Sometimes movies -- even classics -- end up being less remembered than the music contained within. A good example is the 1944 film, Laura, which is considered one of the best cinematic mysteries ever made and still has many fans, but probably isn't remembered as much as its timeless theme song. When producer/director Otto Preminger … Continue reading Laura Lives On – Musically
Category: Retirement
Puttin’ My Cat Clothes On
One of the things I enjoy about digging through old pictures is how I inevitably stumble onto surprises, in some cases jaw-dropping ones. That would be a good description of how I reacted when I recently found a picture of myself from the Fifties, when I was a teenager and obviously fashion-challenged. I think I … Continue reading Puttin’ My Cat Clothes On
The Arbors Found The Path To Success
I've always enjoyed listening to the pop-music harmony groups of the Fifties and Sixties -- guys like the Lettermen, the Four Freshmen, and others. They pleased a lot of fans with a sound that fit somewhere between earlier groups like the Pied Pipers and newer combos like the Beach Boys. But there were some very … Continue reading The Arbors Found The Path To Success
Jack Jones – Son To The Father
If you read my stuff with any regularity, you had to know this one was coming. After all, it was just last week that I generated a piece called Alan Jones - Father To The Son, and I even mentioned the possibility, so no surprise here. But that doesn't mean Jack's story is any less … Continue reading Jack Jones – Son To The Father
REVIEW: Kelley Suttenfield – Where Is Love?
I would think that an artist would encounter a lot of obstacles in generating a debut album. First of all, they're almost certainly not well-known, so even getting the album made is an accomplishment. But even beyond that, they still have to get the album exposed to music fans, who will hopefully find that the … Continue reading REVIEW: Kelley Suttenfield – Where Is Love?
Cleanin’ Up In The Aftermath
Holidays always kick up the ol' daydream machine a notch or two, but I guess I'm not the only one with that reaction. Most of us have a lot of memories squirreled away in our heads and it doesn't take much to jar some of them loose from their hiding places. Thinking about the just-finished … Continue reading Cleanin’ Up In The Aftermath
The Mystery Of Karen Chandler
One of the things I enjoy most about digging into music history is the way the process sometimes leads me into unexplored territory. The latest example occurred while I was putting together a recent piece about pop star Mel Carter and ran across another singer, a mysterious lady who'd also had a best-selling record of … Continue reading The Mystery Of Karen Chandler
Allan Jones – Father To The Son
I had intended to write a piece about crooner Jack Jones, who has had -- and continues to have -- a long and successful career as a jazz and pop singer. But I decided to save that for another day, and instead tell the story of his talented dad, Allan Jones, who paved the way … Continue reading Allan Jones – Father To The Son
REVIEW: Eddie Allen – Jazzy Brass For The Holidays
Eddie Allen is a busy man these days. Last month I reviewed the veteran jazz trumpeter's new album as the leader of a large band called the Aggregation. That effort was a solid collection of big-band music, and the band was -- well -- big, with something like 17 members. Now Eddie is fronting a … Continue reading REVIEW: Eddie Allen – Jazzy Brass For The Holidays
Remembering Randy & The Rainbows
Although there were many exceptions, the majority of the groups that specialized in the type of close-harmony singing known as doo-wop fell into two categories. The earliest was the R&B-inspired music that mostly came out of the black urban environment, but close on its heels was the sound of the Italian-American groups, mostly originating in … Continue reading Remembering Randy & The Rainbows
Geezer Music Club 