Free Republic

Police arrested singer Ray J at a Beverly Hills hotel after they say he became belligerent with staff, kicked out a patrol car window and spat at an officer....

There's no doubt Pharrell's "Happy" is the biggest hit of the year so far. It spent 15 weeks at the top of the Billboard 100 and inspired hundreds of fan videos on YouTube. Just a few weeks ago, six Iranian teenagers got arrested for posting a video of themselves dancing to the catchy song. So what is it about "Happy" that triggers a nearly uncontrollable need to tap your foot, bob your head or move to the rhythm in some way? Pharrell Williams. The Record Pharrell Williams On Juxtaposition And Seeing Sounds Rick Blaine, the sentimental tough guy in Casablanca,...

Blue Note Records has been many things over the course of its 75 years: a label responsible for blinding jazz innovations, a home for the titans of hard bop and soul jazz, a place for smart, sly, jazz-inflected pop creations. One constant running throughout its history is improvisation. Its records have showcased jazz soloing in every possible mood and temperament. Its artists, both the jazz legends and those journeymen who are little regarded today, have helped shape the ever-evolving notion of what a solo is and what it can be. To honor the label, we've combed the vaults to select...

~Favorite Weekend Song's~ The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind *Video* Eagles - Saturday Night - *Video*

At May 29 ribbon-cutting, the store will hand out tickets to a May 31 parking-lot performance by the chart-topping duo... When you are Microsoft, you roll in a special way. Which means opening your Aventura Mall store with a $1 million donation for local students and, oh, by the way, a concert by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis....

Pitbull has received criticism in the past over the way women are depicted in his songs and music videos...

Brad Paisley didn’t just spend his Memorial Day weekend cooking hot dogs at a neighborhood barbecue. The country superstar instead traveled halfway around the world to perform for U.S. troops. And he made the journey on Air Force One accompanying President Obama and some of his advisers.

"Dale soon began appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show where he played his signature single "Misirlou". He later stated, "I still remember the first night we played it. I changed the tempo, and just started cranking on that mother. And...it was eerie. The people came rising up off the floor, and they were chanting and stomping...." .....;

This "rap" music video captures the enthusiasm and energy of young children performing in honor of Constitution Day in Norway - 200th anniversary was May 17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iXoOqaeRXc8 Sorry - I don't have a translation... There was a sizable celebration in the Ballard district of Seattle where many Norwegians settled long ago. Maybe there are celebrations like this in the US... for the 4th of July? I wish. What I found fascinating - on Facebook pages of my many relatives in Norway were dozens and dozens of greetings from friends, often saying "Congratulations on the Day" or "Celebrate the Day"

Barricades were put up along South Beach Thursday, as the city of Miami Beach gets ready to host Urban Beach Week. Kiarra Wells and her three friends flew down from Detroit for the annual extravaganza, and Wells said she's just happy to hit warmer weather.

Big-voiced rocker Caleb Johnson is the season 13 “American Idol,” winning the title over teenage pop singer Jena Irene.... The two-hour finale included performances by John Legend, Kiss, Demi Lovato and Lady Antebellum. It also showcased a song by judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr., with judge-turned-mentor Randy Jackson joining in. Even Seacrest took a turn crooning, proving as a singer he’s a great host. He was joined on Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting” by the singer-songwriter. NBC’s singing contest “The Voice,” which leapfrogged “American Idol” in the ratings, has leaned heavily on its performer-coaches to boost...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3t4RzZLKdk

I heard this wonderful song again recently as bumper music while listening to conservative talk shows this week, and it just feels natural to share with my FRiends. Any comments are welcome.

Led Zeppelin are being accused plagiarising the introduction of their iconic 1971 anthem, “Stairway To Heaven”, in a new lawsuit brought by the estate of Spirit guitarist Randy California and members of the band. Business Week reports the estate – and group’s members – believe the acoustic introduction to “Stairway” was lifted from their 1968 instrumental, “Taurus.”

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. - KESQ and CBS Local 2 learned singer Jerry Vale passed away Sunday morning in hospice care with family by his side. At the age of 15, he started singing professionally in supper clubs. Known for singing primarily love songs, Vale went on to record more than 50 albums. Vale received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on December 5th, 1998. His star is at 255 S. Palm Canyon Drive. Vale and Rita, his wife of over 40 years, resided in Palm Desert. Vale was 81 years old.

If you search my posting history, you'll find that I never really got acclimated to the rock music of the 50s, 60s and beyond. My tastes still remain rooted in Southern Gospel (The Kingsmen, Happy Goodmans, Florida Boys and such) and traditional country (Roy Acuff, Webb Pierce, Kitty Wells and the like).Today while heading back from errands, my car radio happened to scan onto a station playing a song I had never heard before, "Things We Said Today" by the Beatles.

A little bit of Little Feat, from 1971

Is Bob Dylan channeling his inner Sinatra? Or is it his inner Rachmaninoff? On Wednesday, Mr. Dylan’s website, bobdylan.com, posted what appears to be the cover of the singer’s forthcoming album, “Shadows in the Night,” as well as a single track – a gently sung cover of “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” in an ensemble dominated by a country-tinged steel guitar part. The song, written in 1945 by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman, is based on a theme from the third movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and was a hit for Frank Sinatra in 1946.

Flamenco street buskers in Spain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy4mArn9RkkMatt Otten. This is a true virtuoso jazz guitarist IMO. Very smooth, effortless, style similar to Jim Hall. Maybe some will find him too cerebral but I could watch him move around the neck of that guitar for hours. One oddity about him is he seems to have never gigged or jammed with anyone else except rarely, a vocalist. All his videos are accompanied by backing tracks. Sunnyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX8bmZitKaw&list=PLB883E04FDBAB4C06 Beautiful Love.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx4sxLxBn8gCan't believe I never heard of this Australian guy before! His name is Tommy EmmanuelClassical Acoustichttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33tWZqXhnkTommy playing the blues. He is probably most famous for this...

As a platinum-selling country music artist and, more importantly, a lifelong fan of the genre, I’d like to send out this heartfelt plea to the gatekeepers of the industry: Enough already. I’d like to think that I am expressing what nearly every artist, musician and songwriter (with perhaps a few exceptions) is thinking when I contend that the Bro’ Country phenomenon must cease. It has had its run for better or worse and it’s time for Nashville to get back to producing, and more importantly promoting, good singers singing real songs. It’s time for country music to find its identity...