Tony Martin — Crooner Or Cowboy?

I love to watch old Western movies on TV, but I have admit that I caught one the other day that affected me in a way the director probably didn't intend -- it made me laugh. It was a hokey film from 1956 called Quincannon, Frontier Scout, and the star was crooner Tony Martin. Martin … Continue reading Tony Martin — Crooner Or Cowboy?

Chattanooga Has Inspired Classic Songs

I've always been a train buff, and since I'm also a fan of big-band music it stands to reason that one of my favorite songs of all time would be Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." I especially like the long version, which includes a 'jive' reprise. That performance, which features an 18 year-old Dorothy Dandridge and … Continue reading Chattanooga Has Inspired Classic Songs

Putting All Your Cards On The Table

Thinking about the holidays while going through some old pictures caused me to recall a common and typical event from those days. Big family holiday dinners always included card games -- both before and after the dinner. These were typically male-only affairs -- not because the ladies didn't know how to play, but simply because … Continue reading Putting All Your Cards On The Table

Letting It All Hang Out — The Hombres

One of the most unusual stories of the Sixties had to be that of the Hombres, a group that started life as something else but then went on to record a strange, genre-crossing hit before eventually fading from view. The song was a novelty country-rock hybrid called "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)," … Continue reading Letting It All Hang Out — The Hombres

REVIEW: High Performance – Live From Breaux Bridge: Part 2

If you liked High Performance – Live From Breaux Bridge: Part 1, which I reviewed earlier this year, then the odds are better than even that you'll like a new release from the folks at Swallow Records, the  Cajun/Zydeco music specialists, because it's pretty much more of the same. High Performance – Live From Breaux … Continue reading REVIEW: High Performance – Live From Breaux Bridge: Part 2

Laura Lives On – Musically

Sometimes movies -- even classics -- end up being less remembered than the music contained within. A good example is the 1944 film, Laura, which is considered one of the best cinematic mysteries ever made and still has many fans, but probably isn't remembered as much as its timeless theme song. When producer/director Otto Preminger … Continue reading Laura Lives On – Musically

Puttin’ My Cat Clothes On

One of the things I enjoy about digging through old pictures is how I inevitably stumble onto surprises, in some cases jaw-dropping ones. That would be a good description of how I reacted when I recently found a picture of myself from the Fifties, when I was a teenager and obviously fashion-challenged. I think I … Continue reading Puttin’ My Cat Clothes On

The Arbors Found The Path To Success

I've always enjoyed listening to the pop-music harmony groups of the Fifties and Sixties -- guys like the Lettermen, the Four Freshmen, and others. They pleased a lot of fans with a sound that fit somewhere between earlier groups like the Pied Pipers and newer combos like the Beach Boys. But there were some very … Continue reading The Arbors Found The Path To Success

Jack Jones – Son To The Father

If you read my stuff with any regularity, you had to know this one was coming. After all, it was just last week that I generated a piece called Alan Jones - Father To The Son, and I even mentioned the possibility, so no surprise here. But that doesn't mean Jack's story is any less … Continue reading Jack Jones – Son To The Father

REVIEW: Kelley Suttenfield – Where Is Love?

I would think that an artist would encounter a lot of obstacles in generating a debut album. First of all, they're almost certainly not well-known, so even getting the album made is an accomplishment. But even beyond that, they still have to get the album exposed to music fans, who will hopefully find that the … Continue reading REVIEW: Kelley Suttenfield – Where Is Love?