JOHNNY NICHOLAS PRESENTS: MOON AND THE STARS, A TRIBUTE TO MOON MULLICAN - Electronic Press Kit
RELEASE DATE - EARLY 2023
Chances are, if you haven’t heard of Moon Mullican, you’ve either heard his music or felt his influence. Revered for perfecting a wildly eclectic yet seamlessly organic blend of genres, Aubrey “Moon” Mullican (1909 – 1967) was an agile piano player and a fervent singer who described the rambunctious side of his hybrid repertoire as “East Texas sock” that could “make goddamn beer bottles jump on the tables!” This brand new tribute to Moon comes straight from the Texas hill country, presented by Valcour Records’ recording artist Johnny Nicholas with an all-star cast paying homage to this rather unsung hero of American Roots music.
“Moon Mullican was the link between the down home Louisiana I grew up with and the Western Swing I came to love in Texas. Moon erased that borderline and made it one big Gulf Coast party sound.”
—Marcia Ball
Listen/Download Tracks Vol. 1
“On top of Moon’s great piano playing, I appreciate so much the concise eloquence of his lyrics, and I think all of the songs we chose to revisit and record really showcase that in a beautiful way.”
Kelli Jones
“I learned about Moon from my brother Jerry Lee Lewis. I’ll Sail My Ship Alone is one of my favorite recordings by my brother. I enjoyed recording the song myself with these amazing musicians in Louisiana.”
Linda Gail Lewis
Listen/Download Tracks Vol. 2
Downloads
‘The Moon & Stars: A Tribute to Moon Mullican’ VOL. 1 Digital Album
‘The Moon & Stars: A Tribute to Moon Mullican’ VOL. 2 Digital Album
“If you forget then you forgot, and if you forgot you can forget it. I never forgot Moon Mullican from when I heard him asa little boy in the 50’s”
Augie Meyers
Reviews:
“Performance, presentation, and material all rate five stars, an excellent tribute” —- Living Blues Magazine
“Moon and the Stars is a comprehensive overview of Mullican’s catalog, a deep well you’ll want to drop your bucket in over and over, dredging up pails full of memories to rock your world” — No Depression
About the Album (Vol. 1)
Considering the scope of Moon Mullican’s repertoire and his enormous talents and legacy, he remains today grossly under-recognized and under-appreciated. This project was a labor of love and represents a wish by all of us involved to honor one of our heroes and bring some long overdue recognition to the "King of the Honky Tonk Piano Players." On these Volume One sides I asked each artist to put their own stamp of originality upon the songs and the arrangements. As you would expect with veteran artists and roots music legends like Linda Gail Lewis, Peter Rowan, Earl P Ball, Los Texmaniacs, Floyd Domino, and Danny Levin, this was accomplished in spades. However, the arrangements and performances by the lesser known younger artists like Katie Shore, Tif Lamson and Kelli Jones are as powerful and compelling in their originality and performance as any on the record. The superb backing byScrappy Jud Newcomb, Rusty Blake, Chris Maresh, Greg Piccolo, Joel Savoy and Trey Boudreaux can not go without mention. In this regard we accomplished what we set out to do and we have made a great record and done Moon proud in the process. Enjoy this music and check out Volume 2 which features the same band with a different cast of stars. Hopefully we will expand the project to a Vol 3 and beyond! - Johnny Nicholas
“Moon Mullican was a great friend and a wonderful music man!!!! Last time I saw him I gave him and Roy Orbison 50 dollars.”
Jerry Lee Lewis, May 2022
Track List Vol. 1
Side A:
1. Good Deal Lucille- Earl P Ball
2. When Love Dies- Kelli Jones and Tif Lamson
3. Moonshine Polka- Los Texmaniacs
4. I’m Waiting For Ships that Never Come In- Peter Rowan
5. Big Big City- Johnny Nicholas
Side B:
6. I’ll Sail My Ship Alone- Linda Gail Lewis
7. You Don’t Have to be a Baby to Cry- Johnny Nicholas
8. There’s a Little Bit of Heaven- Katie Shore
9. So Long- Kelli Jones
10. Make Friends- Johnny Nicholas
Credits Vol. 1
Recorded by Joel Savoy on location in Fredericksburg, Texas, November 2021.
Additional recording by Joel Savoy at Valcour Records in Eunice, Louisiana.
Mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering
Design by Billy Burdett.
Personnel (except where/in addition to as noted in liner notes):
Katie Shore- Fiddle and Harmony Vocals
Floyd Domino- Piano
Rusty Blake- Steel and Electric Guitar
Scrappy Judd Newcomb- Electric and Acoustic Guitar
Chris Maresh- Bass
Tif Lamson- Drums
About the Album (Vol. 2)
I was first turned on to Moon Mullican by Danny Erlewine in Ann Arbor, Michigan around 1971. I was impressed and I dug the Starday/King LP but didn’t realize that it was just the tip of the iceberg. When we opened a show for Commander Cody at Hill Auditorium, the Commander invited us out to the East Bay to play music with them and a bunch of hippies in cowboy hats named Asleep At The Wheel who had just moved there from West Virginia. We were playing stone cold Chicago blues and boogie at the time but we dug them and they dug us. We all shared gigs and sometimes brought home as much as $15.00 per man! I was sitting around one day with Lucky and Leroy and Ray and said “Hey you guys ever heard of Moon Mullican?” and they all responded in the affirmative and with great enthusiasm. Well the iceberg continued to get bigger and here you are holding Volume 2 in your hands where Texas/Louisiana roots music legends Marcia Ball, Augie Meyers, Steve Riley and Emily Gimble join the already stellar cast from Volume One. The scope of Moon’s artistry is impressive and the breadth of his repertoire is remarkable. If you dig what we put down on these albums please help us spread the word about this American music icon. We hope you enjoy listening as much as all of us enjoyed arranging and performing our interpretations of these great songs. - Johnny Nicholas
Track List Vol. 2
Side A:
1. Good Times Gonna Roll Again- Marcia Ball
2. Leaving You with a Worried Mind- Emily Gimble
3. What Have I Done- Katie Shore
4. I Was Sorta Wonderin- Tif Lamson and Johnny Nicholas
5. All I Need is You- Johnny Nicholas
Side B:
6. Pipeliner Blues- Augie Meyers
7. Downstream- Peter Rowan
8. Seven Nights to Rock- Steve Riley
9. Bottom of the Glass- Tif Lamson
10. Don’t ever Take My Picture Down- Johnny Nicholas
Credits Vol. 2
Recorded by Joel Savoy on location in Fredericksburg, Texas, November 2021.
Additional recording by Joel Savoy at Valcour Records in Eunice, Louisiana.
Mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering
Design by Billy Burdett.
Personnel (except where/in addition to as noted in liner notes):
Katie Shore- Fiddle and Harmony Vocals
Floyd Domino- Piano
Rusty Blake- Steel and Electric Guitar
Scrappy Judd Newcomb- Electric and Acoustic Guitar
Chris Maresh- Bass
Tif Lamson- Drums
“Moon’s music was a big inspiration to me as a young piano student—always made me want to dance. So happy to be a part of this tribute.”
Earl Poole Ball“Moon is a character beyond the grave. Not only was he extremely prolific, his music and cleverness stand the test of time and remain relevant to this day.”
Katie Shore
AUBREY “MOON” MULLICAN (1909 – 1967) is revered for perfecting a wildly eclectic yet seamlessly organic blend of western swing, classic country, blues and jump-blues, big-band jazz, boogie-woogie, R&B, gospel, rockabilly, pop standards, gloomy odes to pensive self-pity, upbeat odes to optimism, sentimental ballads, novelty/comedic songs, and more. An agile piano player and a fervent singer, Mullican described the rambunctious side of his hybrid repertoire as “East Texas sock” that could “make goddamn beer bottles jump on the tables!” But Mullican could also play it sweet and gentle, and croon with a sincere poignance that was just as effective as his exuberant rowdiness. Whatever the mood, Mullican’s 100-plus records were deeply convincing. He inhabited those songs. In terms of both music history and his personal legacy, Moon Mul- lican’s deft piano style formed an important bridge between western swing and rockabilly. Jerry Lee Lewis, for instance, acknowledges Mullican as an important stylistic influence, and holds him in high esteem. So do many other musicians. And Mullican’s “East Texas sock” rhythms -- one of them, in particular, known in some circles as a “push beat” -- also influenced early rock, as heard on such hard-driving hits as Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline.” In turn -- underscoring the futility of categorizing music, past a certain point -- western swing bears the strong stamp of big-band jazz. The accomplished Austin-based pianist Floyd Domino, who plays on this tribute, succinctly described Moon Mullican as “Count Basie, two octaves lower,” while Billy Grammer, a prominent country guitarist who recorded with Mullican, explained that “western swing is nothing but big-band music played on stringed instruments instead of horns." In Moon Mullican’s capable hands such terminology swirled around, came back full circle, and then dissolved into unimportance, because he simply played it all. Moon Mullican was born and raised in the piney woods of East Texas. Blues was the first style that he learned there, and he quickly absorbed country, too. In the 1930s Mullican started playing in the bands of such western swing pioneers as Pappy Selph, and Cliff Bruner. Mullican also worked with Jimmie Davis, a master of risqué double-entendre songs who radically changed his image when he became the governor of Louisiana. By the mid-1940s Mullican was leading his own group and recording prolifically, including originals such as “I’ll Sail My Ship Alone,” which topped the national country charts in 1950. But Mullican far preferred to go fishing rather than tour exhaustively to promote hit records -- so he was much happier when his songs did not climb to number-one. Mullican’s cane-pole downtime was likewise hampered by the demands put upon him and his fellow mem- bers of the Grand Ole Opry, who were all required to make numerous personal appearances. Despite his laid-back ambivalence about ambition, however, Mullican went on to rack up more hits, most notably the perennially popular “Pipeliner Blues,” also known as “Old Pipeliner.” In addition, Mullican and Hank Williams co-wrote “Jambalaya (On The Bayou), ”the top-selling country record of 1952, which is one of Williams’ best-known signature songs. Legalities precluded Mullican from being officially credited for “Jambalaya,” and his name did not appear on the record. Instead, legend has it, Williams’ people paid Mullican under the table. Moon Mullican continued to record and perform until 1967, when he passed away after playing a New Year’s Eve party. More than half a century later, Mullican continues to inspire people who appreciate the soulful spirit, the remarkable breadth, and the consistent high quality of his work. The expressive new renditions of his songs on this tribute, co-produced by Johnny Nicholas and Joel Savoy, pulse with the same passion and artistic commitment that Mullican brought to the originals. Collectively they touch on every facet of Mullican’s music, from torrid and toe-tapping to touching and tender. Yes indeed, Moon Mullican played it all.
- Ben Sandmel