I missed my first window at "H" so I'll adjust a bit: I is for Lionel Hampton (with his orchestra here playing "It Don't Mean a Thing (If You Ain't Got that Swing)" and the University of Idaho's jazz festival in his honor. UI is a pretty unlikely place to house the first-ever school of music named for a jazz musician. The festival started in the mid-60s as a small local affair; Hampton came for the first time in 1984 and really hit it off with the festival director, liking in particular the education outreach. Beyond the adjudication of student groups that is typical for such events, top musicians traveled to remote areas in northern Idaho; Hampton regularly visited the Nez Perce Reservation where he gave clinics and learned music in turn. The festival and then the school of music was named after him; the festival received the National Medal of Arts (the first-ever festival so recognized). It's an amazing legacy in which I am proud to participate in a small way (I give a workshop to interested student participants on Jazz and International Relations). And it was great to see Lionel perform in person. He isn't local necessarily, but he's had an amazing legacy here.
I will jump on L since - when he was here in Pullman - Dolph Lundgren was an engineering graduate student and a member of the WSU Cougar Marching Band. A musician, if you will. A local musician even. So here's Dolph Lundgren singing Elvis, dancing, drumming, and doing some martial arts in a performance at the 2010 Eurovision competition. The dude is secretly brilliant (I say secretly since he stars in action movies which underplay his intelligence). Here's a fun piece from NPR about how he went from Chemical Engineering at MIT (!) to action star.
They moved to Philadelphia after their second album but. . . The Menzingers " America (You're Freaking Me Out)"
N is for "Never Could Say No" - John Paul Keith Not my first choice, but couldn't find a live version of what I was looking for. EDIT: And I'm trying to stay away from the obvious artists....In fact, I was just about to post a live version of Isaac Hayes' "Never Can Say Goodbye" (Ms Robot and I saw him perform at his restaurant/club on our first Valentine Day together nearly 20 yrs ago) but resisted.
O is for Jack Oblivian and the Shieks - "Little War Child" This is performed at Habor Town Amphitheater. Haven't been there yet, so I don't know much about it other than it sits on the bank of the river.
P is for "Places and Things" - Stephen Chopek Chopek moved here from Jersey City, NJ about 5 years ago. This song is off his recent Begin the Glimmer CD (on which he plays all the instruments). He's also a bit of a session drummer having cut tracks and toured with Charlie Hunter, John Mayer, and Jesse Malin, among others. EDIT: Me and the skirt were at this one. A small coffee shop that seats about 50 or so. Sometimes, the best part of a show is what's happening outside that window.
Q is for this song, by this artist. And since no one knows who sang it or what the song is called, perhaps the group was from around here. And have a Q in there somewhere. Here's an article from Rolling Stone about the song and the pursuit to identify it. And the song, from right here on the Palouse (maybe!) by a band whose name starts with Q (maybe!) called Q-something (maybe!).
Sorry for the double post, but there aren't that many I am sure work and R is one of them. Josh Ritter is a Moscow, ID native; he's a well-regarded folk rock songwriter/performer. Here's one of my favorites of his, a song called "The Temptation of Adam" about lovers and nuclear war (more or less).
S is for Simien, Marcella and Her Lovers - "I'd Rather Go Blind" Catch the quick shot of the P&H (Poor & Hungry) Cafe in the beginning of the video. It's one of those you-gotta-go-one-time-in-your-life dive bars....although, Ms Robot is resisting the call at this time. On keys is Spooner Oldham, who also performed on "Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman", Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally", Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man", as well as Neil Young's Harvest Moon album. He also wrote or co-wrote "Cry Like a Baby", and "I'm Your Puppet", among others. Wish I knew who was on sax.
That's Art Edmaiston, I'm pretty sure. Gregg Allman, Natalie Merchant, Mason Ruffner... So is she Terrence's wife, or sister?
You're right; even my wife knew that (I just showed her the clip). We've actually seen him a couple times; he plays with a local songwriter, Mark Edgar Stuart, occasionally. Daughter.
T = Teresa by The Great Party, fronted by one of my favorite baristas Who is now a social worker, IIRC
W is for someone who has a home in Dusty, Washington (population either 11 or 12, located about 35 miles from Pullman), and who is someone all of you know of and have heard. It's Wylie Gustafson, leader of the group Wylie and the Wild West, who once recorded a yodel for Yahoo that was used in all of its advertising. Here they are with "Yodeling Fool" that is about that yodel for Yahoo!
X is for "X-Factor" - Kirk Whalum KW toured with Whitney Houston for several years and played the sax solo on "I Will Always Love You". He's still active in the community, presently hosting a Sunday jazz series featuring musical collaborations and dialogue with guest artists.
I'll wrap it up with... Z is for Zeke Johnson - "Good Mornin' Judge" Java Cabana is another coffee shop that occasionally hosts musicians - Zeke plays there the last Friday of every month.
(Since we're at the end of an A-Z run) Thought you might like this..(or not, old man) He comes in about 1:40 into the clip.