Bloggerhythms

The late Vince Guaraldi is known to most people only as the pianist on the soundtracks to the Peanuts TV specials and especially as the genius behind the most famous jazz Christmas album in history, A Charlie Brown Christmas. That is a real shame for a man who died too young of a heart attack at age 47 just after completing work on another Peanuts TV show earlier that day. Fantasy Records released this fourteen-song greatest hits disc on vinyl in 1980 and on CD in 1989. It's far from being a complete retrospective because it only contains music Guaraldi recorded for that label, but it still serves as a very nice overview of this intriguing jazz man's work. Guaraldi started making records in the mid-50s as a sideman for Cal Tjader. He also sat in with Woody Herman. Later he played with percussionist Mongo Santamaria and Dave Brubeck's bassist, Eugene Wright. In 1959 Guaraldi set out on his own. It would be 1963 before he hit paydirt when "Cast Your Fate to the Wind...

NOCONA's leader, Chris Isom, is from the Texas town of the same name. It's also the name of a company that makes fine Western boots, so to avoid any confusion with both of these entities the quartet decided to capitalize its name. There's also a second salient point that needs to be made to avoid confusion. Although NOCONA has the look of a country-rock outfit, records in Nashville and bill themselves as an "alt-country/cowpunk band,"'  to my ears - especially with guest star Rosie Flores onboard - they're a kick-ass, rock 'n roll band. In addition to composer, lead singer and guitarist Isom, the lineup includes his wife, Adrienne, on vocals and bass. Matt Brundrett is behind the drum kit and Elan Glasser plays harmonica. NOCONA have been a fixture on the Los Angeles bar scene for twelve years. They've recorded three albums, but "How Do You Feel?" is their first new music since ...

Way back in the early 80s - before they had a recording contract and were the toast of the Philadelphia club scene - The Hooters sometimes played entire shows accompanied by a horn section that supplemented their unique ska, reggae, and pop-rock musical stew. The band still tours, and they also released a new album in 2023 that gives fans an opportunity to remember why Philadelphia was so devoted to them all those years ago. Rocking & Swing is an excellent and fun set of tunes that proves the group haven't abandoned their pop sensibilities at all, but after several decades of forcing their Jamaican influences to operate almost totally from the sidelines it brings the Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian led outfit back home to their roots. They even brought the horn section with them. Rocking & Swing  includes two original, ska-fueled instrumentals: "Guava Jive" and "Pete Rose" (I have no idea why the ballplayer's name is bei...

Dave Mason passed away on April 19, 2026 at age 79, and I have to admit that although I always liked his work, I really hadn't thought about him in quite a long time. That's what happens when an artist stops recording new material for almost two decades (1987-2008) and disappears from the radio. During that time, he only released four live albums. Mason only experienced modest chart success, placing just two singles in the top 40 and none after 1978. His debut LP,  Alone Together,  was his most successful, peaking at #22. Is it because he didn't fall into one of the two major rock sub-genres most British classic rockers gravitated to in the early 70s, either blues-rock or prog-rock? As a solo act he always was an outlier. Mason's first single to make the top 100 was "Only You Know and I Know" that peaked at only #42. It was lifted from his debut, a very good, middle-of-the-road record that rocks without being ...

Today I'm here to prove that when he was in the mood, Paul McCartney could challenge Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury, Roger Daltrey, Ian Gillan, Mick Jagger, Bono and others as a championship caliber rock singer and composer. A few weeks back I posted a handful of tracks that McCartney haters often cite to convince themselves that he's really nothing more than a latter-day Lawrence Welk, so today I'm giving equal time to the composer's heavier side. If you've already read my defense of the hall-of-famer's granny music it's time to read Paul McCartney: Rock 'n Roll Animal. "I'm Down," the B-side to The Beatles' single "Help" (1965) McCartney did a great Little Richard impression when he covered "Long Tall Sally" in 1964, and he was just as good when he wrote and sang "I'm Down" a year later, another obvious tribute to one of his early idols and influences. Listen to hi...

Merriam-Webster defines mojo as " a seemingly supernatural power, influence, or ability.   Mojo, the UK's excellent, popular music magazine may not have supernatural powers, but it possesses both influence and ability in abundance. The monthly publication easily keeps up with current artists and trends - this month Courtney Barnett, Mumford and Sons, and The Hold Steady are spotlighted - but the magazine has also targeted Baby Boomers ever since it hit the newsstands in 1993. That's why you see articles on The Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, The Kinks, David Bowie, NRBQ and a tribute to Bob Weir. April's cover story celebrates the 100th birthday of Miles Davis with a twelve-page spread. The entire issue is 122 pages in total, so you can see that Mojo offers their readers a lot of content. April's  Mojo Filter is "Y our guide to the month's best music."   It offers readers 147 reviews of new albums, reissues, music books ...

There's a store near me - appropriately named The Archive - that sells used books, comics, magazines, old trading cards, old post cards, records, CDs, DVDs, video games, toys, pop culture memorabilia and more. Are you looking for old Mad Magazines? They have them. Old Atari game cartridges? It's a possiblity. The place looks, feels and smells just like the musty warehouse it is, and I love it. None of The Archive's music is ever sold at collector's prices. Anyone can go in and pay a buck a piece for CDs and even their more in-demand vinyl is nicely priced. I visit there on occasion just to see what I can find. That's where I discovered the genre bending, classic album by Ray Charles, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music ,   originally released by ABC-Paramount Records on a 12-inch LP way back in 1962 and on CD by Rhino Records in 1988 with three bonus tracks. First, a little background for those of you who are unaware of the original ...

The original Outlaws were only together for two albums: their spectacular, eponymous inaugural LP (#13) and  Lady in Waiting, their commercially less successful follow up (#36). The quintet featured three rock guitarists:  Hughie Thomasson, Billy Jones, and Henry Paul. Bassist Frank O'Keefe and drummer Monte Yoho rounded out the unit. This early lineup didn't have a keyboard player. Some reports indicate O'Keefe was fired after this LP. Others say he left because he broke his neck after falling into an empty swimming pool. He eventually became dependent on pain killers for the rest of his life that ended in 1995 after an unfortunate overdose. Lady  in Waiting is very similar to Outlaws' ten song debut. The three axmen could blow the doors down with sheer volume - as they did with "Green Grass and High Tides" from the earlier set - but their beautiful, three-part harmonies reminiscent...