I guess you could consider this a continuation of my recent article about Acker Bilk, or at least a companion piece, because Kenny Ball is certainly a contemporary of Bilk's and was another stalwart of the British trad jazz movement. He's also still actively pursuing his music, as is Bilk. But there are differences, other … Continue reading Kenny Ball – Keepin’ It Alive
Category: Jazz
Just Keep Smilin’
If you're a "glass half-empty" type of person, it's certainly easy enough to find reasons to be that way in today's world. But if you look at that same imaginary glass and see it as half-full (and maybe even rising), then chances are that you're able to crack a smile once in a while. But … Continue reading Just Keep Smilin’
Acker Bilk – Trad Jazz Master
I've never been a big fan of dixieland jazz. I remember hearing a lot of it when I was a teenager and a friend of mine seemed inexplicably entranced by a group called the Dukes Of Dixieland. He had several LP records by the Dukes and seemed to play them every time I visited. It … Continue reading Acker Bilk – Trad Jazz Master
REVIEW: Michael Olatuja — Speak
As someone who mostly writes about jazz, country music, and oldies (with the occasional foray into oddities like zydeco), I sometimes enjoy taking a look at something completely different. Speak, a new album on the Backdrop/ObliqSound label from Nigerian bassist and composer Michael Olatuja, is certainly just that. Although Olatuja is only 28 and this … Continue reading REVIEW: Michael Olatuja — Speak
Ben Webster – King Of The Tenors?
Although King Of The Tenors was the title given to Ben Webster's classic 1953 album, making that type of pronouncement probably provoked an argument, as it would now. But even though Webster was certainly one of the best of the early jazz saxophonists, the title of the album was probably not his idea anyway. In … Continue reading Ben Webster – King Of The Tenors?
Getting To Know Arthur Greenslade
I've mentioned before that I like to periodically check the freebies that Amazon and other online music sellers offer. Although some of the tracks they give away are a little iffy, you can also find yourself getting acquainted with good music from someone you might not know too well, like Arthur Greenslade. Arthur Greenslade's name … Continue reading Getting To Know Arthur Greenslade
Marching Along With Flare
I was once again going through some old pictures, and ran across one of myself lined up with the other members of my Boy Scout troop. (I'm the last one in the middle row.) It would date from the early 1950s, and I think we were arranged that way because we were practicing drilling, one … Continue reading Marching Along With Flare
REVIEW: Alvin Queen – Mighty Long Way
As a traditionalist -- at least in most things -- I have to admit that finding a new album that's reminiscent of the best in straight-ahead, traditional jazz is a distinct pleasure. It's sort of like running into a rumpled old friend and realizing how much you've missed him. Veteran drummer Alvin Queen's Mighty Long … Continue reading REVIEW: Alvin Queen – Mighty Long Way
In Consideration Of Smooth Jazz
If there is one thing I've learned about today's jazz fans, it's that many of them dismiss the type of music known as contemporary jazz, urban jazz, or -- shudder -- smooth jazz. And yet, there is good music to be heard within the genre. I understand the thinking of many jazz purists, and I'll … Continue reading In Consideration Of Smooth Jazz
Remembering The B-List Music Stars
Although you seldom see much about the big band era that flourished before and during World War II, many of the names are still familiar. Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman have names that will ring the proverbial bell with most of us, but what about Chick Webb, Larry Clinton, or Claude Thornhill? As … Continue reading Remembering The B-List Music Stars
Geezer Music Club 