Dave Helland is a Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com contributor.
Bruce Iglauer started Alligator Records in Chicago in 1971 with a $2,500 inheritance from his grandfather, and the loan of a down payment on a Chevy Vega from his mother Harriett so he could service retailers with an album by Hound Dog Taylor & The HouseRockers in a time-honored fashion: out of his trunk.For only $900, Iglauer produced the recording…
(On March 25 the GRAMMY Museum will launch Blue Note: The Finest In Jazz, a new exhibit commemorating Blue Note Records' 75th anniversary. For more information, visit www.grammymuseum.org.)Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Blue Note Records launched a full slate of festivities in 2014 with a bang. At a special anniversary concert on Jan. 8 at Town Hall in New York, GRAMMY…
(On Nov. 4 Herbie Hancock will participate in GRAMMY U Off The Record With Herbie Hancock, an exclusive live Google+ Hangout On Air hosted by Flying Lotus.)At age 11, piano prodigy Herbie Hancock won a performance competition sponsored by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The good news: His prize was to perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 18 with the CSO. The…
(To view a trailer for Louis, click here.)What better way to tell a story about Louis Armstrong as a young boy than by using early 20th century cutting-edge technology: silent film.That's what director/co-writer Dan Pritzker set out to do with Louis — tell the early story of one of jazz's luminaries solely through pictures and music. Already in pre-production for…
Ever wonder what the Beatles sounded like in a small club? Too young to have seen Led Zeppelin with original drummer John Bonham? Can't afford a ticket to see the Rolling Stones? Tribute bands to these rock legends, among others, offer fans a viable entertainment alternative. The musicians dress like the original members, adopt a name that references the band's…
Between arenas, clubs, stadiums, hotels, and screaming fans, touring is known to be an adventure. But some artists have taken their adventures to new levels by playing concerts in offbeat locations. Imagine taking a trans-Pacific flight and a connecting flight to the Japanese island of Kyushu and, following an hour-long cab ride, pulling up to the venue to find a…
