Some of my favorite performances of R&B music were recorded Continue reading My Favorite Performances Live From Daryl’s House | Blog#42
Category Archives: Music
Tavis Smiley’s Tribute to Prince Rogers Nelson | Passages on Blog#42
A late night errand turned into a very special hour Continue reading Tavis Smiley’s Tribute to Prince Rogers Nelson | Passages on Blog#42
Rest in power, Maurice White! Thank you for the joy | #EarthWindAndFire on Blog#42
The best memories of my life were played to the soundtrack of Earth, Wind and Fire. Continue reading Rest in power, Maurice White! Thank you for the joy | #EarthWindAndFire on Blog#42
The vocal artistry of Dizzy Gillespie | #Jazz on Blog#42
Dizzy Gillespie was an accomplished vocalist and scat artist Continue reading The vocal artistry of Dizzy Gillespie | #Jazz on Blog#42
Dizzy Gillespie Quintet on BBC Jazz 625 (1966) | Blog#42
Dizzy’s genius as a composer, bandleader and soloist come shining through in this beautifully-restored high-quality recording. Continue reading Dizzy Gillespie Quintet on BBC Jazz 625 (1966) | Blog#42
Bebo Valdes and The Roots of #HipHop | The Miracle of Candeal on Blog#42
The late pianist, Bebo Valdes, took part in “The Miracle of Candeal,” a documentary about youth in one of the most segregated and poor areas of Brazil. Continue reading Bebo Valdes and The Roots of #HipHop | The Miracle of Candeal on Blog#42
Cab Calloway: A musical and visual inspiration | Sketches: The Documentary | PBS
A singer, dancer and bandleader, Cab led one of the most popular African American big bands during the jazz and swing eras of the 1930s-40s, with Harlem’s famous Cotton Club as his home stage. Continue reading Cab Calloway: A musical and visual inspiration | Sketches: The Documentary | PBS
Memories of Ailey’s “Cry”
One of my fondest and most vivid memories of a cultural event is of the original Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater troupe. I saw them when I was ten or eleven. I was lucky enough to be able to finally take my daughter to see them last year. Much to my chagrin, they didn’t perform Cry. I’d shown her the YouTube videos, so she knows what Cry is about. Continue reading Memories of Ailey’s “Cry”
To the “heckler” who emailed me…
Dear Tom B.,
I’m sorry you feel that I am unoriginal. I like all jazz, including hard bop. I even like acid bop.
Here’s Cannonball playing “Something Else” with Miles…
By the way, next time, don’t use a pseudonym with your real email address and website…
CommonHealth: How Playing Music Affects The Developing Brain | WBUR
Remember “Mozart Makes You Smarter”?
A 1993 study of college students showed them performing better on spatial reasoning tests after listening to a Mozart sonata. That led to claims that listening to Mozart temporarily increases IQs — and to a raft of products purporting to provide all sorts of benefits to the brain.
Continue reading CommonHealth: How Playing Music Affects The Developing Brain | WBUR