Dr. John
There are several nationally known musicians associated with New Orleans, including Dr. John.
Artist: Dr. John
Tune: Goin’ Back to New Orleans
Entries Tagged as 'Music'
Guy with Heavy D
Now, this is a nice jam.
Artist: Guy with Heavy D
Tune: Do me right
Dexter Gordon
The Great Dexter Gordon. What a sound.
Artist: Dexter Gordon
Tune: What’s New
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker may be one of the greatest blues men of all-time. He was “rediscovered” by the Rolling Stones. He also got some publicity by an appearance in one of the Blues Brothers movies. This is a great tune with the ageless Carlos Santana. I love this tune.
Artist: John Lee Hooker
Tune: The Healer
Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places
Garth Brooks was on a roll like no other country western singer. He had crossed over into pop. He was making money by the truckload. He had very catchy tunes which could appeal to almost everyone but the most heavy of metalheads. Then something happened. He got weird. He changed his name. He was in an affair. A country western singer, with a spit-and-polish image, in an affair? That’s the kiss of death.
more music videos here.
Portrait of Louis
This is a very nice tune written by Duke Ellington. I spliced two different music videos together – note how Wynton’s clothes change. 
Artist: Wynton Marsalis
Tune: Portrait of Louis Armstrong
The Power Station
Robert Palmer, Tony Thompson of Chic, John and Andy Taylor from Duran Duran… Sounds like an unbeatable combination. This hit machine only produced 2 monster hits. I guess 2 is better than none.
Artist: Power Station
Tune: Some like it Hot
Miami Sound Machine – Conga
This was/is a fun tune. Miami Sound Machine – Conga.
Artist: Miami Sound Machine
Tune: Conga
The Monkees
Why not? I guess that imitation is the best form of flattery. The Beatles were taking America by storm in the mid-1960s. I’m not sure who was behind the Monkees. They were clearly designed to be a group that looked like the Beatles. Yet, as luck would have it, they actually had some musical talent. None of their songs, as I recall, were deep or thoughtful. They were mostly fun. Fun and catchy. On a Saturday night, there’s nothing wrong with fun and catchy.
Artist: The Monkees
Tune: Last Train to Clarksville
ELO
The Electric Light Orchestra was an interesting, if not confusing, band. Their sound as I recall was different. It was never consistent. They had a couple of huge hits, including this one. (I don’t like this live version as well as I like the recorded version. It just doesn’t seem to swing.)
Artist: ELO
Tune: Don’t Bring Me Down
The Great Ella Fitzgerald
There will never be another Ella Fitzgerald. This tune is simply marvelous.
Artist: Ella Fitzgerald
Tune: One Note Samba
Al Jarreau hospitalized
If nothing else, almost everyone has to admit that Al Jarreau is a very interesting jazz singer. I started listening to him in the late 1970s. I’ve seen him twice in concert – once at the fabulous Fox, which was an incredible venue in the early 1980s, the acoustics near-perfect, and again at an outdoor jazz festival close to 15 years ago. I know that some fans have seen him and have been extremely disappointed at his state of inebriation. Thankfully, he was clear and sober both times I saw him. He is one of the few entertainers who has the ability to really connect with the audience. He made you feel as if you were at an intimate, nearly personal, concert.
It’s been reported that he’s been hospitalized. I hope he gets well soon.
From AP:
Grammy-award winning singer Al Jarreau was in intensive care in a French hospital Friday after encountering breathing problems in the Alps that forced him to cancel four concerts.
However, a note on his official Web site said the 70-year-old Jarreau was in “good spirits” and “looking forward to getting back out on the road.” The note said he would perform in Nuremburg, Germany, next Thursday as scheduled.
Jarreau fell ill before a concert Thursday at a jazz festival in the French mountain town of Barcelonnette, in the southern Alps, and “decided to take precautionary measures and admit himself into the hospital after his body did not adjust normally to mountain altitude.”
He was taken to the intensive care unit in the city of Gap, the hospital said Friday.
“Upon medical advice, (he) was advised not to perform to allow him time to recover,” Marshall Arts Ltd., his British agent, said in a statement.
“Love Rollercoaster”
I’m going to stay with the Ohio Players. Skin Tight was their first RnB #1. Fire smoked the charts, was the group’s first crossover hit, scoring #1 on RnB and US Pop charts. Love Rollercoaster proved that they were more than a one hit wonder.
Artist: Ohio Players
Tune: Love Rollercoaster
Oh, no, Fire
There were a couple of funk groups in the late ’70s that were infectious. Everyone was able to shake their booties to these groups. One of these groups was the Ohio Players. The Ohio Players had a bass groove that was almost unparalleled. They had a tight horn section that had a slight echo of the Memphis sound. Finally, they had Sugar on the voices. His voice was just unique. His ad libs couldn’t be found anywhere else. BTW, over the last two years, You Tube has really filled out its R&B from the late ’70s. This was a great time for music. Enjoy!!!
Artist: Ohio Players
Tune: Skin Tight
Now, this is great jazz
Just to blow the minds of folks who just found this blog and were chillin’ with Stevie Ray Vaughan, how about some Count Basie and Oscar Peterson? Now this isn’t quite the opposite end of the musical spectrum, but it clearly very different. There was a time when it was common to find great stuff on television. Now, 200 channels and nothing to watch except re-runs of M*A*S*H.
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Cold Shot
Today and tomorrow, the posting will be very light. I’m trying to study and I have my grandson here. He loves playing x-box with Papa. So, no time for much else right now.
Otis Redding
The raw power of Otis Redding is an amazing thing to listen to. I can’t think of any contemporary artist who has anything like this.
Artist: Otis Redding
Tune: Try A Little Tenderness
Frank Sinatra
The king.
Artist: Frank Sinatra
Tune: That’s Life
Whenever I Say Your Name
Rumor has it that Sting wrote this song to be a duo with Mary J Blige. (This is a very short version. I’ll see if I can find something better.)
Artist: Sting and Mary J Blige
Tune: Whenever I say your Name
Sting and Annie Lennox – We’ll be together
I am not a big Eurythmics fan. I’ve never been a big Annie Lennox fan, but I kind of like this combination.
Artist: Sting and Annie Lennox
Tune: We’ll be together
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Errington C. Thompson, MD, is a surgeon, scholar, full-time sports fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a number of community projects and initiatives. Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical health of all he treats...
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