Where the Gremmies and the Ho-Dads Never Go

WHERE THE GREMMIES AND THE HO-DADS NEVER GO: Riding a wave of surf music obscurities by THE PHAROS, THE DAKOTAS, THE SURF LORDS, THE FATHOMS, HAWAII SAMURAI and more.
by David McGee
 

 
 

From The Inkwell: An Animated Christmas

Four DVDs, five timeless holiday shows worthy for inclusion in any Christmas video collection. Stories well told, with humor, warmth, sensitivity. wisdom and outstanding animation. All essential titles for any serious Yuletide ...
by David McGee
 

 

 

On Cats Behaving Badly And Convincing Them To Stop

Laugh it you like, but MIESHELLE NAGELSCHNEIDER really does command unique skills and a magic touch when dealing with felines of all stripes. Not for nothing is she called The Cat Whisperer.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Swinging the Pendulum on Pit Bulls

Esquire writer-at-large TOM JUNOD is among those leading the charge to change public perceptions about pit bulls. TALKING ANIMALS host DUNCAN STRAUSS sits down with Junod to clear the air about these misunderstood canines.
by David McGee
 

 

 

‘He Brought a Certain Level of Class to the Blues’: Remembering Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, 1930-2013

American music lost a giant with the passing of BOBBY 'BLUE' BLAND. Our tribute offers an overview of his career and a guide to his essential recordings.
by David McGee
 

 
 

Gospel at Christmastime

Bob Marovich's overview of gospel music at Yuletide, from the Elkins-Payne Jubilee Singers (1926) to the Edwin Hawkins Family (1985).
by David McGee
 

 

 

The Man With All the Toys

With four Christmas albums to his credit, BRIAN SETZER and his ORCHESTRA occupy rarified air in the holiday music realm.
by David McGee
 

 
 

An Octopus Opus More Gripping Than Eight Tentacles

An essential interview with SY MONTGOMERY, author of THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS. You'll get sucked in.
by David McGee
 

 

 

Ghost Forest

RON HUNTER, founder/editor of Nature Writing.com, recently found a much different scene than he had anticipated when he encountered 'a self-healing natural cycle in the red fir-lodgepole pine forests of the Sierra Nevada.'
by David McGee
 

 
 

The Right Touch

FLORENCE PRICE and MAX BRUCH violin concertos memorably interpreted by RANDALL GOOSBY, YANNICK NEZET-SEGUIN and the PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
by David McGee
 

 

 

Bryan Collier’s Trombone Shorty Moment

TROMBONE SHORTY is releasing a picture book autobiography next month, with superb illustrations by BRYAN COLLIER. JULES has the lowdown, and some pics.
by David McGee
 

 
 

When Robert Mitchum Was Like So…

In 1957, while filming in Trinidad with director John Huston, ROBERT MITCHUM became obsessed with Calypso music, so much so that he made an entire album of it, for Capitol, with Johnny Mercer's blessing. It's good stuff. Let's ...
by David McGee