Rebirths

Probably the most important date in the history of The Rolling Stones, other than the date Keith saw Mick at the train station in 1961, was on this date 56 years ago. On May 24, 1968, the Stones released Jumping Jack Flash. To say that the Stones were in a bad way at the time is like saying Mick Jagger is a bit famous.

Andy Johns

Today is the birthdate of the great Andy Johns. Andy was the engineer on many, many albums that we loved over the years including Zeppelin II, III, IV, Houses of the Holy, and Graffiti as well as the Stones Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends On Tour with Eric […]

Rick Wakeman

Today one of my two favorite keyboardists turns 75. Yes, I’m referring to Rick Wakeman. He also might have been the luckiest keyboardist in rock history. How lucky was he? Wakeman’s first booking as a session musician, and his first time in a recording studio, occurred after guitarist Chas Cronk entered the music shop where […]

Bruford

Today is the birthday of one of my other five favorite drummers, William Scott Bruford. Bruford wasn’t a power drummer like Bonham or Cobham, but he developed perhaps the most interesting style involving unusual beat placement and time signatures truly unique in the rock idiom. And all at a ridiculously young age. Consider: between the […]

Mind-blowing rock music from some jazz guys

Today is the birthday of two people who broke the musical sound barrier, Robert Fripp and Billy Cobham. Both got their start playing straight jazz: Fripp spent three years playing jazz in the Majestic Dance Orchestra (he replaced future police guitarist Andy Summer – you know him from The Police) while Cobham started his career […]