With the holidays fast approaching, order my new paperback edition of "Anatomy of a Song" (Grove) for your dad, mom or brothers and sisters who are nuts for jukebox hits between 1952 and 1991. Not only will they experience the stories behind the songs from the artists who wrote and recorded them, but they'll also have the history of R&B and rock over five decades. Best of all, no reading from cover to cover. Just dive in where you want. Now #1 in two Amazon categories! In the U.S., go here. In the U.K., go here.
Or perhaps family members and friends are more interested in jazz? Order my 2012 book, Why Jazz Happened, which sheds light on little-known mind-blowing reasons why jazz styles changed eight times between World War II and Watergate. Go here.
In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed all four members of 10cc for my "Anatomy of a Song" column on their hit I'm Not in Love (1975) (go here). I even tracked down Cathy Redfern, who spoke the words, "Be quiet, big boys don't cry." Here's the song...
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed the great singer Mavis Staples for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Mavis began singing with her family when her father gathered the family and had them sit in a circle on the living room floor. At her home in Chicago today, Mavis still sits on the floor whenever she rehearses. Her new album is If All I Was Was Black (Anti-). Here's her new album...
And here's Mavis at Wattstax singing Respect Yourself with Pops Staples and sister Cleotha...
And finally in the WSJ, my "Playlist" interview with Joy Mangano, inventor of the Miracle Mop and dozens of other products (go here). Her song pick was Patti LaBelle's New Attitude. Joy's new book is Inventing Joy.
Urbie Green. John Bailey sent along word that relatives of trombonist Urbie Green are trying to raise money to pay for his medical care. You'll find their GoFundMe campaign here.
Here's Urbie Green in 1957 playing Please, from Let's Face the Music and Dance, with Al Derisi, Bernie Glow, Doc Severinsen and Nick Travis (tp); Urbie Green, Billy Byers and Jack Satterfield (tb); Tom Mitchell (b-tb); Gene Quill and Hal McKusick (as); Boomie Richman (ts); Al Cohn (bar); Hank Jones (p); Milt Hinton (b) and George Wettling (d). One of Green's prettiest ballads from the man with the golden trombone tone...
Chris Connor. In 1992, at age 65, Chris Connor performed with the Bob Kaye Trio in Osaka, Japan. Her rendition of Angel Eyes here remains one of my favorites. Spare yourself the shaky camera and just listen to the audio...
Denny Zeitlin. On Dec. 8, one of my favorite pianists, Denny Zeitlin, will be performing a "Mostly Strayhorn" concert at the Piedmont Piano Company in Oakland, Calif. As Denny notes: "Although I've played some of his tunes over the years, I had never immersed myself in his work until preparing for this concert. It has been a very enriching experience. His music is broad and deep, and anticipated by many years a number of developments in jazz composition. As you know, Strayhorn remained in Ellington's shadow over the 28 years of their association, with much of his recognition coming posthumously."
Denny will be playing Day Dream, Intimacy of the Blues, Star Crossed Lovers, A Flower is a Lovesome Thing, Raincheck, Blood Count, Lotus Blossom, Johnny Come Lately, Rock Skippin' at the Blue Note, Isfahan, Upper Manhattan Medical Group and two Ellington tunes—Warm Valley and I Didn't Know About You.
Tickets are only $25, and reservations are strongly recommended. For more information about the two shows—at 8 and 10 p.m.—go here.
Wanda Stafford. Wanda had the distinction of recording with Bill Evans on a 1960 album for Roulette that eluded Evans discographies until I interviewed the singer and posted about it in 2014 here and here. Wanda will be performing at the Seahorse in Sausalito, Ca., on Dec. 12 (go here) and at the Panama Hotel on Dec. 19 in San Rafael, Ca. (go here). Call the venues for more information.
What the heck: Here's a fabulous one-minute Schaefer Beer TV ad from the 1960s. I believe the trombonist is Urbie Green...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Hard to know exactly why GE chose the visually challenged Mr. Magoo to sell light-bulbs. Based on the cover text, I suppose it was a comedy album narrated by Jim Backus, the voice of Magoo, to catch the attention of shoppers. This may help explain it, sort of...
