As the Geezer Music Club enters its third calendar year of existence, it occurred to me that it might be fun to institute something new. Soooo...I thought I'd take a shot at naming our very first Album Of The Year. (With hopefully many more to come.) Having reviewed about a zillion new albums - over … Continue reading Album Of The Year
Category: Big Band
Artie Shaw’s Funk Paves Way For Tony Pastor
I've been actively listening to big band music for most of my life, beginning with my teen years (when it competed with early rock and roll for my attention) and continuing to the present. Not surprisingly, I've gained some favorites from among the many tunes I've heard again and again. A few of those are … Continue reading Artie Shaw’s Funk Paves Way For Tony Pastor
From Alvino To Zoot – The Name’s The Thing
I was churning through my music collection recently, trying to bring order to the chaos that results from a haphazard mix of digital music files, CDs, and even a few cassettes and vinyl records. In case you're wondering (and I know you are) I got rid of my eight-track tapes a long time ago -- … Continue reading From Alvino To Zoot – The Name’s The Thing
Al Hirt – More Than Just A Cup Of Coffee
As a teenage jazz fan in the late 1950's and early 1960's, I always had my eyes - and ears - open for any piece of music that became popular enough to cross over from jazz to pop. Since not many teenagers at that time were into jazz, I think I was a little (OK, … Continue reading Al Hirt – More Than Just A Cup Of Coffee
REVIEW: Brian Setzer Orchestra – Wolfgang’s Big Night Out
I'm not going to be coy, and I'm not going to waste time making you wait to hear my opinion of Brian Setzer's newest effort, Wolfgang's Big Night Out. The album, a recent release on the Surfdogs label, is a glorious romp that suits my musical tastes in a way I've seldom encountered. It's almost … Continue reading REVIEW: Brian Setzer Orchestra – Wolfgang’s Big Night Out
Virtuoso Steel Guitarist . . . And Faux Latino – Alvino Rey
Latin jazz has been one of my listening pleasures for years, but it was popular long before I came along. By the time I was into my teens and beginning to appreciate it, Latin music had been well-established in the US for decades. Bandleaders such as Pérez Prado, Xavier Cugat, and others had been familiar … Continue reading Virtuoso Steel Guitarist . . . And Faux Latino – Alvino Rey
REVIEW: Dean Martin – Forever Cool
Coming your way from Capital Records, legendary crooner Dean Martin lives again in Forever Cool, an album of mostly familiar songs. But this time around the king of cool is matched up with some of today's stars, proving once again that the technology exists to magically create unlikely duets. This isn't my first time at … Continue reading REVIEW: Dean Martin – Forever Cool
REVIEW: The War – A Ken Burns Film (Soundtrack – Boxed Set)
I have a problem. Ken Burns' newest documentary, The War, which provides a comprehensive look at World War II and is now showing on PBS, has also generated a four CD boxed set of music. The problem is that it's so freakin' good that I'm afraid I'm in danger of overselling it, but at the … Continue reading REVIEW: The War – A Ken Burns Film (Soundtrack – Boxed Set)
Jazz At The Junction With Erskine Hawkins
During my mid-teen years, when I was first forming my life-long appreciation for big band music (while still keeping an eye on the growth of rock and roll) one of my favorites was a tune that Glenn Miller and his orchestra had made into a big hit a number of years earlier. In fact, it … Continue reading Jazz At The Junction With Erskine Hawkins
The Musical Side Of Desi Arnaz
I can't imagine anyone who's been around for a while who doesn't remember - or at least know about - the hugely successful 1950's TV show, I Love Lucy. It was a true phenomenon, one of the biggest hits in the history of TV and a show that helped popularize the medium at a time … Continue reading The Musical Side Of Desi Arnaz
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