A country songbird I've always enjoyed listening to is Billie Jo Spears, who has had a long career specializing in a blend of honky-tonk and pure country blues. Although she's probably best known for her 1975 chart-topping hit "Blanket on the Ground," she's had several decades of solid success -- albeit with a few snags … Continue reading Country Songbird Billie Jo Spears
Author: BG
Ouch!
Hurt my thumb... Difficult to use keyboard... Short post today... Bigger and better next time... Enjoy the music... Duke Ellington & Orchestra - "Mooche"
Remembering Dee Clark
One of the realities of the music world is that some stars are less remembered than others, even when their level of talent is head and shoulders over that of many of the bigger names. A good example might be Dee Clark, who was one of the best R&B singers of the Fifties and Sixties … Continue reading Remembering Dee Clark
Are The Resolution Blues Headed Your Way?
I have to be honest about it. I've never been particularly inclined toward making New Year's resolutions. That's not to say I haven't tried from time to time, but not so much lately. And it's certainly not because I lack faults to correct. I have a whole lot more than my share -- just ask … Continue reading Are The Resolution Blues Headed Your Way?
The Sixth Passenger – Hawkshaw Hawkins
I've written before about the 1959 plane crash at Clear Lake, which claimed the lives of three rock and roll stars -- Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. I've also written about an eerily-similar accident that occurred a few years later, one involving country music headliners Cowboy Copas and Patsy Cline. But there … Continue reading The Sixth Passenger – Hawkshaw Hawkins
Album Of The Year
Here's the thing. I'm pretty sure that the way I go about picking an Album of the Year is different from that of most music bloggers -- or publications of any kind, for that matter. For one thing, I just pick from among those I've actually reviewed over the course of the year. I don't … Continue reading Album Of The Year
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
"Deck The Halls" -- Los Straitjackets "Joy To The World" -- Stroudavarious Orchestra
Connections – The Castells And Beyond
It doesn't take a pronouncement from Mr. Obvious to recognize that the decade of the Sixties was a volatile time in pop music. It was an era that saw a lot of strange combinations and connections -- not only in the music itself, which included everything from folk music to R&B -- but also in … Continue reading Connections – The Castells And Beyond
Maxine Sullivan – Swingin’ To Loch Lomond
A while back I wrote about bandleader Claude Thornhill, who is unfortunately less remembered than many of his contemporaries from that era, but was nevertheless a very important part of jazz history. He was an outstanding instrumentalist, composer, and arranger, but in addition to all that he was a shrewd judge of musical talent -- … Continue reading Maxine Sullivan – Swingin’ To Loch Lomond
REVIEW: Pablo Menendez & Mezcla – I’ll See You In Cuba
As someone who has reviewed his share of Cuban music, I have to confess that I jumped to a premature conclusion when I received my review copy of the latest album from Pablo (Paul) Menéndez. I pretty much expected I'll See You In Cuba, coming out in early January on the Zoho label, to be … Continue reading REVIEW: Pablo Menendez & Mezcla – I’ll See You In Cuba