Sunday, March 31, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Maryna Moroz vs Sabina Mazo
Here's the match video of Maryna Moroz vs Sabina Mazo from last night's UFC show in Philadelphia. Maryna has had a mixed run as a UFC Strawweight. But before the UFC she fought at Flyweight. Would that make a difference? Maryna is also training at American Top Team in Florida. Sabina is 22 years old from Columbia making her UFC debut. She is a former LFA champ and she trains at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, CA. The betting odds favored Sabina. Even if you don't think highly of Maryna, she is still a big step up in competition level. Sabina broke her nose early in round one. It looked like it might have been an accidental clash of heads. I'm not sure how that affected her but she lacked aggression. Maryna won the first two rounds fairly easily. Sabina would need a finish. She is known for her head kicks. Of course Maryna was aware of this and she fought conservatively in round three. So Sabina won round three but she didn't get the finish she needed. I scored it 29-28 for Maryna and she won by unanimous decision. She seems like a better fighter at Flyweight. A ranked opponent might be in order for her. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Marina Rodriguez vs Jessica Aguilar
Here's the match video of Marina Rodriguez vs Jessica Aguilar from last night's UFC show in Philadelphia. Jessica came in as a late replacement for Alexa Grasso. Jessica is probably at the point where she should think about retirement. Marina drew with Randa Markos in her UFC debut. She's a kickboxer. Jessica broke her nose early in round one. After that there was blood all over the place. Then there was an eyepoke and Marina was admonished. But Jessica was still able to get a takedown and almost an armbar submission. Marina escaped and then another eyepoke. This time the ref took a point from Marina. When the fight restarted, Marina knocked Jessica down. I scored the round 10-8 for Jessica because of the near submission. Things didn't go so well for Jessica after that. She got hammered in round two. It just wasn't quite enough for a stoppage. I scored the round 10-8 for Marina. Marina continued to pound Jessica in round three. I scored the round 10-9 for Marina. Marina won by unanimous decision. Both fighters went to the hospital afterwards. It looks like Marina hurt her arm. Jessica took such a pounding in this fight that I would like to see her retire. But you know how fighters can be. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Michelle Waterson vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Here's the match video of Michelle Waterson vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz from last night's UFC show in Philadelphia. Whoever wins this fight gets closer to a Strawweight title shot. I expected the fight to be competitive but not compelling. And light sparring is what we got in round one. I thought Michelle was marginally more effective so I scored the round 10-9 for Michelle. Michelle got what she needed in round two as she got a takedown halfway through the round. She didn't come close to a finish. But the idea was to put the fear of a takedown in Karolina's mind so she thinks twice about doing anything. It worked. Michelle won the fight 30-27. So does she get a title shot. I dunno. Tatiana Suarez and Weili Zhang may have something to say about that. This was a big win for Michelle. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Presidents of the United States of America
Song:Lump
Album:The Presidents of the United States of America
The Presidents of the United States of America (PUSA) came from the 90s alt rock and grunge scene in Seattle. Their 1995 debut album did very well mostly because MTV played the video for Lump to death. But after their second album didn't do well, they split up. They were from Seattle led by lead singer, bassist and songwriter Chris Ballew. He met guitarist Dave Dederer in school. In the late 80s Ballew lived in Boston and was in the band Egg. He moved back to Seattle in 1993 and formed PUSA with Dederer and Love Battery drummer Jason Finn. After releasing a couple of singles, PUSA signed with Columbia and released the 1995 album The Presidents of the United States of America. Lump was their biggest hit as it topped the Alt Rock chart. The album was certified 3XPlatinum. This was driven by MTV playing the video for Lump to death. The video was directed by Roman Coppola. The album was produced by PopLlama Records owner Conrad Uno who originally signed PUSA. Their music was more tongue in cheek than other bands of that era. Their 1996 album II didn't do as well. After releasing the rarities album Pure Frosting, Ballew disbanded PUSA to spend more time with his family. They reformed in 2004 and recorded on their own label and toured until Ballew decided to disband PUSA for good in 2016. Ballew has recorded solo but he seems to really enjoy performing children's music as Caspar Babypants. I guess he's found his calling. Here's the video for Lump by The Presidents of the United States of America.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dhar Braxton
Song:Jump Back (Set Me Free)
Album:Ultimate Dance Mega Hits
Chances are pretty good that if you are a fan of 80s freestyle dance music you heard Jump Back because it topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1986. But not only was Dhar Braxton a one hit wonder, she only recorded a couple of singles and then disappeared. I know what you're thinking. Isn't she one of the Braxton sisters? Nope. Dhar's mom was jazz singer Byrdie Green. Byrdie released the 1966 album The Stinger Meets The Golden Thrush with organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith. Byrdie put her singing career on hold to raise her family. She returned in the 70s to tour with The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Jump Back was released in 1986 on Sleeping Bag Records, one of the leading producers of Freestyle dance music. As I said, it was a big hit in clubs at the time. The song was written and produced by Jhon Fair. The only other singer of note he produced was Colette "Chocolette" Thompson and she's singing background vocals on this record. The remix was by Robert Civilles who would later become famous as one half of C+C Music Factory. Dhar recorded a second single Illusions in 1987 but it went nowhere. She never recorded an album and the only way to get Jump Back is on various artists CDs like this one from the British label Warlock. Dhar did release the 1993 single No More Shadows on her own label. And that's it. I assume she started a family. Here's a video for Jump Back (Set Me Free) by Dhar Braxton.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 29, 2019
Asuka, UFC on ESPN 2 preview and new fight announcements.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Fiona Hendley
Song:With Every Breath I Take
Album:City Of Angels: Original London Cast Recording
British actress Fiona Hendley had success on the London stage and TV in the 80s. She retired from acting to be a minister. She appeared in the 1993 London production of the Broadway musical City Of Angels. She was born in Surrey, England in 1959. She first appeared on British TV in the late 70s. Then she appeared in the ITV series Widows. This show was created by Prime Suspect creator Lynda LaPlante. The show was so successful there was a 1985 sequel. At the same time Fiona appeared in stage productions of A Beggar's Opera, Guys and Dolls and Kiss Me Kate. And she appeared in the 1985 production of Randy Newman's Trouble In Paradise. City Of Angels is a musical tribute to Film Noir written by Cy Coleman, David Zippel and Larry Gelbart. The 1989 Broadway production starred David Naughton. Of course it's not unusual for successful Broadway shows to turn up in London. And Fiona was in the 1993 production. The original cast album is available as a budget CD. After that Fiona retired from acting. She has been married to Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones since 1984. They do evangelistic speaking tours. Here's a video of with Every Breath I Take by Fiona Hendley.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Amanda Nunes vs Holly Holm added to July 6 UFC show
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Twila Paris
Song:The Warrior Is A Child
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Twila Paris
Twila Paris was one of the most popular Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) artists of the 80s and 90s. She is known as "the modern day hymnwriter". The Warrior Is A Child was her very first number one CCM hit in 1984. She was born Dec. 28, 1958 in Fort Worth, TX but she grew up in Arkansas. Her grandparents were traveling preachers. And so were her parents. As a child Twila toured with them. And she released an album in 1965. Her father founded Ecclesia College in Springdale, AR. Twila self financed her 1980 album Knowin' You're Around. It got her a deal with Milk & Honey Records. Her 1984 album The Warrior Is A Child was produced by Jonathan David Brown, a recording engineer who worked with many CCM artists. The single The Warrior Is A Child topped the CCM charts. It was her first number one hit. Twila continued to have success into the 90s first for Star Song and then for EMI's Sparrow label. She won the Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year from 1993-1995. In recent years she has produced her own albums and released them through eOne. This budget comp is a good intro to her music. A lot of her songs are church standards. Here's Twila Paris performing The Warrior Is A Child on the TNN show Crook & Chase 1993.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Charlotte Flair vs Asuka
Here's the match video of Charlotte Flair vs Asuka from last night's episode of Smackdown. The original plan was a five way match to determine a Wrestlemania challenger for Asuka. The WWE decided to change it to a title match for Charlotte. The obvious reason for this is the Wrestlemania card is so bloated that they needed to get rid of a match. I've been saying for the last two months that the logical solution is to add Asuka to the main event and make it a four way especially if the titles will be unified as some of us expect. Of course doing it this way plays into Charlotte as spoiled an undeserving. But they have had way too much time to come up with contrived convoluted nonsense throughout the card. It's all unnecessary and this is no different. When they do it this way, there is no way Asuka is keeping the title. And it pisses off fans because they love Asuka. They don't hate Charlotte. They hate Vince for anointing Charlotte the chosen one. And that has been part of this angle since SummerSlam. The fans aren't booing Charlotte. They are booing Vince. The match itself is very similar to their Wrestlemania match. I actually liked the ending much better. The Wrestlemania match end was too abrupt. Of course fans are all outraged and they think she should leave the WWE. She said in a Japanese post match promo that she lost but she will come back stronger than ever. She'll be fine as long as the WWE doesn't try to cheat her out of a Wrestlemania bonus like they tried to do at SummerSlam. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kate Capshaw
Song:Anything Goes
Album:Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Today Kate Capshaw is best known as the wife of director Steven Spielberg. Her best known role was as nightclub singer Willie Scott in the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom which was directed by Spielberg. Kate learned to sing in Mandarin and tap dance and she performed Anything Goes over the opening credits. It's the only singing performance in her career. She was born Kathleen Nail Nov. 3, 1953 in Fort Worth, TX. and she grew up in St. Louis. After earning a degree in Education at the University of Missouri, Kate taught school for a few years. She married Robert Capshaw in 1976. They had one child and divorced in 1980. Kate moved to New York to pursue an acting career. And after appearing in the daytime soap The Edge of Night, she won the lead in the 1982 film A Little Sex. And then she got the role in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. And she met her future husband Steven Spielberg. I guess the rest is history. Of course the film was a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Kate had to learn to sing in Mandarin. She learned to tap dance. But her dress was so tight she couldn't dance in it. Though Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was a box office hit, it got mixed reviews and today neither Spielberg or Kate are fond of the film. The good news is they married in 1991, have several kids and still seem happy today. The soundtrack of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released in an expanded version in 2008 by Concord. Kate appeared in several 80s films including Dreamscape, SpaceCamp, Power and Black Rain. Love Affair was her biggest film in the 90s. And she produced and starred in the 1999 film The Love Letter. That was her final film and I think it's fair to say that Kate Capshaw is retired. Here's Kate Capshaw performing Anything Goes from the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Bea Malecki vs Duda Santana added to June 1 UFC show
Raphael Marinho of Combate in Brazil reported this morning that Bea Malecki vs Duda Santana has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 10 June 1 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. This fight is at Featherweight. Bea is 27 years old from Stockholm, Sweden. She had no pro experience when she was on TUF 28. She lost in the first round. She is a former Muay Thai champ in Europe. She doesn't have the experience to be in the UFC. The good news is Duda is inexperienced too. She is 22 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She trains at Tata Fight Club with UFC fighters Alex Oliveira and Thiago Santos. Her record is 3-0 in the Brazilian regional circuit. Duda was supposed to appear on the Brazilian Dana White Contender Series. But visa problems prevented her from going to Las Vegas. So she might be a good match for Bea. I favor Bea only because she is fighting in her home town and that should motivate. I guess the only thing this fight shows is the UFC is signing Featherweights.Ultimate contrata Duda Cowboyzinha, que estreia contra sueca no UFC Estocolmo | combate | Sportv https://t.co/4UuQvQ6K68
— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) March 26, 2019
Megan Anderson vs Felicia Spencer added to May 18 UFC show
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Spiritualized
Song:Come Together
Album:Ladies and Gentlemen...We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized has had success mostly in their native England. The 1997 album Ladies and Gentleman...We Are Floating In Space is their most successful to date. Their music is described as space rock or neo psychedelia. Spiritualized leader Jason Pierce is from Rugby, England. He was a member of the 80s band Spacemen 3. Pierce and co-leader Peter Kember weren't getting along. After Spacemen 3 split up in 1989, Pierce asked the other members if they wanted to form a new band. Pierce was lead singer, guitarist and songwriter. At the time of the 1997 album Ladies and Gentlemen...We Are Floating In Space, the other members were Kate Radley (Pierce's girlfriend) on keyboards, Sean Cook on bass and Damon Reece on drums. Spiritualized were on Dedicated Records, the same label as Spacemen 3. After two albums, they signed a US deal with Arista. And that signed is what got them international attention. The album reached #4 on the British album chart and it was certified Platinum worldwide. Special guests included Dr. John, The Balanescu Quartet and the London Community Gospel Choir. By that time Pierce and Radley split up and she left the band. Cook and Reece left over money and formed Lupine Howl. Pierce hired new musicians and Spiritualized recorded two more albums. In 2005, Pierce almost died from pneumonia. He recorded a solo album during recovery. And he reformed Spiritualized for the 2008 album Songs in A&E. Pierce got ill again this time with liver cancer. After chemotherapy, he signed with Fat Possum Records and there have been two Spiritualized albums since then including And Nothing Hurt last year. Spiritualized is currently on a US tour and they should record new music afterwards. Ladies and Gentlemen...We Are Floating In Space is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for Come Together by Spiritualized.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Felice Herrig vs Yan Xiaonan added to June 8 UFC show
Raphael Marinho of Combate in Brazil reported this morning that Felice Herrig vs Yan Xiaonan has been added to UFC 238 June 8 at the United Center in Chicago. The UFC is waiting for the bout agreements to be signed. This fight will be at Strawweight. Felice is 34 years old from Chicago. She trains with former WEC, UFC and Bellator fighter Jeff Curran. Her record is 14-8 and 5-3 in the UFC. She looked great when she won five straight fights. But now she lost her last two and she didn't look good in either fight. So she really needs a win. Yan is 29 years old from China. Her record is 10-1 and 3-0 in the UFC. She beat Syuri Kondo in her last fight. This is a big step up in competition for Yan. And it's her US debut. And if you don't think that's a big deal, you're wrong. I don't expect a finish in this fight. Felice has finished fights in the past but not lately. And Yan is a points fighter. She's nowhere near as good as Weili Zhang. I like this fight because there is pressure on both fighters to win. My concern is both will be tentative and it will result in a boring fight. Who will risk everything and really go for the win.Ultimate negocia Felice Herrig x Yan Xiaonan para o UFC 238, em Chicago | combate | Sportv https://t.co/g2qA24klyQ
— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) March 25, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Morcheeba
Song:Otherwise
Album:Parts Of The Process
Morcheeba was a big part of the 90s Trip Hop movement in England led by Portishead. Morcheeba had success mostly in England. But the 2002 single Otherwise was a dance hit in the US. DJ Paul Godfrey and his keyboard player brother Ross Godfrey moved to London from Kent to get into the music business. At first they produced instrumentals but that went nowhere. They met singer Skye Edwards at a party and Morcheeba was born. After a 1996 EP, they signed with China Records and released the 1996 album Who Can You Trust?. The Godfrey brothers also worked on David Byrne's 1997 album Feelings. They signed with Sire Records in the US. Their next couple of albums were very successful in England. The 1998 album Big Calm was certified Platinum in England. By the time the album Charango was released in 2002, the Godfrey brothers and Skye weren't getting along. So she has a diminished role on that album. The single Otherwise was a dance hit in the US. Skye left to go solo in 2003. She thought Morcheeba was disbanding. But the Godfrey brothers decided to keep the name for the 2005 album The Antidote. They unsuccessfully tried to replace Skye. She released a solo album in 2006. Then she returned to Morcheeba in 2009. After a couple of albums, Paul Godfrey left in 2014. Morcheeba still records and tours. They released an album last year. They're just not as popular as they were in 2002. This comp covers the albums before Skye left. Here's the video for Otherwise by Morcheeba.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Ashley Yoder vs Syuri Kondo added to June 22 UFC show
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Randa Markos vs Angela Hill
Here's the match video of Randa Markos vs Angela Hill from last night's UFC show in Nashville. Randa is a very good wrestler who makes too many mistakes. Her striking is sub par. Angela is a kickboxer with no ground game. Even her takedown defense is terrible. And that's the story. Randa scores a takedown. She works on trying to get Angela's back for a choke. But when that stalls, she slickly switches to an armbar and it's over. It's a big won for Randa. This is Angela's second UFC stint. She just hasn't improved at all. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jennifer Maia vs Alexis Davis
Here's the match video of Jennifer Maia vs Alexis Davis from last night's UFC show in Nashville. This match is at Flyweight. I don't think much of either fighter. Alexis seems to beat herself these days. We know she has good skills. She just does dumb things. Jennifer is a boxer. She doesn't really do anything else. She's useless on the ground. That's how Alexis should win. Instead she gets into light sparring with Jennifer in round one. And Jennifer drops her with a punch and that's enough for Jennifer to win round one 10-9. You'll notice that Jennifer doesn't follow her to the ground. We find out why in round two. Alexis finally gets a takedown. And though Jennifer defends well, she is unable to get out from under and Alexis wins round two 10-9. That's what Alexis should have been doing all along. Instead she goes back to this light sparring junk in round three. Neither of them did much of anything and the judges scored the round 10-9 for Jennifer and she won the fight by unanimous decision. It doesn't make me think Jennifer can beat anyone good. And for the second straight fight, Alexis loses to someone she should have beaten. Yeesh! Enjoy the fight!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Maycee Barber vs JJ Aldrich
Here's the match video of Maycee Barber vs JJ Aldrich from last night's UFC show in Nashville. Both fighters are making their Flyweight debuts. Maycee had trouble making Strawweight. JJ is Rose Namajunas' teammate. The main thing she has going for her is coach Trevor Wittman. The strategy he gave to JJ worked in round one. But JJ isn't a finisher so it was going to be tough to make it work over three rounds. JJ is able to keep Maycee off balance and is able to outpoint her and win round one 10-9. Maycee's coach Marc Montoya tells her to stop going backwards. And once she does, Maycee nails JJ with a shot and finishes her. Look, Maycee is 20 years old. Her coaches are going to find holes in her game and the key is her ability to adjust. Lately Maycee has been training at Roufusport in Milwaukee. They have plenty of time to polish her up for later. She's pretty good already. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Holy Wave
Song:California Took Our Bobby Away
Album:Freaks Of Nature
Neo psychedelia fans will want to check out Holy Wave. They have had some success in the local Austin music scene and the Levitation music festivals. Holy Wave is from Austin, TX. Kyle Hager and Julian Ruiz are from El Paso. But they moved to Austin because the music scene is better. Other members are Ryan Fuson, Joey Cook and Dustin Zozaya. After becoming regulars at the annual Austin Psych Fest, they released the album Knife Hits in 2011. Their 2013 EP The Evil Has Landed got them a deal with Burger Records and the Reverberation Appreciation Society. Burger is a record store and indy label in Fullerton, CA. And they run an annual music festival. The Reverberation Appreciation Society operate the Levitation music festivals and a record label was started as a byproduct of that. They released the 2014 album Relax. California Took Our Bobby Away is from the 2016 album Freaks Of Nature. Holy Wave's latest CD Adult Fear was released last year. Texas has always been a breeding ground for psychedelic music. So it's not surprising that neo psychedelia is still a thing there. Holy Wave are recommended to fans of that sound. Here's the video for California Took Our Bobby Away by Holy Wave.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-William McDowell
Song:I Won't Go Back
Album:Arise: The Live Worship Experience
William McDowell's last few albums have been very successful on the Gospel charts. His 2011 album Arise and the single I Won't Go Back were his first number one hits. He was born Aug. 31, 1976 in Cincinnati. He learned to play piano as a child. By age 16, he was playing organ and leading the church choir. McDowell moved to Orlando, FL in 2001 and he became musical director for the popular gospel artist Ron Kenoly. And he earned a degree in Business Entertainment at Full Sail University. In 2006 he became pastor at The Gathering Place in Lake Mary, Fl. And then McDowell signed with Koch and released the 2009 CD As We Worship. After eOne purchased Koch, McDowell released the 2011 CD Arise recorded live at the Christian Life Center in Fort Lauderdale. It's a 2CD set. All of McDowell's albums are live recordings which is not unusual for gospel artists. And also eOne has been very successful in the Gospel market. I Won't Go Back topped the Gospel Singles chart and it appeared on a WOW various artists CD. McDowell's 2013 CD Withholding Nothing was nominated for a Grammy. His latest CD Sounds Of Revival II: Deeper also topped the Gospel Album charts. McDowell recently signed with Integrity Music and he will record his next album in May. Here's William McDowell performing I Won't Go Back 2011.
Friday, March 22, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Bob Crewe Generation
Song:Music To Watch Girls By
Album:The Best Of The Bob Crewe Generation: Music To Watch Girls By
Most music fans should know Bob Crewe as one of the top hitmakers of the 60s especially with The Four Seasons. But he occasionally recorded as The Bob Crewe Generation and the instrumental Music To Watch Girls By was a top 20 hit in 1967. He was born Nov. 12, 1930 in Newark, NJ. His big break came when his song Silhouettes was a hit for The Rays in 1957. After a couple of lesser hits, Crewe recorded a couple of albums as a singer. The Whiffenpoof Song was a hit in New York in 1961. Then he started working with Bob Gaudio and that's when The Four Seasons were born. That's probably Crewe's greatest success but he produced plenty of other artists. Crewe started his own DynoVoice label in 1965. Probably his biggest hit was A Lover's Concerto by The Toys and several hits by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. Crewe heard a demo of a jingle written by Sid Ramin for a Diet Pepsi commercial. Ramin was mainly a Broadway composer. He won an Oscar and Grammy for co-orchestrating West Side Story. Crewe recorded the jingle as The Bob Crewe Generation. Music To Watch Girls By reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. I'm pretty sure listeners thought the record was by Herb Alpert who was very popular at the time. Covers by Al Hirt and Andy Williams also charted. The Bob Crewe Generation recorded a couple of albums including the soundtrack for the film Barberella. This comp covers those recordings. Crewe continued to have success as a producer even into the 70s with Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes. The Bob Crewe Generation returned with the 1976 disco hit Street Talk. Crewe wasn't as active after that. He was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame in 1985. Bob Crewe died on Sept. 11, 2014 at age 83. Here's a video for Music To Watch Girls By by The Bob Crewe Generation.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kokomo
Song:Asia Minor
Album:Alley Oop: 30 One Hit Wonders: US Pop!
Not to be confused with the 70s blue eyed soul group Kokomo, this Kokomo scored a top ten hit in 1961 with the instrumental Asia Minor. The record is a pop version of Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor. The guy behind it was jazz pianist Jimmy Wisner. He was born Dec. 8, 1931 in Philadelphia. He was classically trained and he started playing local jazz clubs while studying psychology at Temple University. At one time he was in Charlie Ventura's band. He formed a trio in the late 50s with Chick Kinney on drums and Ace Tesone on bass. They backed up touring acts like Mel Torme and Dakota Staton. He signed with Decca's Felsted label and he released the 1959 album Blues For Harvey. Wisner got the idea of adapting classical music. He used shellac on the hammers of a piano to make it sound like a honky tonk song. He decided to release it as Kokomo so he wouldn't alienate jazz fans. After record companies turned it down, Wisner released it himself. Felsted picked it up and it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. Wisner released an album as Kokomo. But you can get Asia Minor on this various artists comp. Wisner had success as a writer, producer and arranger. He co-wrote Don't Throw Your Love Away which topped the British charts in 1964 for The Searchers. He worked as an arranger and conductor for Bobby Rydell, Neil Sedaka, Len Barry and many others. And he was in Herbie Mann's late 60s band. Jimmy Wisner died on Mar. 13, 2018 at age 88. Here's a video for Asia Minor by Kokomo.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sippie Wallace
Song:Suitcase Blues
Album:Complete Recorded Works Vol. 2 1925-1945
Blues singer Sippie Wallace recorded from 1923-27. And then she quit the music business. She returned in the 60s and performed until her 1986 death. She was born Beulah Thomas Nov. 1, 1898 in Jefferson County, AR but she grew up in Houston. Her older brother George Thomas and younger brother Hersal Thomas were also musicians. Their father was a deacon so they all grew up singing and playing piano in church. At night they all played blues in tent shows. Sippie and Hersal moved to New Orleans in 1915 where she married Matt Wallace. They all moved to Chicago in 1923. And that's when Sippie signed with Okeh Records. She recorded regularly from 1923-27. She usually wrote songs with her brothers. She recorded with some of the top musicians of the era including Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet. Most of those recordings were produced by Okeh house producer Clarence Williams and he also played piano. Document Records has released all of Sippie's Okeh recordings on two albums. They are available as digital downloads. Sadly Hersal Thomas died of food poisoning in 1926 at age 20. After Sippie's contract expired, she quit the music business and moved to Detroit. For years she played organ at Leland Baptist Church in Detroit. She briefly returned in 1945 recording with Albert Ammons. But other than that, she was out of the music business until another blues legend Victoria Spivey convinced her to return in the 60s. In 1966 she recorded the album Women Be Wise for Storyville Records with Roosevelt Sykes and Little Brother Montgomery on piano. This album is available on CD. Sippie continued to tour and record until she suffered a stroke while on tour in Germany. She died on Nov. 1, 1986 at age 88. Here's Sippie Wallace performing Suitcase Blues in 1966.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Beanfield
Song:Code Of Confidence
Album:Beanfield
Beanfield is a group of German producers who had modest success in the 90s in England when Acid Jazz was popular. They have their own label Compost Records. I guess Beanfield can be viewed as a side project as they mostly produce other artists and do remixes. Compost is owned by Michael Reinboth and he was part of Beanfield along with keyboard player Tobias Meggle and bassist Jan Krause formerly of Poets of Rhythm. They produce groups like A Forest Mighty Black. They released the 1995 single Charles as Beanfield. That got enough airplay in British clubs that they decided to record the 1996 album Beanfield. The album did well enough that a second album Human Patterns was released in 1999. After that Reinboth returned to running Compost and it looked like Beanfield was finished. But Krause and Meggle brought in Michael Mettke and recorded the 2004 album Seek as Beanfield. Since then Reinboth continues to run Compost and the others work on various projects. I don't expect Beanfield to reunite anytime soon. Here's a video for Code Of Confidence by Beanfield.
Monday, March 18, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra
Song:Hawaiian War Chant
Album:All Time Hit Parade Rehearsals
In the 1940s, popular big bands regularly appeared in Hollywood films. This is a clip of Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra performing Hawaiian War Chant in the 1942 film Ship Ahoy featuring Buddy Rich on drums, Ziggy Elman on trumpet and the film's star Eleanor Powell dancing. It's a great clip but finding it on CD took a little detective work. Hawaiian War Chant is a traditional song that was arranged for a big band by Johnny Noble. Dorsey recorded it in 1938. Deane Kincaide wrote the arrangement. The recording was not a hit at the time. By 1942 24 year old drummer Buddy Rich was a featured performer in the Dorsey band obviously influenced by Gene Krupa. The Dorsey band performed Hawaiian War Song in the 1942 MGM musical Ship Ahoy. But they were unable to record a new version of Hawaiian War Chant because there was a musician's strike at the time. Most of the Dorsey comp CD's include the original recording which does not feature Rich. It's one of the few times that a re-recording is preferable to the original. The audio from the film has been released on CD twice but both are out of print. But I did find the CD All Time Hit Parade Rehearsals released by the British label HEP Records. They specialize in vintage radio shows from the era. This is a CD of rehearsals for Dorsey's radio show at the NBC studio in Los Angeles. These recordings are from 1944 and Rich is on drums. Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Frances Langford are among the featured singers. Among the musicians are Dodo Marmarosa on piano, Buddy DeFranco on clarinet and Nelson Riddle on trombone. I don't know what the recording quality is like. But choices are limited and big band fans love vintage radio shows. Anyway, the video clip is great. So here's Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra featuring Buddy Rich, Ziggy Elman and Eleanor Powell performing Hawaiian War Chant in the 1942 film Ship Ahoy.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Molly McCann vs Priscila Cachoeira
Here's the match video of Molly McCann vs Priscila Cachoeira from yesterday's UFC show in London, England. Both fighters are coming off of bad losses in UFC debuts. Molly is a Cage Warriors veteran from Liverpool. She lost by submission to Gillian Robertson in front of her home town fans. Priscila is a Brazilian who was thrown into the deep end of the pool against Valentina Shevchenko. Priscila drowned and also blew out her knee. So both are looking for redemption. Both are mainly strikers. It's a competitive fight and at least it wasn't boring. But neither fighter is very good. Molly was fired up by fan support. And I think that was the difference. Molly went for a takedown in round one and her control was enough for me to score the round 10-9 for Molly. At least it was a spirited round even if neither fighter knew what she was doing. Round two was considerably slower. They couldn't keep up that pace and Priscila looked pooped. But Molly did marginally better so I scored the round in her favor 10-9. Priscila needs a finish in round three. She lands a punch that destroys Molly's left eye. Paul Felder thought Molly suffered a broken orbital bone. Up until that point, Priscila hadn't landed anything effective. I guess it was a lucky punch. What Priscila should have been doing was going aggressively for a finish. Instead she allowed Molly to finish the fight to get a unanimous decision win. I scored it 29-28 and so did all three judges. The ref did stop the fight with a minute left to have the doctor look at Molly's eye. I assume Priscila's corner demanded that. He let her continue. There are places like New Jersey where the fight certainly would have been stopped. But the fans would have rioted if that fight had been stopped. Priscila needed to show some killer instinct and show how bad she wants to win. She gave the win back to Molly on a silver platter. It doesn't matter because I don't think either fighter can beat anyone good. But at least it wasn't three rounds of nothing. I've seen worse fights. Molly did suffer a broken orbital bone and she had surgery today. How long she is out depends on what the surgeon has to do. Certainly the fans were happy. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keala Settle
Song:This Is Me
Album:The Greatest Showman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Keala Settle is a Tony nominated actress best known for performing the Oscar nominated song This Is Me in the 2017 film The Greatest Showman. The soundtrack album was a big success. She was born Nov. 5, 1975 in La'ie, Hawaii. She is of Maori descent. Her mother is from New Zealand and her father is British. She attended Southern Utah University. Keala started out as a studio singer and was in touring productions of Hairspray and South Pacific. She made her Broadway debut as Shirley in the 2011 production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Then she played Norma Valverde in the 2013 Broadway musical Hands on a Hardbody. The show was not a success but Keala got great reviews and a Tony nomination. She also appeared in the 2013 revival of Les Miserables and the 2016 musical Waitress. She played Lettie Lutz The Bearded Lady in the 2017 film musical The Greatest Showman which starred Hugh Jackman as PT Barnum. The soundtrack album was a big seller and This Is Me was the featured song on the album. It was nominated for an Oscar. The song was written by Justin Paul and Benj Pasek who wrote the songs for the film La La Land. Greg Wells produced the soundtrack album. Keala appeared in the Fox TV production of Rent. She released an EP in 2017. She says she is an R&B singer and she wants to pursue music. She got into musical theater by accident. She will star in the upcoming film American Reject. The story is about what happens to talent show contestants after the show is over. This is currently in post production. A release date has not been announced. Here's Keala Settle performing This Is Me on the Academy Awards broadcast April 2018.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sting
Song:Every Breath You Take
Album:Released: The Human Rights Concerts: 1988 Human Rights Now
So of course we are all familiar with Sting as lead singer of The Police and he has been a successful solo artist since the 80s. Here he is performing one of his Police hits with Bruce Springsteen. When did this happen? Amnesty International started doing Human Rights Now tours in 1986. Sting and Springsteen were on the 1988 tour along with Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman and Youssou N'Dour. The tour ran for six weeks beginning on Sept. 2, 1988. It was a worldwide tour that began in London and ended in Buenos Aires on Oct. 15. The video and the recordings are from Buenos Aires. There were special guests in each show. On this show it was Argentine artists Leon Gieco and Charly Garcia. They don't appear on the CD. Each artist performed a set. N'Dour and Gabriel did a song together. Springsteen joined Sting for Every Breath You Take and then Sting joined Springsteen for The River. Then everybody came out and ended the show. This concert is available as a digital download from Shout! Factory. But it's not complete. Tracy Chapman doesn't appear on this version though her name is on the cover. Every Breath You Take also appears on a 2CD comp of all the Human Rights Now concerts. And it's on a 6DVD box set. Take your pick. From what I can tell, this tour was the only time Sting and Springsteen appeared together. I guess that makes it a must for fans of both. Here's Sting featuring Bruce Springsteen performing Every Breath You Take on Human Rights Now in Buenos Aires, Argentina Oct. 15, 1988.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai vs Bianca Belair
Here's the match video of Io Shirai vs Bianca Belair from this week's episode of NXT. NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler is on commentary. The purpose of this match is to set up a title match on NXT Takeover New York. But the match was good enough to make me want to see these two in an extended program. Of course Bianca is bigger and freakishly strong. But Io sells her offense and then fires up her offense with first a 619 and then a springboard dropkick. She almost fell doing that one. The end comes when Bianca gets her knees up to foil Io's moonsault. And then Shayna comes down to the ring and drops Io to the floor. Then she puts Bianca to sleep with the Kurufida Clutch. Kairi Sane comes to the ring but it's nap time for her too. Io tosses Shayna out of the ring. But she makes the mistake of checking on Kairi and Shayna puts her to sleep too. Of course as you will see in the post match interview, the unintended consequences are that Shayna will have to defend her title against all three in a four way match at NXT Takeover New York. I look forward to that. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Makem & Clancy
Song:The Rocky Road To Dublin
Album:The Makem & Clancy Concert
Of course music fans know Tommy Makem from his stint in the 60s with The Clancy Brothers. They were a big part of the folk music boom. After Makem left the group in 1969, he recorded solo until he formed Makem & Clancy with the youngest of the Clancys Liam Clancy. They had a good run in the late 70s. After Tommy Makem left The Clancy Brothers, he recorded several solo albums for Columbia and Polydor. Meanwhile The Clancy Brothers cut back on touring. When they weren't touring, Liam Clancy started touring solo. He also filed bankruptcy due to tax problems and he moved to Calgary to live with his in-laws. After appearing on The Irish Rovers CBC TV show, Clancy got his own TV show. And he recorded a solo album. So both guys are touring and they were booked to work the 1975 Cleveland Irish Festival. They decided to do an impromptu show together. It went so well that Makem appeared on Clancy's TV show and it became The Makem & Clancy Show. One of the show guests was Scottish folksinger Archie Fisher. He wanted to record them and they started Blackbird Records. The 1976 album Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy did so well, the duo toured together. Fisher not only produced their albums but he and fiddler Allan Barty toured with them. The Makem & Clancy Concert was recorded at the Gaiety Theater in Dublin. The Rocky Road To Dublin is a 19th century song that was popularized by English music hall performer Harry Clifton. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem recorded it in 1964. This live album was on 2LPs. It was licensed to Columbia in Canada. And after their TV show aired on PBS, Shanachie released the album in the US in 1982. They released it on CD in 1992. After Makem & Clancy went on a 1984 Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem reunion tour, they decided to split up after a 1988 farewell tour. They resumed their solo careers. Here's Makem & Clancy performing The Rocky Road To Dublin on a 1977 TV special filmed at the National Theater in Dublin.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chad Allan and the Expressions
Song:Shakin' All Over
Album:Shakin' All Over
Most music fans should be familiar with the legendary Canadian band The Guess Who. But you may not be aware that as Chad Allan and the Expressions they topped the Canadian charts in 1965 with Shakin' All Over. Allan founded the band and he left before they became famous. He was born Allan Kowbel Mar. 28, 1943 in Winnipeg. In 1958 he formed Allan and the Silvertones. He was lead singer and guitarist with Bob Ashley on keyboards, Randy Bachman on guitar, Jim Kale on bass and Garry Peterson on drums. They changed their name to Chad Allan and the Reflections because they thought it was similar to the British group The Shadows. They signed with the Canadian label Quality Records in 1963 and they released a few singles that went nowhere. They changed their name to Chad Allan and the Expressions because there was already a group called The Reflections. That's when Shakin' All Over topped the Canadian charts. The song was written and recorded by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. It was a number one hit in England in 1960. Quality licensed it to Scepter in the US and it was released as Guess Who? so fans would think the group was British because the British Invasion was so big at the time. It reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though the real group name was revealed, DJs kept calling them Guess Who. So the band accepted the name. After two albums, Chad Allan left The Guess Who and Burton Cummings was made the new lead singer. He replaced Bob Ashley when Ashley left in 1965. You can get the early Guess Who recordings on this CD from the reissue label Sundazed. Allan hosted the CBC TV show Let's Go and he released a few singles. After Randy Bachman left The Guess Who, Allan and Bachman formed Brave Belt. Allan left after one album and of course Bachman formed Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Allan released a solo album in 1973 and he worked in TV for many years. But he will forever be known for Shakin' All Over. Here's a video for Shakin' All over by Chad Allan and the Expressions.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Sonya Deville
Here's the match video of Asuka vs Sonya Deville from last night's episode of Smackdown. There isn't much to this match because the WWE is preoccupied with teasing the Mandy Rose and Sonya split. Not to mention the idiotic bickering on commentary. The ending is similar to Sunday's match where Mandy seems to accidentally on purpose trip Sonya on the ring apron. I wouldn't mind seeing a longer match with these two as Sonya has MMA skills. But this ain't it. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Black Angels
Song:Medicine
Album:Death Song
Fans of neo psychedelic music will want to check out The Black Angels. They were formed in Austin, TX in 2004 led by Alex Maas on lead vocals with Christian Bland on guitar, Jennifer Raines on organ, Nathan Ryan on bass and Stephanie Bailey on drums. The group name is from the Velvet Underground classic The Black Angel's Death Song. They released a 2005 EP followed by the 2006 album Passover on Light in the Attic Records. They built a following on MySpace and they toured. One thing that really helped them was favorable comparisons to 60s psychedelic band 13th Floor Elevators who were from Austin. And they even backed up Elevators leader Roky Erickson on a 2008 tour. They also appeared in the 2007 film Death Sentence, the Fox TV series Fringe and the HBO series Californication. For the 2008 album Directions To See A Ghost, Raines was replaced by Kyle Hunt. For the 2010 album Phosphene Dream, they moved to Blue Horizon Records. They recorded with UNKLE and a song appeared in the hit film The Twilight Saga Eclipse. Ryan left in 2012. He was replaced by Jake Garcia for the 2017 album Death Song on Partisan Records. Their last couple of albums have reached the Billboard Hot 200. They are probably due for a new album. The Black Angels will never be mainstream. But they have done a good job of appealing to neo psychedelia fans. Here are The Black Angels performing Medicine at St. Louis radio station KDHX May 15, 2017.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-LTJ Bukem
Song:Horizons
Album:Deca Dance Chillout
Danny Williamson is a British DJ known as LTJ Bukem. He is best known for the drum and bass style of ambient dance music. The 1995 single Horizons is probably his best known song. He was born Sept. 20, 1967 in Croydon, London, England. His nickname is from "Book 'em, Danno" from Hawaii Five-O. He played trumpet, piano and drums as a child. And he got into 70s jazz fusion like Lonnie Liston Smith as a teen. Giles Peterson inspired Williamson to get into DJ work and he started recording music on his own label in the early 90s. The 1995 single Horizons is probably his best known song. He only released it as a single so the best place to find it is on various artist comps like this 3CD comp from Ministry Of Sound. I'm not a big fan of this kind of music. But those who are into it believe that Williamson advanced this style of music in the 90s. He's been less active in recent years though he still does a lot of remix work. Here's a video of Horizons by LTJ Bukem.
Monday, March 11, 2019
Valentina Shevchenko vs Jessica Eye to main event June 8 UFC show
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 11, 2019
UFC on ESPN+4 and WWE Fastlane review and new fight announcements.
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Mandy Rose
Here's the match video of Asuka vs Mandy Rose from last night's WWE Fastlane PPV. This was set up when Mandy won a non title match over Asuka after fooling the ref with a phony injury. The bickering commentary during this match is awful mostly because of Vince McMahon's insistence on having Corey Graves fawn over Mandy when it is clearly unnecessary. Fans blame Graves for this but Vince wants him to do it. The match is OK. Asuka does her usual stuff and sells enough to make Mandy look like a threat. Making fans believe she's a threat is another story. The ending is a little strange. Sonya Deville looks under the ring and then she went to the other side of the ring. So I guess she forgot where the kendo stick was located. She left the ring apron up. Mandy slipped on the apron and Asuka's spinning head kick finished her off. I don't know if that was the planned ending or not. After the match, Mandy was upset with Sonya. So a split is being teased. We still don't know what the plan is for Asuka at Wrestlemania. I have said all along that I would add her to the three way match. She would make it better. There is also the rumor that the WWE is considering merging the two women's titles. It remains to be seen if that will happen but apparently it is under consideration. Enjoy the video.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patty Loveless
Song:Blame It On Your Heart
Album:16 Biggest Hits
Patty Loveless emerged in the 80s. But she had most of her success in the 90s after she switched record labels. Blame It In Your Heart was one of her five number one country hits. She was born Patricia Lee Ramey Jan. 4, 1957 in Pikeville, KY. She was the sixth of seven children. Her father worked in the coal mines. They moved to Louisville after he got sick in 1969. Patty's sister Dottie Ramey and brother Roger Ramey performed as The Swinging Rameys. When Dottie got married and quit performing, Patty replaced her. Roger moved to Nashville to be a producer on The Porter Wagoner Show. He introduced Patty to Wagoner and he told her to go home and graduate from high school and she could spend the summer on tour with Wagoner and partner Dolly Parton. Then in 1973 at a Grand Ole Opry show in Louisville, Jean Shepherd was caught in a flood and couldn't make the show. Local DJ Danny King brought the Rameys in on short notice. After the show, Doyle Wilburn of The Wilburn Brothers hired Patty as a backup singer. She eventually became their lead singer and she married their drummer Terry Lovelace. And that's when she changed her name to Patty Loveless. They moved to North Carolina and played local clubs. After a 1985 divorce, Patty moved back to Nashville and Roger helped her get a record deal with MCA. She was assigned to producer Emory Gordy Jr. who also worked with Steve Earle. They married in 1989. Patty had a string of top ten country hits. Timber, I'm Falling In Love and Chains topped the country charts in 1989. While at MCA, Patty and Gordy thought Patty was playing second fiddle to Reba McEntire and others. A new manager was hired who got her out of her MCA contract and Patty moved to Epic. But Patty was having problems with her voice. She had surgery and she sounded better afterwards. And that led to her 1993 Epic debut album Only What I Feel. The first single Blame It On Your Heart topped the country charts. The song was written by veteran songwriters Harlan Howard and Kostas. The actor in the video is David Keith. Patty continued to have success. But she faded and she left Epic in 2005. You can get all her Epic hits on this budget comp. Patty Loveless last recorded in 2009. I would describe her as semi retired. She appears annually at the Grand Ole Opry and The Country Music Cruise. She lives with her family in the Atlanta area. She doesn't tour anymore. Patty Loveless was a big part of the 90s neo traditional country movement. Here's the video for Blame It On Your Heart by Patty Loveless.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yana Kunitskaya vs Marion Reneau
Here's the match video of Yana Kunitskaya vs Marion Reneau from last night's UFC show in Wichita, KS. I said on my podcast on Friday that I never know which Marion Reneau will show up. She is capable of dominating fights but she can also be very ineffective. And sometimes she can be like this within the same fight. And that's what happened in this fight. The fight turned out very close and in the end Marion didn't do enough in the first two rounds to win. Yana is mainly a Muay Thai fighter so in round one she used knees in the clinch to win the round 10-9. Round two was closer and it could have been scored either way. But again I thought Marion didn't do enough and I scored it 10-9 for Yana. Finally in round three Marion does what she should have done in the first two rounds. And that's be aggressive. She broke Kana's nose and won round three 10-9. But she didn't get the finish she needed and I scored the fight 29-28 for Yana. All three judges scored it the same. Fans booed the decision and Marion thought she won. If she had been as effective in the first two rounds as she was in the third, she would have won. She beat herself again. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Fureys and Davey Arthur
Song:The Green Fields Of France
Album:The Greatest Irish Album Ever!
The Furey Brothers and Davey Arthur are a very popular folk group. They probably had their greatest success in the 80s. The Green Fields Of France topped the Irish charts in 1979. The Fureys are from Dublin. Finbar and Eddie Furey started out in 1958 performing in local clubs with their father. Then they performed as a duo. Younger brothers Paul and George Furey joined in 1968 and they opened for a Clancy Brothers US tour. In the 70s Paul joined the Buskers where he worked with Davey Arthur who was a family friend. Meanwhile Eddie and Finbar continued to record as a duo. In 1976 The Fureys and Arthur formed Tam Linn and then changed it to The Fureys and Davey Arthur as a nod to The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. They signed with Polydor and The Green Fields Of France topped the Irish charts in 1979. The song was written by Scottish folksinger Eric Bogle as No Man's Land. It's an anti war song. Since The Fureys popularized it, the song has become a standard. Many artists have covered the song. You can get The Green Fields Of France on this various artists CD. The Fureys and Davey Arthur continued to have success until Finbar left to go solo in 1997. Paul Furey died in 2002. But Eddie and George and Arthur continue to perform together. Here's The Fureys and Davey Arthur performing The Green Fields Of France at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, Ireland 1990.
Saturday, March 09, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Julian Lage
Song:Nocturne
Album:Arclight
Julian Lage was a child prodigy who is one of today's top jazz guitarists. He started out as a sideman and he now leads his own trio on tour and he records for Mack Avenue Records. He was born Sept. 25, 1987 in Santa Rosa, CA. At the age of eight he played with Carlos Santana. He also played with Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans and David Grisman among others. He was the subject of the 1996 Oscar nominated documentary Jules At Eight. Lage made his recording debut with Grisman on the 1999 album Dawg Duos. And he performed on the 2000 Grammy Awards. At age 15 Lage joined the faculty of Stanford University. He graduated from Berklee in 2008. Lage was also a member of Gary Burton's band. He made his recording debut as a leader with the 2009 album Sounding Point featuring Bela Fleck, Chris Thile and Taylor Eigsti. Lage currently records for Mack Avenue. Nocturne is from his 2016 CD Arclight recorded with Scott Colley on bass and Kenny Wolleson on drums. Lage recorded Arclight on a Fender Telecaster which isn't normally a jazz guitar. He says that is a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan and others who play a Telecaster. Though he writes most of his own songs, Lage seems to have a thing for obscure jazz songs of the 30s. Nocturne was written and recorded by British bandleader Spike Hughes in 1930. Coleman Hawkins recorded it but it's not a jazz standard. Lage just released the CD Love Hurts with Jorge Roeder on bass and David King on drums. He tours Europe in March and then a US tour over the summer. He's coming to Toronto in September so I hope to see him live. Here's Julian Lage performing Nocturne at the Blue Whale in Los Angeles June 4, 2016.
Friday, March 08, 2019
Rose Namajunas vs Jessica Andrade to main event May 11 UFC
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Mar. 8, 2019
UFC on ESPN+4 and WWE Fastlane preview, new fight announcement and my take on the Ronda Rousey "shoot".
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Billy Ray Cyrus
Song:Achy Breaky Heart
Album:Icon: The Distance
Achy Breaky Heart was one of the biggest hits of 1992. It topped the country charts and crossed over to pop. The album Some Gave All sold almost five million copies. And it even spawned a dance craze. But Billy Ray Cyrus has never had another big hit so I guess it was a double edged sword. He was born Aug. 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, KY. His father Ron Cyrus was in the Kentucky House of Representatives for many years. His grandfather was a preacher so he grew up singing in church. Cyrus attended Georgetown on a baseball scholarship. He had a band with his brother called Sly Dog. After getting a steady gig in Ohio, Cyrus left school. Sly Dog split up after a 1984 fire burned down their house and all their gear. Eventually Cyrus moved to Nashville where country music star Del Reeves spotted him and Reeves told Mercury Records to check him out. Cyrus recorded his 1992 debut album Some Gave All with producers Jim Cotton and Joe Scaife. They had previously worked with K.T. Oslin. Achy Breaky Heart was the first single. It not only topped the country charts but it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it inspired a dance craze. Though Cyrus did write half the songs on his album, Achy Breaky Heart was written by Don Von Tress for The Oak Ridge Boys. Their lead singer Duane Allen didn't like the title. It was recorded in 1991 as Don't Tell My Heart by The Marcy Brothers who released an album on Warner Bros. Cyrus heard Von Tress' demo and liked the song. The song was so popular that it inspired parodies and tributes. There was also a backlash especially in Nashville where critics bemoaned the state of country music. Cyrus recorded five albums for Mercury and he had six top ten country hits. Trying to recreate the Achy Breaky Heart success was always going to be a tall order. You can get all of Cyrus' hits on this budget comp. After leaving Mercury, Cyrus recorded for Monument, Word and Disney among others. His latest album was released on his own label in 2017. He also formed Brother Clyde with Phil Vassar, Jeffrey Steele and John Waite. They released an album in 2010. He also got into acting mostly on TV. He starred in the PAX TV series Doc from 2001-2004. And of course his daughter Miley Cyrus is a huge pop star. But Billy Ray Cyrus has been immortalized by Achy Breaky Heart. Here's the video for Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus.
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