For The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed songwriter Jimmy Webb and the 5th Dimension's Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. on the writing and recording of Up, Up and Away for my "Anatomy of a Song" column (go here). How Jimmy came to write the song and the reason he wrote it are mind-blowing. And that intro Jimmy wrote, with horns arranged by Marty Paich? It was based on the intro to the Association's Along Comes Mary. Jimmy will be live-stream performing on September 17. Tickets for at-home viewing can be purchased here. [Photo above of Jimmy Webb in 1968 after winning his Grammy for writing Up, Up and Away]
Here's Up, Up and Away, a song no one I know ever turned off once it came on...
Also in the WSJ this week, I interviewed actress Amy Ryan, who is probably best known for her role as Holly Flax in The Office. She also starred in Gone Baby Gone, Win Win, Birdman and The Wire. Now she's co-starring with Michael Keaton in Worth, about the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (go here). [Photo of Amy Ryan in Park City, Utah, in 2019, by Aaron Richter, courtesy of Getty Images]
Here's the trailer for Worth...
And finally, for the WSJ's Arts in Review section, I reviewed Renee Rosnes's exceptional new album, Kinds of Love (Smoke Sessions), featuring Chris Potter on saxophones, flute and bass clarinet, bassist Christian McBride, drummer Carl Allen and percussionist Rogério Boccato (go here). I'll have a Q&A interview with Renee next week at JazzWax.
Here's In Time Like Air from Renee's new album...
SiriusXM. I even managed to squeeze in a visit last week with Nik Carter and Jeff Slate at SiriusXM to talk about Charlie Watts's passion for jazz and why Polydor neglected to issue a 50th anniversary box on Who's Next. Here's my hour on SirusXM...
Rock Concert. Live rock and pop are fighting for survival at a time when the Delta variant poses a major threat to large gatherings. Only time will tell if this winter is a repeat of last year, with most people choosing to stay home rather than go out and risk infection. My new book coming this fall—Rock Concert: An Oral History as Told by the Artists, Backstage Insiders, and Fans Who Were There (Grove Press)—looks at the rock concert's origins at the dawn of the 1950s and how it became a youth-culture rite of passage and an $8 billion industry in 2019. The 400-page book features narratives from interviews with more than 90 sources and can be pre-ordered now. To ensure you have a copy when it comes out, go here.
Ronnell Bright. Following my week-long posts on the passing of pianist and friend Ronnell Bright, I heard from Lois Bright Wilkins, Ronnell's daughter:
Hello Marc, I am the eldest of Ronnell Bright's children. On behalf of his four children, we’d like to thank you for the interviews you produced over the years. As a young 10-year-old, I recall meeting several of the jazz artists my dad worked with. During those years it was not uncommon for practice sessions to be held in our home. And sometimes in the apartments of the other trio or band members. My favorite was Nancy Wilson. Anyway, I first read your interviews in 2009. Today, I reread it with more meaning. My husband and I visited with dad and his wife, Dianne, a few days before his passing. He was quite alert, and he played the piano for me. I in turn, played "Tender Loving Care,” the piece he taught me as a little girl, for him. I will cherish those memories of my dad at 91. He had a full and fulfilling life, the desire of his heart was met. “Rest In Peace, Daddy!” and thank you for the memories. With appreciation to you, Marc for capturing the precious moments.
Charlie Watts. Following my post on the late Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones' drummer since 1963, I heard from Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive:
Marc, thanks for your article on Charlie Watts after his passing this week. In tribute to Charlie, I posted a radio documentary by Bob Harris from BBC Radio 6 that was broadcast in the early 2000's. Bob talks about Charlie's intentions to be a jazz drummer in the first of eight segments. The full documentary can be found on FM Radio Archive here.
Also, Mark Rabin just contacted me to ask me if I was interested in posting a 1981 Stones concert from Hampton, Va. This concert was the first ever Pay-Per-View event, simulcast on TV and multiple FM stations across the country. This happened during the Stones' Tattoo You tour, which was the highest-grossing concert tour that year at $50 million. You'll find it here.
Rosa Passos. Following my post on Brazilian vocalist Rosa Passos, songwriter Morgan Ames reminded me of this clip...
Here's another clip I found last week...
Karrin Allyson. If you love Karrin's lovely singing voice, you can hear it on her own online radio show, B&K Cafe, co-hosted with Bill McGlaughlin. The show airs live monthly, every third Friday at 6 p.m. (ET), on WWFM—The Classical Network. Listeners in central New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania can listen at 89.1 FM. You also can hear the show, taped, at your convenience from anywhere in the world anytime by going here. Then type Karrin's name into the site's search bar. For more on Karrin, go here.
Daryl Sherman will be at New York's Mezzrow jazz club on September 7 at 7:30 and 9 p.m. She'll be joined by tenor saxophonist Harry Allen along with bassist Boots Maleson. Catch her live if you're in town. Or stream her live by going here.
Dave Thompson, a beautiful pianist and cat, this week plays We Will Meet Again. Go here...
And finally, here's Helen Shapiro killing Gerry Goffin and Carole King's It Might as Well Rain Until September on the U.K.'s Top of the Pops in 1966...
