I suppose it's just a microcosm of life itself, but pop music is filled with haunting stories and senseless tragedies. One of those occurred in 1959 at Clear Lake, Iowa, when a plane crash took the life of the pilot and his three passengers. It's been immortalized as 'The Day the Music Died', but most … Continue reading The Third Passenger At Clear Lake
Category: Boomers
Ivie And The Duke Hit The Road
Lately I've been digging a little deeper into the history of a place that's always intrigued me, New York's historic jazz spot known as the Cotton Club. At the height of its popularity in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it provided a showcase for many future legends. One of the biggest was Edward Kennedy … Continue reading Ivie And The Duke Hit The Road
REVIEW: Tango Duo – Pasión por la Vida
Over a long and illustrious career that has included everything from bebop to the classics (not that there aren't some bebop classics, but you know what I mean), respected pianist Roger Davidson has again and again returned to Latin music. That passion is reflected in the title of his newest album on the Soundbrush label, … Continue reading REVIEW: Tango Duo – Pasión por la Vida
Honky-Tonk Swingin’ With Hank Thompson
Fans of modern country music might not immediately recognize his name, but for a couple of decades the charismatic and talented Hank Thompson was one of the biggest stars around, a master of Western Swing who was equally at home with romantic ballads or pure honky-tonk. Henry William Thompson was yet another of the many … Continue reading Honky-Tonk Swingin’ With Hank Thompson
The Seeds — Not Pushing Hard Enough?
Calling a musical act a 'one-hit wonder' is a pretty common occurrence and one that is usually meant as a mild put-down, but there have been some musicians who achieve a measure of popularity without quite reaching even that plateau. They might hit the charts for several songs and have some solid record sales, but … Continue reading The Seeds — Not Pushing Hard Enough?
Still Waitin’ For That Train
When I wrote about a song called "Night Train" in a recent piece, I connected it to my high school marching band and my transition into a football player. But aside from those memories, it's also a type of song that's very near and dear to me -- a train song. It's pretty common knowledge … Continue reading Still Waitin’ For That Train
REVIEW: Sean Jones – The Search Within
The title of trumpeter Sean Jones' new album, The Search Within, provides a pretty strong clue to the career progression of the young jazz musician. It's his fifth in five years -- all on the Mack Avenue label -- and follows up on 2007's Kaleidoscope. That effort featured a diversified collection with a lot of … Continue reading REVIEW: Sean Jones – The Search Within
Helen Humes And The Cotton Club
I've always been a little fascinated by the story of the Cotton Club, the historic New York night spot that hosted countless musical legends through the years. In fact, I've written about it before, but my subject here is a lady who might -- or might not -- have appeared there. Helen Humes was a … Continue reading Helen Humes And The Cotton Club
Marchin’ To The Train With King Curtis
So I was listening to some music today -- specifically an old R&B instrumental called "Night Train," by King Curtis -- and as I enjoyed his honkin' sax I kept thinking to myself, why does that song sound so familiar? I don't mean just familiar in the sense that I'd heard it before, because practically … Continue reading Marchin’ To The Train With King Curtis
Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez And His Happy Organ
Teenage boys in the 1950s were not that much different from now in at least one respect -- risqué double-entendres usually made us snicker and dig an elbow into our friends' sides. That might have helped explain why a relatively unknown keyboardist named Dave Cortez rocketed to the top of the charts in 1959 with … Continue reading Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez And His Happy Organ
Geezer Music Club 