It might be unfair to call TV's Richard Diamond show a Peter Gunn clone, because even though both shows featured private eyes and a jazz-laden soundtrack, Diamond actually predated Gunn. It's just that the latter seemed to have made a more lasting impression, at least in part because of Henry Mancini's music. Richard Diamond is … Continue reading The Long Musical Journey Of Pete Rugolo
Tag: Instrumental Jazz
Si Zentner – Thriving In The Twilight
As a teenager in the late Fifties I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of music, including everything from early rock & roll to the softer sounds of my parents' favorite records. But even though I enjoyed a lot of what I heard, I often found myself attracted to big band jazz. The … Continue reading Si Zentner – Thriving In The Twilight
Fusion Can Show Up In Surprising Places
Fusion is a simple word that pretty much just means blending or merging, but these days it seems to be used with increasing frequency and in a lot of different ways. At one time it was probably mostly used to describe processes like nuclear fusion, but it's now applied to everything from gourmet cooking to … Continue reading Fusion Can Show Up In Surprising Places
Call Me A Barbarian
I'm sorry. Call me a barbarian. Tell me I'm crude and have no sense of the finer things in life. Question my intelligence if you must, but I have to confess to something. I don't get modern art. It's an opinion I've held for a long time and I know I'm not the first person … Continue reading Call Me A Barbarian
Memorial Day Arrives Again
It seems like just yesterday that I was posting a piece with the decidedly awkward title of Memories Of Memorial Day, but it was actually a year ago. The months seem to go by so quickly these days that I can almost feel the breeze from the flipping calendar pages. But Memorial Day is once … Continue reading Memorial Day Arrives Again
Earl Bostic – Taking Jazz In A New Direction
As much as I've always enjoyed the traditional big band sound of guys like Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Glenn Miller, I've also had a certain amount of admiration for those who came along with something a little different. A good example of that would be the bebop revolution of the post-war years, when guys … Continue reading Earl Bostic – Taking Jazz In A New Direction
Fat Cats Are Everywhere
You don't have to look far to find mention of 'fat cats' these days. A term that was originally used to describe the powerful backers of politicians, it has become common to hear it applied to certain Wall Street types, CEOs with golden parachutes, and just about anybody else who seems to have money and … Continue reading Fat Cats Are Everywhere
About That Grass Mowing Thing
If you stop by here with any regularity, you know that I've written a time or two about my general lack of interest in mowing the lawn. I pay a guy to come by and cut it when it's reached ankle depth, but if he doesn't show up for a while it's been known to … Continue reading About That Grass Mowing Thing
Revisiting The Chalk Man
A few weeks ago, I posted a piece I called Talkin' The Talk With Chalk, in which I reminisced about my faux pool-shark days and also featured an amazing picture. It was a sidewalk chalk drawing by an artist named Edgar Mueller, who somehow manages to give flat surfaces an astonishingly realistic 3-D effect. I … Continue reading Revisiting The Chalk Man
The Candoli Brothers – Doubling Trumpets
The subject of musical siblings has always fascinated me, although I suppose it's actually a pretty common occurrence. Growing up in a musical household would subject all the kids in the family to the same influences, so it's only logical that more than one might follow the same muse. Still, it's got to be a … Continue reading The Candoli Brothers – Doubling Trumpets
Geezer Music Club 