Bloggerhythms

I've always liked jazz, but I'm far from an expert, which is why I seldom write about the genre sometimes known as "America's Classical Music." However, Dave Brubeck's Time Out , the first instrumental jazz album to sell one million copies, is celebrating it's fiftieth anniversary this year so it's time to take a look at one of the most famous jazz recordings of all time. Time Out is the ultimate classic by Brubeck's quartet and it's one of those rare records that have always been appreciated by both jazz aficionados and pop music fans alike. Time Out is famous for being one of the first jazz records to employ unusual time signatures. Until this album most jazz was in either 3/4 or 4/4 time. Brubeck dared to use 5/4 and even 9/8 time signatures while offering up some of the most melodic jazz ever put on vinyl. Brubeck's piano and Paul Desmond's saxophone received most of the attention even though the rhythm section of Eugene Wright...

Folk-rock hit it big in the mid-60s. It became one of the dominant sub-genres of rock for about a decade with bands like Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds leading the way. Even today many bands continue to fuse folk music with their rock 'n roll. However, there was a time in the early 60s, before Bob Dylan plugged in, when real folk music actually generated hit records that were played on the radio. In the forefront were Peter, Paul, and Mary who became huge stars in 1962. The group earned gold records and won Grammy awards. I've always been one of Peter, Paul, and Mary's fans and I will miss them working together because Mary Travers, the female voice of the group, died yesterday of leukemia at age 72. Travers' beautiful alto had much to do with the trio's success. She was the lead singer on their hit single of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind," a tune that became their signature song. She also sang lead on "If I Had A H...

The very left-wing Larry Kirwan has never been afraid to tackle deep and controversial subjects with his music. He has written about "Bobby Sands, MP," tackled homosexuality on Black 47's updated version of "Danny Boy," recorded a song titled "Bobby Kennedy," wrote about Paul Robeson, and named dropped James Joyce in a song. Even for the outspoken Kirwan it is really brave, and maybe a bit over the top, to devote a whole album to the war in Iraq, yet that is exactly what he does on Black 47's latest CD, Iraq . He sings about "Sadr City," "The Battle of Fallujah," and honored war protester Cindy Sheehan with her own song. As always, Kirwan is very critical of the former Bush administration. Much of the inspiration for Iraq comes from the real life experiences that Black 47 fans have shared with the band. Many of the soldiers who returned home from Iraq come from the side of the political spectrum Kirwan never crosses, yet ...

Left to right: Richie Furay, Jesse Furay Lynch, and Aaron Sellen On Sunday, August 30, 2009, The Richie Furay Band played live at the Sellersville Theater , in Sellersville, PA. Furay took the stage with his current band who, not coincidentally, are all parishioners of the church he leads in Broomfield, CO. Furay played acoustic and electric guitar and handled lead vocals while his indispensable sideman, Scott Sellen, contributed lead guitar, banjo, pedal steel, keyboards, plus harmony and background vocals. Furay's daughter, Jesse Furay Lynch , contributed harmonies and played percussion, Sellen's son, Aaron, was the bassist, and Alan Lemke, Aaron's best man at his recent wedding over which Furay presided, was the drummer. Don't let the lineup fool you. This band could really play. Sellen is one of those consummate, multi-talented sidemen who can shift gears and change instruments at the d...