Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel play live on web Friday

Legendary musician and songwriter Bobby Whitlock of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends and Derek and the Dominos fame and his wife and musical partner CoCo Carmel will be "broadcast" live worldwide this Friday, December 7, at 7 p.m. Central time on StageIt.com in their first-ever appearance on that website, it was announced today.

For tickets to the 30-minute show, click on the link below.

Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel Live on StageIt, Friday, December 7, 7 p.m. Central Time

For more information on how StageIt.com works, click here.

Bobby Whitlock is most notably known for being a member of Derek and the Dominos, also as co-writer with Eric Clapton of many songs from the album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs."  Bobby has played with George Harrison and also appeared on George's "All Things Must Pass" album.  He has been featured on many albums, including The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Mainstreet," Buddy Guy's "Sweet Tea," Dr. John's "Sun Moon and Stars" and many more. In recent years, he married CoCo Carmel Whitlock (singer/writer/musician/producer/engineer).

CoCo was married to Delaney Bramlett, whose songs and records she engineered and co-produced including her first solo cd entitled "First Fruit," the CD "Sounds From Home" and countless songs over a 13-year period.  Bobby and CoCo have released eight records in total. They recently did a short tour in India and had a traditional Hindu wedding. Their ninth release together is scheduled to be released in 2013, called "India Number 9" in honor of the people and music they experienced while there.  CoCo is also putting the final touches on a live cd recorded in Austin to be released in 2013.

Let's have a birthday jam: A week-ending potpourri

There's Deep Purple's Roger Glover.  There's Billy Idol.  There's country singer Mindy McCready.  There's Broadway/television/Princess Bride star Mandy Patinkin.  There's soul singer June Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.

There are way too many people celebrating birthdays today to choose just one for a week-ending birthday jam.  So why not go with a bit from all of them?

It's quite a mixture.  But that's what this blog is supposed to be about -- a musical potpourri.

Celebrate!

Let's have a birthday jam: Ronnie Montrose

Ronnie Montrose would have turned 65 years old today.  Sadly, he took his own life on March 3 this year.  A whole lot of music fans mourned the loss of a great guitarist.

Montrose was a classic rock guitar hero, but his playing went beyond rock.  He played some jazz fusion with the likes of Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams, there was blues with Johnny Winter, he sat in with Johnny's brother Edgar on one of the best known classic rock albums of all time ("They Only Come Out At Night"), there was pop with Nicolette Larson, he played with The Neville Brothers, there was memorable playing with Van Morrison.

And that's just a start.

When you heard the name Montrose, as a fan, you thought of a blazing guitar.  He left us all too soon.

Ronnie Montrose

Let's have a birthday jam: Jaco Pastorius

No, it's not the late Jaco Pastorius' birthday today.  But it is coming up this Saturday, and when I think of birthday jams, I think a lot about Jaco, the jazz fusion bass guitar giant.

Jaco knew how to throw a birthday party.  For his 30th birthday in 1981, nearly six years before his untimely death, Pastorius put on a birthday concert at a club in Fort Lauderdale.  He brought in musicians from his Word Of Mouth project, along with other big names like Don Alias and Michael Brecker.  Thankfully, the event was recorded, intended as a birthday gift for Jaco.  In 1995, it was released on an album.  I have that album, and it's a stellar bit of big band jazz and fusion mixed together.

My favorite part of that album is the "soul intro," leading into "The Chicken."  Which leads me into a story about another birthday jam from last New Year's Eve that I was able to attend, with a bunch of fine musicians having a ton of fun on a friend's birthday.  I had a hard time prying myself away from the steady flow of music, but there came a time when nature did call and I had to leave the room and go to another corner of the house where the party was being held.

As luck or fate would have it, as I was away from the action, the group launched into Pastorius' "The Chicken."  I rushed to finish my business as soon as I heard those familiar notes.  That was one song I didn't want to miss, and the friends nailed it.

Jaco would have been pleased.

Let's have a birthday jam: Jimi Hendrix

No one says the musician whose birthday is being celebrated needs to be alive in order to have a birthday jam.

I can't let this Tuesday go by without celebrating the 70th birthday of a rock guitar genius, the late Jimi Hendrix.

My music-loving friends on Facebook have been celebrating Jimi's 70th for days now.  That's the kind of crowd I hang out with.

It's the kind of crowd that knows how to enjoy a birthday jam.

Let's have a birthday jam: John McVie

I'm a person who actually looks at my Facebook "to do" items closely enough to check out who has a birthday on my friends list on that particular day, and to wish that person a happy day.

John McVie (Image via Wikipedia)

There were a bunch of them today.  One of those people celebrating a birthday today happens to be John McVie.  I wished him a "rockin' day."  Yes, that's John McVie from John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and the "Mac" part of Fleetwood Mac.  The guy playing the bass, laying down that steady groove.

I love musicians' birthday jams.  When a musician has a birthday, it's not unusual for them to have a few friends over, socialize, share some good food and drink, and do what they love to do -- play music.

Here's a video birthday jam in John McVie's honor, but I won't just go with the easier Fleetwood Mac choices.  I'll try and go a bit deeper than that.

When someone has a musical history as deep and rich as John McVie, you've got to go deep.

Especially on their birthday.

A daily dose of "thank you" -- the ZZ Top version

We're coming down to the end of the week of giving thanks here at the blog, and I've been saving my favorite way of saying "I Thank You" for last.

For me, my favorite way comes from those three ol' boys from Texas known simply as ZZ Top, with Frank Beard laying down a simple yet steady drum beat, Dusty Hill pumping that bass, and Billy Gibbons topping it off with those tough vocals and guitar playing of his.

ZZ Top may not have been the first to play the tune "I Thank You," and they're certainly not the last ... as I've shown all this week.  But for me, they've done it the best (your mileage may vary, of course).  They gave it an extra bit of Texas flair and attitude.  When you stack that up against some greats like Sam & Dave, Tower of Power, Bonnie Raitt, well, that's quite a feat.

Play us out, boys!