Happy Birthday, Jay: The Greatest Cornbread Mix You Will Ever Hear

Guess what? For those of you that replied "chicken butt," good on you, mate. i love that joke.

Today is my brother Jay's birthday. Happy 34th, old timer. You're still not as good looking as your older brother, but that just gives you something to shoot for next year.

As luck would have it, Jay is in a band, Reid Wilson and His So-Called Friends. These good, ol' boys play old timey country music with a corn liquor kick. Think more Hank Williams, Sr. with a healthy dose of mandolin pickin'. If you heard "country music" and thought somebody like Garth Brooks, seriously, get out of my house right now. And don't let the doorknob hit you in the ass. Anyway, as is appropriate and good, Reid and the boys sing about the important things in life, like girls with tattoos, getting shitfaced and wishing your hair was made out of weed. That would be my little brother on lead guitar and back-up vocals. Trust me, this stuff is finger lickin' good.

mp3: Girls with Tattoos (Reid Wilson and His So-Called Friends from Country Music Revolution)

mp3: The Hairijuana Song (Reid Wilson and His So-Called Friends from Country Music Revolution)

And as an extra special gift for my bro, a little special mix for the guy that folks down Austin, Texas-way call Cornbread.

mp3: Beans and Cornbread (Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five from Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five: 1947-1949)

mp3: Cornbread and Butterbeans (Carolina Chocolate Drops from Genuine Negro Jig)

mp3: Cornbread (Lee Morgan from Cornbread)

mp3: Roast Fish and Cornbread (Lee "Scratch" Perry from Roast Fish, Collie Weed & Cornbread)

mp3: Cornbread, Fish and Collard Greens (Anthony Hamilton from Comin' From Where I'm From)

mp3: Cornbread (The Band of Heathens from The Band of Heathens)

mp3: Cornbread (Skavoovie and the Epitones from Fat Footin')

mp3: Cornbread Nation (Tim O'Brien from Cornbread Nation)

mp3: Cornbread And Peas And Black Molasses (Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee from Live At The New Penelope Cafe)

mp3: Cornbread And Peas And Black Molasses (Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee from California Blues)

It's Covered: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?

Ed. Note--It's been brought to my attention there's a problem w/ the remix track below, and I'm afraid I don't know how to fix it. Hence, it has been removed, but I'm too lazy to go back and re-write the existing paragraph. Sorry about that.

While there are individual reasons for each "It's Covered" post, the one overarching theme seems to be songs from my early childhood, most notably those found in various cartoons. It is with this in mind that I bring today's offering, "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?" or, as I like to refer to it, "that song from Tom & Jerry."

"Is You Is" probably the first song I ever enjoyed specifically as a cover. When I first heard it outside of the T&J classic, I loved it for being a variation on a theme. Long story short, while I was raised on Joe Cocker and others who made entire careers out of cover songs, this was the first "cover tune" I appreciated for being itself.

Originally released as a B-side to "G.I. Jive" by Louis Jordan in 1944, the song enjoyed its own success before eventually being covered by everyone from B.B. King to Saffire, the Uppity Blues Women.

Today's versions include Louis' original, as well as takes by Bing Crosby & the Andrew Sisters (please pardon the few glitches; it's an OLD track) and Cab Calloway (for the criminally under-educated musically, that old dude in The Blues Brothers). To keep things interesting, we've also got Dinah Washington's original stab, as well as the Rae & Christian Remix of the same piece from the wonderful Verve Remixed series.

And, of course, the version that got this whole ball of wax started in the first place from Solid Serenade.





mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Louis Jordan)

mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Bing Crosby & the Andrew Sisters)

mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Cab Calloway)

mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Dinah Washington)