I've always been pretty upfront about my appreciation for legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman -- even kiddingly comparing myself to him in an earlier post -- but there were lots of guys in the early jazz age who played a mean licorice stick. In fact, some of them probably inspired Goodman when he was first starting … Continue reading The Clarinet Wizardry Of Johnny Dodds
Category: Video
Shining A Spotlight On Tibby Edwards
Our society is so star-obsessed that we sometimes forget that the evolution of music also depends on lesser-known performers. Guys like Tibby Edwards, who was never a big star but still managed to be in the middle of things during the early years of rock and roll. In fact, at one point he shared the … Continue reading Shining A Spotlight On Tibby Edwards
The Time-Honored Tradition Of Busking
You might know it by a different name, but busking has been around for as long as people have been gathering in communities of any kind. It's the practice of performing in public for gratuities, either money or edibles, and it's as popular now as it has ever been. In addition to countless practitioners of … Continue reading The Time-Honored Tradition Of Busking
Frances Wayne – Songbird And Supportive Spouse
It was not unusual for big-band era songbirds to find a romantic connection with a member of the band and sometimes even marry them, but not many helped their new husband become a successful bandleader and composer. Frances Wayne did just that, marrying trumpeter Neal Hefti in 1944 and then helping him build his career, … Continue reading Frances Wayne – Songbird And Supportive Spouse
A Fantastic Foursome That’s Season Appropriate
Time for another of our 'fantastic foursome' posts. Today's choice is perfectly suited to what I see when I look out my window. Although "Autumn Leaves" has become a familiar standard, you might be surprised to learn that it started life as a French song titled "Les Feuilles Mortes" ("The Dead Leaves"), and was introduced … Continue reading A Fantastic Foursome That’s Season Appropriate
Link Davis Changed With The Times
I never cease to be amazed by the diversity of sounds that influenced early rock and roll, a diversity that even existed within each of the genres themselves. For example, what we now call rockabilly had room for rising young blues rockers like Elvis Presley alongside country music veterans like Link Davis, who first appeared … Continue reading Link Davis Changed With The Times
Don Byas – What Might Have Been
Many of the best instrumentalists of the big band era, guys who were admired and emulated by their contemporaries, later became stars in bebop and the progressive jazz movement. But one of the best -- tenor saxophonist Don Byas -- chose a different route. Although he was fully on board with cutting edge jazz, he … Continue reading Don Byas – What Might Have Been
Don’t Forget Tommy Sands
When I first thought about featuring actor/singer Tommy Sands on the ol' GMC, I almost moved on to another subject because I was sure I had already covered the former teen idol. But apparently not, according to the handy dandy 'search' feature (which is much more reliable than my memory), so here we go. One … Continue reading Don’t Forget Tommy Sands
Helen Ward – A Songbird With Something Extra
One reason I enjoy doing this is that I keep discovering new things about subjects I thought I'd pretty much explored to death. For example, I've written before about my affinity for Benny Goodman, and in another piece furnished some details about his ground-breaking 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, but I recently discovered something new. It … Continue reading Helen Ward – A Songbird With Something Extra
The Inspiration Of Grover Washington, Jr.
I can sometimes be a little oblique in my thinking, but whenever I come across a well-known artist with a 'Jr' added to his name, I always wonder about his father. Was he a musician and did he help his son get started? And was he so renowned himself that his son found it difficult … Continue reading The Inspiration Of Grover Washington, Jr.
Geezer Music Club 