dan toler1

‘What a Hero’: ALS Claims Guitarist ‘Dangerous’ Dan Toler, 64

A versatile, distinctive Southern rock guitarist, Dangerous Dan Toler succumbed to Lou Gehrig's Disease on Feb. 25. 'He really showed people how to live,' said his friend Bonnie Bramlett.
by David McGee
 

 
 
magic slim1

Silenced: Magic Slim’s ‘Raw, Unadultered Chicago Blues’

Remembering MAGIC SAM, keeper of the flame of 'raw, unadulterated Chicago blues,' who passed away on February 21.
by David McGee
 

 

 
shadow featured image

‘Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow’

George Morton came and went like a shadow, producing great '60s singles for the Shangri-Las and Janis Ian, and shortly thereafter, disappearing. But the Shadow left his mark. Remembering a pop great.
by David McGee
 

 
 
bev shea1

George Beverly Shea Turns 104, Honored with Graham Library Exhibit

An indispensable component of Billy Graham's Crusades with his ministry in song, GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA, a towering figure in 20th Century gospel music, turned 104 on Feb. 1. A look back at a life writ large.
by David McGee
 

 

 
Devon Allman Turquoise Front

His Own Man

DEVON ALLMAN's solo debut, 'Turquoise,' tells us the son of Gregg is his own man--more to the point, that he knows who he is as his own man. No mean feat, that.
by David McGee
 

 
 
roberta donna sugar

Long Ago, Far Away, Ever Relevant

Exploring songs associated with the great female blues and jazz vocalists of the '20s and '30s, ROBERTA DONNAY & THE PROHIBITION MOB BAND sound ever-relevant on A LITTLE SUGAR
by David McGee
 

 

 
talking animals spotlight1 880x385

‘Hug’: Paws For Patriots Dogs Ease Wounded Veterans Passage Into Post-Combat Life

Since 2006 the non-profit organization PAWS FOR PATRIOTS has been training and providing, free of charge, guide dogs to veterans with visual impairments. DUNCAN STRAUSS has the inside story on this invaluable effort.
by David McGee
 

 
 
prokofiev pleasures of music spotlight 880x385

Prokofiev, Conflicted: Great Composer or Great Compromiser?

SERGEI PROKOFIEV was a great composer, but was he also a great compromiser when it came to bowing to the demands of the Soviet regime, which viewed him as a threat to the people?
by David McGee
 

 

 
taj weekes border crossings spotlight 880x385

Taj Weekes’s Anthems of Hope

2013 is off to a great start for St. Lucia's TAJ WEEKES, a singer-songwriter with a topical bent and a clear vision of his responsibility to help make the world a better place now and for future generations.
by David McGee