Gibson's Banner Guitars Were Made By Women During WWII

The workers at the Gibson guitar factory during WWII were nearly all women (photo 1944). 

In a new book, John Thomas uncovers the story of the Kalamazoo Gals and the Gibson "Banner" guitars that were built by these women during that period.

They are some of the finest guitars ever made.

LINK to book (by John Thomas)

Voice of America Story (Tom Banse)

Thanks, T. Tex Edwards

Sunday Night Song Rotation

"Yanna's Donut", cover image from a cassette of Hokum Scorcher's music

I have a new song on my music player now. This one is called "Stamps Blues". We got this song from the Tony Hollins' version, 1941. Lou is playing the National guitar and I am playing the washboard. We both sing on this one. We recorded it in 1995 for a little cassette we made called "Yanna's Donut" (Chimborazo Records).
Scroll down to hear the song- here:
LINK

The Art of Amy Crehore

P.S. The songs are changed every Sunday nite, so it will be a different song on the player by the time you read this.

"Let Me Entertain You!"

Here are some choice images: French postcards I found on

Femme Femme Femme

The Casino de Paris dancers came from

Tallulahs
I love them all, don't you? The costumes are rad. And so is the guitar.

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

Just Have Faith

Detail of sketch for new painting by Amy Crehore

I am busy working on a large oil painting that has all of my characters in it. It's coming along just the the way it's supposed to. After working on small canvases for a few years, I was ready to work large again. Back to my old ways! There's my pierrot, my cat, my monkey, my gal, and even my demon in this one. I've got a beautiful bird bath and some green, green grass. She appears to be a blues gal because she's playing a guitar, but she is looking more like the girl in my "Little Pierrot" paintings -which means that she looks more like me.

This painting will be unveiled in November at a gallery in Santa Monica, CA.I will be blogging more about that show and it's curator soon.

Remember, when things don't go a certain way, just have faith in yourself and be flexible. Everything that happens is for a reason. It's exactly the way it's supposed to be.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Amazing Jack Hall

Jack Hall made playable musical instruments out of used wooden matches. Check out the photos and read about this incredible one-of-a-kind folk artist who made a guitar, uke, fiddle, banjo, etc:

Matchstick Man

and here

The Art of Amy Crehore

"I Got Your Ice Cold NuGrape" performed by the Hokum Scorchers

Okay, this song is a jingle written for a brand of soda that came out in 1921 called NuGrape. The Hokum Scorchers are both singing with Lou playing the National guitar (the NuGrape Twins did the original version). Lou and I recorded this in 1995 for our "Yanna's Donut" tape.

Have a listen and find out "what makes your lips go flippity-floppa" in 1926: Hokum Scorchers

(follow this link and scroll down for music player)

The Art of Amy Crehore

Steve Lodefink's Cigar Box Guitar

cbg2
Originally uploaded by steve_lodefink

Saw this on http://www.boingboing.net/ (thanks, Mark Frauenfelder) today which led me to Steve's flickr page (click on photo). I like the body and I really like the tuner buttons which are squiggly around the edges.

Which reminds me, my Tickler Uke #2 is actually done now, except for the tuner buttons which are being hand-carved out of blackwood.

For Steve's home-made telecaster go to http://www.finkbuilt.com/blog/

Teenar Has Something to Tell You

Photo by Lou Reimuller, creator of Teenar, Girl Guitar 1986

Teenar knows she's popular because zillions of guys have been "hitting" on her. So, she wants to tell you that she has a new outfit and she will model it soon. She is also supposed to be featured in Japan's Men's Fashion Magazine,
"Popeye",
in the September issue in an article about her creator, Lou.
The Art of Amy Crehore

The Hokum Scorchers Perform Mississippi Sheiks' Song

Mississippi Sheiks image from Wikipedia

Listen to "Please Don't Wake It Up" (original version by the Mississippi Sheiks 1931) performed by The Hokum Scorchers for our "Feed the Kitty" tape of 1992. Lou Reimuller is on the National guitar w/ vocals. I had fun playing a snare drum and singing on this one. Yazoo Records says that the Mississippi Sheiks were the "most popular blues artists of the 1930's" .

Follow this link and scroll down for the song:

The Hokum Scorchers

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

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

1949 Bigsby Solid Body Electric

This guitar just sold at the Vintage Guitars and Musical Instrument Signature Auction in Dallas for a whopping $266,500. LINK If you want to find out more about the maker of this instrument, Paul Bigsby, there is a new blog called The Bigsby Files. Deke Dickerson is the author of the new blog.

Thanks, Fretboard Journal

Camping in 1890 (from my family archive)

"G" Tent- Camping 1891(family photo, Amy Crehore)
"Dew Drop Inn" 1890 (family photo, Amy Crehore)
PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
Ever wonder what it was like to go camping with the whole family in 1890? Stripes must have been "in" at the "Dew Drop Inn". See the girl playing her tennis racket like a guitar in the top photo? I found these two gems in a box of ancient family photos. I am related to some of these people. (Photos were taken in 1890 and 1891.)
The Art of Amy Crehore

Bizarre Early Picture of "The Boss"

CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTO

Here's a photo I found at home. What are they wearing? Floppy hat, raggy mop-top hair, jeans with patches. What are they playing? A P-90 equipped gold Les Paul guitar and a transparent Dan Armstrong Ampeg bass. What are they whispering to each other? "Vinnie, you just got busted for wearing those silly love beads!" This is an early picture of 3 members of the band Steel Mill with none other than Bruce Springsteen himself. It was taken in 1970 at the Hullabaloo Club in Richmond, VA. (Photo previously unpublished, copyright Lou Reimuller, part of a set of photos taken one afternoon, March 1970).

The Art of Amy Crehore

A Ukulele Story

"The Creature" by Amy Crehore

Someone nice wrote this on his blog the other day:

"I found a ukulele in the thrift shop in P'aia a couple of weeks ago. Well, actually, Carl found it, and told me where it was, but that is another story (like, who is Carl?). I've really been enjoying it, been playing it more than my guitar. I really enjoy playing for my students in yoga class, and I adore the portability aspect. I'm also kind of into this artist I discovered on 'boing boing', Amy Crehore. There is a print called 'The Creature" in the back of the yoga studio that she painted. It is a gentle fantasy set in an apparent island paradise, tucked away in a valley. Two beautiful, brown skinned women sit at the edge of a clear blue pool. Both nude except for hibiscis flowers in their hair, one holds a monkey in her lab while the other plays a ukulele! Oh, and the uke player has a tail. I imagine that she is the creature, as the other two characters eye her curiously as she strums away on her little instrument. A remarkable depiction of magic and wonder, which also happen to be two of my favorite things. Cool thing is, I liked her art even before I started playing uke, I don't think it even registered in my mind that it was an ukulele in the print until I started writing this post. Trippy. Amy is having a show in Los Angeles in February/March, called "Dreamgirls and Ukes". If you happen to be in LA, and make it to the show, send me a postcard, would you?"

Here's the blog: The Main Line Sutras

(thanks!)

Hokum Scorchers Perform "Violent Love"

Here is a picture of the remarkable bassist and songwriter, Willie Dixon.

Check out this list of classic songs that he wrote and all of the people who performed them.
So, it's Sunday night and I just switched the song on my website player. Listen to an adapted version of Willie Dixon's "Violent Love" (1950's) performed by the Hokum Scorchers Band. Lou Reimuller is singing and playing a National guitar and I am playing the washboard. Both of us are playing kazoos. Recorded in 1990. Follow this link and scroll down for song.
Hokum Scorchers
The Art of Amy Crehore

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

"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

A Memphis Jug Band Song by the Hokum Scorchers

Memphis Jug Band

National mandolin style one 1930
National plectrum style one 1928
"You May Go, but This Will Bring You Back", was originally done by the Memphis Jug Band in 1930. The Hokum Scorchers' version has Lou playing a vintage National mandolin. I am playing a National plectrum guitar. The actual instruments we used are shown in these photos. We recorded this song in 1995 for our Yanna's Donut tape.
Listen to "You May Go" here:

Hokum Scorchers

Also, my website has couple more tunes (scroll down):
MUSIC of The Hokum Scorchers Band
The Art of Amy Crehore

Check out Dinosaurs and Robots

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.