It’s impossible to feel good all the time, for most of us anyway. So, when you have one of those not so good days or moments, if you haven’t seen this CBS 60 Minutes piece, you really should watch it. It’ll probably make you feel good. It’s about a symphony orchestra and choir in Africa, … Continue reading
Have you ever played in a band? With all due respect, I’m not talking about your high school or grade school band. Have you ever played in a band for money? Do you know what it feels like to play a guitar, a sax, a piano, an acoustic or electric bass, the drums, or a … Continue reading
JAZZ. SWING. BIG BAND SWING. BENNY GOODMAN, GLENN MILLER, COUNT BASIE, DUKE ELLINGTON, LOUIS “SATCHMO” ARMSTRONG… THERE ISN’T ENOUGH ROOM TO LIST ALL THE GREATS OF JAZZ that make Jazz the enduring and feel good art form it is. From its deepest roots in the music of our slave culture, into the twenties, thirties and … Continue reading
I’m tired of people exhorting their armchair quarterback opinions about politics and the economy. I want to talk about something the politicians can’t screw up. Well, maybe I should say, they haven’t screwed it up YET… Do you know what Boogie-Woogie Music is? What about dancing to Swing Music from the thirties, forties and early … Continue reading
Written around 1920 by Max Ehrmann, some are familiar with the poem Desiderata and some are not. Many times, and in several languages, the words of this poem have been recorded. When you hear this poem, you’ll know what inspired writing is all about. And not surprisingly, in 1971 it won a Grammy for Best … Continue reading
Even the peasants swing their pitchforks to a good beat… Today, no social commentary, no stories, no who shot John, just some great music. A good beat that will hopefully make you say what James Brown is famous for screaming, “I FEEL GOOD!” Turn up the volume to get the full blast value of this … Continue reading
All over the world in the 50’s, millions of kids experienced a musical earthquake of the highest magnitude. This earthquake came from the rich musical soul of a changing and growing America. That soul, that passionate emotion, was, and still is, rooted in songs, rhythms, and melodies from around the world: Negro Spirituals, Latin and … Continue reading
No Ulterior Motive 