Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a song I wrote this year and recorded at HairyLarryLand.
Paul Lessard is one of the finest jazz saxophonists I have ever worked with. When he joined the faculty at ASU I went to meet him to talk about music composition because, the truth is, there’s just not that many people into the nuts and bolts of music theory and composition. When I found out that he played jazz saxophone I knew I wanted to play with him.
He played with Bebop Beatniks on the KASU Arkansas Roots Stage at the Beatles At The Ridge Festival in 2024. Then he played with us again at Blues Fest and we recorded the album, “The Blue Crane”, on our second gig together.
Then this year, over Spring Break, my friend Chris Isom was coming to town and I set up a session with an amazing band and we recorded an album, “1625 Groove Street”. I wrote two of the songs on that album, the title track and “White Rats And Meerkats” which I have seleceted to play for you today.
Delta Boogie Newsletter-Gamerplus News - June 2025 - United Gospel Trio and Bebop Beatniks at New Jazz In Jonesboro - Potluck Picnic With Three Bands - NEA Gamefest In July
Bebop Beatniks
United Gospel Trio
New Jazz In Jonesboro
Now in Brookland!
Saturday, May 24, at 7:00 PM
Free and open to the public.
New Jazz In Jonesboro will be held in the youth building behind the Brookland United Methodist Church at 301 W. Matthews in Jonesboro.
United Gospel Trio will open at 7:00 playing Jazz Hymns followed by Bebop Beatniks playing originals and standards. Closing the Bebop Beatniks show guest vocalists, Danielle Russell and Eliecer Tamez will sing with Bebop Beatniks.
Hairy Larry will be recording for KASU Arkansas Roots and Something Blue.
New Jazz In Jonesboro is sponsored by KASU and the Brookland United Methodist Church.
Bring your family and friends. The venue is family friendly and there is no cover charge.
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Potluck Picnic Is A Fundraiser To Fix The Bus
Sunday afternoon on June 1st Brookland United Methodist is hosting a potluck picnic. Everyone is invited. There is no charge to attend. Bring some picnic if you want to.
There will be food, games, and music as well as plenty of conversation.
The bands playing are
Hairy Larry and the Flying Hungarians
United Gospel Trio
Anna and the Tanks
Mike Doyle will be the MC and we are expecting honored guests Doug and Wilma Greeno.
The picnic is at 301 W. Matthews. We just upgraded the playground so bring your kids. Next we're going to fix the bus and we need your help.
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NEA Gamefest, July 17-20, at Embassy Suites by Hilton Jonesboro Redwolf Convention Center
NEA Game Fest features 4 days of open gaming, game demos, board games, RPGs, CCGs, miniature games, tournaments and more. Here's a link.
The event benefits Friends of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, which helps supplement materials, programming, and services.
I will be livestreaming my game, The Dragon's Egg, Thursday Morning and Sunday afternoon. I'm also looking forward to playing in some games run by more experienced DMs than myself.
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Faircamp
Faircamp is an open source Bandcamp alternative. If you want to own your own platform look into Faircamp.
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Hairy Larry Singing Twin Stars
From The Archives Of Something Blue - 2025-05-18
Thanks Marty, today we're going to hear a song I sang at my Senior Composition Recital.
I was taking Music History when I learned the music terminology art song and I thought, that's what I'm writing for my recital, art songs.
One of those songs I called "Twin Stars", a love song based on my life with Vivian.
It is performed by Hairy Larry and George with a guest, Pershauna Johnson, playing alto flute. Alto flute has a beautiful sound, breathy like a flute but with a lower pitch. Pershauna did a great job on this song. She was a graduate student at ASU at the time.
Also playing was George Hinds on bass, my partner in crime and a lifetime resident of Northeast Arkansas. George was from a musical family and he played with everyone, Billy Lee Riley, Larry Donn, Dennis Mathes, and myself. We played for years as a duo and also in The Swing Band Project. We recorded two albums, "Hip Sexagenarians" and "Aggie Road" and now that they changed the copyright law about streaming music we have one in the can, "Hairy Larry Does Dylan", soon to be released.
So now, recorded live in the Fine Arts Recital Hall on November 8, 2013, here's Hairy Larry and George with Pershauna Johnson playing my song, "Twin Stars".
DJ Hairy Larry With Bob Reynolds Playing The Peace You Find
Something Blue - Always - 29 second spot
This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Bob Reynolds, The James Quintet, and Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at https://sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at https://kasu.org.
Delta Boogie Newsletter-Gamerplus News - April 2025 - United Gospel Trio and Jazz Buskers at New Jazz In Jonesboro - Gameday Sunday Afternoons - Conventions
This Saturday, April 26 at 7:00 pm Central, New Jazz In Jonesboro returns, relocated to the Brookland Methodist Church Youth Building, a white building behind the church located at 301 W. Matthews in Brookland, Arkansas.
Playing this Saturday will be the United Gospel Trio and Jazz Buskers. There is no charge to attend but there will be a tip jar for the featured act.
Not in Jonesboro! In Brookland! Yes i know there's a Matthews St. in Jonesboro too. That's why I have all the exclamation points.
Also in music I have released a new CD, 1625 Groove Street, featuring Paul Lessard on alto. In the rhythm section are my friends from the ASU Jazz Program. Thanks to Chris Isom for suggesting this session.
In gaming I will be the DM for the younger kids while Chris continues running his 5e campaign at our Sunday afternoon game day in the Brookland Methodist youth building, 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Chris also has all the board games for those who would prefer that side of tabletop gaming. We are looking for a volunteer to teach board games.
NEA Gamers Guild also has game days on the second Saturday at the Jonesboro Public Library Round Room and on the third Saturday at the Walnut Ridge Public Library.
I am also looking forward to attending the North Texas OSR convention in June and NEA Game Fest in July.
Please share this link and forward this email to your friends. Let me know what you're doing to get a mention here and some promotion on Delta Boogie or Gamer+.
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
@hairylarry@gamerplus.org on Mastodon - https://gamerplus.org to join
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com
Everyone who plays RPGs knows that the ultimate RPG experience is a weekly campaign. I must be living right because I'm in a Thursday night game and a Sunday afternoon game. Both range in age from kids in school to me. I've got to tell you, that keeps you young.
Library Game Day this month is postponed to Saturday, March 22. It's from Noon until 4:00 at the Jonesboro Public Library. The next weekend is our Spring Break Family Weekend which means Family Game! I can't wait.
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I've been working on a hardware and software archival project for indie producers who have digital content they really don't want to lose. I call it Libre Indie Archive and I've been talking about it on my podcast at Hacker Public Radio.
I now have all the functionality in place including File Integrity checks, email notification, and shell availability on the remote systems.
I am updating documentation and editing the scripts, regularizing them and fixing comments. I am writing install checklists for each system, primary, secondary, and remote.
Follow this project on my Mastodon account, @hairylarry@gamerplus.org. If you're not on Mastodon yet you are invited to join us at DBN-Gamer+ where the focus is music, gaming, and free culture.
Rhode Island Red came to visit. We went to the library and played their ukelelee. We helped unload food at the food pantry. We ate food and had a nice visit.
And then we recorded videos of our original songs.
Ride Me to Heaven - by Larry Heyl
Granny's On Fire - by Jim Chapin
My Stick's Always Gettin' In The Way - by Larry Heyl
Mr. Right - by Jim Chapin
Thanks Marty, today we'll hear a band of students play the title track from their first album.
When I came up with the idea of doing the New Jazz In Jonesboro concerts at TheArts@311 I was a jazz student at ASU. So it stood to reason that I would recruit the New Jazz House Band, known as NJHB, from my fellow students.
We had our first session at the HairyLarryLand studio in Jonesboro at the very end of 2012. We recorded four songs, all original compositions. I was the only one who had played any of them before so it was kind of like jumping off into the deep end. No rehearsals, just put the music up on the stand, talk for a minute, and record it.
I took what we recorded and released our first album, "Circular Logic".
All of what came to be known as the NJHB sound, improvising the arrangements, leaving the chord change, group improvisation, and unusual instrumentation, was on display on that first album. As always, this was the only album with this exact lineup.
Playing at the session were
Mike Lovell - guitar
Garrett Tyler - drums
Matt Jackson - bass
Hairy Larry - piano
Cody Ballard - tenor sax
and
Joseph Curtis - trumpet and flugelhorn
Garrett, Cody, Joseph, and myself were in the ASU jazz program at the time. Mike and Matt attended ASU earlier. We all lived in Northeast Arkansas except for Matt who lives in southeast Missouri.
I've got to tell you these guys all played good. The one thing that makes NJHB work is talented musicians.
We generally played arrangements from 15 to 20 minutes long. Not exactly radio friendly. I did a new mix of "Circular Logic" keeping it all there but choosing the best choruses for this podcast. Go to the Something Blue website at sbblues.com for a link to the whole album including 12 plus minutes of this song as originally released.
Ok now, going back to the very beginning, recorded on December 29, 2012, here's NJHB playing my song, "Circular Logic".
Celebrating the fact that "Ain't Misbehavin'" is now public domain.
"Ain't Misbehavin'" is a 1929 stride jazz/early swing song. Andy Razaf wrote the lyrics to a score by Thomas "Fats" Waller and Harry Brooks for the Broadway musical comedy play Connie's Hot Chocolates.
Collaborate On Crates With Hairy Larry
Turn this jazz trio into a quartet
Recorded Live at HairyLarryLand on 2024-01-04
In a nutshell
Play along while listening on headphones.
Record to phone or tablet in vertical mode (portrait not landscape).
Share your video with hairylarry@gmail.com.
I will add your video to the left side of this video and post the finished video.
Details
Your shot
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Pick a good background in a well lit room.
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Collaborate On Crates With Hairy Larry
Turn this jazz trio into a quartet
Recorded Live at HairyLarryLand on 2024-01-04
In a nutshell
Play along while listening on headphones.
Record to phone or tablet in vertical mode (portrait not landscape).
Share your video with hairylarry@gmail.com.
I will add your video to the left side of this video and post the finished video.
— Permalink
I played this on my twitch livestream on October 17, 2021, with an arrangement designed for collaboration. Collaborators play over a piano trio with the bass and drums provided by an irealpro script with the chords for my original song, "Malaysia". The irealpro app can be viewed running on my tablet on the right side of the video screen.
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Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a song I wrote this year and recorded at HairyLarryLand.
Paul Lessard is one of the finest jazz saxophonists I have ever worked with. When he joined the faculty at ASU I went to meet him to talk about music composition because, the truth is, there’s just not that many people into the nuts and bolts of music theory and composition. When I found out that he played jazz saxophone I knew I wanted to play with him.
— Permalink
I died choking on a carrot - final proof healthy living is a scam. I wake up in a glowing lobby that smells like eucalyptus and unresolved emotions.
In walks God, looking more like a tired barista than a thunder-wielding deity: hoodie, sandals, coffee mug that says "#1 Creator." They give me a kind smile. "Hey" they say, "Ready to reincarnate?"
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Thanks Marty, today we’re going to bring the funk as played by a band that was popular here in Jonesboro before the pandemic.
Of course I’m talking about The Funk Donors. I never did get to hear them play live but I knew them by their reputation and I wanted to go see them since some of my friends were in the band. Fortunately they recorded a great album, “Flatland” and if you love live music like I do you can watch their videos on Youtube.
This all started when I went to see luvtrst. play at Stage Too. I was talking to Brian Nobles when he mentioned that he used to play in a band with Cody Ballard, the saxophonist in luvtrst. Well, my inquiring ears want to hear so I found out about the band and their album, “Flatland”.
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This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Gary Gazaway, Lisa Ahia, Rebekah Todd, and Karina Rykman. For more about the show visit the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Don’t miss Something Blue, Saturday night at 10:00 PM Central, at kasu.org.
— Permalink
Bebop Beatniks Live At Blues Fest Craighead Forest Bandshell Jonesboro, Arkansas September 24, 2023
Songs
00:00 African Violet 11:24 Thanks Mr. Cloud … 12:14 The Blue Crane 21:20 The dance floor is open … 21:42 Low Earth Orbit 31:08 Honky Tonk Jazz … 31:54 Sail Boats 38:37 In the audience … 39:15 Freddy’s Blues 45:34 Silence … 45:19 Malaysia 55:53 Introducing the band …
All songs by Larry Heyl
Personnel
Tyler Remagen - sax and flute Hairy Larry - piano and vocals Jeremy Jackson - bass Alex Washam - drums Conley Hunt - percussion and vocals
Bebop Beatniks Larry Heyl Composition Recital ASU Band Room September 10, 2023
Songs
00:00 African Violet 14:30 The Blue Crane 23:30 introducing the band … 24:24 Low Earth Orbit 33:32 Sail Boats 42:22 Freddy’s Blues 52:35 Malaysia
All songs by Larry Heyl
Personnel
Rike Robinson - trombone and vocals Tyler Remagen - sax and flute Cody Daugherty - trumpet Sophie Hacker - guitar and vocals Craig Collison - drums Jeremy Jackson - bass Conley Hunt - percussion and vocals Hairy Larry - piano and vocals
Livestreamed to Youtube from my Samsung Galaxy S10
Bebop Beatniks At Beatles Park Walnut Ridge, Arkansas May 27, 2023
Songs
00:00 We are Bebop Beatniks … 00:23 The Blue Crane 08:53 What a wonderful audience … 09:00 Candles 16:43 I’m going to rap … 17:04 African Violet 28:24 When Conley was a percussion student … 28:48 Low Earth Orbit 38:17 OK, here’s a swing song … 38:25 Sailboats 45:11 Crates is the companion piece to Candles … 45:20 Crates 53:36 One more song … 53:46 Malaysia
Personnel
Hairy Larry - piano, vocals Alex Washam - drums Conley Hunt - percussion Rike Robinson - trombone
Bebop Beatniks
On The Twitch Porch
April 2, 2023
Songs
00:00 Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael, public domain
08:27 African Violet
17:05 Sail Boats
24:26 Malaysia
33:37 Low Earth Orbit
42:37 The Blue Crane
DJ Hairy Larry Presents The Jelly Roll Kings Playing I Didn’t Know From The Archives Of Something Blue – 2025-06-29 The Jelly Roll Kings – Rockin’ The Juke Joint Down Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear the real blues … Continue reading →
Something Blue – Honeysuckle – June 28, 2025 This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Bob Reynolds and Sun Ra. For more about the show visit the Something … Continue reading →
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Paul Lessard Playing White Rats And Meerkats From The Archives Of Something Blue 2025-06-22 1625 Groove Street Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a song I wrote this year and recorded at HairyLarryLand. Paul Lessard … Continue reading →
Something Blue – Troubled – June 21, 2025 The Funk Donors – Flatland This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring The Funk Donors, Robert Glasper, and DJ Logic. … Continue reading →
DJ Hairy Larry Presents The Funk Donors Singing Troubled From The Archives Of Something Blue 2025-06-15 The Funk Donors – Flatland Thanks Marty, today we’re going to bring the funk as played by a band that was popular here in … Continue reading →
Something Blue – Plants – May 31, 2025 Karina Rykman This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Gary Gazaway, Lisa Ahia, Rebekah Todd, and Karina Rykman. For more … Continue reading →
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Lisa Ahia Singing Confessin The Blues From The Archives Of Something Blue 2025-05-25 Gary Gazaway and Lisa Ahia Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear Lisa Ahia Confessin The Blues About 15 years ago I wanted … Continue reading →
Something Blue – Always – May 24, 2025 The James Quintet This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring Bob Reynolds, The James Quintet, and Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra. For … Continue reading →
DJ Hairy Larry Presents Hairy Larry Singing Twin Stars From The Archives Of Something Blue – 2025-05-18 Hairy Larry and George Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear a song I sang at my Senior Composition Recital. I was taking … Continue reading →
Something Blue – Sunflower – May 17, 2025 Jeff Parker ETA IVtet – The Way Out Of Easy This is Hairy Larry inviting you to enjoy Something Blue every Saturday night at ten. This week we’re featuring luvtrst. and Jeff … Continue reading →
