Remembering Pharoah Sanders on his birthday

Raising a glass to the amazing Pharoah Sanders aka "Little Rock" on his birthday with a couple of typically stellar recordings. 

William Shatner & Brad Paisley chat about their new recording project and more

After Shatner & Paisley explained how Love & Other Mysteries was made, they performed "Masks" on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Whaddya mean you don't know Thanh Lan

Check out the vintage Vietnamese swinger "Hoai Thu" by Thanh Lan, an ode to autumn in her beloved Da Lat hometown. 

New collection of Sister Rosetta Tharpe gospel recordings issued by Bear Family

Bear Family's new Sister Rosetta Tharpe collection "Rock Me" focuses on her uptempo numbers featuring her superb guitar work. 

Sister Rosetta Tharpe 

Rock Me - The Revelation Series (CD)

1-CD (Digipak) with 36-page booklet, 29 tracks. 

Total playing time approx. 74 minutes

• A compilation of lesser-known greats framed by the hits you all cherish
• All songs feature her ferocious guitar playing supporting the title “Godmother of Rock and Roll”
• Extensive liner notes by Roland Heinrich Rumtreiber and a provocative foreword by Saskia Holling
• Sensitive sound restoration from the best sources
• Highly diversified collection featuring several styles (including duets with Red Foley and Marie Knight)

Following the well-received Bear Family Records® vinyl reissue of the Savoy classic Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Precious Memories, BAF18055, our team offers a CD jam-packed with rocking, soul-shaking gospel music: Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Rock Me. The compilation focuses on up-tempo numbers featuring Rosetta’s fierce guitar acrobatics, and on the variety of musical styles she delivered with ease and authority from the 1940s to the 1960s.

You know the old media-made competition of the Beatles and the Stones: Sister Rosetta Tharpe experienced the same thing with Mahalia Jackson. Whereas Jackson was very traditional and angelic, Broadway raised Tharpe trailblazed her way through the conservative 1950s by employing every style the popular music of the day offered.

Included in this set are songs backed by country guitar legend Grady Martin, a duet with crossover country crooner Red Foley, and a duet with her long-time partner and protégé Marie Knight. Madame Knight is also featured with her rhumba version of “Calvary,” backed by Sister Rosetta on guitar. You have outright Pentecostal stomps such as “On My Way Now (Got On My Travelin’ Shoes),” alongside the calypso of “Let’s Be Happy” (complete with a faux Caribbean accent). Also included are her hits, “This Train,” “That’s All,” “Rock Me,” and “Didn’t It Rain.” The outstanding “Strange Things Happening Every Day” was one of Carl Perkins’ all-time favorites and heavily influenced his picking. The song had a lasting impact on all the aspiring young dudes like Presley, Cash, and Jerry Lee.

Trailing over all tracks included is Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s ferocious guitar - equally powerful as the trumpets that brought down the walls of Jericho. Whether she played a National Triolian at John Hammond’s legendary show From Spirituals to Swing at Carnegie Hall in 1938, or a distorted Gibson Les Paul during her 1960 tour of Europe, her passionate delivery produced one of the wildest guitar sounds of the era. And yes, her powerful, soul-cleansing voice lifts you up throughout the 74 Minutes of Heavenly Joy on BCD17665 Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Rock Me.

The release includes liner notes from Roland Heinrich Rumtreiber and a foreword by Scottish musician and book author Saskia Holling.

Vincent Price: What Keeps Us Alive screens @ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Oct 21

Matthew Miele's much-anticipated Vincent Price doc gets a Toronto screening on October 21 with daughter Victoria Price present. 

Here's the scoop...

This fully authorized documentary reveals far more than the man behind Hollywood’s master of the macabre. Through rare archival materials and intimate interviews with Price’s children, Victoria Price and V.B. Price, alongside cultural icons and admirers including John Waters, Tim Burton, Patton Oswalt, Hank Azaria, Bill Hader, Cassandra Peterson, and Alice Cooper, the film uncovers the remarkable life behind one of the most recognizable voices and faces in popular culture.

The documentary traces a life of elegant contradictions: a classically trained actor who redefined screen villainy with charm and intelligence; an erudite art collector, educator, and gourmand who moved effortlessly between high culture and low-budget horror; and, perhaps most surprisingly, a warm and generous mentor figure whose influence extended far beyond the screen. Through his films, television appearances, cookbooks, lectures, and iconic voice work, Price became an unlikely cultural touchstone for multiple generations.

At its emotional centre is the story of Price’s evolving identity, shaped by the turbulence of Hollywood politics, the complexities of family, and a lifelong fascination with the psychology of villains. In later years, Price spoke of villainy not as evil, but as a mirror—an opportunity for audiences to confront their fears, hypocrisies, and hidden desires. The film explores how he transformed from a sophisticated screen antagonist into a beloved ambassador for curiosity, creativity, and individuality.

More than a portrait of a horror legend, this is the story of an artist who defied categorization. Through the reflections of family members, filmmakers, comedians, musicians, and cultural commentators, the documentary examines why Vincent Price continues to resonate decades after his death. What emerges is a richly human portrait of a man whose legacy endures not merely in screams and shadows, but in the intelligence, generosity, wit, and warmth that defined the man behind the mask. 

Victoria Price shared the documentary trailer here.

Join Victoria Price for a special post-screening Q&A at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on Wednesday, October 21 at 7 pm. 

Advance tickets for Vincent Price: What Keeps Us Alive are available here. 

Deke Dickerson just acquired a 1963 Mosrite Ventures Model 6-string bass

Here's something you don't see every day – or ever – an original 1963 sunburst Mosrite Ventures model 6-string bass!

Writes Deke...

"One of the coolest instruments I’ve ever encountered, an all-original 1963 Mosrite Ventures model 6-string bass.  They made one in 1963 (probably for the  NAMM trade show), and another blue one in 1966.

"I got this thing a couple months ago, but the tailpiece was about to pull off from string tension.  It had a couple other minor issues.  My friend, Garrett Immel (@garrett_immel) put his magic touch on it, and now it plays like a dream. 

"This instrument was part of Artie’s collection at Front Porch Music for many decades in Bakersfield.  I’m glad to be the caretaker of this incredible instrument now."

Watch a short clip of Deke playing his Mosrite 6-string bass right here. 

Harrison Kennedy comes back swingin' with Old Fashion Plain

Hamilton-based Chairmen of the Board keyman Harrison Kennedy shows no signs of slowing down with Old Fashion Plain out now.

For more information about Harrison Kennedy's Old Fashion Plain, visit the Electro-Fi Records site right here..