Before I read the album notes for a new collection called The Very Best Of Prestige Records, I naturally enough thought to myself that it would have been child's play to put together this double-album commemorating the label's 60th anniversary. After all, Prestige has a long history as one of the best jazz labels around, … Continue reading REVIEW: Various Artists – Very Best Of Prestige Records
Category: Boomers
Leon Payne – The Multi-Talented Texan
There have been many blind musicians through the years and I'm sure that a few come to mind as you read this. But one that is mostly remembered as a songwriter -- if he's remembered at all -- was actually an amazingly skilled multi-instrumentalist and a very popular singer in his day. Texan Leon Payne … Continue reading Leon Payne – The Multi-Talented Texan
Harpers Bizarre — Beyond The Bridge
A while back I wrote about a group called the Danleers, and I coined the phrase 'One-Hit Plus Wonders'. It was my silly way of recognizing that sometimes musicians are a little more than just a simple One-Hit Wonder. To help prove the point I direct your attention to Harpers Bizarre, a California-based group popular … Continue reading Harpers Bizarre — Beyond The Bridge
In The Footsteps Of Glenn Miller
I guess it's just how things work sometimes, but it's not unusual for talented musicians to sometimes be more remembered for their association with a big name than for their own abilities. A case could be made that Ray McKinley's history with Glenn Miller fits that profile. The two were good friends whose paths often … Continue reading In The Footsteps Of Glenn Miller
Comic Book Collector Wannabe
A news item about the first Superman comic selling for $317,000 caught my attention today, especially when I saw that the original owner had bought it in a second-hand bookstore back in the 1950s when he was just 9 years old. The story triggered memories of my own childhood experience, which unfortunately didn't end as … Continue reading Comic Book Collector Wannabe
REVIEW: Steve Haines Quintet – Stickadiboom
Retro rules the roost in a new release from bassist Steve Haines and his group, who seem to have found a direct route to the kind of music that would have been right at home in the hard-bop era. Stickadiboom, now out on the Zoho label, is strongly evocative of the days when creative jazz … Continue reading REVIEW: Steve Haines Quintet – Stickadiboom
Musical Imports — The Swingle Singers
In the midst of all the musical chaos of the 1960s, an era when several different genres were fighting for dominance in the pop music world, there was always room for something a little different. That would certainly describe the Grammy-winning Swingle Singers, a French (and later English) import led by an American. Ward Swingle … Continue reading Musical Imports — The Swingle Singers
Remembering Hank Locklin
One of the best signs of the level of fame reached by a musical artist is the number of recordings appearing on the charts, but when a country music star also demonstrates the ability to cross over and show up repeatedly on the pop charts, you can bet that he's special. That was the case … Continue reading Remembering Hank Locklin
REVIEW: The Rippingtons – Modern Art
When a musical group with two decades of success releases album number eighteen, you have to figure that the guys making up the group are pretty much on top of their game. That would be an accurate description of the Rippingtons, and the group's new album, Modern Art, is now out on the Peak Records … Continue reading REVIEW: The Rippingtons – Modern Art
The Sound Of Waters
If you've enjoyed listening to any of the numerous lady singers who have performed "Am I Blue" through the years, then you might be interested to find out that it all started with a very special songbird. She introduced it in 1929 in a film called On With The Show, which was not only one … Continue reading The Sound Of Waters
Geezer Music Club 