Here's an amazing fact -- in August of this year, it will have been thirty years since Elvis died. Of course, it might not be as amazing to you as it is to me, but I'm willing to bet that most of us wouldn't have guessed that it had been that long since he took … Continue reading Elvis Presley And The Genesis Of Rockabilly
Category: Blues
REVIEW: Paul Brown & Friends – White Sand
I always feel a little torn when I do a review of a smooth jazz album, but in spite of the disregard in which it's held by many jazz fans, it is a very popular musical format. Personally I have a kind of love-hate relationship with it, although that might be a little strong -- … Continue reading REVIEW: Paul Brown & Friends – White Sand
REVIEW: Feel Like Going Home – The Essential Charlie Rich
This release is a new presentation of a 1997 album titled Charlie Rich - Feel Like Going Home, a compilation of music that he recorded through the years for several different record companies. It's now been added to the Epic/Legacy Essential series and is the same music with different packaging, so this review applies to … Continue reading REVIEW: Feel Like Going Home – The Essential Charlie Rich
REVIEW: Van Gelder Series: Pat Martino -El Hombre
Guitar great Pat Martino is the subject of my third review (1, 2) from a series of albums released by Prestige (Concord) and based on the work of legendary sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder. All the albums in the series were originally mastered by Van Gelder and he has now handled the modern remastering as … Continue reading REVIEW: Van Gelder Series: Pat Martino -El Hombre
Dinner With Clint Eastwood – Music By Frankie Laine
Clint Eastwood's new movie, Flags Of Our Fathers, is getting a lot of attention lately, and it got me to thinking about the first time I became aware of Clint, and sort of had dinner with him. It goes back before his directing fame, before his solid movie career as a leading man, before his … Continue reading Dinner With Clint Eastwood – Music By Frankie Laine
Dads And Daughters – Nat And Natalie Cole
A couple of months ago I wrote a piece about how movie music was the MTV of my day, but it wasn't until I recently read something about MTV itself turning 25 that my nostalgia bone was tickled. (It resides right next to my funny bone, but is sometimes a little tougher to activate.) 25 … Continue reading Dads And Daughters – Nat And Natalie Cole
REVIEW: George Benson & Al Jarreau – Givin’ It Up
Alwin Lopez "Al" Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) There are so many "partnership" albums around - always have been, I guess - that sometimes it seems as if the choice of artists is more about showing something different than about being musically valid. No such problem exists with this new offering on … Continue reading REVIEW: George Benson & Al Jarreau – Givin’ It Up
Walkin’ Wild In New Orleans With Jimmy Smith
It's nice to see New Orleans making progress on a comeback from the devastation of Katrina, although it's obvious that it's going to be a uphill battle and the city might never again have quite the same unique character. It's a place that's special for a lot of reasons, and one of those is it's … Continue reading Walkin’ Wild In New Orleans With Jimmy Smith
REVIEW: Ray Sings, Basie Swings – Virtually
Ray Sings - Basie Swings, a new album featuring Ray Charles and the Count Basie Orchestra, is a sort of amalgam that's been put together by combining several sources. This certainly isn't the first time that deceased performers have shown up in a new album via the wonders of technology, and it's really up to … Continue reading REVIEW: Ray Sings, Basie Swings – Virtually
REVIEW: Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis And His Musical Cookbook
I don't think I normally have a smile on my face when I write a music review but in this case I do, because both the album and the artist are unusually named, and besides that, the music itself is pretty light-hearted. Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, who was also called "Jaws" by friends (as if "Lockjaw" … Continue reading REVIEW: Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis And His Musical Cookbook
Geezer Music Club 