One of the greatest contributions to Western Civilization is undoubtedly the boogie blues groove. It is the marrow and pulse of most of the greatest jazz and rock albums. Without it, there would be no “swing,” as the “boogie woogie”…
Category: No One Asked My Opinion, But…
THE BEAT OF THE BEATLES
Every generation has its canon of songs, and The Beatles have been on of the major contributors to today’s songbook. Like Joni Mitchell (another contributor to the canon), The Fab Four composed songs with clever melodies for musicians and thoughtful…
LET’S GET LYRICAL!!
Words are important. The beauty of them is that they can get much more specific than abstract things like sounds and colors. You can know exactly where you stand with someone by the words he or she says. I stopped…
IT’S “TOP TEN” TIME!!!
This is a great time to be a music fan. Not only is there a plethora of independent labels releasing exciting, fresh and new material, but long time labels are branching out and putting out albums my artists you may…
SENHOR BLUES…
I just got back from a trip to Portugal, and was thrilled by the musical and cultural wonders. Of all of the Latin speaking countries, Portugal gets overlooked, but it is really important for a variety of reasons. I’ve made…
CAPITOL JOYS!
I recently took my son in law to Washington DC in order for him to get a feel for the rich heritage that our Capitol has to offer. Here are some of the things every American needs to experience first…
LADIES WITH THE KEYS TO LIFE!
Since this month celebrates Mother’s Day, and we’re focusing on masters of the keyboard, it only seems fitting to make a list of some of the most important female artists on the piano and organ. Usually when you think of…
SWEET SOUNDS OF THE ALTO SAX
I remember going to a concert back in the 1970s, just when I was starting to get interested in jazz, and while in the men’s room, I overheard an “old” guy talking to a guy in his 30s. “Yeah, this…
KISS ME! I’M IRISH!!
There is a classic book that came out in 1995 titled How the Irish Saved Civilization. It is a fascinating history of the contributions from this tiny green island. In light of St. Patrick’s Day, commemorating a guy who did…
MY FAVORITE THINGS… IT’S TOP TEN TIME!
One of the joys of being a jazz fan, or a fan of anything (for that matter), is to compare what people consider their “TOP TEN” list of albums. Or pizzas. Or baseball players. Or hot dogs. Or chilli. Or…