I think we're due for another Fantastic Foursome and I've picked one of my favorite songs, offering four versions of it and giving folks the chance to vote. (Wouldn't be much point in choosing one I didn't like.) The incredibly prolific Victor Young wrote it for a spooky 1944 movie called The Uninvited, which starred … Continue reading A Fantastic Foursome For Stella
Category: Video
Origins Of Rock And Roll – The Treniers
It's often difficult to pin down key moments in the early days of rock and roll, but one event that seems a likely candidate occurred in 1954 when a jive band led by a set of identical twins appeared on TV's Colgate Comedy Hour, hosted by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Most experts feel that … Continue reading Origins Of Rock And Roll – The Treniers
Eddie Palmieri’s Big Brother Charlie
You've probably heard of Eddie Palmieri, the multiple Grammy-winning pianist who is still active and enjoying a career that has led to him becoming one of the stars of Latin jazz. But did you know he had an older brother -- Charlie -- who died in 1988, and was pretty darn good too? In fact, … Continue reading Eddie Palmieri’s Big Brother Charlie
Slim Whitman Is Amazing
Slim Whitman occupies a unique spot in the world of music. Lots of would-be sophisticates have poked fun at him for years, a practice that probably reached its peak in 1996 when the silly sci-fi movie Mars Attacks! utilized one of his yodeling songs ("Indian Love Call") as the only weapon that could stop the … Continue reading Slim Whitman Is Amazing
The Six Teens – A Very ‘Average’ Group
I would think that basing your doo-wop group's name on something that changed as soon as any of the members had a birthday would be a little silly, but that's what six friends in Los Angeles did in the mid-1950s when they added up their ages and divided by six. The result was sixteen, which … Continue reading The Six Teens – A Very ‘Average’ Group
Patti Page Topped The All-Time Charts
I was saddened to read that pop/country singer Patti Page died recently. She was 85 when she died and had enjoyed a long career, continuing to be musically active almost to the end. She's probably most remembered now for early hits like "Tennessee Waltz," which was one of the best-selling records of all time -- … Continue reading Patti Page Topped The All-Time Charts
Georgie Stoll – The Man Behind The Music
For someone who kept such a low profile during his decades-long career that it's difficult to even find a picture of him now, Georgie Stoll helped introduce an amazing amount of memorable music. From his early days as a jazz violinist to his many years as a composer, an arranger, and the director of the … Continue reading Georgie Stoll – The Man Behind The Music
Something Resembling A New Year’s Resolution
I'm not sure if this really qualifies as a New Year's resolution, but I thought I would use the occasion to make a little promise to anyone who regularly stops by the ol' GMC. I was checking some of the links in the left column and realized that a couple lead to blogs and/or websites … Continue reading Something Resembling A New Year’s Resolution
Fontella Bass And Her Song
Although she should not be labeled a 'one-hit wonder', it's difficult to think about Fontella Bass and not immediately remember her signature song, 1965's "Rescue Me." The talented R&B singer, who was 72 when she died in her home city of St. Louis on December 26th, had several other good-charting records during her career, but … Continue reading Fontella Bass And Her Song
West Coast Jazz Pioneer Abe Lyman
The recent death of jazz icon Dave Brubeck was marked by a ton of articles (including one on the GMC) and many of them mentioned that he was part of the West Coast jazz movement. Although I think he transcended any kind of label, I thought I'd dig a little deeper into that style of … Continue reading West Coast Jazz Pioneer Abe Lyman
Geezer Music Club 