Making ROOTS AND BRANCHES: “Mack the Knife”

When Bobby Darin’s version of “Mack the Knife” hit the charts in August 1959 I had just turned six and was on the cusp of first grade. It’s fair to say that “Mack the Knife” owned the charts that fall and winter, charting for 26 weeks and spending  nine of them…

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Making ROOTS AND BRANCHES: “Till There Was You”

My parents’ record collection was slim pickings when I was a kid. My dad mostly chose the records. He had Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Mitch (“I hate rock and roll”) Miller, The Harmonicats, 101 Strings, and, although my parents never attended the theater, Carousel, Oklahoma!, Hello Dolly! (so many exclamation points), West…

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