Regular visitors to the ol' GMC will probably recall that Ricky Nelson has made the occasional appearance here, and his family's TV show has also been covered (for example, HERE), but did you know that Ozzie and Harriet were once musical stars in their own right? OK, maybe not stars, but Ozzie did lead a … Continue reading Ozzie & Harriet Before TV
Category: Jazz
Yes, It’s Another Slideshow
For those who were looking for something a little more informational today, I can only confess that I'm in a slideshow frame of mind. This time around I'm again featuring pictures of unusual sculptures, specifically various critters from nature that have been made from an intriguing assortment of materials. And of course some appropriate music. … Continue reading Yes, It’s Another Slideshow
Baritone Bopper Battled Bogeys
More than a decade after his death, Gerry Mulligan is still considered the greatest baritone saxophonist in the history of jazz. But before he rose to fame he was preceded by another talented instrumentalist, one who starred in the bop era but had his career slowed by drug addiction and cut short by a fatal … Continue reading Baritone Bopper Battled Bogeys
Doin’ The Cow-Cow Boogie
Over the last decade or so, colorful life-size statues of cows have shown up in cities all over the world. It's the most visible sign of a movement known as CowParade, which has raised more than $20 million for charity via the subsequent auctions of the colorful bovine beauties. In the slideshow below I've included … Continue reading Doin’ The Cow-Cow Boogie
Did Betty Roché Miss The Duke’s A-Train?
Although the legendary Duke Ellington is remembered for a number of his own compositions, Billy Strayhorn's "Take The A-Train" is considered by many to be the Duke's signature song. But it's a piece with an interesting history, one that includes a young singer who seems to have mis-timed the train's biggest moments. When Wilmington-born Mary … Continue reading Did Betty Roché Miss The Duke’s A-Train?
Remembering A Prodigy – Victor Feldman
Although his name might not be a familiar one to casual jazz fans, British musical prodigy Victor Feldman was a much-respected instrumentalist for many years. His career encompassed everything from playing drums for Glenn Miller (at age 10!) to heading up ground-breaking jazz groups of his own. Along the way he appeared alongside many of … Continue reading Remembering A Prodigy – Victor Feldman
Life Is Like A Box Of Chiclets
Tabloid City, a new book by legendary New York writer Pete Hamill, has triggered my latest foray into the dim recesses of childhood memory. During a passage in which he's describing the sound made by an oldster who is softly snoring, he compares it to what you hear when you blow into an empty Chiclets … Continue reading Life Is Like A Box Of Chiclets
The Endlessly Inventive Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Blind for most of his life and slowed by a stroke in his later years, jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk still managed to make his mark in a big way before his death in 1977. He was the very definition of cutting-edge, playing a staggering number of different instruments -- sometimes several at once -- … Continue reading The Endlessly Inventive Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Sheila Jordan – Defying The Odds
You would have to assume that by the time we reach our 80s most of us would no longer be pursuing our normal vocation (if we're even still around), but it has always seemed to me that musical artists often defy the odds. Yet another example is jazz singer Sheila Jordan, who is still entertaining … Continue reading Sheila Jordan – Defying The Odds
Happy Un-Birthday To Louis Armstrong
During his lifetime, Louis Armstrong always said that he'd been born on July 4th, 1900. It became part of his legend and somehow always seemed appropriate for someone who was arguably the most important figure in the history of jazz, America's music. It wasn't until more than a decade after his 1971 death that his … Continue reading Happy Un-Birthday To Louis Armstrong
Geezer Music Club 