The Zig Gazette

The Zig Gazette

Labor Day 2009 Issue

Jim Ziegler, Bill Raffensperger, Ron McRorey, Jim Downing

Thezigsband.com Myspace.com/thezigsband

FRIDAY Sep 4 Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill, Disney OK

Last Minute Booking

We used to play Blues City regularly and even hosted those legendary Sunday Jams one season. Things went sour there when that manager chick ran off with the money from a benefit. But the newest owner was interested in us. Heck, our picture is on page one of their web site! Anyway, we are booked there now for October 10 and November 14.

Something came up and The Double Wides couldn’t do the Blues City gig last Friday, so fab bassist Kevin Flint asked Zig if we could fill in. (Bill was doing Friday with Crook at Lanna Thai). We drafted Chris Douglas on drums. David Russell also showed up and played sax with us about half the night, and Zigs alumnus Tom Hanford brought his rig and played a set. It was great. Tom is on the first Zigs CD.

Some of our regular viewers were there; we had sent out a terse note to the locals. Toward the end of the night, a familiar face at the front table asked for Jailhouse Rock. I was trying to figure out who he was when he reminded me –it’s the legendary “Big Mike”. If you don’t know who he is, I’m not telling you. I could tell some stories about this guy, but I won’t. Well, he was once sort of ‘bad’, but not really. He was a good guy who could be real tough when necessary. We had some good times together many years ago. He’s just moved back to Tulsa from Georgia, I believe.

One thing I can tell is that he came to hear The Oscillators at Hawg Alley about ten years ago. I saw him in the back and asked him how he was digging us. “I’m having a great time.” He said, adding sheepishly, “Except I had to hit this guy. I told him to leave that chick alone. She told him, I told him. He didn’t stop, so I hit him.”

“Where is he?” I asked, looking around.

“They carried him out.” He shrugged.

If Mike had to fight, he didn’t waste any time; one punch, goodnight. Flying Horse hired him as our door man on some gigs. It was good to have him on our side. It’s good to see him.

Two Greats Gone

Larry Knechtel passed away last week. He was one of the busiest session musicians of all time. That’s Larry playing bass on “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Light My Fire”, guitar on “Guitar Man”, organ on “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” and piano on “Rockin’ Pneumonia” and “Dream A Little Dream”. He played with Elvis, The Carpenters, The Monkees, and nearly everyone who recorded in Los Angeles in the sixties and seventies. He’s on Roger Tillison’s ATCO album, and recorded with The Rubber Band. If you go to his web page, there’s a link to his session work. It’s mind boggling. Only Hal Blaine played on more hit records, and many of those were with Larry. Larry Knechtel was an immensely talented individual, and a one-man band.

Ellie Greenwich also took up the harp this week. She and Jeff Barry wrote a slew of hit songs, starting with The Kind Of Boy You Can’t Forget, then came Do Wah Diddy, Da Do Ron Ron, Leader Of The Pack, Then He Kissed Me, Be My Baby, Hanky Panky, Chapel Of Love and River Deep, Mountain High. She also produced most of Neil Diamond’s early records and arranged and sang back up vocals for dozens of top artists, including Chain Of Fools for Aretha Franklin. My personal favorite is an obscure 1962 single by Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans (Bobby Sheen and Darlene Love) called “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts?” which has a good piano solo by Leon Russell. You tube has a tribute to Ellie with 43 hit records! Ellie had 25 songs that were gold records.

FRIDAY Sep 4 Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill, Disney OK

This Weekend

We’re back at our favorite Disney place, Mooney’s. Come up if you dare. It is the Labor Day weekend, after all. Our regular fans will be there. Mooney’s is the cool place to be on the south end of the lake and the grill is famous for the great burgers, which are now even bigger. You can boat right up to it too.

We’ve raved about Mooney’s before. The deal is, in every college town or resort area there is always one place where the local cogniscenti, the hip aristocracy, hang out, where the fun is the funnest and the music is inspired. Mooney’s is that place, a legend on the lake, where the best acts have played for 20 years. (Somehow we managed to get booked there too – go figure). Even if it’s your first time, you’ll feel right at home.

Sometimes we wonder who is entertaining whom. This crowd knows how to have a good time. There will doubtless be a lot of ‘last weekend of summer’ drop-ins; come on up and help us show them how to have fun. Don’t forget that tip jar by the right PA speaker. This bunch always inspires us to push the envelope, and new songs just pop up out of nowhere.

Other Stuff

By the way, we are back in the studio and just about finished with the tracking. We’re down to one vocal, one guitar and maybe one piano track. Then we mix, then bake, then serve! Joe Hancock, our engineer (and a hot shot guitarist, by the way) is thinking about taking the finished tracks up to his new place on Grand Lake, holing himself up in a wooden room, and spending some serious time on the perfect mix. That would infuse the record with an appropriate vibe, we think.

Speaking of our recorded catalog, both Zigs CDs are still available at CDBaby.com and itunes, for purchase or downloading. We may never go in the black on these projects, but that hasn’t stopped us. We make music because we have to. Even if you download one song, it sends us a little coin to help recoup the production costs. And we have these unrealistic delusions that maybe someday, somehow, one of these songs will just take off on it’s own like a runaway warthog and charge its way into the hearts of millions.

“We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of the dreams.” –Willy Wonka (quoting O’Shaughnessy). Someone has to do it.

Jeff Nix bought the latest CD and started really listening to it. He writes:

I work out about every day-tennis a few days, treadmill and weights the rest. On the treadmill days, I grab a CD and listen to the entire thing. I don't do MP-3, or 4, or whatever is au courant now. You miss cuts that might be good. So, today, I went Jukin'...you probably knew this before, but you guys are good! I have heard you do some covers in the live show, but your originals are quite good. It’s more musical than I expected-rhythm changes, deviations from 12-bar, or verse-chorus-verse-chorus-ride-verse chorus. You've got those in a tasteful amount, but you've got some real clever deviations. And, there is some thinkin' going on in some of the lyrics. Some real honesty about some emotions and events that really matter. I will go Jukin' again.

Thank you Jeff, here’s your check.

Happy end of summer 2009, Ziggaz; we really mean it. Even if we don’t see you, have a fun and safe weekend.

Our next Tulsa gig is the Magic Circle Block Party at Cowan Park Saturday Sep. 19 at six PM. It’s free to the public, with food and games and other family fun stuff.

FRIDAY Sep 4 Mooney’s Sunset Bar & Grill, Disney OK

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