Although I often write about the music of the 1960s, I usually add the disclaimer that I wasn't really much of a fan of most of it at the time. I was conservative in most ways, including my tastes in music, but in later years I began to appreciate and enjoy what I would have … Continue reading Getting Together With The Youngbloods
Category: Video
VIdeo Treasure Chest Includes Musical Gems
It's kind of funny how things come together once in a while. A recent GMC comment led to a dialog in which I reiterated my opinion that the quality and scope of videos available online is staggering. It seems as if someone has posted a video for almost anything that might come to mind, including … Continue reading VIdeo Treasure Chest Includes Musical Gems
Did Betty Roché Miss The Duke’s A-Train?
Although the legendary Duke Ellington is remembered for a number of his own compositions, Billy Strayhorn's "Take The A-Train" is considered by many to be the Duke's signature song. But it's a piece with an interesting history, one that includes a young singer who seems to have mis-timed the train's biggest moments. When Wilmington-born Mary … Continue reading Did Betty Roché Miss The Duke’s A-Train?
Garnet Mimms And His Babies
Garnet Mimms was one of the best soul artists around in the 1960s, with a solid background in gospel-singing and tons of talent, and when he hit the top of the R&B charts with "Cry Baby," it looked like he was on his way to a long career. But the 1963 mega-hit would end up … Continue reading Garnet Mimms And His Babies
Remembering A Prodigy – Victor Feldman
Although his name might not be a familiar one to casual jazz fans, British musical prodigy Victor Feldman was a much-respected instrumentalist for many years. His career encompassed everything from playing drums for Glenn Miller (at age 10!) to heading up ground-breaking jazz groups of his own. Along the way he appeared alongside many of … Continue reading Remembering A Prodigy – Victor Feldman
Life Is Like A Box Of Chiclets
Tabloid City, a new book by legendary New York writer Pete Hamill, has triggered my latest foray into the dim recesses of childhood memory. During a passage in which he's describing the sound made by an oldster who is softly snoring, he compares it to what you hear when you blow into an empty Chiclets … Continue reading Life Is Like A Box Of Chiclets
A Half-Century Of Lulu
I would think that most of the folks who find their way to the GMC on a regular basis would be familiar with a 1960s British singer named Lulu -- or at least will remember her huge number-one pop hit, "To Sir With Love." As you will also recall, it was the theme of a … Continue reading A Half-Century Of Lulu
Sing Like An Egyptian
There was a period in the late 1970s when it seemed like everyone was fascinated by all things Egyptian -- especially anything related to King Tut. The long-gone 'boy pharaoh' Tutankhamun was by most reports a fairly minor figure in Egyptian history but as one of the few whose artifacts survived the attention of grave-robbers, … Continue reading Sing Like An Egyptian
The Endlessly Inventive Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Blind for most of his life and slowed by a stroke in his later years, jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk still managed to make his mark in a big way before his death in 1977. He was the very definition of cutting-edge, playing a staggering number of different instruments -- sometimes several at once -- … Continue reading The Endlessly Inventive Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Classic Bluegrass – Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper
It's been a while since we featured country music on the ol' GMC, and even longer since the sub-genre known as bluegrass has made an appearance. That being the case, it seems only fitting to take a look at one of the best of the traditional bluegrass acts, a husband and wife team that also … Continue reading Classic Bluegrass – Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper
Geezer Music Club 