Legendary jazz guitarist Joe Beck, one of the instrument’s great contemporary practitioners, died last week of lung cancer at a hospice in Danbury, CT, a few days before his 63rd birthday.
Throughout his career, Beck, who recorded frequently for the New Bedford-based WCS label, worked with some of the very biggest names in jazz and pop. In a career that spanned five decades, Beck accompanied an extraordinary range of giants: Duke Ellington and Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, and Brazilian genius Antonio Carlos Jobim. Continue Reading »
Posted on Aug 1st, 2008 by lesliejthompson | No Comments »
Get ready to cut a rug, cats and kittens, because we’ve got some swanky sounds coming your way.
Our industrious intern is in the process of re-uploading four years’ worth of music reviews into our newly renovated Website. And, of course, we’ll be adding new tunes, soon.
What’s in store? From Rockabilly to Big Band, and from Exotica to the Blues, we’ve got the whole retro spectrum covered!
- So, stay tuned, and we’ll be rockin’ your socks off in no time!
Posted on Jun 1st, 2008 by lesliejthompson | No Comments »
Life is a Game
Review by Doug Boynton
The Jive Aces can play. And play they do, both figuratively and literally. Based out of the U.K., they’ll perform more than 300 gigs this year, across several countries. Their musical talents and passion for up-tempo swing are delightfully evident on their latest release, Life Is a Game (Right Recordings). With just a couple of exceptions, the disc jumps from beginning to end. Continue Reading »
Posted on Aug 4th, 2007 by the editor | No Comments »
Brothers in Jive
Review by Joanne Bennett
Cheese comes in all varieties, from the flavorless yet squeezably convenient Velveeta® to the delicate Camembert or the pungent and robust Gorgonzola. The same holds true for swing. Some varieties are barely palatable in terms of musicality, yet their kitsch appeal satisfies a certain craving. Others offer a complex assortment of notes and arrangements to be savored. By this reckoning, the Vienna-based combo Five in Love are the masters of cheese, crafting tunes that appeal to a variety of tastes. Continue Reading »
Posted on Jun 6th, 2005 by the editor | No Comments »
Built of Stone
Review by Frankie Hagan
Performers have to be made of pretty sturdy stuff to endure the rigors and trials of the music industry. Thankfully, the Cigar Store Indians and their special brand of swingin’ rock ‘n’ roll, country western ballads and rockabilly riffs have stood the test of time.
The band has been long overdue in releasing a new album, and they do not disappoint their fans with their latest CD, Built of Stone (Overall Records). Two major changes separate this record from CSI’s previous two releases: Continue Reading »
Posted on Mar 8th, 2005 by specialcontributor | No Comments »
Boy from Tupelo
Review by Frankie Hagan
It must have seemed like such a small thing, then: a young boy arriving at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis in 1953. He paid $3.98 to make a “custom record” and, as a special bonus, change the course of music history. 
That young man was Elvis Presley, and his impact on popular culture has spanned half a century. To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the recording of Elvis’ first single, “That’s All Right”–a moment some music historians refer to as the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll–HEAR Music and BMG Special Products have released 15 Elvis classics on Boy From Tupelo. Continue Reading »
Posted on Dec 6th, 2004 by specialcontributor | No Comments »
