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
Category: Oldies
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
Ray Peterson — Rising Above Adversity
For many years polio (poliomyelitis) was a dreaded specter that hovered over parents with small children, and the very thought of it scared a lot of families beyond reason. I can remember being warned about everything from touching green flies to putting my mouth on public drinking fountains, although I'm not sure how well I … Continue reading Ray Peterson — Rising Above Adversity
Music Appreciation 2.0
One of the most overused expressions of all time is 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks', and speaking as an elder schnauzer myself I can't deny that there is a kibble of truth contained somewhere in there. Still, I have been known to occasionally learn a new thing or two if given a … Continue reading Music Appreciation 2.0
Singing About Sickness In New Orleans
New Orleans has always been home to a rich musical heritage, with a history of influence on almost every kind of music, especially jazz and R&B. Among the performers in the latter genre have been an almost endless parade of locally-grown artists, many of whom went on to major stardom. Names like Fats Domino, Lloyd … Continue reading Singing About Sickness In New Orleans
Gene Pitney – Troubadour To Troubled Teens
Although in his day he was often dismissed as a lightweight teen idol who just churned out song after song about teenage agony and angst, Gene Pitney managed to sustain a long and mostly successful career. Along the way he explored other genres, performing with everyone from George Jones to the Rolling Stones, and eventually … Continue reading Gene Pitney – Troubadour To Troubled Teens
A Twist Of Fate – Teresa And Joan
While I was growing up, one of the most familiar singing voices around our house was that of Teresa Brewer (my subject in an earlier piece). She was apparently a favorite of at least one of my parents -- probably my mother, because dad was more likely to go for polkas and harmonica music. In … Continue reading A Twist Of Fate – Teresa And Joan
REVIEW: Beach Boys – U.S. Singles Collection – The Capitol Years (1962-1965)
Everything you ever wanted to hear from the early days of the Beach Boys -- doubled or even tripled. A new sixteen-disc set is obviously aimed at aficionados of the guys and their music, and is being offered by Capitol/EMI as both a boxed set and as digital downloads. The set, titled The Beach Boys: … Continue reading REVIEW: Beach Boys – U.S. Singles Collection – The Capitol Years (1962-1965)
Amping It Up With Johnny & The Hurricanes
Although they weren't the only ones with the idea, for a few years in the late Fifties and early Sixties Johnny and The Hurricanes enjoyed a lot of success with an unusual recipe for music. They'd take old, traditional songs and amp them up with a modern sound that was very appealing to the era's … Continue reading Amping It Up With Johnny & The Hurricanes
Geezer Music Club 