Category Archives: Music

Today’s Music: Smiley Lewis, Robbie Robertson, Huey Lewis

Posted on July 5, 2012 by admin

Blues singer and guitarist Smiley Lewis (real name: Overton Amos Lemons) greeted the world today in 1913 (d. 1966). Although he never achieved the fame of the many he inspired, his music is still covered today. The Band’s guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Robbie … Continue reading →

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Today’s Music: Stephen Foster, Champion Jack Dupree, Bill Withers

Posted on July 4, 2012 by admin

Born on the Fourth of July: Composer Stephen Foster in 1826 (d. 1864)… Blues pianist Champion Jack Dupree in 1910 (d. 1992)… And the great Bill Withers in 1938…

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Today’s Bonus Holiday Music: Ray Charles, “America the Beautiful”

Posted on July 4, 2012 by admin

What should be our national anthem, IMO.

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Today’s Music: George M. Cohan, Mississippi John Hurt, Pete Fountain, Fontella Bass

Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin

‘Yankee Doodle Boy’ George M. Cohan was born this day in 1878 (d. 1942). Here’s Jimmy Cagney performing some of his most famous compositions from the 1942 Cohan biopic, Yankee Doodle Dandy. Delta blues legend Mississippi John Hurt was born … Continue reading →

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Today’s Music: Cannonball Adderley Quintet, Rodrigo y Gabriela

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” In the mid-1960s, the prevailing opinion among rock DJ’s and radio station programmers across the nation was that jazz instrumentals were not of interest to their listeners. Then Cannonball Adderley released the funky-soulbeat … Continue reading →

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Today’s Music: Willie Dixon, James Cotton, Deborah Harry

Posted on July 1, 2012 by admin

Blues legend Willie Dixon was born today in 1915 (d. 1992). Without composer/bassist/arranger/producer Dixon, there likely would have been no ‘Chicago Blues’ sound, no Muddy Waters, no Howlin’ Wolf, and certainly no Chess Records. Here’s a sampling of some of … Continue reading →

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Today’s Music: Lena Horne, Dave Van Ronk, Yngwie Malmsteen

Posted on June 30, 2012 by admin

Irreplaceable jazz vocalist and the definition of class Lena Horne was born today in 1917 (d. 2010). Here’s her signature tune from 1943: And a live performance many years later: Folk-bluesman and ‘Mayor of MacDougal Street’ Dave Van Ronk started … Continue reading →

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Today’s Music: Bernard Herrmann, Colin Hay

Posted on June 29, 2012 by admin

Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite film composer, Bernard Herrmann, was born this day in 1911 (d. 1975). In his long career, he scored not only the Hitchcock classics Psycho, Vertigo and North By Northwest, but a slew of other films, among them … Continue reading →

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Today’s Music: Hank Garland and Gary Burton, “All the Things You Are”

Posted on June 28, 2012 by admin

And now for something completely different (sort of), here’s country swing guitar king (and one-time Elvis guitarist) Hank Garland with Gary Burton: And here’s Hank wailing on his big hit, “Sugarfoot Rag”:

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Today’s Music: Oscar Peterson, “Sweet Georgia Brown” (1985) Plus

Posted on June 27, 2012 by admin

The Oscar Peterson Trio with Joe Pass on guitar, in a 1985 concert at the Bussoladomani, Lido di Camaiore, Italy. No drummer, but this track swings like crazy. Plus, Oscar playing his own composition, “Hymn to Freedom in F”: (‘Birthdays’ … Continue reading →

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