Mark Coles with Alejandro Escovedo

[garth cartwright]

Mark appears to have slipped well into Charlie's shoes - he's even launched a slim-line radio ping-pong (he doesn't play any of his favourites, letting the guest choose all the tunes in the 30 minute slot). Texan rocker Alejandro Escovedo is the first guest to do this and he chooses widely and wisely: Blind Willie Johnson, Rachid Taha, 1950s Mexican etc. Very nice show. Pity AE's recent albums so rarely reflect the great music he champions here but appear stuck in mid-70s rock.

[jackdaw version]

I remember Alejandro Escovedo from the late '70s punk scene in SF — but can't remember the name of his brother or their band. And he glosses over that period in his official online bio. Wikipedia gives us The Nuns without his brother, but I'm about 87% certain that he had another band as well — that would be prior to Rank & File with the Kinman brothers. They were wild times. He's a survivor, even if HepC almost got him. Supposedly there's quite an epidemic of HepC among participants of the SF punk times. Like I said, wild times.