General

My dad John was a quiet and often very private man. In a different time, you’d describe him as genteel. Harvard Law grad, former Navy officer… He had the perfect temperament for a career in [...]

Let’s talk about the Seventies. What exactly happened? I’m not sure I can answer that question, because I lived them – in the same smoky haze that partially obscured my view of The Rolling Stones [...]

In 2011, I interviewed writer/filmmaker Mathew Ramirez Warren, the man responsible for the documentary We Like It Like That: The Story of Latin Boogaloo. I’m glad to report the film recently [...]

I thought this theme worked pretty well in our blues post. But I couldn’t resist expanding the definition so I could cover some of my favorite jazz summits. Think of these collaborations as [...]

Johnny “Guitar” Watson died on this date in 1996 – on stage no less. Here’s a re-post in his honor. It’s time to bring back the funk of Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Why not? You can [...]

Summer is right around the corner. Time to whip out the Fender Jaguar with whammy bar, Dual Showman amp, tube reverb unit, Precision bass and Rogers drum kit with a sweet floor tom. You surf [...]

When well-established musicians join forces, it’s not always for purely artistic reasons. Sometimes their managers arrange it as a promotional gimmick. Or the performers could be stuck in the [...]

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting overwhelmed by all the dire news and violent images I’ve been digesting lately. Maybe it’s time to shut everything off, disconnect the cable, buy someone’s [...]

When it comes to exploring new music, I like to think my ears are wide open. But occasionally I lapse into that familiar attitude best expressed by the late Robert Quine: “If they’re not dead, [...]

I’ve been listening to a lot of rockabilly since our post on The Johnny Burnette Trio. And my little time away from the usual stuff (you know, mostly whaling songs and sea chanteys) gained some [...]

Fleetwood Mac just kicked off their 2013 tour in Columbus. Also, I just spent a few days in London. Two good excuses to re-post this one (I’ll come up with something new soon… I [...]

Dr. John called him “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.” Our Keyboard Correspondent, Brother Jack, offered his own appraisal of the great [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I had every intention of heading out on a Friday night to see my favorite new band, Wesley Bright & the Hi-Lites. But my wife got sick and I decided to do the [...]

I really didn’t have any intention of coming back with a second act. But Part 1 seemed to go pretty well… and I’m still struggling with a draft post on the new Eric Clapton album (of course, [...]

Alright, you knew it would come down to this. At some point, I had to weigh in on my favorite songs by nephew Dan and his musical soulmate, Pat. A few of you might have come here expecting a [...]

With all the hoopla over the Rubber City’s favorite sons winning three Grammys (and a fourth for Dan for Producer of the Year), we shouldn’t overlook the fact that Lightnin’ [...]

Now that I’ve got all that Fat Tuesday nonsense out of my system, let’s get right to it this week – a playlist featuring a few more nuggets from the golden years of New Orleans R&B. Let the [...]

Here’s a New Orleans-favored soundtrack for your listening pleasure as you read: The Monkey/Walkin’ with Mr. Lee I have a confession to make: I failed several basic IQ tests on Fat Tuesday. [...]

Here’s a re-post in honor of two Grammy nominees – Dr. John and Dan Auerbach. (Update: Congrats to Dan for Producer of the Year and to Dr. John for Blues Album of the Year!) Let me start by [...]

In our post on the Johnny Burnette Trio, The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach listed some of his main inspirations on guitar. Burnette sideman Paul Burlison. Howlin’ Wolf’s original guitarist Willie [...]

I need these blues to seduce me. Got no use for some tattooed numbskull playing endless guitar solos through 15 stomp boxes and a Marshall stack. Hand the mic to that sultry chanteuse by the bar… [...]