In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed Oscar-winning composer and keyboardist Jon Batiste, bandleader on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and a recording artist whose new album is We Are (Verve) (go here). Jon spoke about his childhood in and around New Orleans as well as his first pre-teen band with relatives. They transcribed and performed the music found on favorite videogames. [Photo above of Jon Batiste courtesy of Twitter]
Here are all of the tracks from his new album:
SiriusXM. If you missed me on SiriusXM's Feedback last week with Nik and Lori, here's the complete show we did on Al Stewart's Year of the Cat...
Red Garland. In the wake of my post last week on The Red Garland Trio and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, I heard from Rob Fletcher:
Hey Marc, thanks for spotlighting this album, it is a wonderful one! For those interested who don't want to spend $100 on a CD, you can find it in a European box of seven Red Garland albums for about $40 at Amazon here. Or at eBay or Discogs.com. The only drawback is it doesn’t have the "M-Squad" bonus track you included in your post. Go here.
George Coleman. Last week I heard from Duane McClain:
Hi Marc, I just came across this clip on YouTube—the George Coleman Octet at the Camden Jazz Festival in 1981. It was posted less than a month ago. It's wonderful. "Isn't She Lovely" from the same concert has been on YouTube for a while, but this includes that and much more. What terrific musicians. Go here...
Billy Eckstine. Last week, after my post on vocalist Billy Eckstine, I heard from Phil Dorsey, who owns the BocX, a streaming soul, jazz and fusion station. Or, as the e-station puts it, "Danceable, jazzy, funky, soulful, electronic chill-out music." Phil wrote: "I inherited this picture [above] of my dad, Phil Sr., with Billy Eckstine. I don't know where the photo was taken or when."
Music to their ears. Last week, I found the following clip on the Facebook page of Robert McKeon:
During the pandemic, the animals in a zoo in Germany were depressed and never left their dens. Nobody went there anymore, neither children nor adults. The zoo remained empty. So the zookeeper called a pianist to play for them. The pianist composed this piece specifically for the animals. Here's what happened:
CD you should know about.
Harold Danko—Spring Garden (SteepleChase). Pianist Harold Danko has played with virtually everyone, including the Woody Herman and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis bands and as a sideman with Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker and Lee Konitz. On his latest album, recorded in 2019, he's backed by tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. The album features a collection of 10 originals by Harold. Each has a different level of intensity, and many have roots in European classical music. Stravinsky and Bartok are inspirations while there are folk and pagan touches as well as the blues. A richly rewarding album with intricate, gentle layers that compel you to listen and think. Go here.
Here's the album's Spring Winds...
Dodo Marmarosa radio. On Sunday, May 2, from 2 to 7 p.m. (ET), WKCR-FM's Sid Gribetz will present a five-hour radio broadcast spotlighting pianist Dodo Marmarosa. If you're unfamiliar with Marmarosa, don't miss it. You can tune in from anywhere in the world by going here.
The Supremes 2. Immediately after Diana Ross left the Supremes in January 1970 to start her solo career, she was replaced by Jean Terrell, who joined existing members Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. The new trio's first hit was Up the Ladder to the Roof. Released in February, it climbed to #10 on Billboard's pop chart. Here they are, on the Ed Sullivan Show, singing the song...
And finally, I sheepishly must admit I'm a car guy. If you're a Ferrari fan, dig Dan Neil's car column in this weekend's WSJ on the new Ferrari Roma (here). It's one of the most beautifully designed cars on the market today (take a breath, it's $300,000 fully loaded). The proportioned shark-like exterior and the undulating sensuality of the sculptured interior are breathtaking. If you want to know more and take a ride in one (virtually), go here...