Although I've written a number of pieces about crooners, I don't think I've ever covered one quite like Johnny Hartman. He would certainly qualify as a crooner of the first rank, but he just might be more remembered for his collaborations with a musical legend, saxophonist John Coltrane. The Chicago-born Hartman first began drawing attention … Continue reading Johnny Hartman – Crooning With Coltrane
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.
A Johnny Mathis Request
This is something a little different from what we usually do here, but I don't know why it wouldn't work. One of our regulars, May Higgins, has been looking for a particular Johnny Mathis song. It's one that he apparently performed at his 50th anniversary celebration, and May bought the CD but the song wasn't … Continue reading A Johnny Mathis Request
Segue To Sweet Swing Sounds
I first learned the meaning of 'segue' while working as a young radio DJ in the early 1960s. The veteran broadcaster who was my boss would explain how the process of smoothly flowing from the end of one record into the beginning of the next would help avoid 'dead air', a forbidden sin for radio … Continue reading Segue To Sweet Swing Sounds
Eddie Peabody Will Now Play For You
Remember those 'bloopers' records that were popular back in the 1950s? A guy named Kermit Schafer had a lot of success by compiling entire albums of bloopers -- mostly from radio in the early days, but later from TV too. The slightly naughty nature of some of the excerpts probably helped make them more popular, … Continue reading Eddie Peabody Will Now Play For You
Runnin’ Wild
Weekends are sometimes a good opportunity to get a little silly on the ol' GMC, so I thought maybe today we'd host a visit with some of our friends from the wild kingdom. Of course, cows and pigs aren't necessarily wild, but you know what I mean. Since the cartoons below take a little study … Continue reading Runnin’ Wild
The Heritage Of Andy Russell
Although it's much less common now, the music world has always been filled with performers who have 'Anglicized' their birth names, and a lot of those artists have been featured here. I won't even try to list them all, but one large grouping was explored in an earlier post, the Quintessential Italian Crooner. Some of … Continue reading The Heritage Of Andy Russell
The Hidden Side Of Stevie Wonder
There's not much doubt that Stevie Wonder has reached iconic status as an innovative performer and composer in his long career. The multiple Grammy-winner, who is now 60 years old, has been a force in music since he was 'Little Stevie Wonder' in the early 1960s, and along the way he's covered just about every … Continue reading The Hidden Side Of Stevie Wonder
The Fascination Of Sand Sculptures
Earlier this year, I posted a piece that included a picture of a thought-provoking sand sculpture. That particular work of art exhibited some of the qualities that I've always found most fascinating about this type of sculpture. It's a given that it begins with the talent and skill of the artist, but another facet I've … Continue reading The Fascination Of Sand Sculptures
Black And Blue Friday
Is it just my imagination, or is there a lot more attention being paid to 'Black Friday' this year? I know it's been a big deal for quite some time now, but in recent years it has even expanded into 'Black Friday Weekend' and then "Black Friday Week', although I haven't seen any ads for … Continue reading Black And Blue Friday
Debbie Reynolds’ Favorite Crooner?
Debbie Reynolds' favorite crooner in the late 1950s was almost certainly her husband, Eddie Fisher -- at least until he had his famous fling with Liz Taylor -- but before that, there just might have been another singer who made her swoon. Or at least that's how her character in the 1954 movie, Susan Slept … Continue reading Debbie Reynolds’ Favorite Crooner?
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