Zal Yanovsky/ John Sebastian

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 13 Nov 2010 1:30 pm

A friend just send me the links to this. This is very interesting and may I say groovy.

Zalman Yanowsky's introduction in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by his friend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ldJ36UFtNI

Jug Band Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f-0L20Bvkc

Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqyWDoMbuDk

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 15 Nov 2010 6:02 am

Zally was a real good guitar player, with great taste and one of the best in the sixties in my opinion. He had a lot of country influences.
Not sure if it's true, but I heard he even played steel on "Nashville Cats".
He was a big influence on Richard Thompson also.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 15 Nov 2010 6:44 am

Zally play nice on the drum.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 15 Nov 2010 6:50 am

Yesterday I was watching a youtube of Kris Kristofferson at the Isle of Wight festival and learned that Zal was a member of his band at that time.....

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 15 Nov 2010 7:43 am

Would like to see that, Dave. Got a link?

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 15 Nov 2010 8:29 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-kuiy8s ... r_embedded

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 15 Nov 2010 8:41 am

The Isle of Wight Festival was a desaster, because of the gate crashers that wanted to get in for free. Kris Kristofferson was booed off stage. And I remember a scene were Joni Mitchel's perfomance was interupted by a strange guy.
Zal wasn't pleased as John B. Sebastian's songs went more into the ballad direction like "Darling Be Home Soon". He had almost no parts to contribute as a lead player.
He was co- producer for an album for Jerry Yester/ Judy Henske.
He also recorded one solo album for Kama Sutra and a very rare one for a Swiss(!) label.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 15 Nov 2010 8:51 am

I might be the only person alive who purchased his first 45 RPM release, "As Long As You're Here", on Kama Sutra records. (It kinda sucked.)

By the way, his name is spelled Yanovsky, not Yanowsky.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 15 Nov 2010 9:20 am

Thanks for the correction Jim!

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 15 Nov 2010 9:31 pm

Joachim Kettner wrote:
Not sure if it's true, but I heard he even played steel on "Nashville Cats".

According to the liner notes on the CD reissue of Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful, John Sebastion played the pedal steel on Nashville Cats. It was a steel someone left in the studio, and was missing a couple of pedals. Zal filled in the notes (with his standard guitar) that John couldn't play on the steel.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 16 Nov 2010 10:36 pm

Jim Cohen wrote:
By the way, his name is spelled Yanovsky, not Yanowsky.

Яновский.

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 16 Nov 2010 11:07 pm

Dave Zirbel wrote:Yesterday I was watching a youtube of Kris Kristofferson at the Isle of Wight festival and learned that Zal was a member of his band at that time.....

Is that Norman Blake on 12 string?

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 17 Nov 2010 6:56 am

The Guild Thunderbird

The back of the guitar with built in stand

Here's where I found the pictures:
http://halfpearblog.blogspot.com/2008/0 ... rbird.html

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 28 Nov 2010 12:09 am

I was lucky to see and hear Jerry Yester last night. He was the the replacement for Zally in the Spoonful.
The reason he is in Germany was the filming of the reformed Lovin' Spoonful for a TV show.
This was a spontaneous thing as is a radio broadcast on the 5th of December.
He's a very good performer playing piano, guitar and banjo.
He will also be doing a gig on the 2nd Dec.
http://www.mainz-neustadt.de/termine/index.php/Dezember

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 28 Nov 2010 7:09 am

Kris Kristofferson is interviewed in the film "The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico" (2005) Kristofferson goes into detail about the Isle of Wight Festival and about Zal Yanovsky's time on his band. Go to special features > "Kris Reminisces"

Great guitar on those Lovin' Spoonful sides.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 3 Dec 2010 3:58 pm

Joachim, I don't particuarly view the Isle of Wight Festival as a complete disaster, resulting live albums by The Moody Blues, Leonard Cohen and others indicate some good crowd reaction and great sets.

I understand most of the footage that gets played is from the late 90s doco made from the festival tapes, where we get to see Joni's set interrutped by some radical hippy dude (a Yippie) and I think she cries a little when she pleads with the corwd for some order.

It was fairly crazy, but as much as they hassled Krsotfferson, the crowd seemed to really enjoy Leonard Cohen's set.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 4 Dec 2010 9:50 am

Jason, disaster... it is something that came to my mind spontaniously. But it is actually something one of the festival organizers said about the festival.

frank rogers · Post by **frank rogers** » 19 Dec 2010 6:25 pm

Jim Cohen wrote:Zally play nice on the drum.

Jimbeaux, Wow,that's an obscure quote from the back of the Spoonful's first album. I guess I'm not the only one who obsessively read the liner notes etc. from all my 60s LPs.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 19 Dec 2010 6:31 pm

You got it, Frank. And, oh, by the way, I think you are a great and good look guy...

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 20 Dec 2010 10:22 am

Jim Cohen wrote:I might be the only person alive who purchased his first 45 RPM release, "As Long As You're Here", on Kama Sutra records. (It kinda sucked.)

Jim, you should listen to the whole album. It's not for everyday listening, but when I'm in the right mood it's a great record, very humorous! It features nice orchestral arrangements by Jerry Yester.