I haven't reviewed a country music album for a while, but even though I'm a traditionalist who naturally leans heavily toward classic country (big surprise), a new compilation featuring today's country stars is still a pretty good listen. Now That's What I Call Country is from the same folks who have churned out a series … Continue reading REVIEW: Now That’s What I Call Country
Category: Nostalgia
Origins Of Doo-Wop – The Mills Brothers
I've occasionally written about doo-wop, either spotlighting some of the best of the smooth close-harmony groups of the Fifties and Sixties, or reviewing newly-released compilations, but to understand the origins of the genre you have to start with the Mills Brothers. The legendary group (along with their contemporaries the Ink Spots) helped pave the way … Continue reading Origins Of Doo-Wop – The Mills Brothers
A Salute To Leroy Anderson
It doesn't take a visit from Mr. Obvious to acknowledge that music has the power to trigger memories, and sometimes they're very specific memories, relating directly to a certain time or person. A good example is what happens when I hear "Blue Tango," one of prolific composer Leroy Anderson's most popular melodies. It reminds me … Continue reading A Salute To Leroy Anderson
Six Degrees Of Ray Noble
I had thought of calling British bandleader Ray Noble the musical Forrest Gump because he seemed to have a way of being in on some significant moments in musical history, but it's probably more accurate to call him the musical Kevin Bacon (as in 'six degrees of'). During his career Noble had connections with a … Continue reading Six Degrees Of Ray Noble
REVIEW: Al Foster Quartet – Love, Peace And Jazz!
It's always nice to see a respected jazz veteran have the opportunity to get his name on the front of a new album, especially if it's someone who has for the most part kept a pretty low profile over the course of his career. Drummer Al Foster has been in the business for many years, … Continue reading REVIEW: Al Foster Quartet – Love, Peace And Jazz!
Mysterious Musical Occurrences
It started innocently enough. I was reading a magazine and I noticed a print ad featuring John Travolta. I think he was selling watches, but the gist of it seemed to be that he was proud to be a pilot -- maybe even more so than he was to be an actor. I won't comment … Continue reading Mysterious Musical Occurrences
REVIEW: Johnnie Allan – Memories
A seemingly endless parade of tropical storms sweeping into the Southeast and blanketing bayou country leads me to one conclusion. It's time to shrug off the bad weather and listen to Memories, a new album on the Jin Records label from Louisiana swamp-pop legend Johnnie Allan. Johnnie, who was born John Allan Guillot and is … Continue reading REVIEW: Johnnie Allan – Memories
REVIEW: Todd Herbert – The Tree Of Life
Close on the heels of his success with 2007's The Path To Infinity, tenor sax wizard Todd Herbert brings us The Tree Of Life, again on the Metropolitan label. With his newest, he's once again offering up a mix of contemporary jazz with a post-bop touch. Herbert has been playing professionally since the early 1990's, … Continue reading REVIEW: Todd Herbert – The Tree Of Life
Hoyt Axton – Modern Renaissance Man
The dictionary defines Renaissance Man as 'a person who has wide interests and is expert in several areas', but it might be easier to just show a picture of Hoyt Axton. For four decades the multi-talented performer was a genre-crossing composer and singer as well as a busy TV and movie actor, and he did … Continue reading Hoyt Axton – Modern Renaissance Man
The Music Of The Olympics
No, not THOSE Olympics. It would be a natural assumption for you to make, and an obvious ploy on my part to lead you down that path, but we're not here to discuss the music of the recent Beijing games. Nope, our subject is a very good singing group from the Los Angeles area who … Continue reading The Music Of The Olympics
Geezer Music Club 