In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed actor Bradley Whitford for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). Bradley is best known for his role in TV's The West Wing (1999-2006). He currently is co-starring in season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale. [Photo above of Bradley Whitford courtesy of the Alliance for Justice]
Bradley will be joining the cast of The Diplomat, for those of you watching the series. Go here...
Currently or just finished...
- Life or Something Like It, with Angelina Jolie (film/Netflix/2002)
- 99 Homes, a thriller film with Michael Shannon. Thanks to Todd Selbert. (film/Roku/2014)
- Protection, season 1 of a British crime series (BritBox/2024)
- Deep Cover, a crime comedy-thriller film starting June 12
- Mobland, a British crime series with Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren
Worthwhile stuff that started or will start soon...
- Bosch Legacy S3 (Prime)
- 1923 (Paramount+)
- Mobland (Paramount+)
- Dark Winds S3 (AMC)
- Long Bright River (Peacock)
- Good American Family (Hulu)
- Alto Knights (film)
- The Four Seasons (May 1/Netflix)
- The Better Sister (May 22/Prime)
- Deep Cover (June 12/film)
My favorite streaming series, ranked...
- Babylon Berlin
- My Brilliant Friend
- The Promised Life
- Killing Eve
- The Crown
- Mad Men
- The Americans
- Younger
- Fleabag
- Band of Brothers
- The Sopranos
- Enlightened
- Friday Night Lights
- Justified
- Good American Family
- Feud: Bette and Joan
- The Old Man
- Downton Abbey
- The Blacklist
- Goliath
- Julia
- The Gentlemen
- Turn: Washington's Spies
- Unbelievable
- Landman
- Voiceless (Bella da morire (2020/MHz)
- Black Doves
- Web Therapy
Past recommended series, films and documentaries...
TV series
- The Affair—(2014-2019/Hulu)
- Alaska Daily—(2022/Prime)
- The Americans—(2013-2018)/Prime)
- Anatomy of a Scandal—(2022/Netflix)
- Apples Never Fall—2024/Peacock)
- Babylon Berlin (2017-2024/MHz via Prime Video)
- Band of Brothers—(2001/Netflix)
- The Bay (2019-current/BritBox)
- Black Doves (2024/Netflix)
- The Blacklist (2013-2023/Netflix)
- Belgravia—(2020/Prime Video)
- Blue Lights—(2023/BritBox)
- Bosch—(2014-2021/Prime)
- Bosch: Legacy—(2022-current/Prime)
- The Crown—(2016-2023/Netflix)
- Cherif—(2013-2019/Prime)
- Dark Winds—(2022/AMC)
- The Diplomat—(2023/Netflix)
- Downton Abbey—(2020-2015/Prime)
- The Dropout (2022/Hulu)
- Elizabeth 1 (2005/Max)
- Emily in Paris—(2020-present/Netflix)
- Enlightened—(2011-2013/Max)
- Feud (S1): Bette and Joan—(2017/Hulu)
- Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
- Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
- Friday Night Lights (2006-2011/Netflix)
- The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
- Godless—(2017/Netflix)
- Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
- The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
- High Water—(2022/Netflix)
- Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
- Il Commissario Manara (Inspector Manara) (2009-2011/MHz)
- Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
- Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
- Killing Eve—(2018-2022/Netflix)
- Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
- Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
- Lioness—(2023-current/Paramount+)
- Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
- MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
- Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
- Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
- My Brilliant Friend—(2018-current/Max)
- The Night Agent—(2023-present/Netflix)
- 1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
- 1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
- The Old Man—(2022/Hulu)
- On Call—2025/Amazon Prime)
- Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
- The Perfect Couple—(2024/Netflix)
- Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
- The Promised Life—(2018/MHz via Prime Video)
- Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
- Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
- Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
- The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
- Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
- Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
- Under the Banner of Heave—(2022/Hulu)
- Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
- Voiceless (Bella da morire—(2020/MHz)
- The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
- The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
- Who Is Erin Carter—(2023/Netflix)
- The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
- The Veil—(2024/Hulu-FX)
- Web Therapy—(2011-2015/Fandango)
- Wilder—(2017-current)
- WPC 56—(2013-2015/Britbox)
- Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
- Younger—(2015-2021K/Netflix)
Films
- The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
- American Gangster—(2007/Max)
- Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
- The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
- Blackout (2022/Netflix)
- The Bricklayer—(2024/Netflix)
- The Commuter (2018/Netflix)
- The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
- Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
- Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
- Enrico Piaggio - Un Sogno Italiano (An Italian Dream) (2019/MHz)
- The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
- The Great Lillian Hall—(2024/Max)
- The Family Man—(2000/Netflix)
- Fury—(2014/Netflix)
- God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
- Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
- I Used to Be Funny (2023/Netflix)
- Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
- Just My Luck (2006/Paramount+)
- Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
- Killers of the Flower Moon—(2023/Apple+)
- La Palma (2024/Netflix)
- Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
- Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
- Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
- The Little Things—(2021/Netflix)
- Lonely Planet—(2024)/Netflix)
- Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
- Manchester by the Sea—(2016/Prime Video)
- MI-5—(2015/Max)
- The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
- The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
- Nobody—(2021/Prime)
- Nobody Wants This—(2024/Netflix)
- Ordinary Angels—(2024/assorted platforms)
- The Pledge—(2011/Peacock)
- Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
- The Queen—(2006/Paramount+)
- The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
- Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
- Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
- Ruthless—(2023/Hulu)
- The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix).
- Sicario (2015/Netflix)
- Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
- Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
- Some Girl(s)—(2013/Amazon Prime)
- Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
- Spy(ies)—(2009/Prime)
- The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
- Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
- The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
- Up in the Air—(2009/Max)
- Woman in Gold—(2015/Max)
- Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
- Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
- The Beach Boys—(2024/Disney)
- Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
- The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
- Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
- Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing—(2023/Paramount+)
- Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
- Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
- Jane Fonda in Five Acts—(2024/Max)
- Kate Hepburn: Call Me Kate—(2023/Netflix)
- The Only Girl in the Orchestra—(2023/Netflix)
- Suzi Q: Suzi Quatro—(2019/Prime)
- The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
- 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here)
Laura Nyro. Following my post on Laura Nyro, I heard from music author-journalist Harvey Kubernik [photo above of Laura Nyro]:
"I knew Laura. Her mother was named Gilda. My 101 year old mother is Hilda. We had some sort of bond. Singer-songwriter Bob Crewe introduced us. Laura always said when I kvetched about the music business, 'You are so lucky not to be in it.' I've always been on the fringe and, as the years go by, she is proving to be prophetic.
"Even when she would come to Southern California to play gigs, she'd ask me to come to the sound check. In the 1990s, we discussed doing a spoken-word recording, but soon the phone calls stopped and she left the planet.
"Somehow, her debut LP, More Than a New Discovery (1967), remains my fave. The story about her being booed at the Monterey Pop Festival in '67 was a fable. Promoter Lou Adler and documentarian D.A. Pennebaker played me her full performance. It was a short set backed by Hollywood recording session musicians. Polite applause followed. The hippies attending wanted a longer segment.
"Right after Monterey Pop, Adler and actress Peggy Lipton flew to meet her about signing to Ode Records. David Geffen got there first and became her manager and devoted minder."
Hubert Laws. Following my post on flutist Hubert Laws, I heard from Lee Prout, who sent along a photo of Laws (above) with permission to use it.
Paul Desmond got together in Canada in 1975 with Ed Bickert (g), Don Thompson (b) and Jerry Fuller (d) for a concert broadcast by the CBC. Here's Desmond's Wendy [photo above of Paul Desmond, courtesy of Mosaic Records]...
I reached out to Don Thompson...
"Hi Marc. Yes, those were happy times. It's great to have this video of Paul and Ed. CBC did a lot of things like this for a long time (1950's-1990s), but it's all gone now, thanks largely to government budget cutbacks. The last time I was in a CBC studio was at least 20 years ago, and we recorded one tune.
"Thanks for your recent post on Kenny Wheeler. I hadn't heard about that recording. Kenny was a great friend for many years. We worked together in every context imaginable from duo to various small groups, a few times with the big band and on one occasion, a big studio orchestra with strings, woodwinds and three french horns. He was, in my opinion, the greatest jazz musician ever to come out of Canada. As a composer, I can't think of very many people who have written as much truly beautiful music as he did."
Something Happens to Me, by Jack Segal and Marvin Fisher, remains a wonderful song. Here are five terrific renditions:
Here's Jesse Belvin backed by an orchestra arranged by Marty Paich...
Here's Nancy Wilson with a Billy May arrangement...
Here's Blossom Dearie with a Jack Marshall arrangement...
Here's tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine...
And here's Nat King Cole with an arrangement by Nelson Riddle...
Galactic and Irma Thomas: Audience With the Queen (Tchoup-zilla). If you're up on New Orleans R&B, you know who Irma Thomas is. A contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, she never managed to cross over to the pop charts with consistent success. She was first to record Time Is on My Side, Jerry Ragovoy's song first recorded by trombonist Kai Winding in 1963 for Verve and produced by Creed Taylor. Next came Irma's rendition in 1964. Later that year, the Rolling Stones took a shot and had a massive hit. Now Irma and Galactic, a leading New Orleans funk band, have teamed up for this powerful album. It definitely has Grammy legs. Buy on vinyl, CD or download here.
Here's Irma Thomas with Galactic recording Puppet on Your String...
Johnny Iguana—At Delmark (Delmark). Chicago blues pianist and organist Johnny Iguana has been making music since age 16. A barrel-house player with great hands, he has just released a solo album. The last time I heard a piano with this much flavor I was sitting in Dr. John's living room for an interview as he illustrated the history of New Orleans piano on the keyboard. On this album are boogie-woogie and blues classics but Iguana also slipped in in Neil Young's Heart of Gold. Music that travels like a train. Buy on vinyl, CD or download here.
Here's Bass Key Boogie...
And here's an hour of Johnny...
Winther, Andersson and Watts—Steep Steps (Hobby Horse). The last time I posted about this trio was in 2024, when they released their first album, WAW. Now pianist Carl Winther, bassist Richard Andersson and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts are out with Steep Steps. This is a knockout trio with enormous sensitivity, intelligence and taste. Carl is a superb pianist, Richard's bass is in the pocket and Tain is extraordinary. The tracks feature three originals by Carl (You Know, Steep Steps and Turning Chapter), one by McCoy Tyner (Inner Glimpse) and another by Tadd Dameron (Soultrane). Give a listen on streaming platforms or listen and buy here.
Here's You Know...
Freddie Redd radio. WKCR-FM's Sid Gribetz will present a five-hour tribute to the music of pianist-composer Freddie Redd on “Jazz Profiles” this Sunday, April 27, from 2-7p.m. ET. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
Duke Ellington radio. On Tuesday, April 29, WKCR-FM will celebrate Duke Ellington's birthday with a full day of his music starting Monday night at 11:59 p.m. ET and then all day and evening on Tuesday. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, here's Rosemary Clooney and the Hi-Lo's (above) on live TV singing How About You...