"Stan Getz is bunch of nice guys " –Zoot Sims by Joe Schwab Being a teenage dope-fiend and a raging alcoholic on a bender streching out over three decades can take a toll on a man. Even with the posession of a prodigious talent, it [...]
After behaving with abominable enthusiasm in May, the Grim Reaper took it comparatively easy in June. The headline death was that of Herb Reed, leader of The Platters, at the age of 83. Reed was the last of the original Platters to leave us, and he was the only of the legions of rotating members to have featured on all official records by The Platters (that is, the incarnations of The Platters that traced their roots to Buck Ram). Reed toured until recently, until poor health laid him low. He died in the knowledge that a federal court [...]
Not every female vocalist from the big band era went on to a big solo career. Although former songbirds like Doris Day and Dinah Shore became major stars, there were a ton of talented singers who just never seemed to get the key breaks. A good example was Mary Ann McCall, who was good enough to win fan polls but often struggled for recognition in her later years. The Philadelphia native began to work professionally in the late 1930s while still a teenager, initially making appearances as a dancer and singer with [...]
DVD showcases Dixieland jazz
Filed under: News , Exclusive Although Chicago is best known for its pop hits, especially the power ballads from the '80s, the group had once recorded progressive rock music in the early '70s. One of the songs from that era is '25 or 6 to 4,' a rocker that has been a staple of classic rock radio, Chicago concerts and compilations -- even school marching bands. This summer marks the 40th anniversary of when '25 or 6 to 4,' which originally appeared on Chicago's self-titled second [...]
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 also included in that post a link to a place where you could see a slide show of the guy's drawings, and since I've now run across a few more examples of the artist's work, I thought I'd try the slide [...]
Made this mix for The Duchess right after Duke Jr. was born. The Dairy Barn was my nickname for the breastfeeding mother. Of course, while she was pregnant, I called her The Vessel . I am strange, aren’t I? 1. Tommy Dorsey ∞ Opus One 2. Bing Crosby ∞ Swing On A Star 3. Jimmy Dorsey ∞ Amapola 4. Benny Goodman ∞ Tea For Two 5. Count Basie ∞ [...]
7 Means of Movement: Riding The Byrds, Chestnut Mare. Al Duffy and Tony Mottola, Light Cavalry Overture. R.E.M, Bandwagon. When the Man and the Dog came back from hunting the Man said, "What is Wild Horse doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Horse any more, but the First Servant, because he will always carry us from place to place to place for always and always and always.
Boogie Woogie Flu
Any Major Dude With Half A Heart
Geezer Music Club
Music @ Blogcritics.org
Spinner.com
The Late Greats
Locust St.
[stream] Smith Westerns // 3AM Spiritual
The Dodos – “Confidence”
