‘We were at the piano, banging it out’: Steve Cropper’s big break didn’t come from Stax Records
Instead, a friend’s dad took Cropper’s very first song to another legendary label.
Other News
Something Else! sneak peek: King Crimson, “Venturing Unto Joy, Pt. 1” (2014)
Fripp and Levin tussle with a nervous energy, while Harrison and Rieflin make a simply glorious racket.
Fred Hersch Trio – Floating (2014)
Never mind the studio setting, the highly lyrical and entrancing beauty of Fred Hersch’s piano and his empathetic rhythm section makes this another winning outing for this trio.
Preston Frazier’s Mid-Year Best of 2014 (Rock, Pop and Jazz): Simon Phillips, Kere Buchanan, Nathan East, Oz Noy, Judith Owen, Toto
Already, we’ve heard so much great stuff from the Toto family tree of music.
Something Else! sneak peek: Jerry Lee Lewis, “Rock and Roll Time” from Rock and Roll Time (2014)
An enduringly ornery delight, the Killer still sounds as dangerous as ever.
‘It’s hard to complain about it’: Neal Doughty says REO Speedwagon happily delivers the big ballads
They’ve had other hits, but REO is famous today for two sweet-talking No. 1 smashes.
S. Victor Aaron’s Mid-Year Best of 2014 (Avant Garde & Experimental Jazz): Jimmy Giuffre, Roscoe Mitchell, Jamie Saft/Joe Morris
The appeal of this music is its unbiased diversity and lack of set rules.
Steely Dan Sunday: “I Can’t Write Home About You” (1980)
A crown-jewel Steely Dan outtake from around the ‘Gaucho’ recording sessions.
One Track Mind: The Stooges’ James Williamson, “Open Up and Bleed” from Re-Licked (2014)
Add a blues belter, and this little-heard early-1970s Stooges demo is reborn.
Ian McLagan and the Bump Band – United States (2014)
Ian McLagan returns with a boozy swagger, even while examining deep human emotions.
