Although his name might sound like a piece of clothing in dire need of ironing, Bent Fabric -- who had a huge Grammy-winning hit in the early Sixties with the annoyingly addictive "Alley Cat" -- is a real person. The Danish-born composer and pianist, whose actual name is the much trickier to remember Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, … Continue reading Bent Fabric Is For Real
Tag: Video
Kitty Wells – The Queen Still Rules
Earlier this year I wrote about country music legend Hank Thompson and how his classic song, "The Wild Side Of Life," inspired a musical response by another star. But even though Kitty Wells might have found fame -- and a little controversy -- with her answering song, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," … Continue reading Kitty Wells – The Queen Still Rules
Teddy Wilson – Smoother Than Silk
If you were to take all the talented pianists whose careers stretched from the Big Band days to the the Modern Jazz era and lay them end to end, they'd reach to -- whoops. What I meant to say was that if you're looking for one among them who was the very definition of a … Continue reading Teddy Wilson – Smoother Than Silk
Upping The Bid With Leroy Van Dyke
I've attended my share of auctions through the years. When I was a young family man with limited funds I knew it was a good source of everything from furniture to tools, and -- admittedly -- the occasional useless gadget. But even before that, I had been known to place a bid or two and … Continue reading Upping The Bid With Leroy Van Dyke
Franck Pourcel And His French Fiddlers
The French have had their share of musical stars through the years, and seem to have been especially strong in instrumental pop and light classics, a genre sometimes called Easy Listening. A while back I wrote about Paul Mauriat, and another good example would be his friend and frequent collaborator, Franck Pourcel. Pourcel was the … Continue reading Franck Pourcel And His French Fiddlers
Country Songbird Connie Smith
When I write about the music of the past I try to balance my efforts among several different genres, including jazz, oldies, country music, and a few others. But it occurred to me that even within a particular genre I can be neglectful. Case in point -- all my country music features lately seem to … Continue reading Country Songbird Connie Smith
Pete Sims aka Pete La Roca
One of the more interesting little stories in jazz is that of Pete Sims, who was born in New York in 1938. A drummer who began finding some success in the Fifties while playing percussion in Latin bands, he adopted the name Pete La Roca to better fit in. He continued to do well after … Continue reading Pete Sims aka Pete La Roca
Jersey’s Answer To The Beatles
In a recent piece about the Buckinghams I wrote about the British musical invasion of the Sixties and how it caused many American bands to change, but some groups didn't just emulate the haircuts and quaint English-style suits. They also made a conscious effort to sound like some of the biggest British bands. The Knickerbockers … Continue reading Jersey’s Answer To The Beatles
Carl Smith – Anything But Ordinary
Even though his career stretches back for over half a century, Carl Smith is probably not one of the most remembered singing stars from country music's honky-tonk era -- but his ordinary-sounding name might be part of the problem. After all, a moniker like Faron Young or Ferlin Husky tends to be a little more … Continue reading Carl Smith – Anything But Ordinary
The Story Of Esquerita – aka Eskew Reeder
Let's say you were around in the early days of rock and roll, and one night you just happened to catch the act of a flamboyantly-pompadoured black performer, pounding on the piano and singing with utter abandon. Little Richard? Not necessarily. You might have been watching Steven Quincy Reeder, performing as his alter ego, Esquerita. … Continue reading The Story Of Esquerita – aka Eskew Reeder
Geezer Music Club 