Although my musical preferences are largely a product of my early years, not all of my likes and dislikes stretch back that far. Like most people, my tastes have changed throughout my life, and many of the things I now like are relative latecomers, some appearing in unlikely ways. One that jumps to mind occurred … Continue reading Changing Musical Tastes Lead To Commitments
Category: Blues
From Boogie-Woogie To Early Rock And Roll – Ella Mae Morse
Boogie-woogie is a type of music that's a little difficult to pin down and define with precision, mostly because it's like ice cream -- it comes in a lot of different flavors, and they're all downright tasty. But I will at least try to edge into something approaching a definition. I'm not a trained musician … Continue reading From Boogie-Woogie To Early Rock And Roll – Ella Mae Morse
Clyde McCoy – Leaving The Legendary Feud Behind
I have written some articles with unusual juxtapositions, but I think this is one of the strangest. It's about an early jazz pioneer, a man who is especially remembered for one distinctive song, who also happened to be a member of a family involved in a legendary hillbilly blood-feud. I think most of us have … Continue reading Clyde McCoy – Leaving The Legendary Feud Behind
Dinah Washington – Queen Of The Blues
The more time I spend looking into the history of music and musicians, the more I realize the magnitude of my ignorance. I've always enjoyed music, but for most of my life it was pretty much just an aural experience for me, and I seldom delved too deeply into the backgrounds of the musicians themselves. … Continue reading Dinah Washington – Queen Of The Blues
REVIEW: Norman Brown – Stay With Me
Say what you will about smooth jazz, but when you're in a receptive mood and it's being performed by talented musicians, it can be a very nice listening experience. Contemporary jazz guitarist Norman Brown provides that feeling with ease in his new album, Stay With Me, just out on the Peak Records (Concord) label, but … Continue reading REVIEW: Norman Brown – Stay With Me
Song Titles That Might Tickle Your Fancy
I guess I've always been a fan of country music, stretching back to the days of listening to it on my grandparents' old Philco, enjoying all the "Hanks" (Williams, Snow, Locklin, Thompson, etc) and their counterparts. But there were long periods in my life where I really didn't think that I was much into it. … Continue reading Song Titles That Might Tickle Your Fancy
REVIEW: Various Artists – Swamp Gold – Volume 8
If you were a teenager in the South in the 1950's or 1960's, you might think some of the music on this album is very familiar. If you grew up in South Louisiana, following the music and hitting the bayou dancehalls, it's almost a sure thing that you'll remember a lot of these songs. Swamp … Continue reading REVIEW: Various Artists – Swamp Gold – Volume 8
REVIEW: Don Rich – You Need Love
Even if you're into country music in a big way, it's entirely possible that the music of Don Rich isn't familiar to you, unless you're a fan of the earlier Don Rich, who in the early 1970's was the leader of the Buckaroos, the band that backed Buck Owens. But we're here to talk about … Continue reading REVIEW: Don Rich – You Need Love
Mouth-Harps — From Lincoln To Dylan And Beyond
Whenever I hear a mouth-harp (what most people call a harmonica) I think of my maternal grandfather, who grew up during the early part of the 20th century in an area filled with hard-scrabble farm folks. As was the norm at that time and in that place, he had only a grade-school education, and he … Continue reading Mouth-Harps — From Lincoln To Dylan And Beyond
REVIEW: Stryker-Slagle Band – Latest Outlook
The Stryker-Slagle Band's new release, Latest Outlook, due out soon on the Zoho label, is the real thing, folks. Talented jazz musicians at the top of their game, playing together with a confidence gained by long-time collaboration, and offering an outstanding mix of music that should appeal to every fan of good jazz. Guitarist Dave … Continue reading REVIEW: Stryker-Slagle Band – Latest Outlook
Geezer Music Club 