Blogcritics Category: Music: History and Appreciation

Music Review: Gerald Albright - Sax For Stax

Big Geez — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:19:12 EDT

The legendary Memphis record company lives again -- sort of.
Have you ever wondered whether an interesting nickname helps kick up a musician's career? Or to ask the question in a different way, does a guy with extraordinary talent but an ordinary-sounding name sometimes find himself flying a little below the radar? Case in point (always wanted to say that) is saxophonist Gerald Albright, who can blow...

Liner Notables: Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks

Gordon Hauptfleisch — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:26:10 EDT

"He's as personal and as universal as Yeats or Blake; speaking for himself, risking that dangerous opening of the veins, he speaks for us all."
Garnering an embarrassment of riches and a treasure trove of tidbits from note-perfect liner notes... Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts…Idiot wind blowing through the buttons of our coatsBlowing through the letters that we wrote…Okay, so I exaggerate for effect when I suggest some senselessness to...

Music Review: Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis - Two Men With The Blues

El Bicho — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:18:57 EDT

Two Men With The Blues will undoubtedly take yours away.
Every other 2008 album released, from those already out to those awaiting a future Tuesday, are officially put on notice that Two Men With The Blues is in the running for the best of the year. Sure, it’s not an even playing field since it features Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, two of the greatest musicians in their field brought together...

Retro Redux: Amping It Up With Johnny and The Hurricanes

Big Geez — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:14:12 EDT

They had a specialty -- and it led to a lot of record sales.
Although they weren't the only ones with the idea, for a few years in the late Fifties and early Sixties Johnny and The Hurricanes enjoyed a lot of success with an unusual recipe for music. They'd take old, traditional songs and amp them up with a modern sound that was very appealing to the era's growing legions of rock and roll fans....

Satire: Engaged Couple's Musical Differences Threaten to Derail Wedding

Eric Whelchel — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:02:45 EDT

Musical differences threaten to wreck one couple's wedding
Engaged couple Kristen Tiffington and Curtiss Ian announced today that their June 2013 wedding is in jeopardy due to ongoing conflicts regarding the music that will be used to commemorate their special day. Ian, a 30 year-old maintenance supervisor and self-proclaimed “indie snob, but in a good way” says the high point of his life...

Concert Review: Eli Paperboy Reed, Paris 7/15/08

Jayson Harsin — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:50:02 EDT

Eli Paperboy Reed, the hottest new Soul Revivalist, performs his first show in Paris
Eli Paperboy Reed, the sensational 24-year old Soul Man from Boston the whole internet is buzzing about, made his first appearance in Paris last night at La Maroquinerie. His voice, his look, his supporting band, his stage routine--all lived up to the hype. Reed was pushing his fabulous new record Roll With You. Last night his perfectly pickled...

Music Review: Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery

Big Geez — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:24:15 EDT

Still remembered as one of the best, forty years after his death.
Even casual jazz fans are familiar with the name Wes Montgomery, and those who have closely followed the legendary guitarist's career know that 1960's The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery was probably one of his most important albums. It's that landmark effort that's the subject of our third review from Concord's...

Retro Redux: Johnny Ace - Promising Start Leads To Senseless End

Big Geez — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:53:00 EDT

Another of the tragic stories that have always been part of the history of music.
The music business is filled with tragic stories, but that doesn't lessen the impact of individual tales of opportunities lost and potential unfilled. One of those is the story of Johnny Ace. Johnny Ace (John Marshall Alexander, Jr.) was a Memphis native and a regular on the local music scene from an early age. A contemporary of B.B. King and...

Retro Redux: Banned From Radio Play - Nervous Norvus

Big Geez — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 08:01:27 EDT

Being prohibited by many radio stations probably helped make his song a best-seller.
I've enjoyed silly songs for a long time (and have written about them before) but I'm not alone in my admiration. Fans of veteran radio personality Dr. Demento have long appreciated the unusual music he's brought their way, and he's given credit for helping make a star of Weird Al Yankovic and a few others. But Demento's career...

Retro Redux: The Grinch Makes A Rare Summer Appearance

Big Geez — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 18:28:09 EDT

It turns out that the Hulk isn't the only green guy lurking around.
I'm not sure if there's such a thing as an Independence Day Grinch, but I'm very close to being one.The 4th of July is a holiday that in its simplest form is meant to celebrate the historical aspects of independence. But like most holidays it has evolved into something else. For some, it's all about long weekends and family time,...