In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed supermodel Gisele Bundchen for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section on her childhood in Brazil (go here). She talked about growing up with five sisters who remain best friends today. Her parents certainly did something right. Gisele was discovered by a model scout at a Brazilian mall when she was 14. The rest is history.
While I was interviewing Gisele, I asked her for two Brazilian album recommendations. Here's Tribalistas (2002)...
And here's Maria Gadú (2009)...
Black Jazz. Following my post last week on Doug and Jean Carn and the Black Jazz label of the early 1970s, I heard from Klaus Kilian in Frankfurt, Germany:
"Hi Marc, P-Vine in Japan released a nice box set with all 20 CDs in 2009, I bought it directly from the label and it appears still to be in print." [Editor's note: Go here to view; then email P-Vine here for cost, shipping, etc.: [email protected].
Randy Brecker. Following my post on J.J. Johnson's Broadway Express, with trumpeter Ernie Royal, I received the following email from Randy Brecker:
"Hey Marc. Enjoyed your recent post about Mundell Lowe and J.J. Johnson's Broadway Express. I stumbled upon this pic (above) in my photo collection of Ernie Royal and me doing a session. I couldn't help but think what he must have really thought of me at the time, with my hippie long hair, etc. He was such an unheralded jazz player. That album of his, Accent on Trumpet, was literally the first time I heard him improvise after doing so many sessions with him as a 'lead player' in New York. It's such a great record.
"It also was the first time I really heard guitarist George Barnes, too, although I'd heard about him for years knowing his daughter Zan. Happy New Year and thanks from all of us ol' jazzers who love the site and what you do!!"
Miles Davis. Milan Simich sent along a clip of Miles Davis on the Dick Cavett Show in 1986. While Dick keeps his cool and remains natural, one can feel him tensing up. For some reason, he felt Davis might have been putting him on when in fact Davis makes perfect sense to me. Here's the video...
Jerry, Burt and Norman. Last week, following the death of lyricist Norman Gimbel, Jim Eigo of Jazz Promo Services sent along a video clip of Merv Griffin hosting the TV game show Play Your Hunch in 1958. The episode featured Jerry Leiber, Burt Bacharach and Gimbel...
Lucas Gillan's Many Blessings—Chit-Chatting With Herbie (JeruJazz Records) Pianist Herbie Nichols's music was complex and thrilling. Drummer Lucas Gillan has taken on Nichols's compositions in a tribute album that retains all of the truth and mystery of the artist. His arrangements are wing-spreading approaches. The quartet features Quentin Coaxum on trumpet, Jim Schram on tenor saxophone, Daniel Thatcher on bass and Gillan on drums. Nine of the 10 compositions are by Nichols, with the last, Mine, by Gershwin. To listen to samples and purchase a download or CD, go here.
Leslie Pintchik, the marvelously sensitive and seductive jazz pianist, recently shared a 10-track playlist with Jazzed. Her latest album is You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl! For her playlist, go here.
Stan Kenton. On a Tuesday in 1955, Stan Kenton and the band hosted a CBS TV show broadcast from New York called Music '55. He was a summer replacement. Special guests included Lena Horne, Frankie Laine and Vincente Gomez. The union prohibited him from using his own orchestra, so Johnny Richards put together an orchestra from New York talent. Kenton lasted 10 weeks at the helm before CBS shuttered the show for a lack of interest. Here's Music '55...
What the heck: Heard last week at a superb Italian restaurant in Toronto called Giulietta—Yvonne Baker's (above) You Didn't Say a Word (1966)...
Oddball album cover of the week.
If you're not a fan of butter, this cover will surely gross you out. Strange that there's no popcorn in sight, just drowning bandmembers.