Row 1: DMX, Biz Markie, Dusty Hill, Charlie Watts, Joey Jordison, Nanci Griffith and B.J. Thomas. Row 2: Mary Wilson, George Wein, Michael Nesmith, Terence “Astro” Wilson, Tom T. Hall, Stephen Sondheim and Graeme Edge. Row 3: Chick Corea, Gift of Gab, Bunny Wailer, Shock G and Sylvain Sylvain.…

It seems that with many duet albums that bring disparate popular music talents together, there’s a sort of sliding scale of how much influence the “host” is willing to give up. Sometimes the host artist lets guests take command. In other instances, the guests function as little more than…

Megan Thee Stallion performs during the 2021 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. Courtesy. While the main pre-show distraction centered on snubs and the lack of diversity at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, the tone changed with a plethora of memorable and historic moments from this…

63rd Grammy Awards, courtesy: Recording Academy. Welcome to the Olympics of music! The 63rd Grammy Awards are not the be-all, end-all of music achievement, or even an accurate representation of the most adventurous, unique music being made today, but they’re the standard barometer of commercial success. The two awards…

Chick Corea performs at Blue Note in Milan, Italy, on March 8, 2013. Photo: Sergione Infuso/Corbis. When I covered several Grammy Awards presentations in Los Angeles over the last decade, there were few people as prevalent at every turn down a walkway or media work room than Chick Corea.…