bacharach david1 880x3851

‘I Try To Write a Terrific Song’
Hal David: In His Own Words

Saluting the magnificent artistry of the late HAL DAVID, who, with and apart from Burt Bacharach, spoke volumes about the human condition in his captivating, unforgettable lyrics—truly a voice for all time.
by David McGee
 

 
 
seaworld spotlight 880x3851

When Orcas Go Postal: The Gravest Show On Earth

Duncan Strauss talks with author DAVID KIRBY about Death At SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, his riveting exposé of SeaWorld’s disturbing treatment of killer whales, one of which killed its tr...
by David McGee
 

 

 
johnny cash spotlight 880x3851

The Man In Black, In All Dimensions

In this the 80th year of JOHNNY CASH’s birth, Columbia/Legacy is celebrating with five new collections of vintage and previously unreleased Cash music that pretty much cover the waterfront of the Man in Black’s aesthetic.
by David McGee
 

 
 
joe south spotlight 880x3851

For All He Gave, and For Giving His All

An in-depth tribute to one of the finest singers-songwriters-guitarists-producers of his time, JOE SOUTH, who died of a heart attack on September 5. He always said what he meant and meant what he said. Yeah!
by David McGee
 

 

 
sunrise1 880x3851

SUNRISE – 1927

DEEP ROOTS THEATER: Now Playing--'Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans,' F.W. Murnau's silent classic from 1927, with extra added attraction 'Sinkin' n the Bathtub,' the first Looney Tunes cartoon, starring Bosko and Honey (1930).
by David McGee
 

 
 
monteverdi11

The Passionate Style

Italian composer, gambist, and singer Claudio Giovanni Monteverdi is often regarded as revolutionary in that his work marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two ind...
by David McGee
 

 

 
marty raybon southern roots

Going Mobile

Marty Raybon might well want to consider re-titling his album Southern Routes & Branches, given how many roads he travels in its dozen songs. To be clear, some of these roads he’s traveled before—nine of the songs are c...
by David McGee
 

 
 
lrb chronology

(Much) More To Come…

One of the finest contemporary bluegrass bands around is cementing its reputation as same during this, its 30th anniversary year, with the second of three overviews of each decade of its productive existence. Like Volume One, V...
by David McGee
 

 

 
little richard here

Little Richard, Ascending

‘It’s Just Like An Unfinished Diamond’  Richard Penniman has at various times, often without prompting, referred to himself as “the originator, the instigator, the facilitator” of rock ‘n’ roll. To varying degree...
by David McGee