Robert Neil Speaks with… Chuck Smith (a.k.a. Stray Deuce), musician/singer/songwriter. “I really enjoy finding artists whose names you might not know, but who have made important contributions to popular music.  Chuck Smith, who goes by the stage name Stray Deuce, is one of those artists.  He’s been in the music industry for decades and has played with some of the best musicians in the business.  At a young age he was signed to Columbia Records and later earned a contract from Motown Records. “One of Motown’s biggest artists, Diana Ross, recorded a song Smith had co-written with ..read more

Robert Neil Speaks with… In the third of a three-part series about legendary singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, Robert Neil speaks with music journalist and historian Nicholas Jennings about his book ‘Lightfoot,’ the authorized biography of the legendary Canadian icon. In this final installment, Jennings tells Robert Neil about the serious health incident that threatened his life and put him in a coma for six weeks in 2002. A video presentation of this episode is available on Robert Neil’s YouTube Channel, https://youtu.be/KneC4Mc3YVU [like ♫ subscribe ♫ share]   Robert Neil is a journal ..read more

The topic, again, is Gordon Lightfoot as Robert Neil Speaks with music journalist and historian Nicholas Jennings about his book ‘Lightfoot,’ the authorized biography of the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter. This episode is part two of a three-part series and focuses on Lightfoot’s character, and how the Canadian legend’s principles have sometimes kept him from achieving a higher degree of fame, yet, at the same time, have endeared him to his legions of fans. The conversation includes stories involving Robbie Robertson and The Last Waltz, Bob Dylan, David Foster and Whitney Houston as well ..read more

The topic is Gordon Lightfoot as Robert Neil Speaks with music journalist and historian Nicholas Jennings about his book ‘Lightfoot,’ the authorized biography of the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter. In the first of this three-part interview, Jennings talks about Lightfoot’s early career and his incredibly strong connection to Canada, where he is revered.  Lightfoot’s friendships with Bob Dylan and Ronnie Hawkins are also mentioned. A video presentation of this episode is available on Robert Neil’s YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuArgJm-6kaTVnILSic5lbQ).   Folk ..read more

In the late 1970s, when Neil Diamond was asked to star in the movie the Jazz Singer, his career was at the peak of popularity, and he had not only established himself as an elite performer, but also an accomplished songwriter.  Similarly, Gilbert Bécaud, who had reached stardom more than a decade before Diamond, was also revered as a top performer and songwriter in France and other European countries. These two men came together in the late 1970s for a writing partnership that would ultimately produce about a dozen songs, including the first single from the Jazz Singer soundtrack – a song ..read more

It was 1971, and a 25-year-old Barry Manilow was still a struggling musician and commercial jingles writer when he came up with a melody he felt was very special. That melody would become the song “Could It Be Magic,” which featured a chorus based on the chord changes in Chopin’s Prelude in C Minor.   “Could It Be Magic” had several early incarnations, including a version produced by a well-intending Tony Orlando that Manilow says thankfully didn’t become a hit. The behind the scenes story of how the song eventually became a Top 10 single – as well as Manilow’s unwavering belief that the ..read more

About two years ago, Sarah Partridge began working on a project to bring new life to Janis Ian’s songs by presenting them with fresh jazz interpretations.  Ian, who debuted during the folk scene of the 1960s, rose to fame with her hits “Society’s Child” (1967) and “At Seventeen” (1975), and she’s written numerous songs – some of which were previously unrecorded – that deal with social, political and relationship issues. Partridge and her arrangers – Allen Farnham and Tim Horner – have mined Ian’s rich catalog of music for the tribute album Bright Lights and Promises: Redefining Janis Ian ..read more

Documenting Popular Music puts a spotlight on the thriving musical scene in Alabama and the city of Birmingham, where musician Scott McDavid was born and raised.  McDavid’s journey is representative of numerous other musicians who work under some anonymity, but who have been vital to the creation, maintenance and spread of popular music in America.   McDavid’s career began in his hometown, where he played with a number of local bands, including KD Ryzer, a very popular regional group.  He later joined former members of the group Hotel (“You’ll Love Again” 1978) as part of 1980s ..read more

Documenting Popular Music puts a spotlight on the thriving musical scene in Alabama and the city of Birmingham, where musician Scott McDavid was born and raised.  McDavid’s journey is representative of numerous other musicians who work under some anonymity, but who have been vital to the creation, maintenance and spread of popular music in America.   McDavid’s career began in his hometown, where he played with a number of local bands, including KD Ryzer, a very popular regional group.  He later joined former members of the group Hotel (“You’ll Love Again” 1978) as part of 1980s ..read more

Big Bands were on their way out when jazz musician Ron Aprea was ready to make his mark on the music scene.  However, that didn’t deter the young saxophone player from embarking on a career in that genre.  Without a doubt the New York native had talent. His sax playing and instincts were top rate, and eventually his ability to arrange and write charts would grab the attention of his peers. So, with all that talent and a deep love for big band music, Aprea doggedly became a successful part of the final era of the great big bands.  Fittingly, his new autobiography is entitled ‘The ..read more