Musical Chops

It is hard to believe that people don't have a clear sense of where the President is headed on……should be daily reading for all election and political junkies. I didn't know that Joe Biden had musical chops like this, to say nothing of Chuck Grassley, Michael Vick and Scott Van Pelt of…

Innovative repertoire, dynamic interpretations of both traditional and contemporary classical music, and sheer musical chops set this threesome apart. Violinist Justine Cormack, cellist Ashley Brown and pianist Sarah Watkins first joined forces in 2002, becoming the Ensemble in Residence at the…

Photo: Michael Ochs/Getty (Sinatra), Watanabe/Getty (Pine) Kind of fitting that on the 11th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s death, we’re……music through Frank Sinatra Enterprises, but many still suggested musical chops were essential to landing the role. “Harry Connick Jr. ……

Despite their humble beginnings in the East Bay house party circuit, all-girl quartet The Splinters have quickly honed their musical chops and developed a real knack for filling their garage-pop songs with the stickiest of pop hooks. Their early recordings and joyful live performances at SXSW…

Ed Helms of 'The Office' and most recently 'The Hangover' visited Conan Thursday night to show off his musical chops with the Jonas Brothers, who were also guests on the show. "I've always loved jazz," Helms said. "But what I never realized I had an uncanny knack for was scat singing. It's a…

galore. But the Australian actor, who previously handled the Tony awards with aplomb, also has some considerable musical chops after starring in The Boy From Oz and Oklahoma! on stage. “He can sing, dance and looks great in a tuxedo,” Condonsays. At...

Chace Crawford wants vacated Footloose role. We all know Zac Efron ditched the role because he was being typecast, so Chace seemed to have jumped……of the High School Musical movie franchise. Whether Crawford has the musical chops to pull it off remains to be seen (and heard). But we…

You have got to have it if you want to succeed. What is “it” you ask? It is undefinable, only recognized, then realized. Most working bands……seemingly based on true merit?  They were excellent salesmen and had the musical chops to back up their product. They were brilliant…

Kanye West was the musical guest on SNL this weekend, and he showed his musical chops by singing live, with no prerecorded tracks or computer trickery. In hindsight, he should definitely use prerecorded tracks and computer trickery from now on, because he’s the most non-singing black man on…

Although Gary Lewis never had the best musical chops in the business, he and his Playboys managed to have a respectable string of hits through ’65 and ’66. Backed by a production team including Snuff Garrett and Leon Russell, some of Gary’s best known songs include “This Diamond Ring,”…

I was digging through some old backups this week, and I stumbled upon a bunch of music that I had written twelve and thirteen years ago. No, I will……sure I can’t be the first that this has occurred to. And while my own musical chops aren’t up to participating in a songwriting project,…

Recently, Sony Records, released the Complete Liberty Singles, by Gary Lewis and the……in our opinions. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy. Although Gary Lewis never had the best musical chops in the business, he and his Playboys, managed to have a respectable string of…

Britney Spears' latest CD "Circus" is the No. 1 album after selling half a million copies last week, according to the AP: The singer's comeback……and now they're trying to find free time." "She has the talent and the musical chops top pull it off, emotionally speaking, it's a little…