Alvin276's channel

I, like so many others, first heard this song from the Subaru commercial. I didn't particularly give a dam about the car, but this sound became immediately intoxicating and addictive. There's is something about the combination of his voice and these lyrics that screams TRUTH. There is an earthy, ...

Eddie Kendrick's studio version of this song is one of a few masterpieces produced by Motown. Motown routinely kicked out great R&B hits that truly defined a generation, but a masterpiece transcends category, generation, culture, and color. The lyrics, instrumentation, sound and feeling all conve...

Simply put: The Voices. These three men comprised the "Sound" of the Temptations and it's a treat to see all three on stage together. Dennis Edwards bellowed out as many hits as David Ruffin and there isn't much difference in the greatness of their individual sounds. But if I had to pick the bes...

I grew up listening to the Temps and watching them on Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand. What I love about this movie is how it so accurately captured the musical spirit of Motown. The choreography on the musical numbers was simply phenomenal and accurate (and in some cases better than the ori...

Most good artist when viewed live are somewhat of a let down because you just can't reproduce on stage what was produced in a studio. But Teena Marie (as this live performance proves) surpasses the recorded version of this hit song. Her voice has gotten better with time. And she still moves as i...

Although Sammy was often referred to as the greatest entertainer at his peak, I still think there is so much more to discover. He had the body of a dancer and is rightly credited as one of the best. But his voice is the overlooked gem. This performance is an extremely difficult arrangement of t...

Pure gold. That's what I like about jazz: how artist go over, under, and to the left and right of the melody without making it sound tedious and uninspiring. Big Ben Webster just played a very soft and melodious version of a classic.

Someone please tell me: "How cool can a sax get!" Duke was and remains in a world of his own. Distinctly separate and a part. Isn't it amazing how Ellington, Armstrong, and many others could say all that needed to be said in a song in 3 minutes or less? Just about all the old classics were don...

Duke, with Johnny Hodges at this side, had the ability to play the blues so transparently without it sounding like they were playing what many would consider "the blues". All the listener would know (or should care about) was the beautiful sound flowing from the orchestra. Duke knew that. In th...

This music is really the supreme cultural genius of America. And it sad that more isn't done to share it. I love the saxophone and Johnny Hodges is my main sax man. He had the unique ability that's rarely seen today to elevate a ballad to heights of unspeakable beauty while at he same time inje...

I love this song. I have viewed dozens of videos that are good and not so good renditions of this Cole Porter gem. But I must say that Diane comes closest to delivering the essence of what that song means: the humor, sarcasm, whimsy, hypocrisy,and even passion. It was a joy to watch. I hope she...