In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed actress Helen Hunt for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Helen, of course, co-starred on Mad About You, a wildly successful sitcom in the 1990s. She is so closely identified with that show that many may forget she won an Oscar for Best Actress in As Good As It Gets, opposite Jack Nicholson, in 1997. [Photo above of Helen Hunt courtesy of Helen Hunt at Twitter]
Here's Helen and Jack Nicholson in the movie...
David Crosby has a new album coming, For Free, that includes Rodriguez for a Night, a song that Donald Fagen wrote for him. Take note Steely Dan fans. Here's the song, with fascinating results...
The Poll Winners. Bruce Forman, John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise enough money to put out an album that pays tribute to their mentors and their original instruments. Their mentors are guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne, and the album they love is The Poll Winners, released in 1957. You'll find Bruce Forman's Kickstarter video and a fast way to donate here.
Quincy Jones. After my post last week on Quincy Jones's big band of 1960 and a French video, I received the following from Claude Neuman:
Hi Marc, You’ve most probably read the book, but just in case, chapter 11 of Phil Woods’ autobiography "Life in E Flat" is an account of his time in Europe with the "Free and Easy" company and Quincy’s band.
Thomas Jefferson was a New Orleans trumpeter few jazz fans know much about. Janina sent along an email last week with recollecitons:
Hello Marc, I had the privilege of meeting Thomas Jefferson in the summer of 1975. I took a hiatus from college that year and lived in New Orleans from January until the end of August, when I returned to school. Mr. Jefferson and his jazz orchestra performed six nights a week at Maison Bourbon, which stood on the northwest corner of Bourbon and St Peter streets.
Back then, I lived with my boyfriend, later to become my husband, in a third-floor walkup apartment on St. Peter between Royal and Bourbon. What a block! From our back fire-escape, we could sit and listen to incredible music. On that one block between Royal and Bourbon was the Preservation Hall, Pat O’Briens bar and Maison Bourbon with Thomas Jefferson.
Across the street from Preservation Hall was Johnny White’s Bar and Grille. In the front was an illegal money card game going all hours. Its doors to the street were always open so local police could keep an eye on the game and make sure no one tried to rip off the "pot." In the back were tables for food and drinks.
Mr. Jefferson would come in occasionally and was always happy to share his table and conversation. He was well spoken and impeccably dressed. He talked about growing up in New Orleans and playing in funeral processions as a young boy. He said he even played with Louis Armstrong at funerals. And he always spoke about his wife and what a wonderful woman she was. Here's his bio.
Here's Jefferson and His Dixieland All Stars in 1974 playing If I Could Be With You...
And here's Jefferson in 1975...
McCoy Tyner and Bobby Hutcherson. After my concert video post last week featuring these two great artists, I received the following from Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive [Photo above of Bobby Hutcherson by Francis Wolff (c)Mosaic Images]:
Marc, Your readers may be interested in the audio of two later performances. First is the McCoy Tyner Trio with special guests Gary Bartz and Bill Frisell at Jazz Open Stuttgart in July 2009, broadcast on German TV station SWR BW. You'll find it here.
Second is the Bobby Hutcherson Quartet at JazzBaltica in Kiel, Germany, on the Baltic Sea, broadcast on German public TV channel 3sat in 2007. This performance includes an interview with Bobby. You'll find it here.
Color photography in 1923? That's right. Photographer Gilles D'Elia in Paris told me all about it:
Dear Marc, I recently discovered photographer Jules Gervais-Courtellemont quite by chance. His color images are the result of a primitive screen-plate process called Autochrome, invented in 1903 by France's Lumière brothers! Learn more about the process here. Check out his breathtaking color photos:
Jazz in July is held each year at 92Y, one of New York's oldest and most prominent cultural institutions. This year, you can experience the concerts two ways—live in the seats of 92Y's theater or via livestream online, which you also can view for up to 72 hours after the performance.
On July 20, you can see singer Kurt Elling perform with pianist Bill Charlap, alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist David Wong and drummer Carl Allen. On July 27, you can see singer Dianne Reeves with the Bill Charlap Trio. For more information and tickets, go here.
Shirley Scott radio. This Sunday (June 27), from 2 to 7 p.m. (ET), Sid Gribetz will present a five-hour radio broadcast celebrating the career of jazz organist Shirley Scott on WKCR-FM's “Jazz Profiles.” Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, in April, Classic Hits uploaded a video of one of the greatest ballad hits of the 1960s, the Righteous Brothers performing You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. Here it is...
Think you've got the chops to sing like Bill Medley? Give it a try. Here's what Bill heard in his headphones when producer Phil Spector recorded him and Bobby Hatfield singing in October 1964 (if you need the words, go here)...