Not Just Any Drummer
One of the greatest drummers of all time died this weekend at age 90. Even if you don’t recognize his name, you certainly know some of the 35,000 songs he played on.
Pop Goes The King
I haven’t yet seen the four-hour documentary HBO will air tonight and tomorrow about 2 men who say Michael Jackson abused them when they were boys, but I’ll bet it burns up social media — and causes radio stations to consider dropping his music altogether.
Picture Of The Day: Hazel Scott
I’m embarrassed to admit I’d never heard of Hazel Scott — who Alicia Keys paid tribute to at the Grammys with her two-piano routine — but I dug up this clip of her in the 1943 Mae West movie, “The Heat’s On.”
No, You Sing, Diana!
Seeing Diana Ross implore the audience to sing “Reach Out and Touch” at the Grammys reminded me of a joke by comedian Carol Leifer.
Movie Review: “Joni 75”
Last fall, I was intrigued when I heard about an all-star concert to celebrate Joni Mitchell’s 75th birthday. Like many in my generation, I grew up on Joni’s music, but since I couldn’t be there, I hoped the show would be recorded on film. Fortunately, it was. Unfortunately, it’s not as good an experience as I’d hoped.
Springsteen On Broadway
Earlier this year, I lamented that I wouldn't get to see Bruce Springsteen's one-man Broadway show because I don't get back to New York as often as I used to, and the seats were prohibitively expensive. My brother and sister-in-law, who live on the east coast, did get...
Wish I’d Seen Them
Some friends who saw the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" were talking about how much they wish they'd been able to go to a Queen concert at the height of the band's popularity. That led to a discussion of which acts from the past we each would have liked to see. Atop...
A Girl Named Johnny Cash
In the 1970s, I was a fan of Martin Mull's work, from his TV appearances ("Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," "Fernwood Tonight," "Roseanne") to his movie roles ("FM," "Serial") to his concert performances, in which he always had living room furniture on stage to make...
