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Artist: Harold "Geezil" Minerve
A fine swing stylist, Harold "Geezil" Minerve's main claim to fame is that he was Johnny Hodges' replacement in Duke Ellington's Orchestra after Hodges' unexpected death. Minerve grew up in Florida and began playing music when he was 12. Early on he played with Ida Cox, freelanced in New Orleans, and worked with Clarence Love and Ernie Fields.... [+] Read More
Artist: 46bliss
The sound profile of electronic pop trio 46bliss is best understood as an entrancing potion that opens you up, enhances your senses and releases you into the world with fresh eyes. Their music has been compared to everyone from Air to Zero7. Not content to merely produce soothing, low-impact electronica, the creative minds behind 46bliss (whose... [+] Read More
Artist: Harry Carney
Although he was not the first jazz baritone saxophonist, Harry Carney achieved his goal of making the instrument "necessary" in a big band. His tone was huge and definitive, and his style mixed together Coleman Hawkins and Adrian Rollini; he was also one of the first jazz musicians to master circular breathing (which he generally used to hold an... [+] Read More
Artist: Járgen Bentzon
A man of many interests and talents, Bentzon had early lessons on the piano and cello and also pursued painting and the study of more than 12 foriegn languages. He showed early promise as a composer and had completed a piano sonata in g minor by the age of 17, the same year that he began to study harmony. It was this composition that so... [+] Read More
Artist: Thad Jones
A harmonically advanced trumpeter/cornetist with a distinctive sound and a talented arranger/composer, Thad Jones (the younger brother of Hank and older brother of Elvin) had a very productive career. Self-taught on trumpet, he started playing professionally when he was 16 with Hank Jones and Sonny Stitt. After serving in the military (1943-46),... [+] Read More
Artist: Leslie Cheung
Returning to music after a five-year, self-imposed hiatus, Leslie Cheung recaptured his status as one of Hong Kong's greatest artists. Recordings, since his return in 1995, include the chart-topping comeback album Love Leslie, and his first all-Mandarin album, Printemps ("Spring"). Phenomenally successful as an actor, Cheung appeared in such... [+] Read More
Artist: Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold moved hillbilly music to the city, creating a sleek sound that relied on his smooth voice and occasionally lush orchestrations. In the process, he became the most popular country performer of the 20th century, spending more weeks at the top of the charts than any other artist. Arnold not only had 28 number one singles, he had more... [+] Read More
Artist: Jimmy Azar
Born in Fort Wayne Indiana, At age 46, Jimmy Azar has been playing music for over 35 years. Most of his stage days were in the 80's with local bands like Black Star, The Feel and White Tiger. Even did a short stint on drums in the 90's with a band called Solar Axe. In 1986 when he departed White Tiger he decided to go into Sweetwater studio and... [+] Read More
Artist: Joe Guy
Joe Guy had a brief and rather odd career. A promising trumpeter who was heavily influenced by Roy Eldridge, Guy's style looked ahead towards bop. However due to his heroin use, he never developed beyond a certain intermediate level and the results, although fiery, consistently sounded uncomfortable. Guy played briefly with Teddy Hill's... [+] Read More
Artist: NOFX
Formed in Berkeley, CA, in 1983 and relocating to Los Angeles not long afterwards, NOFX steered clear of major labels and commercial exposure over the course of their career, recording an impressive number of full-lengths albums plus an assortment of EPs and singles. The band started out as a trio comprising vocalist/bassist Fat Mike (Mike... [+] Read More
Artist: Frank Mills
Canadian-born composer/pianist Frank Mills scored a minor U.S. hit in 1972 with "Love Me, Love Me Love." It wasn't until the release of "Music Box Dancer" and its subsequent success in 1979, that MIlls became more of a household name. Success was to be short-lived however, and it wasn't long before Mills was back to performing in his native... [+] Read More
Artist: John Book
John Book has been a freelance music writer for the last 12 years, writing for a number of underground fanzines and magazines, including Curious Goods, MaximumRockNRoll, Reflex, The Rocket, Goldmine, DiscRespect, and DISCoveries. He also published and edited his own music fanzine, Intensity.
Desert Island Picks
1. THE BEATLES - Sgt. Peppers... [+] Read More
Artist: Conrad Gozzo
A topnotch studio musician and first trumpeter, Conrad Gozzo was also a skilled (but underutilized) jazz soloist. He originally studied with his father (a trumpet teacher) and in 1938 started his professional career by joining Isham Jones' Orchestra. Gozzo had stints with the big bands of Tommy Reynolds, Red Norvo, Johnny "Scat" Davis, Bob... [+] Read More
Artist: Salt-N-Pepa
By the late '80s, hip-hop was on its way to becoming a male-dominated art form, which is what made the emergence of Salt-n-Pepa so significant. As the first all-female rap crew (even their DJs were women) of importance, the group broke down a number of doors for women in hip-hop. They were also one of the first rap artists to cross over into the... [+] Read More
Artist: Bud Shank
Bud Shank began his career pigeonholed as a cool-schooler, but those who have listened to the altoist progress over the long haul know that he has become one of the hottest, most original players of the immediate post-Parker generation. Lumped in with the limpid-toned West Coast crowd in the '50s, Shank never ceased to evolve; in the '90s, he... [+] Read More
Artist: Kino
One of Russia's most popular rock bands, Kino came to prominence during the Gorbachev era of glasnost and perestroika, and struck a nerve with many Soviet youths longing for a brighter, freer future. The group's legend was tragically cemented when frontman Victor Tsoi (sometimes Tsoy) was killed in a car crash in 1990, sparking a massive... [+] Read More
Artist: Brett Hartenbach
A longtime professional musician, Brett Hartenbach graduated with a degree in Journalism from Kent State University. Aside from being an avid music collector and fan, as well as a student of pop music, he has served as a sportswriter for his hometown newspaper in East Liverpool, Ohio, worked in music retail and handled club bookings for musical... [+] Read More
Artist: Jack Leaver
Jack Leaver is a Michigan native and freelance writer whose writing appears regularily in The Grand Rapids Press, The Kalamazoo Gazette and The Muskegon Chronicle. A musician since the age of five, Leaver plays guitar, piano, pedal steel guitar and cello, as well as being a fine vocalist and entertainer. Leaver co-founded and fronted the... [+] Read More
Artist: The Four Knights
Best-known for their smooth pop ballad recordings, the Four Knights were equally at home lending their polished vocal harmonies to gospel songs as well. The group's career spanned almost two decades, from the early '40s through the early '60s, including a substantial amount of recordings, with over 40 commercial singles and three LPs to their... [+] Read More
