One of the very best of the singers who successfully managed the transition from big band songbird to solo jazz vocalist was June Christy, whose first high profile job was as the replacement for a future legend. But she would go on to a long and notable career of her own, winning a lot of … Continue reading June Christy — From Songbird To Cool Jazz Soloist
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.
Steve Winwood And The Spencer Davis Group
By the late 1960s I was already a young married man with a family and wasn't really into the popular music of the era, but I was most definitely aware of it, and as time passed I grew to appreciate a lot of it. One of the bands I enjoyed most was a British 'blue-eyed … Continue reading Steve Winwood And The Spencer Davis Group
Toots Thielemans Still Dazzling Fans
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016) Although I've written about a lot of musical stars on the ol' GMC, I've always had a special fondness for those who have had long, successful careers and are still doing their thing and doing it well, even at an advanced age. One … Continue reading Toots Thielemans Still Dazzling Fans
Red Sovine – Speaking To Truckers
It's always fun to take a look at those performers who made a specialty of story songs, especially the kind that are sentimental to the point of cheesiness -- which includes most of them, I guess. It's territory I've visited before -- for example, T. Texas Tyler's "Deck of Cards" -- but today's subject is … Continue reading Red Sovine – Speaking To Truckers
Six Degrees Of Who?
Sometimes my ideas for stories on the ol' GMC just naturally flow from earlier posts because so many artists have connections to others. In a way, I guess it's sort of a musical version of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon -- or in this case, Blossom Dearie, because when writing about her recently I turned … Continue reading Six Degrees Of Who?
Blossom Dearie Was Something Different
One of the most unusual singing voices around was stilled a couple of years ago by the death of jazz singer Blossom Dearie. Although she was never really a big star nationally she was a beloved fixture on the Manhattan jazz scene, and when she died at age 84 in 2009 she was just a … Continue reading Blossom Dearie Was Something Different
Jimmy Clanton Is Still Rockin’
As we all know, a lot of musical stars from earlier eras have managed to find renewed success in later years by performing in nostalgia-based shows, and in some cases have even returned to the recording studio. One who has held up remarkably well is former teen idol Jimmy Clanton -- but he was always … Continue reading Jimmy Clanton Is Still Rockin’
The Crooning Eberly – Er – Eberle Brothers
In a recent piece about big band songbird Helen O'Connell I included a video of her performing with a guy who was her usual partner, crooner Bob Eberly. I also noted that the clip seemed to be mislabeled because it identified the singer as Ray Eberle, Bob's lookalike younger brother. I based my opinion on … Continue reading The Crooning Eberly – Er – Eberle Brothers
Tonettes Two Ways
So does anyone remember playing the Tonette in elementary school? I'm sure that I remember having one, and unless my memory is playing tricks (which it often does) I think I can even remember the little oilcloth case that came with it. The small plastic end-blown flutes known as Tonettes are a simpler version of … Continue reading Tonettes Two Ways
Bessie Smith – The Empress Of The Blues
I doubt that anyone reading this actually remembers hearing Bessie Smith in her prime. After all, the lady known as the 'Empress of the Blues' died way back in 1937. But she is a much-revered member of the Grammy Hall Of Fame (established to honor artists from the early days) and is now recognized as … Continue reading Bessie Smith – The Empress Of The Blues
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