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Category: Album Reviews

Merry Christmas Johnny Mathis album cover

Johnny Mathis: The Calm At the Center of the Storm

Posted onDecember 19, 2020December 19, 2020

In a year that’s been absolutely bonkers, there’s something extra special about turning to the comfort of your holiday record collection this time around. It’s like a little slice of normalcy in the midst of all the crazy.   While Read More …

Categories2020 Playlists, Album ReviewsTagsholiday music, Johnny Mathis, Merry Christmas

Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas

Posted onDecember 16, 2016December 17, 2016

Anyone wondering what Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas has to offer can simply stop and examine the album cover: Quiet, reverent, divine. Recorded July 17 and 18, 1967 and released later that year, this is the second and final Christmas album Ella Read More …

CategoriesAlbum Reviews

REVIEW: Herb Alpert & Lani Hall at The Stoughton Opera House

Posted onOctober 16, 2016October 16, 2016

Herb Alpert has been known for “Going Places!” since the early ‘60s, when his Tijuana Brass made a worldwide splash. On Friday, October 14, he rolled into the Stoughton Opera House for an intimate show featuring music spanning more than Read More …

CategoriesAlbum ReviewsTagsGoing Places, Herb Alpert, Human Nature, Lani Hall, South Of the Border, Whipped Cream and Other Delights

5 Sinatra Songs You Gotta Hear!

Posted onFebruary 27, 2016February 27, 2016

In honor of Frank Sinatra’s centennial birthday, we asked friend of the show Paul Snyder to consider the entire Sinatra library and choose just five top hits he think we oughta hear. Here’s what he chose: #5. “Day By Day” Read More …

CategoriesAlbum Reviews

Only the Lonely album cover

5 Sinatra Songs You Gotta Hear: “One For My Baby”

Posted onDecember 11, 2015December 11, 2015

1. “One For My Baby” (click title to listen) From Sinatra Sings For Only the Lonely (Capitol, 1959) I can’t remember if I bought the Only the Lonely album in my junior or senior year of high school, but I’m Read More …

CategoriesAlbum Reviews

Sinatra At the Sands cover

5 Sinatra Songs You Gotta Hear: “Where Or When”

Posted onDecember 9, 2015December 11, 2015

2. “Where or When” (click title to listen) From Sinatra at the Sands (Reprise, 1966) As a general principle, I detest live albums. I see the reason for them, and sometimes they become a necessary evil because it’s the only Read More …

CategoriesAlbum Reviews

Ring-A-Ding Ding! cover

5 Sinatra Songs You Gotta Hear: “You’d Be So Easy To Love”

Posted onDecember 9, 2015December 9, 2015

3. “You’d Be So Easy To Love” (click title to listen) From Ring-a-Ding-Ding! (Reprise, 1961) As many torch songs and albums as Frank commandeered throughout the 1950s, it’s kind of interesting that one of the most heartbreaking tracks he ever Read More …

CategoriesAlbum Reviews

Songs For Swingin' Lovers cover

5 Sinatra Songs You Gotta Hear: “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me”

Posted onDecember 8, 2015December 8, 2015

4. “You’re Getting To Be a Habit With Me” (click title to listen) From Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! (Capitol, 1956) If hipsters were more into Sinatra (and soon they will be, I promise you), Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! would be Read More …

CategoriesAlbum Reviews

Come Swing With Me Cover

5 Sinatra Songs You Gotta Hear: “Day By Day”

Posted onDecember 7, 2015December 7, 2015

5. “Day By Day” (click title to listen) From Come Swing With Me! (Capitol, 1961) Come Swing With Me! is one of Sinatra’s last proper albums for Capitol (not counting, of course, the cobbled-together leftover albums that the label dummied Read More …

CategoriesAlbum Reviews

Billie Holiday singing

Billie Holiday

Posted onApril 7, 2015May 29, 2017

4.7.15 The legendary vocalist Billie Holiday was born 100 years ago today. Though a household name nowadays, she struggled to achieve the same notoriety as singers like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Strongly influenced by Armstrong and Bessie Smith, her Read More …

CategoriesAlbum ReviewsTagsArtie Shaw, Bessie Smith, billie holiday, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Rosemary Clooney, Teddy Wilson

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