I've mentioned before that I sometimes regret dumping all my old vinyl LPs in favor of CDs (most recently in Bye-Bye To Brubeck Bossa Nova). Another of those missing albums came to mind today. It was an odd-looking one -- transparent gold instead of black -- recorded by a bandleader that I assumed at the … Continue reading Dave Pell – The Real Thing
Tag: Jazz
The Elegance Of Nancy Wilson
I've written several times about my radio experiences in the early 1960's so I won't repeat all that, but I did want to mention again how we had a large shelf of record albums that we slowly worked our way through, playing a cut from each. The result of doing that day after day, week … Continue reading The Elegance Of Nancy Wilson
Bye-Bye To Brubeck Bossa Nova
More than once, I've mentioned my long-standing appreciation for Latin jazz. I've also made no secret about being a fan of Dave Brubeck since the days when he brought jazz to the mainstream music world with his group's seminal 1961 recording of "Take Five." And in a different piece, I touched on how his group's … Continue reading Bye-Bye To Brubeck Bossa Nova
The Sweet Sounds Of Russ Morgan
Once in a while I like to feature one of the less-remembered bandleaders of the big band era, guys who might have been very popular at one time but lacked the lasting fame of a Glenn Miller or Tommy Dorsey. One who could be described in those terms was another trombonist, Russ Morgan, who had … Continue reading The Sweet Sounds Of Russ Morgan
Ginny Simms – From College To Kollege
Regular readers will recall that I often write about 'crooners' and 'songbirds' -- the vocalists of the big band era. In fact, if you put either word into the 'search' space on the left side you'll find lots of evidence of my fondness for them. That being the case, I thought maybe it was time … Continue reading Ginny Simms – From College To Kollege
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
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
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
Remembering The Liltin’ Miss Tilton
Although I've often written about various Songbirds -- the ladies who sang with the big bands -- in no way should it be assumed that I've done so with any kind of priority or ranking. In fact, their stories are all equally fascinating to me, even though some ladies might have found more lasting fame … Continue reading Remembering The Liltin’ Miss Tilton
Vikki Carr – One Of Carson’s Cohorts
On the occasion of the recent dust-up over NBC's Tonight Show, including an eviction of Conan O'Brien and ascension by Jay Leno, my thoughts turned to the history of the show. Specifically, the years during which Johnny Carson made a regular practice of turning over the reins to a parade of 'guest hosts'. The occupants … Continue reading Vikki Carr – One Of Carson’s Cohorts
Geezer Music Club 