Blood Sweat and Tears; 2nd album - this is a Special Guest post by my Uncle Ned

I was introduced to Blood Sweat and Tears my freshman year in college, barely 18 in late 1968, in rural upstate New York. I was a nerdy orchestrally-trained musician who always wanted to be a keyboard player in a rock band, and studied classical piano for years. I was the proud owner of a much cooler combo organ my senior year in high school (although I always loved the Hammond B3), but was too weird and involved in my formal music to hook up with a “fun” band (my parents fantasized that I would be a professional symphony oboist – not!).  Their second album totally fascinated me, and still does, connecting the experience acquired in HS stage band (vibes and combo organ), which, I felt at the time, seemed focused on the then-past “big band” musical style, having little relevance. Yet, B S & T had a core of crisp drum playing, guitar and harmonica, jazz piano, solid bass support (another personal favorite instrument), my blessed Hammond, and a fabulous vocalist in David Clayton Thomas -- PLUS, a horn section: trumpets, alto sax and trombone. Richard Halligan (organ, flute) had connections to my home town (his father was a local actor), so this added to my interest level.  This group of skilled and talented musicians opened up a whole new style of music along with other groups such as Chicago Transit Authority, blending traditional rock, jazz and sometimes classical music ("Variations on a Theme By Erik Satie", for example), satisfying a wide range of musical tastes. Finally, I had some reason to believe that my formal training had a real place outside of the orchestra.  My favorite cut is “God Bless the Child”. However, the opening bars of “Sometimes In Winter” comprised the hourly station ID at my college radio station where I first got the bug to go into broadcasting as a career; and each time I hear the tune, I fondly return to that free and easy time of my life.

Guy Lombardo - New Year's Eve

Nancy and I are not be having our semi-annual NYE party this year. Our party guests tell us they are fun parties: noshing fancy nibbles and good wine upstairs, and later on it's beer cans and wild dancing downstairs in the disco with Yours Truly spinning and mixing vinyl.  Guy Lombardo, I have read, along with his three brothers, are rumored to have sold between 100 and 300 million phonograph records during their lifetimes. His first recording session took place where Bix Beiderbecke made his legendary recordings, in Richmond, Indiana, at the Gennett Studios — both during early 1924. Synonymous with ringing in the new year, Lombardo's orchestra played at the "Roosevelt Grill" in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City from 1929 to 1959, and their New Year's Eve broadcasts (which continued with Lombardo until 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria) were a major part of New Year's celebrations across North America. Even after Lombardo's death, the band's New Year's specials continued for two more years on CBS.

Randy Meisner - Eagles Founder; The Limit

Randy Meisner's solo debut album.  This is the inside cover photo.  The car is a 1950 Mercury sedan.  Randy does songs on this record by JD Souther, Glen Fry, Bill Lamb.  He also does the Eagles classic Take it to the Limit, which he co-wrote with Don Henley and Fry.  David Cassidy sings on this record.  The great Victor Feldman plays percussion on Save the Last Dance for Me.  Last summer I read Heaven and Hell, Don Felder's tell-all Eagles book.  He was good pals with Randy.  Randy, as founding memner of the Eagles, is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Randy was also in Poco.  Don't forget to click on this post's title for song.