Saturday, January 30, 2010

Steve Morse...


A few pics I've found on the net of my all-time fave guitarist, the legendary Steve Morse.

Steve is currently filling the HUGE shoes of Richie Blackmore as the guitarist for Deep Purple (and doing one hell of a job of it!) but I still prefer his instrumental music with the Dregs/Dixie Dregs and especially, The Steve Morse Band, who I first saw as the warm-up act for Rush in Hartford CT. during their 1986 "Power Windows" tour.

Steve is a true working musician, constantly on the road and/or in the studio cutting new material. His many diverse influences range from Celtic and Bluegrass music, Bach, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Led Zeppelin and Walter/Wendy Carlos to name just a few. His style is as ecclectic as his influences and his compositions often fuse elements of many different types of music.

Kick Ass!
Steve can shred with the best of them!

Steve's main axe for about 2 decades was, oddly enough, the Ernie Ball Musicman Steve Morse model. The first time I saw him play this axe was during his short stint with Kansas in the late 1980's. At first I thought it was some type of Strat-style body but it's actually the general size and shape of a Telecaster except with the added cutaway up top. During just one song Steve's sound often shifts wildly from heavily distorted humbucker tones to twangy blue-grass single coil sounds and everything in between!

His newest ax is the new and improved Musicman Steve Morse Y2D.

An early pic of Steve with his legendary "Frankenstein" Fender Telecaster, which he did play the first time I saw him live but from then on in it was the Ernie Ball guitars and the Tele has been retired. Watch Steve kicking it out with that old Tele on a rather energetic little Dregs bluegrass tune called The Bash .
I vividly recall at a show once he said that Heavy Metal and Bluegrass are quite similar in the energy level persent but that with Bluegrass it was OK to smile!

Steve is a master of the classical guitar and his compositions on that instrument are both techincally dazzling and absolutely beautiful to listen to. Seeing him play those songs live, often in a duet with Steve Morse Band bassist Dave LaRue, was always a major highlight of his shows!

Steve has great technical facility and his compositions are often incredibly complex and a challenge even for him to play well on stage, but he always plays them with feeling.


Monday, January 25, 2010

Heroes for Sale...


A 1933 Warner Bros film produced by Hal Wallis and Directed by the great William "Wild Bill" Wellman, "Heroes For Sale" is quintessential pre-code "depression era" drama! Starring the sadly underappreciated Richard Barthelmess, and co-starring Loretta Young, Aline MacMahon, Charlie Grapewin and the always excellent Robert Barrat. I had only seen this film once before about 15 years ago but watched it again tonight. I wouldn't dream of giving away plot details or anything else but suffice it to say that a LOT happens to the people in this film in a little over an hour's time! I LOVE these early 30's Warner Bros films! Their pacing, gritty production values and excellent array of stars and character actors always make for interesting viewing and Wellman made some of the best of that studio's output during that time. This film definitely ranks as one if his better efforts and gets my highest recommendation! It's on a double DVD with another great Wellman picture, "Wild Boys of the Road", so check 'em out if you can....at the very least you will NOT be bored!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

We Were Strangers...


I dont usually zero in on one particular film but, oh well, the times they are-a-changin'!

I'm a huge John Garfield fan and I've had this vintage Lobby Card in my collection for about 10 years but never saw this film until tonight! It's quite bleak and grim as hell but John Huston's direction and excellent performances from the entire cast make it a winner! The story deals with the times just before the Cuban revolution circa late 1930's while at the same time weaving in a love story, of course!

Russell Metty contributed some beautiful black and white cinematography to the picture. There were several incredible shots of Jennifer Jones and John Garfield. My only complaint was there was a truly excessive use of rear-screen shots in the outdoor scenes, so much so that even someone like Hithccock might say "Doooon't you think you used toooo many of thooooose?"

The always excellent Gilbert Roland (far left) nearly stole the show from everyone in what I feel might be the best role I've seen him in yet! Pedro Armendariz also excelled as a sickenly corrupt police official. He was truly despicable!

Anyhoo, it was nice to see a "new" classic film and as of now I have only 3 more Garfield films left to see (Daughters Courageous, Under My Skin and Breaking Point) and 2 of them I have on tape here!

There will be a big John Garfield tribute posting here in the near future, so for those that care about such things, stay-tuned!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

New Artwork...


First new art for 2010, woo hoo!

Approx. 10"x17" on Canson 65lb sketch paper, 2H and HB pencils and lots of erasing.

The model is my friend Rachel, who appeared once before in my artwork last year as my pretty little "Quazelfly"

I knew I'd want to draw her again someday and, well, here she is!

This is just a study and will end up being done in color pencil with some sort of b/g and possibly other figures as well. This is one of the best likenesses I've done to date (yeah, she's really THAT cute!) so I really hope I can repeat that success when I get to work on the color version.


Many thanks to Rachel for her generosity and enthusiasm to become a part of my art once again!


Monday, January 18, 2010

Last of the Lovelies...


For Now...

Veronica Lake...if there was ever any truth to that old adage about "Good things come in small packages", she was it!

This blog can never have too much of Christina!

A vintage still I have of Corinne Calvet

One for Aldous - The sexy, attractive AND beautiful Natalie Wood

Mitzi Kapture of "Silk Stalkings", without a doubt the best cop show EVER!

Helen Hunt, looks like from around the late 80's early 90's?

We can also never have too much Louise Brooks around here!


Sunday, January 17, 2010

More Lovelies...


The Parade of Pretties continues...

Sarah Michelle... *sigh*

An awesome early shot of Louise Brooks!
(sorry about the crappy scan, best I could do from the source material.)

Sharon Stone photographed well, no doubt about it!

The exceedingly cute Crystal Bernard.

Tea' Leoni

"Must've been your Cherry Pie" - Humbert Humbert

Roseanna Arquette

And of course we HAD to have a Lana, to celebrate the long-awaited return of Joe Bloke!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Lovelies for the Weekend....


As always, an ecclectic mix...


The always dazzling Clara Bow

Christina Applegate *sigh*

Julie Newmar *meow*

A beautiful shot of Linda Hamilton

The lovely Norma Shearer

Natalie Wood *more sighing*

A stunning Joan Crawford taken by George Hurrell

Joan Leslie, Warner's resident cutie!

Amazing Grace

One of my all-time fave Photos of the incredible Louise Brooks

More lovelies throughout the weekend...



Sunday, January 3, 2010