Check it out: Most people, at least post Baby Boom generation, know this from the insufferable, I mean delightful family masterpiece, The Sound of Music. It was, and remains, an…
One of the best ballads ever? No question. Brian Wilson, whom one can never say enough about, evinced such astonishing growth in such a short period of time, only The…
First, the sweet, angelic genius of Curtis Mayfield. (Sidenote: if you've lived this long without getting a proper exposure to Curtis, remedy that as soon as possible. Virtually everything the…
It was 33 years ago today... They almost put Macca away! Do you remember what a huge thing this was at the time? This, of course, was not Paul's first…
Needless to say, if I had my way jazz musicians would be famous, well-paid and appreciated. This is not a selfish desire: I would make no money in the venture,…
I will go ahead and answer my own question (posed the other month, HERE). Based on the footage I've seen (never caught him in real time, in person, alas) Les…
This hurts my heart and devastates my soul. It makes me furious and leaves me deeply distressed. And with a helplessness that at once causes me to question my belief…
All hope is not lost. At least enough people are still making --and listening to-- jazz that we can even attempt to initiate what hopefully becomes an ongoing occasion. In…
Sadly, only the most optimistic or naive observers did not see this coming. Indeed, it is fair, if harsh, to wonder how it took so long. I make it a…
How unbelievably appropriate that Permanent Waves was released on January 1, 1980? In virtually every regard, this album ended the '70s (literally) and foreshadowed the fertile grounds (reggae, pop elements, concise…
Sean Murphy