Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic
Stan Kenton – who released a 10″ Capitol EP Artistry in Rhythm in December 1946 – was a progressive voice in jazz, just as Tex Williams, who answered Kenton in 1948 with “Artistry in Western Swing,” was likewise a forward thinker within the realm of western swing and country music.
Perhaps it’s not fair to single out a backing band in country music, since there are so many outstanding ones — The Texas Playboys, The Cherokee Cowboys, The Drifting Cowboys, The Golden West Cowboys, The Brazos Valley Boys, The Western Caravan, The Buckaroos, The Strangers, The String Dusters/Pleasant Valley Boys
How interesting (though not surprising) to learn that the featured vocalist in the previous tribute to Ennio Morricone is the same one featured here on this tinkly and mesmerizing instrumental – “Secret Reunion (Lucky Theme)” – from Bruno Nicolai‘s soundtrack for an Italian spy thriller in the James Bond style,
I would love to know exactly how Ennio Morricone instructed his vocalists to yip and mew and emit all sorts of silly sounds, as on the title track to the 1973 Sergio Leone film, Il Mio Nome è Nessuno (My Name Is Nobody): Vimeo lists musician credits for this soundtrack
Even if only for his pioneering production work with one of my guitar heroes, Duane Eddy (e.g., using a gigantic grain tank as an echo chamber), let it be known that Lee Hazlewood, while himself not a hotshot guitarist, co-wrote some of Eddy’s best tunes (including half of his excellent
Chet Atkins‘s guitar sounds mighty and majestic when propelled by the infectious, burbling rhythms of an unnamed organist in this treatment of “Bye Bye Birdie” from Chet’s 1963 album, Teen Scene — dig that groovy roller rink organ sound. Note the original album cover: Check out the new and improved
Here’s a great rockin’ arrangement of Leon McAuliffe‘s steel guitar instrumental, “Panhandle Rag” by The Hachey Brothers & Mary Lou: “Panhandle Rag“ The Hachey Brothers & Mary Lou (1958) Thanks to Lonesome Lefty’s Scratchy Attic for the biographical info: Brothers Curly and Bobby Hachey were natives of Atholville, New Brunswick.
The album cover would seem to say it all — — but the liner notes reveal that this is not just any ordinary guitar army: This album was recorded in France. It spotlights the work of five of France’s outstanding guitarists: Francis Le Maguer (musical director), Pierre Cullaz, Raymond Gimenes,
From David Bianculli‘s history of the Smothers Brothers’ groundbreaking television variety show, I discovered that Mason Williams was much more than the guy who wrote the million-selling instrumental, “Classical Gas.” Williams not only recorded albums for Warner Brothers (and Mercury & Vee Jay) but also wrote incisive and edgy sketches for
The Drifters’ original 1961 version of “Sweet for My Sweets” has a distinct Latin feel — which brings to mind a piece of writing by Dave Marsh that I found to be illuminating some years ago, still do. In his 1984 article for The Boston Phoenix – “Rock and Roll’s
COPYRIGHT © 2012-2022 ZERO TO 180. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Recent Comments