I was sorry to see of the recent passing of jazz drummer Joe Morello, who is probably most remembered for the years he spent as part of the enormously influential Dave Brubeck Quartet. Although saxophonist Paul Desmond and Brubeck himself got most of the attention, Morello -- along with bassist Eugene Wright -- helped create … Continue reading Joe Morello – Violin Prodigy Became A Jazz Drumming Star
Category: Jazz
A Wave From A Happier Time
The earthquake and resulting tsunami (what used to be called a tidal wave) in Japan and elsewhere is a devastating event, and I won't even begin to try to describe the tragic results. I thought that I would instead write about a different kind of 'wave', one from a happier time. It's a wave that's … Continue reading A Wave From A Happier Time
From Internment Camp To Broadway – Pat Suzuki
Most of us have read about -- or even remember -- the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. It was especially prevalent in the Western United States, and was an accepted practice at the time with lots of historical precedence, but it was later condemned and now seems barbaric to us. The people who … Continue reading From Internment Camp To Broadway – Pat Suzuki
The Hi-Lo’s Meet Sinatra
It seems like Frank Sinatra is showing up here a lot lately, but I happened to run across a couple of tidbits that sort of connected. While working up a piece on a close-harmony singing group called the Hi-Lo's, I found that Ol' Blue Eyes had encountered the guys a time or two -- and … Continue reading The Hi-Lo’s Meet Sinatra
Dakota Staton – Beyond George Shearing
The recent death of George Shearing was noted in a number of articles, and some of the more detailed pieces mentioned various performers who recorded with the legendary jazz pianist. Among them was a singer whose name might not be quite as familiar as Shearing's -- but his 1958 pairing with singer Dakota Staton on … Continue reading Dakota Staton – Beyond George Shearing
It Might As Well Be Spring
In our area of the Midwest, daytime temperatures have been rising into the 60s. That's pretty amazing for mid-February, and even though I know there's bound to be lot of bad weather still to come, I can't help but wonder if Spring is at least not TOO far away. That being the case, I thought … Continue reading It Might As Well Be Spring
In Appreciation Of Sue Raney
I've written before about musical artists who somehow fall short of super-stardom, even though they might be more talented than some of their more-famous contemporaries. Another good example would be jazz vocalist Sue Raney, a gorgeous lady with an even more beautiful voice, who over the course of her long career has been a favorite … Continue reading In Appreciation Of Sue Raney
Sinatra On My Kindle
I haven't written much about my Kindle lately, even though I'm as happy as can be with it. One reason I haven't mentioned it is that I mostly try to write about musical things, and even though it does play MP3 files I'm not sure if that counts as music related. But I do know … Continue reading Sinatra On My Kindle
Ben Pollack Was The Real Thing
I've written before about a couple of movies that told the Hollywood version of the lives of two stars from the big band era -- The Benny Goodman Story and The Glenn Miller Story (video below) -- but something occurred to me today. Each film included a number of real musicians from the era appearing … Continue reading Ben Pollack Was The Real Thing
Lionel Hampton And Illinois Jacquet Shared Signature Song
Signature songs are a long-time tradition in the world of music. Almost every musician or group that has ever managed to attain a measure of fame can point to one special song that became their best known and most loved by fans. But in at least one instance, a song became the signature for two … Continue reading Lionel Hampton And Illinois Jacquet Shared Signature Song
Geezer Music Club 