Early jazz musicians were a varied lot but were often drawn from the ranks of the less fortunate side of society. Many grew up in urban areas filled will poor blacks or immigrants and others came from the depressed rural areas that were home to many hard-scrabble folks. But there were exceptions to the rule … Continue reading Charlie Barnet – The Millionaire Bandleader
Author: BG
BG (aka The Big Geez) is a retiree who who has spent over a decade generating the Geezer Music Club, where he tries to prove that geezers can stay in touch with today's world. . .and still find time for the trimming of ear hair.
REVIEW: Don Rich – You Need Love
Even if you're into country music in a big way, it's entirely possible that the music of Don Rich isn't familiar to you, unless you're a fan of the earlier Don Rich, who in the early 1970's was the leader of the Buckaroos, the band that backed Buck Owens. But we're here to talk about … Continue reading REVIEW: Don Rich – You Need Love
Rethinking The Musicality Of Liberace
For a while in the early 1950's there was a phenomenon appearing on weekly TV, a man who was enormously popular with a wide audience (mostly female). He wore his tailored tuxedo on every show, and his megawatt smile lit up the tiny black and white screen like a searchlight. He was certainly a regular … Continue reading Rethinking The Musicality Of Liberace
REVIEW: Miles Davis Quintet – Cookin’ (Van Gelder)
This is my fifth review (1, 2, 3, 4) in a series of releases from Prestige Records that feature legendary sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder's remastered versions of his own originals. In this outing, originally recorded in 1956, the title says it all: Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet. Joining Davis in the quintet were … Continue reading REVIEW: Miles Davis Quintet – Cookin’ (Van Gelder)
Mouth-Harps — From Lincoln To Dylan And Beyond
Whenever I hear a mouth-harp (what most people call a harmonica) I think of my maternal grandfather, who grew up during the early part of the 20th century in an area filled with hard-scrabble farm folks. As was the norm at that time and in that place, he had only a grade-school education, and he … Continue reading Mouth-Harps — From Lincoln To Dylan And Beyond
REVIEW: Bennie Wallace – Disorder At The Border
When making a tribute album, I would think that an artist would have to walk a fine line between truly saluting a legendary musician or being perceived as trading on the fame of the past master. That sounds like a tricky task, but I think it's been done the right way with this new release … Continue reading REVIEW: Bennie Wallace – Disorder At The Border
A Music Contrarian Warms To The Beatles
Let me get the following statement out of the way first. Believe me, I completely understand that the Beatles don't need me to validate them, and I realize that they've already carved out their place in musical history without any help from me. I also understand that Paul McCartney has a lot of other things … Continue reading A Music Contrarian Warms To The Beatles
REVIEW: Benny Reid – Findings
Let me start by saying that my favorite jazz instrument is the saxophone - and to get even more specific, the alto sax - and I've spent a lot of time enjoying past and current masters. However, I'm afraid I'm not quite ready to include Benny Reid, the star of a new Concord release, Findings, … Continue reading REVIEW: Benny Reid – Findings
Saturday Nights At My Cousin’s Honky-Tonk Joint
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about the beginnings of rockabilly. Yesterday I was surprised to see a PBS show that covered the same subject. I think the show was actually a few years old, and it's just a coincidence that I wrote about the same subject (unless I have suddenly acquired … Continue reading Saturday Nights At My Cousin’s Honky-Tonk Joint
REVIEW: Joey DeFrancesco – Live – The Authorized Bootleg
Live albums are often a mixed bag, with the negative side encompassing the possibility of recording equipment problems, background noise, and the inability to have a "do-over", something that's always available in a studio. Offsetting that is the excitement and spontaneity that can only come from accomplished musicians performing for an appreciative and knowledgeable audience, … Continue reading REVIEW: Joey DeFrancesco – Live – The Authorized Bootleg
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