Marches of the Civil War
It is my plan to publish something related to the Civil War every month until the sesquicentennial of Lincoln’s assassination …Read the Rest
Chestnuts being roasted: Pachelbel’s Canon by PaGAGnini
Johann Pachelbel was a fine composer. He wrote lots of music. Why does it seem like the canon from his …Read the Rest
Opera rocks: Jackie Evancho’s new album
As I was getting ready to leave the gym this morning, the TV news had a story that made me …Read the Rest
South Pacific, by Rodgers and Hammerstein
South Pacific is the fourth Broadway musical produced by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. It opened …Read the Rest
The oddest-looking trombones ever, by Adolphe Sax
Everyone knows what a trombone looks like. Even modern valve trombones maintain the familiar shape of the slide trombone. In …Read the Rest
Musical tributes to a Civil War martyr: Elmer Ellsworth
On May 24, 1861, Lt. Elmer Ellsworth, commander of the army unit that occupied Alexandria, Virginia, saw a Confederate flag …Read the Rest
A live band!
The leader of a dance band I used to play in told a great story on himself. His wife dragged …Read the Rest
Five trombone soloists we hardly remember
The idea of the trombone as a solo instrument seems to appeal mostly to trombonists. Trombone soloists who tour or …Read the Rest
Trombones in dramatic music before opera
Opera arose from several different sources, among them the revival of Roman comedy in the late 1400s, mostly intended for …Read the Rest
After the Ball, by Charles K. Harris
“After the Ball,” by Charles K. Harris kicked American popular music into a higher gear. I have even encountered the …Read the Rest
