Sound Beat

The Harlem Hamfats...born at the wrong time.

Perhaps no man is more qualified to sing a song of impending execution than the "Murderous Minstrel" himself, Huddie Ledbetter.

Beethoven initially considered Napoleon a kindred spirit; indeed, they were more or less the same age, grew up in modest households, and neither had to stoop to pass through doorways.

There's "hungry" and then there's "Diamond Jim Brady hungry".

Every day is "Black-Tie Optional".

It’s the perfect time of year for a bowl of red, whether you’re tailgating or seeking respite from the “chilly” weather. But where did the spicy dish come from? Some point to divine inspiration; The 17th century Spanish nun Sister Mary Agreda claimed the recipe came to her in a trance. Others believe it was […]

One of the first songs in rock and roll history, and maybe the first to use guitar distortion…but, not on purpose.

Few today recognize the name Euday Bowman, yet during ragtime’s heyday Bowman’s 12th Street Rag was one of the most well-known tunes around.

The National Film Board of Canada honored Oscar Peterson with a short film, “Begone Dull Care”, in 1949. It was  directed by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart. Using drawn-on-film animation, McLaren and Lambart paint and scratch directly onto film stock to create a visual representation of Oscar Peterson’s jazz music. Check it out here!

The pioneers of Country music just sound Country, even by their first names. (Roy, Hank, Gene). Which is why Clarence Albert Pointdexter simply had to go. So how do you get from Clarence to country? Some call Dexter the father of honky tonk music, which can be a bit confusing without musical accompaniment. You […]