This week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed Otto Penzler, mystery-fiction editor and owner of New York's Mysterious Bookshop, for my "House Call" column in the paper's Mansion section (go here). Penzler's childhood was quite harrowing. In the late 1930s, his mother married a German who was here illegally. The couple then moved to Nazi Germany. Otto was born in 1942. His mother, an American, was trapped there after the start of World War II, and his father was killed on the Eastern front sweeping for mines. Otto, his mother and his younger brother survived the war, miraculously, and wound up in America, only to suffer other household terrors.
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed author Rebecca Skloot for my "Playlist" column in the Review section (go here). Rebecca is the author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and she talks about why Coldplay's Don't Panic helps her overcome her fear of flying.
A few words on Glen Campbell. The singer-guitarist died on August 8 of Alzheimer's at 81. Most people probably are unaware that they were listening to Campbell for years. His guitar turns up on hundreds of pop rock, country and pop-vocal recordings, including You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night, hits by the Monkees, the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and many more. Before he became a congenial solo artist, actor and TV personality, Campbell was part of Los Angeles' Wrecking Crew, an unofficial group of studio musicians who recorded many of the singles and albums made there in the city's studios in the 1960s. The artists often weren't good enough to get it right fast, and the band of studio musicians were highly creative and came up with a wide range of radio-worthy hooks and arrangements. Many of Campbell's biggest hits as a solo act were written by Jimmy Webb, helping country music cross over to pop not as syrupy rural music but songs eager to touch all listeners from all parts of the country. Here's one of my favorite Campbell recordings, Southern Nights, by Allen Toussaint (to read my interview with the late songwriter, go here)...
And here's Wichita Lineman (the introduction was done on a Fender bass, not a Gibson guitar)...
Yusef Lateef. Here's a clip from Michael O'Daniel of the Cannonball Adderley Sextet in Switzerland in 1963, featuring Yusef Lateef (oboe), Joe Zawinul (p), Sam Jones (b) and Louis Hayes (d)...
Doc Severinsen was interviewed by Peter Sokolowski at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in April 2016. To listen to the podcast, go here. [Photo above courtesy of Summit Records]
From the Facebook page of Scott A. Silbert, a photo, from left, of Al Cohn, Jack Kerouac and Zoot Sims.
What the heck. Generally, I'm not big on videos of cats smoking pipes, dogs driving trucks or birds conducting symphony orchestras. But this one I couldn't resist...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Judging by the cover, this album was vinyl's answer to Popeye's can of spinach. I don't know about you, but songs like Bells of Evening fills me with moxie every time. And is it me, or is our meek climber mistakenly standing atop a pile of Hefty leaf bags?
