Anne Murray The Voice, the Songs—and That Sad, Old Wintry Feeling by Mark Mussari Anne Murray keeps making the same mistake. She thinks her recording career is over. She thinks the awards are long gone. She thinks the charts are out of reach. Fortunately for all of us, she’s wrong on all counts. Murray is … Continue reading
Charlie Gracie What More Could You Ask? By Ronald Sklar Usually, it’s the other way around for Paul McCartney, but in this instance, it was Sir Paul who had always wanted to meet a certain musician who had influenced him in his early years. The year: 2000. Philadelphia native Charlie Gracie, the influence in question, was scheduled … Continue reading
Lesley Gore Out There on Her Own by Ronald Sklar Lesley Gore was scoring monster hits long before the age of Britney, Lindsay and Jessica. Her signature song, “It’s My Party (And I’ll Cry If I Want To)” is one for the ages, enduring longer – and remaining more recognizable and beloved – than any … Continue reading
The Manhattan Transfer 35 Years and Still Swinging By Mark Mussari Where in the musical landscape hasn’t the Manhattan Transfer taken us? From their inception in the mid-1970s as a cabaret act with doo-wop tendencies to their be-bop covers to their daring experiments in jazz and swing, Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel, Alan Paul and founder … Continue reading
OneRepublic Living Their Dreams Out Loud by Jay S. Jacobs You know that you’ve heard it. Topping the charts and all over the radio in recent months there was that mournful voice crooning: “It’s too late to apologize… It’s too late…” The funny thing is, this grand rock ballad came off of the new CD … Continue reading
Little Big Town The Band Has Landed By Mark Mussari It’s an impossible task trying to define Little Big Town. There’s no one like them in country music – or in any genre of music for that matter. And their singularity goes far beyond their unique configuration of two men and two women. Flying high … Continue reading
THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS NOT FAKING IT by Jay S. Jacobs You may have thought that you were catching something brand new when the passionate anti-domestic violence song “Face Down” started taking the music world by storm this summer. With its disgusted and angry lyrics (“Do you feel like a man when you push her … Continue reading
Jerry Wexler The Man Behind Rhythm and Blues by Ronald Sklar The bookends of Jerry Wexler’s life are predictable and ordinary – it’s the middle that is practically unbelievable. He was born in 1917, to a poor Jewish family in the Bronx, and is currently battling poor health in Sarasota, Florida. That’s probably where he and … Continue reading
Rue Melo This is Her House by Jay S. Jacobs In Paris – where Rue Melo was born – the word rue means road. Although it isn’t her given name (“Rue is actually a nickname that I grew up with,” she explains) somehow it totally fits her. The 23-year-old singer has lived a bit of a gypsy … Continue reading
Fabian About This Thing Called Luck by Ronald Sklar Fabian was born under a lucky star, and that star first shone its light above the ancient, sooty row-house streets of South Philadelphia. Although we think of 1950s America as a world of suburbs, tailfins and sparkling new appliances, most of this country still lived in … Continue reading
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