Mary's Sound Bytes: Welcome To Mary's Sound Bytes

Welcome to Mary's Sound Bytes. Each week, we will review (and hopefully appreciate) a song and/or artist. This song could be from any genre, any era. It could be Latin or Classical or 60s pop. The sky's the limit.

I am a lifelong music lover. While my tastes lean toward Latin anything (even some Latin rap), I love big band, 40s, 50s, 60s crooners, easy listening (as long as it's not elevator music) jazz, classical, pop, rock, broadway tunes, and new age. Our home collection is extensive and eclectic, to say the least. You'll find Brahms (my favorite classical composer) as well as Perez Prado, Gipsy Kings, Ottmar Liebert, Astor Piazzolla, Bobby Darin, The Beatles, Barry Manilow and Donna Summer.

Without waxing too poetic, I will say music is a friend and companion that goes on the journey with you. It's rare to find a situation where music does not fit in. And it's also the chocolate elixir that fires up the endorphins and energizes the soul. For me, music is an art form you can hear and feel and I want to share that with our readers.

Music began for me back in the late 50s. I discovered, in the attic, a stack of 45s. They became my Nintendo, for that era.

The record collection included Rosemary Clooney, Perez Prado, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Kay Starr, Georgia Gibb, Teresa Brewer, Connie Francis, Vic Damone, and Jerry Vale. There were a few 33 rpm albums as well. One, in particular, was called Honeymoon in South America. I recall one song - El Manisero - The Peanut Vendor. I was hooked!

Back to the 45s - from the day I played my first Rosemary Clooney, she has remained my favorite singer of all time. I recall several 45s with Rosemary and (in my opinion), the Mambo King - Perez Prado. Hearing Perez Prado's work was my defining moment for the love of Latin music. Many years later (1979) I actually found the vinyl album - Touch of Tobasco in a Kansas City area music store. That was a happy day and I wore the grooves off that wonderful, old album. Fortunately, we have CDs now and it was thrilling to discover Touch of Tobasco again. The CD recording is flawless and it epitomizes the very best of Rosemary and the unquestionably infectious mambo stylings of Perez Prado.

That being said, my first selection for this music blog is Little Spanish Town from Touch of Tobasco. Enjoy!