Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Category: Jazz

Arista
Zeroto180

“Papaya” — Urszula Dudziak’s Extraordinary Vocal Control

Urszula Dudziak‘s debut single was deemed a ‘Pick of the Week’ by Cash Box whose October 4, 1975 review identified the Polish jazz vocalist as an important new voice from whom big things were expected: Since Minnie Riperton hit the scene a new vocal approach seems to be in the

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Advertising +/- marketing in popular music
Zeroto180

Nina Simone (vs. Syd Nathan) at Bethlehem Records

Browsing Nina Simone‘s early single releases on Bethlehem Records — Gus Wildi‘s jazz label, whose control and eventual ownership would ultimately be given over to Syd Nathan of King Records — my eyes are immediately drawn to the instrumental B-side, “African Mailman,” a fairly radical and oblique song title for

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Charlie Byrd
Zeroto180

Keter Betts – Silver Spring, MD Resident

JazzTimes‘ Christopher Porter, amusingly, conducted his interview with bass legend, Keter Betts, at Silver Spring, Maryland‘s humble 9-hole Sligo Creek Golf Course due to its proximity to both Betts’ home and JazzTimes‘ editorial office. .From Porter’s 2002 JazzTimes piece, I learned that — Photo: Discogs Hinton initially met Betts in

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Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys
Zeroto180

Gary Burton’s Tennessee Firebird

Jimmy Colvard was a teen in 1963 when he played those distinctive snapping and popping guitar sounds that helped make “Six Days on the Road” a runaway hit for Dave Dudley.  I have since learned that Colvard played guitar on a number of albums in the 1960s and 70s by

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"Spooky"
Zeroto180

George Barnes’ Halloween Guitar

George Barnes recorded a boss guitar instrumental – “Spooky” – that should be part of everyone’s Halloween soundtrack: “Spooky” by George Barnes (1962) Billboard conferred three stars (“moderate sales potential) upon this B-side, as well as its A-side “Trainsville,” in their June 23, 1962 edition.  Exactly fifty years later, in 2012, someone would

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Bethlehem Records
Zeroto180

King’s Jazz Legacy: Maxi-Tweets

I am liberating a special series of “maxi-tweets” tied to King Records‘ lesser known jazz legacy that were otherwise buried in a PDF file attachment — part of 2018’s King 75th Birthday Celebration so wonderfully organized by Brian Powers of Cincinnati Public Libraries.  The following research was conducted primarily by

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Civil rights in popular music
Zeroto180

Jamil Nasser: Jazz in Russia

Penny Von Eschen‘s Satchmo Blows Up the World — observes Muneer Nasser in 2017’s Upright Bass:  The Musical Life and Legacy of Jamil Nasser (in the chapter entitled ‘Getting the Soviets to Swing’) — “reinforces the myth that [Benny Goodman] introduced jazz to the Soviet Union”: Benny Goodman became the first

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"Your Red Wagon"
Zeroto180

Milton Ostrow: Cincinnati Sax

I was delighted to learn that the father of a childhood friend from Cincinnati was once a professional musician, whose chosen instrument was the saxophone.  Milton Ostrow, in fact, was captured in a live performance with Tony Pastor and His Orchestra, accompanied by Dolores Martel, in a “Snader Telescription” short film

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"Fever"
Zeroto180

Milt B’s “Mod Popcorn R&B”

Philip Paul‘s stellar stick work really drives this “killer” instrumental version of “Fever” that features organ (Milt Buckner), bass (Bill Willis), and vibes (Gene Redd) — recorded at Cincinnati’s King Studios on March 5, 1963: “Fever” Milt Buckner (1963) Organ:  Milt Buckner Drums:  Philip Paul Bass:    Bill Willis Vibes:   Gene

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Bethlehem Records
Zeroto180

Jazz Misrepresented As Surf?

The Australian All-Stars‘s 1959 album – Jazz for Beach-Niks – was originally released on Columbia Australia and picked up for US release four years later by King subsidiary label, Bethlehem (and reissued 2013 in Japan), subject of the previous history piece.  One can only presume Syd Nathan was trying to capitalize

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