Cincinnati Babyhead

Speaks his mind on music & movies!

Jerry Jeff Walker

Another guy I have listened to for years. Man was he good. I was a big fan. Love him.

“‘Just living my life easy come easy go”

34 comments on “Jerry Jeff Walker”

  1. badfinger20 (Max)
    December 4, 2020

    Very few people have a natural great voice…you are born with that voice…you don’t manufacture it.
    Great feel for the songs he is singing. I like his version of Mr. Bojangles.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      December 4, 2020

      Max, Jerry Jeff was a favorite of mine. I’ve been meaning to pull the trigger for a long time (Give him a proper take soon). ‘Bojangles’ is such a cool song. I love story song especially based on some sort of truth. David Bromberg plays guitar on the take I posted. He also does a great version of the tune but also it’s a tribute of his years playing with Walker. I just found out he passed over on Hans’s place. Special musician in my books. Thanks for dropping by.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      • badfinger20 (Max)
        December 4, 2020

        I can’t believe I’m saying this but every single time I hear “the dog up and died” it gets to me deep down…when a song does that…that is a good song.
        You mentioned him a little while back and I listened to him…there was no going through the motions with Walker. He is inside every song.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        December 4, 2020

        The whole story about meeting him in the drunk tank and something that beautiful comes out of it. Back to Bromberg, I think he is in the same line of work as your kin were. Pretty sure he makes or repairs string instruments. Pretty fantastic player in his own right.

        Liked by 1 person

      • badfinger20 (Max)
        December 4, 2020

        That is cool
        I’m looking at his gear right now…some pretty cool looking guitars. I hung out with a guitar tech named Turner Miles…I met a lot of the older musicans from Nashville and Texas… The stories were awesome.

        I met a guitar player named Leon Rhodes right before he passed in his 80s…Well, I got off topic CB.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        December 4, 2020

        All good Max. All related .We dont stay around here forever. Two of my all time faves left this year Jerry Jeff and John Prine. Same mold. Put a grin on my face.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. hotfox63
    December 4, 2020

    Thanks for remember him, CB! I think “Mr. Bojangles” will live on. Another wonderful song is “London Homesick Blues”, that he recorded with the Lost Gonzo Band.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Aphoristical
    December 4, 2020

    First you get me listening to Guy Clark’s ‘Desperados Waiting For A Train’, now you’ve got me listening to JJW’s cover.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. greenpete58
    December 4, 2020

    Yeah, was sorry to see him pass recently. I like his early albums, which were maybe closer to folk than country. And his version of Nightrider’s Lament” has special meaning. He’s up there with Guy and Townes.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      December 4, 2020

      Absolutely Pete, those guys were all joined at the hip. Jerry Jeff always felt like an old friend. I have a feeling he led a couple lives. Looked like he cleaned up his act in later years. Physically he looked good.

      Like

      Reply
  5. Phil Strawn
    December 4, 2020

    Good post CB. Here in Texas, JJ is akin to Willy as they have both approached sainthood at times. I was kicking around Austin a bit in those Cowboy-Hippie days and saw him perform a few times in small venues. Like you say, a natural voice that comes easily. Great tunesmith. We are loosing these icons at an alarming rate and there is no one stepping up to fill that void.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      December 4, 2020

      Phil, had a feeling you’d chime in. He made it up to the Frozen North a couple of times. Just a real cool laid back enjoyable evening with a guy who knew how to draw you in, very subtle like. I’m sure there are some good people out there doing this kind of stuff but they would have a long way to go get the miles on them like Jerry Jeff and the boys did.

      Like

      Reply
  6. Yeah, Another Blogger
    December 4, 2020

    So many musicians have died this year. Spencer Davis and Johnny Nash passed away recently too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      December 4, 2020

      “So many” is right. Prine and Walker were two big people in my musical journey.
      “But most the time I spend behind these county bars, cause I drinks a bit”. Man what a lyric.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Phil Strawn
        December 4, 2020

        I would like to think those two met and visited a while. Two icons.

        Like

  7. Phil Strawn
    December 4, 2020

    One other thing about Jerry Jeff. Viva Teralingua is his most famous album; at least in Texas. If you have the chance to visit Lukenbach, and the general store, which is about the only building in town, you will wonder how in the world did they manage to record that album in that small space. No acoustics, full of junk and a hundred years of dust on everything. Over in Austin, everyone was drinking Lone Star long-necks and eating cheeseburgers. Sangria Wine hit the airwaves, and everyone was making tubs full of that crap in their backyard. A few tokes, a foam cup of Sangria with ever-clear, and you were good to go for at least 24 hours.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      December 4, 2020

      He certainty brought Texas to a lot of folk. I drank a bit of “that crap” Phil. If it was good enough for Jerry it was good enough for CB. Nothing like hearing talent performing in a shit hole. That tells a story. None of that high maintenance stuff. Prine and Jerry had the same laid back vibe. Always some kind a humor rolling around in their heads. Maybe a little mischief.

      Like

      Reply
      • Phil Strawn
        December 4, 2020

        I drank my share also. Always made for a memorable headache. I’m thinking hard about who can step it up. JJ, and Billy Joe gone now, and who knows about Willie. He is so well preserved from cannabis, he might live to be 150. We have a lot of Red Dirt boys here in Texas singing about pick-up trucks, girls and beer, but that goes only so far. CB, you should have been born in Texas. Keep up the good reviews.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        December 4, 2020

        There are those guys like Ely, Hancock, Gilmore, Asleep that I like. But newer younger people I would have to dig. I’m with you on certain country, this stuff from the guys we are talking about has a lot more going on. Thanks Phil and maybe a real Texan can have a beer with a spirit Texan. Just watched ‘Last Picture Show” again. Ben Johnson’s the best.

        Like

      • Phil Strawn
        December 4, 2020

        Sure “thang.” I watched it last week on Pluto TV. Not sure how Bodonavitch got all those great actors in one place, but he hit a good one. That movie was racy for the time and it caught a lot of flak. What ever happened to Timothy Bottoms? We know the back story on the others, but he was a good thespian. McMurtry did Texas proud with that one. I don’t believe Archer City has changed a bit since 1971. Check out “Going South” with Jack Nicholson, another gem in a bucket of rocks.

        Liked by 1 person

      • cincinnatibabyhead
        December 5, 2020

        I remember seeing ‘Going South at the theater. Time for a revisit. So many good performances in Picture Show and yeah, no idea on Timothy

        Like

  8. keepsmealive
    December 4, 2020

    Man, this takes me back.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. christiansmusicmusings
    December 5, 2020

    I’ve always loved “Mr. Bojangles” but only knew the Sammy Davis Jr. version – glad I finally listened to the original!

    I’m not familiar with Jerry Jeff Walker. In fact, for many years I wouldn’t listen to any country music with a few exceptions. Based on your clips, Walker definitely sounds like somebody I should further explore – another addition to the growing pile! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      December 5, 2020

      Jerry Jeff is staple with me. The original Bojangles is the one for me. There was
      something real and authentic with Jerry Jeff. I have a bunch of his records. Magic to me. Thanks for dropping by. And Yeah, my “pile” is growing also.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  10. Francisco Bravo Cabrera
    December 6, 2020

    Got to get to know him CB

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. msjadeli
    March 29, 2021

    I really like the deep timbre of his voice. Reminds me of Townes…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • cincinnatibabyhead
      March 30, 2021

      Jerry Jeff had a great voice. I like both him and Townes a lot. Walker is a little more up beat but I do like going to TVZ land also. We have common ground here.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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