In The Wall Street Journal this week, my latest "Anatomy of a Song" column interview was with Steve Miller on his 1976 hit, "Fly Like an Eagle" (go here). The song was originally written in 1973 at a string of Holiday Inns on the road in response to the despair Steve observed at tour stops. In '73, American ground troops were returning home from Vietnam to a recession, and people were living on the streets.
Originally, the song was about the despair of Native Americans following the standoff of Wounded Knee in March '73. Steve later widened it, changing the word "reservation" to "revolution." He also used an ealry Roland RH-2000 synthesizer to create the song's spacey sound effects. In the 1960s, Steve was a Freedom Rider. Who knew? [Photo above of Steve Miller working on his album ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ in Novato, Calif., in 1975 courtesy of Steve Miller]
Here's Steve performing the song on Jimmy Falon in October...
Also in the WSJ, my "House Call" interview for the Mansion section with Michael Zegen (go here). On the Amazon Prime series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, he plays the estranged husband of Midge Maisel. Season 3 just went up online. [Photo above of Michael Zegen by Axel Dupeux for The Wall Street Journal]
Here's the trailer...
Stan Getz. In 1960, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz returned from Europe after living there for two years. Back in America, he recorded Focus for Verve producer Creed Taylor in July 1961. The arrangements were by by Eddie Sauter. I had no idea there was tape from a TV show featuring Getz playing the album's title track with Sauter conducting. Last week I found this clip from 1963 at Loren Schoenberg's Facebook page...
Artie Shaw. Above is one of the only photographs I've seen of Artie Shaw in his Navy uniform in the States, in 1942. He's pictured with Betty Kern, the daughter of songwriter Jerome Kern, and their son Steven. Shaw and Kern married in 1942. She was the fourth of eight wives, but they would divorce the following year. Steven died in 2017.
Larry Dunlap 1. Following my post last week on pianist Larry Dunlap, photographer Jessica Levant sent along the wonderful double exposure of Larry with Amandio Cabral. Larry has championed Cabral for years and recorded albums of his compositions.
Chuck Israels on Larry Dunlap. Last week I received the following from bassist Chuck Israels...
Larry Dunlap does extensive and exemplary work for Chuck Sher — publishing well-researched and edited fakebooks. So when I ran into Larry and Chuck at a jazz educator’s convention and Larry asked for a chance to look over the manuscript for my arranging book, I was glad to give him a copy. Then I forgot about it. A few weeks later, Larry sent the copy back with a seemingly endless list of meticulous corrections. I can’t imagine how much time and attention he must have given to the proofreading—or what I might have had to pay for the application of that level of expertise.
There were so many things I had missed—things that were apparent to Larry that I had overlooked in my enthusiasm and naiveté. Reading Larry’s corrections made it clear that fixing them was essential to the success of the material, and I was extraordinarily grateful for his unexpected generosity in doing all that unasked for work. I don’t believe I was able to tell Larry how much I appreciated his help, but please let him know.
My wife, Margot, and I lived in the Bay Area for five years when she was singing with the San Francisco Opera. I had a chance to hear Larry a few times and to appreciate not only his playing but also the fact that he had the wisdom to hire Donald Bailey to play with him. I’ve had the enormous good fortune to have played with at least a dozen exceptional drummers. But the under-sung and under-recorded Donald Bailey played the drums in ways that were uniquely magical and beyond my powers of verbal description. Larry Dunlap was smart enough to recognize Donald’s qualities and provide him a chance to play.
Larry Dunlap 3. Also last week, Danny Drabec sent along the following email:
Hi Marc, noting that you often enjoy unknown but talented locals, check out one of Larry's good pals and another Bay Area jazz player, Eddie Pasternak on guitar with Joel Evans on flute. Here's a link to the medleyAparecida/Zingaro...
Evans & Russ. Following my post last week on songwriters Joel Evans and Adryan Russ, Les Johnston in Australia sent along a link to YouTube, where Joel and Adryan have uploaded their entire album, Changing My Tune. Go here...
Al Cohn and Ben Webster. Danilo Morandi in Switzerland sent along the following terrific clips on Al Cohn and Ben Webster:
Here's Al Cohn...
And here's Ben Webster...
Maci Miller has a new vocal album out backed only by David O'Rourke's guitar. Here's the title track, Round Midnight. A fascinating all-in, late-night rendition delivered with chops. Dig those close-out notes...
Denny Zeitlin will be performing solo piano in Oakland on Friday, December 13 at the Piedmont Piano Co. If you're in town, go. Denny is intoxicating live. He'll be exploring the Richard Rodgers songbook. I see the 8 p.m. show is sold out. Tickets are still available for the 10 p.m. set. Admission is $25. To purchase tickets online, go here. Or call (510) 547-8188.
Here's Denny in 1967 playing Rodgers's Spring Is Here solo...
Looking for a jazz LP? Give Original Vinyl Records a call in Warwick, N.Y. Owner Jim Eigo is a jazz heavy hitter and a serious jazz collector. He'd be happy to take your call on the weekends to see if they have what you're looking for: (845) 987-3131 or (917) 755-8960. Or just email the store: [email protected]. He'll let you know if he has the albums or when he might get it in.
What the heck: Here's Marcos Valle a few weeks ago in Tokyo at the Good Music Parlor. He was with Kiko Continentino (keyboards,piano), Alex Malheiros (bass), Ivan Conti (percussion) and his wife, singer Patricia Alvi. Not heard on this song, Jessé Sadoc (tp,flh). (Marcos, when are you back at Birdland? Hi to Patricia.)
Here's Marcos backing Emilio Santiago singing Entardecendo by Marcos and João Donato in 2009. Sheer beauty...
And here's the song on the album Os Bossa Nova, with Marcos, Donato and Roberto Menescal...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Something tells me this album could be blank and this guy would be roaring with laughter when the needle hit the vinyl. Brings new meaning to saloon songs.
