His Royal Hipness

Lord Buckley

album cover

Dig This Crazy Jive. . .

A jazz-scene rule-breaker who defined hipster culture at least a decade before the Beat poets, Richard Meryle "Lord" Buckley (1906–1960) was probably the only performer who could claim this trifecta: He jammed with Charlie Parker, was championed by Frank Zappa, and was enshrined in pop culture history by Bob Dylan. (There's a picture of Buckley on the mantel behind Dylan on the cover of Bringing It All Back Home.)

Beloved by underground types and virtually ignored by everyone else, Buckley's best trick was translating history into highly caffeinated jive. When, for example, he tells the story of "Marc Antony's Funeral Oration," the line "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" becomes "Hipsters, flipsters, and finger-poppin' daddies, knock me your lobes." Buckley put a metaphysical spin on Jesus ("The Nazz," who was, in his parlance, "a carpenter kitty") and Gandhi ("The Hip Gan"). All of Buckley's subjects got the same treatment: Approaching historical figures as mythic jazz cats, he spun their legends in torrents of words that blur the patois of African Americans of the Deep South and the reverential airs of British aristocracy.

On this, the best existing anthology, Buckley uses instrumental accompaniment (organ, drums) sparingly. But he displays a serious sense of rhythm—anybody who's going to riff at such breakneck intensity better know where the downbeat is. He also has an uncanny ability to mimic various singing styles. His loving evocation of Louis Armstrong doing "When the Saints Go Marching In" at the end of "The Nazz" is an imitation so good it's double happiness—a loving celebration of the original that, like so much Lord Buckley, goes slyly beyond.

Genre: Jazz, Vocals
Released: 1992, Discovery
Key Tracks: "The Nazz," "The Hip Gan," "Gettysburg Address"
Next Stop: Ken Nordine: Word Jazz
Book Page: 127

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Comments:

#1 from mercedes newman, austin, texas - 09/24/2008 1:31

I gave away about 2000 LPs from my youth after storing and moving them and so forth for 25 years. (But I gave them to a collector.) I have been grieving their loss ever since and search out new music to buy to fill the gaping hole. Appreciate recommendations from all walks of life.

One day, walking around Waterloo Records, over the sound system came this very clever music. Asked who it was and it was this very cool group, the Ethiopiques. Thanks for reminding me.

List Lover,

#2 from Visitor, around - 03/30/2009 2:47

I have known about His Royal Hipness, Lord Buckley, since I lived in Greenwich Village lo these many long years ago. This is a cat that was hip before there even was hip. In fact I believe all the beat poets and beatniks and, later, hippies, learned how to speak by hearing this cat wail.

1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die