Let’s see. There was one bassist. Three cellists. Three violinists. And one pianist. Yeah, that about covers it. An eight-piece ensemble that started out, in second class, as a three-piece ensemble and a five-piece ensemble. Second class were their accommodations. Not their character or talent. Yeah, these were the kind of classy musicians who played for teatime gatherings. And other sort of hoity toity … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: music history
95 years ago, today, October 6, a quirky little guy said, “”Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothing yet.” And the crowd went wild. You probably already know I’m talking about Al Jolson. And you probably already know he was the guy who made movie history when “The Jazz Singer” premiered as the first “talkie.” Yeah, after all those silent movies, … The rest of the story…
Hey, you know what would be a lotta fun? Let’s talk about the evolution of music. Are you with me? But let’s don’t do it in my boring musician way. Let’s start with a discussion about it I found on a government website. Yeah, I’ve got your undivided attention now. Right? Check out this interesting paragraph on the evolution of music. “Music is a … The rest of the story…
Violin anatomy is basically the same across almost all models. Except for those cool, modern ones you see contemporary players dancing around with on stages and streets. And there’s quite a bit more going on that you might notice at first glance. I have more appreciation for violin anatomy because of a picture. Someone, on a social media channel I follow, shared a picture … The rest of the story…
It’s the term for when a record or album sells at least two million copies. And back in 1972, a collection of Christian music was recorded that would become an album of double platinum songs. And that album would become the bestselling gospel album ever. The Queen of Soul sang those double platinum songs. And she sang a lot of other hits, too. In … The rest of the story…
In 1977 I bought a cassette and an album of the same music from the same musician. It was the “Celebrate Me Home” collection by Kenny Loggins. It was (and is) an exceptional project. And it helped springboard me even closer to making melodies and singing for a living. If you’ve never listened to that album, do yourself a favor and check it out. … The rest of the story…
Maewyn Succat (and I’m not sure how you pronounce that name) marched to the beat of a different drum. To say the least. His life reads like the script to a Hollywood movie. I’ll call it “Welcome to Drumbeat Island.” First thing of note is how he was captured by pirates sometime in the late fourth or early fifth century. Then, he was sold … The rest of the story…
I just read where Paul McCartney was fined £100 ($170) because he planted cannabis seeds and grew cannabis on his farm in Campbeltown, Scotland. That happened 49 years ago today, March 7. His “excuse” was that he got the seeds from some fans. And he didn’t know what they would grow. In an interview, after the trial, he said, “Well, we got a load of seeds, … The rest of the story…
According to one source I just read, it’s officially 50 years ago, today, since Elton John released Rocket Man. And I remember playing the album, Honky Chateau, over and over on one of my drives from Kansas to Texas. That could very well have had something to do with why so many people thought I sounded so much like Elton. Of course, that’s where … The rest of the story…
1975 was a very good year for The Eagles. Matter of fact, on this date, March 1, of that year, their song “Best of My Love became the first of five hit songs off their “On The Border” album. And I remember singing along with ’em. It wasn’t my favorite Eagles album, by far, but it was pretty good. I guess I’d say “On … The rest of the story…