always do when we play hokum music. I remember asking Ken Babbs if Robert Stone was there because I had just illustrated a story of his for Esquire magazine. "Nope, he's not here, but Timothy Leary is supposed to show up". I remember knocking my microphone completely off the platform. Ka-Plunk! Everyone in the audience was stoned, so it really didn't matter what anyone did on stage. We walked past an old junker on our way out...it was "Further", the original hippie bus (photo above). Later, we would get to play music on Ken Kesey's float in the annual Eugene parade. He made us do a version of the song "Gloria". It must have been one of his favorites. There is a film of that somewhere...

The Art of Amy Crehore

P.S. I posted this story 3 years ago, but I am posting it again this morning as I head out to see the Eugene Celebration parade. I will always remember riding on that float with Ken Kesey who was dressed in his shaggy bear costume. Standing at the front of the float, he almost hit his head on a tree limb as we made our way down the streets of Eugene, OR. There is now a statue of Kesey in the middle of town. He is reading a book to children.

Scene from Ghost World: Devil Got My Woman

I wrote a little essay about the movie Ghost World for Boing Boing's Mind Blowing Movies series.
 LINK

 Here's the scene where Enid discovers Skip James' "Devil Got My Woman" for the first time, a record she got at Seymour's yard sale.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Hokum Scorchers songs

"Loan Me Your Heart", a Papa Charlie Jackson Song

Papa Charlie Jackson portrait by Amy Crehore

I love Papa Charlie Jackson's music from the 1920s. He played a 6-string Gibson guitar- banjo. Check out the huge head on this banjo (above). I painted this portrait of him in the 1990s. Our little band, The Hokum Scorchers, did a few of his numbers. One such song is "Loan Me Your Heart". I love this song. 

You can listen to our version (recorded in the 1990s) HERE. 
(I play washboard/cups and Lou Reimuller plays guitar and sings).

P.S. Another song by Papa Charlie Jackson is "Papa Do Do Do". Our version of that song can be found here: LINK 

The Art of Amy Crehore

Gweek 017 Podcast: David Hahn & another Hokum Scorchers' song

Gweek is Boing Boing's podcast about comic books, science fiction and fantasy, video games, board games, tools, gadgets, apps and other neat stuff.

This week, Mark Frauenfelder interviews David Hahn, creator of of the comic book, All Nighter, published by Image Comics. David has also drawn for Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse.

The episode closes with another song by The Hokum Scorchers, a duo consisting of artist Amy Crehore and guitar maker Lou Reimuller. The song is called “I Got Your Ice Cold NuGrape" from 1926. (P.S. Here's the history of the NuGrape Song from a previous blog post!)
Link to Gweek:
GWEEK 017

The Art of Amy Crehore

Gweek 015 features Craig Yoe + another Hokum Scorchers' song

Check out the interview with Craig Yoe, designer and comic historian, on a brand new episode of Boingboing's Gweek podcast (015). Also, my band, The Hokum Scorchers, plays a version of Luke Jordan's 1927 song "Pick Poor Robin Clean" at the end of the podcast. Luke Jordan was a blues guitarist and singer from Lynchburg, VA. We recorded this song in 1990.

Lou Reimuller - National guitar/kazoo/vocals, Amy Crehore- on the washboard/kazoo/vocals.

GWEEK 015

The Art of Amy Crehore

Our recording of "Pick Poor Robin Clean" is also found here.

"Bumber By Number" Art Show, Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle

Bumber by Number is an interactive art exhibit curated by Jo David and Marlo Harris for the 2011 Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, WA. There will be a preview on Thursday from 3pm -9pm and the exhibit will be open 11 am- 8pm, 9/3/11 - 9/5/11. The theme of this special art show is paint-by-numbers. It will be located in the Seattle Center Pavillion at the Bumbershoot Festival.

For a slide show preview of altered paint-by-numbers by an impressive list of featured artists please follow this link (scroll down):

BUMBER BY NUMBER

If you are going to the festival, don't miss this art show! My band,The Hokum Scorchers, played music in Seattle at Bumbershoot and Folklife festival in the past and we always had a ton of fun.

NEW: Gweek 014 Podcast and The Hokum Scorchers

Gweek is Boing Boing’s cool new podcast about "comic books, science fiction and fantasy, video games, board games, tools, gadgets, apps and other neat stuff". Here’s the lineup for episode 14 .

You can hear my band, The Hokum Scorchers (Amy Crehore and Lou Reimuller), playing a version of "You May Go", a Memphis Jug Band song (more details here) toward the end (56:30) of the new episode of Gweek 014.

Above is a detail of my painting "The Angel at Gossamer Creek". Links to blues, rags and jug band songs performed by The Hokum Scorchers (recorded in the 1990s) can be found here. (boingboing recently blogged ten songs).

Thank you Mark Frauenfelder of BOINGBOING.

Be sure to check out ALL the episodes of Gweek (free on itunes).

The Art of Amy Crehore

Ten Hokum Scorchers Songs

Here's the LINK to ten of our songs that were recorded in the 1990s. We play various instruments on these recordings. This is traditional hokum music: jug band, blues and rags. The Hokum Scorchers is a duo comprised of Lou Reimuller and Amy Crehore. We played at Bumbershoot, Seattle Folklife, Ken Kesey's events and other festivals and venues in the northwest. And, in 2009, we played at my solo art show opening in L.A.

P.S. There are also a couple more songs on my website (scroll down to play): LINK

I may add more in days to come.

Thanks for the mention BOINGBOING!