Arts and Entertainment

While Van McCoy is perhaps best (or worst) remembered for 'The Hustle', he was a prolific producer and songwriter during the sweet soul era.  Agent Double O Soul is particularly…

Agent Double O Soul: "The Five Stairsteps aren't everyone's cup of meat, but I love their harmonies, especially the way they stagger the backup vocals during the verse on this…

You've heard of the Friends Of Distinction, but likely haven't properly appreciated them.  They're responsible for gems such as 'Going In Circles' and 'Love Or Let Me Be Lonely'. This…

Kenny Gamble before he became 'Gamble-Huff'. Agent Double O Soul likes the 'spare arrangement' and 'atmospheric production'. Also likes how the bass player keeps things moving along:

A great Motown song that I'd never heard before. With a story every bit as fascinating as the song. I'd never heard of Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, a group…

We're gonna have a week of great soul songs that you've never heard. My Secret Soul Source demands anonymity, however he/she insists that I play his/her theme song before sharing…

This elegiac farewell to Lester Young was composed by Charles Mingus shortly after Prez's death, and appeared on his essential Mingus Ah Um album. The musicians: Charles Mingus, bass Horace…

McCoy Tyner's first recording after leaving the John Coltrane Quartet was 'The Real McCoy'. In both senses of the term. While the 1967 album demonstrated the spirituality that Tyner shared…

People who have never heard this still know that its opening riff was borrowed by Steely Dan for 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number'.  It's also one of my fave jazz…

One more passing from 2017. Pat Dinizio of the Smithereens.  This song had to be good to overcome that...hair:

I was listening to a show called 'Sound Opinions', which is out of Chicago but which XPN picks up and plays on Sundays. The hosts were remembering those we lost…

Does any song better sum up where we stand in January of 2018?  If so, I want to hear it. BTW, this song is 44 years old, which defines the…

I've received a warning from the Punctuation Police about excessive use of exclamation points.  This, however, is as far as it goes as we've reached the Top Ten. And a…