Generated by All in One SEO Pro v4.8.9, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # The Daily Music Break ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Video: Pete Seeger’s Very Well Lived Life](https://dailymusicbreak.com/video-pete-seegers-very-well-lived-life/) - Musicians become institutions simply because they are around for a long time. The music they created has become the soundtrack of people’s lives, deeply associated with happy and sad events and more subtly marking the passage of time. In many cases musicians make their social and political feelings known, but seldom are they dominant. A - ["Shine Your Shoes, Light Your Fuse. Can You Use Them Ol' U.S. Blues?": The Great Robert Hunter](https://dailymusicbreak.com/shine-your-shoes-light-your-fuse-can-you-use-them-ol-u-s-blues-the-great-robert-hunter/) - One important thing is being missed amid the hoopla surrounding the end of the Grateful Dead/Dead’s run: Not enough credit is being given to Robert Hunter, the band’s brilliant lyricist. The band would have enjoyed only a fraction of its success without Hunter's contribution. This is what is known in politics as a push poll. - [Happy Labor Day](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-labor-day-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiGPbHnpQks Hazel Dickens' song Fire in the Hole is the title track from the 1987 John Sayles movie Matewan, which tells the story of a coal miners' strike in the small West Virginia town in 1920. Here are the lyrics: "You can tell them in the country, tell them in the town Miners down in Mingo laid their - [Happy Thanksgiving from Edward Tarte](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-thanksgiving-from-edward-tarte/) - Though Edward Tarte went from the priesthood to atheism, he never lost his love of religious music. Here he plays two Thanksgiving songs. - [Great Music Scenes from 15 Movies (and a Bonus)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/great-movie-music/) - Music and movies go hand in hand. We offer some of our favorites. - [Eight Reasons a Record Player is a Great Gift](https://dailymusicbreak.com/eight-reasons-a-record-player-great-gift/) - (Image: Anthony Scanlon via Pixabay) Finding a gift for the person who has everything is a small annoyance. This tip won't eliminate the problem permanently -- there's always next year -- but it likely is appropriate for a good portion of the people to whom you give recurrent gifts. Buy them a record player. There - [Fletcher Henderson Helped Invent Swing](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fletcher-henderson-helped-invent-swing/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjEiyhESlh4 The Red Hot Jazz Archive – the place to go for information about old jazz – says that Fletcher Henderson ran the most successful African-American jazz band of the 1920s and was very influential in the evolution of jazz: The smooth sound of his orchestra gave birth to the Swing style of the next - [The James Gang: "Walk Away" and "Funk 49"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-james-gang-walk-away-and-funk-49/) - The James Gang was in the second tier of rock acts from the perspectives of popularity and record sales. However, the James Gang had their moments, their fans and the acknowledgement of those who made it bigger. “Walk Away” was the band’s big hit. The first 40 seconds of the clip above is probably as - [Marty Stuart Sees the Big Picture](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marty-stuart-sees-the-big-picture/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zCHseGtJPw A musician who aspires to be great must understand far more than how to play the notes. There are plenty of people who can do that. Nobody would argue, for instance, that Willie Nelson is the greatest guitar player around. His appeal -- and hence his fame -- comes from something entirely different. This interesting - [Happy Birthday, Paul Desmond and Willie (The Lion) Smith](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-paul-desmond-and-willie-the-lion-smith-2/) - A couple of pretty important jazz folks celebrate birthdays this week. Paul Desmond was the alto saxophone player in Dave Brubeck's Quartet. He wrote "Take Five," which was the group's biggest hits and is one of the most recognizable jazz songs. Here is more on Desmond, who was born on November 25, 1924. Willie (The - [Guy Davis and The Living Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/guy-davis-and-the-living-blues/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWXx9tcyMJk Guy Davis is an actor, writer, modern blues player with a strong sense of history, a great harmonica and acoustic guitar player and a tremendous songwriter. Davis’ influences clearly are his parents, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Beyond that, the bio at his site cites Pete Seeger, Big Bill Broonzy, Lightin’ Hopkins, Sonny Terry - [T-Bone Walker's Bridge to Jazz](https://dailymusicbreak.com/t-bone-walkers-bridge-to-jazz/) - TDMB posted yesterday on Leonard Bernstein. In a subsequent conversation on Facebook, I pointed out that he seemed to really like rock and roll. During various video talks posted on YouTube, Bernstein illustrated points using The Beatles, The Kinks and even The Association (“Along Came Mary”). My cousin Ellen, an oboist who played in an - [Quite a Trip: The Great Ray Charles Hits the Road in His Shortest Number One Hit](https://dailymusicbreak.com/quite-a-trip-the-great-ray-charles-hits-the-road-in-his-shortest-number-one-hit/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qI_nrfxV2ps Everyone should listen to Ray Charles. In a sense, it's impossible to have the full story about American music without doing so. In 2012, Performing Songwriter posted an interview with Charles by Lydia Hutchinson. She asked how Charles stayed connected to songs he performed many times. It's as if in a sense he is - [New Music: Ava Marie](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-ava-marie/) - HT: Emily Ava Marie is a new band out of Poultney, Vermont that recently released a six-song EP online. It will be in vinyl next month, according to Seven Days. The story has a lot of information about the band. The song above is "Frozen Laundry Lines." Here are Ava Marie's Facebook page. - [Happy Birthday, Henry Mancini](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-henry-mancini/) - Henry Mancini, who wrote a lot of the background music of our lives, would have been ninety years old today. He died in 1994. The Henry Mancini website is pretty cool. TDMB has posted on him directly and through two great guitarists -- Roy Buchanan and Freddie King. Buchanan plays all of "Peter Gunn," while King samples it toward - [Why The Daily Music Break is Talking Politics](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-now-is-talking-politics/) - A society's politics and culture are linked. We'd rather focus only on harmony and melody, but at least for now The Daily Music Break is talking politics. - [Quick Hits](https://dailymusicbreak.com/quick-hits/) - Every few days TDMB will post news or brief commentaries on what is happening. There is one goal: To convince readers that it is vitally important to vote. - [Natalie Merchant: "Jealousy"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/natalie-merchant-jealousy/) - Jamestown, NY, native Natalie Merchant was a member of 10,000 Maniacs from 1981 to 1993. The singer, songwriter and instrumentalist has been a solo artist since then. Salon posted an interview of Merchant by Stephen Duesner in May 2014. It provides insight into her art – which in part stems from a deep knowledge and - [Piedmont Bluz: "Joliet Bound" and "That's No Way to Get Along"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/piedmont-bluz-joliet-bound-and-thats-no-way-to-get-along/) - Sometimes, things come together nicely without an individual trying too hard to do anything. A case in point: A while ago, The Daily Music Break posted a couple of items – including a podcast interview -- on Guy Davis, a terrific contemporary blues player. One of the songs that we focused on was Rev. Robert - [Joe Bonamassa: Guitar Hero, The Next Generation](https://dailymusicbreak.com/joe-bonamassa-guitar-hero-the-next-generation/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DxaVOeudtU The guitar hero superman started with Jimi Hendrix and continues today. There is a long list of great ones: Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Leslie West, Gary Moore, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and on and on. They could and can play, look cool, have tremendous instruments and tons of amplification. Joe Bonamassa is a - [My Cousin Says Lenny Bernstein was a Regular Guy](https://dailymusicbreak.com/my-cousin-says-lenny-bernstein-was-a-regular-guy/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygn7ORgPbEE&feature=youtu.be HT: ES He had a stern visage and chiseled features (or was it stern features and chiseled visage?), invariably was called "Leonard" and generally was wearing a tux when us lay people saw him. This made Leonard Bernstein seemed to be a formal and standoffish figure. This, apparently, wasn't the case. My cousin Ellen, - [There Would Have Been Rock and Roll Without Little Richard, But it Wouldn't Have Been as Good](https://dailymusicbreak.com/there-would-have-been-rock-and-roll-without-little-richard-but-it-wouldnt-have-been-as-good/) - Little Richard -- Richard Wayne Penniman -- is one of the pillars of rock and roll. The Macon, GA native was born in 1932, the third of 12 children. His father was both a bootlegger and a Seventh Day Adventist preacher. The dramatic details of his biography are told in many places, of course, including - [Happy Birthday, Jerry...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-jerry/) - Acknowledging various dates takes on a melancholy feel as a person gets older. This site has been up since the beginning of March, and I've probably run 10 or so posts on people who have passed away during that time. There also are the birthdays of folks who are no longer around. In any case, - [Even Before John Mayall, There was Alexis Korner](https://dailymusicbreak.com/even-before-john-mayall-there-was-alexis-korner/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4CNOa1FqxQ Last month, I had the opportunity to chat with Denny Somach, the author of “Get the Led Out: How Led Zeppelin Became the Biggest Band in the World.” During the conversation, I asked if all of the British musicians during the early 1960s somehow came through John Mayall’s bands. While not denigrating Mayall or his - [Tom Jones: "What's New Pussycat?" and "Sex Bomb"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tom-jones-whats-new-pussycat-and-sex-bomb/) - Sex Bomb (above) is perhaps the most bizarre recording I've even seen. The skeevy lyrics, the apparently well coached informerical-like audience and the fact that the song and Jones' delivery both are terrific add up to a level of awesomeness that is hard match. Tom Jones actually is Thomas John Woodward, which now is preceded by - [It's Really Hard to Not Like Courtney Barnett](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-really-hard-to-not-like-courtney-barnett/) - Courtney Barnett hasn’t forgotten the people she met on the way up. In fact, in the song “Elevator Operator,” she takes them up with her — and then down again. The song, according to Billboard, features cameos by her band and other contemporaries on the Australian music scene. The best known face is not from - [The Searchers: Two Great Covers](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-searchers-two-great-covers/) - How could a song with these lyrics not be on the list of the best ever? Perhaps some of the younger visitors to the site aren't familiar with them, so here they are: I took my troubles down to Madame Rue You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth She's got a pad down on - ["Me and Julios Down by the Schoolyard"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/paul-simon-exhibit-opens-at-rr-hof/) - Above is "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," one of the great American songs. I spend a lot of time out on NYC school playgrounds through my job as a substitute paraprofessional. This is a bit crowded but gets the spirit right. The stars besides Simon (and the kids) are Big Daddy Kane, Biz "Me and Julio Out by the Schoolyard" is one of the greatest American songs. - [Does Trump 47=King Donald the First?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/does-trump-47-king-donald-the-first/) - It's rather - [Playlist: Six From Duke Ellington](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-duke-ellington/) - A good start of a list of American musical geniuses includes Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Jerry Garcia and Johnny Cash. There certainly are others, but how do you distinguish between the "geniuses" and the very good? In any case, Ellington is on the list. There of course is an unbelievable - [Playlist: Six from John Renbourn](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-six-from-john-renbourn/) - A version of this playlist appeared when the great John Renbourn died about four years ago. The site has had some technical difficulties and the playlist was off line for a long time. Here is a new version. A great number of tremendous guitar players were born in Great Britain during and just after World - [Playlist: Six from Doc Pomus](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-six-from-doc-pomus/) - One of the most unique and, happily, positive stories in recent music history is that of Doc Pomus. It wasn't easy. The bottom line is that Pomus overcame everything. Jerome Solon Felder -- later Pomus -- was born to immigrant Jewish parents in Brooklyn in 1925. He had polio as a child and walked with crutches (he - [
Playlist: The Great Bob Dylan
](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-the-great-bob-dylan/) - This encyclopedic Bob Dylan site has the details on every song he wrote, including the last time each was performed and other minutia. The site has tons of other information. Some enjoyable Dylan songs are in the playlist below the nice photo, which was taken by F. Antolín Hernández. - [Audio: Horace Silver's "Song for My Father"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/audio-horace-silvers-song-for-my-father/) - Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, one of the most important jazz musicians of the twentieth century, was born on September 2, 1928 and died on June 18, 2014. Chris Kelsey wrote a nice profile of Horace Silver's career at www.bluenote.com. Silver's contribution was hard bop, a subgenre that flowed from bebop. It's not a great - [Audio: Alan Cross on the Impact of Streaming](https://dailymusicbreak.com/audio-alan-cross-on-the-impact-of-streaming/) - It's obvious but important to note that popular music always has been controlled by the limits of the technologies used to record and deliver the music to its audience. I argue that there have been three major breakthroughs in popular music technology, each with their unique incremental steps. Broadly, they are transmitting music over the - [Video: Author John Masouri on Reggae](https://dailymusicbreak.com/video-author-john-masouri-on-reggae/) - I recently conducted a Zoom interview with reggae authority John Masouri. When it ended, I said goodbye and moved to the always dramatic step of seeing if the conversation actually was recorded. At this point I always tell myself that invariably the technology works flawlessly and it's a happy ending. Not this time. The video - [Podcast: Why is Clapton Great?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-why-is-clapton-great/) - Here is a simple question: Why is Eric Clapton a great guitar player? To me, the right question isn't "Why is Clapton great?" Instead, the question is "What makes a great guitar player?" It's a far more difficult question than in directly competitive endeavors. We know LeBron James is great because he leads or is - [Video: Philip Clark on Dave Brubeck](https://dailymusicbreak.com/video-philip-clark-on-dave-brubeck/) - Directly below are parts one and two of The Daily Music Break's interview with Philip Clark about Dave Brubeck. In the post is an audio-only version of the interview. Below that is a tremendously enjoyable video of "Take Five," Brubeck's best known song. That's followed by some album choices available at Amazon. Philip's biography, "Dave - [Jethro Tull: Locomotive Breath](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jethro-tull-locomotive-breath/) - The challenge of featuring super bands or A-list performers is that folks who are familiar with them know far more than I do and those that don't -- despite the high profile they have attained -- don't care. Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson don't sneak up on anyone. But it's fun to - [John Hartford Loved the Mississippi River](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-hartford-loved-the-mississippi-river/) - John Hartford was a great showman, song writer and banjo player. Here he is playing his "Gentle on My Mind" and "Steam Powered Aereoplane" with famous friends. - [A Conversation with Steely Dan’s Jon Herington](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-conversation-with-steely-dans-jon-herington/) - Jon Herington on Steely Dan, playing across genres, guitarists he admires, running his own band and more: https://dailymusicbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/herington-final-april-8cc.mp3 The Daily Music Break's first interview was via Skye with Steely Dan guitarist Jon Herington via Skype. One of the things that we spoke about is the wide variety of music with which Jon is comfortable. - [Funny Band Names](https://dailymusicbreak.com/funny-band-names/) - Needless to say, we all can use a laugh. There are lots of funny band names. Below is one for each letter (no X) from Digital Dream Door. It's likely that many are just gags and the bands themselves were nominal. I did see three in the list that became bands of note: Flogging Molly, - [Video: Art Blakey, Drumming and Moving Jazz Forward](https://dailymusicbreak.com/video-art-blakey-drumming-and-moving-jazz-forward/) - Below is Art Blakey’s Jazz Messenger’s live performance of Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia,” as posted on YouTube by Art Jazz1. The video (without audio) is used in the brief description of Blakey and his accomplishments above. The video features Personnel are Blakey on drums, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bobby Timmons on piano, - [Video: Biographer Craig Hopkins on Stevie Ray Vaughan](https://dailymusicbreak.com/video-biographer-craig-hopkins-on-stevie-ray-vaughan-2/) - Please check out The Daily Music Break's interview with Craig Hopkins about the great Stevie Ray Vaughan. The video is to the left and an audio-only version is below. A bio of SRV is here. All the way at the bottom -- below the Amazon box -- is an excerpt of a 1983 installment of - [Booker T. and the MGs (including Donald "Duck" Dunn): "Green Onions"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/booker-t-and-the-mgs-including-donald-duck-dunn-green-onions/) - Donald (Duck) Dunn: 1941-2012 Donald "Duck" Dunn, who died in Japan this weekend, tended to get overshadowed. It was probably how he liked it. With some exceptions, folks don't take up bass guitar for fame (though fortune may have something to do with it). Though Dunn never was a superstar, he made them possible. Here - [Glenn Jones: "Of Its Own Kind" and "Bergen County Farewell"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/glenn-jones-of-its-own-kind-and-bergen-county-farewell/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3L-acWwioE A while ago, I happened upon a great NPR article on guitarists that the author thought would appeal to John Fahey. One of the guitarists featured in that article is Marissa Anderson, who I interviewed a while back. I tried to find the article again, but somehow ended up at Total Vibration, a site - [Bud Powell: "Get Happy" and "Anthropology"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bud-powell-get-happy-and-anthropology/) - Here is the beginning of jazz pianist Bud Powell's bio at Wikipedia: Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was a jazz pianist who was born and raised in Harlem, New York City. His greatest influences on his instrument were Thelonious Monk, who became his close friend, and Art Tatum. Along - ["And the Man in the Back said 'Everyone Attack' and it Turned Into a Ballroom Blitz"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/and-the-man-in-the-back-said-everyone-attack-and-it-turned-into-a-ballroom-blitz/) - Some milestones in the history of civilization: 1772 BC: The Code of Hammurabi 1215 AD: The Magna Carta 1789: The Constitution of the United States 1793: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen 1863: The Emancipation Proclamation 1973: Ballroom Blitz The Sweet actually was quite popular, as Wikipedia notes below. Two of the - [Bucky Pizzarelli is Old School](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bucky-pizzarelli-is-old-school/) - I knew when I began looking for links to Bucky Pizzarelli that I would find tons of great jazz guitar. Though it is impossible to say so definitely without knowing him, it's almost certain that I also found a good guy. For one thing, he generally is the headliner--he's been around for ever and played - [Is Leon Redbone Serious?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/is-leon-redbone-serious/) - According to the Toronto Star report in the 1980s, his birth name is Dickran Gobalian, he came to Canada from Cyprus in the mid-1960s and changed his name... (Continue Reading...) For some reason, it doesn't seem surprising. I never really knew if Redbone was on the level. He is remarkably talented, but I never quite - [From the Vault: John Fogerty's "Blueboy"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-john-fogertys-blueboy/) - Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts music from earlier in the site's run. This post initially appeared on April 28, 2012. The song above is from the Blue Moon Swamp, which was released in 1997. Fogerty helped popularize The Midnight Special by Leadbelly. Here is his take on Jambalaya (On the Bayou). The shaky - [So What's Challenging About an Avant-Garde Jazz Trombonist?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/so-whats-challenging-about-an-avant-garde-jazz-trombonist/) - Some people say that jazz is an acquired taste. If so, an avant-garde jazz trombonist -- which is what Roswell Rudd is -- is an advanced acquired taste. In that context, the two videos here (The Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" above and "Going Sane" below) are accessible. "Dry Bones," performed with Sonic Youth, is - [Rockin' Sidney: "Don't Mess With My Toot Toot"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/rockin-sidney-dont-mess-with-my-toot-toot/) - I was looking for clips of zydeco king Clifton Chenier when I happened on the song above. It's essentially irresistible, so I decided to feature it instead and circle back to Chenier -- who really is a much more important figure -- later. Here Rockin' Sidney's bio, which appeared at ominously named Find a Grave. It's - [The Memphis Jug Band: "On the Road Again" and "Stealin' Stealin'"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-memphis-jug-band-on-the-road-again-and-stealin-stealin/) - Teenagers back in the day may have thought that Cream was solely responsible for “I’m So Glad.” That’s far from the truth. The song — a spiritual — initially was recorded by Skip James in 1931 and goes back further. Another example is Traffic’s beautiful “John Barleycorn Must Die,” which is an update of an old English - [Democrats Walk the Walk. Now it's Time to Talk the Talk](https://dailymusicbreak.com/democrats-walk-the-walk-now-its-time-to-talk-the-talk/) - #post_excerptDemocrats do good but falter politically. A lesson they must learn is to stop talking like Lieutenant Data and start talking like FDR. - [Pearls Before Swine: "Another Time"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pearls-before-swine-another-time/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wPIsXO9utw When I started The Daily Music Break, I made a note that I would get a chance to post something from Pearls Before Swine. It's not the music. I like it, but that wasn't it. There are two reasons that I looked forward to it: It's my favorite name of any band ever (except, of - [The Solution to Our Problem Is Being Implemented](https://dailymusicbreak.com/soft-secession-the-answer/) - Three surprises: There is an elegant solution to our problem of governance, it already is being implemented and the Supreme Court decision making it feasible was written by conservative icon Antonin Scalia. The idea is simple. “Soft secession” is the shift of the emphasis of laws and policies from the federal level, where the most - [Alison Krauss: "Down to the River to Pray"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/alison-krauss-down-to-the-river-to-pray/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zSif77IVQdY Alison Krauss' version of this traditional was recorded for the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which was released in 2000. The great photos were added by a church in Alaska, according to the notes at YouTube. All that you can really say is that Alison Krauss is special. Her bio suggests she's been that - [This is an Important Year in Politics](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-is-an-important-year-in-politics/) - "Umbrella Man" performed by Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie - [Journalists are Using 21st Century Samizdat](https://dailymusicbreak.com/media-are-using-21-century-samizdat/) - US media is big business and a big target for the administration. Journalists are moving to Substack, Medium and other alternative ways to reach their audience. - [Trump Stresses the Judicial Branch](https://dailymusicbreak.com/trump-stresses-the-judicial-branch/) - Confronting, intimidating and coopting elements of society that could pose resistance is an obvious and so far effective tactic. The game is not over, however. - [The Death of Charlie Kirk](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-death-of-charlie-kirk/) - The death of the right-wing provocateur was an awful, heinous crime. We all need to realize that all shootings are. - [For the Next 3 Years Elections are about More than Politics](https://dailymusicbreak.com/elections-next-three-years-about-far-more-than-politics/) - The president's removal of Secret Service protection from John Bolton, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden's kids is more than politics and an attack on all of us - [Assessing the Value of Vinyl Records: It’s Not About the Money](https://dailymusicbreak.com/assessing-the-value-of-vinyl-records-its-not-about-the-money/) - There are several keys to finding the value of vinyl records. Go for it...but be prepared to settle for a million dollars worth of memories Most of us have crates of old vinyl records down in the basement or up in the attic. We won’t part with our record collection because we love the music - [Lennie Tristano and Free Jazz](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lennie-tristano-and-free-jazz/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4XJdYk2DIA Jazz pianist Lennie Tristano is called an improvisational genius and groundbreaker -- but one who was difficult to get along with, at least professionally. Jazz.com sums it up: But the main reason why Tristano is usually discussed as a symbol or theorist rather than as a musician stems from the man himself. Tristano was - [Happy 59th Birthday, Kenny G](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-59th-birthday-kenny-g/) - The popular saxophonist Kenny G -- Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (bet you didn't know that) -- was born on this day in 1956. Like Kevin Bacon, Kenny G. has become a bit of a joke among the too-cool-for-school crowd. In another era, Guy Lombardo was seen the same way by many jazz people. Louis Armstrong -- - [Clark Terry: "Take the A Train" and "On the Trail"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/clark-terry-take-the-a-train-and-on-the-trail/) - Here is the beginning of the bio of flugelhornist and trumpeter Clark Terry: Clark Terry’s career in jazz spans more than seventy years. He is a world-class trumpeter, flugelhornist, educator, composer, writer, trumpet/flugelhorn designer, teacher and NEA Jazz Master. He has performed for eight U.S. Presidents, and was a Jazz Ambassador for State Department tours - [From the Vault: Dr. John and Eric Clapton Play "St. James Infirmary"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-dr-john-and-eric-clapton-play-st-james-infirmary/) - The above clip perhaps is a bit more Clapton than Dr. John. Both have their moments, however. Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. -- Dr. John -- seems like he's been around forever. Actually, he was born in 1940. He is a great piano player and showman and an all-around interesting "care-actor," as he pronounces it. - [Lonnie Johnson: "Another Night to Cry"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lonnie-johnson-another-night-to-cry/) - Lonny Johnson playing "Another Night to Cry," with an introduction for the ages by Sonny Boy Williamson. - [It's Ultimately about Cruelty and Control, Folks](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-about-cruelty-and-control-folks/) - The scary thing is that our politics is rooted in grievance, blame and score-settling, not helping people. This isn't what the Founding Fathers envisioned. - [Burl Ives: Great Singer, Great Actor](https://dailymusicbreak.com/burl-ives-great-singer-great-actor/) - Burl Ives, who had one of the great voices of the twentieth century, was identified with old ballads and other forms of Americana. He was a folk singer, but not in the mode of the protest music that arose during the 1960s. Above he sings A Little Bitty Tear alone and is joined by Johnny - [Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "Heads Will Roll" and "Zero"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/yeah-yeah-yeahs-heads-will-roll-and-zero/) - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who have been around since 2000, are getting a lot of coverage. Spin's March cover story is about the band -- the piece is promoted here -- but apparently isn't online yet. The New York Times also recently ran a piece on the indie band. This paragraph is about halfway through: You’ve never met three - [The Rascals Were Young Once](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-rascals-were-young-once/) - This Day in Rock says rather vaguely that “People Got to be Free” by the Rascals “was a hit this day” in 1968. I suppose it was. And it probably was on August 10 and August 12 as well. No matter. It’s a good jumping off point to post about The Rascals. The band, which - [State-by-State Voting Info](https://dailymusicbreak.com/state-by-state-voting-info/) - Here are voting resources for the 50 states and some of the territories. Organizations such as Ballotopia, Rock the Vote, Vote America and Vote.org have information on each state. I tried to include as many as possible. Alabama Alabama Secretary of State Vote411 Vote.org Alaska Alaska Division of Elections Vote411 Vote.org American - [The Tedeschi Trucks Band Keeps on Growing](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-tedeschi-trucks-band-keeps-on-growing/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0kXfPrHHcw There are many people who say that The Tedeschi Trucks Band is the best band now touring. That is subjective, of course, but it strongly suggests that they are very, very good. TTB is a true second generation southern rock band in a couple of ways. Of course, the most obvious is that Derek - [News for the Week of August 25: Blue Cities Await Visitors](https://dailymusicbreak.com/vnews-for-the-week-of-august-25/) - I’ll update the news as much as possible. The idea is to paint a picture of the trend of things as opposed to a traditional feed that attempts to report on all the news. Please check out the videos of the week. The Wall Street Journal: "Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the News from the worlds of politics and voting - [Voting and Political News for the Week of August 18](https://dailymusicbreak.com/voting-and-political-news/) - I'll update the news as much as possible. The idea is to paint a picture of the trend of things as opposed to a traditional feed that attempts to report on all the news. The video of the week is really good. NPR: "President Trump announced Monday on his social media site, Truth Social, that Voting and Political News for the Week of August 18 - [Kate Bush Tours for the Second Time Since 1978](https://dailymusicbreak.com/kate-bush-tours-for-the-second-time-since-1978/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xckBwPdo1c Kate Bush, Madonna and Michael Jackson were born within a month of each other during the summer of 1958. Bush made more of a name for herself in Great Britain than in the U.S. The profiles--and a look at the videos--suggest that she uses stage theatrics similar to Madonna or, perhaps more accurately, Lady - [Song Focus: "Stagger Lee"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/song-focus-stagger-lee/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv_THWZ8-T8 Periodically, The Daily Music Break will highlight an important song, Please send candidates to dailymusicbreak1@gmail.com. Evidence of the importance of "Stagger Lee" is the fact that it has its own website. The murder of Billy Lyons by Stagger Lee was an actual event. Here is the story that appared in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat - [Coming: An eBook from TDMB: "Beyond Boundaries: Great Music Across Eras and Genres"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/coming-an-ebook-from-tdmb-beyond-boundaries-great-music-across-eras-and-genres/) - The Daily Music Break is going to publish an eBook entitled "Beyond Boundaries: Great Music Beyond Eras and Boundaries" next week. The eBook contains about 40 updated/rewritten posts. It will be available free for a few days after launch. I will let you know when. Please respond below or email me if you'd like me - [Index](https://dailymusicbreak.com/index/) - Introduction: It’s a Big, Fascinating, Fun, Tuneful Internet There is a lot of great music — and great information about music — on the Internet How to Listen to Music What separates Hendrix and Clapton from somebody who can just shred? More broadly, what makes a piece of music good, bad or insipid? On one… Wikis Wikis, for those - [Cinco Sitios Web Para Votantes Hispanohablantes](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cinco-sitios-web-para-votantes-hispanohablantes/) - En primer lugar, disculpen la traducción si no es buena. Estoy utilizando un sitio web llamado DeepL. Aquí hay cinco sitios web que contienen información para los votantes hispanohablantes. Aquí están: Reglas de Votación Regístrese Para Votar Regístrese para votar o ponga al día su registro Vey y Vota Voy a Votar He observado que - [Why the Administration is Challenging Academia](https://dailymusicbreak.com/why-the-administration-is-challenging-academia/) - The administration chooses its enemies carefully. Academia is a good target because lots of students are foreigners and colleges and universities lean left. - [The Antidote to OBBBA? Remember Who Supported it and Vote!](https://dailymusicbreak.com/there-is-no-short-term-antidote-to-the-obbba-the-long-term-antidote-is-to-vote/) - The OBBBA is the President's domestic agenda. It likely will hurt millions. It's vital to understand what's in it and to vote against those who supported it. - [Midterm Questions Suggest a Nation on the Precipice](https://dailymusicbreak.com/whats-on-the-table-for-the-midterms-suggests-a-nation-on-the-precipice/) - The questions people will be thinking about when they vote next year will evolve. But one thing is for sure: They will be fundamental to who we are. - [Portugal. The Band from Alaska](https://dailymusicbreak.com/portugal-the-band-from-alaska/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkHHoOIIn8 Above is "Feel It Still," a great song from the band Portugal. The Man. The oddest thing about the group almost certainly is its name. There are plenty of funny band names, many of them in this great compilation from Digital Dream Door. (My two favorites: "The Al Roker Death Cult Wind Ensemble" and - [Two Great Grateful Dead Sites](https://dailymusicbreak.com/two-great-grateful-dead-sites/) - Here's are two great Grateful Dead sites: The Grateful Dead area of the Internet Archive and The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics by Prof. David Dodd. He was at the University of California at Santa Cruz -- at least when he put this together during the 1990s. This site will circle back to the Grateful Dead - [The Ventures: "Hawaii Five-0"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-ventures-hawaii-five-0/) - A post on television show themes is an exercise in nostalgia for those of us old enough to have seen the series when they originally aired. While there's nothing wrong with that, there is far more to it then reminiscing. For one thing, program themes are the original music videos. They also are commercials: A television - [Podcast: A Conversation with Marisa Anderson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-marisa-anderson-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV_SSTjIT-E A Conversation with Marisa Anderson: Marisa Anderson is a great and unique guitarist in her playing, what she writes and her choice of material to cover. This is from her website: Combining boundless creative imagination with a deep reverence for American folk, blues and country music, Marisa Anderson’s guitar playing is fluid, emotional, dexterous - [Republican](https://dailymusicbreak.com/republican/) - One of the most influential blues players of the last century was Sam Hopkins, better known as Lightning. - [It's a Good Time to Remember Woody Guthrie](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-a-good-time-to-remember-woody-guthrie/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbb6y8Nqc28 I don't want the site to be political, but it is safe to say that the current situation is forcing us to revisit some very fundamental core economic/political/ethnic issues that some of us were hoping had been left behind. These issues never really were left behind, of course, but it was easy to kid - [Peter Lang is a Brilliant Guitar Player](https://dailymusicbreak.com/peter-lang-is-a-brilliant-guitar-player/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifIvJtyI5qY This is how good Peter Lang is: 1. He recorded for Tacoma Records and 2. One of the projects he was involved in there was a record with two other guitarists: Leo Kottke and John Fahey. In some cases, folks on YouTube take a full length concert and post each song individually. This happened - [The Daily Music Break has about 1,200 posts. These include audio-only ](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-has-about-1200-posts-these-include-audio-only-8/) - [The Daily Music Break has about 1,200 posts. These include audio-only ](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-has-about-1200-posts-these-include-audio-only-9/) - [The Daily Music Break has about 1,200 posts. These include audio-only ](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-has-about-1200-posts-these-include-audio-only-10/) - [Pictures, Reviews from Coachella](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pictures-reviews-from-coachella/) - Here is a nice slideshow from the Houston Chronicle on the Coachella music festival in Indio, CA. Here are a couple of reviews. - [Music News, Reviews and Commentary for April 17](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-news-reviews-and-commentary-for-april-17/) - Here is what's happening today, updated as often as possible: NorthJersey.com offers reviews from the Associated Press and The Philadelphia Inquirer of work from Counting Crows, Monica, Bonnie Raitt and Loudon Wainwright III...The Washington Post calls Rebecca Pigeon's sixth album, Slighshot, "dark and enchanting"...Kevin Puts won a Pulitzer Prize for music for Silent Night: Opera - [Music News, Reviews and Commentary for April 19](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-news-reviews-and-commentary-for-april-19/) - Here is what’s happening today, updated as often as possible: Levon Helm, co-founder of The Band, dies at age 71...YouTube now offers 150,000 music tracks for video backgrounds...PerezHilton.com says that Cheryl Cole's album is due June 7. The story has 102 words and seven exclamation points!!...The Roots, Jesus and Mary Chain, Built to Spill, Yo - [Music News, Reviews and Commentary for April 24](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-news-reviews-and-commentary-for-april-24/) - Music on Main Street is returning to seven Thursdays in Flemington, N.J starting May 31...A Little Positron Music features music made by electrons' anti-matter twin -- with the help of Domenico Vicinanza. Not much is spent on rehearsal space...A review at Seattle PI of Lisa Marie Presley's new album Storm & Grace...The Original Music Workshop - [Richard Feynman Talks About Light](https://dailymusicbreak.com/richard-feynman-talks-about-light/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/FjHJ7FmV0M4 The Daily Music Break often re-posts from earlier in the site's run. This post originally appeared on April 24, 2012. It is the only video the site has ever posted that has nothing to do with music. One of the great things about running your own website is that you can break any rule - [Music News, Reviews and Commentary for April 25](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-news-reviews-and-commentary-for-april-25/) - Creative promotion and collaboration is the key for Lain music, said presenters at Billboard's 23rd Latin Music Conference...The great Pete Seeger is getting a “Distinguished Service” award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters...Good festivals = kids cutting school...Here comes the Xbox music service. Why am I not surprised?...Koss Corp. shows that we are - [Ray Bradbury's Influence on Modern Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ray-bradburys-influence-on-modern-music/) - The Los Angeles Times has an interesting piece on the influence of Ray Bradbury, the science fiction writer who died this week at age 91, on contemporary music. The ten pieces cited as being written with his work in mind include Rocket Man by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Deadmau5’s The Veldt, The Rocket Man - [Links to Bonnaroo Coverage](https://dailymusicbreak.com/links-to-bonnaroo-coverage/) - Here are 6 pretty random items from Bonnarroo, which finished last night: D’Angelo Shocks Bonnaroo: 11 Standout Saturday Sets, The Avett Brothers Get Messy at Bonnaroo, Bonnaroo Sunday: 10 Things Seen & Heard and Bonnaroo: The Alabama Shakes Command the Big Stage. Some photos from the Orange County Register are here. - [Check Out NPR](https://dailymusicbreak.com/check-out-npr/) - National Public Radio offers a wide ranging selection of music-oriented podcasts. Recently featured interview subjects include Cassandra Wilson, David Byrne, Matt Wilson, Smashing Pumpkins, Fun., Cassandra Wilson, Santigold, Patti Smith, Kate McGarry, Killer Mike, Bonnie Raitt and Glen Hansard. Check it out. - [Songs for a Hot Summer](https://dailymusicbreak.com/songs-for-a-hot-summer/) - Martha and the Vandellas sing Heatwave. Here are other summer- and heat-related songs. Send me links to those I missed: The Heat is On: Glenn Frey (From Beverly Hills Cop) Summertime: Janis Joplin. It's probably safe to say that this is not exactly what George and Ira had in mind. Summer in the City: Lovin - [The Sounds of Science](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-sounds-of-science/) - The folks at CNET have a piece about the "sonification" of the Higgs Boson, the elemental particle that was discovered by the CERN Institute in Geneva last week: Thanks to the labors of a team of researchers who attached musical notes to data that scientists believe correspond to the Higgs, the "sonification" of data points from - [On the Record](https://dailymusicbreak.com/on-the-record/) - Joe Petro at Music Think Tank: Listeners spent over $100 million dollars on vinyl records in 2011. That is a 30% increase in both revenue from and unit sales of vinyl in 2010. Big numbers, right? Well, sort of, for vinyl at least, but in this $7 billion industry vinyl does not even account for - [Old and Not in the Way](https://dailymusicbreak.com/old-and-not-in-the-way/) - Earlier today I posted about the upswing in the sale of old fashion vinyl records. Here's another note that should make the older folks among us (including me) feel a bit better. The Dallas Observer reports that Nielsen Soundscan has found that for the first time that what are considered old records are selling more - [Good News on Music and Parkinson's Disease](https://dailymusicbreak.com/good-news-on-music-and-parkinsons-disease/) - A clinical trial conducted by the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and supported by The Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation showed improvement in visuomotor functioning when subjects with Parkinson's Disease were listening to music. Even a superficial recounting of the details is complex, but the news is positive: The results - [Bob Babbitt, Nov. 26, 1937-July 16, 2012](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bob-babbitt-nov-26-1937-july-16-2012/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HirUx_XcMQc It's sad to continually have to commemorate the passing of members of any community, and the community of musicians is no exception. Yesterday, it was announced that country star Kitty Wells passed away. Today comes word that Bob Babbitt also died yesterday. He passed away in Nashville at the age of 74. Babbitt, a - [Georgia Tech Research Shows Music Helping Spinal Cord Injury Patients](https://dailymusicbreak.com/georgia-tech-research-shows-music-helping-spinal-cord-injury-patients/) - The Mother Nature Network has an interesting story detailing how music is helping people with serious spinal injuries. Patients are fitted with a glove that has tiny vibrators in each finger. A song is played – Ode to Joy, an appropriate choice, is used in the video accompanying the story – and the keys of - [Rachel Crow's Anti-Bullying Video](https://dailymusicbreak.com/rachel-crows-anti-bullying-video/) - Rachel Crow, who appeared in the first season of the show X-Factor, has released a terrific anti-bullying video entitled Mean Girls. Check it out at Hollywood Life or at YouTube, where it was posted on July 2. - [Music, Reading and Self-Revelation](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-reading-and-self-revelation/) - Guy Stagg, a music blogger at The Telegraph, has a post up that suggests musical taste is more revealing than what a person reads. It is difficult to disagree with anything that Stagg wrote. However, it also seems a bit of an apples and oranges question. Music most often is enjoyed and permeates our days. Reading - [Finding Music Easily with Rumpus](https://dailymusicbreak.com/finding-music-easily-with-rumpus/) - According to Livewire Mobile, its free Rumpus Android app enables users to far more efficiently and easily navigate the huge amount of music available. The company said the app hooks into the Mediadrome music backend to find what the listener wants. Says the company: The genius behind Rumpus is the unique way the millions of - [Olympic Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/olympic-music/) - Here is a look at some of the music associated with the Olympics, which are starting in London. NPR, via WNYC, provides an overview, while The Telegraph samples the ten worst national anthems. One great Olympic musical moment was Slim Dusty singing Waltzing Matilda at the opening ceremonies of the 2000 games in Australia. - [Hail Columbia (Records)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hail-columbia-records/) - Columbia Records recording artist Billy Joel. On Oct. 30th, Columbia Records will release two books and a disc in celebration of its 125th anniversary. 360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story is written by Sean Wilentz and is being published by Chronicle books. It traces the history of the label from its founding in 1880 until - [Tony Martin Dies at 98](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tony-martin-dies-at-98/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io9bCm1g-BQ Tony Martin, 1913-2012. More on Martin at Wikipedia. He had a great voice and led an interesting life. Among other things, he was married to both Alice Faye and Cyd Charisse. - [Is Bad Music Getting Worse?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/is-bad-music-getting-worse/) - A study by The Spanish National Research Council has found that popular music is, in essence, high volume and low quality. This Slate story posted by Phily.com has the details. The most important paragraph: The study's analysts ran 464,411 recordings in all popular-music genres from the period of 1955 to 2010 (called the "Million Song - [Judge Not, Lest Ye (Ye Music, at Least) Be Judged](https://dailymusicbreak.com/judge-not-lest-ye-ye-music-at-least-be-judged/) - Earlier this week I posted an item about a study that suggested the terrible music of today is more terrible than the terrible music of the past. I suggested that there is no way to tell, but that I doubt it. I'll pass on doing the research, however. Jed Gottlieb at the Boston Herald poses - [If You are Considering Moving to a Bigger Home...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/if-you-are-considering-moving-to-a-bigger-home/) - ...this place has plenty of closet space. Of course, I am assuming that you don't have this kind of space already. My apologies if you do. - [Mobile Music Grows Quickly](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mobile-music-grows-quickly/) - Mobile music on the move, according to Hypebot.com. According to the data figures from a recent comScore report, listening to music via a mobile device was the fastest growing activity by mobile subscribers. In fact, the growth rate of mobile listening dwarfed that of other mobile activities including playing games, accessing social networking sites, and browsing - [Royalties Found, Distributed by SoundExchange and BandPage](https://dailymusicbreak.com/royalties-found-distributed-by-soundexchange-and-bandpage/) - SoundExchange and BandPage have identified $2 million of unclaimed digital performance royalties for thousands of act. SoundExchange, according to the release, is a non-profit aimed at distributing digital performance royalties and BandPage helps bands improve their online presence. The royalties were due to members of BandPage. SoundExchange has distributed more than $1 billion to artists - [Radio Still Rules](https://dailymusicbreak.com/radio-still-rules/) - Despite all the technology available, radio still is the main way that people find new music, according to a Nielsen Music 360 study that explored the habits of 3,000 online consumers. Rolling Stone's report on the study said that friends and relatives were the second most important source at 10 percent, and YouTube clocked in - [Streaming Reigns Surpreme](https://dailymusicbreak.com/streaming-reigns-surpreme/) - Strategy Analytics’ Global Recorded Music Forecast says that streaming music revenue will outstrip downloaded music revenues by almost a factor of five this year. The study says that online streaming revenues will increase by 40 percent this year and reach $1.1 billion. Download revenue will increase 8.5 percent and reach $3.9 billion. The increase in - [The Martian (Music) Chronicles](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-martian-music-chronicles/) - It's a bit surprising to learn that the folks at NASA have great taste in music. Rolling Stone offers the play list for Curiosity. Okay, it may be a bit odd to send music up to an unmanned craft, but they are geeks, after all. More interesting is the far more extensive list of songs, - [Music Education--Even a Little--Is a Good Thing](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-education-even-a-little-is-a-good-thing/) - The Journal of Neuroscience concludes that people gain benefits from even limited musical training: The people who had studied music, even if only for a few years, had more robust neural processing of the different test sounds. Most importantly, though, the adults with music training were more effective at pulling out the fundamental frequency, or - [Moogfest Coming to Asheville](https://dailymusicbreak.com/moogfest-coming-to-asheville/) - What I understand about this story at NPR is that it is an advance for Moogfest, the gathering of Moog synthesizer adherents that is set for Asheville, N.C., on Oct. 26 and 27. The rest is quite confusing. That figures, of course, because the music is as well. Truth be told, the story is comprehensible, - [John Cage: Still Making Noise at 100](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-cage-still-making-noise-at-100/) - Today is the centennial of the birth of John Cage, the avant garde composer who saw the music of everyday life. This clip from a 1960 episode of I've Got a Secret featuring Cage is amazing. It was a game show -- but the host and the audience took Cage seriously, even though what he did - [Movies, TV and Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/movies-tv-and-music/) - Tony Woodcock, The President of the New England Conservatory of Music, has a nice commentary at Huffington Post on the tie between music and movies and television. The basic take isn't a revelation: television, movies and other forms of media are far more powerful when they are accompanied by effective music. Writes Woodcock: Just imagine the - [Does the Punishment Fit the Crime?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/does-the-punishment-fit-the-crime/) - Illegally downloading music is a crime that should be punished. However, it seems a bit harsh to ruin somebody for doing so. Reuters reports that the 8th Circuit Court of Apples in St. Paul, MN has reinstated a verdict demanding a woman by the name of Jamie Thomas-Rasset pay $220,000 for illegally downloading and sharing - [My Stapler Sounds Like Smoke on the Water](https://dailymusicbreak.com/my-stapler-sounds-like-smoke-on-the-water/) - CNET has a story about a machine that elicits sounds from objects. Designer Dennis Paul calls the device the Instrument for the Sonification of Everyday Things. Here is how it works, according to the story: The machine rotates objects, repeatedly scans their surfaces, and translates the measured distance values into audible frequencies, notes, and scales using - [Neil Young Gets it Backwards](https://dailymusicbreak.com/neil-young-gets-it-backwards/) - Neil Young is expanding Pono, his service aimed at transferring digital music to analog. Rolling Stone has a very good article about what Young is doing to reverse the decades-old analog to digital trend. Pono, the story says, consists of portable players, a music-download service and digital-to-analog conversion technology. After a demo (in Young's El Dorado), Flea - [The CD is 30](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-cd-is-30/) - The CD turns 30 years old today. The Next Web notes that on Oct. 1, 1982, Billy Joel’s album 52nd Street – which initially was released in four years earlier – was re-released by Sony on a compact disk. The company simultaneously introduced the Sony CDP-101, the first CD player. *** - [But We Do Draw the Line at Gangsta Rap](https://dailymusicbreak.com/but-we-do-draw-the-line-at-gangsta-rap/) - TDMB prides itself on being nonjudgmental and open to all types of music. Every once in a while, however, that resolve is tested… Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, the stars of Grease, have reunited to record a Christmas album with guests including Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett and Kenny G. This Christmas will mark the first - [Searching for Final Vinyl](https://dailymusicbreak.com/searching-for-final-vinyl/) - A nice story at Wenatchee World – in Washington State – about 20-year-old Dustin Hays. His dad gave him a partial collection of 45s from Julian Records, an old local label. The son is trying to complete the set and donate them to the town museum. The label was founded by DJ Don Julian Bernier - [Alleviating Alzheimer's Suffering Through Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/alleviating-alzheimers-suffering-through-music/) - Staffers at Cobble Hill Health Center in Brooklyn, NY, say that music soothes and improves the mood of people in the mid to late-stages of Alzheimer's Disease. This goes for all patients suffering from the disease, said Dan Cohen, the director of Music and Memory program: "Actually, it does work, regardless of how advanced dementia - [The Best of the Less](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-best-of-the-less/) - Cliff Chenfeld, who is a Co-CEO of Razor & Tie and Kidz Bop and a contributor to Huffington Post, offers a list of almost 50 pieces of music -- the term "album" seems more and more antiquated -- that he liked this year. The tips are good, I'm sure. This part of his intro is particularly interesting: There - [Link Between Music and Birdsong Set](https://dailymusicbreak.com/link-between-music-and-birdsong-set/) - EarthSky reports on research published in Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience (that story is here) that indicates that white-throated sparrows react to birdsong in the same way in which the human nervous system does to music. The story says that scientists wonder what, if any, are the connections are between music and birdsong. This, no doubt, is - [Songs for Getting There](https://dailymusicbreak.com/songs-for-getting-there/) - London Metropolitan University has released a study on what types of music are best – and worst – for driving safety. Each of the ten safest songs has a tempo of 60 to 80 beats per minute which, according to the story at Business Insider, is the same as the human heart. The story outlines which - [R. Crumb and Our Musical Heritage](https://dailymusicbreak.com/r-crumb-and-our-musical-heritage/) - Here is a great gift idea: R. Crumb’s Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country, which my brother gave to me for my birthday. The small format book features Crumb’s unmistakable artwork, great information on the artists and a CD with seven songs from each genre. The beauty of the book is that the artists featured - [Tom Lehrer: Not Bad for a Math Teacher](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tom-lehrer-not-bad-for-a-math-teacher/) - Tom Lehrer has a short and brilliant career. He retired to lecture in mathematics and teach musical theater in California. Here is the beginning of an appreciation at Topless Robot: ​If you're wondering who this Tom Lehrer guy is and what he's doing on a site devoted largely to action figure news and stories about - [Ten Bands to Watch](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ten-bands-to-watch/) - Sal Bono, who runs the site Offically a Yuppie, posted a piece at Huffington Post on ten bands to watch for in 2013. Since I am well past the yuppie stage, I haven’t heard of any of them. They are AlunaGeorge; ANTHM; FIDLAR; Cast of Cheers (its song Family is above); Daughter, Gold Fields; Action - [For Those With Unlimited Travel Budgets and Lots of Free Time...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/for-those-with-unlimited-travel-budgets-and-lots-of-free-time/) - The US News & World Report, via Huffington Post, offers a take on the top ten music festivals for 2013. They are Cochaella (April 12-14 in Indio, CA); Primavera Sound (May 22-26; Barcelona); the Glastonbury Festival (June 26-30; Glastonbury, England); Sónar (June 13-15; Barcelona); INmusic (June 24-26, Zagreb, Croatia); Bonnaroo (June 13-16, Manchester, TN); Splendour - [This Day in Music: September 12](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-music-september-12/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bjzuSO27fA This Day in Music reports that today is birthday of Maria Muldaur (1943) and George Jones (1941) and the anniversary of Johnny Cash's death (2003). In 1990, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie announced that they would leave Fleetwood Mac after the ongoing tour ended. Check out the link for other music-related notes concerning September 12. Above is Muldaur's signature tune, - [The Mamas and the Papas: The Harmonies of the 60s](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-mamas-and-the-papas-the-harmonies-of-the-60s/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qL1C1ffKa4 Here is the beginning of the bio of The Mamas and the Papas, perhaps the most important predominantly vocal group -- alone, perhaps, with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young -- of the 1960s. The Mamas and the Papas were a major part of the Southern California pop scene of the mid to late Sixties. - [Sammy Davis, Jr.: Great Dancer, Great Singer, Great Complexity](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sammy-davis-jr-great-dancer-great-singer-great-complexity/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE4EoAPIOgU Sammy Davis Jr. remains a complicated topic. On one hand, he is one of the great talents of the 20th century. He was an amazing dancer -- check out the very early clip above -- and a singer who could hold his own against Sinatra, Bennett and the rest. Growing up when he was - [Zydeco, Buckwheat and Otherwise, is Fun](https://dailymusicbreak.com/zydeco-buckwheat-and-otherwise-is-fun/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/MH2eRRh4Bls This is second zydeco post at The Daily Music Break. The first is the almost fun and infectious Don't Mess with My Toot Toot by Rockin' Sidney. As the name implies, it is more a novelty number. I feel ignorant, because despite the greatness of Buckwheat Zydeco, the king of the musical form is Clifton - [Handel's "Messiah" and "Acis and Galatea"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/handels-messiah-and-acis-and-galatea/) - The Messiah, above -- also known as The Hallelujah Chorus -- is Handel's best known composition and, indeed, one of the most popular classical pieces ever. Here is the start of its story: George Frideric Handel's Messiah was originally an Easter offering. It burst onto the stage of Musick Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742. The - [Maybe the 'Heirs to Lennon/McCartney' Thing Didn't Work Out, But Squeeze is Terrific](https://dailymusicbreak.com/maybe-the-heirs-to-lennon-mccartney-thing-didnt-work-out-but-squeeze-is-terrific/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/GZL4Th-KG7A Here is the beginning of what Wikipedia says about Squeeze: Squeeze are a British band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the New Wave period of the late 1970s and continued recording successfully in the 1980s and 1990s. They are known in the UK for their hit songs "Cool for Cats", - [Gillian Welch: "The Way It Goes" and "Elvis Presley Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gillian-welch-the-way-it-goes-and-elvis-presley-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKFLp5xCvO0 Talent gets handed down in strange ways: Gillian Welch's parents, according to Wikipedia, were writers for The Carol Brunett Show. Here is part of the profile: In the early '90s, Welch attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she began performing her own material, as well as traditional country and bluegrass songs, as part - [Louis Prima: Great Talent, Great Timing](https://dailymusicbreak.com/louis-prima-great-talent-great-timing/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMwseIJwNao Louis Prima was a riot. And he was a riot that came came along at the perfect time. Whenever I hear this music, I think of what it must have been like to be in New York City in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The medley above is comprised of When Your'e Smiling, Zooma - [Lumineers: Flapper Girl and Ho Hey](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lumineers-flapper-girl-and-ho-hey/) - This is how Wikipedia's entry for The Lumineers begins: The Lumineers are an American folk rock band, based in Denver, Colorado. The core band consists of singer Wesley Schultz on guitar, Jeremiah Fraites on drums, and Neyla Pekarek on cello and vocals. Two fulltime touring members are added for tours.[1][2] Their self-titled debut album was - [Ann Rabson: 1945-2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ann-rabson-1945-2013/) - Not everyone is a superstar, but there are great musicians all over. Unfortunately, one of them -- pianist Ann Rabson -- passed away yesterday at age 67. Here is the beginning of the press release from her label, Alligator Records: Blues pianist/singer/songwriter/guitarist Ann Rabson died on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 in Fredericksburg, Virginia after a - [Surf's Up - On Long Island](https://dailymusicbreak.com/surfs-up-on-long-island/) - The guitarist in the white shirt in both these videos of the band Strange But Surf is a good childhood friend of my brother's and a friend of mine. Here is the band's website. Above is Secret Sea and below is Baja. - [Polka King Jimmy Sturr](https://dailymusicbreak.com/polka-king-jimmy-sturr/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TVWhtxg-fU When I post on a type of music with which I am unfamiliar, generally the first step is to surf the category to identify the big performers. When I did this for polka, I quickly found that the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album/Recording was won by Jimmy Sturr or a band in - [The 45 is 64](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-45-is-64/) - This Day in Music reports that the first 45 RPM single was issued by RCA on this day in 1949. BBC and the video above says that the song was Texakana Baby sung by Eddy Arnold. The fellow in the video says it was released on March 1, though. If the record in the video - [The Famously Talented and Strange Prince](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-famously-talented-and-strange-prince/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7vRSu_wsNc The talented and famously weird Prince -- who abandoned that name for a few years -- is back. His new song, Rock and Roll Revolution, is great. Below is Raspberry Beret. There is very little good video available of Prince, which may be due to his distaste for the Internet. He may be over it, considering that the - [The Super Bowl - Featuring the Ravens, the 49ers and Beyoncé - is Tomorrow](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-super-bowl-featuring-the-ravens-the-49ers-and-beyonce-is-tomorrow/) - The Super Bowl has a long history of presenting performers who are considered past their prime. The focus is on high profile, not relevance. Sometimes, though, acts at the top of their game have high enough profiles for the big stage. It doesn't hurt that the stable of aging super bands that haven't performed at - [The Music Died 54 Years Ago Yesterday](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-music-died-54-years-ago-yesterday/) - Yesterday was the 54th anniversary of the plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, The Big Booper and Richie Valens. Here is the entire story at Wikipedia. The name of the link is, of course, is from the Don McLean song American Pie, which references the tragedy. Above is Holly (Charles Hardin Holley) - [Ben Folds: Dr. Yang and Rockin' the Suburbs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ben-folds-dr-yang-and-rockin-the-suburbs/) - I found these songs courtesy of Yahoo Answers. Here is the start of the profile of Ben Folds Five at the band's site. It seems, however, that the two tracks here -- Dr. Yang above and Rockin' the Suburbs below -- were recorded while the band was on hiatus: “I’d love for people to hear this record clean,” - [Lionel Hampton: The King of the Vibes](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lionel-hampton-the-king-of-the-vibes/) - It's against the spirit of jazz to focus too much on a single player, so we are leading off this post about Lionel Hampton with Avalon (above). It features the entire Benny Goodman Quartet (with bassist George Duvivier thrown in for good measure). In addition to Hampton and Goodman (on vibraphone and clarinet, respectively), the quartet - [Don't Forget the Delmore Brothers](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dont-forget-the-delmore-brothers/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a03NI7QFME0 I usually shy away from posting on bands or performers for whom I can't find video. After all, seeing the acts is as much fun and illuminating as hearing them. But in the case of the Alton and Rabon Delmore -- The Delmore Brothers -- the absence of video is unfortunate but not a - [Polemic: Ska and Reggae from Slovakia](https://dailymusicbreak.com/polemic-ska-and-reggae-from-slovakia/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhlossGE-ik I cross post The Daily Music Break at Daily Kos, a political/cultural site. In December, I did a post on the influential ska/reggae band The Skatalites. A comment there pointed to a Slovkian band called Polemic. The usual sources of information -- Wikipedia and AllMusic -- have next to nothing. I finally found a - [Joni Mitchell: "California" and "Me and My Uncle"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/joni-mitchell-california-and-me-and-my-uncle/) - The instrument Joni Mitchell is playing in the top clip, California, is a dulcimer. I couldn't resist posting Me and My Uncle. The song, which was a Grateful Dead standard, seems like an odd choice for Mitchell. But she pulls it off. The clip, from 1965, shows what a great guitarist she is. I only post - [Cluade Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Claire de Lune](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cluade-debussy-prelude-to-the-afternoon-of-a-faun-and-claire-de-lune/) - The Cadaqués Orchestra http://www.orquestradecadaques.com/en/orquestra/ Dir. Vasily Petrenko - [Claude Debussy: "Prélude à l'Apres-midi d'un Faune" and "Clair de Lune"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/claude-debussy-prelude-a-lapres-midi-dun-faune-and-clair-de-lune/) - Here is the beginning of Claude Debussy's profile at Encyclopedia Britannica: Claude Debussy, in full Achille-Claude Debussy (born August 22, 1862, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France—died March 25, 1918, Paris), French composer whose works were a seminal force in the music of the 20th century. He developed a highly original system of harmony and musical structure that expressed in many respects the ideals - [Teasing Vegetarians and Dreams of Valentino](https://dailymusicbreak.com/teasing-vegetarians-and-dreams-of-valentino/) - It is impossible to listen to Save the Bones for Henry Jones (above) -- especially as delivered by Reggie Houston -- without smiling at this gentle teasing of vegetarians. This is how it starts: Today we'll have a party. We'll eat some food that's rare. And at the head of the table, We're going to place brother - [The Merengue, Bolero and Afro-Pop/Latin Fusion Singer Juan Luis Guerra](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-merengue-bolero-and-afro-pop-latin-fusion-singer-juan-luis-guerra/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x_Zmt4S01s Both of these videos are great, but I like the top one best. I have no idea what the words are, but some videos are best enjoyed on a purely visual level. From checking out several videos, it is obvious that Juan Luis Guerra likes schools and buses. Here is more on him - [The Great Joe Pass](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-great-joe-pass/) - This site celebrates Joe Pass. AllMusic does its usual nice job of profiling the great and iconic The jazz guitarist: Joe Pass did the near-impossible. He was able to play up-tempo versions of bop tunes such as "Cherokee" and "How High the Moon" unaccompanied on the guitar. Unlike Stanley Jordan, Pass used conventional (but superb) - [Anna Saleh](https://dailymusicbreak.com/anna-saleh/) - [Fats Domino: Rock and Roll the New Orleans Way](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fats-domino-rock-and-roll-the-new-orleans-way/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfMlk1PwGU In addition to classics such as Ain't That a Shame (above) and Blueberry Hill (below), Domino had hits such as Blue Monday, I'm Walkin' and Walking to New Orleans. Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino Jr. (born February 26, 1928) is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Domino is French - [Mumford & Sons: "Little Lion Man" and "Dust Bowl Dance"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mumford-sons-little-lion-man-and-dust-bowl-dance/) - Mumford & Sons' Babel won the 2012 Grammy Award for best album. Here is the beginning of Wikipedia's profile of the band: Mumford & Sons are an English folk rock band. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, guitar, drums, mandolin), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboards, accordion, drums), Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo, guitar, resonator guitar), and Ted - [Roomful of Blues: "Slam Jam" and "Back Seat Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/roomful-of-blues-slam-jam-and-back-seat-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/OwkwncRFOsY Here is the beginning of Wikipedia's profile of Room Full of Blues: Roomful of Blues is an American blues and swing revival big band based in Rhode Island. With a recording career that spans over 40 years, they have toured worldwide and recorded many albums. Roomful of Blues, according to The Chicago Sun-Times, "Swagger, - [The Okie From Muskogee is a Survivor](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-okie-from-muskogee-is-a-survivor/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4umk9TuYfk This is a long excerpt from Wikipedia's entry on Merle Haggard, but it is very interesting. It seems that a small percentage of the many kids who start down the wrong track are saved by the fact that they have talent. Others, it seems, aren't so fortunate: Around the onset of adolescence, Haggard - [Stone Temple Pilots: Plush and Interstate Love Song](https://dailymusicbreak.com/stone-temple-pilots-plush-and-interstate-love-song/) - Here is the beginning of the Wikipedia entry for the Stone Temple Pilots. Stone Temple Pilots (often abbreviated to STP) is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Robert DeLeo (bass guitar, vocals) and Dean DeLeo (guitar), and Eric Kretz (drums, percussion). After forming in 1986 - [Leo Kottke: Funny Trombonist Turned Classic Guitarist](https://dailymusicbreak.com/leo-kottke-funny-trombonist-turned-classic-guitarist/) - This autobiographical post at Leo Kottke's site probably says as much about the great guitarist as a traditional bio. The guy can write. Here is the start: TROMBONE Studying with three teachers in three years, I was a trombone student in Oklahoma until I was about fifteen years old. Each weekend at one of their houses - [Quite a Day at Abbey Road](https://dailymusicbreak.com/quite-a-day-at-abbey-road/) - This is the entry for Feb. 22, 1967 at This Day in Music: Pink Floyd continued working on their debut album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn at Abbey Road Studios, London. The Beatles were also working at Abbey Road, recording the giant piano chord for the end of 'A Day In The Life' - [Estelle: "American Boy" and "Wonderful Life"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/estelle-american-boy-and-wonderful-life/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ic5vxw3eijY I became aware of Estelle through the hit American Boy (above) simply because my daughter had the radio tuned to stations that played it. Her part is great, but the pop/hip hop response format -- Estelle and Kayne West in this case -- always seems forced. Another of the YouTube clips is Wonderful Life (below), - [Happy 70th Birthday, George](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-70th-birthday-george/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXdcgcTVCH8 George Harrison was born on this day in 1943. I may be reading too much into it, but it seems that the comment at the very end and the plaintive look Richards gives the interviewer is revealing. - [B.B. King: The Thrill is Not Gone](https://dailymusicbreak.com/b-b-king-the-thrill-is-not-gone/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLAAzOBoBI B.B. King is introduced in the above clip by Jimmy Walker, of Good Times fame (Dyn-O-mite!). The song is of How Blue Can You Get? Below King sings Just a Little Bit of Love on a show hosted by David Steinberg, another 1970s/80s television comedian. David Brenner and Nipsy Russell aren't far behind. B.B. King, of course, - [Van Cliburn Dies at 78](https://dailymusicbreak.com/van-cliburn-dies-at-78/) - Van Cliburn, July 12, 1934 – February 27, 2013 Pianist Van Cliburn won the inaugural 1958 Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. An American win at the height of the Cold War was a stunning upset. The New York Times' obit describes the reactions: When Mr. Cliburn returned to New York, he was given a ticker-tape - [Clifton Chenier: The King of Zydeco](https://dailymusicbreak.com/clifton-chenier-the-king-of-zydeco/) - The Daily Music Break has featured zydeco players Buckwheat Zydeco and Rockin' Sidney. But we should have led off with Clifton Chenier, who was the universally acknowledged King of Zydeco. In fact, that is his nickname. Here is the long first paragraph of AllMusic's profile of Chenier: The undisputed "King of Zydeco," Clifton Chenier was - [Why Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues" is Important](https://dailymusicbreak.com/why-louis-armstrongs-west-end-blues-is-important/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/QbD8loUP9CY West End Blues by Louis Armstrong is one of the most important songs in jazz. A YouTube poster named pandasthumb describes the piece. It's definitely worth checking out. Here is one paragraph from the post: From the very first note of "West End Blues," a tune composed by Joe "King" Oliver, one can immediately - [Tal Farlow, aka "The Octopus"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tal-farlow-aka-the-octopus/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/T_KHhGO_V_s Tal Farlow, who was nicknamed "The Octopus" because of the size of his hands and their ability to navigate the fretboard, has a surprisingly short bio at AllMusic: Nearly as famous for his reluctance to play as for his outstanding abilities, guitarist Tal Farlow did not take up the instrument until he was already - [The Staple Singers: "Respect Yourself" and "Why Am I Treated So Bad?"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-staple-singers-respect-yourself-and-why-am-i-treated-so-bad/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/oab4ZCfTbOI I had chosen the music for this post on the Staple Singers and was looking for background material without being aware of the sad news that Cleotha Staple, the oldest of the singing sisters, died on February 21 at age 78. Here is part of The New York Times' obit: The Staple Singers were - [Dick Dale: More Than the King of Surf Guitar](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dick-dale-more-than-the-king-of-surf-guitar/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSRJqyuTaCI This is one of the most interesting bios I've read while doing this site. Dick Dale is most associated with the development of surf music. The profile discusses his mid Eastern roots -- which explains why Hava Nagila was part of his repertoire -- his influence on Jimi Hendrix and others, his pushing the envelop on - [Keb' Mo': "Am I Wrong" and "Suitcase"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/keb-mo-am-i-wrong-and-suitcase/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hki1qZvG14 Keb' Mo' is Kevin Moore. Here is the beginning of AllMusic's bio of the throwback blues performer: Guitarist/vocalist Keb' Mo' draws heavily on the old-fashioned country blues style of Robert Johnson while keeping his sound contemporary with touches of soul and folksy storytelling. A skilled frontman as well as an accomplished sideman, he writes - [The Adam Ezra Group](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-adam-ezra-group/) - Editor's Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present what the band (or its management) wrote -- or as - [John Prine: "Angel From Montgomery" and "In Spite of Ourselves"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-prine-angel-from-montgomery-and-in-spite-of-ourselves/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfF5W2-cjZg Last.fm has an interesting profile of John Prine: The son of William Prine and Verna Hamm, his grandfather had played guitar with Merle Travis and he started playing guitar himself at 14 years old. He was a postman for 5 years and spent a couple of years in the army before starting his musical - [Crash Midnight](https://dailymusicbreak.com/crash-midnight/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present what the band (or its management) wrote — or as much of - [The Pogues: "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" and "Body of An American"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-pogues-if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god-and-body-of-an-american/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4v6aNjGFFk The Pogues were formed in London but really are an Irish band. I don't know much about Irish music other than there is a whole lot of very great stuff. In the year since I've been doing this website, one of my favorite clips is The Clancy Brothers' rendition of Finnegan's Wake. There also is - [Carl Perkins: One of the Grandfathers of Rock and Roll](https://dailymusicbreak.com/carl-perkins-one-of-the-grandfathers-of-rock-and-roll/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McaemUBvGaA This bio says that Carl Perkins gave a lot of credit to Bill Monroe as a grandfather of rockabilly. That's an example of the beauty of music: The direct line from Monroe-- with plenty of contributions from elsewhere, of course -- through Perkins and others, to rock-and-roll. Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins lent a helping - [No Other Reason to Post This...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/no-other-reason-to-post-this/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0jpqF1uolk ...then it's a gem. They all are, but usually I have a better rationale. This version of Deuce and a Quarter song has everything: It's a great song (written by Kevin Gordon and Gwil Owen), is accompanied by great photos and is performed by Scotty Moore, Levon Helm, DJ Fontana, Keith Richards, Marshall - [The Chance](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-chance/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present what the band (or its management) wrote — or as much of - [Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question and Prelude to the Fourth Symphony](https://dailymusicbreak.com/charles-ives-the-unanswered-question-and-prelude-to-the-fourth-symphony/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvP7JZWOZMw Charles Ives, one of the most acknowledged of American composers, was demanding on performers because of his reliance on a wide variety of genres: Charles Ives' song legacy presents a unique set of challenges to its interpreters. Ives' songs derive from an enormously wide variety of musical traditions, from the German lied tradition (and - [Kate & Anna McGarrigle: "Love Over and Over" and "Going Back To Harlan"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/kate-anna-mcgarrigle-love-over-and-over-and-going-back-to-harlan/) - Canadians Kate and Anna McGarrigle wrote beautiful songs and delivered them just as well. Here is the start of the profile at their website: Singers/songwriters Kate and Anna McGarrigle have performed to critical and popular acclaim throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East for three decades. Their albums have earned record of the year - [YOVANNI](https://dailymusicbreak.com/yovanni/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present what the band (or its management) wrote — or as - [What Else Can You Say? Pink Floyd Was a Great, Great Band...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/what-else-can-you-say-pink-floyd-was-a-great-great-band/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl9dc5FhFYU ...and they made great videos as well. Dark Side of the Moon was released on March 1, 1973. In honor of the album's fortieth anniversary, Forbes' contributor Michele Catalano posted an appreciation, which in part reads: Dark Side was not an album of hits, though. It was a concept album, something to be listened to - [Lowland Hum](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lowland-hum/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present what the band (or its management) wrote — or as much of - [Horace Silver and Hard Bop](https://dailymusicbreak.com/horace-silver-and-hard-bop/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFjmWI-d6d4 The first few seconds of Song For My Father (above) sound a lot like the start of Steely Dan's Rikki Don't Lose That Number, which of course came years later. Below is Señor Blues. Silver is a very influential pianist who played a form of jazz called hard bop, which perhaps should be explained before discussing Silver: - [Wes Tucker & the Skillets](https://dailymusicbreak.com/wes-tucker-the-skillets/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrXLjyLxkQ0 Wes Tucker & the Skillets was suggested to me by a friend. Here is how he describes the band: Northern Virginia-based Wes Tucker & the Skillets are a country-infused rock band with insightful vocals and a funky, smooth feel that evoke everything from Chris Whitley to Willie Nelson. More information and music from Wes - [Western Swing with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys](https://dailymusicbreak.com/western-swing-with-bob-wills-and-his-texas-playboys/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/Xvw4_YOWNXM Bob Wills, who fronted the band Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, was instrumental in the development of western swing and rockabilly. The turning of the evolutionary wheels are more evident at some points and well hidden in others. In Wills' case, the progress is obvious. Here is the beginning of The Rock & - [Happy Day Before St. Patrick's Day](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-day-before-st-patricks-day/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XWJrT_KIcE Since The Daily Music Break doesn't update on Sundays and since any reason to post Irish music is a good reason, the site is celebrating St. Patrick's Day a day early with The Dubliner's playing Whiskey in the Jar (above) and The Irish Rover (below). Here is the beginning of a long but worthwhile profile of this - [Harry James: "Don't Be That Way" and "You Made Me Love You"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/harry-james-dont-be-that-way-and-you-made-me-love-you/) - Harry James was one of the most important performers of the World War II era--and not just because he played a major role in the career of Frank Sinatra. NNDB has his profile: Both a skilled trumpet-player and a popular bandleader, Harry James began playing in dance bands when he was only 15. In 1936 - [Not Tonight Josephine](https://dailymusicbreak.com/not-tonight-josephine/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present all or some of what the band (or its management) - [The O'Jays: "Love Train" and "For the Love of Money"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-ojays-love-train-and-for-the-love-of-money/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXlsJKP_FWI Love Train, above, has gotten a second life in Coors beer commercials. There are versions with far better audio quality than the original video -- such as this version from Midnight Special, which has the added bonus of being introduced by Wolfman Jack. Mid-1970s videos are great, especially sweet-natured ones like this. Though The - [Damien Saez: "On a Pas la Thune" and "J'accuse"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/damien-saez-on-a-pas-la-thune-and-jaccuse/) - I don't have too much to say about Damien Saez because I don't speak French. I notice that when I watch a sporting event with the sound off I notice more and enjoy it in a different way. It's the same with music, though the variable in this case is language, not volume. These are - [War: "Low Rider" and "Cisco Kid"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/war-low-rider-and-cisco-kid/) - Low Rider, above, doesn't start until about a minute and half into the clip. It is interesting to watch Don Cornelius hold court, however. War has a long, complex and interesting history. Here is the beginning of AllMusic's profile: One of the most popular funk groups of the '70s, War were also one of the - [Milestones, Good and Bad, for the Winter Brothers](https://dailymusicbreak.com/milestones-good-and-bad-for-the-winter-brothers/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnewLUgjoQ4 This Day in Music notes that Dan Hartman died of a brain tumor on March 22, 1994. Hartman was a mainstay in both Winters' careers and, among other things, wrote "Free Ride," according to the item. TDIM also notes that Randy Hobbs, a bass player for Johnny Winter, was born on this day in - [Wynton Marsalis: Portrait of Louis Armstrong and Come Rain or Come Shine](https://dailymusicbreak.com/wynton-marsalis-portrait-of-louis-armstrong-and-come-rain-or-come-shine/) - New Orleans has a genius for producing great food and great trumpet and cornet players. Indeed, Louis Armstrong -- who Wynton Marsalis pays homage to above -- wasn't the first. There was Buddy Bolden. And Joe "King" Oliver, a mentor to Armstrong, was raised in New Orleans even if he wasn't born there. More recently, - [Albertina Walker: "I Can Go to God in Prayer" and "This is the Way to Sing Praises"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/albertina-walker-i-can-go-to-god-in-prayer-and-this-is-the-way-to-sing-praises/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJ4hVoUF_I Apparently, both Albertina Walker and Malhalia Jackson were known as The Queen of Gospel at various times. She probably inherited the title. Jackson took the young Walker on the road and the two became friends. Albertina's gift in music ministry and unselfish commitment to humanity for over six decades has earned her many awards - [Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Won't Back Down](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers-wont-back-down/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/aowSGxim_O8 Like a lot of Tom Petty & the Heartbreaker's songs, Mary Jane's Last Dance (above) seems to have a touch of Dylan and a touch of British invasion. This song also sounds a bit like The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Below is Jammin' Me. Here is the band's site and the start of the bio - [Son House: "Death Letter Blues" and "John the Revelator"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/son-house-death-letter-blues-and-john-the-revelator/) - Son House is unique, even among the old blues players. The song below -- John the Revelator -- is like watching history. Death Letter Blues is above. Here is how his Wikipedia profile starts: Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. (March 21, 1902 (?) [1][2] – October 19, 1988) near Clarksdale, Mississippi was an American blues singer and guitarist, noted for his highly emotional style of singing and slide - [Ideal Zero](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ideal-zero/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomes new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present all or some of what the band (or its management) - [Have a Nice Weekend...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/have-a-nice-weekend/) - Sort of new music from Blondie. Mother was released in 2011. - [Happy Passover, Happy Easter](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-passover-happy-easter/) - Above, of course, is Judy Garland and Fred Astaire singing Irving Berlin's Easter Parade, from the 1948 movie of the same name. Below, the Philadelphia Biblical University Institute of Jewish Studies' class of 2000 sings the Passover song Dayenu. - [The Robert Cray Band: "Smoking Gun" and "Back Door Slam"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-robert-cray-band-smoking-gun-and-back-door-slam/) - Wikipedia's entry on Robert Cray contains a very interesting piece of movie trivia: By the age of twenty, Cray had seen his heroes Albert Collins, Freddie King and Muddy Waters in concert and decided to form his own band; they began playing college towns on the West Coast. In the late 1970s he lived in Eugene, Oregon, where he formed the Robert - [James Taylor: "Copperline" and "Mexico"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/james-taylor-copperline-and-mexico/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/rSSqnBfgBsQ James Taylor simply is the best at what he does. That's saying a lot, because many people do what he does and do it quite well. Taylor is so well known that no real background from me is necessary. For those who want more, here are links to his website, AllMusic profile and Facebook page. - [Darlingside](https://dailymusicbreak.com/darlingside/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present all or some of what the band (or its management) - [Jelly Roll Morton: A Pivotal Figure in Early Jazz](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jelly-roll-morton-a-pivotal-figure-in-early-jazz/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkGjDbKauVo Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton was a New Orleans-born "Creole of color" who is considered to be one of the most important figures in early jazz. Many peoples' impressions of early jazz are distorted by the primitive recording equipment. The quality of the sound can be thought of as the equivalent of what people's movements look like - [Gary Moore: Born on this Day in 1952](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gary-moore-born-on-this-day-in-1952/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkUpfw4Hf3w The great rock and blues guitarist died in February, 2011, according to This Day in Music. This is Parisenne Walkways. His site is here. - [The Cardigans: "My Favourite Game" and "I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need to be Nicer"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-cardigans-my-favourite-game-and-i-need-some-fine-wine-and-you-you-need-to-be-nicer/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9WgtlgGAgs Soul of Wit, a good friend of the site, commented on a post last week featuring Tom Jones. He sent a link of Jones and The Cardigans covering The Talking Heads' Burning Down the House. He suggested that it is impossible for a rock fan not to like the clip and, of course, he's right. The clip - [Music of the Civil War](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-of-the-civil-war/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/v8oF6Jd2R5s A few years ago I read a very interesting book about the early evolution of baseball. Unfortunately, I can't remember the title. One point the author made is that the Civil War did a lot to popularize the sport. Before the war, people mostly were born, lived and died in about the same place. - [Sergei Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sergei-prokofiev-peter-and-the-wolf/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot7m9i70JDg Both the music and the text of Peter and the Wolf, which was an effort to teach children about orchestras and instill a love of music, were written by Sergei Prokofiev. It was released in the Soviet Union in 1936. Here is more on Prokofiev: In breathing new life into the symphony, sonata, and concerto, - [Odetta: "This Little Light of Mine" and "Glory, Hallelujah"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/odetta-this-little-light-of-mine-and-glory-hallelujah/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/a6vmlg37dto Odetta was an influential singer in the 1960s folk/protest movement era. Here is how Wikipedia starts its profile: Odetta Holmes (December 31, 1930 – December 2, 2008), known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a civil and human rights activist, often referred to[by whom?] as "The Voice of the Civil - [Calexico: "Splitter" and "Over Your Shoulder"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/calexico-splitter-and-over-your-shoulder/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/RwgjMfi1YF8 Calexico has released eight albums. This is how AllMusic describes the band: Calexico, a Tucson collective of musicians focused around Joey Burns and John Convertino, forged an eclectic identity through their exploration of Southwestern culture. Composer Ennio Morricone's spaghetti Westerns as well as Portuguese fado, Afro-Peruvian music, and '50s and '60s jazz, country, and - [Happy Birthday, Nate Nelson and Bobbie Smith](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-nate-nelson-and-bobbie-smith/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/nrzusdilnKQ This Day in Music lists more than 20 musical personalities born on this day -- including three each in 1947 and 1950 alone. Two are here: Nate Nelson of The Flamingos, who sing I Only Have Eyes for You (above) and Bobbie Smith of The Detroit Spinners (later the Spinners), who sing Working My - [Don't Trust Anyone Over 60](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dont-trust-anyone-over-60/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQcCqckIM_w I always think of my distaste for the classic rock radio format when I hear songs such as The Letter. It's one of the 50 or so songs to which the golden age of rock has been boiled down. The machine rolls drearily on. I bet some of the artists don't like it either, except - [Stompin' Tom Connors: "The Hockey Song" and "Bud the Spud"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/stompin-tom-connors-the-hockey-song-and-bud-the-spud/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/-_qj_Q6A3y4 Canadian folks singer Stompin' Tom Connors -- who died March 6 at age 77 -- recorded an amazing 61 albums. Ten of them have not even been released. Here is part of the bio at his website: Born Thomas Charles Connors in Saint John New Brunswick on February 9th 1936, he was separated from - [Levon Helm: "Short Fat Fanny"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/levon-helm-short-fat-fanny/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6jxsCvZoQs4 The Daily Music Break periodically repeats posts from earlier in the site's run. This was originally posted on April 20, 2012, marked the passing of Levon Helm. This clip is from The Conan O'Brien Show. An interesting interview follows the song. Will the Circle Be Unbroken (This is an amazing video. Earl Scruggs, who - [The Joint is Jumping](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-joint-is-jumping/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rgtt_8DbKE&feature=fvst lulu's back in town - [Fats Waller: "The Joint is Jumpin'"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fats-waller-the-joint-is-jumpin/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LKe6yH3ZwGo Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller was a riot, a great musician, the prototype of the vested fat stride piano player and an important figure in the history of jazz. Not bad for a guy who died at age 39. At least two of his songs -- The Joint is Jumpin' and Ain't Misbehaving -- are instantaneously recognizable. - [Mountain at Cincinnati Pop: "Theme For an Imaginary Western"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mountain-at-cincinnati-pop-theme-for-an-imaginary-western/) - https://youtu.be/iJDX-sYfJ_M Mountain had a dual personality. It was a great and influential power trio that played at Woodstock and had a direct link to Cream, the ultimate super group (bassist Felix Pappalardi produced three Cream albums). It created Mississippi Queen, one of the most recognizable songs in the history of rock-and-roll. On the other hand, - [Big Head Todd and the Monsters: "Broken Hearted Savior"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/big-head-todd-and-the-monsters-broken-hearted-savior/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXo-ACXBSp8 Big Head Todd and the Monsters have a nice big sound. Here is the band's website, a compilation of set lists, its Facebook page and a bit of a profile. The band is touring this summer with Bare Naked Ladies, Blues Traveler and Cracker. Songs by Big Head Todd and the Monsters (that's a - [From the Vault: Les Paul Did Amazing Things](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-les-paul-did-amazing-things/) - Editors Note: The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts music from earlier in the site's run. Since Tuesday was the centennial of Les Paul's birth, it seemed like a good time to do so. Here is a link to a Rolling Stone article about a tribute concert featuring Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, G.E. Smith, Steve Miller, Joe Satriani and others. - [Rev. Gary Davis: "Death Don't Have No Mercy"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/rev-gary-davis-death-dont-have-no-mercy/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/AiQfhwWcDkk The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts older content. This pretty remarkable video originally appeared on April 27, 2012. This video becomes very interesting soon after the one minute mark. The Rev. Gary Davis--whose 116th birthday is next Monday--was one of the main bridges that connected the African-American blues performers of the 1930s and 1940s - [From the Vault: Albert King's "Blues Power"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-albert-kings-blues-power/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyVhBfIFbiQ Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts great music that has been on the site before. This post originally appeared on April 30, 2012. Albert King was not related to B.B. or, for that matter to Freddie, another great blues guitarist who would be King. They all were deeply connected, however. B.B. commented - [The Buena Vista Social Club: "Chan Chan"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-buena-vista-social-club-chan-chan/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BoQNj2tlZhg In 1999, Ry Cooder coaxed several Cuban musicians out of retirement to record an album. The project was filmed by Cooder's friend Wim Wenders (the director of Wings of Desire). The players ended up performing as The Buena Vista Social Club in Amsterdam and at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Compay Segunda's Chan Chan was perhaps the biggest success. Ruben Gonzalez's Mandinga also is - [In 1967, Bob Marley Began to "Stir It Up." Five Years Later, The Wailers Re-recorded the Song and it Became a Hit](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-1967-bob-marley-began-to-stir-it-up-five-years-later-the-wailers-re-recorded-the-song-and-it-became-a-hit/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6U-TGahwvs (Editor's Note: Have a musician or band you love? Consider contributing to The Daily Music Break. Send us a note.) “If she’s amazing, she won’t be easy. If she’s easy, she won’t be amazing. If she’s worth it, you won’t give up. If you give up, you’re not worthy… The truth is, everyone is - [Billy Taylor, Willie "The Lion" Smith and Duke Ellington: "Perdido"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/billy-taylor-willie-the-lion-smith-and-duke-ellington-perdido/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMS8XWau2s0 A list of Duke Ellington songs is like a list of those from the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Bob Dylan and a few others. The song are so familiar and deeply connected to the culture that in a way they don't even belong to the artist any longer. They are part of the bigger - [Modest Mouse: "Dashboard"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/modest-mouse-dashboard/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=penvn9VL32Y Modest Mouse - Dashboard from Jenny Ko on Vimeo. Dashboard is sort of the dream you would have after having a spicy meal, reading a bit of Moby Dick and watching an episode or two of The Deadliest Catch. It's a great song and video. Other songs from this sea-loving band are We’ve Got - [Jerusalem Orchestra: Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46 (Morning Mood)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jerusalem-orchestra-edvard-griegs-peer-gynt-suite-no-1-op-46-morning-mood/) - Classy for the weekend. The go-to piece for cartoons and TV commercials. - [Neil Young: Fork in the Road](https://dailymusicbreak.com/neil-young-fork-in-the-road/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xogiUUMy_RU Fork in the Road almost certainly is unique among videos made by superstars. If you haven't seen it, check it out. I'm not sure what the back story is of Young's walk-on (at 3:20) during Pearl Jam's performance of Rockin in the Free World in Toronto on Sept. 11 of last year. Eddie Vedder seems stunned, and he - [Elizabeth Cotten: "Freight Train"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/elizabeth-cotten-freight-train/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=43-UUeCa6Jw Ragtime, perhaps because of the popularity of Scott Joplin, is associated with the piano. There also is a school of ragtime guitar, however. Elizabeth Cotten was one of its best known adherents. Other famous players are Blind Blake and Blind Willie McTell. According to this bio, in the late 1940s Cotten migrated from Chapel - [James Brown Was the Hardest Working Man in Show Business](https://dailymusicbreak.com/james-brown-was-the-hardest-working-man-in-show-business/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=vruy2GRUsV8 I can't think of a performer as intense as James Brown in terms of both talent and personality. There really isn't anyone close. And it wasn't always fun to watch. I know the outlines of his story -- poverty that was so intense that he was sent home from school for "insufficient clothing" and all - [Bonnie Raitt and Alison Krauss: Papa Come Quick](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bonnie-raitt-and-alison-krauss-papa-come-quick/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qecodpVYAJo Bonnie Raitt, usually an electric slide player, shows her versatility in the clip above. Raitt started her tour this week and has a new album, Slipstream. She last toured with Taj Mahal in 2009, but took a break during which a close friend, her parents and brother Steve -- also a musician -- all - [Flogging Molly: "Don't Shut 'Em Down"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/flogging-molly-dont-shut-em-down/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rOiLVo8yIJE Flogging Molly is best described at its YouTube Channel: The Los Angeles-based post-grunge seven-piece Flogging Molly are an interesting mix of traditional Irish music and spunky punk rock. "Spunky," I'm sure, is an adjective that often comes up in discussions of punk rock bands. In fact, I'd like to see a punk rock band - [Leroy Anderson: The Syncopated Clock](https://dailymusicbreak.com/leroy-anderson-the-syncopated-clock/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3cl6QoZSDw Classy for the weekend. If you remember the television program for which this was the theme, you (like me) are not a youngster and from New York. Here is a recreation of the show's opening and more on Leroy Anderson. The description says that the performance above was by an orchestra directed by Arthur - [Wanda Jackson is a Hard Headed Woman](https://dailymusicbreak.com/wanda-jackson-is-a-hard-headed-woman/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O0uq1vNHIUI The great news is that Wanda Jackson still is going strong. Her current tour lasts into September. The Queen of Rockabilly often performed with Elvis (here is a nice candid shot of the two). Her reemergence was engineered by Jack White. He produced her wonderfully titled album, The Party Ain't Over, which was released - [Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Purple Stain"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-purple-stain/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Elsge3oYYYA My son vouches for these guys, though I read a few pages of Anthony Kiedis' autobiography and, well... Anyway, they certainly bring a lot of energy to the party. The band also seem to be perpetually on the road. The site says the current tour will last until about Thanksgiving. Recommended songs include Yertle the - [Ben Webster: "Old Folks"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ben-webster-old-folks/) - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x280nt_ben-webster-and-teddy-wilson-old-fo_music#.UZKyhLU4vPY The comments to the above clip point out that Ben Webster clearly is crying after Teddy Wilson's piano solo. The explanation provided -- there is no way to verify it, of course -- is that Johnny Hodges, with whom Webster had played in Duke Ellington's band, had just passed away. Everything Webster played was - [Slim Dusty: Waltzing Matilda](https://dailymusicbreak.com/slim-dusty-waltzing-matilda/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UORKwBTKWqw It appears that Dusty, who died in 2003, is an institution in Australia. Other songs are Pub with No Beer, In Charleville and Duncan, which is addictive. Of special note is The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. Written by an immigrant to Australia, the song deals with the country's involvement in Gallipoli, a battle during - [Morton Gould and His Orchestra: Aaron Copland's "Hoe-Down"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/morton-gould-and-his-orchestra-aaron-coplands-hoe-down/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=r4h0R4QHhvw The fifth and last section of Aaron Copland's ballet, Rodeo, is written as either Hoedown or Hoe-Down. Details on the piece are at Wikipedia. Other well known Copland compositions are Appalachian Spring and Billy the Kid. This version of Fanfare for the Common Man is performed by The New Frankfurt Philharmonic and Emerson, Lake - [Steely Dan: "Cousin Dupree" and "Daddy Don't Live in that New York City No More"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/steely-dan-cousin-dupree-and-daddy-dont-live-in-that-new-york-city-no-more/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdn9LGT3pPU Here are "Daddy Don't Live in that New York City No More," supposedly an alternate take than the one on "Katy Lied," and "Cousin Dupree." The latter two are among the great lyrics in the history of rock and roll. Two other great Donald Fagen tunes are New Frontier and the title track from - [Phil Phillips: Sea of Love](https://dailymusicbreak.com/phil-phillips-sea-of-love/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T8PHEAHOBs Phil Phillips lone hit is one of the great songs of the rock era. Here is a version by Tom Waits that was used in a very good movie of the same name (which starred Al Pacino, Ellen Barken and John Goodman). Here is a pretty acoustic cover by Cat Power. The song was - [Howard DaSilva, Tom Bosley: "Little Tin Box"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/howard-dasilva-tom-bosley-little-tin-box/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsC8cKxSjfk Fiorello!, a show about New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, is fabulous. Check it out, even if you are not interested in musical theater. Two of the best tunes are Little Tin Box and Politics and Poker. The show straddled the 1950s and 60s: According to the notes on YouTube--which are from Wikipedia--it opened on Broadway in - [John Hiatt: Slow Turning](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-hiatt-slow-turning/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7UrueP3aM40 John Hiatt's work has been covered by many artists, including Jewel, Buddy Guy and Roseanne Cash. Riding with the King was the cover tune of an album by Eric Clapton and B.B. King that went double platinum. Here are Drive South, Perfectly Good Guitar and Have a Little Faith. Something Wild vaguely reminds me - [Matt Siffert: "Daybreak in Alabama" and "Riverside Drive"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/matt-siffert-daybreak-in-alabama-and-riverside-drive/) - This is new music from Matt Siffert, whose debut EP, Morningside, is set for release on June 26. Here is what Siffert says about himself: Matt Siffert is a New York-based composer, songwriter, and bassist. He is committed to these duties as individual crafts, as well as exploring the connections between all three. As - [George Gershwin: "Rhapsody in Blue"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/george-gershwin-rhapsody-in-blue/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xxb7yNG0DGc Leonard Bernstein's performance of George Gershwin's piece, which premiered on February 12, 1924, is in two sections. The continuation is here. Here is Gerswhin's own version. Gershwin's version of I've Got Rhythm -- here is a snippet -- is rowdier than I thought it would be. For good measure, here is Charlie Parker's take - [Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen: "This Land is Your Land"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pete-seeger-bruce-springsteen-this-land-is-your-land/) - https://youtu.be/wnvCPQqQWds Happy Memorial Day. Here are some essential songs, including Grand Funk Railroad's timeless classic "We're an American Band." Among songs from folks wearing shirts are Jimi Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" and Marian Anderson's historic performance of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" at the Lincoln Memorial. Here are two versions of God Bless America: One by composer Irving Berlin and - [Trampled Under Foot: Love My Baby](https://dailymusicbreak.com/trampled-under-foot-love-my-baby/) - The Kansas City-based blues band Trampled Under Foot is comprised of siblings Danielle, Kris and Nick Schnebelen. Other songs include Heart on the Line, Wrong Side of the Blues and May I Be Excused. Here is a short documentary about Trampled Under Foot. Here is the band's website. - [Traffic: John Barleycorn Must Die](https://dailymusicbreak.com/traffic-john-barleycorn-must-die/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=93mv8LPtmro Some bands always sound fresh because their sound is so unique. Steely Dan, for instance, fits that description. Traffic certainly also qualifies. Here are The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Dear Mr. Fantasy, Freedom Rider and Glad. The rock-and-roll song with the most unique genesis probably is John Barleycorn Must Die. This site - [Doc Watson: "Tennessee Stud"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/doc-watson-tennessee-stud/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=U5c1k949Zn4 Doc Watson: 1923-2012 Shady Grove with David Holt Deep River Blues Sally Goodin with Bill Monroe Sitting on Top of the World Little Sadie with Merle Watson Banks of the Ohio with Bill Monroe Here is a great deal of background on Watson. (Home Page image: Eric Fromer) - [Coleman Hawkins: "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/coleman-hawkins-jumpin-with-symphony-sid/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0DmtPvFa_W8 This clip, from the television program Jazz Party, is more than eight minutes long -- but the climax is cut off. No matter, it's great. The start is nice and informal, and the camera moves around quite a bit for a 1950s video. That adds a nice dimension. Hawkins takes his solo starting at - [Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra: "Grand Canyon Suite"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/arturo-toscanini-and-the-nbc-symphony-orchestra-grand-canyon-suite/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoI-xif_vmw This is from a 1943 broadcast. Here is more on Toscanini and on the Grand Canyon Suite, which was written by Ferde Grofé. The piece is divided into five sections: Sunrise, Painted Desert; On the Trail; Sunset and Cloudburst. The best known section probably is the passage in On the Trail in which Grofé uses - [Santana: "No One to Depend On"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/santana-no-one-to-depend-on/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_S4S3Gy1hfU Santana's performance of Soul Sacrifice at Woodstock put the band -- and, of course, Carlos -- on the map. Here is Oye Como Va, a song written and originally performed by Tito Puente. Two other early piece are Samba Pa Ti and Hope You're Feeling Better. Carlos joins Eric Clapton in a performance of Jingo - [Making Music is Not Easy. Willie Nelson Just Makes it Look Easy](https://dailymusicbreak.com/making-music-is-not-easy-willie-nelson-just-makes-it-look-easy/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nqjepfQZwzY Nobody can say that Willie Nelson follows the crowd. He started as a button-downed singer-songwriter in Nashville and now is the world's oldest hippie. He does it all with an authentic, easy-going and unique style. Not many people have worked with Merle Haggard, Kenny Rogers -- and Snoop Dogg. Nelson helps out Haggard on - [Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Rock and Roll's First Great Guitarist](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sister-rosetta-tharpe-rock-and-rolls-first-great-guitarist/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeaBNAXfHfQ It is really difficult to watch one clip of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Try it. The best advice is either to not watch any, or set aside about a half hour. Tharpe was both a big band and religious singer. Her electric guitar playing was amazing considering the era and the fact that she was - [Stevie Ray Vaughan: "Texas Flood"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/stevie-ray-vaughan-texas-flood/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtLwuPCUEdg Not too much to say about Vaughan. The videos speak for themselves. High on the too-long list of musicians who died too young. Here are Hendrix' Voodoo Chile, Testify, Scuttle Buttin' and Pride and Joy, perhaps his best known song. There is a lot on the Internet about Vaughan, including his homepage and a - [This Day in Music, 1962: Ray on Top](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-music-1962-ray-on-top/) - http://www.youtube.com/v/aQXsM1l2wZ8 Ray Charles' I Can't Stop Loving You was the top song on the charts during this day in 1962. It held the spot for five weeks, from May 27 to June 30.. Other notable songs that year were The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Twist, Peppermint Twist (Part 1), Duke Of Earl, Soldier Boy, Roses - [Little Feat: "Dixie Chicken"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/little-feat-dixie-chicken/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1FekVR_SC5M It's a great trivia question: Name a performer who recorded with Frank Zappa and Frank Sinatra. The answer is Lowell George, the driving force behind Little Feat. This terrific bio of the band has that and a lot more information. George died in 1979. Though he was the highest profile member of the band, there - [Oscar Peterson on The Dick Cavett Show](https://dailymusicbreak.com/oscar-peterson-on-the-dick-cavett-show/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ec-FrnaU0rs The site will feature Oscar Peterson more fully in the near future. In the meantime, this clip is recommended to anyone who is at all interested in jazz piano. In about seven minutes, Peterson demonstrates the styles of several other famous players. He has an engaging manner, and his genius immediately shines through. It's - [Marlena Shaw: "California Soul"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marlena-shaw-california-soul/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p65xs9KpxQA This song, written in 1967 by Ashford and Simpson, has been recorded several times. The infectious version above was remixed by rapper Ya Boy and used in the 2011 movie The Lincoln Lawyer. Here is a version by The Fifth Dimension. - [From the Vault: Bruce Springsteen and The Seeger Sessions Band Perform "John Henry"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-bruce-springsteen-and-the-seeger-sessions-band-perform-john-henry/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DZWIJOU44Vc Like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen has managed to remain relevant as a musician and as a lyricist despite being a superstar. Being a superstar likely leads to an insular life -- one that is quite unlike the life that person led before. Maintaining creativity probably is a difficult thing to do. Also like Young, - [Southern Culture on the Skids: "Voodoo Cadillac"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/southern-culture-on-the-skids-voodoo-cadillac/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DYoLGS6uzao This band was suggested by a site visitor. It's sort of like Lynyrd Skynyrd married the B-52s and their children formed a band. Here are Eight Piece Box, Oh Lonesome Me, Nitty Gritty and Daddy Was a Preacher But Mama was a Go-Go Girl. Here is the band's site. The few dates it is - [On This Day in 1945, Sentimental Journey Led the Charts](https://dailymusicbreak.com/on-this-day-in-1945-sentimental-journey-led-the-charts/) - http://www.youtube.com/v/PUw125JMVFI The song Sentimental Journey was number one on this date -- indeed, for nine weeks -- in 1945, according to Bob Brobst's site. This version of the oft-recorded song was done by Les Brown's Band of Renown. The site doesn't specify that this version -- with Doris Day on vocals - was the hit - [Charlie Parker: "Dexterity" and "Yardbird Suite"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/charlie-parker-dexterity-and-yardbird-suite-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tHiPQpUv2c0 The saga of Charlie Parker is well known and told in many places, including Wikipedia and Ken Burns' Jazz documentary. Genius, drugs, alcohol and early death. Bebop is a lot like advanced physics: It is hard for lay people to even understand what practitioners are trying to do. It's demanding and not to everyone's - [Focus: "Hocus Pocus"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/focus-hocus-pocus/) - http://www.youtube.com/v/9fEkYxRCl_c Not sure if what Thijs van Leer is doing is a form of proto-punk yodeling or not. The other guys in the band certainly seem amused. At any rate, Jan Akkerman is a great guitarist. Here is a bit on the band's past. - [Tommy Emmanuel: The Tall Fiddler](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tommy-emmanuel-the-tall-fiddler/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11x4jeM_840 There is a ton of great video on Tommy Emmanuel on YouTube. - [Sly and the Family Stone: "Higher"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sly-and-the-family-stone-higher/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UnKmhOu0Gio Sly and Family Stone, a band that electrified Woodstock, was perhaps the primary bridge between funk and rock and roll. The story is one of great talent, great intentions (listen to the lyrics) and--for a while--great success. It fell apart in the early 1970s, and Sly Stone's comeback appears to have run out of gas. All - [Paul McCartney is 70](https://dailymusicbreak.com/paul-mccartney-is-70/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQNYDUnFBts There is not much anyone can do about getting old. And, as they say, it beats the alternative. Here is a good list of McCartney sites. "Too Many People," which was on "Ram," is a shot at John Lennon. - [Henry Mancini: The Pink Panther Theme](https://dailymusicbreak.com/henry-mancini-the-pink-panther-theme/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Q0RutCQ4oQk The "cat" Mancini refers to in his little intro is sax player Don Menza. He played a key role in one of the most recognizable opening passages in American musical history. Life is full of ironies: Menza's son, Nick, was the drummer in Megadeth. From the bio of Mancini at iMDB: Success with The Glenn - [More on Henry Mancini, Sort Of](https://dailymusicbreak.com/more-on-henry-mancini-sort-of/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK0UyHZZUOw I ran across a couple of versions of The Peter Gunn Theme by the late, great Roy Buchanan while looking for Henry Mancini clips. It's quite a tribute to Mancini as well as a display of Buchanan's talent. - [John Mayall: Oh, Pretty Woman](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-mayall-oh-pretty-woman/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kzk0g36MFeo The above, which features Mick Taylor, was recorded at John Mayall's 70th birthday concert in 2003. It's not the Roy Orbison song. Mayall is a unique and vital figure in the history of rock-and-roll. He worked with and influenced many of the great guitarists, including Eric Clapton and Taylor, who preceded Ronnie Wood in - [Dame Vera Lynn: "We'll Meet Again"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dame-vera-lynn-well-meet-again/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3Drw4aZhdT8 I bet people who were around during World War II would say this song sums up many of the emotions of those times, especially when things looked bleakest. The song was famously featured in the last scene of Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. It would be interesting to find out how Dame Vera Lynn--who is - [Bobby Darin: "Splish Splash"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bobby-darin-splish-splash/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oMCsc4Iqvqc Bobby Darin -- born in 1936 as Robert Walden Cassotto in the Bronx -- accomplished a lot in his life, which only lasted 34 years. Here is a short bio. This is the first paragraph from the short one, which is at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website: Bobby Darin was one - [Duke Ellington and Jimmy Stewart](https://dailymusicbreak.com/duke-ellington-and-jimmy-stewart/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VeKp1Mq25kc In a post about Henry Mancini earlier this week, I linked to an iMDB bio that mentioned the relationship between jazz and movies. Along those lines, check out this clip of Duke Ellington and Jimmy Stewart in the movie Anatomy of a Murder. Considering that the movie was made in 1959, it's an amazingly - [The Blasters: American Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-blasters-american-music/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JpDK-YRpObU The Blasters performance above is from the first Farm Aid in 1985. I wasn't familiar with the band, but a site visitor sent me a clip and the unfortunate news that lead singer Phil Alvin is in the hospital in Spain. The band has canceled its European tour. Here's hoping that the situation resolves - [Gene Vincent, Rockabilly and the Roots of Rock and Roll](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gene-vincent-rockabilly-and-the-roots-of-rock-and-roll/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_HKYMhgsso&list=PLQgx94C94lnQm9mGw0QQzFwQ1YsBgEDUe This morning the site featured The Blasters, who are heavily influenced by rockabilly. In this video, the great Imelda May suggests that rockabilly started a lot of the most talented performers of the 20th century -- Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Beck, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, to name a few -- on - [Victor Borge Was Very Funny](https://dailymusicbreak.com/victor-borge-was-very-funny/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/28GPy7yRl88 Truly. This is Borge's version of Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. The other guy isn't credited in the notes. He's funny too. - [Rahsaan Roland Kirk: "Serenade To a Cuckoo"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/rahsaan-roland-kirk-serenade-to-a-cuckoo/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsaxODHI3fA Editor's Note: I 'd like to thank Scott Dwight, a site visitor, for submitting this guest post. He noted that much of the content is from Wikipedia. Rahsaan Roland Kirk (August 7, 1935 – December 5, 1977) was a blind American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments. He was renowned - [Knock on Wood](https://dailymusicbreak.com/knock-on-wood/) - Eddie Floyd was born on this day in 1935. - [Dire Straits: "Skateaway"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dire-straits-skateaway/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9IVojgL2zmQ Dire Straits wasn't quite The Beatles, The Who or The Rolling Stones, but it no doubt was one of the super bands of the 1980s and 1990s. Lead guitarist Mark Knopfler now is well into a successful solo career that includes composing and recording film scores. His most notable were Local Hero in 1983 and - [Big Joe Turner: "Low Down Dog"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/big-joe-turner-low-down-dog/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7EHfvbOX7VI As this paragraph from his bio at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame site makes clear, Big Joe Turner was a fundamental figure in the history of rock-and-roll. Indeed, Turner seems to have been what in science is called a "precursor": Big Joe Turner was the brawny-voiced “Boss of the Blues.” He was - [More Jay McShann](https://dailymusicbreak.com/more-jay-mcshann/) - This morning, the site featured the great Big Joe Turner. One of the clips featured Jay McShann along with Turner. Here is more McShann. Kansas City has a special place in jazz history: Only in Kansas City did jazz continue to flourish. At one time, there were more than 100 night clubs, dance halls - [These United States: Honor Amongst Thieves](https://dailymusicbreak.com/these-united-states-honor-amongst-thieves/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G2h_WQy44rw Here is an entertaining interview with These United States' Jesse Elliott from Seven Days, an online publication in Vermont. Consequence of Sound reviews of the band's recently released album. This is from a review of the album, which is self-titled, at Philadelphia Weekly: While TUS’ music has always retained Elliott’s penchant for narratives and - [This is Nice to See](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-is-nice-to-see/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nSAoEf1Ib58 From a review in the Boston Globe of the Beach Boys concert Tuesday night at the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston: It’s a relief to report that the Beach Boys sounded terrific — authentic, even — at the Bank of America Pavilion Tuesday night. The harmonies were close and luminous. Beach balls bobbed - [Scott Joplin's Ragtime](https://dailymusicbreak.com/scott-joplins-ragtime/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fagH03fxY7c Scott Joplin lived at the very outer edge of the communications age, and even saying that is pushing it. He came before film or audio recording, but his work -- as he played it -- was preserved on mechanical piano rolls. Indeed, his era may be the first in which actual renderings of how - [Not Bad for a 97-Year-Old](https://dailymusicbreak.com/not-bad-for-a-97-year-old/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OiYcwO_3mQ Eubie Blake was 98 when this recording was made of him playing his Charleston Rag. The audio is only passable. Blake composed I'm Just While About Harry (long-time collaborator Noble Sissle was the lyricist). The song was written for the musical Shuffle Along, which Wikipedia describes as the first successful Afro-American musical. It - [A Happy Anniversary and a Sad Birthday for The Supremes](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-happy-anniversary-and-a-sad-birthday-for-the-supremes/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4RabQLuj4N8 A couple of Supremes notes for June 30. You Keep Me Hanging On was recorded on this day in 1966. It also is the birthday of Florence Ballard, one of the original members of the group. Like so many in rock and roll, it is not a happy story, according to allmusic: In mid-1967, as - [Hot Tuna: "Hesitation Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hot-tuna-hesitation-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjfhsLuOEWI&feature=player_embedded It's ironic that a band that started as an informal side project from two of the pillars of The Jefferson Airplane -- Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady -- has outlasted the band and its various reincarnations by decades. The above video of Hesitation Blues, which was written by Rev. Gary Davis, is virtually identical to the version of - [Hot Tuna: Vicksburg Stomp](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hot-tuna-vicksburg-stomp/) - From Hot Tuna's new album Steady as She Goes. Barry Mitterhoff is on mandolin. - [Charlie Christian at Minton's](https://dailymusicbreak.com/charlie-christian-at-mintons/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/x52x5hjpD5k This recording features Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie. Christian was a member of Benny Goodman's sextet and a pivotal figure in the emergence of the guitar as a solo instrument and later as the key focal point of rock bands. This video from Discover Oklahoma puts Christian in the context of the - [The Fourth with Los Lobos, Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-fourth-with-los-lobos-jerry-garcia-and-bob-weir/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zM18HENqNbk Los Lobos, Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir do perhaps the greatest American patriotic song. Thanks for visiting the site. Here's Chet Atkins doing another great American song. - [Elvis Presley: "Heartbreak Hotel"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/elvis-presley-heartbreak-hotel/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8jAqvmnsIk The shows Elvis in relaxed mode during his 1968 comeback. The guitarist is Scotty Moore. Here is a nice bio and a version of Long Tall Sally from 1956. Peter Guralnick wrote an acclaimed two-part biography of Elvis. The two are "Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley" and "Careless Love: The Unmaking - [Elvis and Andy Griffith](https://dailymusicbreak.com/elvis-and-andy-griffith/) - The passing last week of Andy Griffith led Phil Arnold, who runs ElvisBlog, to post an item on the links between the two icons. He described an appearance of Presley and Griffith on The Steve Allen Show in 1956, which apparently is well known. He noted it was not the first time the two shared - [Ella Fitzgerald: The Man I Love](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ella-fitzgerald-the-man-i-love/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ySszeu4H4QI Unlike some other jazz greats, there is a tremendous amount of great Ella Fitzgerald material on YouTube and other video sites. None are better than this beautiful version of The Man I Love, a standard by George and Ira Gershwin. Tommy Flanagan is the piano player. The band is great, but the star of course is - [Gordon Lightfoot: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gordon-lightfoot-the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Q0DqPSF2fyo This site offers all the information that anyone can ask for about the great Gordon Lightfoot. It links to a number of other sites. One of the sites that is linked to is dedicated to the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy. The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, the largest ship working the Great Lakes, sank while carrying ore - [Ringo Turns 72](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ringo-turns-72/) - A couple of weeks ago Paul McCartney celebrated his 70th birthday. Proving once again that even being a member of Beatles doesn't stop the aging process, Ringo turned 72 on Saturday. Here is Photograph, which was written by Starr and George Harrison. This site really doesn't have enough traffic yet for a meaningful poll - [Parov Stelar: "Chambermaid Swing"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/parov-stelar-chambermaid-swing/) - A couple of weeks ago, the site posted the fabulous song and dance routine from the Indian film Gumnaam (the song is Jaan Pehchan, the singer is Mohammad Rafi). That song got a rebirth because a snippet was used in a Heineken commercial. Chambermaid Swing also gained notoriety through its use in an alcohol ad, this - [The Great John Hammond](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-great-john-hammond/) - This is from This Day in Music.com entry for July 10, 1987: Producer and record company executive John Hammond died. He brought Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen to Columbia Records. Hammond also worked as a producer with Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and Count Basie. From Bessie - [The Ramones: "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "The KKK Took My Baby Away"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-ramones-i-wanna-be-sedated-and-the-kkk-took-my-baby-away/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=91oq6d4gYiQ The Ramones came from Forest Hills, which is in Queens, New York. Forest Hills also produced Simon and Garfunkel. That's probably the only thing the two groups had in common. The beginning of the Ramones bio at allmusic sums it up nicely: The Ramones are the first punk rock band. Other bands, such as - [The Times on a Boxed Set of Woody Guthrie from the Smithsonian](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-times-on-a-boxed-set-of-woody-guthrie-from-the-smithsonian/) - The New York Times offers an interesting article on Woody at 100, a three-CD boxed set from the Smithsonian Institution. The story mentions Guthrie's best known song, This Land is Your Land (originally This Land), includes the second verse of the song that isn't often sung. The lyrics aren't startling by today's standards, but the stanza isn't clearly the - [Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick Medley](https://dailymusicbreak.com/burt-bacharach-dionne-warwick-medley/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHvapfFSOHw This is a bit of the third soundtrack of the 1960s -- the one that wasn't rock-and-roll and the one that wasn't afraid of it. I purposely followed yesterday's post on The Ramones with one on Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Both the Ramones and Bacharach/David took what could easily be dismissed -- simplistic - ["Surviving New America: Hope Thomas and Her Enemies"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-state-wants-to-make-her-the-first-woman/) - It's 2029 and Hope Thomas has an abortion in Texas. The state wants to make her the first woman executed under new laws that allow capital punishment for the procedure. Thomas flees to Santa Fe, fights extradition and speaks out on her situation. About 200 miles away–just outside of Trinidad, Colorado–J&T Industries’ founder and owner - [Asleep at the Wheel Celebrates Bob Wills and Western Swing.](https://dailymusicbreak.com/asleep-at-the-wheel-celebrates-bob-wills-and-western-swing/) - [Things Couldn’t Have Turned Out Better for Dolly Parton.](https://dailymusicbreak.com/things-couldnt-have-turned-out-better-for-dolly-parton/) - [Different Goodbyes From Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash](https://dailymusicbreak.com/different-goodbyes-from-glen-campbell-and-johnny-cash/) - [Walter White’s America](https://dailymusicbreak.com/walter-whites-america/) - The use of America’s “A Horse with No Name” in the third episode of the second season of the show Breaking Bad was perfect. The clip above is not the highest quality, but the best available. (Other posters for some reason felt the need to superimpose the lyrics.) The song doesn’t play through the - [Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass: “Spanish Flea”](https://dailymusicbreak.com/herb-alpert-and-the-tijuana-brass-spanish-flea/) - https://youtu.be/9-_2QpbXMbw Without doubt, the most surprising thing I’ve learned during the years I’ve been doing this website is that Norah Jones is Ravi Shankar’s daughter. That’s simply impossible to beat. It's also cool that Robert Cray was in "Animal House." But the bio of Herb Alpert also is surprising. And, unlike the connection between Jones, Shankar and Cray, - [Gene Ammons Helped Fuse Bebop and Chicago Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gene-ammons-helped-fuse-bebop-and-chicago-blues/) - Perhaps nothing is as soothing and peaceful as cool saxophone music, and Gene Ammons was a master. Ammons, known as “The Boss” decades before Springsteen came along, played with all the greats. That should be no surprise, since he was one of them. Ammons lived from April 14, 1925 to August 6, 1974. Wikipedia starts - [Podcast: A Conversation with Marisa Anderson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-marisa-anderson/) - A Conversation with Marisa Anderson: https://dailymusicbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/marisanndersonfinal.mp3 Marisa Anderson is a great and unique guitarist in her playing, what she writes and her choice of material to cover. This is from her website: Combining boundless creative imagination with a deep reverence for American folk, blues and country music, Marisa Anderson’s guitar playing is fluid, - [The Andrews Sisters and Jump Jazz](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-andrews-sisters-and-jump-jazz/) - Minnesotans LaVerne, Maxene and Patty Andrews (originally Andreos) became a star act rather early. Their father was Greek and mother was Norwegian. The sisters' first big hit — in 1937 — was a bit odd for the girls. The song was “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” ("To Me You're Beautiful") by lyricist Jacob Jacobs and - [Danay Suárez: “Yo Aprendi”](https://dailymusicbreak.com/danay-suarez-yo-aprendi/) - HT: EAW At its core, Cuban music relies on “calidos.” That, according to Insight Cuba, refers to “a type of social unification” that existed among slaves transported to the island from Africa. Calidos, the piece says, continued following the emancipation of the island in 1886 and its transition to Catholicism. In parallel, the religion of Santeria spread - [Podcast: Why Was Louis Armstrong the Great Louis Armstrong?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-why-was-louis-armstrong-the-great-louis-armstrong/) - https://dailymusicbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Yanow-with-intro2.mp3 We all know–and most of us love — the jolly, overweight trumpeter with the huge smile, gravelly voice and out-sized personality. It is assumed in popular culture that Louis Armstrong was a genius. Indeed, the experts are even more certain of it than the rest of us. But, for non-experts, an interesting question arises: What, - [The Cadillacs: His Real Name is Mr. Earl](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-cadillacs-his-real-name-is-mr-earl/) - The Cadillacs were great, both before and after Earl Carroll sang one of the most recognizable lines in modern music: “Well now they often call me Speedoo, but my real name is Mr. Earl.” The group’s story is told in great detail by Michael Jack Kirby at The Way Back Attack: Here is how it - [The Rolling Stones: “All Down the Line”](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-rolling-stones-all-down-the-line/) - "All Down the Line,” a great Rolling Stones song, probably is in the band’s second tier in terms of popularity and recognition. It’s not “Honky Tonk Women,” “Satisfaction” or “Paint It Black,” but it’s classic by any measure. It’s pure Stones. This clip, which is from 1972, features the great Mick Taylor on slide guitar. - [Marcus Robersis Old School and New School](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marcus-robersis-old-school-and-new-school/) - Marcus Roberts is as impressive as any musician covered by The Daily Music Break. It’s not fair to the others to say more impressive, since some personal struggles are not as dramatic and obvious as blindness. Also, of course, many musicians are blind. However, it’s difficult to think of anyone handling such a fate better - [The Isley Brothers “Fight the Power” and “Shout”](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-isley-brothers-fight-the-power-and-shout/) - The version of “Shout” embedded below is the Saturday Night Beech-Nut Hour hosted by Dick Clark. The first two or three seconds are priceless if you are 50 years old or older. — was written by O’Kelly Isley Jr. The song enjoyed a second life in the iconic movie “Animal House.” In the scene, Robert Cray is the bass player for Otis - [Charlie Parker: “Dexterity” and “Yardbird Suite”](https://dailymusicbreak.com/charlie-parker-dexterity-and-yardbird-suite/) - The saga of Charlie Parker is well known and told in many places, including Wikipedia and Ken Burns’ Jazz documentary. Genius, drugs, alcohol and early death. Bebop is a lot like advanced physics: It is hard for lay people to even understand what practitioners are trying to do. It’s demanding and not to everyone’s taste because it doesn’t use - [Sleepy John Estes: “Down South Blues” and “Mailman Blues”](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sleepy-john-estes-down-south-blues-and-mailman-blues/) - John Adam (Sleepy John) Estes was a sharecropper who lived from 1899 to 1977. He made his debut recordings, according to Wikipedia, in Memphis in 1929. The profile has a nice rundown of his life. At AllMusic, Barry Lee Pearson notes that Big Bill Broonzy said that Estes style was “crying” the blues because his - [Happy Birthday, Paul Desmond and Willie (The Lion) Smith](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-paul-desmond-and-willie-the-lion-smith/) - A couple of pretty important jazz folks celebrate birthdays in late November. In fact, the juxtaposition of the two styles shows just how incredibly broad the genre is. Paul Desmond was the alto saxophone player in Dave Brubeck’s Quartet. He wrote “Take Five,” which was the group’s biggest hits and is one of the most - [Video: Author Kent Gustavson on Doc Watson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/video-author-kent-gustavson-on-doc-watson/) - Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson, who lived from 1923 to 2012, was undoubtedly one of the most influential of American musicians of the past 100 years. The conventional wisdom is that Watson was a virtuoso country guitar player. That’s accurate. of, course. But, at the same time, it’s subtly limiting. Watson was a bedrock of Americana - [The Grand Ole Opry and The Foggy Mountain Boys](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-grand-ole-opry-and-the-foggy-mountain-boys/) - One of the most important institutions in country music – and, therefore, American music – is the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. On October 18, 1925, the management of The National Life & Accident Insurance Company premiered a program featuring “Dr. Humphrey Bate and his string quartet of old-time musicians.” Two weeks later, George D. Hay, who was - [Welcome to The Daily Music Break](https://dailymusicbreak.com/welcome-to-the-daily-music-break/) - Thank you for visiting. The Daily Music Break offers great music regardless of era or genre. Simply, it's all good (or most of it, anyway). Here is an index of most of the music we've posted. Please let me know if you would like to get a daily or weekly email update -- and/or to suggest performers - [Podcast: A Conversation with David Bromberg](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-david-bromberg/) - David Bromberg has played everything with everyone, or at least it seems that way. His profile is deep and wide: Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, The Beastie Boys, Doc Watson, Carly Simon, Jay Ungar, Link Wray, Phoebe Snow and dozens of others. The list is more or less a who’s who of - [From the Vault: Just Getting Started...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-just-getting-started/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZO1uMjz3n3w Hello, thanks for stopping by. There is no better place to start anything than with Louis Armstrong. Here he is supporting Dizzy Gillespie. Armstrong was the old guard and said some snide things about bebop, but the two ended up as great friends and lived close to each other in Queens. Jackie Gleason shows - [Johnny Cash Sings "Cocaine Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/johnny-cash-sings-cocaine-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pKbVo6n5Lws The Daily Music Break is re-posting great music that original was featured when the site was younger. This originally posted on March 11, 2012. There is so much out there about Johnny Cash that it doesn't make sense to discuss it much here. The main reason, of course, was that he was an American - [Georgia Field Hands: "Mary Don't You Weep"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/georgia-field-hands-mary-dont-you-weep/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MDh2zRm1dwQ This spiritual is one of the great clips on YouTube, for my money. Plucking these five Georgia field hands -- almost certainly share croppers or tenant farmers -- out of obscurity and immortalizing what otherwise would simply have disappeared is a great thing. Two interesting points, both from the comments. There is a suggestion - [From the Vault: The Great Levon Helm](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-the-great-levon-helm/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pcgxuGiI7wU Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break will increasing re-post old material, which makes sense because there is so much great music embedded in them. This particular post originally appeared on March 13, 2012. That's about a month before Levon Helm passed away. Obviously, it would be written completely differently today. But, by the same token, there - [Howlin' Wolf: "Sitting on Top of the World"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/howlin-wolf-sitting-on-top-of-the-world/) - https://youtu.be/85_gmHCBoMs The Daily Music Break is re-posting old posts because so much good music is attached to them. This post originally appeared on March 15, 2012. The home page image, which was added, is by FrelSareN. It looks like a Howlin' Wolf concert was a pretty intense experience. Here is a biography. Discographies are here and - [Jeff Beck, Imelda May: "Remember (Walking In the Sand)"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jeff-beck-imelda-may-remember-walking-in-the-sand/) - https://youtu.be/GUDNPxkh1DQ Editor's Note: This post originally appeared on March 16, 2012. The clip is not the same one that originally appeared, so some of the commentary below no longer will make sense. But the general idea holds true. It’s hard to believe that this clip actually gets better after the first minute-and-a-half. Watch the gesture - [House of Pain: "Jump Around"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/house-of-pain-jump-around/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZaz7OqyTHQ The Daily Music Break is re-posting items from earlier in the site's history. The first line below makes it clear that this post -- a classic -- originally was put up on March 17. The year was 2012. (Homepage Photo: Regime Management Happy St. Patrick's Day. I don't agree with many of the sentiments - [Send More Chuck Berry](https://dailymusicbreak.com/send-more-chuck-berry/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6MElklfvM (The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts content from earlier in the life of the site. This post, which has been tweaked due to the disappearance and reappearance of the video, originally posted on March 18, 2012.) Old joke: NASA, in an effort to make contact with civilizations on other planets, sends a rocket into - [Phish: "Sneaking Sally Through the Alley"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/phish-sneaking-sally-through-the-alley/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8hCA9LSA4I Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break is reposting music that appeared earlier in the history of the site. It was good then, it's good now. This post originally appeared on March 19, 2012. I don’t know much about Phish, other than they are a terrific band. The have obvious similarities to the Grateful Dead - [Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald Swing "Mack the Knife," Which is a Scary Song](https://dailymusicbreak.com/duke-ellington-and-ella-fitzgerald-swing-mack-the-knife-which-is-a-scary-song/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8vbhXK-u_g Mack the Knife is a beloved jazz standard. Besides Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin are heavyweights who recorded it. Here is a fabulous version by Armstrong. The song is from Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera. Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya, sings it here in German. The song simply is not very nice. Commentary before another video -- - [Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir: "I've Been All Around This World"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jerry-garcia-and-bob-weir-ive-been-all-around-this-world/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JkbA15QMscs The Daily Music Break is re-posting earlier material. The video is pretty awful, but the song is not. This originally posted on March 21, 2012. It's kind of silly to list a lot of Grateful Dead links. Folks who like the band know where they are, those that don't like the band don't care. - [The Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Choir: "Sweet Home Alabama"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-leningrad-cowboys-and-the-red-army-choir-sweet-home-alabama/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KGFnkDCmsnE Editor's Note: We are re-posting material that previously appeared at The Daily Music Break. This originally posted on March 22, 2012. The US wages a decades-long cold war with the Soviets and what happens? Their (actually, "Its," but it looks funny) choir ends up playing a redneck song of ours with a Finish band. - [Johnny and Edgar Winter: "Highway 61 Revisited"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/johnny-and-edgar-winter-highway-61-revisited/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BpnZo9pXV7s The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts older material. The music gets better over time. This post originally appeared on March 23, 2012. Since we posted this, sadly, Johnny Winter passed away. This is all terrific, but the way they end the song really shows what a great band this is. The other guitarist is - [Nat King Cole Got His Kicks on Route 66](https://dailymusicbreak.com/nat-king-cole-got-his-kicks-on-route-66/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dCYApJtsyd0 (Editor's Note: Happy New Year. I've given up on finding good music for the holiday. There isn't too much. Check out yesterday's post for what I could find. TDMB periodically re-posts great music from earlier in the site's existence. Here is Nat King Cole's trio playing "Route 66." The post originally appears on March - [Everybody Knows Leonard Cohen](https://dailymusicbreak.com/everybody-knows-leonard-cohen/) - https://youtu.be/T4rf7bAApM4 Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break periodically re-launches old posts. This post on the great Leonard Cohen originally appeared on March 29, 2012. Since then, the site has posted k.d. lang's fabulous cover of Cohen's Hallelujah." German food is great. But if you have a big German meal at 6 PM you're hungry again six - [From The Vault: Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs' "Down the Road"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-lester-flatt-and-earl-scruggs-down-the-road/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DhOuIoG55Tw (Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts great music. Earl Scruggs died on March 28, 2012, two days before this post--in a slightly different form--initially appeared. ) Earl Scruggs: 1924-2012 Fireball Mail Foggy Mountain Breakdown, with Steve Martin. Orange Blossom Special, with Lester Flatt and the Foggy Mountain Boys. The Ballad of Jed - [Gary Clark Jr.: "Bright Lights"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gary-clark-jr-bright-lights/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=x_ZeDn-hHGE The Daily Music Break -- which celebrated its third anniversary yesterday -- periodically re-posts material from the archives. This post initially appeared on March 31, 2012. I don't know anything about Gary Clark Jr. other than that he's a great guitar player. A friend suggested the link. Good idea. He also seems to be hot. - [From the Archives: The Short, Sad and Brilliant Life of Bix Beiderbecke](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-archives-the-short-sad-and-brilliant-life-of-bix-beiderbecke/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bpIZde7lVoY Editor's Note: From time to time, The Daily Music Break re-posts older content. Alex Welsh and Fred Hunt's version of Davenport Blues is haunting, especially in the context of Davenport native Bix Beiderbecke's sad story. Leon Bismark Bix Beiderbecke died of alcoholism in 1931 at age 28 in Sunnyside, Queens. He was too young and - [Richard X. Heyman: Cornerstone](https://dailymusicbreak.com/richard-x-heyman-cornerstone/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Pd3LvGJcDXc Here is a tune, Cornerstone, that was suggested by a site visitor. I like it. Here is Richard Heyman's site, his Wikipedia page and links to four other songs: Cornerstone, Branded in the Sky, Rec Room for a Generation/Baby Boom and Civil War Buff. Please send me links to songs you like. All suggestions - [From the Vault: Alpine Kat's "The Large Hadron Collider"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-alpine-kats-the-large-hadron-collider/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/j50ZssEojtM Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break re-posts great music from earlier in the site's run. This is among the most creative videos on the site. It originally posted on April 4, 2012. Alpine Kat, aka Kate McAlpine, does a few great things in this video. She creates a rap song that can be called - [Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins: "Mule Skinner Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jerry-reed-and-chet-atkins-mule-skinner-blues/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iup-7qSa7a4 Jerry Reed is one of the few guitarists who could hold his own with Chet Atkins. Indeed, in the clip above, Reed leads. Reed was a very funny good old boy, who appeared in movies -- including the Smokey and the Bandit series with Burt Reynolds -- and television shows. Here he is on - [Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/thelonious-monks-blue-monk/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_40V2lcxM7k The Daily Music Break periodically re-post artists and posts from earlier in the site's run. Here is the great Thelonious Monk's "Blue Monk." This post originally appeared on April 6, 2012. There's never been a sound or a persona quite like Thelonious Sphere Monk's. This short biography at the Monk Zone strips away a - [Porcupine Tree: "Dark Matter"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/porcupine-tree-dark-matter/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMc-75oLgU8 Some very nice music suggested by a site visitor. The tune above suggests to me that the band has listened to its share of Pink Floyd, though they have a unique sound. The guitarist, Steven Wilson, is terrific. Not a band with which I am familiar, so I don't have much relevant to say. - [Billie Holiday was Lady Day](https://dailymusicbreak.com/billie-holiday-was-lady-day/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GwdNqtJzWYA Billie Holiday would have been 97 on Saturday. Wikipedia has a particularly good bio of her sad life and its even sadder ending--broke, broken, addicted and about to be arrested. She was all of 44 years old. The particulars are different, but reading about Holiday led me to think of Amy Winehouse. Here are - [The Clancy Brothers: "Finnegan's Wake"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-clancy-brothers-finnegans-wake/) - The Clancy Brothers, who played with Tommy Makem until 1969, were great talkers as well as great singers. About half of the above version of Finnegan's Wake is a reading by Tommy Clancy from the James Joyce novel that is based on the same story: A man revives at his own wake when whiskey thrown - [Alabama Shakes: "I Found You"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/alabama-shakes-i-found-you/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/cnVSUH6_oBY Alabama Shakes is from Athens, Alabama. The singer, Brittany Howard, is a powerhouse. The band was suggested to me. Other great tunes are Hold On, Heavy Chevy and You Ain't Alone. Check out the band's website, the Facebook page and some information at NPR. - [From the Vault: Jay Ungar's "Ashokan Farewell"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-jay-ungars-ashokan-farewell/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UjM6zjwi4R0 Editor's note: The Daily Music Break often re-posts music from earlier in the site's run. This post initially appeared on April 13, 2012. Jay Ungar's mournful Ashokan Farewell is a perfect fit for Ken Burn's documentary, The Civil War. It also is part of the album Songs of the Civil War. Ungar usually plays - [Linda Ronstadt: "Blue Bayou"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/linda-ronstadt-blue-bayou/) - https://youtu.be/Kp9G0zkorio Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break periodically re-posts music from earlier in the site's run. This post originally appeared, by great coincidence, exactly two years ago today. It's just the best. (Home page photo: Craig Howell) It doesn't get much better than this, in my opinion. Before the days of instantaneous music gratification, I - [From the Vault: Harry Chapin's "Sniper"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-harry-chapins-sniper/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT1cxP3JT0c The Daily Music Break is reposting some great music that appeared earlier. This post -- with a different version of the same song -- originally was on the site on April 20, 2012. Most people are familiar with Chapin's hits, which include Cat's in the Cradle, W*O*L*D, 30,000 Pounds of Bananas and, of course, - [From the Vault: Warren Haynes Plays "Hattiesburg Hustle"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-warren-haynes-plays-hattiesburg-hustle/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O-IcKVWoeTQ Editor's note: TDMB is reposting great music from the early days of the site. This was originally posted on April 17, 2012. Of course, information or links to information may no longer be accurate or timely. The homepage photograph is by Chris Hakkens. Warren Haynes has played solo, fronted Gov't Mule and been a member - [Louis Jordan: "Caldonia"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/louis-jordan-caldonia/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR6pHtiNT_k This is a fascinating clip -- and not just because it features Louis Jordan, which usually would be enough. The Steve Allen Show pulls off a live remote between New York and San Francisco. The band moves and multiple cameras are employed. That wouldn't be easy today. It must have been rocket science in the - [Fifty Years of The Rolling Stones](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fifty-years-of-the-rolling-stones/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=h4CrCTndkKc The Rolling Stones -- actually Jagger and Richards -- played The Marquee Jazz Club in London on this day in 1962. The set list, according to Rolling Stone: 1. "Kansas City" 2. "Baby What's Wrong" 3. "Confessin' the Blues" 4. "Bright Lights, Big City" 5. "Dust My Broom" 6. "Down the Road Apiece" 7. - [Count Basie: "Whirly Bird"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/count-basie-whirly-bird/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx7i0zSYTSg The song also is identified in the clip as The Kid From Red Bank. Basie was born in the New Jersey town in 1904. It certainly is a better title, unless there is a story attached to Whirly Bird. Here is a musical bio of Basie. Albert Murray wrote an appreciation of Basie that - [Live Aid: 27 Years Ago Today...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/live-aid-27-years-ago-today/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHZfewPCziU&feature=player_embedded ...Hard to believe. Here is Run DMC's performance. The dual concerts, which were driven by The Boomtown Rats' Bob Geldof, were held at Wembley Stadium (72,000 in attendance) in London and RFK Stadium (100,000 in attendance) in Philadelphia. The list of performers is unfathomable: Staus Quo, Style Council, Boomtown Rats, Adam Ant, INXS, Ultavox, - [Larry McCray: "Smooth Sailing"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/larry-mccray-smooth-sailing/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzzXyjBBW88 Here is a intense version of Soulshine, though their was a bit too much singing and too little guitar playing. McCray is great on the old standard The Blues is My Business. The tag line of McCray's site is "Peace, Love & Blues," which seems like three good suggestions. This is from his allmusic - [Cole Porter: "Anything Goes"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cole-porter-anything-goes/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7NJ9ylAhos This is from a 1934 Broadway show of the same name. It is old -- very old -- but brilliant. The contemporary references certainly are lost on most of us. But I can't think of a more effective song in commenting on the passage of time, the changes in mores and the transition of - [Pulling the Plug on McCartney and Springsteen](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pulling-the-plug-on-mccartney-and-springsteen/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz44fpGcFu0#t=19 These are the last moments of the Bruce Springsteen/Paul McCartney concert in Hyde Park, London on Saturday. The concert ended when Live Nation was forced to cut the power due to a local ordinance that demands shows end at 10:30 PM. The Wall Street Journal story says that the program--which culminated with Twist and - [Kitty Wells, The Queen of Country Music, Dies at 92](https://dailymusicbreak.com/kitty-wells-the-queen-of-country-music-dies-at-92/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XYij4OpOY6E#! Kitty Wells, called The Queen of Country Music, has died at age 92 in Madison Tennessee. Wells, originally Ellen Muriel Deason, was born on August 30, 1919 in Nashville. The song above--It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels--made her the first female country star. Here is more on her and the song, via CMT: - [Taj Mahal and Eric Bibb: "Diving Duck Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/taj-mahal-and-eric-bibb-diving-duck-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IAtZANlu0h0 Taj Mahal has been around forever. The only thing that seems to have changed is that he gained a bit of weight. He still sounds great. Mahal released one of the landmark albums of the 1970s. The album (which actually was released in 1969) is physically two records, but really two separate albums. One - [Billie Holiday in Pictures](https://dailymusicbreak.com/billie-holiday-in-pictures/) - CNN has a nice pictorial entitled Billie Holiday's Illustrious Career. - [Norah Jones: Don't Know Why](https://dailymusicbreak.com/norah-jones-dont-know-why/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GozYEBItOCg I had no idea that Norah Jones is the daughter of Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. It was the most surprising thing I've learned since starting this blog in March. For some reason -- coincidence perhaps -- the usual sources, such as Wikipedia and allmusic, tend to stay pretty close to Jones' biography and - [Ravi Shankar on The Dick Cavett Show](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ravi-shankar-on-the-dick-cavett-show/) - This morning, I posted an item about Norah Jones. Jones, I learned yesterday, is the daughter of Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. Here is dad at work... - [The Woody Herman Orchestra: The Jazz Doctor](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-woody-herman-orchestra-the-jazz-doctor/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo68oqbNLMA The above probably predates The Thundering Herd, which was the great name that Herman used for years. It was a driving and creative band. Here is the first paragraph of leader Woody Herman's allmusic bio: A fine swing clarinetist, an altoist whose sound was influenced by Johnny Hodges, a good soprano saxophonist, and a - [The Spice Girls and Pavarotti](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-spice-girls-and-pavarotti/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/pV4dM6rsojM The Spice Girls made their debut on this day in 1996 on the British show Top of the Pops. Above they sing Viva Forever with Hairy Spice, who also was known as Luciano Pavarotti. He seems vaguely confused by the whole thing. It looks like he's thinking, "I'm supposed to be doing a concert. - [Blockhead: "None Shall Pass"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/blockhead-none-shall-pass/) - This post comes from my nephew. He writes: Blockhead is an instrumental-hip hop/trip hop producer from Manhattan. His songs are made exclusively from samples, of which appropriately reflects the late 80s/90s sample heavy hip hop he was influenced by. He rose to relative notoriety producing music for rapper Aesop Rock, and subsequently began a solo - [In-a-Gadda-da-Vida, Baby](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-a-gadda-da-vida-baby/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/UIVe-rZBcm4 On this day in 1968, Iron Butterfly's In-a-Gadda-da-Vida entered the U.S. charts, where it sold 4 million copies. It was the band's second album. The title means "in the Garden of Eden" in a language that has not yet been developed. - [Etta James, Mick Taylor, John Mayall](https://dailymusicbreak.com/etta-james-mick-taylor-john-mayall/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/4whXWlxdNDk Mick Taylor was the lead guitarist for The Rolling Stones before Ron Wood. One of the commentators suggests that the bass player is John McVie from Fleetwood Mac. Have a great weekend. - [Deep Purple's Jon Lord Dies at 71](https://dailymusicbreak.com/deep-purples-jon-lord-dies-at-71/) - Jon Lord, the founder and organist for Deep Purple, died July 16. Here is the beginning of his Wikipedia bio: Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord (9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012)[1] was an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with - [The Newport Music Festivals are Almost Here](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-newport-music-festivals-are-almost-here/) - There is a very nice piece in The Washington Post about The Newport Folk Festival, which starts runs from July 28 to the 29th at Rhode Island’s Fort Adams State Park. The upshot of the story is that the venerable festival attracts both old and new acts: Some 10,000 attendees are expected each day for - [Skip James: "Crow Jane"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/skip-james-crow-jane/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/ytVww5r4Nk0 Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James appears to be a very interesting person. Wikipedia describes his playing style: James often played his guitar with an open D-minor tuning (DADFAD), resulting in the "deep" sound of the 1931 recordings. James purportedly learned this tuning from his musical mentor, the unrecorded bluesman Henry Stuckey.[citation needed] Stuckey in turn was - [It's Hard to Describe This Video...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-hard-to-describe-this-video/) - ...Just check it out. You'll see what I mean immediately. I think this is what they mean by the term cognitive dissonance. - [Louis Armstrong](https://dailymusicbreak.com/louis-armstrong/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnX2HxCiGb4 Editor's Note: I just watched this after having not done so for a while. Three things strike me: 1. This is pure joy; 2. Louis Armstrong, along with everything else, is a very generous performer. He was the most famous musician in the world, a legend, and he lets Danny Kaye lead; 3. Kaye - [Chuck Berry Honored by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Case Western](https://dailymusicbreak.com/chuck-berry-honored-by-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-case-western/) - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University have announced that Chuck Berry will be honored as the 17th Annual American Music Masters series. The series starts on Monday, Oct. 22 and culminates in a concert on Saturday, Oct. 27. No disrespect to any of the previous 16 honorees, - [Finishing Louis Armstrong Day...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/finishing-louis-armstrong-day/) - ...Here at The Daily Music Break. Terry Teachout, the drama critic for The Wall Street Journal, published a fabulous biography in late 2010 entitled Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong. Here, Teachout is interviewed on C-SPAN by Brian Lamb, perhaps the best interviewer of our generation. Note that Lamb starts out asking Teachout about his - [The Clash: "The Magnificent Seven"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-clash-the-magnificent-seven/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijiazWlawUY Places to learn about the band are its Facebook page and blog. The two songs that will be recognized by non-fans are Rock the Casbah and London Calling. Here is a bit from the bio from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted the band in 2003: Quite simply, the Clash were among the most - [Big Mama Thornton: Still Big 28 Years Later](https://dailymusicbreak.com/big-mama-thornton-still-big-28-years-later/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoHDrzw-RPg On this day in 1984, Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton died at age 58 in Los Angeles. Thornton wrote and recorded Ball 'n' Chain, which was covered (as Ball and Chain) by Janis Joplin. Thornton also recorded Hound Dog, which was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1952. The Elvis hit came - [Johann Strauss II: "The Blue Danube Waltz"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/johann-strauss-ii-the-blue-danube-waltz/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6t318FgFdc The problem with running a site in which all great forms of music are represented is that it is easy to look like a dunce if you try to fake it. Jazz? I know something about it. Enough to get by. Rock-and roll? Sure, I grew up with it. Country? A bit, enough to - [Levon Helm's Midnight Rambles Continue](https://dailymusicbreak.com/levon-helms-midnight-rambles-continue/) - Here is a great piece at Huffington Post by Joanna Colangelo about the fate -- and a happy one it is -- of Levon Helm's Midnight Rambles. Helm, who passed away earlier this year, held the informal "Rambles," or concerts, in his barn in upstate New York for years. Any excuse is a good one - [Ry Cooder: "Jesus on the Mainline"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ry-cooder-jesus-on-the-mainline/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2FrFBceLuY This post presented two problems. The first was that as I was putting it together I had a sinking feeling that I have failed in not listening to enough Ry Cooder during my life. The second was more immediate: Each clip I listened to was better than the one before. How could I choose - [Chamber Music, Defined](https://dailymusicbreak.com/chamber-music-defined/) - The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in upstate New York will host the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival beginning Sunday. For that reason, President and Executive Director Marcia White wrote a little tutorial describing this branch of classic music. Here is a key paragraph of the essay, which was carried by the The Albany Times Union - [Ode to Bobbie Gentry](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ode-to-bobbie-gentry/) - Bobbie Gentry was born on this day in 1944. This is her classic Ode to Billie Joe. - [The Earliest Recorded Voice: A Snippet of "Au Clair de la Lune"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-earliest-recorded-voice-a-snippet-of-au-clair-de-la-lune/) - The earliest sound recording was made in 1857 by Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville, a Parisian. Wikipedia, as usual, offers the details on de Martinville's invention: From 1854 he became fascinated in a mechanical means of transcribing vocal sounds. While proofreading some engravings for a physics textbook he came across drawings of auditory anatomy. He sought - [Lester Young: "Pennies From Heaven"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lester-young-pennies-from-heaven/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vDW0ANRim8 The quintet playing Pennies From Heaven, according to Songbook, is comprised of Lester Young on tenor saxophone, Bill Harris on trombone, Hank Jones on piano, Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums. The high quality of the video because it is taken from a film, Norman Granz at Montreux Jazz: Improvisation. A - [Frank Zappa: "Cosmik Debris"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/frank-zappa-cosmik-debris/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp6LT2MdaPI Frank Zappa was a singular personality in the history of rock music. He was as important for his iconoclastic views and role in the ongoing battles over public decency standards as he was for his music. It doesn't make sense to write much about him. It is best to let him define himself through Wikiquote: The - [Top Song on this Day in 1966: "Wild Thing"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/top-song-on-this-day-in-1966-wild-thing/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hce74cEAAaE The Troggs' Wild Thing was at the top of the charts on this day in 1966. Some people, however, may prefer Mr. Hendrix's version. The song actually was written by a man named Chip Taylor and originally recorded by The Wild Ones in 1965. That makes three versions in three years. - [Allan Sherman: "Shake Hands with Your Uncle Max"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/allan-sherman-shake-hands-with-your-uncle-max/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q--smUiF_6g Allan Sherman was the original Weird Al Yankovic. The difference is that Sherman's parodies of popular and folk songs in most cases got their humor by shifting them to Jewish themes. The early 1960s was a time that ethnic humor was first finding its way into mass media. The Civil Rights Movement and - [The Top 100 Greatest Southern Rock Songs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-top-100-greatest-southern-rock-songs/) - Who said so, what the criteria was and other details are missing. But the list, which is from 2008, is a good one. I stumbled on it while looking for the soundtrack to the movie Beast of the Southern Wild, which I'll continue to try to find. It's a great movie, by the way. The top song is - [Ray Brown: "Lady Be Good"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ray-brown-lady-be-good/) - The beginning of NPR's bio of bassist Ray Brown does a good job of quickly defining who he was -- and the company he kept: Grammy Award-winning double-bassist Ray Brown was a leader in defining the modern jazz rhythm section -- in addition to being a first-rate soloist. His unique dynamic and innate sense of swing - [The First Steps to a Classical CD Collection](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-first-steps-to-a-classical-cd-collection/) - Here, at least according to Classical CD Guide, is a listing of the classical world's Sgt. Pepper's, The Wall and Tapestry. In other words, it's the ten disks a beginner should buy right off the bat. On the list are two Beethovens, Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Haydn and Bizet. Each links to a - [The Allman Brothers Band: "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-allman-brothers-band-in-memory-of-elizabeth-reed/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22MRGWnPPIU Most people who grew up with rock and roll know the story of the Allman Brothers. The clip above is from The Fillmore East in 1970 with the lineup that made the band famous. Here is a long excerpt from the group's bio at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame entry: As the principal - [Everything Old is New Again](https://dailymusicbreak.com/everything-old-is-new-again/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/RY7OWOUKH0k On Saturday, I posted an item about the earliest sounds ever recorded. I cross-posted on DailyKos -- a cultural/political site that allows this sort of thing -- and a commenter pointed me to project by They Might Be Giants. Here is the description from YouTube: This track was recorded at the Edison Historic Site in - [The Steve Thorpe Band: Dust My Broom](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-steve-thorpe-band-dust-my-broom/) - This was a sad thing. I was trying (fruitlessly) to find videos of Elmore James. While doing so, I ran across the version of Dust My Broom that is above. The quality of the video is bad, but Steve Thorpe's playing renders that meaningless. I decided to wait a bit with James and feature Thorpe, - [Happy Birthday, Pops](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-pops/) - [Antonio Carlos Jobim: "Águas of Março"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/antonio-carlos-jobim-aguas-of-marco/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHEQ-m4KSaQ The Girl from Ipanema, most famously performed by Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, is almost certainly the best known bossa nova song. It was written by Antonio Carlos Jobim who also wrote the equally pretty and far more esoteric Águas of Março, which translates to The Waters of March. In fact, Jobim wrote the song - [Parliament Funkadelic: "Give Up the Funk"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/parliament-funkadelic-give-up-the-funk/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UypeE3zTwBs I don't really understand it, from the spaceships landing and the guy in the diaper, but it all is very funky and the musicianship is great. Believe it or not, Duke University has a Q and A on the band. Parliament and Funkadelic, it seems, are two distinct groups headed by George Clinton. - [Marvin Hamlisch, 1944-2012](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marvin-hamlisch-1944-2012/) - . The composer/piano player was 68 years old. Here is his website. Update: Here is an affectionate look back at Hamlisch. - [Happy Bob Marley Day...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-bob-marley-day/) - ...if you are Los Angeles, at least. Any excuse is a good one to post Marley's music. - [Nils Lofgren: Delivery Night](https://dailymusicbreak.com/nils-lofgren-delivery-night/) - A guest post from a friend: Nils Lofgren is a Maryland-raised singer, songwriter and multi instrumentalist best known for his work as a guitarist for The E Street Band. Lofgren actually first came to "prominence" as a 17-year-old guitarist and pianist on Neil Young's acclaimed 1970 album After the Gold Rush. In addition to his - [Covering the Covers: Eric Lugosch Plays Rev.Gary Davis' At a Georgia Camp Meeting](https://dailymusicbreak.com/covering-the-covers-eric-lugosch-plays-rev-gary-davis-at-a-georgia-camp-meeting/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWTQYFvMrck The amount of talent on YouTube and similar sites is astounding. Many of the performers are not complete unknowns, but don't have national followings. A good example of this is The Steve Thorpe Band. Thorpe, who unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago, was a fabulous guitarist in the Johnny Winter slide mode - [Earl "Fatha" Hines: Memories of You](https://dailymusicbreak.com/earl-fatha-hines-memories-of-you/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/CcHz_cjeqRU Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 to April 22, 1983) is not as well remembered as Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington. But jazz critics put him on their level as a figure in jazz history. Last.fm said that he is known as "the first modern jazz pianist." The site's bio suggests an interesting history: In - [Not Born on this Day...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/not-born-on-this-day/) - Many good ideas on what to post come from the "this day in music"-type sites around the Web. I was visiting one earlier today and accidentally entered April 9 instead of August 9. The page that came up said that Paul Robeson was born on that day in 1898. Before I realized that I had - [Santigold: Disparate Youth](https://dailymusicbreak.com/santigold-disparate-youth/) - As a rule, I know very little about performers who were born after I graduated from high school. That's the case with Santigold, who used to be Santogold but really is Santi White. She's a very talented singer/song writer. As an editor, I got a kick out the fact that she is featured on at - [Leo Fender Would Have Been 103 Today](https://dailymusicbreak.com/leo-fender-would-have-been-103-today/) - Yesterday, I mistakenly set out to write a post about Paul Robeson's birthday, which isn't for eight months. I had the good sense (if I do say so myself) of posting the clip I had selected before I discovered my mistake. Today, though, I got it right. I found out (through a posting at DailyKos) - [Adam Yauch: Don't Use My Music for Ads](https://dailymusicbreak.com/adam-yauch-dont-use-my-music-for-ads/) - Adam Yauch, the co-founder of the Beastie Boys, wrote in his will that no "image or name or any music or any artistic property" can be used in advertising. Yauch passed away earlier this year. - [Blind Willie McTell: "Statesboro Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/blind-willie-mctell-statesboro-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/fnWxZtI3ONY Statesboro Blues, a song that of course is familiar to contemporary music fans, is credited to Blind Willie McTell. McTell is an interesting figure in the history of blues. According to the New Georgia Encyclopedia: "Blind Willie" McTell was one of the great blues musicians of the 1920s and 1930s. Displaying an extraordinary range on the twelve-string guitar, - [Do You Believe in Miracles?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/do-you-believe-in-miracles/) - The Spice Girls are reuniting for the closing ceremony of the Olympics, according to Entertainment Weekly. - [Warren Zevon: "Excitable Boy"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/warren-zevon-excitable-boy/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtncR6gfOo Warren Zevon wrote songs that were unlike any others. Wikipedia starts its entry with the right tone. Zevon, it says, is "noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes." That's about right. Besides Excitable Boy, he is best - [Billboard's Top Country Songs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/billboards-top-country-songs/) - Billboard must be really good: These are labeled as the top country songs for the week of August 18. Seriously, they probably can deduce what will happen from various sales metrics. 1. Come Over: Kenny Chesney 2. Angel Eyes: Love and Theft 3. (Kissed You) Good Night: Gloriana 4. Over: Blake Shelton 5. Pontoon: Little - [He's a Believer...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hes-a-believer/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uratmt_xplU On this day in 1992, Neil Diamond played the first of six sold out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City, according to This Day in Music. Diamond made $40 million touring during that year, the second most in history, the site says. The above version of I'm a Believer really shows - [The Carter Family: Cannonball Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-carter-family-cannonball-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSUSvaG3gxA The Carter family -- into which Johnny Cash married -- is central to the history of country music and, therefore, American music. These two excerpts sum it up. The first, from Southern Music Network, introduces the characters: The original Family consisted of Mother Maybelle Addington Carter (1909-1979), who played guitar and sang harmony; Sara - [A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac Released Today](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-tribute-to-fleetwood-mac-released-today/) - Randall Poster today releases a tribute album to Fleetwood Mac entitled Just Tell Me That You Want Me. Here is an interview with Poster from The Wall Street Journal and here is the site for the album. - [Maria Callas: The Finale of "Tosca"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/maria-callas-the-finale-of-tosca/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ujwdfdc5ic0 Opera is a complex and demanding form of music. It makes no sense for an individual who doesn't really understand it to offer commentary or opinions. It would be like somebody who has never cared about rock and roll pontificating on the difference between a great guitar player and a hack. It's easy for - [Skaggs, Franklin, Others Enter Gospel Music Hall of Fame](https://dailymusicbreak.com/skaggs-franklin-others-enter-gospel-music-hall-of-fame/) - Aretha Franklin, Ricky Skaggs and others were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, according to The Tennessean. The paper said that other inductees were Dallas Holm, the late Rex Humbard, the Hoppers and Love Song. Michael W. Smith and Daily & Vincent spoke at the induction, which was held at Trinity Music City - [The Gospel Music Hall of Fame Respects Aretha](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-gospel-music-hall-of-fame-respects-aretha/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BniPBPQCYcc Meet the Gospel HOF's newest member. That makes two divas who the site featured today. - [Lonnie Brooks: "You're Usin' Me"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lonnie-brooks-youre-usin-me/) - Lonnie Brooks' history is full of fun names and references. He was born, for instance, in the town of Dubuisson, Louisiana and played with the great zydeco performer Clifton Chenier. Brooks twice had the great nickname "Guitar Junior" and played on Jimmy Reed's version of the classic Big Boss Man (I'm not certain this is - [On this Day in 1979...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/on-this-day-in-1979/) - The Knack's great My Sharona -- which features one of the most infectious hooks ever -- was awarded a gold record on this day in 1979. The lead guitar player, who I believe is named Berton Averre, is terrific. - [Clifford Brown: "Oh, Lady Be Good"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/clifford-brown-oh-lady-be-good/) - Clifford "Brownie" Brown was only 25 years old when he died. The above clip, which is introduced by a very young looking Soupy Sales, was the only one of Brown that I could find. Here is part of Wikipedia's assessment of Brown: He was influenced and encouraged by Fats Navarro,[6] sharing Navarro's virtuosic technique and - [Chicago Music Impresario Carl Davis Dies at 77](https://dailymusicbreak.com/chicago-music-impresario-carl-davis-dies-at-77/) - A major force in Chicago, Carl Davis, has died at age 77. Here is part of the obituary in The New York Times: Though Chicago’s soul scene was less celebrated than those of Detroit or Memphis, it was rich with talent, and Mr. Davis was at the center of it through the 1960s and ’70s. - [John Fahey: "On the Sunny Side of the Ocean"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-fahey-on-the-sunny-side-of-the-ocean/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYDrkG2EGwg John Fahey is one of the most unique guitarists ever. He was eccentric--I've heard a few stories over the years--and very influential. Here are In Christ There is No East or West and Steamboat Gwine Round da Bend. The later is from the album Of Rivers and Religion, which is a masterpiece. I'm no expert, but it seems to - [Woody Guthrie: "Hard Travelin'"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/woody-guthrie-hard-travelin/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/yI9OJ6PIbso The photos in the clip above were taken for the Farm Services Administration by John Vachon. This is Woody Guthrie's centennial year, which is unfortunately appropriate considering the drought that is decimating large portions of the country.Yesterday, The New York Times ran a commentary on Guthrie, one of the two or three most iconic - [Scott McKenzie: More than San Francisco](https://dailymusicbreak.com/scott-mckenzie-more-than-san-francisco/) - It seems that Scott McKenzie, who passed away Saturday at age 73, was best known for San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers In Your Hair). He was more than that, however. McKenzie, according to Rolling Stone, could have had a spot in the Mamas and the Papas because of his friendship with John Phillips. - [Billboard's Top 10 Rock Songs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/billboards-top-10-rock-songs/) - Here are Billboard's Top Ten Rock songs for the week of August 25. I still don't know why they are a week ahead: 1. Oh Love: Green Day 2. Burn It Down: Linkin Park 3. Too Close: Alex Clare 4. Some Nights: fun. 5. Gold on the Ceiling: The Black Keys 6. Ho Hey: The - [Moe.: "Kyle's Song"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/moe-kyles-song/) - https://youtu.be/J_EMq0m0gWE Moe. is a jam band that was formed at the University of Buffalo in 1989, according to Wikipedia. Judging from the comments at YouTube--participants discuss playlists in great detail--the band has a dedicated following. Here is more from the entry: During an interview, guitarist Al Schnier was asked to describe Moe for those who - [Django Reinhardt](https://dailymusicbreak.com/django-reinhardt/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQhTpgicdx4 Wikipedia, as usual, sums it up nicely: Often regarded as the first important European jazz musician who made major contributions to the development of the idiom, he is also revered by guitarists worldwide as among the foremost exponents of the instrument. Reinhardt invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique (sometimes called 'hot' - [Still Funky](https://dailymusicbreak.com/still-funky/) - I look for any rationale for playing great tunes. So, happy 58th birthday, Mark Avsec. Avsec was the keyboardist in Wild Cherry, whose Play that Funky Music reached number 1 in the U.S. in 1976. Avec is a member of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers and a copyright attorney. The question is whether he still - [The Top 10 Songs of 1973](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-top-10-songs-of-1973/) - Professor Jam's take on the top ten songs of 1973, from a list of 100. I'm not sure of the criteria he used. Roberta Flack: Killing Me Softly Carly Simon: You're So Vain Diana Ross: Touch Me in the Morning The Carpenters: Sing Stevie Wonder: You are the Sunshine of My Life Gladys Knight & the - [Blaze Foley: "Clay Pigeons"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/blaze-foley-clay-pigeons/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_2CUj3y6Y I believe, but am not certain, that I first heard this great Blaze Foley song at the site Crooks and Liars. In any case, it made a deep impression. I Googled Foley and found out that he was an eccentric who was killed in Austin in 1989. Here is a bit from the - [Book Him, Danno](https://dailymusicbreak.com/book-him-danno/) - Today, Mitt Romney made a lame birther joke about President Obama. The Obama campaign quickly responded that Born in the U.S.A. is the song of the day. One blogger, suggested, however, that the song above would have been a far more appropriate response. If you think about it, Born to Run wouldn't have been bad, - [Travelin' Shoes](https://dailymusicbreak.com/travelin-shoes/) - I took a couple of days off and went with the family to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It's a terrific getaway for folks in the mid-Atlantic states. As usual, vacations are busier than work, so I didn't have time to do a proper post. I wanted to throw something up on the site, and searched YouTube - [Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee: "Walk On"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sonny-terry-brownie-mcghee-walk-on/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/CgWhxB5EkmQ The nicely done bio of the duo at Concord Music Group is quite affectionate: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee were the most beloved and influential duo in blues history. Saunders Terrell (1911-1986) was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Walter Brown McGhee (1915-1996) in Knoxville, Tennessee. Terry was blind, and McGhee walked with a pronounced limp. - [Careful With Those Ear Buds](https://dailymusicbreak.com/careful-with-those-ear-buds/) - Mashable reports on a study conducted at the University of Leicester that suggests blasting music through ear buds can cause hearing problems: Many music players can reach levels comparable to that of a jet engine. It is known that noises above 110 decibels can cause hearing problems, including ringing of the ears or temporary deafness — - [Hank Williams, Sr.: "Jambalaya (on the Bayou)"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hank-williams-sr-jambalaya-on-the-bayou/) - There isn't too much video of Hank Williams on YouTube. There is, for some reason, an almost unbelievable number of covers of his songs. My guess is that the reason is that they are terrific songs--and fairly simple. Of particular interest is I Saw the Light because of the back story below and the mistake Williams makes - [Happy Labor Day](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-labor-day/) - Last Labor Day, The Nation's Peter Rothberg offered his take on top songs about labor. It's a good list. Above is Which Side Are You On? sung by the Almanac Singers. The description at the page is very interesting. Tennessee Ernie Ford's Sixteen Tons is always good to hear. - [Hal David (1921--2012)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hal-david-1921-2012/) - Most people have heard that Hal David, the lyricist who gave life to music written by Burt Bacharach, died Saturday at age 91. TDMB did a post on July 12 that featured music by the team. I made the mistake that many folks make, which was to focus mostly on Bacharach. Of course, Bacharach is great, gifted - [Romney Campaign Can't Carry a Tune](https://dailymusicbreak.com/romney-campaign-cant-carry-a-tune/) - Perhaps any Republican running for office should just forgo the music. Every four years, it seems that a spate of stories pop up in which objections are raised with the Republican candidate's song selections. This time around, it's Twisted Sister's Dee Snider who doesn't want Paul Ryan to use We're Not Gonna Take It and the - [The Kinks: "Low Budget"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-kinks-low-budget/) - It doesn't pay to list all The Kinks hits, which include Sunny Afternoon, Lola, You Really Got Me, All the Day and of the Night and on and on. From the AllMusic profile: Although they weren't as boldly innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who, the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the - [Buddy Rich: "Birdland"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/buddy-rich-birdland/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/pcEKAWZ1Nbk People who know put Buddy Rich at or near the top of the list of jazz drummers. Two things are evident in this interesting interview from 1956: Both Rich and Gene Krupa, another drumming legend, seemed like very nice guys.The other takeaway is that Rich, according to Krupa, was something of a drummer savant: When - [Fun. is Having Fun](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fun-is-having-fun/) - The MTV Video Music Awards are tonight on, well, MTV. Here is a nice story on the band Fun., which is up for a couple of awards and links to We Are Young and Some Nights, which are the band's big songs. Here is MTV's site for the awards. *** - [Joe South, 1940-2012](https://dailymusicbreak.com/joe-south-1940-2012/) - Country singer, songwriter and guitarist Joe South passed away yesterday in Buford, GA, a community near Atlanta. South, whose original named was Joe Souter, had hits with Games People Play and Walk a Mile in My Shoes. He played on Aretha Franklin’s Chain of Fools and Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde album. South was induced into the - [Tommy James and the Shondells: "Crystal Blue Persuasion"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tommy-james-and-the-shondells-crystal-blue-persuasion/) - Breaking Bad is one of the best shows on television. The director uses a lot of montages, many of which show the characters cooking meth. Last week, the great song Crystal Blue Persuasion ran over the video. These comments by Tommy James about the song are interesting: When we asked James if "Crystal Blue" is - [Little Milton Would Have Been 78 Years Old Today](https://dailymusicbreak.com/little-milton-would-have-been-78-years-old-today/) - [Eleni Mandell: Magic Summertime](https://dailymusicbreak.com/eleni-mandell-magic-summertime/) - During an NPR interview, Eleni Mandell discussed the influence Tom Waits has had on her song writing. She apparently went somewhere else for voice lessons. - [Peter Tosh: "Johnny B. Goode"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/peter-tosh-johnny-b-goode/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jV8FWoaytM Tomorrow is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the murder of Winston Hubert McIntosh, who was known as Peter Tosh. He was 42 years old when he died. This is from a very nice bio at the musician's website: Tosh was the backbone and heartbeat of the Wailers as well the group’s most accomplished musician – - [Go Dinosaurs!](https://dailymusicbreak.com/go-dinosaurs/) - Two old timers who have similar voices – which really isn’t a compliment to either – both have new albums, and both are getting good reviews. Mark Knopfler’s Privateering and Bob Dylan’s Tempest are being lauded by critics, including those from The Associated Press. The AP writes that Knopfler’s album is “a moody and entrancing - [From the Vault: Paul Simon at Ground Zero, September 11, 2011](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-paul-simon-at-ground-zero-september-11-2011/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/yZGzdT4EKYY - [James Taylor at Ground Zero, September 11, 2011](https://dailymusicbreak.com/james-taylor-at-ground-zero-september-11-2011/) - [Yo-Yo Ma: Elgar Cello Concerto, First Movement](https://dailymusicbreak.com/yo-yo-ma-elgar-cello-concerto-first-movement/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/RM9DPfp7-Ck A classical cellist could be intimidating. Yo-Yo Ma, however seems like a regular guy. But, of course, somebody who performs at this level is special. This is from the bio at his website: Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris. He began to study the cello with his father at - [It Must Have Been Some Show](https://dailymusicbreak.com/it-must-have-been-some-show/) - This is from the listing in This Day in Music for Sept. 12, 1964. The Supremes, The Shangri-La's, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, The Ronettes, Millie Small, The Temptations, The Miracles and Little Anthony and the Imperials all appeared at The Fox Theatre, Brooklyn, New York. - [ZZ (Back on) Top?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/zz-back-on-top/) - The Washington Post has a positive review of La Futura, the first studio album from ZZ Top in a decade. The review points out that the band brought in Rick Rubin to produce. Rubin started in rap but in recent years has specialized in helping artists and bands get back to basics and rediscover their - [North Mississippi Allstars: "The Meeting"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/north-mississippi-allstars-the-meeting/) - Here is the start of The North Mississippi Allstars' bio. Clearly, the lineage is good. In the beginning, a father passed away and a child was born. Luther and Cody Dickinson lost their father, Memphis music legend Jim Dickinson, only months before Luther became one. Jim had always told them, “You need to be playing - [It's We'll Meet Again Again](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-well-meet-again-again/) - From This Day in Music for Sept. 13, 2012: 2009, Vera Lynn went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn'. At the age of 92 it made her the oldest living artist to achieve this feat with an album. The previous oldest living artist to top - [Dexter Gordon: "Body and Soul"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dexter-gordon-body-and-soul/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rDy1wrK-gCc Dexter Gordon's website sums up his importance in one line. He was, it says, "the first musician to translate the language of Bebop to the tenor saxophone." Ken Burns' documentary Jazz goes deeper: Gordon was a major force in the emergence of modern tenor saxophone styles. His main influence was Lester Young, but he also - [A-Wop-Bop-a-Loo-Bop-a-Lop-Bam-Boom](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bqeSGpP9PI Little Richard entered a New Orleans recording studio to begin two days of recording. Things were not going well and during a break, Richard and his producer; Bumps Blackwell went to the Dew Drop Inn for lunch. Richard started playing the piano in the bar like crazy, singing a loud and lewd version of - [Bukka White: "Poor Boy Long Way From Home"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bukka-white-poor-boy-long-way-from-home/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/N0jRX69mxcE Bukka White's bio is interesting, particularly the involvement of John Fahey. You can hear White's influence in his music. Please check it out. Some bios say that White's young cousin is none other than B.B. King, and that White gave him his first guitar. Here are Fixin' to Die Blues and two songs -- Aberdeen Mississippi Blues - [Shelby Bottom String Band: East Nashville Rag](https://dailymusicbreak.com/shelby-bottom-string-band-east-nashville-rag/) - The Shelby Bottom String Band was nice enough to send me information on the band and some links. Here is some of what they say about themselves: The band has made its mark by playing quirky, acoustic Americana from the mythical “dusty back roads of East Nashville.” The SBSB repertoire is literate, off beat, humorous, - [Another Hall of Fame to Open its Doors](https://dailymusicbreak.com/another-hall-of-fame-to-open-its-doors/) - The question of whether or not we need a new hall of fame is a good one. That isn't, however, the one being asked by The American Pop Music Hall of Fame, which is setting up temporary shop in Canonsburg, PA. What the group is asking for is input on the first class of nominees. There - [The American Pop Music Hall of Fame Will Have a Great First Class](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-american-pop-music-hall-of-fame-will-have-a-great-first-class/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5o7DP8jQiM The site has a news item today that reports the American Pop Music Hall of Fame is seeking input from the public on which group or performer should be in the inaugural class. The story the item is based on has a link to the entire list of candidates. They are: Paul Anka, The - [Randy Newman's Story of the Great Flood](https://dailymusicbreak.com/randy-newmans-story-of-the-great-flood/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/MGs2iLoDUYE The introductory panel of Randy Newman's song about the greatest river flood in American history says that the water breached 145 levees, flooded 17 million acres of farmland and killed 250 people. The photos are amazing. Here Aaron Neville and India Arie sing the song during what appears to be a benefit for the victims of - [Hello, Newman (Again)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hello-newman-again/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipmXGsJskYI Soul of Wit, a great friend of the site, sent over this link in comments to the post of this morning. It's Newman, along with Linda Ronstadt and Ry Cooder doing the song Rider in the Rain. It's just too good to not feature. - [Quite a Sendoff for Hamlisch](https://dailymusicbreak.com/quite-a-sendoff-for-hamlisch/) - It's no surprise that the tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, who died on Aug. 6, brought out the A-list. The post at The New York Times on the event -- held at the Julliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater yesterday -- focuses on Barbra Streisand. It notes the other performers and attendees. They included Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin and - [Miles Davis: "Autumn Leaves"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/miles-davis-autumn-leaves/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cuhFQAzgnFQ Many folks reading this post know more about Miles Davis than I do. So it makes little sense for me to write anything about the second most important trumpet player who ever lived. One quote seems appropriate. It is from Jon Pareles and ran in The New York Times obit that was published on August 29, - [Charlie Musselwhite: "Christo Redemptor"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/charlie-musselwhite-christo-redemptor/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/0ra7_Pt5DTI Andrew Jones Jr. is the guitarist on the great song above. From Wikipedia's entry on harmonic player Charlie Musselwhite: His family considered it normal to play music, with his father playing guitar and harmonica, his mother playing piano, and a relative who was a one-man band. At the age of three, Musselwhite moved to Memphis, - [One Site's Take on 1950](https://dailymusicbreak.com/one-sites-take-on-1950/) - Digital Dream Door is quite a site for music lovers. Here is its take on the top ten songs of 1950. Number 9, of course, is of special note because it became the name of a band that didn't do too badly. 1. The Fat Man - Fats Domino 2. Please Send Me Someone To Love - Percy Mayfield - [Worth Reading](https://dailymusicbreak.com/worth-reading/) - At Huffington Post, Alan Elsner gives positive reviews to two books. The Secret Piano, a memoir from pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei, describes her suffering under Mao. Laurie Rubin’s Do You Dream in Color: Insights form a Girl Without Sight also is a memoir. Rubin didn't let anything as trivial as being born blind stop her from becoming a - [Happy Birthday](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday/) - The management of this site (that would be me) is happy to say Happy Birthday and love to Emily... - [Grateful Dead's Hart at AARP](https://dailymusicbreak.com/grateful-deads-hart-at-aarp/) - Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart discussed the benefits of music with attendees at the AARP convention in New Orleans. Hart and Adam Gazzaley, a professor at the University of California at San Francisco, discussed the use of music to counteract the declines in mental powers caused by aging. Hart also led a drum circle. - [Al Green: "Jesus is Waiting"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/al-green-jesus-is-waiting/) - Few performers come close to the intensity of Al Green. Here is part of the AllMusic bio of the artist, who is as at home in the gospel and soul worlds: The distinctive Hi Records sound that the vocalist and producer Willie Mitchell developed made Al Green the most popular and influential soul singer of the early '70s, influencing not - [Pete Seeger: 93? No Problem](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pete-seeger-93-no-problem/) - Ninety-three year old Pete Seeger isn't slowing down. This week, he is releasing two discs: Pete Remembers Woody and A More Perfect Union. The Woody in the first title of course is Woody Guthrie, who is celebrating his centennial year. A More Perfect Union is a collaboration with Seeger's old friend Lorre Wyatt. Contributors include Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Steve Earle, - [It's Autumn Again](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-autumn-again/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-_wbY55PMA Yesterday was the first full day of autumn. Great photos behind Billie Holiday. - [Schoenberg: "Verklaerte Nacht," Part 1](https://dailymusicbreak.com/schoenberg-verklaerte-nacht-part-1/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqODySSxYpc The choice for today's post came down to either part 1 of Verklaerte Nacht (part 1) by Arnold Schoenberg as performed by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center or Meatloaf. Here is part 2. This is from an article on Verklaette Nacht. It starts like this: Arguably the most influential composer of the twentieth century, and - [Art Tatum: Humoresque](https://dailymusicbreak.com/art-tatum-humoresque/) - Jazz players and fans spoke about Art Tatum with the same awe that Hendrix or Clapton would elicit decades later. The feeling is best conveyed by quotes such as these at Wikipedia: Numerous stories exist about other musicians' respect for Tatum. Perhaps the most famous is the story about the time Tatum walked into a club - [Preaching to the Choir](https://dailymusicbreak.com/preaching-to-the-choir/) - PhysOrg.com has an interview with Patrik Wikström, an associate professor of music at Northeastern University, on the changing ways in which people are accessing music. The interview touches on the music business and the impact of social networks. Among Wikström’s more interesting observations: Research shows that music consumers of today do not spend less money - [There is Only One Leon Russell](https://dailymusicbreak.com/there-is-only-one-leon-russell/) - Leon Russell released some of the great songs of the early 1970s, including A Song for You, which is considered a classic. He then seemed to largely walk away from the spotlight. Russell reemerged in 2010, noticeably older, when he and Elton John -- who called Russell an early inspiration -- released an album entitled - [Andy Williams, December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012](https://dailymusicbreak.com/andy-williams-december-3-1927-september-25-2012/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xnCoo7vYqI Here is a brief but interesting bio on Andy Williams at The Telegraph. Moon River, which was William's signature song, was written by Henry Mancini for the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. - [Let's Get Second](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lets-get-second/) - The Gibson Brothers won Entertainer of the Year – which in this case was technically correct but seems syntax challenged – at the 2012 International Bluegrass Association Awards in Nashville yesterday. According to Contactmusic, the band won over The Steep Canyon Rangers, the band that Steve Martin is in. Male vocalist of the year is - [The Gibson Brothers: Bluegrass Entertainers of the Year](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-gibson-brothers-bluegrass-entertainers-of-the-year/) - We noted earlier today that The Gibson Brothers won the Entertainer of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Association. Here the band plays The Band's classic Ophelia. - [The Cadillacs: His Real Name is Mr. Earl](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-cadillacs-his-real-name-is-mr-earl-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/p9uZvrsAoyE The Cadillacs were great, both before and after Earl Carroll sang one of the most recognizable lines in modern music: "Well now they often call me Speedoo, but my real name is Mr. Earl." The group's story is told in loving detail at DooWop Nation. (Editor's Note: Unfortunately, this no long seems to be - [The Blind Boys of Alabama: "Run On"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-blind-boys-of-alabama-run-on/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/HOiquKuoDac The Blind Boys of Alabama have been going strong for more than 70 years. Here are a list of the group's achievements and a bit from the bio at the group's site: The Blind Boys of Alabama formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1939. The group toiled for almost 40 - [Cage the Elephant: "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cage-the-elephant-aint-no-rest-for-the-wicked/) - Here is the basic bio information on this young band, which was recommended by my son, from Wikipedia: Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in mid-2006. Since their formation, the band has gained a large following in the US as well as the UK and Canada for - [Born on this Day](https://dailymusicbreak.com/born-on-this-day/) - Don McLean was born on this day in 1945, according to This Day in Music. American Pie was released in 1971. - [Queen: "Bohemian Rhapsody"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/queen-bohemian-rhapsody/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsl3gBVO2k4 The profile of Queen at its YouTube channel is quite good. Here is the start: Few bands embodied the pure excess of the '70s like Queen. Embracing the exaggerated pomp of prog rock and heavy metal, as well as vaudevillian music hall, the British quartet delved deeply into camp and bombast, creating a huge, - [In Honor of Tonight's Debate](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-honor-of-tonights-debate/) - The One on the Left is on the Right was written by Jack Clement and, according to Wikipedia, was on the album Everyone Loves a Nut. - [Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks: "Little By Little"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/susan-tedeschi-and-derek-trucks-little-by-little/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/R9I6lQNK6Ok Here is how AllMusic starts its bio of blues guitarist and singer Susan Tedeschi: Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Susan Tedeschi is part of the new generation of blues musicians looking for ways to keep the form exciting, vital, and evolving. Tedeschi's live shows are by no means straight-ahead urban blues. Instead, she freely mixes - [Excellent Piece on Levon Helm](https://dailymusicbreak.com/excellent-piece-on-levon-helm/) - My friend Steve Karras--who also was a great friend to my father--has written a terrific piece about the full circle that was the life of Levon Helm. Here is a snippet: Indeed Helm, who died on April 19th, lived to tell a story, though it reads more like a parable: the cotton farmer’s son who lit - [Benny Goodman: "Moonglow"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/benny-goodman-moonglow/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/7TNtSU0xMnw Moonglow is beautiful. If anyone knows the name of the second song on this clip, please let me know. Benny Goodman is, of course, one of the giants. As important as his band leadership and clarinet playing was his efforts to integrate jazz, according to About Jazz: Benny Goodman, a preeminent white bandleader and - [Yes, Kenny Rogers and Phish. No, That's Not Odd](https://dailymusicbreak.com/yes-kenny-rogers-and-phish-no-thats-not-odd/) - Kenny Rogers, who is promoting his autobiography, Life or Something Like It, was the subject of an interesting Q&A with Fox. Above is Rogers performing The Gambler with Phish at this year's Bonnaroo. This video is from a handheld device. It's shaky, but the person was very close and there are good shots of the - [Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass: "Spanish Flea"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/herb-alpert-and-the-tijuana-brass-spanish-flea-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/9-_2QpbXMbw Without doubt, the most surprising thing I've learned during the seven or so months I've been doing this website is that Norah Jones is Ravi Shankar's daughter. That's simply impossible to beat. But the bio of Herb Alpert in a close second. And, unlike the connection between Jones and Shankar, this is a series - [Black 47: Funky Céilí](https://dailymusicbreak.com/black-47-funky-ceili/) - For Columbus Day, here is a look at some folks who came to America and thrived. Black 47 has been playing around New York City for years. Here is a bit of its profile at Last.fm: If anyone is left standing, it’ll be Black 47. The band is celebrating an astonishing 20 years of rocking - [Jimmie Rodgers: Blue Yodel No. 9](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jimmie-rodgers-blue-yodel-no-9/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/9BFbY9Vw8DM Jimmie Rodgers was an important figure in country music despite the fact that he only lived until his mid thirties. The first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry sums it up nicely: James Charles "Jimmie" Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most - [Don't Expect More Zep](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dont-expect-more-zep/) - Rolling Stone covered the press conference on the opening of the film Celebration Day, which looks at Led Zeppelin’s 2007 reunion concert at the O2 arena in London. The story said that band members, which met reporters at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, were not happy when asked about another reunion. - [Bo Diddley: Road Runner](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bo-diddley-road-runner/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WOOFx9c6qyA Here is a bio on Bo Diddley: Born Otha Ellas Bates (later known as Ellas McDaniel), 28 December 1928, McComb, Mississippi, USA. After beginning his career as a boxer, where he received the sobriquet "Bo Diddley", the singer worked the blues clubs of Chicago with a repertoire influenced by Louis Jordan, John Lee Hooker - [Talking Heads: "Psycho Killer"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/talking-heads-psycho-killer/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGNOfRzDysw From Wikipedia: Talking Heads was an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City[1] and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne (vocals and guitar), Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth (bass) and Jerry Harrison(keyboards and guitar). Auxiliary musicians also regularly made appearances in concert and on the group's albums. The New Wave style of Talking Heads combined elements of punk, art rock, avant-garde, pop, funk, world - [Yes, that's Right: New Music From The Stones](https://dailymusicbreak.com/yes-thats-right-new-music-from-the-stones/) - The Rolling Stones have released a new song for the first time in six years. Gloom and Doom, according to Consequence of Sound, is one of two new songs that will accompany GRRR!, a fifty-year anniversary package that will be released on Nov. 13. The other new song, One More Shot, is expected soon. The video - [Art Blakey was Born on This Day in 1919](https://dailymusicbreak.com/art-blakey-was-born-on-this-day-in-1919/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFV8VngqDho&list=PLjG7IQIqN32eTtxW6Fph9gFVyGubGWF26 The great drummer Art Blakey was born on Oct. 11, 1919 in Pittsburgh. Here his band -- Art Blakey's Jazz Messingers -- plays Moanin' in Belgium in 1958. Lee Morgan is trumpet, Benny Golson on Tenor, Bobby Timmons on piano and Jymie Merritt on bass. - [John Coltrane: "Naima"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-coltrane-naima/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Cx-TxiBi43c The musicians on Naima, above, are Coltrane on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on base and Elvin Jones on drums. The folks at AllMusic do a nice job of summing up the artist at the beginning of the bios and only then jumping into the facts. Here is what it says about - [Coltrane Bio Later This Month](https://dailymusicbreak.com/coltrane-bio-later-this-month/) - Gary Golio commented on this morning's John Coltrane post with news of his book, Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey. The book will be released on Oct. 23. From Gary's comment: [T]he book describes John’s struggle from lost boy to musical leader, from darkness (and addiction) to light. For more information, check out the comment - [Happy Birthday, Luciano Pavarotti](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-luciano-pavarotti/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojeLyPo_Wz4 The great tenor sings Ave Maria. Pavarotti was born in 1935. We had some fun with a Pavarotti/Spice Girls collaboration a while back. The truth is that he often sang with popular performers and seemed to have a good sense of humor. Here he teams with James Brown on "Its a Man's World." - [Delbert McClinton: "B Movie Box Car Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/delbert-mcclinton-b-movie-box-car-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVxorhmYADc The great Delbert McClinton cuts across many genres. Here is All Music's take: The venerable Delbert McClinton is a legend among Texas roots music aficionados, not only for his amazing longevity, but for his ability to combine country, blues, soul, and rock & roll as if there were no distinctions between any of them in the - [Ladysmith Black Mambazo/Paul Simon: "You Can Call Me Al"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ladysmith-black-mambazo-paul-simon-you-can-call-me-al/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9id9wVSFhs This is intended as a Ladysmith Black Mambazo post, not one on Paul Simon. Initially, I was going to use the beautiful rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight that the band did with The Mint Juleps, but decided to feature this terrific version of You Can Call Me Al from the landmark Graceland album that Simon - [Donald Fagen's Fourth Solo Album Tomorrow](https://dailymusicbreak.com/donald-fagens-fourth-solo-album-tomorrow/) - Donald Fagen’s fourth solo album, Sunken Condos, will be released tomorrow. DJ and Huffington Post blogger Michael Ragogna interviewed Fagen and co-producer Michael Leonhart at the site. Here is Fagen on the album title: I didn't think any of the individual songs had a title that worked for an album title, so I needed something - [Number One on this Day in 1942](https://dailymusicbreak.com/number-one-on-this-day-in-1942/) - Glenn Miller and His Orchestra's (I've Got a Girl) in Kalamazoo was tops in October. It wasn't a fluke: Five Glenn Miller songs hit number one in that difficult year, courtesy of Bob Borst. - [Laura Nyro: "Save the Country"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/laura-nyro-save-the-country/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwn97weAxa0 It's cool to blog from an airplane. Laura Nyro was simply amazing. I've always had a bit of a problem with the idea that it's sadder that somebody died prematurely because they were so talented. It's a shame because the person died, and the level of their talent or accomplishment doesn't make it worse. - [Tom Waits: The Voice of His Generation](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tom-waits-the-voice-of-his-generation/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkOMiA_uGso Wikipedia on Tom Waits. Daniel Durchholz's definition of his voice is priceless, and pretty much on target. Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left - [LaVern Baker: "Jim Dandy Got Married" and "Playing the Game of Love"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lavern-baker-jim-dandy-got-married-and-playing-the-game-of-love/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/71MUwJOiK9o Dolores Williams, aka LaVern Baker (with several name stops along the way, including "Little Miss Sharecropper") became the second woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- following Aretha Franklin -- in 1991. Here is a bit from her HoF bio: A versatile vocalist, LaVern Baker (born Delores Williams) proved capable - [A Great Day in Harlem](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-great-day-in-harlem/) - I was looking for a nice afternoon post and happened across this famous photograph. Here is the story of the shot, which features just about every famous jazz personality of the time. Wikipedia says that as of April only four participants still are alive. This site allows you to hover over each image for an - [Deodato: "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and "Rhapsody in Blue"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/deodato-also-sprach-zarathustra-and-rhapsody-in-blue/) - As the bio below suggests, Eumir Deodato is by far best recognized for his version of Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra in 2001: A Space Odyssey. But his career obviously goes far beyond that great and agonizingly slow movie. Widely regarded as one of the most respected and sought-after musicians in the music world, Brazilian-born Eumir Deodato - [Brooks Joins Country Music HoF](https://dailymusicbreak.com/brooks-joins-country-music-hof/) - Garth Brooks was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville on Sunday. The story says that Brooks 128 million records. His heroes are George Strait, Bob Seeger and, perhaps surprisingly, James Taylor. The three performed at the ceremony. Singer Connie Smith was inducted into the "Veterans Era Artist" and pianist Hargus "Pig" - [Los Lobos: "Evangeline" and "Will the Wolf Survive?"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/los-lobos-evangeline-and-will-the-wolf-survive/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/cdTJRbqQEiw A blogger/musician named Noah Baerman posted, a couple of years ago, a nice essay on Los Lobos. He also offered his thoughts on the band's ten best songs. Here is how the post starts: Do you have any bands or artists who you just love even though they’re not very popular (thus requiring some - [Sweetwater: The First Band to Play at Woodstock](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sweetwater-the-first-band-to-play-at-woodstock/) - This interesting Wikipedia entry says that Sweetwater was scheduled to be the first act at Woodstock but "problems within the band" -- use your imagination -- occurred and Richie Havens opened the historical festival. The LA-based jazz/rock fusion group followed. Thus, the item points out, Sweetwater was the first band to play. It's a - [The Music of The World Series](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-music-of-the-world-series/) - The World Series begins tonight, and the MercuryNews has a list of the “walk up” music for the starting lineups of each team. The term refers to the music played as the batter walks from the on-deck circle to the plate, or a pitcher comes in from the bullpen. - [Happy Birthday, Bill Wyman](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-bill-wyman/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYTj7BUX8iU The ex Rolling Stones bassist was born on this day in 1936. Here is a terrific clip -- the song is called Any Way the Wind Blows -- with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. The YouTube notes say the recording was made in the Netherlands in 1998. Band members are Wyman, Georgie Fame, Peter Frampton, - [R.L. Burnside: "When My First Wife Left Me" and "Jumper on the Line"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/r-l-burnside-when-my-first-wife-left-me-and-jumper-on-the-line/) - This family video of R.L. Burnside playing When My First Wife Left Me (above) was shot by the legendary Alan Lomax (along with Worth Long and John Bishop) in August 1978. Jumper on the Line was recorded for the documentary Deep Blues in 1990. Fat Possum Records writes this about Burnside: North Mississippi guitarist R.L. Burnside was one of - [Billy Strayhorn Festival Set for Chicago Suburbs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/billy-strayhorn-festival-set-for-chicago-suburbs/) - The Billy Strayhorn Jazz Festival, organized by the Music Institute of Chicago and Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc. will be held this weekend in Evanston, Ill. Check out The Chicago Tribune for the program and other information. For us, it's an excuse to feature Duke Ellington's right-hand man. Here he plays Take the A Train with the - [Ween: "Roses are Free" and "Big Jim"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ween-roses-are-free-and-big-jim/) - Another recommendation from my son. This is the best band ever formed by guys who met in typing class. Probably. In any case, Roses are Free (above) is terrific. Big Jim is below. From Wikipedia: Ween was an American experimental rock band. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween) and Mickey - [Who Knew Dylan is This Big in India?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/who-knew-dylan-is-this-big-in-india/) - There is no way to improve on the way This Day in Music wrote up this item: 2007, 1,730 guitarists played the immortal Bob Dylan classic, 'Knocking On Heaven's Door' in a bid to break a record in the state of Meghalaya, North East India. The guitarists hoped their achievement would earn them a place - [A Real Golden Oldie](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-real-golden-oldie/) - On Oct. 25, an audience at the GE Theatre in Schenectady, NY, heard a voice from close to the big bang of audio recording. The man recites Mary Had a Little Lamb and Old Mother Hubbard, laughs and plays a cornet. The Atlantic says that the event was the first time the recording – which - [Run-DMC: "King of Rock" and "Christmas in Hollis"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/run-dmc-king-of-rock-and-christmas-in-hollis/) - It's funny that one of the great early hip hop videos features David Letterman stooge Larry "Bud" Mellman. Here is Wikipedia on Run-DMC: Run–D.M.C. was one of the most well-known hip hop acts in the 1980s who, along with LL Cool J, signified the advent of the new school of hip hop music. They were - [Oscar "Papa" Celestin: Marie Laveau and Oh! Didn't He Ramble](https://dailymusicbreak.com/oscar-papa-celestin-marie-laveau-and-oh-didnt-he-ramble/) - "Marie Laveau" -- featured in this History Channel segment -- was a practitioner of voodoo in old New Orleans. The song that bears her name is played by Oscar "Papa" Celestin, an important cornet player and bandleader in the birthplace of jazz. The song was covered by Bobby Bare, Dr. John, Dr. Hook (don't bother) and - [Johnny Still Goode](https://dailymusicbreak.com/johnny-still-goode/) - Rolling Stone reports on the tribute concert to Chuck Berry as he accepted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame American Masters of Music Award. The concert – during which the 86-year-old Berry played – culminated a week-long celebration of his life. Other performers included Merle Haggard, Ronnie Hawkins, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa and Lemmy Kilmister. - [Quite a Week](https://dailymusicbreak.com/quite-a-week/) - I had no power for eight days because of the hurricane, but TDMB is back. Did anything interesting happen in the news in the meantime? - [Happy Birthday, Al Hirt](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-al-hirt/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LxzhBvK00cw The great trumpeter was born on this day in 1922. He passed away in 1999. The clip of Java is from The Ed Sullivan Show in 1963. - [It's the End of the World](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-the-end-of-the-world/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbZ9ILRYQ2o The power is out again. The End of the World--sung by Skeeter Davis--seems to be about right. What's your favorite song of the apocalypse? - [Emmylou Harris: "Pancho and Lefty" and "Blue Kentucky Girl"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/emmylou-harris-pancho-and-lefty-and-blue-kentucky-girl/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D1QiKBxNTw A very comprehensive collection of information about Emmylou Harris is available here. Basic biographical information is available at many places, including Wikipedia: Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has released many chart-topping albums and singles over the course of her career, and has won 12 Grammys and numerous - [Old Crow Medicine Show: "Down Home Girl" and "Wagon Wheel"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/old-crow-medicine-show-down-home-girl-and-wagon-wheel/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/cJhlM6W4uhk Down Home Girl This is from the Old Crow Medicine Show's bio at its site. The band currently is touring the midwest: Old Crow Medicine Show got its' start busking on street corners in New York state and up through Canada, winning audiences along the way with their boundless energy and spirit. They eventually - [Happy Veterans Day with George M. Cohan](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-veterans-day-with-george-m-cohan/) - Veterans Day is associated with the day of the armistice that ended World War I, the war that unfortunately failed to end all wars: Veterans Day is an official United States holiday honoring armed service veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11th. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other - [The Long Goodbye](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-long-goodbye/) - Country star George Jones has started a year-long goodbye tour, according to Reuters. The tour started this month and is scheduled to conclude in November, 2013. From Jones' site: The Grand Tour will visit approximately 60 cities in 2013. The star will perform many of his hits such as “White Lightning,” “He Stopped Loving Her - [Remembrance of Things Past](https://dailymusicbreak.com/remembrance-of-things-past/) - The site has a news item today noting that George Jones is winding it down. But a long wind down it will be: He is embarking on a year-long goodbye tour and will continue recording. The old guard is moving on. And it's too bad: You won't find lyrics like those of White Lightening in - [Jimi Hendrix Live in Stockholm](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jimi-hendrix-live-in-stockholm/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk_BAA7OHbA In the context of this site, it's difficult and not necessarily important to do posts about icons such as Hendrix. People who like that superstar or supergroup know far more than I do. Those who don't aren't interested. But it's appropriate to feature a superstar or a superband once in a while. Also, the - [Fogerty Autobiography Likely to be Tough Stuff](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fogerty-autobiography-likely-to-be-tough-stuff/) - EW.com and other sites report that John Fogerty is writing a book. Fogerty, of course, led Creedence Clearwater Revival and has had a long solo career. The EW piece suggest that he has a lot of axes to grind: But the righteous edge to Fogerty’s vocals and lyrics was matched by his determination to have his - [Benny Carter: "Misty" and "Blue Lou"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/benny-carter-misty-and-blue-lou/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jvNsjNoq79I Benny Carter was apparently was one of the class acts in jazz, according to just about everything written about him. Only people who knew him can say that definitively. What any listener can say is how great a musician he was. Here is the start of his bio at SwingMusic.net: Benny Carter has been - [Music From Mother Nature](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-from-mother-nature/) - The Radioactive Orchestra 2.0 uses energy from the decay of low energy isotopes to make music. The energy that is released, according to Fox News, is read by a gamma spectrometer. If the sample – which could be a radioactive material such as uranium -- is moved closer and farther away from the device, a - [Dennis Potter: "Pennies from Heaven" and "The Singing Detective"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dennis-potter-pennies-from-heaven-and-the-singing-detective/) - Dennis Potter was an English screenwriter/playwright known for mixing fantasy and reality. His best known works -- Pennies from Heaven (above) and The Singing Detective (below) -- were BBC productions. The method is the same: The drama is interrupted by the cast spontaneously breaking into elaborately choreographed production numbers that use scratchy recordings of contemporary pop tunes, - [Alles Klar, Herr Kommissar?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/alles-klar-herr-kommissar/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUdK87LWHeg Something had been missing from this site. I couldn't figure it out. It finally hit me: Falco singing "Der Kommissar." Here are the words in English. See if you can make sense of it. I think it's about some people doing things that aren't very nice. But, as Molly Ivins famously said about Pat - [T-Bone Walker: "Call it Stormy Monday," "Woman, You Must Be Crazy" and "Goin' to Chicago Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/t-bone-walker-call-it-stormy-monday-woman-you-must-be-crazy-and-goin-to-chicago-blues/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFqK6PBq-hA Aaron Thibeaux (T-Bone) Walker was ranked number 47 on the list of greatest guitarists by Rolling Stone. Here is the listing: T-Bone Walker invented the guitar solo as we know it — he was the guy who figured out how to make an electric guitar cry Fifties, he led his suave L.A. jump-blues combo - [Mahalia Jackson: The Queen of Gospel](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mahalia-jackson-the-queen-of-gospel/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=B5LsvoMViNA Here is the bio from the great Mahalia Jackson's website: Born in New Orleans in 1911, Mahalia Jackson grew up in a shotgun home shared by 13 people. Raised by her Aunt Duke after her mother died in 1917, economic circumstances forced Jackson to quit school and work at home when she was in - [Happy Thanksgiving](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-thanksgiving/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61OAdLSfpw0&feature=player_detailpage Little Eva was the inspiration for The Locomotion, which was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. - [Thanks, Steely Dan...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/thanks-steely-dan/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mndqgZG4uYo ...for making the choice of the song for today so easy. Actually, only the title is relevant. Here is more from the band. - [Mozart: "Flute Concerto No.2 In D Major, K.314, First Movement"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mozart-flute-concerto-no-2-in-d-major-k-314-first-movement/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPUYn_wpHeI Here is AllMusic's description of Mozart's Flute Concerto No.2 In D Major, K.314: For nearly two hundred years, scholars believed Mozart's Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 314 (K. 285d) was originally composed for the flute in Mannheim in early 1778. In 1952, musicologist Bernhard Paumgartner demonstrated conclusively that Mozart reworked the Oboe - [The Big Songs of 1947](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-big-songs-of-1947/) - Digital Dream Door's take on what was hot way back then: -T-Bone Walker: Stormy Monday -Mahalia Jackson: Move on Up a Little Higher -Bill Monroe: Blue Moon of Kentucky -Dusty Fletcher / Louis Jordan / Count Basie: Open the Door, Richard -Johnny Moore: Merry Christmas, Baby -Hank Williams: Move it On Over -Louis Jordan: Jack, You’re - [Dave Brubeck Quartet: "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo à la Turk"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dave-brubeck-quartet-take-five-and-blue-rondo-a-la-turk/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=o2In5a9LDNg Brubeck's biggest piece, Take Five, above. Below is a cute idea on presenting Blue Rondo à la Turk using aerial footage above Los Angeles. The notes at YouTube say it was broadcast on the program The Lively Ones on July 25, 1962. Here is the start of a good Brubeck bio: Dave Brubeck, designated a “Living Legend” by - [Luther Allison: "Livin' in the House of the Blues" and "Soul Fixin' Man"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/luther-allison-livin-in-the-house-of-the-blues-and-soul-fixin-man/) - Luther Allison was a tremendous blues guitarist who passed away in 1997. While he didn't get the publicity of some of his contemporaries, he appeared with -- and clearly was respected by -- the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Above is Livin' in the House of the Blues and below - [Dressed for (Post) Success](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dressed-for-post-success/) - There was always something about The Rolling Stones I couldn't stand. It was confusing, because I love the music. Now I know what it is. Forget Jagger -- the front guy has to dress up (and even his Bar Mitzvah MC get up is a bit subdued). It seems that the rest have decided to - [Bill Monroe is the Father of Bluegrass](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bill-monroe-is-the-father-of-bluegrass/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BB26S7cj3n0 Bill Monroe (1911-1996) is known as the Father of Bluegrass Music. His very nice site offers a tremendous amount of information. Here is the beginning of a piece that creates a nice bit of context around this important figure in American music: Country music has been examined by many authors, both in print and - [k.d. lang: "Hallelujah" and "The Valley"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/k-d-lang-hallelujah-and-the-valley/) - This is from AllMusic's bio of the distinguished singer: When k.d. lang released her first major-label album in 1987, she caused considerable controversy within the traditional world of country music. With her vaguely campy approach, androgynous appearance, and edgy, rock-inflected music, very few observers knew what to make of her or her music, although no - [Professor Longhair: "Big Chief" and "Tipitina"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/professor-longhair-big-chief-and-tipitina/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/RcIThsI-RnA Professor Longhair was a New Orleans piano player who greatly influenced Dr. John. Here is the first paragraph of an interesting site dedicated to the colorful and eccentric musician: Henry Roeland Byrd (a.k.a Professor Longhair) was Born in Bogalusa, Louisiana, on December 19, 1918. The Henry Roeland Byrd story is fundamentally the story of - [The Extraordinary Career of Lalo Schifrin](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-extraordinary-career-of-lalo-schifrin/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjgjU9C8UUc I was aware that Lalo Schifrin was a big deal in television theme songs. I did a post a while back in which it became apparent that he also was a serious jazz composer. This Blog Critics CD review posted at The Seattle PI, however, puts into context just how important and prolific Schifrin was: - [Stevie Wonder: "Superstition," "Sir Duke" and "I Wish"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/stevie-wonder-superstition-sir-duke-and-i-wish/) - Stevie Wonder needs no introduction. His bio may not be well known by all but his most ardent fans, however. Here is how the version at Encyclopedia Britannica starts: Stevie Wonder, original name Steveland Judkins or Steveland Morris (born May 13, 1950, Saginaw, Mich., U.S.), American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative - [The Skatalites: "Guns of Navarone"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-skatalites-guns-of-navarone/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPv_BAKIhlo The Skatalites, a long-standing Jamaican band play ska, which is a precursor to reggae. Wikipedia, believe it or not, has a lot to say on the topic: Ska ( /ˈskɑː/, Jamaican [skjæ]) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1930s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae.[1] Ska combined - [Amsterdam Klezmer Band: "Op een Goppe" and "A Chassid in Amsterdam"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/amsterdam-klezmer-band-op-een-goppe-and-a-chassid-in-amsterdam/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/4s6k9Y2J4lc The two clips here -- Op een Gopp above and A Chassid in Amsterdam below -- are from the same concert. The show was part of this year's Sziget Festival which is held annually on the island of Óbudai-sziget in Budapest, Hungary. I usually don't do that, but the performance is so good and - [Grady Martin Died at 72 on this Day in 2001](https://dailymusicbreak.com/grady-martin-died-at-72-on-this-day-in-2001/) - This is what This Day in Music said about Martin: [Martin] was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team, playing guitar on hits ranging from Roy Orbison's ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’, Marty Robbins' ‘El Paso’ and Loretta Lynn's ‘Coal Miner's Daughter’. During a 50-year career, Martin backed such names as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Woody Guthrie, - [TDMB Lists: One and Done](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tdmb-lists-one-and-done/) - Oddee’s take on the top ten one-hit wonders: -Los Del Rio: Macarena (1996) -Vanilla Ice: Ice Ice Baby (1990) -Baha Men: Who Let the Dogs Out? (2000) -Right Said Fred: I’m Too Sexy (1991) -Dexys Midnight Runners: Come On Eileen (1982) -Joan Osbourne: One of Us (1995) -Nena: 99 Luftballons (1984) -The Knack: My Sharona - [Mississippi Fred McDowell: "John Henry" and "Goin' Down to the River"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mississippi-fred-mcdowell-john-henry-and-goin-down-to-the-river/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/54GNI2K3-ec This site -- which appears to be maintained by a professor of sociolinguistics at the University of Essex in the U.K. -- has a nice bio of slide guitar player Mississippi Fred McDowell: "Mississippi" Fred McDowell was born and grew up in Rossville, Tennessee (pop. 291), a small farming community just east of Memphis - [Natalie Raps](https://dailymusicbreak.com/natalie-raps/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3g7OPzWnkw A headline referring to Saturday Night Live made me think of this great video. That's about as thin a rationale for posting something as possible, but a rationale nonetheless. - [Giuseppe Verdi: Triumphal March from "Aida" and La "Traviata"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/giuseppe-verdi-triumphal-march-from-aida-and-la-traviata/) - https://www.youtube.com/embed/ns_xsduwI-E Here is Verdi's bio: Giuseppe Verdi was to opera in the Italian tradition what Beethoven was to the symphony. When he arrived on the scene some had suggested that effective opera after Rossini was not possible. Verdi, however, took the form to new heights of drama and musical expression. Partisans see him as at - [Francis Albert Sinatra](https://dailymusicbreak.com/francis-albert-sinatra/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/avU2aarQUiU Here is the beginning of Sinatra's story at A&E's bio.: Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, on December 12, 1915, Frank Sinatra rose to fame singing big band numbers. In the '40s and '50s, he had a dazzling array of hit songs and albums and went on to appear in dozens of films, winning an - [Lee Dorsey: "Working in the Coal Mine" and "Ya Ya"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lee-dorsey-working-in-the-coal-mine-and-ya-ya/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbW8qJ98IPc This is what Digital Dream Door -- a great site for music lovers, by the way -- wrote about Lee Dorsey: One of the most underrated and overlooked figures of his time, Lee Dorsey signaled dramatic change in rock music during a decade of hitmaking in the 1960's and remains widely revered among other artists even - [CBGBs Opened on this Day in 1971](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cbgbs-opened-on-this-day-in-1971/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMsOwogtHXw This Day in Music says that the CBGBs opened on the lower east side of Manhattan on this day in 1971. The item reports that CBGBs stands for "country, bluegrass, blues." The latter part of the name -- OMUG -- stands for "other music for up lifting gourmandizers," according to the site promoting a - [Merle Travis: "Sixteen Tons" and "Lost John"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/merle-travis-sixteen-tons-and-lost-john/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgIFWgHxGq4 Merle Travis is one of the great country guitar players of the middle part of the 20th century. He also is noteworthy for writing Sixteen Tons, which was a big hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford and now is a standard. He sings it in the clip above after telling a cute story about Chet - [Happy Birthday, McCoy Tyner](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-mccoy-tyner/) - The jazz pianist turns 74 today. Above is Monk's Dream. Avery Sharpe is on bass and Aaron Scott is on drums. - [Gladys Knight & The Pips: "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gladys-knight-the-pips-midnight-train-to-georgia-and-i-heard-it-through-the-grapevine/) - Here is the beginning of the band's Wikipedia profile: Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It - [Ravi Shankar, 1920-2012](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ravi-shankar-1920-2012/) - Here is The New York Times obituary and a nice piece at NPR about Ravi Shankar, who died today at age 92. A previous post containing a clip of Shankar on The Dick Cavett Show -- in which the fact that Shankar's daughter is Norah Jones is discussed -- may have gotten the most traffic - [The Who: "Substitute" and "Who Are You"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-who-substitute-and-who-are-you/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFbB7hBMK4o It seemed like a good idea to feature one of the bands that played in last night's Sandy-a-thon at Madison Square Garden, so here is the beginning of AllMusic's profile of The Who: Few bands in the history of rock & roll were riddled with as many contradictions as the Who. All four members - [Sandy-Thon, Continued](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sandy-thon-continued/) - I didn't see the whole thing, but I felt that one of one of the best musical moments last night was Eric Clapton's acoustic version of Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out. It also was a bit ironic, since so many were coming to the region's aid. I also thoroughly enjoyed Bill Joel's - [Bert Jansch: "Reynardine" and "Angie"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bert-jansch-reynardine-and-angie/) - Perhaps if the certain things had happened differently, some of the incredibly talented guitarists born in The United Kingdom during the 1940s who we now know as rockers -- Eric Clapton, Dave Davies, Ronnie Wood, Pete Townshend, Keith Richards and others -- would have had more quiet careers like those of John Renbourn and Bert - [JJ Cale Took it Easy](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jj-cale-took-it-easy/) - Two of the biggest stars in modern music -- Neil Young and Eric Clapton -- are fans of JJ Cale, who died in July 2013. Cale's site offers a quote from Young's autobiography: Most of the songs and the riffs - the way he plays the fucking guitar is so.. great. And he doesn't play very - [The Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Tailgate Ramble and Basin Street Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-preservation-hall-jazz-band-tailgate-ramble-and-basin-street-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/b7M8ZkQma3I In some ways, The Preservation Hall Jazz band is the face of New Orleans. Here is the beginning of the profile of the band at its site, which is split between the band and the hall itself: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in - [Happy Birthday, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-eddie-cleanhead-vinson/) - The owner of one of the great nicknames in jazz would have been 95 today. Above are Cleanhead Blues and Old Maid Boogie. The cuts were on a 1986 album by Vinson and Etta James, which is pictured. I'm not sure if these are the versions that were on the album. Vinson died in 1988. - ["The Original" Bessie Brown: "Song From a Cotton Field" and "St. Louis Blues"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-original-bessie-brown-song-from-a-cotton-field-and-st-louis-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zxmbie8dfkI I don't believe that Bessie Brown -- who was billed as "The Original" Bessie Brown -- was a major star. In a way, that makes the fact that we are listening to her at the end of 2012 -- more than 80 years after she had a brief moments of fame -- all the - [The Great Music of Detroit](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-great-music-of-detroit/) - The Detroit Metro Times lists more than 100 top songs from in and around the city. Here are its top ten: Marvin Gaye, 1971: What’s Goin’ On Stevie Wonder, 1973: Living for the City Question Mark & the Mysterians, 1966: 96 Tears The Stooges, 1969: No Fun John Lee Hooker, 1948: Boogie Chillen Del Shannon, - [Funeral for Jenni Rivera Held in Los Angeles](https://dailymusicbreak.com/funeral-for-jenni-rivera-held-in-los-angeles/) - The funeral for Jenni Rivera, who died in plane crash in northern Mexico on December 9, was held yesterday in Los Angeles. Reuters reported that more than 6,000 people attended the service. Above is Chuper Amigos. - [David Bromberg Will Not Be Your Fool](https://dailymusicbreak.com/david-bromberg-will-not-be-your-fool/) - David Bromberg stands out even in a landscape in which there are many talented and eccentric acts. He is part rock-and-roll and blues royalty -- he took lessons from Rev. Gary Davis -- and part Borscht Belt comedian. The bottom line is that he has been making great music for decades. Some of it is - [A Little (Train) Traveling Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-little-train-traveling-music/) - I am reading Railroads and the American People by H. Roger Grant, a professor at Clemson. Unlike many train books, it doesn’t deal with the big story of the people that built the railroads. Instead, Grant focuses on train travel and the trains themselves, which is what I want to read about. It also has - [Franz Liszt: "Hungarian Rhapsody No.1" and "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/franz-liszt-hungarian-rhapsody-no-1-and-hungarian-rhapsody-no-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/x2LunPxZjlY Above is Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 1 performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Iván Fischer. Oszkár Ökrös plays the incredibly cool instrument at the beginning, which is a cimbalom. The performance, according to the YouTube notes, was on October 24, 2009. Liszt obviously was incredibly creative -- except when it came to - [What is the Connection Between Rapper Shawnna and Blues Guitarist Buddy Guy?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/what-is-the-connection-between-rapper-shawnna-and-blues-guitarist-buddy-guy/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/F1pwGVfV8S4 Actually, it's not a hard question if you look closely at their faces. Rapper Shawnna -- above performing Gettin' Some -- is Guy's daughter. Below, Guy plays Long Way From Home at a memorial for Stevie Ray Vaughan. Since we are talking family here, note that Vaughan's brother, Jimmie--a great guitarist himself--is playing rhythm. Talent - [The Rooftop Singers: Walk Right In and Mama Don't Allow](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-rooftop-singers-walk-right-in-and-mama-dont-allow/) - While compiling a list of train songs last week, I came across a terrific version of I've Been Working on the Railroad by The Rooftop Singers. The harmonies were great and, to boot, the group has an interesting background. Here is the beginning of the bio from AllMusic: The Rooftop Singers were the most successful of the folk revival's - [The Pretenders: Brass in Pocket and My City Was Gone](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-pretenders-brass-in-pocket-and-my-city-was-gone/) - My City Was Gone seems like a pretty good way to sum up 2012 for a lot of people. Two sites offer opinions on what songs are the top ten for the band. One is a straight list and the second starts with an essay about Hynde and the band: If there had never been - [Jack Klugman, April 27, 1922-December 24, 2012](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jack-klugman-april-27-1922-december-24-2012/) - A sad note on Christmas Eve. Jack Klugman, who died today at age 90, was not a musical personality per se. But the theme music from The Odd Couple -- which was written by Neal Hefti -- is one of the most recognizable in television history. Like the other TV music giant, Lalo Schifrin, Hefti had - [Ramsey Lewis: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ramsey-lewis-have-yourself-a-merry-little-christmas/) - Merry Christmas from The Daily Music Break. - [Run DMC: "Christmas in Hollis"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/run-dmc-christmas-in-hollis/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR07r0ZMFb8 A modern classic from Run DMC. - [Pinetop Perkins: "Pinetop's Boogie" and "Down in Mississippi"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pinetop-perkins-pinetops-boogie-and-down-in-mississippi/) - Pinetop Perkins' Pinetop's Boogie is above. Below is Down in Mississippi. Here is the beginning of Perkins' bio: Pinetop Perkins was one of the last great Mississippi bluesmen. He began playing blues in the late 1920s, and is widely regarded as one of the best – and certainly most enduring – blues pianists. He has - [Lianne La Havas: "Age" and "Is Your Love Big Enough?"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lianne-la-havas-age-and-is-your-love-big-enough/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGDSt2cTm6g Here is the promotional copy about Lianne La Havas from her label, which is Nonesuch: Lianne La Havas has emerged as one of the UK’s most buzzed-about new talents, with critically acclaimed EPs, sold-out shows worldwide and nods from the likes of Bon Iver and Ryan Adams. Her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, - [Steve Goodman: "City of New Orleans" and "Talk Backwards"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/steve-goodman-city-of-new-orleans-and-talk-backwards/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1-81mg8E9M Here is a guest post from my cousin Ed: Steve Goodman was a very talented songwriter who wrote a number of songs with which we're familiar. Above is a young Steve Goodman performing the probably the most well known of the batch -- "The City of New Orleans" -- which was written on a train - [The Al Roker Death Cult Wind Ensemble, Adios Pantalones and Other Great Band Names](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-al-roker-death-cult-wind-ensemble-adios-pantalones-and-other-great-band-names/) - Here is the first 20 or so listings from The Digital Dream Door's collection of funny band names: A Band Named Bob A Box of Fish with Tartar Sauce A Boy Named Gomer A Cat Born In An Oven Isn't A Cake Above Average Weight Band Abracadaver Abstract Penis Brigade Actual Size Adickdid Adios Pantalones - [Burning Spear: "Slavery Days" and "Old Marcus Garvey"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/burning-spear-slavery-days-and-old-marcus-garvey/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnRZSBmpc74 Burning Spear, as the Wikipedia entry below makes clear, is a man named Winston Rodney: Rodney was born in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica, as were reggae singer Bob Marley and political activist Marcus Garvey who both had a great influence on Rodney's life: Garvey in his philosophy, which Burning Spear greatly took - [Fontella Bass: "Rescue Me" and "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fontella-bass-rescue-me-and-dont-mess-up-a-good-thing/) - Fontella Bass, July 3, 1940-Dec. 26, 2012 Here is the beginning of an appreciation of the R&B singer Fontella Bass from Los Angeles Times' Pop Critic Randall Roberts: Any appreciation of soul singer Fontella Bass, who died Wednesday at age 72, must first acknowledge “Rescue Me,” the propellant 1965 R&B banger that became her signature. But - [Happy New Year from Phish and Jimi Hendrix](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-new-year-from-phish-and-jimi-hendrix/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H1sht6IDmQ TDMB wishes everyone a healthy and happy 2013. The Phish video, which is from New Year's 2010/11, is long but very funny. - [The Bacon Brothers: "New Year's Day"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-bacon-brothers-new-years-day/) - Besides being a great actor, Kevin Bacon is a very good musician. Again, Happy New Year. - [John Mellencamp: Pink Houses and R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-mellencamp-pink-houses-and-r-o-c-k-in-the-u-s-a/) - Here is the beginning of Mellencamp's bio at Rolling Stone: John Mellencamp started as the walking embodiment of heartland rock — the passionate, plain-spoken, and extremely popular Eighties branch of singer-songwriters — scoring early hits that showcased a Hoosier mise en scene of pink houses, chili dogs, and bloodied plows. However, Mellencamp continued to grow - [Focus On: Bluegrass Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/focus-on-bluegrass-music/) - The Daily Music Break will offer a page of links on various forms of music during 2013. To kick it off, here is a basic overview of bluegrass music -- courtesy of Wikipedia -- and five additional links: Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. Bluegrass was inspired by the - [Patti Page, Nov. 8, 1927-Jan. 2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/patti-page-nov-8-1927-jan-2013/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c-rVoBdZDE Here is the beginning of Patti Page's obituary in The New York Times: Patti Page, the apple-cheeked, honey-voiced alto whose sentimental, soothing, sometimes silly hits like “Tennessee Waltz,”“Old Cape Cod” and“(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window” made her one of the most successful pop singers of the 1950s, died on Tuesday in Encinitas, Calif. She - [On this Day in 1980: Amos Milburn Dies at 52](https://dailymusicbreak.com/on-this-day-in-1980-amos-milburn-dies-at-52/) - Amos Milburn died on Jan. 3, according to This Day in Music. He was known for the song One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer, which he recorded in 1953. The song was written by Rudy Toombs and more famously performed by George Thorogood & The Destroyers and John Lee Hooker. The version above is accompanied by - [Little Big Town: "Tornado" and "Boondocks"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/little-big-town-tornado-and-boondocks/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaEmQJG2HHU This band fits into the new country category. Here is the start of its Wikipedia profile: Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its inception: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, and Phillip Sweet. The quartet's musical style relies - [Ludwig van Beethoven: "Für Elise and Moonlight Sonata, Movement 1"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ludwig-van-beethoven-fur-elise-and-moonlight-sonata-movement-1/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/yAsDLGjMhFI I shy away from writing posts about the classical greats like Beethoven because I know nothing about them or the music and am very likely to embarrass myself. It's like somebody who doesn't follow baseball writing about Ruth or Aaron. It doesn't make sense. Nonetheless, the music is quite beautiful. Above is Für Elise played - [Wayne Shorter: Miles Davis' "Idea Man"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/wayne-shorter-miles-davis-idea-man/) - Wikipedia leads its profile with a snapshot of Wayne Shorter's importance: Jazz critic Ben Ratliff of the New York Times wrote that Shorter is "generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer." Many of Shorter's compositions have become jazz standards. His output has earned worldwide recognition, critical praise and various commendations, including multipleGrammy Awards. Shorter first came to wide - [As If We Need Another Sign of the Apocalypse](https://dailymusicbreak.com/as-if-we-need-another-sign-of-the-apocalypse/) - The site io9 details how a computer house at the University of Málaga in Spain is creating classical music. The story links to a video of one of those pieces, Nasciturus, which was written by Iamus in less than a second. The story offers a quote from Gustavo Diaz-Jerez, who is a pianist, composer and - [Seu Jorge Renews Samba](https://dailymusicbreak.com/seu-jorge-renews-samba/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/UvhGvxuOREw I cross post The Daily Music Break at Daily Kos. A commenter there pointed out Seu Jorge, who he or she had seen in the Wes Anderson/Bill Murray film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Here is the beginning of Seu Jorge's profile at Wikipedia: Seu Jorge (born June 8, 1970; Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsew ˈʒɔʁʒi]) is - [The King Would Have Been 78 Today](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-king-would-have-been-78-today/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Ond-OwgU8 Elvis Presley was born on this day in 1935. I would provide some background on Elvis, but there just isn't anything on the Internet about the guy. Seriously, here are some nice photos from Elvis' army days. - [The Very Good Second Best Elvis](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-very-good-second-best-elvis/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEqDjz4jCaQ Elvis Costello's birth name is Declan Patrick MacManus. He changed it in 1977 and, nine years later, back to the original -- only he threw in "Aloysius" after Patrick. There is a lot to like about Costello in addition to his epic name. He's married to the pianist Diana Krall, he and/or his fans - [Nixon and Presley: A Meeting of Icons](https://dailymusicbreak.com/nixon-and-presley-a-meeting-of-icons/) - TDMB yesterday marked the 78th birthday of Elvis Presley. Today, it turns out, is the centennial of Richard Nixon. It is fairly well known that the two icons met in the White House on December 21, 1970. There is a famous photo of the meeting. Even though it's familiar, it's one of those images - [Marcia Ball: Born in Texas, Raised in Louisiana--And She Sounds It](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marcia-ball-born-in-texas-raised-in-louisiana-and-she-sounds-it/) - [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWdq4yXaZdI[/embedyt] Here is the beginning of Wikipedia's profile of Marcia Ball: Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949, Orange, Texas, United States)[1] is an American blues singer and pianist, born in Orange, Texas but who grew up in Vinton, Louisiana.[1] She was described in USA Today as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where - [John Lee Hooker Brings Mississippi to Rock and Roll](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-lee-hooker-brings-mississippi-to-rock-and-roll/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOyj4ciJk34 John Lee Hooker recorded music for more than 50 years. Here is the beginning of his website bio: Born near Clarksdale, Mississippi on August 22, 1917 to a sharecropping family, John Lee Hooker's earliest musical influence came from his stepfather, Will Moore. By the early 1940's Hooker had moved north to Detroit by way - [Kathleen Battle Sings "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Vilja-Lied"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/kathleen-battle-sings-swing-low-sweet-chariot-and-vilja-lied/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VlzTNBSeYmo Kathleen Battle's website likes her: Soprano Kathleen Battle's luminous voice has been called "...without qualification, one of the very few most beautiful in the world" (The Washington Post). Yet beyond the glory of her singing, in a career filled with countless accolades, honors and major milestones, what has perhaps distinguished her most is her - [The Masters of Master of the House](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-masters-of-master-of-the-house/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/aTZYSzxZcvA Great version of Master of the House from Les Misérables from the tenth anniversary concert, which was taped in October, 1995 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Wikipedia says that Alun Armstrong is Thénardier and Jenny Galloway is Madame Thénardier. - [Mike Bloomfield: Chicago Blues, Via the Suburbs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mike-bloomfield-chicago-blues-via-the-suburbs/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRWgtYtrrj8 Jan Mark Wolkin's profile of Mike Bloomfield is affectionate and very interesting. This passage describes Bloomfield's early exploits in Chicago: Bloomfield was quickly accepted on the South Side, as much for his ability as for the audiences' appreciation of the novelty of seeing a young white player in a part of town where few - [Memos From Turners](https://dailymusicbreak.com/memos-from-turners/) - Talk about moving in opposite directions: This Day in Music says that on this day in 1988, Tina Turner performed in front of 182,000 in Rio De Janeiro. It was the largest crowd ever to see a solo artist. On this day two years later, Ike (her ex) was sentenced to four years in prison - [Pedal Steel Funk](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pedal-steel-funk/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/h5CALmf7ziQ Thanks to my friend Tim for letting me know about Robert Randolph and the Family Band. A couple of paragraphs about the band's new album, We Walk This Road, provides good insight into what the band is about: [Producer] T Bone Burnett shared the vision of how gospel, blues and rock could be put together - [The Great Anthony Dominick Benedetto](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-great-anthony-dominick-benedetto/) - Like so many folks who had stellar careers and have been around forever, Tony Bennett's early story is filled with familiar names: The young singer was discovered by Pearl Bailey in Greenwich Village and subsequently hired by Bob Hope in 1949. Hope advised him to take the name Tony Bennett (rather than the name he - [Happy Birthday, Eartha Kitt](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-eartha-kitt/) - Eartha Kitt would have been 86 years old today. Above, she sings I Want to Be Evil, in a video that has one odd camera angle after another. Here is more on the sultry singer. - [Music and the Inauguration](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-and-the-inauguration/) - CNN has an interesting piece about music and the inauguration, which is set for Monday. The show should be pretty good: This year's festivities include a Kids' Inaugural Concert on Saturday and two official balls on Monday night. Performers for those events include Katy Perry, Brad Paisley, Alicia Keys, Marc Anthony, Stevie Wonder and Smokey - [The Neville Brothers: "Fire on the Bayou" and "Big Chief"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-neville-brothers-fire-on-the-bayou-and-big-chief/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/0iaDb3IiSp4 Here is the start of AllMusic's profile of The Neville Brothers, one of the most important of the many great bands and performers to come out of New Orleans: Throughout their long careers as both solo performers and as members of the group that bore their family name, the Neville Brothers proudly carried the - [The String Cheese Incident: Joyful Sound and Black and White](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-string-cheese-incident-joyful-sound-and-black-and-white/) - Here is the beginning of Wikipedia's profile of The String Cheese Incident: The String Cheese Incident (SCI) is a band from Crested Butte and Telluride, Colorado formed in 1993. The band is composed of Michael Kang (acoustic/electric mandolin, electric guitar, and violin), Michael Travis (drums and percussion), Bill Nershi (acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, and - [Les Blank, Nov. 27, 1935-April 7, 2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/les-blank-nov-27-1935-april-7-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/bDJPnG3RDxU Documentary filmmaker Les Blank--many of whose films had musical subjects--died on April 7. Here is Blank's Wikipedia entry. The film-maker Les Blank, who has died aged 77, explored the margins of America's music, capturing and framing idioms such as Louisiana Cajun and zydeco, the norteño music of the Texas-Mexico border, blues, polka, and Appalachian - [If You Visit New York...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/if-you-visit-new-york/) - Visitors to New York should keep in mind that lots of great sites are outside of Manhattan. One of those is the Louis Armstrong House, which is in Corona, Queens. It's a museum that is housed in the only home that Armstrong owned, and it is kept as it was when he passed away. It - [Freddie Hubbard: "I Remember Clifford" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/freddie-hubbard-i-remember-clifford-and-the-night-has-a-thousand-eyes/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/kuGO8IY50b4 Trumpet player Freddie Hubbard, as the first two paragraphs of his AllMusic profile show, was one of the mainstays of jazz during the latter half of the twentieth century: One of the great jazz trumpeters of all time, Freddie Hubbard formed his sound out of the Clifford Brown/Lee Morgan tradition, and by the early - [Sonny Landreth Mixes Slide, Zydeco, Blues and More](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sonny-landreth-mixes-slide-zydeco-blues-and-more/) - https://www.youtube.com/embed/3rcHvxPccRQ This weekend was the fourth time that Sonny Landreth played at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival. His name can get lost amid the megastars that Clapton brings out. But it is no wonder that he gets invited. Wikipedia gets uncharacteristically technical in its entry on Landreth: Landreth is best known for his slide playing, having - [Hana-li Pendery](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hana-li-pendery/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present all or some of what the band (or its management) - [Madrigals: "Fine Knacks for Ladies" and "Madrigal de Nîmes"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/madrigals-fine-knacks-for-ladies-and-madrigal-de-nimes/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/KGX1XQaLQ0M It all leads--at least to this point--to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Alabama Shakes, with stops at Fats Waller, Tony Bennett and all the others along the way. But it has to start somewhere. Madrigals were not at the very start, of course, but close enough to it. The above clip from The King's - [Sadly, All Things Must Pass](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sadly-all-things-must-pass/) - If George Harrison had done nothing except release All Things Must Pass -- no Beatles, no subsequent solo career -- he would be an important figure. The album has everything: There is all the great music, of course. But it also is special in the way it marks the transition from the crucible of being a - [Lone Eagle Don Felder Speaks](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lone-eagle-don-felder-speaks/) - This is the beginning Steve Karras' interview of Eagle guitarist Don Felder. The bulk of the interview can be found at the site web2carz through the link below. Rock n’ Roll infamy can either by measured by sneer, attitude, or posturing—all the necessary badass rock star ingredients. And then there’s a legendary guitarist like ex-Eagle - [The Strokes: Someday and Last Nite](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-strokes-someday-and-last-nite/) - Wikipedia offers a succinct profile of The Strokes: The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City, consisting of Julian Casablancas (lead vocals), Nick Valensi (guitar, backing vocals), Albert Hammond, Jr. (guitar, backing vocals), Nikolai Fraiture (bass guitar) and Fabrizio Moretti (drums, percussion). Upon the release of their debut album Is This It - [Antonín Dvořák: " Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor Op. 72" and "Largo"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/antonin-dvorak-slavonic-dance-no-2-in-e-minor-op-72-and-largo/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/cuOpM43FIDo Antonin Leopold Dvořák was born in the village of Nelahozeves in Bohemian, which now is in the Czech Republic. Here is the beginning of the bio at ClassicalNet: Contrary to legend, Antonín Dvořák (September 8, 1841 - May 1, 1904) was not born in poverty. His father was an innkeeper and butcher, as well as - [Richie Havens, 1941-2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/richie-havens-1941-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/DxhVmUHh2e4 - [Dinah Washington at The 1958 Newport Jazz Festival](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dinah-washington-at-the-1958-newport-jazz-festival/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0w_1fsnqHg I didn't know anything about Dinah Washington -- whose real name was Ruth Lee Jones -- other that she was a terrific singer. It was sad that this is how her NPR bio begins: Singer Dinah Washington, the Grammy-winning "Queen of the Jukeboxes," left her turbulent life behind at the tender age of 39. - [Raggy Monster](https://dailymusicbreak.com/raggy-monster/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present all or some of what the band (or its management) - [For New York City Mayor: Jimmy McMillan](https://dailymusicbreak.com/for-new-york-city-mayor-jimmy-mcmillan/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/rHEitsYJnmw It's a long time until Election Day in New York City, but clearly the best candidate is Jimmy McMillan of The Rent is Too Damn High Party. McMillan ran in the Democratic primaries for governor in 2010 but failed, despite strong debawatchte performances, to win the nomination. The problem was that beyond lowering the - [Stanley Clarke: "School Days" and "Beat It"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/stanley-clarke-school-days-and-beat-it/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/3RCj1fb_vqQ Stanley Clarke is a highly regarded jazz bassist most widely known for his work with Chick Corea and Return to Forever. However, his career is extremely varied, from cutting edge jazz to scoring movies. Clarke even wrote music for Pee Wee's Playhouse, a 1990's children's show starring Pee Wee Herman. A comprehensive Wikipedia profile - [Edwin Starr: "War" and "25 Miles"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/edwin-starr-war-and-25-miles/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/01-2pNCZiNk The beginning of War is one of the signature musical moments of the Vietnam War era. It's nice to learn that Edwin Starr contributed much more than that. Here is the beginning of the profile at his website: Edwin Starr was an integral part of the soul and dance floor scene since the mid-fifties and - [George Jones: 1931-2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/george-jones-1931-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGe-ptQXMsY&feature=player_detailpage Above is No Show Jones. TDMB featured Jones last November. - [Toots & the Maytals: "Funky Kingston" and "Sweet and Dandy"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/toots-the-maytals-funky-kingston-and-sweet-and-dandy/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/8oOtz6mE7sM The visuals in both of these videos -- Funky Kingston (above) and Sweet and Dandy (below) are fabulous, as is the music. The Sweet and Dandy clip is from The Harder They Come, one of the greatest musicals ever. The Funky Kingston video simply shows streets scenes of Kingston, presumably in the early 1970s when the - [Diva Gash](https://dailymusicbreak.com/diva-gash/) - Editor’s Note: The folks at Go-DIY Records were kind enough to post a note that TDMB welcomed new music. Several bands have sent me links and samples. My plan is to post the music in the order in which it came in and to present all or some of what the band (or its management) - [Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue: "One Night Only" and "Hurricane Season"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/trombone-shorty-and-orleans-avenue-one-night-only-and-hurricane-season/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/1qlYIQgvC-k This is the first trombone player featured at TDMB. It's nice that he is a next step in the proud tradition of New Orleans horn players. Indeed, he seems to play trumpet -- which of course is the heart of that tradition -- as much as the bones. Here is the beginning of his Wikipedia entry: - [David Lindley: "Mercury Blues" and "King of the Bed"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/david-lindley-mercury-blues-and-king-of-the-bed/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/zVHsIqx2TxE I had the opportunity to see David Lindley perform last weekend through a very nice invitation by a couple of friends. Lindley was eccentric, brought a wide variety of string instruments with him and is immensely talented. He seemed to be upset that the 1960s ended, but also appeared to have adjusted quite well - [Don't Dismiss Guy Lombardo](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dont-dismiss-guy-lombardo/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/sPfrBxHgLmA For years, Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was synonymous with playing Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve. He also was considered a stodgy conservative dance band leader, perhaps just to the cool side of Lawrence Welk. Our access to YouTube and its documentation of much of the last fifty or sixty years may lead - [Happy Birthday, Pete Seeger](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-pete-seeger/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43F8-xMkAS4 The great man turns 94 today. Here he performs Down By the Riverside with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. - [Yu Hong Mei: "Nostalgic Dreams of Beijing" and "There's a Golden Sun Over Beijing"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/yu-hong-mei-nostalgic-dreams-of-beijing-and-theres-a-golden-sun-over-beijing/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/8GtOGJAPKiE The erhu is a stringed instrument played in China, as Wikipedia explains: The erhu (二胡; pinyin: èrhú, [êɻxǔ]) is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It - [Procol Harum: "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Conquistador"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/procol-harum-a-whiter-shade-of-pale-and-conquistador/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/St6jyEFe5WM Taking a rock song from the 1960s and, 30 or so years later, throwing the Danish National Concert Orchestra behind it may seem a bit much. The song would become bloated, self reverential and a bit ridiculous. But if the song is A Whiter Shade of Pale, it all comes off well. The band is in great - [The Binghamton University Glee Club: Timshel](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-binghamton-university-glee-club-timshel/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/EOiI9Nwfgxk The Binghamton University Glee Club perform Timshel by Mumford & Sons as part of its Sandcastles in the Sand end of semester show. The arrangement is by Maura Lewis. Speaking with extreme objectivity, I only can conclude that the girl at bottom right is particularly good. - [Paul Robeson: "Ol' Man River" and "Vi Azoy Lebt der Kayser?"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/paul-robeson-ol-man-river-and-vi-azoy-lebt-der-kayser/) - http://www.youtube.com/embed/eh9WayN7R-s Here is the beginning of Encyclopedia.com’s profile of the multi-talented Paul Robeson, one of the most important figures — musical and otherwise — of the twentieth century: Paul Robeson—singer, actor, civil rights activist, law school graduate, athlete, scholar, author— was perhaps the best known and most widely respected black American of the 1930s and 1940s. - [Country](https://dailymusicbreak.com/country/) - Roy Acuff: The Wabash Cannonball/Back in the Country Glen Campbell: Rhinestone Cowboy/Wichita Lineman The Carter Family: Cannonball Blues Johnny Cash: Cocaine Blues Cowboy Jack Clement: It'll Be Me Patsy Cline: Crazy The Delmore Brothers: I've Got the Big River Blues/Brown's Ferry Blues Blaze Foley: Clay Pigeons Merle Haggard: I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink/The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde Emmylou - [Soul/Funk/R&B](https://dailymusicbreak.com/soul-funk-rb/) - James Brown: Night Train The Capitols: Cool Jerk (featuring Bob Babbitt) Gladys Knight & the Pips: Midnight Train to Georgia/I Heard It Through the Grapevine The Neville Brothers: Fire on the Bayou/Big Chief Laura Nyro: Save the Country The O'Jays: Love Train/For the Love of Money Parliament Funkadelic: Bring on the Funk Professor Longhair: Big Chief/Tipitina Robert Randolph and the Family - [International](https://dailymusicbreak.com/international/) - Amsterdam Klezmer Band: Op een Goppe/A Chassid in Amsterdam Black 47: Funky Céilí The Clancy Brothers: Finnegan’s Wake Juan Luis Guerra: La Guagua/Bachata en Fukuoka Carlos Antonio Jobim: Águas of Março Yu Hong Mei: Nostalgic Dreams of Beijing/There’s a Golden Sun Over Beijing Parov Stelar: Chambermaid Swing Proclaimers: King of the Road Damien Saez: On a Pas la Thune/J’accuse Seu Jorge: Changes/É isso Aí Compay - [Patti Smith: "Dancing Barefoot" and "Gloria"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/patti-smith-dancing-barefoot-and-gloria/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jC6sLQg3gkk It's really not correct to say that one thing is more unique than another. Unique is binary: The thing either is unique or not. That said, it's safe to say that there really aren't many acts as unique as Patti Smith's. Smith was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. - [Ornette Coleman: The Logical Conclusion](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ornette-coleman-the-logical-conclusion/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QSmYTc1Jv7w I remember listening to Ornette Coleman many years ago and deciding, simply, that it wasn't for me. I didn't get it. In a lot of instances I still don't -- but I like it a lot better now. Here is the start of a New York Times profile of Coleman by Ben Ratliff: THE - [Little Feat Pianist Marches Onward](https://dailymusicbreak.com/little-feat-pianist-marches-onward/) - This is an interesting advanced story at St. Louis Today for an appearance at The Demo in St. Louis by pianist Bill Payne, who was a founding member of Little Feat. Payne, the story says, is presenting a program called Tracing Footsteps. It features music, poetry, photography and a Q&A with the audience. Payne teamed - [Glen Campbell: "Wichita Lineman" and "Rhinestone Cowboy"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/glen-campbell-wichita-lineman-and-rhinestone-cowboy/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-HFCuBLAjXo Unfortunately, Glen Campbell is battling Alzheimer's Disease. Vintage Vinyl News reported last month that the disease is having an impact. Here is the start of Glen Campbell's profile at The Country Music Hall of Fame site: Born into a sharecropping family near Delight, Arkansas, on April 22, 1936, Glen Travis Campbell rose to national prominence - [Radiohead: "Karma Police" and "Creep"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/radiohead-karma-police-and-creep/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NlQhgdVsuI4 A well done site dedicated to the alternative band, Radiohead at Ease, has the bio: It was somewhere in 1982 when Thom Yorke, at the age of 14, asked Colin Greenwood to join him for a new band with Ed O’Brien. Thom and Colin were in a school punkband called TNT. Another friend from - [Smoking Time Jazz Club: Percolatin' Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/smoking-time-jazz-club-percolatin-blues/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dfuHwPtVQOc Fun and well produced video for sort of a holiday afternoon. Here is the band's website. - [Sidney Bechet: An American in Paris](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sidney-bechet-an-american-in-paris/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=XzG3vllEwyg Sidney Bechet, one of the giants of early jazz, wanted to lead. Bechet, like fellow jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton, was a Creole of Color. A couple of good profiles -- from AllMusic and the Red Hot Jazz Archive -- paint a vivid picture or the artist, who settled in France to escape the - [Number One in July, 1970: Three Dog Night](https://dailymusicbreak.com/number-one-in-july-1970-three-dog-night/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rKaQzQAlNn4 Mama Told Me (Not to Come) was number for the weeks of July 11 and 18, 1970. It may come as a surprise to some that the song was written by Randy Newman for Eric Burdon in 1966. Check out this great clip of Newman with Linda Ronstadt and Ry Cooder. - [Hank Snow Was Everywhere](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hank-snow-was-everywhere/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQvthkWzflc As usual, everything I thought about a song turned out to be wrong. I've Been Everywhere (above) -- a song that essentially is a list of cities strung together as a hitchhiker talks with a trucker who picks him up -- wasn't written by Johnny Cash. He only covered it -- and so did Hank Snow. - [Jim Foglesong Passes Away at 90](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jim-foglesong-passes-away-at-90/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hVHQsmIaDBY Jim Foglesong, a legendary country music executive, died Tuesday in Nashville. Foglesong signed Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Barbara Mandrell, George Strait, the Oak Ridge Boys and others. This is from USA Today's story on his passing: The Oak Ridge Boys' Duane Allen says he recently spent several hours with Foglesong in his hospital room - [Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov: "Capriccio Espagnol Op. 34" and "Flight of the Bumblebee"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/nikolai-andreyevich-rimsky-korsakov-capriccio-espagnol-op-34-and-flight-of-the-bumblebee/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Coa5hiNamdo Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov had more than a great (31 letter) name. Flight of the Bumblebee, of course, is familiar. It clearly demands tremendous technical expertise to play, but it seems like a novelty number. Capriccio Espagnol Op. 34 is accessible, which is a fancy way of saying that heathens like me can enjoy it. This is - [Max Roach: Freedom Day](https://dailymusicbreak.com/max-roach-freedom-day/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=o0YeKuG1ksc x http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uRsAgA4qeRI - [Why Aren't The Moody Blues in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/why-arent-the-moody-blues-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EV49ozdqLU I was surprised when one YouTube comment bemoaned the fact that The Moody Blues are not in The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I checked and it is so. It's a travesty. They were a great and important band. Experts may scoff at my ignorance, but I always thought of them with Pink - [This May Be the Best and Most Bizarre Video Ever](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-may-be-the-best-and-most-bizarre-video-ever/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=56SAxtf-RTg I will just list the names of the people I recognize. There no doubt are some I missed. Stevie Ray Vaughan Dick Dale (no, it's not Joe Pesci) Annette Funicello (I think) The Skipper Gilligan Wally The Beaver June Cleaver And, for no apparently reason, Pee Wee Herman Vaughan and Dale play a great version - [J.J. Cale: Dec. 5, 1938-July 26, 2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/j-j-cale-dec-5-1938-july-26-2013/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGtUNelJf94 After Midnight. TDMB featured J.J. Cale previously. - [Jascha Heifetz: Niccolò Paganini's "Caprice No. 24" and Johann Sebastian Bach's "Chaconne"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jascha-heifetz-niccolo-paganinis-caprice-no-24-and-johann-sebastian-bachs-chaconne/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPcnGrie__M An interesting quote from Jascha Heifetz--considered one of the greatest violinists ever--on the importance of rehearsing: "If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it." Here is the beginning of the bio at his site: Jascha Heifetz, widely regarded as one of the - [Red Allen: "Wild Man Blues" and "Rosetta"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/red-allen-wild-man-blues-and-rosetta/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo7qiXkTu4s The list of legendary trumpet players from the New Orleans area doesn't begin or end with Louis Armstrong. Indeed, the list essentially is endless. Red Allen is a relatively early -- and truly great -- member of that group. Here is the beginning of his profile at The Syncopated Times, which now is hosting - [The New Lost City Ramblers: "Man of Constant Sorrow" and "Ragtime Annie"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-new-lost-city-ramblers-man-of-constant-sorrow-and-ragtime-annie/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIuoJTuhkxA The two best YouTube clips of the influential folk revival group The New Lost City Ramblers are from Pete Seeger's program Rainbow Quest. It's no coincidence: The autoharp player, Mike Seeger, is Pete's half-brother. It's interesting that Pete just introduces him as his brother on the clip above. Another member of the band, John - ["Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/didnt-leave-nobody-but-the-baby/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1wZVVMKojw This beautiful song was written by Gillian Welch for the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? It is performed by Welch, Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss. Welch's very interesting bio touches on the song. - [Widespread Panic: "Airplane" and "Fire on the Mountain"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/widespread-panic-airplane-and-fire-on-the-mountain/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_t2g_uAj8Vk I don't know much about Widespread Panic, other than they come from the same school of music -- and are associated with -- Phish and other bands that use the Grateful Dead blueprint. Like Phish, the band does a lot of covers (including a great version of the Dead's Fire on the Mountain, below). All the covers -- - [Cowboy Jack Clement: April 5, 1931 – August 8, 2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cowboy-jack-clement-april-5-1931-august-8-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HrdBA2vHB4k Here is the first paragraph of the Associated Press story on the passing of Cowboy Jack Clement: “Cowboy” Jack Clement, a producer, engineer, songwriter and beloved figure who helped birth rock ‘n’ roll and push country music into modern times, died Thursday morning at his home. He was 82. - [George Duke: January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/george-duke-january-12-1946-august-5-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ReGGPNQpz0o Here is the start of The Washington Post's obituary of George Duke: George Duke, a Grammy-winning keyboardist who crossed musical boundaries to play with entertainers as diverse as Michael Jackson, Frank Zappa and Miles Davis and who became a successful producer of pop-oriented rhythm-and-blues records in the 1980s, died Monday in Los Angeles. He - [Richie Cannata: "Keep it In the Pocket" and "Chameleon"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/richie-cannata-keep-it-in-the-pocket-and-chameleon/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CkynRE1VoI8 Richie Cannata, who has long been associated with Billy Joel -- he was his sax player through 1982 -- and more recently with The Beach Boys and Bernie Williams, gave a terrific performance in a municipal concert on August 9 in Glen Cove, a small city on the north shore of Long Island. Cannata performed - [Adrian Legg: "Norah Handley's Waltz" and "Cajun Interlude"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/adrian-legg-norah-handleys-waltz-and-cajun-interlude/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC_nFCBjBXw I wasn't aware of Adrian Legg, but he certainly belongs alongside guitarists such as Bert Jansch, Leo Kottke and the master, John Fahey. The song above, Norah Handley's Waltz, is not particularly fast, but Legg's musicianship shines through. Cajun Interlude, below, showcases his virtuosity. Here is the start of Wikipedia's entry on Legg: Adrian - [Number One on this Day in 1955](https://dailymusicbreak.com/number-one-on-this-day-in-1955/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HLOniKqfoX0 Bill Haley & His Comets' Rock Around the Clock was the number one song for virtually the entire summer of 1955. - [ZZ Top: "I Gotsta Get Paid" and "La Grange"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/zz-top-i-gotsta-get-paid-and-la-grange/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=S9dT4fp_7xY ZZ Top was offered $1 million apiece by Gillette to shave their beards for a television commercial in 1984. The good news is that both lead guitarist Billy Gibbons and bass player Dusty Hill refused. Here is the beginning of the band's profile at AllMusic: ZZ Top is an American blues rock band, formed in 1969 - [Béla Bartók: "Romanian Folk Dances" and "Music for Strings Percussion and Celesta, Second Movement (Allegro)"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bela-bartok-romanian-folk-dances-and-music-for-strings-percussion-and-celesta-second-movement-allegro/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuktjzVMNRI I struggled a bit with the names of the pieces. If anyone has more precise titles, please let me know. The Music Academy Online discusses the importance of Béla Bartók: Béla Bartók was without a doubt one of the most original and versatile musicians of the twentieth century. He performed as a pianist and had - [Freddie King: "Hideaway" and "Ain't Nobody's Business"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/freddie-king-hideaway-and-aint-nobodys-business/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=54HwF8mVlaw This profile of the great guitarist Freddie King seems to have been written by a family member: Freddie was born in Gilmer Texas on September 3 1934 with the given name of Freddy King to Ella May King and J.T. Christian. My father's mother told him that her grandfather ( who was a full-blooded - [They Really Don't Sing Them Like This Anymore](https://dailymusicbreak.com/they-really-dont-sing-them-like-this-anymore/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Fty3Nzc-oiY#t=235 The Chordettes' performance on the Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show that aired on February 22, 1958 -- a program hosted by Dick Clark -- started with Lollipop, which would become a hit. It is undeniable, however, that Mr. Sandman was The Chordettes signature number. It starts at about the 4 minute mark. Some of the - [Charley Patton: "Shake It and Break It (But Don't Let It Fall Mama)" and "Big Lee Pt. 1"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/charley-patton-shake-it-and-break-it-but-dont-let-it-fall-mama-and-big-lee-pt-1/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGsAh2jx6JA There is no reason to link to a dull profile or biography of Charley Patton when the story is told by R. Crumb, the iconic, eccentric cartoonist responsible for Zap Comix and Fritz the Cat. Clearly, Crumb used the photo above and below for the image in the first panel of the graphic bio. - [Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin: "Polovtsian Dances" and "In the Steppes of Central Asia"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/alexander-porfiryevich-borodin-polovtsian-dances-and-in-the-steppes-of-central-asia/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=YabEfOQRG3U Here is the beginning of Wikipedia's profile of Alexander Borodin, who seems to have been an interesting fellow: Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin[1] (12 November 1833 – 27 February 1887)[2] was a Russian Romantic composer, doctor and chemist. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five (or "The Mighty Handful"), who were - [Marian McPartland: 1918-2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marian-mcpartland-1918-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S6qahrToXU The long and important life of Marian McPartland ended last week on Long Island, where the British native had lived for many years. McPartland was an important pianist and long-time host of a radio jazz show on National Public Radio. The first paragraph of the obit at The Globe and Mail summed up McPartland's - [Roy Acuff, The King of Country Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/roy-acuff-the-king-of-country-music/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=B0QXyYK1FAU Elvis is the King, but Roy Acuff is the King of Country Music. The stories of how performers got started invariably are interesting. Here is the beginning of the profile of Roy Acuff at CMT: Roy Acuff was called the King of Country Music, and for more than 60 years he lived up to - [R.E.M.: "Losing My Religion" and "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/r-e-m-losing-my-religion-and-its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BLhD-h1LRQs The influential band from Athens, Georgia was active from the 1980s until 2011. Here is the beginning of its profile at AllMusic: R.E.M. marked the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe," was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground. While there - [Gorillaz Take Music Further Beyond Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gorillaz-take-music-further-beyond-music/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HKdhbp_JHcI One of the biggest differences between music now and when I was a kid -- and certainly prior to that -- is the ability to add a variety of other forms of art to the music itself. It started with MTV and grew. Gorillaz, the brainchild of Brits Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, takes - [Curtis Mayfield: "Superfly" and "It's All Right" (with The Impressions)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/curtis-mayfield-superfly-and-its-all-right-with-the-impressions/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=DAh_4s_-tas Curtis Mayfield, among many other distinctions, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Impressions and as a solo act. Superfly, the song and the movie, are cultural milestones. Biography offers more about Mayfield, who suffered a horrific accident twenty years after the film was released: In - [The Great Vladimir Horowitz](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-great-vladimir-horowitz/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Qnla_5zrHAE Vladimir Horowitz was a towering figure in classical piano. The descriptions suggest that he ran at full tilt, but never lost control. The clip above -- Carmen Fantasie -- is amazing for the obvious virtuosity. Many experts say that his interpretation of the music was world class as well, though his approach was not - [Papa Jo Jones: "I Found a New Chapeau" and "Caravan"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/papa-jo-jones-i-found-a-new-chapeau-and-caravan/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MjCg7o1quAQ Papa Jo Jones, one of the greatest jazz drummers, appears in the remarkable video above. It is part one of Louis Panassié's "L'Aventure du Jazz." "I Found a New Chapeau" features Jones and Milt Buckner. The second song, Mr. X, features George Benson and a great tap dancer named Jimmy Slyde in addition to Jones. - [Tracing the Relationship Between John Coltrane and Miles Davis](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tracing-the-relationship-between-john-coltrane-and-miles-davis/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=zqNTltOGh5c "Trane & Miles" focuses on the making of "Kind of Blue," which is the best-selling jazz album of all time. It was recorded in two sessions during the spring of 1959 and released in August of that year. Besides Coltrane and Davis, personnel are Cannonball Adderley (sax), Wynton Kelly and Bill Evans (piano), Paul - [Earl Palmer, Who Played With Everyone, Died on this Day in 2008](https://dailymusicbreak.com/earl-palmer-who-played-with-everyone-died-on-this-day-in-2008/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=F8-NEYNhzjo I will let This Day in Music trace the barest outline of the extraordinary career of drummer Earl Palmer, who died at age 64 on this day in 2008: Worked with The Beach Boys, Little Richard (‘Tutti Frutti’), Frank Sinatra, Ike And Tina Turner (‘River Deep, Mountain High’), The Monkees, Fats Domino (‘I'm Walkin’), Neil - [Sea Shanties: "South Australia" and "Drunken Sailor"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sea-shanties-south-australia-and-drunken-sailor/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=p3afGi3REu8 Sea Chanties are great. Rob Ossian's Pirate Cove has a wealth of good information. Wikipedia defines them well: A shanty (also spelled "chantey," "chanty") is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. The term shanty most accurately refers to a specific style - [The Intense, Funny and Unique Dave Van Ronk](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-intense-funny-and-unique-dave-van-ronk/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rVTiDhOR35g Dave Van Ronk is refreshing, even 50 years later. I only feature two songs in a post, but if you have time also check out Stackerlee, (also known as Stagolee and Stagger Lee), the classic blues about the death of Billy Lyons. Van Ronk's autobiography reportedly was heavily borrowed upon by the Coen Brother's for - [Blues Traveler: "Carolina Blues" and "But Anyway"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/blues-traveler-carolina-blues-and-but-anyway/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MYdKho_5Y9A Blues Traveler was featured in a cute scene in Blues Brothers. Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd, of course) performed Rock Me Baby with the band later. He seems to be having the time of his life and plays pretty well for a non-professional. A New York-based blues-rock quartet formed in 1988 by singer/harmonica player John Popper, guitarist - [Bessie Smith Died on This Day in 1937](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bessie-smith-died-on-this-day-in-1937/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNWs0LsimFs Bessie Smith's death was the result of a car accident outside of Memphis, according to This Day in Music. Here is more on Smith from The Red Hot Jazz Archieve: Bessie Smith was a rough, crude, violent woman. She was also the greatest of the classic Blues singers of the 1920s. Bessie started out - [Life is Great: Two Great Violinists, a Great Orchestra, a Great Conductor and a Great Composer](https://dailymusicbreak.com/life-is-great-two-great-violinists-a-great-orchestra-a-great-conductor-and-a-great-composer/) - In addition to Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman, the conductor is Seiji Ozawa. The three, and the rest of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, team on Antonio Vivaldi's "Concerto in D Major for Two Violins and Orchestra." This is sort of Clapton and Page playing together, I guess. The comments are funny, because instead of talking about what - [Furry Lewis: "When I Lay My Burden Down" and "Kassie Jones"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/furry-lewis-when-i-lay-my-burden-down-and-kassie-jones/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CCqbKdnHZTs I am not a guitar player, but to me Furry Lewis' technique seems unique. "Kassie Jones" is a song about a conductor, but doesn't sound anything like the Grateful Dead song of the same -- though differently spelled -- name. It is quite possible that the later song was a tribute. Wikipedia notes that - ["Shut Down"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/shut-down/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xjjDh4M32s The Beach Boys' Shut Down, in honor of what is happening in D.C. Also check out the Flogging Molly's Don't Shut 'Em Down. - [Diana Krall: "Cry Me a River" and "Route 66"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/diana-krall-cry-me-a-river-and-route-66/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4hPii_RVHE Jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall is married to Elvis Costello. Their wedding, according to Wikipedia, took place at Elton John's estate. AllMusic puts Krall and her music in context: With her pre-bop piano style, cool but sensual singing, and fortuitously photogenic looks, Diana Krall took the jazz world by storm in the late - [David Guetta: "Play Hard" (featuring Ne-Yo and Akon) and "Titanium" (featuring Sia)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/david-guetta-play-hard-featuring-ne-yo-and-akon-and-titanium-featuring-sia/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5dbEhBKGOtY The David Guetta video above -- which I saw while eating breakfast in Salamanca, Spain, a few days ago -- has a great beat and a lot of terrifically strange images. I had only vaguely heard of Guetta. Here is the start of AllMusic's profile of the French DJ: France's David Guetta belongs to - [Bobby Hebb: "Sunny" and "Got You On My Mind"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bobby-hebb-sunny-and-got-you-on-my-mind/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRWyxzmNdJc It's interesting to compare the staid, probably lip-synced and homogenized version of Bobby Hebb's great song, Sonny (at this link) and the far funkier treatment Hebb and Ron Carter give it in the video above. The earlier version is the more familiar one, of course. In that era, great talents often had to tone it down - [John Philip Sousa: America's Great Composer of Martial Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/john-philip-sousa-americas-great-composer-of-martial-music/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Mxrh1CrMmTY Martial music is out of style. That's a good thing, if it means that people are less militaristic. The two are not necessarily connected, however, and the music should be considered on its own merits. John Philip Sousa is the great name in American marching music. Here is part of the profile at from - [Keith Jarrett: The Ultimate Improviser](https://dailymusicbreak.com/keith-jarrett-the-ultimate-improviser/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFuypO3zlP0 From his body language while playing to his unique, free flowing improvisations, there is nobody like Keith Jarrett. This is from AllMusic: Pianist, composer, and bandleader Keith Jarrett is one of the most prolific, innovative, and iconoclastic musicians to emerge from the late 20th century. As a pianist (though that is by no means the only - [A Man for Four Seasons](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-man-for-four-seasons/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwuL3Up_mpg The numbers in this single sentence in Wikipedia's entry about Francesco Stephen Castelluccio -- Frankie Valli -- are a good illustration of how really important he is: Valli scored 29 Top 40 hits with The Four Seasons, one Top 40 hit under The Four Seasons' alias 'The Wonder Who?', and nine Top 40 hits as a solo artist. (Continue Reading...) Here - [Lou Reed: March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lou-reed-march-2-1942-october-27-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Uc26EFI1_nw Lots of great writing has been done about Freeport, New York's Lou Reed in the day since his death. The Chicago Tribune equates Reed's importance to The Beatles or Bob Dylan. That's a bit of a stretch, but to even make the claim illustrate's Reed's importance. Here are the first three paragraphs of the - [Who Says Little Walter is the Best Blues Harmonica Player Ever? Everyone](https://dailymusicbreak.com/who-says-little-walter-is-the-best-blues-harmonica-player-ever-everyone/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dlZM_zJzh0 Little Walter -- Marion Walter Jacobs -- is considered by those who know about such things to be the greatest blues harmonica player who ever lived. And, if you are the greatest blues harmonica player, it figures you are the greatest harmonica player overall. Here is some background from Biography.com: At the end of - [Phil Chevron: June 17, 1957-October 8, 2013](https://dailymusicbreak.com/phil-chevron-june-17-1957-october-8-2013/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV9qDfnoImA I'm sorry that the site neglected to mark the passing on October 8 of Phil Chevron, the lead guitar player of The Pogues. Here is part of The Los Angeles Times' obituary, which was written by Randall Roberts: Best known for writing the Pogues’ anthemic story-song, “Thousands Are Sailing,” Chevron became a central player - [Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky: "Night On Bald Mountain" and "The Great Gate of Kiev"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/modest-petrovich-mussorgsky-night-on-bald-mountain-and-the-great-gate-of-kiev/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NnKTM0aLjZI Classical Net has details on the guy with the greatest first name in music history. For an instant, I thought it was a nickname: Along with Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, the greatest Russian composer of the Nineteenth Century, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (March 9, 1839 - March 16, 1881) was born into a wealthy rural, landowning - [Rory Gallagher, Guitar Hero](https://dailymusicbreak.com/rory-gallagher-guitar-hero/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Jaodra7AY To be perfectly honest, the stereotypical guitar hero -- the flamboyant virtuoso with superhuman skills -- is a bit long in the tooth. They were a great breed, however, from Jimi Hendrix (the Louis Armstrong of rock guitarists) to Gary Moore and others. There isn't a hard and fast line between the guitar superheros - [Carmen McRae: Not Billie, Not Ella, Not Sarah--But Just Great](https://dailymusicbreak.com/carmen-mcrae-not-billie-not-ella-not-sarah-but-just-great/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJaD09M5Iko Carmen McRae lacked the notoriety that several other female vocalists received. But she was one of the greats. Here are two paragraphs of the very well written introduction to a McRae fan site. As a non-musician, I often find myself reacting to music, positively or negatively, without really knowing what the musician or musicians - [Wilco: "Handshake Drugs" and "Impossible Germany"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/wilco-handshake-drugs-and-impossible-germany/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vF1o6zg9vI This is the beginning Wikipedia's profile of Wilco: Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its first decade, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and - [Gioacchino Antonio Rossini's "The Barber of Seville"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gioacchino-antonio-rossinis-the-barber-of-seville/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB8PB9fk4A8 Even people who don't know much about opera -- in other words, most of us -- likely will recognize the "Largo al factotum" aria from Gioacchino Antonio Rossini's "The Barber of Seville." Here is the start of the opera's Wikipedia entry: The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution (Italian: Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione) - [Ian Dury and The Blockheads: It's Nice to Be a Lunatic](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ian-dury-and-the-blockheads-its-nice-to-be-a-lunatic/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvWHQMH-G4A On Monday, TDMB featured Gioacchino Antonio Rossini’s “The Barber osf Seville,” so it seems to make sense to follow it up with Ian Dury and the Blockheads. AllMusic has an affectionate profile. Here is the start: Rock & roll has always been populated by fringe figures, cult artists who managed to develop a fanatical following - [Tito Puente Was El Rey de los Timbales](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tito-puente-was-el-rey-de-los-timbales/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GWlWzG8i8hQ Here is the start of a bio of Tito Puente that no longer seems to be onlin: Tito Puente is internationally recognized for his seminal contributions to Latin music as a bandleader, composer, arranger, and percussionist. Known as "El Rey," or The King of Mambo, he has recorded an unprecedented 100 albums, published more - [Charles Trenet: "Douce France" and "La Mer"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/charles-trenet-douce-france-and-la-mer/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbQ5e5wt60s Like many people my age (and younger), my impressions of the world, for better or worse, are shaped by video. I was thoroughly convinced for years that World War II was in black and white until about the middle of 1944, when suddenly it became a full color affair. The Pacific Theater apparently was - [Nicholas Payton: "Bag's Groove" and "When It's Sleepy Time Down South"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/nicholas-payton-bags-groove-and-when-its-sleepy-time-down-south/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWXELfT-pMk The remarkable ability of New Orleans to produce trumpet (and cornet) players -- which began with Buddy Bolden and reached its zenith with Louis Armstrong -- shows no sign of abating. One of the latest entrants is Nicholas Payton. Here is part of Payton's Wikipedia profile: The son of bassist and sousaphonist Walter Payton, - [The Isley Brothers "Fight the Power" and "Shout"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-isley-brothers-fight-the-power-and-shout-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJ0uv6oMRU The version of "Shout" embedded below is the Saturday Night Beech-Nut Hour hosted by Dick Clark. The first two or three seconds are priceless if you are 50 years old or older. -- was written by O'Kelly Isley Jr. The song enjoyed a second life in the iconic movie "Animal House." In the scene, Robert Cray is the - [Phish: Happy Birthday](https://dailymusicbreak.com/phish-happy-birthday/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HCJzL635wrs Happy Birthday, Daniel. - [Cover Art: The Band](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cover-art-the-band/) - Editor's Note: This is the first of an occasional feature focusing on covers of -- and sometimes by-- a band or artist. Check out The Covers Project for more interesting information about covers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkCBVZHrstE The cover above is a 1968 performance of the Bob Dylan/Rick Danko song "This Wheel's on Fire" by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger - [This Day in Music: Duke Ellington Records "I'm Just a Lucky So and So" in 1945](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-music-duke-ellington-records-im-just-a-lucky-so-and-so-in-1945/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1DLX3TAPknA In 1945, Duke Ellington recorded I'm Just a Lucky So and So. Check out Tony Bennett's version, which is from "The Conan O'Brien Show" in 1999. Bennett is accompanied by The Ralph Sharon Quartet. - [Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Tarte](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-thanksgiving-mr-tarte/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6rRAzo9GDY Second Editor's Note (Thanksgiving 2017): This now will be the third time I'm posting Edward Tarte's Thanksgiving recital. So I guess it's a tradition. This site features hundreds of talented musicians. Mr. Tarte is a good player, but not in their class. None of them, however, better captures the spirt of music than Mr. - [Nick Lowe: "Cruel to Be Kind" and "So It Goes"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/nick-lowe-cruel-to-be-kind-and-so-it-goes/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0l3QWUXVho Last week, AP carried a story with the news that Nick Lowe is releasing a Christmas album with the odd name "Quality Street": Nick Lowe wasn't exactly filled with the Christmas spirit when his American record company suggested he make his first holiday album. He's no Scrooge. But for musicians in his native England, holiday albums - [Happy Birthday, Ozzie Osbourne](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-ozzie-osbourne/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHW6qL67R2M The Black Sabbath lead singer and everyone's favorite crazy old rock-and-roll uncle was born on this day in 1948. - [How Can Anyone Not Like The Mills Brothers?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/how-can-anyone-not-like-the-mills-brothers/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QH1e6G0K3Pk Let me say this as delicately as possible: Conceptually and objectively, I understand that tastes are different. One man's meat is another man's poison and all that. Okay. Got it. All that said, I still don't really understand how anyone can not like the Mills Brothers. Just listen to these guys. "(Up a) Lazy - [Music and Nelson Mandela](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-and-nelson-mandela/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_G7vzJwcYM Nelson Mandela, who died yesterday at age 95, inspired some great music. Here is a story from MTV on Mandela's musical legacy: Nelson Mandela, the iconic anti-apartheid leader who helped end nearly 50 years of racial segregation by a white minority government in South Africa, died on Thursday (December 5) at the age of - [Buck Owens' Key to Success: Act Naturally](https://dailymusicbreak.com/buck-owens-key-to-success-act-naturally/) - Buck Owens, who was inducted in The Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996, was born in 1929 in Sherman, Texas. His bio traces his musical roots: The musical influences on the young Owens were diverse, reflecting both the popular music of the time and places in which he matured and the various styles that - [Mott the Hoople: Not The Beatles, But More Than "All the Young Dudes"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mott-the-hoople-not-the-beatles-but-more-than-all-the-young-dudes/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfwVfEXJhQQ The first paragraph of AllMusic's profile of Mott the Hoople -- a band whose name was the title of a 1970s novel by Willard Manus -- is a brilliant example of damning with faint praise: Mott the Hoople are one of the great also-rans in the history of rock & roll. Though Mott scored a number of album rock - [Sonny Rollins: "The Bridge" and "Alfie"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sonny-rollins-the-bridge-and-alfie/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIq5w-NogWA This is the beginning of the profile of the great tenor saxophone player Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins from his website: Theodore Walter Rollins was born on September 7, 1930 in New York City. He grew up in Harlem not far from the Savoy Ballroom, the Apollo Theatre, and the doorstep of his idol, Coleman Hawkins. - [The Gospel According to Bobby Jones](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-gospel-according-to-bobby-jones/) - https://www.youtube.com/embed/sfD-Jini4ok This link sums up my feeling about gospel music. There isn't too much available about Bobby Jones, who hosts gospel shows on BET and elsewhere. However, the bigger issue is gospel music. Here is part of a nice commentary at Wikipedia: Gospel music in general is characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of - [All We Are Sure of is That Big Bill Broonzy Could Play](https://dailymusicbreak.com/all-we-are-sure-of-is-that-big-bill-broonzy-could-play/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Fm1qtX7Mz5w Big Bill Broonzy was one of the most important blues players of the twentieth century. The problem: Broonzy -- at least according to the bio at the site Big Bill Broonzy -- was an inveterate liar: Despite years of research, the details of William Lee Conley Broonzy's birth date remain problematic. He may have - [Grayscale: Dying Breed](https://dailymusicbreak.com/grayscale-dying-breed/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uog1F3Ma2gY Had a nice chat with a lady on an Amtrak train from D.C. to New York a few days ago. This is the band her son is in. I believe he is the singer. - [J. S. Bach: "...A Profound Puzzle of Special Codes [That] Still Amaze Musicians Today"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/j-s-bach-a-profound-puzzle-of-special-codes-that-still-amaze-musicians-today/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj4ST5Dsmdc Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the giants. Classical Archives offers a long list of links with which it says educated music lovers should be familiar. The site also offers a well written bio of the Baroque composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist: Johann Sebastian Bach was better known as a virtuoso organist than - [Ray Price, Who Helped Domesticate Country Music, Dies at 87](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ray-price-who-helped-domesticate-country-music-dies-at-87/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSWjD4dAKH4 Ray Price, who died last week at 87 years of age, is an important figure in what may be described as the domestication of country music. Here is the beginning of a nice appreciate at NPR: Before there was Willie Nelson or Merle Haggard, there was Ray Price. The Country Music Hall of Famer - [Merry Christmas From TDMB and Colbie Caillat](https://dailymusicbreak.com/merry-christmas-from-tdmb-and-colbie-caillat/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GoTOcOP8xTw Merry Christmas from The Daily Music Break and Colbie Caillat. I hope the year ahead -- and beyond -- is healthy and happy for everyone. - [Champion Jack Dupree, AKA Brother Blues and Meat Head Johnson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/champion-jack-dupree-aka-brother-blues-and-meat-head-johnson/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kVCsSzWoV7g Those are two great nicknames, and there probably were more. Champion Jack Dupree led an interesting life, it seems. From the AllMusic bio: Dupree was notoriously vague about his beginnings, claiming in some interviews that his parents died in a fire set by the Ku Klux Klan, at other times saying that the blaze - [The Continuing Saga of King Crimson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-continuing-saga-of-king-crimson/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwkO1y4bTEE The reasons that older rock bands get back together probably are varied, from nostalgia to creative urges to boredom. And, by the way, there is the money. King Crimson seems to be a bit different. The band appears is a lifelong project -- ProjecKCts in the band's parlance -- more or less led by - [Happy New Year's Eve From Kala Marie Waltman and Damein Wash](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-new-years-eve-from-kala-marie-waltman-and-damein-wash/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga9ETrvnMOE One of the reasons that I love doing this site is that it leads me to more thoroughly look for music. Once in a while, I find gems such as this. The song -- "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" -- was written by Frank Loesser and initially recorded by The Orioles. - [Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo Cavaliere di Suppé-Demelli](https://dailymusicbreak.com/francesco-ezechiele-ermenegildo-cavaliere-di-suppe-demelli/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFQpPbjJWTc This is from the Vienna's Philharmonic Orchestra's 2013 New Year's concert. I intended to post it yesterday, but never got around to it. The conductor is Franz Welser-Möst. The "Light Cavalry Overture" was written by a man who puts Bronson Kiheimahanaomauiakeo Sardinha to shame: Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo Cavaliere di Suppé-Demelli. He was known as Franz von - [Otis Redding: "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" and "Try a Little Tenderness"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/otis-redding-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-sad-song-and-try-a-little-tenderness/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkWIAsCeJ1o&feature=kp Here is part of the very good profile of Otis Redding from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website, He was inducted in 1989: Redding’s relatively unspectacular showing on the pop charts at a time when he was laying down some of the most titanic soul ever recorded - classics like “Respect” (a - [I Love Spoonful](https://dailymusicbreak.com/i-love-spoonful/) - Thinking about it logically, a godparent/godchild relationship between any two random people is no less weird than in cases in which the couple is famous. But it seems so. From the wonderful world of Wikipedia comes the fact that Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy") was the godmother of The Lovin' Spoonful's John - [Miles Davis Planned "Kind of Blue" Around Bill Evans' Piano](https://dailymusicbreak.com/miles-davis-planned-kind-of-blue-around-bill-evans-piano/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlu5ADDvVlw Wikipedia does a great job of writing opening paragraphs that succinctly highlight the subject's influence. This profile of the great jazz pianist Bill Evans is a great example (though telling us how to pronounce "Evans" is overkill): William John Evans, known as Bill Evans (pronunciation: /ˈɛvəns/, August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980), was - [Emmanuelle Seigner--Ms. Roman Polanski--is Pretty Intense](https://dailymusicbreak.com/emmanuelle-seigner-ms-roman-polanski-is-pretty-intense/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajy8abMtam0 H/T: Walter W. Emmanuelle Seigner has been married to Roman Polanski since 1989. She is an actress -- her husband directed her in "Frantic" -- in addition to being a pop singer. Here is her Wikipedia entry: Seigner was born in Paris, France, to a photographer father and a journalist mother.[1] She is the granddaughter - [Late Night with The Roots (and Jimmy Fallon)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/late-night-with-the-roots-and-jimmy-fallon/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ojC0mg2hJCc The Roots are busy: They are a very successful hip-hop group and, at the same time, the house band for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." I am not aware of any similar arrangement, though Ed Shaughnessy, the drummer for "The Tonight Show" band, had the distinction of playing with Jimi Hendrix when he appeared on - [Red Norvo was Mr. Swing](https://dailymusicbreak.com/red-norvo-was-mr-swing/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsItR0J2tPg Red Norvo had to be good: Being called "Mr. Swing" in an era in which swing was king suggests a tremendous amount of respect (or an extraordinary publicist). Here is the second paragraph of NPR's profile of Kenneth Norville, who was born in 1908 in Beardsville,IL: Credited with bringing the xylophone, formerly a vaudeville - [Anna Salleh: A Beautiful Voice From Brazil](https://dailymusicbreak.com/anna-salleh-a-beautiful-voice-from-brazil/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfibwW-bQos Brazilian music has a unique and simple beauty. Here is how singer Anna Salleh's profile starts at her site: Singer/guitarist Anna Salleh (pronounced ‘Sah-lay’) has been fast developing a reputation as one of Sydney’s finest exponents of Brazilian jazz and other crossover music styles. From honey-smooth bossa and ballads, and irrepressible samba, to playful - [Judging Elton John--Correctly This Time](https://dailymusicbreak.com/judging-elton-john-correctly-this-time/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RH276U5PiGQ I didn't liked Elton John when I was young. Youth defend their cultural choices aggressively, and I was into The Grateful Dead, Hot Tuna and that hemisphere of music. I was turned off by the costumes, all the camp/glam stuff. It was more theater than music. One of the great things about doing this - [Lorde: "Royals" and "Team"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lorde-royals-and-team/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc Running into music written and performed by an individual -- Lorde -- who is the same age (to be precise, 15 days older) than my youngest child is an interesting experience. I find that the best approach is to remain open to the music without trying too hard to relate to Lorde herself, which - [Leadbelly's Deeply American Story](https://dailymusicbreak.com/leadbellys-deeply-american-story/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxykqBmUCwk Leadbelly -- Huddie Ledbetter -- is a legend. The outlines are contradictory: Leadbelly was a murderer who sang kids songs and became a bedrock of the folks scene. The whole thing is made a bit more mysterious by the fact that very little video of Leadbelly exists. Wikipedia presents the heart of the legend - [My Morning Jacket: "Heart Breakin Man" and "Off the Record"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/my-morning-jacket-heart-breakin-man-and-off-the-record/) - http://youtu.be/ss0XLzvi7jY H/T: Walter W. Before I heard them, the name My Morning Jacket suggested a proper and correct group of gentlemen who sipped tea and perhaps indulged in some nice folk music. I got that one wrong. That proves that it is important to actually listen to a band before judging it. Lesson learned... My - [Lyle Lovett Pushes Country Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lyle-lovett-pushes-country-music/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d5-v0XVXE8 There are brilliant writers and performers who work within a genre and produce something that has one foot -- or even a toe or two -- outside it. Lyle Lovett is one of these rare folks. Lovett makes a striking impression, even after his tall hair days. He's also an actor and clearly a - [PDQ Bach](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pdq-bach/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQkRs3Ek7Iw x http://www.schickele.com/ - [Dmitri Shostakovich: Life During Wartime](https://dailymusicbreak.com/dmitri-shostakovich-life-during-wartime/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WPjNphbbla0 It must have been terrifying to be an artist in the Soviet Union during World War II. Classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich seems to have done the best he could at time when a bad review from one person -- Stalin -- could do literally what bad reviews from critics only do figuratively. Here is what - [Music to Smile About](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-to-smile-about/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz3ZbP0IF7A&feature=youtu.be h/t: Charlene S Berkman, D.M.D. I am always looking for good music for TDMB. Indeed, a few weeks ago, my dentist mentioned a video that Alex Boyé made for Smiles for Life, an organization to which she belongs. I gurgled approvingly as Dr. Berkman described the project. This is from the Smiles for Life website: From March - [If You Are Incessantly Compared to Somebody, it May as Well be Jimi Hendrix](https://dailymusicbreak.com/if-you-are-incessantly-compared-to-somebody-it-may-as-well-be-jimi-hendrix/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzdnILRvVKo Every discussion of Robin Trower mentions Jimi Hendrix somewhere -- usually at the beginning. It's undeniable that Trower sounds a lot of like Hendrix. That's good and bad. It's writing a lot like Faulkner, pitching a lot like Maddux or dancing a lot like Astaire. It's a compliment. But, at the same time, it - [New Music: The Fleeting Ends](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-the-fleeting-ends/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6MOHyMl4FY I recently ended up on the front page of reddit, which was a lot of fun. The posting generated a tremendous amount of music from bands and performers of which I was unaware. I will be posting this music gradually, in the order in which it came in. Here is The Fleeting Ends (that - [Toby Keith is Tops In Country--At Least in Terms of Earnings](https://dailymusicbreak.com/toby-keith-is-tops-in-country-at-least-in-terms-of-earnings/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55huxAW0ccw Forbes reports that Toby Keith earned $65 million in 2013, $10 more than Taylor Swift--who really isn't a country singer--and $12 million more than Kenny Chesney. Not bad for a good old boy following, to a great extent, the traditions of country music. Here is the beginning of Keith's profile at Wikipedia: Toby Keith - [Megadeth, Black Sabbath and Metal](https://dailymusicbreak.com/megadeth-black-sabbath-and-metal/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfS_B1lu16k Sean Nelson, a visitor to the site, kindly offered to write an item on metal. (I am not sure if the term “heavy metal” is passé or not.) Here is what Sean wrote: Defined by a pounding sonic dominance, huge riffs and wailing vocals, metal was rock as total warfare. It's since moved into - [Robert Johnson Still is at the Crossroads](https://dailymusicbreak.com/robert-johnson-still-is-at-the-crossroads/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8gUpvllN5Q Legends aren't dependent on mystery. Louis Armstrong and The Rolling Stones are legends, and they have been all over the place for decades. A bit of mystery helps, however. Blues player Robert Johnson is legendary, and part of the reason is that there only are 29 recordings of him playing. There are no verified - [New Hip-Hop Video From Donnie Bonelli (Featuring Atheist)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-hip-hop-video-from-donnie-bonelli-featuring-atheist/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KeOR-VuUrg Here is a new hip-hop video from Donnie Bonelli and Atheist, hip-hop performers from Utah. The song is Shakeface. I like it. More information is here. (Home page photo: The City Weekly) - [Jazz Guitarist Wes Montgomery Taught Himself--And He Did Quite a Job](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jazz-guitarist-wes-montgomery-taught-himself-and-he-did-quite-a-job/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYDiZcAJY44 Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery was called the best player since Charlie Christian. Praise doesn't get any higher in that part of the world. Here is the start of Montgomery's profile at NPR: The jazz guitar of Wes Montgomery, deemed "the biggest, warmest, fattest sound on record," still reverberates today, nearly forty years after his - [From Vienna: Richard Kapp & the Gowns](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-vienna-richard-kapp-the-gowns/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q98aXeCgpWI One of the fun things about The Daily Music Break is featuring artists who are a bit lesser known. Indeed, I am going to do this on a more regular basis. One such act is Richard Kapp & the Gowns. The band has a nice and easy style. Something about Kapps and the music - [On This Day in 1969: Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs Call It Quits](https://dailymusicbreak.com/on-this-day-in-1969-lester-flatt-and-earl-scruggs-call-it-quits/) - Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs broke up on tn this day in 1969, according to Country Music Television. The two had been together for 25 years, the site says. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW_YGXqQq6c - [Led Zeppelin: "How Many More Times" and "Kashmir"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/led-zeppelin-how-many-more-times-and-kashmir/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE-JQzj2aEA Posts about super bands such as Led Zeppelin are difficult simply because virtually any rock fan who comes to this site know more about the band than I. I am horizontal in my interests, not vertical: I know a bit about a lot of things, but a lot about few. Fans also likely have seen - [Nicole Atkins Looks Amazing](https://dailymusicbreak.com/nicole-atkins-looks-amazing/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LsZvo0ZtfUw H/T: Luke P. I remember the first song I heard by Dire Straits. It was "Sultans of Swing," which of course became a mega-hit. I turned on the radio after it started so I didn't know who was singing. I remember thinking that Dylan had released a very good new song. I was reminded of - [The Short, Productive and Probably Unhappy Life of Franz Schubert](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-short-productive-and-probably-unhappy-life-of-franz-schubert/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuclgz-6uqQ Franz Schubert, according to profiles, lived a short life, spent most of it writing various forms of music of the day, got virtually no recognition and died of syphilis at age 32. Here is the part of Wikipedia's profile: In a short lifespan of less than 32 years, Schubert was a prolific composer, writing some - [Sonny Stitt: A Charlie Parker Disciple Who Forged His Own Style](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sonny-stitt-a-charlie-parker-disciple-who-forged-his-own-style/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6uT4WPbTz0 A gentleman by the name of Leo T.Sullivan runs a series of small and eloquent Web pages dedicated to jazz greats. His tastes seem to trend toward "players' players" -- musicians who perhaps don't have the fame of the Dizzy Gillespies and Louis Armstrongs of the world, but clearly had the respect of their - [The Appeal of Heavy Metal](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-appeal-of-heavy-metal/) - Editor's Note: About a month ago, TDMB somehow got onto the front page of Reddit. That translated into a tremendous amount of traffic and emails from folks wanting to subscribe to our newsletters. One of those folks was Sean Nelson, who asked the very reasonable question of why we haven't covered metal. I asked Sean - [The Specials: "Nite Klub" and "Gangsters"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-specials-nite-klub-and-gangsters/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaV9GYPSM94 This is the beginning of Wikipedia's profile of the influence band The Specials: The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are a 2 Tone and ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England.[1] Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska - [The Davis Sisters Sang Gospel the Philadelphia Way](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-davis-sisters-sang-gospel-the-philadelphia-way/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a5R2W-g0F4 There actually were two groups called The Davis Sisters performing at about the same time. They weren't hard to keep separate, however: One was a white country act and the other was a group of African-American gospel singers from Philadelphia. Imagine the surprise of somebody expecting to see one Davis Sisters and getting the other. - [Blue Scholars](https://dailymusicbreak.com/blue-scholars/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz79goWQrYU Editor's Note: A good deal of music I hadn't heard before was sent to the site in response to an appearance on Reddit last month. I am presenting the music in roughly the order I got it. If you sent something and haven't seen it, pls. send it again. I got a tremendous amount - [St. Paul & the Broken Bones Play the Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/st-paul-the-broken-bones-play-the-blues/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oDuif301F-8 New blues from St. Paul and the Broken Bones. This is from the band's website: Front man Paul Janeway’s handle “St. Paul” is a wry allusion to the vocalist’s grounding in the church. Like many a legendary soul singer, Janeway, a native of the small town of Chelsea, Alabama, was raised on the gospel - [Music Demo!](https://dailymusicbreak.com/music-demo/) - [Noel Coward, Proto-Rapper](https://dailymusicbreak.com/noel-coward-proto-rapper/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2YvYiWtovM About a year ago, I mentioned Noel Coward's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" in a post about Joe Cocker and Leon Russell and the tour and album that were named with a piece of Coward's phrase. The original song is an amazing piece of music, which is above. It can be seen as one of the - [New Music: Two Bottle Jump](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-two-bottle-jump/) - http://vimeo.com/85724559 H/T: LM A newsletter subscriber was kind enough to send me a SoundCloud link to music from Two Bottle Jump, an English band. I am not going to post the link she sent because the photographs that come along with embed code are not displaying quite correctly. That song is called "Is This What - [Madeleine Peyroux is Just a Kid from Brooklyn, SoCal and Paris](https://dailymusicbreak.com/madeleine-peyroux-is-just-a-kid-from-brooklyn-socal-and-paris/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIfqqIuRM5I I stumbled upon a Madeleine Peyroux video at Tumblr. I wish I could remember the site (does Tumblr call them sites?) where I saw it, so that I could credit the person. In any case, Peyroux is terrific. The video I first saw was "I'm All Right," which is above. The video itself seems - [Electric Guitar Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/electric-guitar-blues/) - [The Appeal of Heavy Metal, Part II](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-appeal-of-heavy-metal-part-ii/) - Editor's Note: About a month ago, TDMB somehow got onto the front page of Reddit. That translated into a tremendous amount of traffic and emails from folks wanting to subscribe to our newsletters. One of those folks was Sean Nelson, who asked the very reasonable question of why we haven't covered metal. I asked Sean - [Happy Birthdays to Ben Webster and Sarah Vaughan](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthdays-to-ben-webster-and-sarah-vaughan/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrc3awPUZgY This Day In Jazz notes that today is the birthdays of Ben Webster and Sarah Vaughan. The great tenor sax player was born in 1909 and the vocalist in 1924. The Ben Webster Foundation deserves credit for not sugar-coating an unpleasant aspect of Webster's personality--and in the first paragraph of its profile, no less: The - [David Grisman: "Shady Grove" and "Russian Lullaby"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/david-grisman-shady-grove-and-russian-lullaby/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2OMMGHihIE Long time Jerry Garcia collaborator David Grisman is a singular talent. Wikipedia does its usual solid job of starting its profile with a nice roundup of Grisman's unique contributions: David Grisman (born March 23, 1945 in Hackensack, New Jersey) is an American bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. In the early 1990s, he - [Playlist: Five From Charlie Parker](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-charlie-parker/) - Five songs from Charlie Parker are at the bottom of this post. Charlie Parker's innovations are complex and difficult to explain to non musicians. 8notes.com takes a shot at explaining it: Parker's soaring, fast, rhythmically asymmetrical improvisations could amaze the listener; nevertheless close inspection shows each line to hold a complete, well-constructed phrase with each note in - [New Music: Nino Arobelidze](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-nino-arobelidze/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-HJ5CjYvFU Here is new music from Nino Abrobelidze. This profile is from her website: Hailing from Tbilisi-Georgia, Nino Arobelidze moved to Chicago to make music and develop her sound. While still studying classical vocal performance at DePaul University Music School, Nino became the first vocalist to be an Artist in Residence at the North Shore - [Over the Rainbow with Yip Harburg](https://dailymusicbreak.com/over-the-rainbow-with-yip-harburg/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eih67rlGNhU The Lower East Side of Manhattan produced a prodigious amount of talent, including the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, The Marx Brothers and the now largely forgotten Yip Harburg. Harburg, as the bio from a site dedicated to him attests, spent a long life doing the right things: E. Y. (Yip) Harburg, often known as "Broadway's - [Maurice Ravel's "Boléro"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/maurice-ravels-bolero/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmEJLoawItU Bomb disposal may be the only vocation more terrifying than playing in a classical orchestra. Think about it: A rock musician plays a wrong note and, honestly, nobody cares. Jazz is a bit more exacting. But play a wrong note and, well, it happens. But it seems like the classical orchestras always are perfect - [When Great Guitarists Talk Shop, Buddy Guy is in the Conversation](https://dailymusicbreak.com/when-great-guitarists-talk-shop-buddy-guy-is-in-the-conversation/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU5xA6ty0a4 AllMusic's bio of blues legend Buddy Guy was written by Mark Deming. Here is how it starts: Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of his generation (and arguably the most celebrated), possessing a sound and style that embodied the traditions of classic Chicago blues while also embracing the fire and - [A Conversation with Steely Dan's Jon Herington](https://dailymusicbreak.com/a-conversation-with-steely-dans-jon-herington-2/) - Jon Herington on Steely Dan, playing across genres, guitarists he admires, running his own band and more: I spoke with Steely Dan guitarist Jon Herington via Skype this week in the first of what I hope will be many such conversations for The Daily Music Break. One of the things that we spoke about is - [Playlist: Five From Blind Lemon Jefferson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-blind-lemon-jefferson/) - The playlist is at the bottom of this page. I recognize "Match Box Blues" as a song that has been modernized. Versions of "All I Want is Pure Religion" -- with a slightly different name -- have been done by Reverend Gary Davis and Hot Tuna, I believe. Blind Lemon Jefferson is one of the - [Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand Reinvigorates Bluegrass](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ryan-shupe-the-rubberband-reinvigorates-bluegrass/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wYl9JcslnWM Music has a great ability to renew itself. Check out Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand, a bluegrass group from Utah breathes new life -- and not a little bit of humor -- into the a genre steeped in tradition. This is background from the band's site. RubberBand is a perfect name for Ryan Shupe - [Playlist: Five From Irving Berlin](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-irving-berlin/) - [Playlist: Five From Irving Berlin](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-irving-berlin-2/) - Irving Berlin (originally Isidor Baline, though there is uncertainty about his first name) quite possibly is the greatest songwriter in American history. One measure of a composer's influence is how his or her work survives. Is it forgotten? Do succeeding generations of artists re-imagine it? Long after he was out of the limelight -- not dead, since - [New Music: Vaudeville Etiquette](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-vaudeville-etiquette/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dih7K1QGGig Here is what the Seattle Times said about Vaudeville Etiquette. The band's website offers this: Seattle folk-rock band Vaudeville Etiquette embraces their scope of influences moving fearlessly from swinging roots rock, to country, jazz, and blues. Comprised of Tayler Lynn, Bradley Laina, Matt Teske, Sander Vinberg, & Bryce Gourley, the band puts on a - [Playlist: Five From Louis Jordan](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-louis-jordan/) - Louis Jordan was brilliant, funny and one of the bridges from jazz to rock and roll. Check out the play list below. Here is the beginning of this profile at The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 1987: He has been called “the Father of Rhythm & Blues” and - [New Music: The Tallest Tree](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-the-tallest-tree/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxyXbsk4bRc#t=29 This nice newly released song and video from The Tallest Tree is "I'll Be Your (For You)." It reminds me a bit of "I'm Your Man" by Leonard Cohen, which is quite a compliment. It's also a little funny--I don't think much else about The Tallest Tree is likely to make anyone think of Leonard - [Playlist: Five From Richard Thompson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-richard-thompson/) - [column size=one_half position=first ] Richard Thompson's career is hard to sum up because it is so long, varied and distinguished. Though he is thought of by many primarily as a songwriter, Thompson placed 19th in Rolling Stone's 2011 feature on the top 100 guitarists of all time. This is what David Fricke wrote about Thompson in the story: - [Gustav Mahler "Expanded the Orchestra to its Breaking Point”](https://dailymusicbreak.com/gustav-mahler-expanded-the-orchestra-to-its-breaking-point/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAQQSs4P2Rs Gustav Mahler was born in 1860 in what is now the Czech Republic. Wikipedia calls Mahler a “bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition” and modernism. His output wasn't great and he worked mainly as a conductor. Mahler’s symphonies, the profile says, employed large orchestras, choruses and vocal soloists. ClassicalNet says that Eighth Symphony includes - [Mohammad Rafi: "Jaan Pehchan"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mohammad-rafi-jaan-pehchan/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IbdnTeMGpM If this was the only video on YouTube, it still would be a great site. Well, of course not. But it's a great clip, which features a surf theme in an Indian musical. It goes on a bit too long, however. The song is being used currently in a Heineken commercial. According to the - [Great Music in Old Comedies](https://dailymusicbreak.com/great-music-in-old-comedies/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=V_w3UG6C_Mo There is a lot of great music in old comedies. The Bob Hope of the 1930s and 1940s was a far different guy than the reactionary character of the 1960s and 1970s. The earlier Hope was funny and had what in those days passed for a streak of anti-authoritarianism. He spent the latter two decades - ["The Third Man Theme" is Perfect Music for a Perfect Movie](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-third-man-theme-is-perfect-music-for-a-perfect-movie/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2ZWcwy12lk One of the greatest movies of all time is The Third Man, which is based on a novella by Graham Greene. On one level, it is a story of espionage and criminality in post-World War II Vienna. The real story is the dehumanizing impact of the two wars. It's a perfect film, which was - [The Dance Scene from To Sir, With Love](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-dance-scene-from-to-sir-with-love/) - The Sidney Poitier film To Sir, With Love featured the singer Lulu. During the climatic scene in the film -- right before she sang the title song -- The Mindbenders sang It's Getting Harder All the Time. IMDB said the band was not credited. According to Wikipedia, band members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman eventually formed the - [Julie Andrews Turns 77](https://dailymusicbreak.com/julie-andrews-turns-77/) - The actress was born on Oct. 1, 1935, according to This Day in Music. - [The Good, the Bad and the Ukulele](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ukulele/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLgJ7pk0X-s This Day in Music History notes that the sound track of the great spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and the Ugly was number one on the U.K. charts on this day in 1968. Here is The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's take on the title track. The title of the orchestra's DVD, Anarchy in - [Hooray For Bernard Herrmann](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hooray-for-bernard-herrmann/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQwzJ6VvUD0 It's amazing how many great movies featured music composed by Bernard Herrmann. Here are some highlights: Citizen Kane; The Devil and Daniel Webster; The Magnificent Ambersons; Jane Eyre; Anna and the King of Siam; The Ghost and Mrs. Muir;The Day the Earth Stood Still;The Trouble with Harry; The Man Who Knew Too Much; The - [Soundtracks: "Local Hero"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/soundtracks-local-hero/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oow0icWi9lM Here is the beautiful "Going Home" piece by Mark Knopfler. If you haven't seen it, the move is just great. - [Shine On You Crazy Harvest Moon](https://dailymusicbreak.com/shine-on-you-crazy-harvest-moon/) - https://youtu.be/l9hmO-wOx-s Sometimes things work out perfectly. Recently, the song title "Shine On, Harvest Moon" popped into my head. It's a classic, great song that is evocative of a simpler and for some people happier and more innocent time. It's the type of song our grandparents sang. (Actually, not mine. Mine were too busy running from - [David Bowie, Comic Actor](https://dailymusicbreak.com/david-bowie-comic-actor/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv6mEv_rDdE Nothing to add to everything that has been said during the past 24 hours about David Bowie. He was a very funny guy as well. This is making the rounds on YouTube. It's terrific. (Thumbnail photo: Adam Bielawski) - [The Lost Bayou Ramblers](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-lost-bayou-ramblers/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XsxdQW1s8E Two songs from The Lost Bayou Ramblers were on the soundtrack of "Beast of the Southern Wild." It's a great movie. Two numbers -- neither of which are in the movie -- are here. Above is "Blue Moon Special" and below is "Bastille." The band, according to a comment at the "Bastille" page, consists of Louis Michot - [Podcast: Why Was Louis Armstrong the Great Louis Armstrong?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-why-was-louis-armstrong-the-great-louis-armstrong-2/) - We all know--and most of us love -- the jolly, overweight trumpeter with the huge smile, gravelly voice and out-sized personality. It is assumed in popular culture that Louis Armstrong was a genius. Indeed, the experts are even more certain of it than the rest of us. But, for non-experts, an interesting question arises: What, precisely, - [Have You Met Lydia?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/have-you-met-lydia/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8 A couple of days after the death of Robin Williams, I watched "The Fisher King," a very good movie directed by Terry Gilliam that starred Williams and Jeff Bridges. In one of the best scenes in the film, Williams -- who plays an unbalanced street person -- gets a date with the woman he idolizes - [Pearl Jam: "Corduroy" and "Rearviewmirror"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/pearl-jam-corduroy-and-rearviewmirror/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_kKPTo7EM4 Pearl Jam, of course, was one of the super groups of the 1990s. It surprised me that they still are touring today. Here is how Sterogum's Ryan Leas begins his list of the band's ten top songs: Pearl Jam’s status as an artist can be a hard one to quantify. They entered the scene - [New Music: Animal City](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-animal-city/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoEEsHYunCM&feature=youtu.be Above is new music from a Chicago-bred band called Animal City. The name of the song is "Drummer Sister." This is from the band's profile at Sophomore Lounge Records: Don't let puppets fool you. One look at the amusingly chaotic video for "Mouseface" with its haphazard headbanging, extraterrestrial mascots, and the frolicking friends of - [Playlist: Five From Jefferson Airplane](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-jefferson-airplane/) - [column size=one_half position=first ] Jefferson Airplane emerged from the San Francisco scene of the 1960s. The band once was as big as The Grateful Dead, but didn't fare as well over time. The Jefferson Airplane was followed by Jefferson Starship and, finally, Starship. Along the way it spawned Hot Tuna, which features lead guitar player - [When People Were Shorter and Lived By the Water and Other Bands That Are Great No Matter What They Sound Like](https://dailymusicbreak.com/when-people-were-shorter-and-lived-by-the-water-and-other-bands-that-are-great-no-matter-what-they-sound-like/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PsnxDQvQpw I posted Digital Dream Door's list of funny band names a long time ago, but why not do it again? Here is how it starts: A Band Named Bob A Box of Fish with Tartar Sauce A Boy Named Gomer A Cat Born In An Oven Isn't A Cake Above Average Weight Band Abracadaver - [Ralph Stanley Stayed True to Very Old Roots](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ralph-stanley-stayed-true-to-very-old-roots/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymF9tRrDX_0 Jana Pendragon at AllMusic does a nice job of profiling Ralph Stanley. Here is how it starts: Born in Stratton, Virginia in 1927, Ralph Stanley and his older brother Carter formed the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys. In 1946 Ralph and Carter were being broadcast from radio station WCYB in Bristol, Virginia. - [](https://dailymusicbreak.com/2657-2/) - Johannes - [Johannes Brahms, One of the "Three Bs"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/johannes-brahms-one-of-the-three-bs/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkIULqYxiPU Johannes Brahms is grouped with Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach as the "Three Bs." (This is not to be confused with the 1982 Miami Dolphins' "Killer Bees" defense. It's unlikely many people would make that mistake, but I thought I'd mention it.) Wikipedia sums things up well, as usual: Brahms is often considered - [Once Upon a Time, There Was Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels](https://dailymusicbreak.com/once-upon-a-time-there-was-mitch-ryder-the-detroit-wheels/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrOvQ9JAf3g Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels was an important band that has not gotten its due. The site called "Not in the Hall of Fame" sums up the band's importance. Indeed, it may be the key American-bred liberator of rock and roll: Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels was at its core a Rock band that - [The Chicago Transit Authority](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-chicago-transit-authority/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cab_XlnJZjc It's interesting to see versions of familiar songs from the days before they lost their edge and were exiled to classic rock format hell. The version of Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4" above rocks far more than I remember and than versions of more recent vintage, which lean to the right side of - [They Were Devo](https://dailymusicbreak.com/they-were-devo/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jVoroHx3IU It's strange that things I thought were weird and didn't like when I was a kid I still thing are weird -- but now I like them. It's hard to take the position that the group -- which was based on the idea that humankind and its societies are moving backwards -- was not - [Playlist: Five From Hank Williams](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-hank-williams/) - Hank Williams, Sr. was a transitional figure in American music in general and country music in particular. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine starts his profile with the stark fact that Williams' his fame lasted all of four years: Hank Williams is the father of contemporary country music. He was a superstar by the age of 25; he - [New Music: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-university-of-massachusetts-dartmouth/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpYUyrd0vhM Last month, I posted a query asking for new music at ProfNet, a site that links editors/reporters with sources. I intend to post everything that was sent my way. One response was a set of fusion clips from senior recitals at The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth senior recitals. Above is "Two Late," which was - [Number One on This Day in 1961: Del Shannon's "Runaway"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/number-one-on-this-day-in-1961-del-shannons-runaway/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrMUh0fA3D8 Del Shannon's "Runaway" was number one from April 23 to May 20, 1961, according to Bobborst.com. The song was written by Shannon and drummer Max Crook. Here is more on Shannon. There are several audio versions of the same original video at Youtube. I am not sure if this is the one that actually - [Danny Gatton aka "The Humbler" and "The World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/danny-gatton-aka-the-humbler-and-the-worlds-greatest-unknown-guitarist/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUpP7CnW4yA Wikipedia does a great job of illustrating what other guitarists -- very good guitarists -- thought of Danny Gatton: Gatton's playing combined musical styles such as jazz, blues and rockabilly in an innovative fashion, and he was known by some as "the Telemaster." He was also called "the world's greatest unknown guitarist". His most - [Yes, We Have Emails -- and The Marvelettes](https://dailymusicbreak.com/yes-we-have-emails-and-the-marvelettes/) - TDMB offers emails keeping you up to date on our posts. Just send me a note at this email and I will add you to the list. The Marvelettes certainly would like you to send the email. "Please Mr. Postman" has an interesting history. Not every group can claim to have been covered by The Beatles. - [Playlist: Five From Scott Joplin](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-scott-joplin/) - There is no one true American music, of course. There are many: Blues, jazz, rock and roll and others. They blend into each other in unpredictable permutations. Ragtime is a fundamental building block of all of them, and it holds a special place in the mix. When played softly and slowly, ragtime is a poignant reminder - [Van Morrison: "Tupelo Honey" and "Into the Mystic"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/van-morrison-tupelo-honey-and-into-the-mystic/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEiMQ9w3t3o It is hard to characterize Van Morrison. Is he a rocker? A soul singer? An R& B artist. Whatever he is, he's good. This is the start of Wikipedia's profile: Van Morrison, OBE (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are - [Happy Belated Birthday, Maxine Sullivan](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-belated-birthday-maxine-sullivan/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJm3wdb2r8s Maxine Sullivan, who jazz critics think is unfairly forgotten, was born on May 13, 1911. Her first and biggest hit was a cover of the Scottish ballad "Loch Lomond," which is above. Here is more on Sullivan, who died on December 7,1987. - [New Music: Lights & Motion](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-lights-motion/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zYu0OqZ7T0 Here is what Deep Elm Records says about the band Lights and Motion: Epic. Stunning. Moving. Deep. Spectacular. Brilliant. Magical. Inspirational. Captivating. Masterful. Perfect. Those are just a handful of the words used by the media to describe the music of cinematic post rock powerhouse LIGHTS & MOTION. The band’s debut, Reanimation (released in - [Playlist: Five From Bob Marley](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-bob-marley/) - [column size=one_half position=first ] Here are some Bob Marley links: His official website and entries from Wikipedia, bio.com and last.fm, which has a nice quick bio. Here is how it starts: Bob Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981), born Nesta Robert Marley which was later to be changed by passport officials to Robert Nesta Marley, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter, - [New Music: Theo Croker](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-theo-croker/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ubh4DpcsWo Trumpeter Theo Croker is releasing an album, "AfroPhysicist," tomorrow. Croker -- here is his Facebook page -- is the grandson of the great Doc Cheatham. The album was produced by Dee Dee Bridgewater. Croker's site had a bio, which apparently no longer is posted. Here is part of it: Theo Croker was born and - [Number One This Week in 1949: "Ghost Riders in the Sky"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/number-one-this-week-in-1949-ghost-riders-in-the-sky/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyDNnQbbkSQ Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra's operatic "Ghost Riders in the Sky" was number one the Billboard charts during this week in 1949. The song was written by Stan Jones. - [Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky Conducts Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky](https://dailymusicbreak.com/igor-fyodorovich-stravinsky-conducts-igor-fyodorovich-stravinsky/) - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9m2dh_igor-stravinsky-1965-conducts-lulla_music ClassicalNet explains the importance of Igor Stravinsky, who lived from 1882 to 1971: Russian/international composer who began two of the major strains of contemporary music. He studied with Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and his early works, like the Symphony No. 1 in E Flat, show the influence of that master. Almost immediately, however, he began to - [New Music: Courtney Barnett](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-courtney-barnett/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcnIhzaDTd0 I heard "Avant Gardener" on WFUV, the Fordham University radio station. It's a great song. Below is "Depreston," another good one, performed at the station, which is one of the good things about New York. Here is some of what AllMusic says about the talented Australian singer/songwriter/guitarist: Melbourne-based singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett first came to light - [Happy Memorial Day](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-memorial-day/) - Happy Memorial Day to all. At first it seems odd that "Stars and Stripes Forever," the great John Philip Sousa march, is such a great acoustic guitar song. But it makes sense because of the great rhythm. Chet Atkins has a great version. This version by Doug Smith is every bit its equal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f5WRrUJu-8 - [New Music: Aurora Barnes](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-aurora-barnes/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jft8y8VEsx0 I still am working through the responses that came in from a PR posting in mid April. The latest is "Meet Me," from New York City-born and raised singer Aurora Barnes. This is from the press release announcing the EP that the song is on: Raised on everyone from Bob Dylan to Stephen Sondheim, - [The Bee Gees Got Brooklyn, and Lots of Other Things, Just Right](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-bee-gees-got-brooklyn-and-lots-of-other-things-just-right/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBw25CrUS-o Like most people, disco is not my thing. But the Bee Gees' soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever" was art. The music and lyrics were an important element -- indeed, the main element, along with John Travolta's acting and dancing -- of a film that perfectly captured the era, New York City in general and - [Podcast: A Conversation with Led Zeppelin Chronicler Denny Somach](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-led-zeppelin-chronicler-denny-somach/) - I had the opportunity last week to chat with Denny Somach, author of "Get the Led Out: How Led Zeppelin Became the Biggest Band in the World." Click above to hear what Denny had to say. The book is available in several places, including Amazon. [Image Jim Summaria] - [The Cranberries' Irish Stew](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-cranberries-irish-stew/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ky4CdN0x58A One of the great things about Irish music is its ability to incorporate other types of music without losing its essential character. Other genres do this, of course, but the Irish do it particularly well. The Cranberries are a great example. Wikipedia says that the band mix several forms: The Cranberries are an Irish - [New Music: Michael Soward](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-michael-soward/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzJxDiUkG_8 This is another of the songs that was sent to me via a posting at a website that matches journalists and various sources. This is from the bio at Soward's site: Michael Soward, music producer of cutting edge music for almost 30 years, has released his first novel, "Life-ology 101". The book is receiving - [Edith Piaf Was The Little Sparrow](https://dailymusicbreak.com/edith-piaf-was-the-little-sparrow/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxByDgpLmss It's fascinating to consider what artists do when their countries are under military occupation. France during the Nazi era is a great example. This ambiguous paragraph is from the profile at AllMusic: In the fall of 1939, Asso was called to serve in World War II. Early the next year, Piaf recorded one of her signature songs, "L'Accordéoniste," - [This Day In Music History: Grand Funk Railroad Beats The Beatles](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-music-history-grand-funk-railroad-beats-the-beatles/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyF5J7au1jE This Day in Music notes that on June 5, 1971, Grand Funk Railroad sold out Shea Stadium in 72 hours. June 5, I guess, was the third day. That was faster than The Beatles, the record holders at the time. This vintage clip of "I'm Your Captain," which presumably is from that concert, reminds - [Playlist: Five From Carl Perkins](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-carl-perkins/) - [column size=one_half position=first ] Carl Perkins is one of the pillars of rock and roll. Here is the beginning of his profile at The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website, into which he was inducted in 1987: Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins lent a helping hand when the two currents that defined Southern music at - [Freddy Cannon, Frederick Picariello, Mick Jagger, Chuck Barris, Dick Clark, Boom Boom, Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Buddy Bolden](https://dailymusicbreak.com/freddy-cannon-frederick-picariello-mick-jagger-chuck-barris-dick-clark-boom-boom-louis-armstrong-kid-ory-and-buddy-bolden/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G7TYPEawX0 I confess that I had never head of Freddy Cannon until today. I was intrigued by this oddity: Here's the most amazing music-trivia factoid in a long time, courtesy of the liner notes to Boom Boom 24-song greatest-hits collection: Mick Jagger acknowledges he based "Brown Sugar's" melody on Freddy Cannon's 1959 hit, "Tallahassee Lassie." - [The Yardbirds: "For Your Love" and "Heart Full of Soul"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-yardbirds-for-your-love-and-heart-full-of-soul/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU5zqidlxMQ During a podcast I conducted last week with Denny Somach -- the author of "Get the Led Out: How Led Zeppelin Became the Biggest Band in the World" -- emphasized the importance of The Yardbirds on the development of rock. It's pretty clear and well put in the liner notes to The Yardbird's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1. The - [Playlist: Five From Red Garland](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-red-garland/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]One of the fun things about running a site like this is finding unfamiliar artists. I had heard of Red Garland but didn't know how great he was. If you like classic jazz piano, you'll love Garland. Here is information on his style: Garland's trademark block chord technique, a commonly borrowed maneuver in - [Cyrille Aimée's Great New Voice](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cyrille-aimees-great-new-voice/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJjVjV0EYaM HT: Cousin ES Cyrille Aimée is a great and innovative modern jazz singer. This is from her website: Winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival's International Vocal Competition, the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and finalist in the Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition, French vocalist Cyrille Aimée is—in the words of Will Friedwald of The - [Frédéric Chopin: "The Most Idiomatic Composer for the Piano Who Ever Lived"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/frederic-chopin-the-most-idiomatic-composer-for-the-piano-who-ever-lived/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3P7JZ-EGmg Frédéric François Chopin didn't seem to have much fun. His story is reminiscent of Franz Schubert's, which isn't a good thing. This is the beginning of Chopin's Wikipedia profile: Frédéric François Chopin (/ˈʃoʊpæn/; French pronunciation: ​[fʁe.de.ʁik ʃɔ.pɛ̃]; 22 February or 1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849), born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin,[n 1] was a Polish composer - [New Music: Matt Panayides](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-matt-panayides/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hxZBYDaVTA&feature=youtu.be Progressive jazz guitarist Matt Panayides was nice enough to send over links to his work. Matt has an ongoing Kick Starter campaign to finance his second studio album. This is from his website: Matt Panayides is a modern guitarist/composer. He loves performing and joining forces with a diverse array of musicians, while being part - [Playlist: Five By (Yes That) Shel Silverstein](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-by-yes-that-shel-silverstein/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]Three things have surprised me since I started The Daily Music Break: Norah Jones is Ravi Shankar's daughter, Herb Alpert is not Latin American and Shel Silverstein -- author of "The Giving Tree" and "A Light in the Attic" -- was a prodigious writer of country and country rock songs. His most famous - [This Day in 1980: Donna Summer Signs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-1980-donna-summer-signs/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXjf78OLSrw According to This Day in Music, on this day in 1980 Donna Summer became the first act to sign with Geffen Records. Summer -- whose real name was the much more interesting LaDonna Adrian Gaines -- had a tremendous stage presence. Unfortunately, she passed away a year ago. Of course, it's fashionable to deride disco. - [Podcast: A Chat with Matt Panayides](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-chat-with-matt-panayides/) - Earlier this week, I posted new music from progressive jazz guitarist Matt Panayides. I had a chance to speak with him earlier today. The podcast is above. Clearly, it's lacking stylistically: There is no introductory or end theme music and the audio is okay but not great. The song at the end--"Seoul Soul"--is sort of - [Robert Nighthawk Should Be a Household Name](https://dailymusicbreak.com/robert-nighthawk-should-be-a-household-name/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMI5KHPFDns It's interesting that Robert Lee McCollum -- Robert Nighthawk -- never got the recognition accorded other blues players, many of whom he impacted. A lot of tremendous information is available at the great looking site SundayBlues: Robert Nighthawk was one of the blues premier slide guitarists playing with a subtle elegance and a fluid, crystal - [Happy 70th Birthday, Jeff Beck](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-70th-birthday-jeff-beck/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVNFCJoy1hU Everybody gets old, only some do it gracefully. Above is "Bad Romance" with the very beginning cut off. Beck was previously featured at TDMB in an absolutely great version of the Shangri-Las' "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" with Imelda May. (Homepage photo: Mandy Hall) - [Playlist: Five From The Queen of Soul](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-the-queen-of-soul/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]When an artist gets extraordinarily famous, he or she becomes their own category. Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and a handful of others reached this level. It goes hand-in-hand with being identified by first name only. Aretha Franklin is in the truly famous and iconic group. Here is - [Apollo's Fire Baroque Orchestra: Handel's "Da Tempeste"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/apollos-fire-baroque-orchestra-handels-da-tempeste/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xzcgWOod-U A couple of the folks in Apollo Fire, which is headquartered in Cleveland Heights, OH, are friends of my cousin. I thank her for the link. Jeannette Sorrell is conducting from the harpsichord, Olivier Brault is the concertmaster and Amanda Forsythe is the soprano. Handel's "Da Tempeste" was presented at Cleveland State University in - [Queen Ida and the Zydeco Kingdom](https://dailymusicbreak.com/queen-ida-and-the-zydeco-kingdom/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvvy7HzyZtU If I could magically have the talent to play any instrument in any type of group, I would play washboard in a zydeco band. Queen Ida -- with whom I only recently became familiar -- simply is tremendous. Here is the beginning of AllMusic's profile of the Queen: Queen Ida was the first female - [Happy 99th Birthday, Willie Dixon](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-99th-birthday-willie-dixon/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhW4EOK78Gg According to This Day in Music, Willie Dixon was born on this day in 1915. This great clip is "Weak Brain and a Narrow Mind." If anyone knows who introduces Dixon, please let me know. Here is more on Dixon, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He - [Playlist: Five From Mose Allison](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-mose-allison/) - [column size=one_half position=first ] Nobody has a cooler sound than Mose Allison. Check out "Parchman Farm" and you'll understand instantly. Allison spans several genres but can best be identified as a jazz player. Here is what NPR says about Allison: The music of pianist, singer, and composer Mose Allison has had an influence well beyond his - ["Windy" Tops the Charts on This Day in 1967](https://dailymusicbreak.com/windy-tops-the-charts-on-this-day-in-1967/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHpwzpaFI4g The number one song on this day in 1967 -- indeed, from June 25 to July 22 -- was "Windy" by The Association, according to bobborst.com. It's above. The song displaced "Groovin' " by The Young Rascals and was in turn displaced itself by The Doors' "Light My Fire." Jim Morrison, the band's lead - [Happy July 4th From Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Linda Ronstadt, Robert Cray and Dick Clark](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-july-4th-from-chuck-berry-keith-richards-linda-ronstadt-robert-cray-and-dick-clark/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23y2Cz40zs4 I wanted to feature Chuck Berry playing "Back in the U.S.A." for the fourth of July. The problem was that I found two great versions. One is from the episode of "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show" that aired, according to the overly precise notes, on July 18,1959. [column size=one_half position=last]The lip syncing - [Drive-By Truckers: "Used to Be a Cop"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/drive-by-truckers-used-to-be-a-cop/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvJ-lWOZMYg These folks have been around for a while, but it still is safe to say they represent the next generation of southern rock. Check out The Three Great Alabama Icons to see what I mean. Here is the band's website. (Homepage Photo: David McClister) - [Playlist: Seven Songs About Trains](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-seven-songs-about-trains/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]It's silly to pick seven songs about trains. There are thousands of great ones. Suffice it to say that any list of songs about trains includes lots of blues and the accompanying lonesome whistles. I'd like to listen to them all. Indeed, it's interesting that something that holds such fascination for kids (especially - [Today in Music History: "In the Midnight Hour" Released](https://dailymusicbreak.com/today-in-music-history-in-the-midnight-hour-released/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KFYUJ63nk8 Noise Addicts notes that on this day in 1965 Wilson Pickett released "In the Midnight Hour." This is an odd video: The drum set is on the front line and the main cameraman seems to be a mile away from the action. Pickett had quite a resume. In addition to "In the Midnight Hour" -- which Wikipedia - [Garth Brooks Starts His Comeback](https://dailymusicbreak.com/garth-brooks-starts-his-comeback/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1sSFLFYllY There is more of a split between old and new country music than between generations in other genres. The core of rock, for instance, hasn't changed all that much. Styles change, but it seems that the evolution of country music over the past couple of decades is particularly extreme. Today’s country songs deal with more than horses - [Happy Birthday, Newport Jazz Festival](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-newport-jazz-festival/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZU0XXaozCA This Day in Jazz History says that today is the 60th anniversary of The Newport Jazz Festival. Here is a history of the event. Above is Big Maybelle performing "All Night Long" at the 1958 festival. Be sure to listen carefully...she's a bit hard to hear. Here is more about Maybelle Louise Smith: Born in Jackson, - [Why is Washboard Sam Forgotten?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/why-is-washboard-sam-forgotten/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnxeyOV0u38 Perhaps the name "Washboard Sam" implied that he was a specialty act or a lightweight. He was neither. An interesting thing about researching the older artists featured on this website is the apparent randomness of who is remembered and who is forgotten. The Wikipedia entry for Washboard Sam says that he played with such still-remembered - [One More From Washboard Sam -- For the Pictures](https://dailymusicbreak.com/one-more-from-washboard-sam-for-the-pictures/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJU_ac9hJkI I happened to see "Tow Boat Blues" by Washboard Sam after posting some of his music this morning. The song is a collection of double entendres, which clearly was something at which he excelled. The reason I am posting the song separately is the great photos of tugboats. The slide show was put together by Jim Hatter, who credits - [The Latest in Swedish Reggae](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-latest-in-swedish-reggae/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wLqnuz6n6s Vill du veta vad som händer i reggae? Okej, det är lätt. Bara kolla vad som händer i Sverige. Min dotter föreslog på länken ovan, som är låten "Momma" från Kultiration. Det som verkligen är intressant är att bandets Wikipedia notering tyder på att dess musik liknar en amerikansk reggae band som heter Groundation - [Playlist: Johnny Winter (1944-2014)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-johnny-winter-1944-2014/) - Sad news. Nobody was a better guitar player than Johnny Winter. One of the things I read today -- I forget where -- that rings true is that Winter was a star, but not a superstar. It was most likely a conscious choice, and he probably could have done things to appeal to a wider audience. - [Hector Berlioz: Few Friends and Big, Big Orchestras](https://dailymusicbreak.com/hector-berlioz-few-friends-and-big-big-orchestras/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYqItMmwwKE The point of this website is to present music of all types, across the board. Whether I like a particular artist or song is secondary. I've chosen most of the music at The Daily Music Break, and I like most of it. But not all. That brings us to classical music. I was raised - [Ernest Tubb Was The Texas Troubadour](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ernest-tubb-was-the-texas-troubadour/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnEMOQTh27s Ernest Tubb was a second generation country music star. Profiles of the singer/songwriter paint him as a follower of Jimmie Rogers, who was known as "the Father of Country Music." Rogers, though he died long before Tubb became a star, would have a lot to do with his rise. Tubb – called The Texas Troubadour – - [Number One on this Date in 1963: "Surf City"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/number-one-on-this-date-in-1963-surf-city/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVxQ92tkgQ Wikipedia says that Jan & Dean's song was tops 51 years ago today. Wikipedia, which knows everything about everything, says that the song originated with Brian Wilson. - [Playlist: Five From King Oliver](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-king-oliver/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]In the 1920s, jazz just was becoming jazz. One of the key figures in this process was Joseph Nathan (King) Oliver. Oliver was important for several reasons. The Red Hot Jazz Archive gives him a lot of credit for creating a structural element of the nascent genre: When we use the phrase Hot Jazz, - [The Andrews Sisters and Jump Jazz](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-andrews-sisters-and-jump-jazz-2/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfWc52smNs8 Minnesotans LaVerne, Maxene and Patty Andrews (originally Andreos) became a star act rather early. The first big hit -- in 1937 -- was a bit odd for the girls, whose father was Greek and mother Norwegian. The song was "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön," a Yiddish fiddle tune translated by Sammy Kahn. The Andrews Sisters specialized - [Cake: "Short Skirt/Long Jacket"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cake-short-skirt-long-jacket/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyJUm1K1Etc HT: Ron H. It takes a very brave band--or one with absolutely no notion of how the Internet works--to use a common noun as its name. It likely is the latter, since Cake has been around since 1991, according to Wikipedia. That is long before all this nonsense started, of course. There is a - [The War (that Failed) to End All Wars](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-war-that-failed-to-end-all-wars/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPLS5nNFWTU One hundred years ago this week -- July 28, 1914 -- Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and the First World War began. There is no better book on the subject than "The Guns of August" by Barbara Tuchman, which critics say is one of the greatest histories ever written. The book, which reads like a Greek - [Things Couldn't Have Turned Out Better for Dolly Parton](https://dailymusicbreak.com/things-couldnt-have-turned-out-better-for-dolly-parton-2/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwBNBcFAFso Dolly Parton -- the woman whose figure launched a thousand jokes -- is a serious musician. Beyond that, the Dolly that comes through in profiles and interviews as upbeat and likable. Indeed, there just is a feeling is that the real person -- at least as far as interviewers and profile writers can dig - [I Forget...What Was the Name of Bill Wyman's Old Band?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/i-forget-what-was-the-name-of-bill-wymans-old-band/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOyfbF6g0jg I vaguely remember that Bill Wyman played bass in a band that was popular decades ago. They had some pretty big hits, as I recall. They say that the fellows get together again once in a while, when they need money or miss the attention they got during the Johnson administration. I suspect that - [Playlist: Five From Nina Simone](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-nina-simone/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]Nina Simone’s career tracks the experience of female African American artists during the middle and later part of the 20th century. The bottom line is that it wasn't easy. Simone was born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933 in Tyron, North Carolina. She was the sixth of eight children. The young Waymon - [Happy 127th Birthday, Luckey Roberts](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-127th-birthday-luckey-roberts/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKXQ_E5nM-M Early jazz pianist Charles Luckyth (Luckey) Roberts was born on this day in 1887. Here is more on Roberts from Wikipedia. AllMusic does a nice job as well. Roberts, according to the site... ...was a transcendentally gifted pianist of the "San Juan Hill" ragtime school and a composer of both popular and classical material. - [The Beastie Boys Brought New Audiences to Hip Hop](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-beastie-boys-brought-new-audiences-to-hip-hop/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk The Beastie Boys started as a hard core rock band in 1981. They migrated to rap and hip hop and, in 1985, toured behind Madonna. The group released "Licensed to Ill" a year later. The above video -- "(You Gotta Fight) For Your Right (to Party!)" -- was a huge hit from the album. It's - [Lucinda Williams: A Legend in Her Own Sweet Time](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lucinda-williams-a-legend-in-her-own-sweet-time/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxpPL_aY190 Lucinda Williams, a singer-songwriter born in 1953 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, mixes elements of blues, folk and country music. Her father, Miller, was a poet, literature professor, amateur pianist and fan of Hank Williams and delta blues. Williams began writing music at six years of age and, in her twenties, began moving around the country. She settled - [This Day In Music: In 1922, The New York Philharmonic is on the Air](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-music-in-1922-the-new-york-philharmonic-is-on-the-air/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr0ixoV8mtc Classicalalmanac.com reports that on this day in 1922 a The New York Philharmonic concert was broadcast for the first time. The program was on WJZ and the venue was Lewisohn Stadium, which was on the campus of The City College of New York. Works were by Dvorák, Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn, Rimksy-Korsakov, Brahms and Gluck. The conductor - [Podcast: A Conversation with David Bromberg](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-david-bromberg-2/) - David Bromberg has played everything with everyone, or at least it seems that way. His profile is deep and wide: Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, The Beastie Boys, Doc Watson, Carly Simon, Jay Ungar, Link Wray, Phoebe Snow and dozens of others. The list is more or less a who’s who of - [Tops on This Day in 1988: "Roll With It"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tops-on-this-day-in-1988-roll-with-it/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch_ai4duCRU The invaluable site bobbobst.com tells us that the top song on this day in 1998 was Steve Winwoods "Roll With It." Here is more on Winwood, who rose to fame with the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith: Winwood burst into prominence in 1963 with the Spencer Davis Group and since that time his celebrated - [Happy 63rd Birthday, Joe Strummer](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-63rd-birthday-joe-strummer/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gp6lYQrqSE Joe Strummer, the lyricist, rhythm guitarist and singer for The Clash, was born on this day in 1952, according to This Day in Music. Here is the start of his profile at AllMusic: As frontman and main songwriter of the Clash, Joe Strummer created some of the fieriest, most vital punk rock -- and, - [The Homemade Jamz Blues Band is More Than Kids Using Mufflers for Guitars. Honest.](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-homemade-jamz-blues-band-is-more-than-kids-using-mufflers-for-guitars-honest/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VlCwLH_xWE The Homemade Jamz Blues Band, from Tupelo, Mississippi, consists of three Perry siblings: Lead guitarist Ryan, bass player Kyle and drummer Taya. There are three interesting things about the group. The first is their youth. When they signed with NorthernBlues Music, a Canadian label, Ryan was 16, Kyle was 13 and Taya was 9. A nine-year-old - [New Music: Morning Sun & The Essentials](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-morning-sun-the-essentials/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezxm_R4oWAo The song above is "Canopy." This is from the band's Facebook page: Singers Phil Grajko and Michel Aubertin met in an NYC studio in the summer of 2010. Within ten minutes, they were jamming out to a duet of Bob Marley's "Stir It Up." Within a week, they were laying the groundwork for what would - [Playlist: Captain Beefheart](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-captain-beefheart/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]Captain Beefheart's real name was Don Van Vliet. He led a life that makes a chronological profile a great deal of fun to read. The sense is that behind the odd names and difficult music -- you don't hum Captain Beefheart tunes -- was a brilliant guy. Don Vliet (he added the - [Katie Melua is a UK Pop Star, by Way of Georgia and Northern Ireland](https://dailymusicbreak.com/katie-melua-is-a-uk-pop-star-by-way-of-georgia-and-northern-ireland/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSMuCe8uBdg Katie Melua is a Georgian singer who was born in 1984. Her family moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland when she was eight years old and to London six years later. She will celebrate her 30th birthday later this month. Melua studied at the B.R.I.T. School for the Performing Arts & Technology in London. in - [Happy Birthday, Clifford, Horace and Hugo](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-clifford-horace-and-hugo/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP1kScgRBiw Three notable birthdays today: Hugo Montenegro, Horace Silver and Clifford Jordan. There is relatively little video of tenor sax player Clifford Jordan (born in 1931). This is a great version of one of my all time favorite songs, Leadbelly's "Silver City Bound." Here is Leadbelly's version, with reminiscences about his exploits with Blind Lemon Jefferson. The - [Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen Had a Lot of Fun](https://dailymusicbreak.com/commander-cody-and-his-lost-planet-airmen-had-a-lot-of-fun/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shb4ZCUZGDo For a band of some importance, there is almost no decent video of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. The vintage clip above looks like it was shot during World War I. Most of the rest are montages of the band playing behind images of people smoking ("Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette"), cars ("Hot Rod Lincoln") and - [Fountains of Wayne Has Got It Going On](https://dailymusicbreak.com/fountains-of-wayne-has-got-it-going-on/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAwKl3dTMZs Wikipedia offers an extraordinarily precise -- some would say anal -- explanation of the genesis of the name of Fountains of Wayne: The band was named after a lawn element store at the intersection of Route 23 and Route 46 in Wayne, New Jersey. No doubt, it represented suburbia and all that that suggests to the band. - [Tom Paxton, a Pillar of the American Folk Scene, Still is Going Strong](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tom-paxton-a-pillar-of-the-american-folk-scene-still-is-going-strong/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6TW3NPYj0g Tom Paxton was born in Chicago in 1937 and spent his childhood in Oklahoma and Arizona. Wikipedia says that he was given his first stringed instrument, a ukulele, at the relatively late age of 16. Burl Ives and Woody Guthrie were major influences on the young Paxton. He joined the army and, commuting from Fort Dix, New Jersey, - [From the Vault: The Proclaimers Cover Roger Miller's "King of the Road"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/from-the-vault-the-proclaimers-cover-roger-millers-king-of-the-road/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRyqePcMxJ4 Editor’s note: TDMB is reposting great music from the early days of the site. This was originally posted on April 20, 2012 and some of the details are out of date. The original video was much better, but was taken down. Roger Miller's "King of the Road" was a big hit in 1964. It has - ["This Life" from Curtis Stigers](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-life-from-curtis-stigers/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkOGbgGJLF4 "This Life" is the theme "Sons of Anarchy," which had its final season premiere this week. The song is from Curtis Stigers and was performed in the studios of KRVB -- "The River" -- in Boise, Idaho. - [Podcast: Howard Pollack on the Brilliance of George and Ira Gershwin](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-howard-pollack-on-the-brilliance-of-george-and-ira-gershwin/) - The Gershwins – composer George and lyricist Ira – are among the most important figures in American music history. As with many transformative artists, the boys were in the right place at the right time: They were born around the turn of the century (Ira in 1896 and George in 1898) in Brooklyn. It - [Podcast and Playlist: The Strange, Troubled and Brilliant John Fahey](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-and-playlist-the-strange-troubled-and-brilliant-john-fahey/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]John Fahey was an American folk guitarist who lived from 1939 to 2001. He was an eccentric and troubled man who seemed to funnel those problems and challenges into his music. The best of Fahey combined his virtuosity with a sense of the foreboding and strangeness that made the technical quality of the music - [Happy Birthday, Cissy Houston](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-cissy-houston/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlIxKpweWws This Day in Music reports that today is gospel star Cissy Houston's 81st birthday. Above, Houston sings "Peace in the Valley" in 1990. She is backed by daughter Whitney Houston and siblings BeBe and CeCe Winans, who also are gospel stars -- and come from a rather illustrious family. - [Davy Knowles Shows that at Least Some of the Kids are Alright](https://dailymusicbreak.com/davy-knowles-shows-that-at-least-some-of-the-kids-are-alright/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9dmSfMeOzY Davy Knowles is a 27-year-old blues/rock guitarist from the Isle of Man who has the right guitar heroes: Three are mentioned at the beginning of the profile at his site: John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Peter Green and Eric Clapton and Cream. There are others: The first song that caught his imagination was “Sultans - [Podcast: The Many (Professional) Lives of Commander Cody's Andy Stein](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-the-many-professional-lives-of-commander-codys-andy-stein/) - I became aware of Andy Stein when I did a post last month on Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen, of which he was a founding member. It turns out that his stint with the much-loved group was just the starting point--and that the sax is only one of the instruments in which he excels. Stein also is - [It's Impossible to Dislike Some Songs...](https://dailymusicbreak.com/its-impossible-to-dislike-some-songs/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wom94zE03w ...and this is one of them. It's "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms," played by a band with the great name of Johnny Roquemore & The Apostles of Bluegrass. Some of the comments at YouTube are very funny. People like big beads. The song has an interesting history, according to Wikipedia: "Roll in My Sweet - [Podcast: Ryan White, Author of "Springsteen: Album by Album"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-ryan-white-author-of-springsteen-album-by-album/) - I have nothing particularly original to say about Bruce Springsteen as a set up to a podcast interview with journalist Ryan White, whose coffee table book -- "Springsteen: Album by Album" -- just was released. Instead, I'd just point out that the most insightful comments I have read or head about Springsteen is that his lasting fame - [Playlist: Sam Cooke, a Crossover Success on Many Levels](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-sam-cooke-a-crossover-success-on-many-levels/) - [column size=one_half position=first]Sam Cooke was among the most important musicians of the middle part of the twentieth century. Cooke – originally Cook – was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The Cooks moved to the south side of Chicago when Sam was about two years old. His father was a well-known minister; Cooke started singing gospel at the age of nine and eventually became a - [Podcast: A Conversation with Breakup Records' Sierra Haager](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-breakup-records-sierra-haager/) - Sierra Haager is co-founder, along with husband Alex, of year-old Breakup Records, which works with a handful of indie and college-type bands, mostly from the San Francisco area. The Daily Music Break communicated recently with Sierra via email and in the above podcast. Her message was consistent: Building a successful band takes far more than - [Davy Graham: "Angi"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/davy-graham-angi/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tFN902wH0g I have been meaning to post this for a while. One of my favorite clips that I've used at The Daily Music Break is Bert Jansch's version of the song "Angie," which also goes by the name "Angi." I found out that it is a very important song that was written by influential British folk guitarist - [Before "The Voice," There was Lou Rawls](https://dailymusicbreak.com/before-the-voice-there-was-lou-rawls/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFnfkLtFgSA Louis Allen Rawls was born in Chicago in 1933. He was friends with Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke, who would play a significant role in his life. Rawls was in and out of singing groups, often with Cooke, after graduating from high school. In 1955, Cooke enlisted and became an Army paratrooper. He was - [The Irish Rovers: "Black Velvet Band" and "The Titanic"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-irish-rovers-black-velvet-band-and-the-titanic/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfsgHyymG8E There seems to be a very tangible continuum between the generations of Irish music. The mantle is systematically handed down from bands such as The Irish Rovers, The Dubliners and The Clancy Brothers to later bands such as The Pogues and then to even new bands, such as Black 47, Dropkick Murphys and Flogging - [Podcast: A Conversation with Nino Arobelidze](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-nino-arobelidze/) - A Conversation with Nino Arobelidze: I had a very enjoyable conversation about a week ago with Tbilisi, Georgian-born, Chicago-based singer and songwriter Nino Arobelidze (and her son). I don't know Nino, so I was going to simply post the profile from her website to accompany the podcast and videos. The more I thought about the conversation, - [In Their Own Words: Miratti](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-their-own-words-miratti/) - Editor’s note: Are you a solo performer or in a band? Friends of a band? Do you manage a music act? If so, contact carl@dailymusicbreak.com to discuss posting a video such as the one above. Miratti is the first of what I hope will be a steady stream of young and upcoming artists to use The - [Georges Bizet and "Carmen"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/georges-bizet-and-carmen/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQI5LtRtrb0 French composer Georges Bizet hit an unfortunate daily double: He died young and his career epitomizes the artist whose work is unappreciated until he is gone. Bizet was born in Paris in 1838. The Wikiepedia profile says that he was a “brilliant” student and won many awards. The problem, apparently, was that his compositions - [Podcast: A Conversation with Country Singer/Songwriter Jessica Campbell](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-country-singer-songwriter-jessica-campbell/) - A Conversation with Jessica Campbell This is an edited version of responses to questions The Daily Music Break posed to Jessica Campbell, a young Nashville-based singer songwriter. Her third album, appropriately entitled III, recently was released: Give me some details about you and your musical background? I grew up in a small town in NC - [Tops on this Day in 1972: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/tops-on-this-day-in-1972-papa-was-a-rollin-stone/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s3SNHIH0bs The top song this week in 1972 was The Temptations' great "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." It really is a very sad song. Check out the lyrics. The video above is from VH1. However, I am almost sure that the original is from Soul Train, since Don Cornelius' voice is hard to mistake. It - [New Music: Dan Weber](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-dan-weber/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eORG34xxBq0 The Daily Music Break was supposed to feature a podcast with country singer/songwriter Dan Weber today. We were halfway through recording it when my computer made some strange noises and the screen went blank. Or, more precisely, reverted to looking likes its great grandfather, a blue screen with white lettering from a 1970s movie. - [Podcast: Doug MacLeod and the Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-doug-macleod-and-the-blues/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5z3fcco3ys A Conversation with Doug MacLeod: Doug MacLeod is a bluesman, which I believe he would consider a great compliment--it certainly is meant that way. His nature comes through in his response to a question posed to him by The Daily Music Break: I'm really kind of ‘old school’ in the sense that I travel - [The Platters: A Bridge Between Tin Pan Alley and Rock and Roll](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-platters-a-bridge-between-tin-pan-alley-and-rock-and-roll/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyM8NVl4yBY The Platters, an important bridge between Tin Pan Alley and early rock-and-roll, was a group that was formed in Los Angeles. The group, which began with a sound unlike the smooth music for which they were famous, was transformed and owes just about everything to their manager, Buck Ram. The Platters started with the - [Podcast: A Conversation with Dan Weber](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-dan-weber/) - Two weeks ago, The Daily Music Break posted about country singer/songwriter Dan Weber. We chatted with Dan a few weeks ago. Check out the podcast -- and information Dan had provided to us. Tell us a bit about your background. I’ve never had any formal training and didn’t grow up as a musician. My Mom - [Podcast: Maria Quiles and Rory Cloud](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-maria-quiles-and-rory-cloud/) - Maria Quiles and Rory Cloud met in 2011 and have been performing and recording together ever since. Below are answers to questions posed by The Daily Music Break and a podcast interview. The song at the beginning of the podcast is "Seminole Star." Give me some details about the two of you and your musical background? - [Podcast: A Conversation with Seattle Singer-Songwriter Ian McFeron](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-conversation-with-seattle-singer-songwriter-ian-mcferon/) - Ian McFeron is a singer/songwriter from Seattle. He currently is working on his eighth album, the third with producer Doug Lancio, who also has produced for John Hiatt and Patty Griffin. The Daily Music Break spent some time chatting with him a few weeks ago. Here are answers to some background questions Ian provided -- - [Bombino: Rock From North Africa](https://dailymusicbreak.com/bombino-rock-from-north-africa/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Adfb17JQYtg Bombino is Goumour Almoctar, a musician who was born in Tidene, Niger, on January 1, 1980. He is member of the nomadic Ifoghas tribe, which part of the Tuareg people. The Tuaregs are an ancient people of Berber extraction who inhabit North Africa. Both Bambino and the Tuareg have complex stories. In one way, - [New Music: Duke Dumont](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-duke-dumont/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv_cwzAIOHs This is music from English DJ Duke Dumont, whose real name is Adam George Dyment. The name of the song is "Won't Look Back." Here are Dumont's website and Wikipedia entries. - [Mississippi John Hurt's Precise and Gentle Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/mississippi-john-hurts-precise-and-gentle-blues/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAkEQpgl6MY I could only find one video of Mississippi John Hurt, which is surprising considering how popular he became in the 1960s. It's an appearance in 1965 on Pete Seeger’s irreplaceable "Rainbow Quest." Hurt comes across as a soft spoken, friendly and highly intelligent man. Indeed, the bios suggest that one reason that he was - [Marcus Roberts is Old School and New School](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marcus-roberts-is-old-school-and-new-school/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlw-YWl6OsQ Marcus Roberts is as impressive as any musician covered by The Daily Music Break. It's not fair to the others to say more impressive, since some personal struggles are not as dramatic and obvious as blindness. Also, of course, many musicians are blind. However, it's difficult to think of anyone handling such a fate any better - [Keiko Matsui: "Light Above the Trees" and "Water Lily"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/keiko-matsui-light-above-the-trees-and-water-lily/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je23XMuq20g HT: Richard B. Keiko Matsui is a composer and keyboard player of smooth jazz, jazz fusion and new age. She was born in 1961 in Japan and now lives in Los Angeles. Wikipedia says that Matsui blends western and eastern influences and takes a spiritual approach to composing: Matsui sees music as "the great - [There Was Only One Janis Joplin](https://dailymusicbreak.com/there-was-only-one-janis-joplin/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZmiefQ5y4U The Reuters obituary was pretty much right on the mark, quite an achievement considering that it was printed just a few hours after Janis Joplin died on December 4, 1970. Joplin would have been 71 years old had she lived. Here death was a shame on both the artistic and human levels. Reading the accounts - [Roy Clark Helped Popularize Country Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/roy-clark-helped-popularize-country-music/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k59g3pX-C_s Roy Clark is a familiar face even to folks who are not country music fans. He is a great instrumentalist and very funny and engaging entertainer who gained fame as the host of the 1970s television program Hee Haw. It’s interesting and a bit funny that Clark, who was born in 1933, grew up - [Canned Heat is Going Up the Country](https://dailymusicbreak.com/canned-heat-is-going-up-the-country/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXo6G5mfmro As may be expected, a band that was formed in 1965 and still is touring has a complicated history, with lots of personnel changes, drama and, unfortunately, deaths. Wikipedia does it's usual great job of putting it all together. I was reminded of Canned Heat by Richie Entenberger, with whom I recorded a podcast about - [Kurt Weill Helped Write the Soundtrack for Very Bad Times](https://dailymusicbreak.com/kurt-weill-helped-write-the-soundtrack-for-very-bad-times/) - https://youtu.be/aPG9GcykPIY?list=RDaPG9GcykPIY I am not trying to minimize ebola, the enterovirus and ISIS. These are serious issues, three diseases that must be wiped out. That said, nothing compares to the first half of the last century for pure terror and evil. It started with the First World War, in which 37 million died. Then came the - [This Day in The Beatles](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-the-beatles/) - It seems that a good amount of Beatles-related things happened on October 9. From This Day Day in Music History: 1940: John Lennon was born. 1965: "Yesterday" started a four-week run at the top the U.S. singles chart. 1975: Sean Lennon, John and Yoko's only child, was born. 1985: Yoko opens Strawberry Fields to honor - [New Music: The Meadows Brothers](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-the-meadows-brothers/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3GqrGdf_vk Brothers Ian and Dustin Meadows, who are from Chester, Connecticut, trace their roots to their parents record player -- and beyond them to Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. They write that "the end result [is] two kids from New England becoming infatuated with the roots of American music, the art of crafting song, and - [This Day in Music: "Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll" Concerts Held](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-music-hail-hail-rock-and-roll-concerts-held/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYc8Txm0cYw Tribute concerts honoring Chuck Berry's sixtieth birthday -- memorably commemorated in the great concert film "Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll" -- were held at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. Wikipedia says that there were two concerts that day. Among the performers were host Keith Richards -- who was responsible for the event -- - [Memphis Minnie: Lady Sang the Blues](https://dailymusicbreak.com/memphis-minnie-lady-sang-the-blues/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZvTWa3_fdY Memphis Minnie was a female blues guitarist and singer in what was an overwhelmingly man's world. They should make a movie about Minnie, who was born Lizzie Douglas in 1897 in Algiers, Louisiana, the oldest of 13 kids. The Wikipedia bio does a good job of describing her life, which included running away from - [Podcast: Quest Soul on His Music and Hip Hop](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-quest-soul-on-his-music-and-hip-hop/) - Airick Smith is a hip hop artist in Los Angeles. Smith, who records using the name Quest Soul reached out to me through Twitter, probably after seeing The Daily Music Break. We communicated over Twitter, spoke and decided to do a podcast. I had a certain amount of unease about it. Not only am I decades older - [Lists of Lists: Top Ten Guitar Players As Seen by Six Sites](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lists-of-lists-top-ten-guitar-players-as-seen-by-six-sites/) - Comparing top ten lists is fun. It should be kept in mind, however, that it is an apples to oranges type thing in a number of ways: The lists are from different years. "Guitar World" is very different than "Time." Some writers are more interested in going outside the box. Some seem to focus on the - [Philip Glass Does the Minimum](https://dailymusicbreak.com/philip-glass-does-the-minimum/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JthxVHkRT9Y Philip Glass is a leading member of the minimalist school of music. Wikipedia defines minimalism as having “a steady pulse” with consonant harmonies and oft-repeated musical phrases or smaller units. The units are "figures, motifs and cells.” An expert quoted in the description says that minimalism uses gradually changing common chords that support lyrical melodies - [Happy Birthday, Sonny Terry](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-sonny-terry/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsMW8t-8cVU Jazz Age Music notes that today is the 103rd birthday of the great harmonica player Sonny Terry, who was born in 1911 in Greensboro, GA. Terry's real name was Saunders Terrell. He almost always is associated with guitarist Brownie McGhee, with whom he had a long partnership. Above is "Hootin' Blues." - [Leon Gieco: "The Argentine Bob Dylan"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/leon-gieco-the-argentine-bob-dylan/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvyl_zdji2k Raúl Alberto Antonio (Leon) Gieco, who was born in 1951, is known as the “Argentine Bob Dylan.” His first hit was “En el Pais de la Libertad ("In the Country of Freedom"). The profiles describe a successful artist who was dedicated to social justice during a tumultuous and violent period in Latin America in - [New Music: Freddy D](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-freddy-d/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoxSwnujwCY Here is the bio from new music from hip hop artist Freddy D: Born on March 5, 1982, an artist by the name of Freddy D from Long island, Ny. Frederick Smith aka Freddy D grew up in long island where crime and drugs infested the Hempstead area. Who knew that failing in english, - [Wiseman, Cochran and Milsap Join the Country Music HOF](https://dailymusicbreak.com/wiseman-cochran-and-milsap-join-the-country-music-hof/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uDKI8i1dSI The Nashville Scene this week reported that Mac Wiseman, Hank Cochran and Ronnie Milsap were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Here is more on Wiseman, who was nicknamed "The Voice With a Heart," from CMT Artists: Famed for his clear and mellow tenor voice, Mac Wiseman recorded with many great bluegrass - [Andrés Segovia, a Virtuoso, Makes the Guitar a Classical Instrument](https://dailymusicbreak.com/andres-segovia-a-virtuoso-makes-the-guitar-a-classical-instrument/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBQfHJA2Lng Andrés Segovia – formally, Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña – was one of the greatest and most influential guitarists ever. He was born in Linares, Jaén, Spain in 1893 and died in Madrid in 1987. Wikipedia says that Segovia was known for his virtuoso player as well as his transcriptions of classical and baroque - [Playlist: Blossom Dearie, One of the Last Supper Club Singers](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-blossom-dearie-one-of-the-last-supper-club-singers/) - Blossom Dearie was not a superstar, but made a name for herself and had a long and successful career. The unique name wasn't made up. Margrethe Blossom Dearie was born near Albany, New York in 1924. After high school, she moved to New York City and joined The Blue Flames vocal group. It sang with the Woody - [Roseanne Cash Grandly Carries on the Family Tradition](https://dailymusicbreak.com/roseanne-cash-grandly-carries-on-the-family-tradition/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ewHxNoqkA Being the son or daughter of a celebrity seems to be a particular burden. Especially if the parent is extremely famous and if the kid goes into the same line of work. I can't think of anyone who has handled it better than Roseanne Cash, Johnny Cash's daughter. The other examples that come to mind in - [This Day in Music: "The Nat King Cole Show" Debuts](https://dailymusicbreak.com/this-day-in-music-the-nat-king-cole-show-debuts/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxSHBIXfFPE This Day in Music notes that "The Nat King Cole Show" debuted on NBC on November 5, 1956. It was the first variety show hosted by an African-American. Above is a 1957 duet featuring Cole and 11-year-old Billy Preston singing "Blueberry Hill." It's fabulous. - [Podcast: A Chat With Rupert Wates](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-a-chat-with-rupert-wates/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6OVhz2FvEM A Conversation with Rupert Wates: Rupert Wates is a singer/song writer from London who now lives in New York City. This is from the profile at his website: He has been a full-time songwriter since the late 1990's when he signed an exclusive deal with Eaton Music Publishing. He has written songs in all kinds - [Happy 101st Birthday, Ivy Benson](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-101st-birthday-ivy-benson/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVtu-7rV15g Jazz Age Music reports that Ivy Benson was born on this day in 1913. Here is what the site says about her: Ivy Benson was born in 1913, in Holbeck, a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire. She was a very accomplished musician on electric organ, piano, saxophone and clarinet, and led a renowned all - [Vassar Clements was "The Father of Hillbilly Jazz"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/vassar-clements-was-the-father-of-hillbilly-jazz/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5voqaCXPt_M Vassar Clements has been featured on The Daily Music Break previously. He has a great solo in the John Hartford song "Steam Powered Aereo Plane." It's highly recommended. It is not surprising that the list of country and rock musicians with Clements played is long and impressive. It's noteworthy that Clements was an accomplished jazz - [Santana Tops the Pops](https://dailymusicbreak.com/santana-tops-the-pops/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28E8WKZ614w According to Bobborst.com, Santana's "Smooth" was tops on this day in 1999. It still sounds great. Here is a live version, with Rob Thomas on vocals. The song held the top spot from October through early January of 2000. (Homepage photo: Photo by Larry Philpot) - [Happy Birthday, Johnny Mercer](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-johnny-mercer/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YFT8MixHSE One of the fun things about posting old music is that if it survived this long, it's usually great. Another fun thing is that the videos themselves are time capsules. Here is Johnny Mercer singing a medley of his hits on "The Steve Allen Show." Allen came after Jack (Paar), but before Johnny, Jay, - [Slam Stewart: "Oh Me, Oh My, Oh Gosh"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/slam-stewart-oh-me-oh-my-oh-gosh/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cbkJjxBlcE This is an odd tribute post. My daughter is a senior at Binghamton University in upstate New York. Early on, our family visited and went with her to a restaurant called the "Whole in the Wall." We had nice meal. There was an older gentleman who played piano very well, but quietly. It was - [Albert Lee: Happy in the Background](https://dailymusicbreak.com/albert-lee-happy-in-the-background/) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-T6Dp2UAZo Bruce Eder’s profile of Albert Lee at AllMusic sums it up pretty well. Lee, he writes, is ” who people don't remember as easily as some of the higher profile players. Indeed, he often gets confused with the late Alvin Lee. He may not have the image of other great guitarists of his era, - [Prince: 1958-2016](https://dailymusicbreak.com/prince-1958-2016/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF49nZ1ydJg (Note: This post was written in 2014) It's challenging to write about Prince. He has been around for so long and has released a mountain of music in multiple genres, all of which he's mastered. But has been strangely absent as well. Everyone agrees he is a genius. But he has been a punch - [Jon Dee Graham: "October"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jon-dee-graham-october/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV4w4ng1YW4 H/T: Steve Karras People who attack their instruments are great. This is Jon Dee Graham and the song is "October." Here is more on Graham, who seems to be an important musical personality in Austin: He is in the Austin Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist, as a member of The Skunks - [The Many Worlds of Valerie June](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-many-worlds-of-valerie-june/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSKJOwbKQ30 Valerie June Hockett -- who performs as Valerie June -- was born in Tennessee, lived in Memphis and has relocated to Brooklyn. (Click here or on the image for Amazon, here for iTunes) for more on the album. The singer song writer mixes a lot of different genres. Her Wikipedia profile quotes her as describing her - [Happy Not Birthday, Booker T. Jones](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-not-birthday-booker-t-jones/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80k4qakPrqA The Daily Music Break takes every opportunity to send out birthday greetings to musicians of note. I wanted to do that today and found that I Booker T. Jones -- from Booker T. and the MGs -- was born on this day in 1944. Something went wrong, however. Jones was born on November 12. - [Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown: Brilliant In Many Ways](https://dailymusicbreak.com/clarence-gatemouth-brown-brilliant-in-many-ways/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wq_2A7sDAk Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was an extraordinarily gifted musician. Many folks are aware that he was a great and influential blues guitarist. The core of the story, however, is that Brown was excelled on multiple instruments. The others were not just sidelights. Check out the clip below, which features Brown on fiddle playing "Up Jumped the Devil." - [More Valerie June](https://dailymusicbreak.com/more-valerie-june/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfsA6EhvkAs I posted a couple of songs from Valerie June about a week ago. Here is one more. It's just tremendous. Everything she does is, and it's all different. I hope everyone has a great weekend. - [Marcia Ball Is Always Having Fun](https://dailymusicbreak.com/marcia-ball-is-always-having-fun/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-_ISUR6mE0 Music, or a good deal of it, should be plain fun--and nobody is more fun than Marcia Ball. The Daily Music Break highlighted her a while ago. Here she plays "Tattooed Lady and the Alligator Man" on A Prairie Home Companion" on December 13. (Homepage Photo: Sumori) - [In Depth: Polyphonic Press On Foo Fighters' "Sonic Highways"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-depth-polyphonic-press-on-foo-fighters-sonic-highways/) - Editor's Note: The Daily Music Break is a horizontal site: We cover much of the musical waterfront, but at a relatively shallow level. (The exception is the podcasts, which get into some depth.) There is nothing wrong with that approach, but there also is no reason to not dig a bit deeper. For this reasons, - [Playlist: Neil Diamond: Good Times Never Seemed So Good](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-neil-diamond-good-times-never-seemed-so-good/) - Neil Diamond is one of the most successful recording artists in American history. He has sold more than 125 millions records, third behind Elton John and Barbra Streisand, with whom he sang "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." The list of honors that have followed all these sales is suitably long: He is in the Songwriters - [Happy Birthday, Sy Oliver](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-birthday-sy-oliver/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHmPTZYAOeQ Today would have been the 114th birthday of Sy Oliver. Oliver is a very important figure, and a pioneer. This is from Wikipedia: In 1933, Oliver joined Jimmie Lunceford's band, contributing many hit arrangements for the band, including "My Blue Heaven" and "Ain't She Sweet". In 1939, he became one of the first African - [M.C. Antil's 300 Favorite 45s of the 1960s](https://dailymusicbreak.com/m-c-antils-300-favorite-45s-of-the-1960s/) - Look, I’ve always prided myself on having somewhat eclectic taste in music. But as cool as I have always tried to be, I gotta be honest, when it comes to music I’m really a nerd, if not a stone cold one. I’m the kind of geek, after all, who grew up kneeling at the altar - [Cabinet Covers "Black Peter"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/cabinet-covers-black-peter/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrnSDoc7wm8 The mournful "Black Peter" is one of the great Garcia/Hunter songs, especially Hunter's lyrics. It's more than a rock or folk song. Cabinet offers a tremendous version, a bit to the bluegrass side of the original. Here is more on Cabinet. - [In Depth: M.C. Antil's 300 Favorite 45s of the 1960s](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-depth-m-c-antils-300-favorite-45s-of-the-1960s/) - Editor's Note: I've known M.C. Antil for a long time -- though I still don't know what MC stands for -- and am very proud to call him a friend. We both worked in various capacities in and around the cable television industry. M.C. has spend a lot of time putting together a multi-post exhaustive - [Edward Elgar: An Outsider Triumphs](https://dailymusicbreak.com/edward-elgar-an-outsider-triumphs/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvgl_2JRIUs Things sometimes work out in a strange way. Sir Edward Elgar -- composer of the graduation standard "Pomp and Circumstance" -- is celebrated as the most English of English composers. The reality, at least in Elgar's mind, was somewhat different: Although Elgar is often regarded as a typically English composer, most of his musical influences - [Merry Christmas From The Daily Music Break](https://dailymusicbreak.com/merry-christmas-from-the-daily-music-break/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n19NsYMH3TU Merry Christmas from Dr. John, Leon Redbone, Ken Peplowski and The Daily Music Break. The song is "Christmas Ball Blues." - [Playlist: Five From Hot Tuna](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-five-from-hot-tuna/) - Hot Tuna started as a side project by members of Jefferson Airplane. It's had a fluid lineup over the years and switches between playing acoustic and electric. The two constants, of course, are Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. Here is the beginning of a good bio at the group's site: From their days playing together as - [Podcast: Kray Van Kirk Knows Guitar, Songwriting...and Alaskan Fish Populations](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-kray-van-kirk-knows-guitar-songwriting-and-alaskan-fish-populations/) - There are a couple of interesting things about Kray Van Kirk, who is a singer/song writer in Alaska. For one thing, he gives away is music. Folks who download his songs are free to contribute. The other thing is that Kray has a PhD in the statistical modeling of population dynamics. In short, he predicts the size - [Which Are the Best Rock Songwriting Duos?](https://dailymusicbreak.com/which-are-the-best-rock-songwriting-duos/) - A conversation about the greatest writing duos of the rock era often begins and ends with John and Paul, with an honorary mention of Mick and Keith. However, there are other great partnerships. I ran across a fuller listing that was posted at The Gibson Guitar website in April 2013. The first few pairings were offered by writer Russell Hall. The - [The Bright New Year](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-bright-new-year/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg5_M5ehDFY Surfing through 20 or 30 pages of New Year's Eve songs on YouTube is a depressing experience. The go-to song, of course, is "Auld Lang Syne." It's based on a poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. It's tremendous because it is a nice tune and it's possible to sing it once a year - [T Bone Burnett Has Done Everything With Everyone](https://dailymusicbreak.com/t-bone-burnett-has-done-everything-with-everyone/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDcw8SE_iAc Writer singer, songwriter and producer T Bone Burnett has been on the scene since the late 1970s. He is perhaps the foremost crossover artist between the music and acting community. The list of people which with he has worked reads like a who’s who of modern show business. Wikipedia’s profile notes that Burnett has - [In Depth: Miles Davis Was a Great Musician But Not a Great Guy](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-depth-miles-davis-was-a-great-musician-but-not-a-great-guy/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnaQhx-J2_A Miles Davis was one of the most important musicians of the twentieth century. He was famously difficult to get alone with. Indeed, criminally so. This is from a 2013 article written by Sonia Saraiya at the A.V. Club: He was a jerk, though. And I don’t mean just in an egotistical way—though there was - [Jack Grace Has a Problem With His Local DJ](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jack-grace-has-a-problem-with-his-local-dj/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrp8wghfcI8 The Jack Grace Band -- which bills itself as playing "experimental country art rock" -- is a lot of fun. I heard "It Was a Really Bad Year" on WBGO, WFUV or WKCR in New York (I forget which, but they all are fabulous) while waiting for my wife and son, who were in the supermarket. - ["If It Wasn't for the Irish and the Jews"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/if-it-wasnt-for-the-irish-and-the-jews/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqEmjmlxOqo H/T: SK A friend posted this fascinating song on his Facebook feed, or whatever it's called. The YouTube notes say that the song was written by William Jerome and Jean Schwartz and that it was a pro-immigration song. Billy Murray was an important singer and, according to Wikipedia, quite a baseball fan: Murray was - [The Spencer Davis Group: "Gimme Some Lovin' " and "Somebody Help Me"](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-spencer-davis-group-gimme-some-lovin-and-somebody-help-me/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxA3atHD2QM The Spencer Davis Group had a few hits. In the final analysis, however, the band probably is best remembered as Steve Winwood's last stop on his way to forming Traffic. Spencer Davis -- a native of Wales -- formed the band in Birmingham, England, in 1963. Winwood joined as guitarist, pianist, organist and vocalist. Brother - [Jimmy Scott Beat the Bad Breaks](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jimmy-scott-beat-the-bad-breaks/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4aHWG7aqPM H/T: Nino Arobelidze Jimmy Victor Scott was a unique, intense and highly emotive vocalist -- but not a lucky guy. Or, perhaps, he had those qualities because he was not a lucky guy. Scott suffered from Kallmann’s syndrome, a condition that stunted his growth and prevented him from going through puberty. He was only - [Peter Griffin's Favorite Song Hit the Charts This Week in 1964](https://dailymusicbreak.com/peter-griffins-favorite-song-hit-the-charts-this-week-in-1964/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc4QTqslN4 Fans of "Family Guy" will be happy know that "Surfin' Bird" entered the "Billboard" top ten this week in 1964. The song, by the Trashmen, peaked at number four and spend five weeks in the top ten, according to Wikipedia. That said, it is virtually impossible to watch the entire video. In fact, I - [Playlist: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Gabby Hayes](https://dailymusicbreak.com/playlist-roy-rogers-dale-evans-and-gabby-hayes/) - [column size=one_half position=first ]There is no doubt that the music made by Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and what apparently were a a series of comic relief third parties, is corny and trite. That doesn't in any way disqualify it. Indeed, it's well done and interesting. I love some of the songs, especially "Lights of Old Santa Fe" - [King Sunny Ade: Nigerian Royalty and Juju Master](https://dailymusicbreak.com/king-sunny-ade-nigerian-royalty-and-juju-master/) - https://youtu.be/osNAy1DNkOQ One of the fun things about getting into music is learning about genres that are completely foreign (both literally and figuratively) to me. King Sunny Ade was born into Nigerian royalty. According to Craig Harris’ profile at AllMusic, Ade left school to pursue a career in music. He now is “the undisputed king of - [Podcast: Connecticut State Troubadour Kristen Graves Has a Great Pete Seeger Story](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-connecticut-state-troubador-kristen-graves-has-a-great-pete-seeger-story/) - Editor's Note: Kristen Graves is the Connecticut State Troubadour. When I found out that she had met Pete Seeger, I asked her to lie if the answer to the question of whether he was as good a guy as he seemed was no. She didn't have to lie. Check out the podcast and responses she - [Happy 120th Birthday, Eva Jessye](https://dailymusicbreak.com/happy-120th-birthday-eva-jessye/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdH3AiOPKiA This is what One This Day In Jazz Age Music says about Eva Jessye, who was born on this day in 1895: Eva Jessye, an African-American singer, composer, choral director and actress. She was one of the few musical phenomenons of the twentieth century. She was born Eva Alberta Jessye in Coffeyville, Kansas, near - [Jackson Browne Doesn't Take It Easy](https://dailymusicbreak.com/jackson-browne-doesnt-take-it-easy/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pHlX1xGARA There are a lot of parts to Jackson Browne's life. At the start, he was writing songs that became hits for other people. People using his work included Bruce Springsteen, Nico, Gregg Allman, Joan Baez, the Byrds and many others. It's important to note that many of the folks who sang his songs wrote great - [New Music: "Lampshades on Fire" From Modest Mouse](https://dailymusicbreak.com/new-music-lampshades-on-fire-from-modest-mouse/) - On March 3, Modest Mouse will release "Strangers to Ourselves," which Pitchfork says is its first studio album since 2007. Above is a SoundCloud of a live version of "Lampshades on Fire," one of the songs on the record. - [Ricky Skaggs Started Early and Still is Going Strong](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ricky-skaggs-started-early-and-still-is-going-strong/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbeBRvCO7cw Ricky Skaggs started early and still is going strong. He has deep roots in the older traditions of country music that are passing, but has his feet firmly planted in modern country and other contemporary genres. The unsigned profile at AllMusic – which is a bit fawning but filled with good information – says - [Benny Golson Worked with Coltrane, Gillespie and Davis -- and The Monkees](https://dailymusicbreak.com/benny-golson-worked-with-coltrane-gillespie-and-davis-and-the-monkees/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW641zgPOqQ Benny Golson is important for more than his tenor sax playing. Golson -- who still is active -- was earlier in his career sought after for his composing, arranging and producing. Colson has written a number of jazz standards, including “Killer Joe,” “Along Came Betty,” “Blues March” and “I Remember Clifford.” The latter was written - [Podcast: Jack Grace is Seriously Funny](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-jack-grace-is-seriously-funny/) - Jack Grace, who the site posted on a few weeks ago, is both a serious musician and an absurdist. He runs The Jack Grace Band and Van Hayride, a country version of Van Halen. Grace’s music is on the soundtracks of “Beerfest” and “Super Troopers.” The New York native studied acting at NYU. He has - [Podcast: Dr. Marti Newland on Eva Jessye](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-dr-marti-newland-on-eva-jessye/) - This post actually focuses on two people: Eva Jessye and Mari Newland, and features an interview with the latter. There are a lot of extremely important people who don't gain notoriety. Eva Jessye is one of them. According to Wikipedia, Jessye was the first African-American to become a well known international choir conductor. She was - [In Depth: Mississippi Fred McDowell](https://dailymusicbreak.com/in-depth-mississippi-fred-mcdowell/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBJ3E1d58CU The video of rural life Mississippi in this featurette about slide master Mississippi Fred McDowell is so interesting that the music is almost a bonus. The film is entitled "Blues Maker." But not quite. Bob Dylan, of course, had a hit with "Highway 61 Revisited." McDowell sings a sings a song, which probably was called "Highway 61" - [Podcast: Sarah Peacock Slows Down to Speed Up](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-sarah-peacock-slows-down-to-speed-up/) - Last week, The Daily Music Break last week had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Peacock. Below is the conversation and info she sent ahead of time. Sarah's music can be found on Facebook, Instagram and her site. The song at the beginning and end of the podcast is "Hurricane." Please provide some details about - [Lipa Schmeltzer Updates Chasidic Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/lipa-schmeltzer-updates-chasidic-music/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d4RuXauXP8 The Gothamist has the fascinating story of Lipa Schmeltzer, a member of the Skver sect of Chasidic Judaism. The singer/danger/songwriter is trying to modernize the music of the ultra Orthodox and Chasidic communities. The story, written by Batya Ungar-Sargon, also tells of the unsuccessful efforts of the religious authorities to suppress him. It’s a definitely worth - [Podcast: Greg Bishop and Healing Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-greg-bishop-and-healing-music/) - [column size=one_half position=first ][/column] [column size=one_half position=last ]It is possible to explore the link between music and healing in two ways. A scientist can point to research that proves that music fires up different parts of the brain. At the same time, a musician or other observer -- such as Greg Bishop -- can explain it - [Podcast: Larry Kirwan on Black 47 and Irish Music in America](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-larry-kirwan-on-black-47-and-irish-music-in-america/) - A Conversation with Larry Kirwan: . Larry Kirwan has been around the literary and music worlds – both in the United States and Ireland -- for quite some time. His highest profile gig was as the co-founder, guitarist and front man for Black 47, one of the most important Irish American bands of the past quarter - [Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: What's New is Old Again](https://dailymusicbreak.com/sharon-jones-the-dap-kings-whats-new-is-old-again/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlPE1rEdAdI Perhaps the most fun thing about editing The Daily Music Break is running into music that I've never heard before. It's all over the map. Some is new, some is old. Sharon Jones and the Dap Tones is both. It is simply a fabulous band. The Wikipedia entry sums up the goal--and the approach: Sharon - [Podcast: Catching Up with Jazz Guitarist Matt Panayides](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-catching-up-with-jazz-guitarist-matt-panayides/) - In June, I spoke with Jazz guitarist Matt Panayides. It was a few days before his Kickstarter crowd funding campaign ended. The campaign was a success and the album it financed, "Conduits," was released last month. It's been an eventful time for Matt. I had the opportunity to chat with him again this week. The - [Podcast: Michael Streissguth on Johnny Cash](https://dailymusicbreak.com/podcast-michael-streissguth-on-johnny-cash/) - Michael Streissguth on Johnny Cash: Michael Streissguth is the author of "Johnny Cash: The Biography," "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison," "Ring Of Fire: The Johnny Cash Reader," "Outlaw: Waylon, Willie, Kris, and the Renegades of Nashville" and several other books focusing on American music. They are available at Amazon and elsewhere. Michael is an Associate Professor of English - [The Drifters Drift on Forever](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-drifters-drift-on-forever/) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvVtjaOnwog The Drifters seem to be more of a brand and franchise than a band. The Wikipedia profile says that the group, which it defines as having its (many) feet in doo-wop, R&B and soul, was formed in 1953. Rolling Stone – which named The Drifters the 81st greatest artist/band of the rock and roll - [Ten Music Facts That May Surprise You](https://dailymusicbreak.com/ten-music-facts-that-may-surprise-you/) - Here are ten (actually, a few more) fun facts about music: 1. Merle Haggard was incarcerated in San Quentin Prison from 1958 to 1960. He was inspired by Johnny Cash’s performance there to join the prison’s country music band. 2. Leonard Cohen is a year older then Elvis. He was born in Montreal and first found fame as a poet ## Pages - [Home](https://dailymusicbreak.com/) - TDMB is all over the map because that's where the good music is. We've added some political commentary and voter info because of the gravity of current events. - [About](https://dailymusicbreak.com/about-daily-music-break/) - The Daily Music Break focuses on two things: Presenting great music that people may have forgotten or missed and emphasize the importance of voting. - [Politics and Voting](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-index-politics/) - Music Videos in TDMB Political Posts The Solution to Our Problem is being Implemented (Music Break: Fleetwood Mac) Quick Hits (Music Break: LL Cool J, Little Richard) Is Trump 47=Donald the First? (Music Break: Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band) For the Next 3 Years Elections are about More than Politics (Music Break: John - [Music A to H](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-index-a-to-h/) - A A Tribe Called Quest: Can I Kick It?/Buggin’ Out AC/DC: Hell’s Bells Roy Acuff: The Wabash Cannonball/Back in the Country King Sunny Ade: Me Le San/Maajo Cyrille Aimée: Fortunate Son/I’m Through With Love Alabama Shakes: I Found You Joey Alexander: ‘Round Midnight/My Favorite Things Stephone Alexander with Rioux: Running for the Cosoms Luther Allison: - [Music I to Q](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-index-i-to-q/) - I Indigo Girls: Closer to Fine/Power of Two Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick/Reasons to be Cheerful (Part 3) Isley Brothers: Fight the Power/Shout Burl Ives: Medley with Johnny Cash/Scene from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question/Prelude to The Fourth Symphony Ivory Waves: After Slice - [(Default 404 Page)](https://dailymusicbreak.com/default-404-page/) - [The Daily Music Break Index](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-index/) - Music A to H Music I to Q Music R to Z Music by Genre Politics and Voting Redesigning a site without taking if offline leads is not ideal. The process takes time, especially with bigger sites. Some of the links will be broken, others will have embedded videos that were taken down. Finally, - [Music R to Z](https://dailymusicbreak.com/the-daily-music-break-r-to-z/) - R Radiohead: Karma Police/Creep Ann Rabson: One Meatball/Hopin’ It Will Be All Right Mohammad Rafi: Jaan Pehchan Bonnie Raitt and Alison Krauss: Papa Come Quick Bonnie Raitt: Angel from Montgomery The Ramones: I Wanna Be Sedated/The KKK Took My Baby Away The Rascals: People Got to Be Free/A Beautiful Morning Maurice Ravel: Boléro Red Hot - [NOVEL](https://dailymusicbreak.com/novel/) - This spring, I published a novel entitled “Surviving New America: Hope Thomas and Her Enemies.” It is about the impact of telecommunications on our politics and ability to govern ourselves. Below is the synopsis and here is the Amazon link for anyone interested… “It’s 2029 and Hope Thomas has an abortion in Texas. 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More than 600 voters will select the inductees, who will enshrined at… CarlW 0 Love0 MusicEight Reasons a Record - [Account](https://dailymusicbreak.com/account/) - [ultimatemember_account] - [Password Reset](https://dailymusicbreak.com/password-reset/) - [ultimatemember_password] - [Logout](https://dailymusicbreak.com/logout/) - [Members](https://dailymusicbreak.com/members/) - [ultimatemember form_id="626"] - [Register](https://dailymusicbreak.com/register/) - [ultimatemember form_id="623"] - [Login](https://dailymusicbreak.com/login/) - [ultimatemember form_id="624"] - [User](https://dailymusicbreak.com/user/) - [ultimatemember form_id="625"] - [Newsletter](https://dailymusicbreak.com/newsletter/) ## Categories - [Uncategorized](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/uncategorized/) - [Featured](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/featured/) - [Politics](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/politics/) - [Voter Info](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/voting-info/) - [Country/Bluegrass Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/country-bluegrass-music/) - [Jazz Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/jazz-music/) - [Blues Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/blues-music/) - [Rock Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/rock/) - [Hip-Hop Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/hip-hop-music/) - [Pop Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/pop_music/) - [Folk Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/folk_music/) - [Latin Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/latin-music/) - [Reggae and Ska Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/reggae-ska-music/) - [Classical Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/classical-music/) - [Historical Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/historical-music/) - [Punk Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/punk_music/) - [Americana Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/americana-music/) - [New Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/new-music/) - [Zydeco Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/zydeco_music/) - [Music Playlists](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/music_playlists/) - [Podcasts](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/podcasts/) - [Vinyl Recods](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/vinyl-records-and-audio-equipment/vinyl_records/) - [Vinyl Records and Audio Equipment](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/vinyl-records-and-audio-equipment/) - [Record Players](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/vinyl-records-and-audio-equipment/record-players/) - [Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/) - [New Orleans Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/new-orleans-music/) - [Religious Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/religious-music/) - [R&B Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/rb-music/) - [TV and Movie Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/tv-and-movie-music/) - [Soul Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/soul-music/) - [Acoustic Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/acoustic-music/) - [Irish Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/irish-music/) - [Funk Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/funk-music/) - [Comedic Music](https://dailymusicbreak.com/category/music/comedic-music/)