For reasons I'll get to later, I thought I'd revisit the world of Cajun music for this review, spotlighting a newly released album on the Swallow label (Flat Town Music). It's actually a reissue of the debut album for Le Band Passe Partout, an authentic group straight from the bayou, and it's simply titled Louisiana … Continue reading REVIEW: Le Band Passe Partout – Louisiana Cajun Music
Category: Boomers
Dodging The Doofus Preceded Dancing With The Stars
Although I have never watched Dancing With The Stars, the media barrage about the show has stirred my own memories of misadventures on the dance floor, which leads me to make an embarrassing confession. When I was very young - maybe 8 or so - I took dancing lessons. There -- I've said it and … Continue reading Dodging The Doofus Preceded Dancing With The Stars
REVIEW: Merle Haggard – The Bluegrass Sessions
I would guess that legendary musicians - or artists of any kind, for that matter - are sometimes tempted to sit back and rest on their laurels. However, I would also guess that part of what makes them a legend is that they're continuously striving to stretch themselves, and that's certainly Merle Haggard's intent on … Continue reading REVIEW: Merle Haggard – The Bluegrass Sessions
Lee Dorsey And The Monday Morning Song
Sometimes you first become aware of a song at a perfectly appropriate moment in your life, and if the connection is strong enough you'll remember it for a long time. That just might be the case for me, because there was a time in the 1960's when my job made for many a depressing Monday … Continue reading Lee Dorsey And The Monday Morning Song
REVIEW: Mr. Groove – Little Things
You might be new to the music of a diverse jazz group called Mr. Groove, but in addition to possessing an interesting name they've been performing at a consistently high level for two decades, often as the band behind stars like Boots Randolph and vocalist Bonnie Bramlett. They're also no strangers to the recording studio, … Continue reading REVIEW: Mr. Groove – Little Things
Turkey, Trimmings — And Straw?
When I was young, it wasn't unusual for a huge group of family members to assemble for holiday dinners at my maternal Grandparents' home. It was a small house outside a rural village, and they'd moved from their tenant farm because my Granddad was into middle-age, and had given up farming for the less physically … Continue reading Turkey, Trimmings — And Straw?
REVIEW: Mindy Smith – My Holiday
Well, it looks like this particular Grinch finds himself once again reviewing a Christmas album, but that's OK because it's the kind I like. My Holiday, on the Vanguard label, is talented young vocalist Mindy Smith's third album but her first holiday effort, and she's assembled a very nice mix of traditional holiday pieces and … Continue reading REVIEW: Mindy Smith – My Holiday
Claude King – Still Climbing That Mountain
In the early 1960's I had a brief career as a small-town radio DJ, which might sound a little glamorous but I have to confess that I fell short of the ideal in several ways. Among my shortcomings was the fact that mine wasn't the smoothest voice in broadcasting history, and I also sounded like … Continue reading Claude King – Still Climbing That Mountain
REVIEW: Stacey Kent – Breakfast On The Morning Tram
It is with a profound sense of relief that this particular Grinch is happy to report that the music review you're reading is NOT about a holiday album. Not that there's anything wrong with holiday music - I'm not that much of a Grinch - but I've reviewed several recently, and it's always nice to … Continue reading REVIEW: Stacey Kent – Breakfast On The Morning Tram
John Gary – His Voice Dazzled
I've often written about crooners, past and present, and have managed to cover quite a few -- or at least mention them. But there is a guy who was not only largely unappreciated by the public, but also sort of fell through the cracks in my memory when I was writing those articles. (And those … Continue reading John Gary – His Voice Dazzled
Geezer Music Club 