In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed the comedian Michelle Buteau for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Michelle has a wonderful Netflix standup special and a new book out, Survival of the Thickest. We talked about her life growing up in three different towns in New Jersey and her struggles to fit in. A professor in college actually told her she was too fat to be on television. She wound up in New York at NBC News as a producer and then, after 9/11, decided to try standup after years of people telling her how funny she was. And now she's on TV and her professor isn't. [Photo above of Michelle Buteau by Gijs van der Most, courtesy of Michelle Buteau]
Here's the trailer for her Netflix special, "Welcome to Buteaupia"...
Lucky Thompson. Following my post on tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson, I received the following from Phil Coady:
Hey Marc, thanks for your post. I’m always inspired hearing Lucky's recordings. I spent time with Lucky before his death, which I wrote about (go here). Recently I’ve been casually looking more at his association with boxer Archie Moore, which is fascinating (go here). I’m working now with the Van Gelder Studio on live concerts. We did our first in November. For more information, go here.
I’ll keep you posted on our next one in the coming months. Once again, cool post on Lucky’s ballads!
Sari Schorr just posted a video for her song Turn the Radio On, from her album, Never Say Never...
For my interview with Sari, go here.
Rufus Reid. Arranger Marty Sheller sent along a link to bassist Rufus Reid's Regal Patience, which he wrote and arranged. Here, he's leading the WDR Big Band in Germany, where he was a guest educator.
Buddy Rich and Jerry Lewis. While much of Lewis's comedy no longer holds up, this video clip does and, with Rich along for the ride, the result is a riot. Here's Buddy and Jerry...
Speaking of Buddy, Here's Channel One Suite in 1968. The live video renditions just don't measure up to the live album version on Mercy, Mercy, with a superb tenor saxophone solo by Don Menza. Fabulous breath control...
CDs you should know about:
Lucy Yeghiazaryan—Blue Heaven (Cellar). I came across Lucy quite by accident. Actually I heard her voice on Facebook before I saw her clip or her album. But as soon as her voice hit my ear, I knew she had spent hours listening hard to the greats of the 1950s. Released in 2019, this album features Lucy singing 11 standards, including Ronnell Bright's Sweet Pumpkin and and a sterling a cappella rendition of Love Isn't Everything. Her intonation is spot on, and her phrasing is hip and coy. There are traces of Dakota Staton and Thelma Gracen, but Lucy's approach is all her own, with an unabashed love of female jazz swingers and torch singers from an earlier time. Lucy is backed by a terrific quartet—guitarist Greg Ruggiero, tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart, bassist Daniel Duke and drummer Steve Williams. A gorgeous voice and remarkable style. Go here.
Here's Lucy singing Thou Swell...
And here's Lucy singing Nobody Else But Me...
Doug MacDonald—Toluca Lake Jazz (DMAC). The guitarist courageously just released an album with just himself and bassist Harvey Newmark, and boy was that a great move. Not easy to carry the show on guitar. You really have to know how to lead and fill the space with grace, swing and rich chords. MacDonald is all about taste. The duo covers standards and a batch of originals. MacDonald has an engaging style that is both hushed and assertive, working through songs like The Little Boat, Baubles Bangles and Beads and Easy Living. Newmark does double duty here, laying down thick bass lines but also filling in for the drums by keeping strong time. A delicious sound that shows off MacDonald's ears for great solo guitarists. These two must be wonderful live. Go here.
Here's MacDonald and Newmark playing Roberto Menescal's The Little Boat (O Barquinho)...
And finally, here's Pearl Bailey, one of America's greatest entertainers, singing Hal David and Burt Bacharach's Whoever You Are, I Love You...
