Next Thursday (January 3, at 7 p.m.), come see me and Ira Gitler [photo above] at Barnes & Noble on 82nd St. and Broadway in New York. We'll be talking about my new book Why Jazz Happened, the rise of the LP and how it changed jazz. Ira plans on telling a story or two about Zoot Sims.
And on February 4, at noon, I'll be at 92Y/Tribeca in New York to talk about the history of jazz from World War II to Watergate—in just 45 minutes—complete with music and photos on a large screen. A Q&A will follow. Tickets: $21.
Why Jazz Happened update. Last week I was quoted and Why Jazz Happened was mentioned in Scott Timberg's essay for Salon: Did the American Songbook Kill Jazz?
Conrad Gozzo. Bret Primack, who is working on a documentary of trumpeter Pauly Cohen (for updates on the film, go here) sent along a link to a radio documentary of trumpet legend Conrad Gozzo [second from left in photo above]. The show was recorded in 1972. Go here.
Blue Note homage. There's clever—and then there's clever. Back in 2009, the Bella Vista Social Pub in Tuscany, Italy, came up with a neat idea to promote its concert season. Thanks to Timy Keller in France for alerting...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Here we have an album of dinner music for hungry cannibals—and our victim doesn't seem to mind one bit. Who thought up this stuff? Sort of the flip side to Baby It's Cold Outside.
