Although his name might draw a blank with the younger generation, I think just about everyone else will be at least a little familiar with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians. Most will recall Waring as the leader of a musical ensemble that included a lot of choral pieces, but the man who was sometimes called … Continue reading America’s Singing Master – Fred Waring
Category: Jazz
Remembering Margaret Whiting
I was sorry to read about the recent passing of Margaret Whiting, a talented vocalist who enjoyed a long and successful career. Although her name might not be instantly familiar to modern music fans, she was very popular at one time and sold a lot of records through the years, showing an ability to reinvent … Continue reading Remembering Margaret Whiting
Didgeridoo – Déjà Vu?
In addition to being a very nifty tongue-twister, the title of this piece has to be just about the strangest ever seen here on the ol' GMC. Still, it does make sense -- I think. Let me elaborate. I've always been fascinated by the didgeridoo (occasionally spelled didjeridoo), the strange musical instrument most often associated … Continue reading Didgeridoo – Déjà Vu?
About That Lead In Your Pencil
As we begin the new year, I hope everyone who needs it has lead in their pencil. And you can choose to see that as a euphemism or not -- your choice -- but the subject of the post is real lead pencils. Of course, modern pencils use graphite -- not lead -- but for … Continue reading About That Lead In Your Pencil
Der Bingle — Reinventing The Art Of Crooning
Regular readers know that I've offered up a number of pieces about crooners, and will also recall that I've written about Bing Crosby more than once. In fact, just a week or so back I featured him in a post called Laughing At The Cowhand, and another -- Bing Crosby Gets a Mulligan -- is … Continue reading Der Bingle — Reinventing The Art Of Crooning
Freddy Martin Introduced Tchaikovsky To Millions
I've always enjoyed listening to jazzed-up versions of classical pieces, especially those as performed during the big band era. Even if purists might have dismissed the practice, it did offer the music of the ages to many people who would otherwise have shied away from what they called 'long-hair' music. (A term that has certainly … Continue reading Freddy Martin Introduced Tchaikovsky To Millions
Johnny Hartman – Crooning With Coltrane
Although I've written a number of pieces about crooners, I don't think I've ever covered one quite like Johnny Hartman. He would certainly qualify as a crooner of the first rank, but he just might be more remembered for his collaborations with a musical legend, saxophonist John Coltrane. The Chicago-born Hartman first began drawing attention … Continue reading Johnny Hartman – Crooning With Coltrane
Segue To Sweet Swing Sounds
I first learned the meaning of 'segue' while working as a young radio DJ in the early 1960s. The veteran broadcaster who was my boss would explain how the process of smoothly flowing from the end of one record into the beginning of the next would help avoid 'dead air', a forbidden sin for radio … Continue reading Segue To Sweet Swing Sounds
The Heritage Of Andy Russell
Although it's much less common now, the music world has always been filled with performers who have 'Anglicized' their birth names, and a lot of those artists have been featured here. I won't even try to list them all, but one large grouping was explored in an earlier post, the Quintessential Italian Crooner. Some of … Continue reading The Heritage Of Andy Russell
Black And Blue Friday
Is it just my imagination, or is there a lot more attention being paid to 'Black Friday' this year? I know it's been a big deal for quite some time now, but in recent years it has even expanded into 'Black Friday Weekend' and then "Black Friday Week', although I haven't seen any ads for … Continue reading Black And Blue Friday
Geezer Music Club 