My holiday gift to you. I can feel many of you under the proverbial tree waiting patiently for me to show up so you can open your present. So what is the gift I promised last week? All of the links in the "JazzWax Interviews" section of the right-hand column are now working. I'll pause momentarily for the "Yeahs!" to subside. I had to take down many of my posts to resolve a technical issue earlier this year. Re-posting them took a lot longer than I expected. Over the past two months, I made time each week and set pre-Christmas weekend as my goal. Mission accomplished. Now you can read all of my 276 JazzWax interviews. As for other posts in the JazzWax archives, little by little. They are all being restored and reposted. I assumed you wanted the JazzWax Interviews first. Happy Holidays and happy free reading!
Me on NPR. Last week, I was on Steve Kraske's Up to Date NPR radio show on KCUR Kansas City. Hosting that day was Danie Alexander. You can hear our conversation and the songs we discussed by going here.
In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed Wanda Jackson for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Wanda is the first female rockabilly singer-songwriter. Elvis Presley taught her how to play rock 'n' roll in his bedroom during a break in their 1955 tour together. After that lesson, Wanda took to it quick.
Here's Wanda singing Real Cool in the late 1950s, with Joe Maphis on guitar...
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed novelist Amor Towles on Jackson Browne's Running on Empty for my "Playlist" column in the Review Section (go here). Amor worked in a restaurant kitchen on Martha's Vinyard when he was 13 doing the dishes. The chef insisted on listening to all of Side A of Running on Empty 10 times in a row before doing the same with Side B. [Photo courtesy of Amor Towles]
Here's Jackson Browne's Running on Empty...
Santa Monica digs Anatomy of a Song. Last week, Jon sent along a photo that Nancy in Los Angeles snapped at the Diesel bookstore in Santa Monica. Nancy reports that the manager said the book is "very popular." I love Santa Monica. If you see the book at stores or at airports near you, snap and send for a shout-out.
The Washington Post's obit of guitarist-arranger Mundell Lowe used parts of my JazzWax interview with Mundy. Hats off to WashPo writer Matt Schudel for a superb tribute piece (go here).
A few more great holiday songs to get you through the holiday weekend:
Here's Richard Barone singing I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, from A New York Holiday, an album he produced last year...
Here's Diana Panton singing Christmas Time Is Here from her album Christmas Kiss...
Here's pianist Gap Mangione's killer arrangement of Serenata from his rare Family Holidays album (2004), with monster solos by Andy Weinzler (ts), Jeff Jarvis (tp), Pat LaBarbera (ts) and Gap (p)...
And here's the ever-charming and talented Frances Madden singing Santa Baby...
Two fab films were sent to me last week by by writer and dear friend Michael Simmons. The first is Robert Tilton's Jazz Dance, 1954...
The second is Jack O'Connell's dramatic film, The Greenwich Village Story (1963)...
Pianist Joe Alterman gave a superb Ted Talk recently (go here). Love how he engaged the audience, held their attention and performed for them...
Singer Marlene VerPlanck will be at New York's Kitano on Saturday, December 30. She'll be joined by Allan Farnham on piano and Jay Leonhart on bass, with special guest saxophonist Don Braden. Two shows, at 8 and 10 p.m. Reservations: (212) 885-7119. For more information, go here.
Pianist Roger Kellaway will be at New York's Mezzrow on Friday, January 5, with bassist Jay Leonhart and guitarist Roni Ben-Hur. Two shows at 8 and 9:30 p.m. To reserve and for more information, go here.
What the heck. Here's Shirley Bassey at the Royal Variety Performance in 1961, singing I'm Shooting High and As Long As He Needs Me. Dame Shirley was just one of a zillion stars who appeared that night (as you'll see at the end). The youth culture hadn't exploded yet in London. It was still another century...
Oddball album cover of the week...
Not quite certain what the tie-in was between cured meats and the Noël, but the cover gave me plenty to work with in terms of song selections: The Nitrates Before Christmas, Salty the Snowman, I Saw Mommy Curing Santa Claus, Deck the Halls With Links of Knackwurst and Jingle Bell Bock.
