Irony runs rampant in my review of jazz singer Kurt Elling's Nightmoves, which is brand new on the Concord label, the first of his three record deal with them. The seven-time Grammy nominee was previously a long-standing part of Blue Note's stable of performers, and during his time with them pretty much became the top … Continue reading REVIEW: Kurt Elling – Nightmoves
Category: Seniors
Teresa Brewer And Her B-Side Million-Seller
I'm not one to brag about the reliability of my memory. In fact, just the opposite -- I'll be the first to admit that my memory is so full of holes that you could use it to make a chain-link fence. That's why a lot of the songs I remember from my childhood are a … Continue reading Teresa Brewer And Her B-Side Million-Seller
Bix, Bing, And The King Of Jazz
Jazz and I have been old friends for a long time, but as much as I enjoy my favorite kind of jazz - swing music - I'm not old enough to actually remember it during its heyday. Its golden age was probably the 1930's, and it was still pretty popular during the war years but … Continue reading Bix, Bing, And The King Of Jazz
REVIEW: Various Artists – Swamp Gold – Volume 8
If you were a teenager in the South in the 1950's or 1960's, you might think some of the music on this album is very familiar. If you grew up in South Louisiana, following the music and hitting the bayou dancehalls, it's almost a sure thing that you'll remember a lot of these songs. Swamp … Continue reading REVIEW: Various Artists – Swamp Gold – Volume 8
The Monkees – More Than Just Beatles Wannabes
Before the mob with torches starts marching to my castle, let me hasten to assure you that I'm not equating the Monkees with the Beatles. Far from it. On the one hand, you have a band that was a pop icon in the 1960's and on the other hand you have the Beatles. Wait -- … Continue reading The Monkees – More Than Just Beatles Wannabes
Charlie Barnet – The Millionaire Bandleader
Early jazz musicians were a varied lot but were often drawn from the ranks of the less fortunate side of society. Many grew up in urban areas filled will poor blacks or immigrants and others came from the depressed rural areas that were home to many hard-scrabble folks. But there were exceptions to the rule … Continue reading Charlie Barnet – The Millionaire Bandleader
REVIEW: Don Rich – You Need Love
Even if you're into country music in a big way, it's entirely possible that the music of Don Rich isn't familiar to you, unless you're a fan of the earlier Don Rich, who in the early 1970's was the leader of the Buckaroos, the band that backed Buck Owens. But we're here to talk about … Continue reading REVIEW: Don Rich – You Need Love
Rethinking The Musicality Of Liberace
For a while in the early 1950's there was a phenomenon appearing on weekly TV, a man who was enormously popular with a wide audience (mostly female). He wore his tailored tuxedo on every show, and his megawatt smile lit up the tiny black and white screen like a searchlight. He was certainly a regular … Continue reading Rethinking The Musicality Of Liberace
REVIEW: Miles Davis Quintet – Cookin’ (Van Gelder)
This is my fifth review (1, 2, 3, 4) in a series of releases from Prestige Records that feature legendary sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder's remastered versions of his own originals. In this outing, originally recorded in 1956, the title says it all: Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet. Joining Davis in the quintet were … Continue reading REVIEW: Miles Davis Quintet – Cookin’ (Van Gelder)
Mouth-Harps — From Lincoln To Dylan And Beyond
Whenever I hear a mouth-harp (what most people call a harmonica) I think of my maternal grandfather, who grew up during the early part of the 20th century in an area filled with hard-scrabble farm folks. As was the norm at that time and in that place, he had only a grade-school education, and he … Continue reading Mouth-Harps — From Lincoln To Dylan And Beyond
Geezer Music Club 