This week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed Dave Grohl for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Dave, of course is guitarist and leader of Foo Fighters and the former drummer for Nirvana. He also has a new memoir out (here). This was my favorite "House Call" column of the year, with a great kicker at the end. The story of how a boy was dumped in school, had a dream, became the dream and met that same gal years later with an outcome you wouldn't expect.
Here's Dave with two of my other interview subjects, Joan Jett and Tommy James, plus Miley Cyrus, performing Crimson & Clover...
Getting closer. My next book, Rock Concert: An Oral History as Told by the Artists, Backstage Insiders, and Fans Who Were There (Grove Press), will be published in 30 days, on November 9. Here's what reviewers are saying:
“Engrossing…Starting with the emergence of R&B in the late 1940s and ending with 1985’s Live Aid benefit, [Myers] vividly recreates what went on behind the scenes, onstage, and in the crowds with intimate accounts from the people who were there… Eminently entertaining, this is sure to delight rock fans of all persuasions.” —Publishers Weekly
“A multifaceted account of the rise of the rock show from the birth of the genre until Live Aid in 1985…A revealing, absorbing book for those who keep their old ticket stubs close at hand.” —Kirkus Reviews
Pre-order for yourself or surprise that best friend who went with you to your first contest. Or delight parents who met at a rock festival or stadium concert. Or maybe it's ideal for that friend who loves music. Or those who love going to concerts but can't because of their fears of the Delta variant. No mask required. Pre-order here.
Tick, tick, tick. For those who missed the heartbreaking and amazing 60 Minutes piece on Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga, you can view the entire segment here...
Lady Gaga. Last week, I received several dozen emails on my Lady Gaga interview. Here's one from Greg Moore...
Marc, I'm glad to hear of your support for Lady Gaga. I think she has a marvelous voice. Her version of "Lush Life" in a PBS special was wonderful. There was a slightly odd quality to that special, though. Tony seemed, confused and perhaps shouldn't have been there in such a visible performance. For years, I wished that he would just retire and paint and leave his legacy intact. But the "60 Minutes" segment really changed my mind. He deserved that concert, that adulation and respect. Imagine the risk for a concert like that, 6,000 people honoring him in a performance that could have been really sad. Instead, it was glorious. Lady Gaga's comments showed she is a thoughtful and sincere artist and appreciative of working with Tony. Danny Bennett certainly would not have trusted his father to just any singer. Jazz purists need to lighten up. Lady Gaga is not a Village Vanguard-type singer, but I bet she could really pull it off if she wanted to.
Dr. Lonnie Smith. After my 10-clip tribute to the late organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, I received the following from Carl Woideck...
Marc, thanks for your post on Lonnie Smith. One of the notable things about his performances was his use of dynamics. In the festival clip I sent along below of his last group, go to 20:15—Slide Hampton’s “Frame For The Blues.” His opening pianissimo is almost too quiet for an outdoor festival. It takes confidence to start this quietly in front of a festival crowd. The same was true when I heard them play the piece at New York's Jazz Standard. The festival audience had to drop down to a whisper, if that. When the loud passages come, they really make sense. Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg is Smith’s ally here in playing minimally when called for. Here's the clip...
And this from Lorenz Rychner...
Marc, my favorite Dr. Lonnie memory: the Vail Jazz Festival in Colorado, a few years ago. Lonnie finished his set with a fierce bass solo on the organ pedals, which he played while down on his knees, pounding the bars with his fists. After his set, he came and sat right across the aisle from me, while the next group was setting up. I leaned over and told him how much we had liked his bass solo. He said, with a serious demeanor, “That stuff can kill you." He proceeded to tell me that he once took such a solo on one of those Hammonds where the stool is bolted down. He wedged himself between stool and organ and pounded away. But when he tried to extricate himself, he was stuck. As he frantically signaled to the drummer for help, the drummer took it as a cue for a drum solo, which didn't end for some time because Dr. Lonnie didn't come up from behind the stool. Someone else finally rescued him.
Dr. Lonnie Smith radio. Last week, Kim Paris at FM Radio Archive send along the following...
Marc, thanks for your spotlight on the great career and musical contributions of Dr. Lonnie Smith, he will be missed. At a tribute, I searched and found and posted a 2013 broadcast concert from Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, with the Dutch band the JazzInvaders. This was broadcast on SubLime 90.5 FM in Rotterdam. This concert is a bit different than most of his concerts, with a full horn section. Dr. Lonnie Smith toured central Europe with the JazzInvaders in May of 2013. Go here.
Movies Til Dawn is director Raymond De Felitta's podcast. Raymond's latest entry features a conversation with Adell Aldrich, the first female director of a network made-for-television movie—"Daddy I Don’t Like It Like This" (1978). It was written by and starred Burt Young. As Raymond notes, it's the story of how Aldrich came to direct it and the harrowing circumstances that led to the movie's creation. Quite a fascinating, one-of-a-kind tale. To listen, you'll find Movies Til Dawn at your favorite podcast platform. Or simply go here.
Thelonious Monk radio. Yes, it's that time of year. On October 10, WKCR-FM in New York will presents its annual Thelonious Monk Birthday Broadcast, playing his music for 24 hours. Tune in on Saturday night at midnight (ET) and listen all day and night on Sunday. To listen from anywhere in the world, go here.
And finally, here's Gene Roland's Opus in Chartreuse recorded by Stan Kenton...
