Showing 101 - 125 of 447
Artist: Carl Frye
When it is time for jazz critics to whip out their most cliched language, it seems the preferable thing for musicians to do onstage is to "cook" or to "burn." In this case of this vintage alto saxophonist and clarinetist, the critics simply had to let Carl Frye. It is a corny joke, but surely one that might have been appreciated by at least one... [+] Read More
Artist: Jump Jackson
Started out in New Orleans, wound up in Chicago. The subject could be the blues backbeat, or it could be the life of Armand "Jump" Jackson. Or it could be both, since the two are almost one and the same. That fat, greasy sock rhythm that was heard on many of the blues records made in Chicago in the late '40s and '50s was created by the one and... [+] Read More
Artist: Handsome Dick Manitoba
When a reporter asked Handsome Dick Manitoba if his band, of course named the Dictators, was new wave, the King of Men replied, "We ain't no new wave, Jack. We're the tidal wave." Manitoba, born Richard Blum, was born in the Bronx, spent time in the Catskills, and started out as roadie and cook for the Dictators. When he destroyed too much... [+] Read More
Artist: Frank Culley
For the wieners who love wieners and the weirdos who love weird song titles, all Frank Culley had to do was fry up some "Flying Sausages" for RCA in the early '50s to earn a state of eternal grace. For the more discerning, tenor saxophonist Culley can be credited with helping to create the entire sound of the R&B saxophone, leading to a... [+] Read More
Artist: Dub Pistols
The continuing ascendancy of big-beat techno with punk-rock attitude continued unabated with the Dub Pistols, a lager-swilling quintet headed by ex-club promoter Barry Ashworth and featuring guitarist John King, bassist Jason O'Bryan, programmer Bill Borez and turntablist Malcolm Wax. Ashworth, who had been turned on to the vibes of Ibizan house... [+] Read More
Artist: Ben Vaughn
Retro-rocker Ben Vaughn attracted attention for his faithful re-creations of pre-Beatles rock & roll, pop, and roots music, all of which were filtered through his quirky sense of humor. Vaughn grew up in Philadelphia and played drums in the local punk band the Sickidz in 1980. Two years later, roots rockers the Morells recorded his composition... [+] Read More
Artist: Roy Ross
Probably because this versatile musician happened to blow on a Frankie Laine recording session, enough of a western vibe was established to make some listeners assume he is the same Roy Ross who played mandolin on some obscure regional country singles in the '40s and '50s, as well as backing up bluegrass legend Hylo Brown in the '60s. A toss-up... [+] Read More
Artist: A.C. Reed
To hear tenor saxist A.C. Reed bemoan his fate onstage, one might glean the impression that he truly detests his job. But it's a tongue-in-cheek complaint -- Reed's raspy, gutbucket blowing and laidback vocals bely any sense of boredom.
Sax-blowing blues bandleaders are scarce as hen's teeth in Chicago; other than Eddie Shaw, Reed's about all... [+] Read More
Artist: Def la Desh & The Fresh Witness
Def La Desh and the Fresh Witness is comprised of Esther Munster, Natasha Van Der Weerd and singer Wendy Alane Wright. Top 40 hits include "Check Out The Ska," and "Feel The Rhythm." Def La Desh and the Fresh Witness was one of the first ever female rap groups who innovatively combined rap with vocals. Groups like TLC followed suit.Esther... [+] Read More
Artist: Jeff Beck
While he was as innovative as Jimmy Page, as tasteful as Eric Clapton, and nearly as visionary as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck never achieved the same commercial success as any of his contemporaries, primarily because of the haphazard way he approached his career. After Rod Stewart left the Jeff Beck Group in 1971, Beck never worked with a... [+] Read More
Artist: Sound Experience
Sound Experience was a tight, hard-driving funk ensemble with a flair for up-tempo grooves and aggressive, mind-bending guitar work drenched in fuzz and wah-wah effects. Composed of lead vocalist Arthur Grant, Leroy Frailing, Johnny Groman, Gregory Holmes, James Lindsey, Melvin Miles, Anton Scott, and Reginald Wright, the rather large group... [+] Read More
Artist: Grandmaster Flash
DJ Grandmaster Flash and his group the Furious Five were hip-hop's greatest innovators, transcending the genre's party-music origins to explore the full scope of its lyrical and sonic horizons. Flash was born Joseph Saddler in Barbados on January 1, 1958; he began spinning records as teen growing up in the Bronx, performing live at area dances... [+] Read More
Artist: Diddy
The biggest hip-hop impresario of the mid-'90s, Sean Combs -- known as Puff Daddy both here and in the world of rap until his professional name change to P. Diddy -- created a multi-million dollar industry around Bad Boy Entertainment, with recordings by the Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Faith Evans, 112, and Total, all produced and... [+] Read More
Artist: Jane Birkin
The heavy-breathing vocalist on one of the most infamous chart-toppers in British history, Jane Birkin enjoyed a long film and recording career. Born in London in 1946, she followed in her mother's footsteps and began acting at the Kensington Academy in London. While still a teenager, she made her stage debut in Graham Greene's 1964 production... [+] Read More
Artist: The Bunch of Fives
The Bunch of Fives were notable only for featuring drummer and legendary wildman Viv Prince shortly after he had left his position in the Pretty Things. The group recorded one single for Parlophone, "Go Home Baby"/"At the Station," in August 1966. These were passable, but ordinary, mod rock tunes and are remembered only by collectors. According... [+] Read More
Artist: Riot
The long-lived New York-based heavy metal band Riot was formed in 1976 by guitarist/songwriter Mark Reale, who in time recruited vocalist Guy Speranza, guitarist L.A. Kouvaris, bassist Jimmy Iommi and drummer Peter Bitelli. After debuting in 1977 with Rock City, Kouvaris was replaced by guitarist Rick Ventura, and the group returned in 1979 with... [+] Read More
Artist: Blast off Country Style
Taking their name from a Moog record, Blast Off Country Style emerged from the ashes of Sexual Milkshake and Two Faced Judy to become one of the Teenbeat record label's best and most unique acts of the 1990s. Formed in Harrisonburg, Virginia by former Sexual Milkshake drummer Chris Callahan, Two Faced Judy and Don't Panic bassist Phil Sweeney,... [+] Read More
Artist: Paul Oscher
Guitarist, singer, songwriter, pianist and harp player Paul Oscher has paid his dues, and then some. Those who have been following blues for a long time will remember Oscher from the late 1960s as the white kid who played harmonica in the Muddy Waters Band.
Blues caught the Brooklyn-raised Oscher's ears at age 12 and he began playing... [+] Read More
Artist: National Lampoon
The launching pad for comedians from John Belushi and Chevy Chase to Bill Murray and Richard Belzer, the National Lampoon performing troupe emerged from the pages of The National Lampoon magazine in 1972. The publication itself debuted in April 1970 under the auspices of writers Michael O'Donoghue and Tony Hendra as an extension of the... [+] Read More
Artist: The Warriors
The Warriors were one of hundreds of British beat groups founded in England in the mid-'60s, distinguished at the time for their close brushes with success and the achievements of two of their members, Jon Anderson and Ian Wallace, in the years after their breakup. Anthony Anderson, the older of the two brothers, had joined the Accrington group... [+] Read More
Artist: Grady Gaines
Some of the atomic energy that Little Richard emitted nightly during the mid-'50s must have spilled onto Grady Gaines. As the hardy tenor sax blaster with Richard's road band, the Upsetters, Gaines all but blew the reed out of his horn with his galvanic solos. He wails with the same unquenchable spirit today.
The perpetually ebullient Louis... [+] Read More
Artist: Cabaret Voltaire
Though they're one of the most important groups in the history of industrial and electronic music, Cabaret Voltaire are sometimes forgotten in the style's timeline -- perhaps because they continued recording long after other luminaries (Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Chrome) called it quits. Also related to the fact is that CV rarely stayed in one... [+] Read More
Artist: Charley Johnson
Not much seems to be known about the trombonist Charley Johnson, who performed with various bands led by Benny Carter during the '40s. His career is a mystery story in which there are too many suspects named Johnson and trombones seem to be stashed hither and yon as if one of them was really a smoking gun. In conclusion, it seems that while... [+] Read More
Artist: Mike Stevens
This Mike Stevens should not be confused with the harmonica player from the Grand Old Opry or the British fusion jazz maestro. The former event would have been much too hectic for a fellow who liked to hole up in his Midwestern college dormitory and work all night creating new tapes, while the music of the latter artist is apparently the type of... [+] Read More
Artist: Célia e Celma
The vocal duo formed by the twin sisters Célia e Celma went through a multitude of styles ranging from Italian music, bossa nova, MPB, and jovem guarda, to finally end up dedicating itself to recovering upcountry folk music from their home state of Minas Gerais. They were granted, in 1995, the title Embaixador do Centenário (Centennial's... [+] Read More
