All About Jazz — Although he would have been astonished if you had told him he was in any way mysterious, Jack Teagarden is difficult to unravel. For one thing, Jack (or Big Tea or Mr. T.) was regarded as perhaps the finest trombonist of his time by musicians in and ... more info

Guardian Music — Tony Bennett defines the particular magic of America's greatest singers, writes Elisabeth MahoneyTony Bennett Presents: The Great American Songbook (Radio 2) is actually presented by Michael Parkinson. It's a curious and somewhat static format, with ... more info

All About Jazz — Skipping along through 65 years of the history of a superior popular song gives us an idea of its evolution as a subject for jazz improvisation. Indeed, our examples provide an idea how jazz improvisation itself has evolved. The song is Johnny Burke'... more info

Allmusic Blog — Eddy Arnold’s approach to country and his rich, expressive baritone voice always seemed closer to pop singers like Bing Crosby and Perry Como than it did to more rustic country stars like Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb, and he worked with pop songwriter... more info

Guardian Music — Conventional wisdom has it that pop music began in the 1950s, but as early as the 1920s, dance bands were soundtracking British life in the same way, writes Maddy CostaWhen Bert Ambrose died, on 11 June 1971, he was down on his luck. He was the manag... more info

Guardian Music — Ian Jack's anecdotal impression of the importance of the Beatles' music (The music that brushed away repression, 19 December) recognises no continuum in popular music, but merely reinforces the old saw of a socially inevitable 60s step change in soun... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — Check out a collection of David Bowie Christmas videos below...... more info

NME - Pinglewood — I'm already eaten five advent calendars worth of chocolate today so Christmas can't be far off. Here to aid my festive slump into gluttony is The Brute Chorus with a wistful Hawaiian Christmas song. Singer and moustache model James explains: "We w... more info

All About Jazz — "Like buried treasure reclaimed from the past, this remarkable set is like no other Bing Crosby collection ever released. Here is the great crooner and a quartet led by his longtime accompanist Buddy Cole, occasionally augmented by a few wind instrum... more info

Guardian Music — Julian Casablancas's alternative festive anthem might be great, but its ironic coolness can never compete with the supreme naffness of Cliff, Shakey and SladeLet's be clear: Christmas is, in no way, "cool". It's the one time of year when you're emoti... more info