And there used to be music.  No longer. In just the last few generations, we have witnessed the complete devolution of the mainstream of music from the intricacies and demands of jazz, swing and modern “classical”; the subtleties and finesse of the best of popular song writing; the mastery of “folk” instruments and vocal performance […]

I can’t get an Apple Watch, but every celebrity known to man has been seeded one to make them look cool. Who’s using who? And if you think it’s the musicians who are coming out ahead, you own no Apple stock. Used to be different. Players weren’t rich. They were in it for the dope, […]

1. “This Diamond Ring” Gary Lewis & the Playboys Cowritten by our Lefsetz favorite, Al Kooper. However, Al was horrified by this take until the royalty checks started piling in. Al saw it as a soul number. And I’m including Al’s take from his 1977 album “Act Like Nothing’s Wrong,” check it out. But Gary […]

Reality or the myth, take your pick! Greetings from my birthday, wherein I hit the trifecta, a pastrami sandwich at Langer’s, a movie (two, actually) and a hot fudge sundae. The tradition was established back in ’77, when it all came together by accident. My girlfriend introduced me to Langer’s. I introduced her to C.C. […]