This week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed Howie Mandel for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Howie talked at length about his childhood passion for TV's Candid Camera as well as his ongoing battles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. An open and touching conversation. Howie started out as a frenetic standup comedian and then landed roles in movies and TV, including St. Elsewhere. Now he's back on TV in the new Deal or No Deal game show on CNBC. What I find fascinating is how a hyperactive brain can snap into sharp focus when in front of the camera. If you watch Howie on TV—on talk shows or on Deal or No Deal—his delivery is flawless. He thinks in unbroken ribbons of thought without having to stop and think. Howie said he doesn't know why his thought process works that way, but it does. He may be a fast thinker but he's also really, really funny. When the interview was over, my face hurt from laughing.
Here's Howie on Ellen in 2014...
And here's Howie on Ellen a couple of weeks ago...
SiriusXM. Last Thursday, I was on SiriusXM's Feedback (ch. 106) with Nik Cohen and Lori Majewski to talk about the history of the saloon song and Frank Sinatra's perfect recording of Angel Eyes on Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (1958), now out from Capitol/UMe in a first-time stereo mix and original mono. If you missed the show, go here.
Speaking of Sinatra, director Raymond De Felitta sent along a link to a post at his blog, Movies 'til Dawn, featuring a video interview he conducted with Harlan Ellison, who died in June. The video is an outtake from Raymond's 2006 documentary, Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris. In the clip, Ellison tells a good Sinatra story. Go here.
Dave McKenna. Following my post on Dave McKenna, Tom Shaker sent along this email:
"Hi Marc. Just wanted to let you know how thrilled I was to read your recent post about Woonsocket, R.I.’s own Dave McKenna. My (co-written) book, A Treasury of Rhode Island Jazz & Swing Musicians (available here) has a nice little anecdote about the late pianist along with his biography. The 2000 photo above features Dave with another Woonsocket native, the wonderful cabaret singer-pianist Daryl Sherman."
Tessa Souter radio. The singer will be interviewed and showcased on Sunday, December 9, at noon (EDT) on WBGO-FM in New York. She'll be interviewed by Michael Bourne on his Singers Unlimited show. Tessa also will sing three songs live. You can listen from anywhere in the world on your phone or computer by going here.
Les McCann radio. Chris "King" Cowles hosted a four-hour tribute to pianist Les McCann on December 1 that included an interview with McCann. You can listen to a Soundcloud of Chris's Greasy Tracks show an hour at a time on WRTC-FM in Hartford, Conn., here.
New Year's Eve. Singer JaRon Eames (above) is opening the parlor space of his home on Manhattan's Upper East Side on New Year's Eve to entertain and feed guests. There will be live jazz and dinner—BBQ chicken, red beans and rice, hot-buttered cornbread, creole rice, Louisiana seafood gumbo, green salad, wine, Champagne and dessert. The tab is $50. The evening starts at 9 p.m. and runs until 1a.m. For more information and reservations, email JaRon directly at [email protected]. Here's a view of JaRon's parlor...
What the heck. Here's flugelhornist Art Farmer and guitarist Jim Hall in 1964...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Late hours? How about dawn. The milk bottles and paper have already been delivered (left, front). What's more, our female model seems about to keel over or she's just really done with her date. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, the most beautiful girl in the world. Got it. Listen, if I don't go in there and get some sleep, I'm gonna drop right here."
