This era seems to have produced music with an earnesty and honesty that grips your attention and carries you through an emotional state that reflects the hopeless/ful/ness MANY were feeling during the “war years.” I just LOVE this music. Click to Listen and Download “I Wonder”

I gave this byzantine bracelet adorned with Swarovski crystals to my best friend of now 10 years. I’ve never had a friend longer than her. She’s graduating this May from Norte Dame law school and I gave this to her during the Christmas season as a Christmas present and early graduation present.

I love irony. I was noodling on the computer today while listening to Duke Ellington’s very nice version of “Stormy Weather,” and I happened to notice outside my window that the weather was really starting to deteriorate. It didn’t surprise me because we’ve had a lot of storms lately - including a tornado or two -

I’ll have to confess that I didn’t know much about Wilbert Harrison when I first heard him singing “Kansas City,” and in all honesty I don’t think that I made much of an effort to find out at that time. In those days I was mostly just into enjoying the music, and his signature song

Kentucky has always been home to a rich musical heritage, with an especially strong tradition in bluegrass and other forms of country music, but the state has sometimes provided a fertile birthplace for something a little different. One of those occasions was the creation of the pop music singing group, the Hilltoppers. They began as a

The official start of Summer is very close now and a lot of blogs are focusing on the season. One that I read regularly has published a long list of Summer-related songs, including several different renditions of Gershwin’s classic composition, “Summertime.” (Although in my opinion they left off one of the best versions, that by

What’s in a name? In the 1950’s, singer Joni James had a lot of success with one of those names that always seemed easy to confuse with a few others (at least for me). On the other hand, her real name - Giovanna (Joan) Carmella Babbo - might have been a little more distinctive, but

+++  Hartnell’s books he borrowed with avidity, and from Hartnell’s brain elicited a great deal of information on the history, politics, and customs of the country.  Most of this he wrote into the perenially popular ‘Life in California.’  ++  Robinson always was grateful to Gale for having introduced him to the de la Guerras in

+++  By spring in 1831, Hartnell had completed arrangements with members of the Soberanes family whereby he received a share in their beautiful, fertile ‘Rancho del Alisal’ (Sycamore Ranch), five leagues or so inland from Monterey in the foothill country near Salinas (salt pits).  Details he describes to his father-in-law on May 4, 1831 (translation):

+++  Don Jose received a plea for assistance dated June 7 (translation):  ++  MI AMADO PADRE:  ++  El Sor. Feliciano Soberanez has asked me to tell you that he has been imprisoned because of a slanderous report that he killed some cattle of Dn Mariano Estrada [David Spence's father-in-law].  They are allowing him to name