Doom & Gloom From the Tomb

SWEET SHELLAC

And now for something completely different … by request, here’s a repost of four half hour BBC radio shows hosted by R. Crumb, wherein the cartoonist (and well-known 78 fiend) shares some choice gems from his “fabulous collection.” Lots of weird and wonderful stuff here — hot jazz, hotter jazz, German attempts at swing — but nothing weirder and more wonderful than the recitations from Survival In Auschwitz author Primo Levi’s deep inquiries into the origins of shellac. His descriptions border on the erotic — so much so that even notorious perv Crumb sounds a little bit unsettled. Which is saying something. Another show covers wacky French jazz “before Django,” another features what Crumb deems real New Orleans jazz from the 1920s. Some mind-bending tunes for sure! The final show is maybe my favorite of the series, highlighting some rare sides of American string bands from the 1920s. In particular, I love the banjo/fiddle duet, a rare-for-the-time interracial collaboration. Music from another planet [Oh, and if you’re interested, here’s the 1930 film footage of Whistler’s Jug Band Crumb mentions — so neat]. As always, Crumb’s asides and stories are wry fun, and he even attempts a little singing towards the end.

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