I've mentioned a few times before that I played the clarinet as a kid (and compared myself to Benny Goodman) but I've also always had a fondness for the sound of a saxophone. I've never played one -- it was all I could do to manage the clarinet -- but I had a couple of … Continue reading What If Saxophones Had Never Been Invented?
Ancient mariners had a lot of different sea monster legends to worry about whenever they began their voyages. Everything from giant squids to sea serpents might be waiting for them, and if they avoided those then King Neptune himself might be lurking below the surface and ready to pull them under. Scary stuff but none … Continue reading Sea Monsters Are Real – And They’re Growing
It's been almost three years since the last edition of the Special Feature known as Saluting Silly Songs. The GMC itself is a little different now than it was then, but it is lighter and breezier -- or at least that's my aim -- so it should be a perfect fit for a feature that's … Continue reading Saluting Silly Songs – Always Say Yes!
An early jazz entertainer and songwriter, Una Mae Carlisle had a world of talent and a dazzling stage presence, all of which helped her become a popular star. Unfortunately her career was shortened by health problems, but for two decades she was a very successful part of the music scene. And it in no way … Continue reading Una Mae Met Fats And Sparks Flew
On at least two earlier posts on the GMC we featured a type of music known as Exotica. It seems only right to take some time to explore the genre a little, first by trying to define it and then by showcasing the guy who was sometimes called the 'Father of Exotica'. You could say … Continue reading Martin Denny And The Evolution Of Exotica
I always thought there were some similarities between "April In Paris" and "Autumn In New York" but I didn't realize until recently that both romantic ballads were written by the same guy, and his story is a good one. Born in Russia as Vladimir Aleksandrovich Dukelsky, a name that he continued using off and on … Continue reading From Russia With Love. . .Songs
The story of today's Anatomy Of A Song starts with its composer, Mexican legend Consuelo Velázquez (Torres), who was often called Consuelito. She was 88 when she died in 2005, and had spun out a long and successful career as a pianist, singer, and composer. Many of the songs she wrote are still loved and … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – Consuelito’s Mexican Classic
I'm not a TV snob. You know, one of those people who claim they don't own a television, or that they have a small one but keep it in the closet and just bring it out to watch butterfly documentaries on PBS. In fact, the definition of 'TV snob' might have changed now because so … Continue reading Observations From An Offbeat TV Viewer
Radio City, the short-lived pirate radio station that operated off the coast of England for a while in the 60's, was mentioned recently in a post titled Tony Newman And The Crazy 60’s Music Scene, but if you want to know more about it we probably should start with some history. Pirate radio has been … Continue reading Screaming Lord Sutch And The Radio City Pirates
Are you kidding me? The movie that scared me silly when I was a kid has been remade, and get this; it won the Oscar for best picture! Well, to be fair, maybe The Shape Of Water isn't exactly a remake of Creature From The Black Lagoon, but more later about that. Let's get into … Continue reading My 11-Year-Old Self Would Be Stunned
Geezer Music Club 