On Tonight: Elton John, Leon Russell Forge ‘The Union’
In the great tradition of rock stars resurrecting heroes of the past (Bruce Springsteen and Gary U.S. Bonds, Tom Petty and Del Shannon), Elton John went back to find Leon…
Remembering Don Cornelius, ‘Soul Train’ Conductor
Sad to hear of the death at 75 of Don Cornelius, the host and creator of “Soul Train,” a show so cool and lasting, it was still playing this evening…
Everybody Sings Dylan
How many Bob Dylan tribute albums have there been – just in the last decade or so? There was the international cast on the soundtrack to his “Masked and Anonymous”;…
Ageless Tony Bennett Talks ‘Duets II,’ Winehouse and The Genius Audience
In the stylishly shot “Tony Bennett: Duets II” making its bow tonight on PBS’ “Great Performance,” everybody dresses up for the recording studio. Bennett naturally is always wearing a snappy…
A Bad Week for R&B
I’m almost starting to believe those crass predictions on celebrity deaths. After the passing of two significant R&B figures earlier in the week, by both Jimmy Castor and Johnny Otis,…
The Other Napoleon Dynamite
The return of Napoleon Dynamite in cartoon form affords the chance for creator Jared Hess to come clear about the origin of the name – used by Elvis Costello 20…
Tommy Ardolino (1955-2012): NRBQ Drummer, Musicologist, Pussycat
Sad to hear of the passing Friday of Tom Ardolino, the gentle soul and longstanding drummer of one of America’s great rock bands, NRBQ. He would have been 55 this…
The B-52’s at 35: Rockin’ Over to PBS
It's fitting that the B-52’s, the Athens, Ga., party band marking its 35th anniversary this year, the group came out of a Flaming Volcano. It was a drink. “We went…
Making My 2011 Mix, Under the Wire
I’m missing a holiday tradition tonight – joining my friends Jim and Molly for their annual New Year’s Eve dinner. The dinner itself isn’t the best part of it –…
Remembering Cesaria Evora, 1941-2011
Cesaria Evora, the Grammy winner who introduced the West African sounds of Morna to the world late in her life, died Saturday in her native island of sao Vicente in…