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.

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!

Hokum Scorchers

Here's a photo of Lou Reimuller a.k.a. Sunset Lou (creator of Teenar, Girl Guitar) doing what he does best, playing hokum music in the Hokum Scorchers band (with me). Also, here is a painting I did for a music cassette cover which has an image of my "Feed the Kitty" sculpture on it. And here is my actual "Feed the Kitty", a hand-crafted piece of folk art which I dragged around to gigs such as the Seattle Folk Festival and Bumbershoot. It was equipped with a foot petal that made the tail move up and down that we activated when people put coins in the mouth of the cat.

(All images from the '90's.)

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

Mysterious Coon Song from 1928

The album is called "Black Blues in the Segregation Era". It's put out by Document Records. Amazon.com has an MP3 that you can purchase of a song on this album called the "Mysterious Coon" .

My band, The Hokum Scorchers, did their own version of this song in 1990 with Lou Reimuller singing and playing a National guitar and a National mandolin. I played washboard on this tinpan alley style song.

It was originally recorded by a group of musicians in 1928 from Mississippi (in Atlanta, GA) called "Alec Johnson and his Band" - Alec sang vocal, accompanied by Bo Chatmon & Charlie McCoy, Joe McCoy.

I posted this blog entry a few years ago, but this morning I uploaded the song to my tumbler because I had a request for it:

Have a listen to the "Mysterious Coon" done by the Hokum Scorchers.

(recorded in 1990)

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

"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

Sunday Night Song on Tuesday!

Okay, I got lazy on Sunday night. A fan from Germany wrote me and was disappointed that there wasn't a new song to listen to. So, here is my Sunday night song, "Combo Waltz" performed by the Hokum Scorchers. This was originally a Memphis Jug Band song. Lou Reimuller is playing National Guitar, harmonica and kazoo and I (Amy Crehore) am playing the washboard and cups. Follow link and scroll down for player:

The Music of the Hokum Scorchers

This song changes every Sunday night, so it will be different by the time you read this.

Sunday Switcheroo-"Tricks Ain't Walkin No More" (encore) by Hokum Scorchers

Curley Weaver -East Coast Piedmont Blues player
This number, "Tricks Ain't Walkin' No More", was first done by Curley Weaver in 1935. Memphis Minnie also did a version of this song. The Hokum Scorchers recorded this in 1990 for their first cassette. I'm playing the washboard and cups and Lou Reimuller is playing the National Guitar. We are both singing on this one - it's pretty funky and fast-paced. To hear the song, follow the link and scroll down for music player:
The Art of Amy Crehore - Music

This song is an encore - I previously blogged it in April. :)

Also, this song will change on Sunday night, so it will probably be different by the time you read this post.

Sunday Night Song - Tampa Red

Painting by Amy Crehore for "Feed the Kitty" album cover

From the Hokum Scorchers' "Feed the Kitty" album comes a wonderful song- originally done by Hudson Woodbridge (a.k.a. Tampa Red 1936)- called "When You Were a Girl of Seven". This version was recorded in 1992. Lou Reimuller plays the National guitar, sings and plays kazoo. Amy Crehore is on a vintage tenor banjo. Scroll down for the music player on this link:

Hokum Scorchers

By the time you read this, the song will have changed. I'm rotating songs every Sunday.

New Song

From Vega Catalog 1923

I'm going to try rotating different Hokum Scorchers songs on my website every Sunday night - just for fun. Have a listen to the Hokum Scorchers playing the 1920's song, "Papa Do Do Do" by Papa Charlie Jackson (this version was recorded in 1995). Lou Reimuller is playing a Vega Whyte Laydie guitar-banjo and I am on the washboard. I will be playing snare drum, tenor banjo, National plectrum, kazoo and singing on future songs. So, stay tuned for more craziness. Oh, and scroll down the page on this link for the player. My website is set up that way...you have to scroll down to read it - like a blog.

LINK

P.S. The song will change every Sunday night!

So, it may be a different one by the time you read this.

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

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
 

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.

Sam Chatmon and Hokum Music

In 1990, the Hokum Scorchers recorded 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".

Here is an actual YouTube video of Sam Chatmon in 1978 performing a song called, "That's My Gal". For more performances by Sam on YouTube follow this LINK

If you would like to hear the Hokum Scorcher's perform "The Leads All Gone" (1990) follow this link and scroll down for music player. Lou Reimuller is singing and playing the National guitar and kazoo and I am singing, playing washboard and kazoo. (I switch this song every Sunday.)

The Art (and Music) of Amy Crehore

The Hokum Scorcher song on my website will be a different one most likely by the time you read this.

Hokum Music

I played washboard, tenor banjo and sometimes a National plectrum in a little band called "The Hokum Scorchers" for many years. That's a kazoo mounted on the rack. We mostly played songs that were popular in the 1920's and 30's by artists such as: Papa Charlie Jackson, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, The Memphis Jugband, Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie and countless others.

Wikipedia's definition of Hokum -
"Hokum is a particular song type of American blues music - a humorous song which uses extended analogies or euphemistic terms to make sexual inuendoes. This trope goes back to early blues recordings and is seen from time to time in modern American blues and blues-rock."
"Got out late last night, in the rain and sleet
Tryin' to find a butcher that grind my meat
Yes I'm lookin' for a butcher
He must be long and tall
If he want to grind my meat
'Cause I'm wild about my meat balls."
from Meat Balls, by Lil Johnson, recorded about 1937

www.amycrehore.com

Hokum Music

I just posted some Hokum Scorchers songs to a myspace page where you can download them if you want to:

LINK

I will upload new ones periodically.

The Art and Music of Amy Crehore

"What's the Matter"

R. Crumb cover - Memphis Jug Band Album (Yazoo)

Okay, I uploaded a new song to my website music player. This Hokum Scorchers' song is a version of "What's the Matter"originally done by the Memphis Jug Band in 1929. Lou Reimuller is playing the National guitar, kazoo and vocals and I am on the washboard, kazoo and vocals. We recorded this in 1990 for our first Hokum Scorcher's album.

LINK

(To hear song, follow link and scroll down for music player)

The Art of Amy Crehore

(These songs change every Sunday night.)

Hokum Scorchers Perform "Pick Poor Robin Clean"

Luke Jordan's gravestone photo by Kevin Cleary, deadbluesguys.com

Listen to the Hokum Scorcher's 1990 traditional version of Luke Jordan's "Pick Poor Robin Clean" from 1927. The lyrics remain the same. Luke Jordan (1892-1952) was a blues guitarist and vocalist of some renown in his local area of Lynchburg, VA. Lou Reimuller is singing and playing the National guitar and kazoo and I am singing, playing washboard and kazoo. Follow link and scroll down for music player:

"Pick Poor Robin Clean"

The Art (and Music) of Amy Crehore

This song changes every Sunday evening and it will probably be different by the time you read this.

My "Dreamgirls and Ukes" Show

Antique Ukulele painted by Amy Crehore 2009

Hokum Hallelujah, 12" x 18", oil on linen, copyright Amy Crehore 2009

My solo show, "Dreamgirls and Ukes", will open on Feb. 13, 2009 from 7-11pm. There will be a special performance at 9pm by my band, The Hokum Scorchers. I just posted all of my images for the show on FLICKR in two sets:

14 PAINTINGS

13 RESTORED & PAINTED ANTIQUE UKULELES

OR watch the whole show as a

SLIDE SHOW

Follow links to view them.

The Art of Amy Crehore

P.S. All of the ukes will be set up by a luthier for this show.