Ian McLagan "An Innocent Man"

The nominees were announced on September 26th for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and they will be announcing who gets in today. This year, there is a list of fifteen, and for my money, they (almost) all are worthy: Beastie Boys, The Cure, Donovan, Eric B. & Rakim, Guns 'N Roses, Heart, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Freddie King, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rufus with Chaka Khan, The Spinners, Donna Summer, War, and The Small Faces/The Faces.

Formed in London in 1965, the Small Faces ascended as contemporaries of the Beatles, the Who and the Rolling Stones. In the 70s, they re-emerged with a shortened name and a refreshing driving energy. They were initially bassist Ronnie Lane, organist Ian McLagan, drummer Kenney Jones and singer Steve Marriott. When Steve left the band in 1969, singer Rod Stewart and guitarist Ron Wood, both from the Jeff Beck Group, joined The Faces. If you are not familiar with their catalog, pick your platform – iTunes, Pandora, Slacker, Spotify, whatever, and dig in to some mighty fine stuff. The Faces broke up in 1975 when Rod went solo and Ronnie Wood joined the Stones. Ronnie Lane passed in 1997. Along the way Ian McLagan wound up in Austin, Texas and has continued to record with The Bump Band. He has written a marvelous book called All The Rage which chronicles this amazing era.

We jumped at the chance to film Ian McLagan during Americana Fest in Nashville this past October, while we camped out at Marathon Recorders. He brought Jon Notarthomas with him, and they proceeded to play one from the 2008 album Never Say Never. “An Innocent Man” is poignant, beautiful, sparse in this recording, making it even more haunting. And we wish Ian “bon chance” on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame entry!

- Jessie Scott

Update on 2011-12-07 14:54 by Music Fog

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the 2012 inductees this morning, and Ian McLagan is IN, with the Small Faces/The Faces! For more details, and information about the Induction Ceremony, click here.

The Hickman-Dalton Gang "Construction Man"

Wow, what a destructive weather year this was. There are houses to be built in the wake of the wildfires in Texas, New Mexico, and California. There are dwellings to be repaired from the flooding in Vermont. This has been a year with extreme tornado damage in Tuscaloosa, Joplin, and Springfield, Mass. There is much to repair this year. If you can help, donations are always welcome at the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and The United Way, just to name a few agencies.

Today, we celebrate the striving for accomplishment. It is a wonderful thing to find a handy guy (or girl, for that matter), and it is a most awesome thing to rebuild, whether it is as a weekend warrior or doing it as a full time job. The song we bring you is “Construction Man,” from Denver’s Hickman-Dalton Gang, Volume 2 CD which came out earlier this year. Allow me to introduce you; Johnny Hickman is best known for being the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alt-rock band Cracker. Partner Jim Dalton is the lead guitarist for Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, and is also the lead singer of The Railbenders. HDG is a long-term side project for Hickman and Dalton. Joining them are Jeremy Lawton on bass, from Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Tony Asnicar on guitar, Chris Helvey on drums, and a guest contribution from Jimmy Stelling, formerly of the Hackensaw Boys, on banjo. Here is a video debut: “Construction Man” doing it all, from framing to roofing to curb-and-gutter, accompanied by friends, cold beer, live music, and fun. The Hickman-Dalton Gang.

- Jessie Scott

Blind Boys of Alabama "Amazing Grace"

In the San Antonio airport on Saturday, there was a crowd of about thirty people with signs welcoming home Marines from Iraq. I stopped to watch as one by one, they came off the airplane into the terminal to the accompaniment of cheers, hugs, kisses and tears of joy. In their first embrace with the wife, the love was palpable. The kids were next, and the parents, and friends were there to celebrate and take a deep breath of relief. The men will not have to go back to Iraq. Huzzah. It was incredible to watch. So emotional and so poignant with the thought that these men so proudly served our country. I hope they live happily ever after.

Let’s dedicate this song today to them, in prayer and gratitude for their safe return. It is “Amazing Grace,” from the Blind Boys Of Alabama. They were actually the first group we filmed during Americana Fest in Nashville this past October, while we were doing Music Fog sessions at Marathon Recorders. The Blind Boys have been busy all fall on an extensive U.S. concert tour, including stops at the GRAMMY Museum® in Los Angeles and San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. If you are lucky, they will be performing their Christmas show, "Go Tell It On The Mountain," near you. Their latest offering is Take the High Road, a country-gospel album produced by Jamey Johnson with lots of high profile guests. An earlier recording of today’s tune, “Amazing Grace” can be found on their CD Spirit Of The Century. Here are Jimmy Carter, Ben Moore, and Ricky McKinnie, with Joey Williams on guitar and vocals, Tracy Pierce on bass/vocals, Austin Moore on drums, and Eugene Peoples on keyboards.

- Jessie Scott