Email Author Paul J. MacArthur

2001 Stories by Paul J. MacArthur

• Playbill

  published August 2, 2001

  It's hard to believe there was a time -- a long time, in fact -- when Tony Bennett was considered passé. Throughout most of the '70s and... More >>

• Mount Coy

  published July 26, 2001

  To belabor beyond all recognition that old saw about what you should wear to your wedding, this year Houston went in for something old, something... More >>

• Don Wilkerson

  published July 26, 2001

  Don Wilkerson was a Texas Tenor in the tradition of Illinois Jacquet and Arnett Cobb. Though he never quite gained their level of name... More >>

• Lucky Star

  published July 19, 2001

  As a teenager living in Memphis during the '70s, saxophonist Kirk Whalum became enamored with the work of two other reedmen: Wilton Felder and... More >>

• Yellowjackets

  published July 12, 2001

  When the Yellowjackets grew out of Robben Ford's Charles Ford Blues Band in 1981, it looked like another short-lived fusion venture à la... More >>

• Playbill

  published July 5, 2001

  In the mid-'80s, college guitar freaks who were above salivating over Eddie Van Halen sought out other heroes. These ranged from John... More >>

• The Beach Boys

  published June 28, 2001

  Almost 40 years after Brian Wilson and Mike Love penned "Surfin'," the Beach Boys' stock is still on the rise. Wilson in particular has been... More >>

• Sassy Celebration

  published June 21, 2001

  When Dianne Reeves attended a Cannonball Adderley tribute concert in 1975, the young singer experienced a surreal moment like only a 19-year-old... More >>

• Playbill

  published May 24, 2001

  With tribute albums flooding the market, do we really want or need another one? Well, in the case of Texarkana native Roseanna Vitro's latest... More >>

• Hans, Hans, He da Man

  published May 10, 2001

  There's a new sheriff at the Houston Symphony, and his name is Hans Graf. He's the man who won't cop out when there's danger all about --... More >>

• Playbill

  published May 3, 2001

  Undeniable Truth of Life No. 427: Duncan Sheik's "Barely Breathing" was the best pop song of the '90s. Marvelously crafted with an uncanny sense... More >>

• Mood Indigo

  published May 3, 2001

  The husband-and-wife vocal duo of Susan Elliott and Joe Romano, better known as Mood Indigo, has been singing jazz in an intimate and relaxed... More >>

• Playbill

  published April 26, 2001

  Tenor saxophonist John Greiner is the latest jazz musician to flee the fresh air of the Northeast to our beloved Space City's poisoned... More >>

• Finding Her Voice

  published April 19, 2001

  Listening to Heather Bennett is like strolling through a music store: '50s bebop over here, Dixieland over there, originals down the center aisle,... More >>

• Bill Evans Trio

  published April 19, 2001

  Bill Evans knew he didn't have much time left when he began a nine-night engagement at San Francisco's Keystone Korner in the late summer of 1980.... More >>

• Black Action Figure

  published April 12, 2001

  I'm not a big fan of the vibes," says 27-year-old vibraphonist Stefon Harris. "I like the vibes. They're cool and all, but it's not really the... More >>

• Wham, Bam, Thank You, McMahon

  published March 29, 2001

  In the mid-'80s, Vince McMahon transformed the World Wrestling Federation from a regional northeast promotion into a national force. He did so by... More >>

• Playbill

  published March 29, 2001

  After Jean-Luc Ponty and Stephane Grappelli, most casual fans would be hard-pressed to name even a third jazz violinist. So in a field that seems... More >>

• Playbill

  published March 22, 2001

  When guitarist John Fahey passed away last month, Leo Kottke lost a friend and mentor. An iconoclast, Fahey blurred the lines between folk,... More >>

• Heart Attack

  published March 8, 2001

  Former Houstonian Billy Harper is an aggressive tenor saxophonist, with a tone that's both gripping and penetrating. He's not interested in... More >>

• Start Spreading the News

  published March 1, 2001

  As the co-leader of the Houston Jazz Trio and the collective improvisational group Q, Tim Solook was one of the more visible jazz musicians in... More >>

• Jeff Beck

  published March 1, 2001

  After spending most of the '90s working on his classic cars and nursing a case of tinnitus, Jeff Beck resurfaced in 1999 with Who Else!... More >>

• Playbill

  published March 1, 2001

  Since the release of Damn Right, I Got the Blues in 1991, Buddy Guy has been enjoying a career renaissance. He's been justifiably hailed as... More >>

• Without a Blue Clue

  published February 15, 2001

  Ever fall asleep while watching a rerun of Taxi on Nick at Nite and wake up to find some guy in a striped shirt talking to a blue cartoon... More >>

• Power Surge

  published February 15, 2001

  Comeback records usually fall into one of two categories: those released after the artist has issued several clunkers in a row, or those released... More >>