In The Wall Street Journal this week, my Arts in Review essay on ZZ Top's Rio Grande Mud re-evaluates the band's second studio album released 50 years ago in April (go here). Long overlooked and often overshadowed by Tres Hombres, the band's third album, Rio Grande Mud actually established the trio's winning boogie-rock sound. That's right, a trio. An astonishing album, considering ZZ Top was just three musicians playing a stampede of rock guitar, bass and drums.
Here's Just Got Paid. Again, just three guys wailing here...
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed Matchbox Twenty's lead singer and songwriter Rob Thomas for my "House Call" column on the desperate times he went through as a child before escaping poverty and homelessness through music (go here).
Here's Rob's 3 a.m. with Matchbox Twenty...
Horace Silver. Following my post on seven color YouTube videos featuring pianist Horace Silver, I heard from Don Frese...
Marc, thanks for the Horace Silver videos at the 1964 Antibes Jazz Festival. Though not colorized or in color, this clip of "Pretty Eyes" is my favorite from the live set...
Bix Beiderbecke. Exciting news from director Brigitte Berman. Her astounding 1981 documentary, Bix: Ain't None of Them Play Like Him Yet, on the life and music of Bix Beiderbecke, will be released on DVD in the U.S. and Canada on June 7. Readers may recall my October 2021 posts on the documentary (here) and my interview with Brigitte that followed (here). This film is among my favorite jazz documentaries of all time.
Pre-order the Bix DVD at Amazon here.
Here's Bix with Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra in 1927...
Laurie Verchomin, who had a romantic relationship with pianist Bill Evans in the last two years of his life and is the namesake of the Evans composition, Laurie, alerted me last week that my JazzWax interview with her was published by Jazz Tokyo. Months ago the publication asked if it could reprint it. I granted permission. Go here.
Pops and Duke. Last week I heard from Bill Pauluh...
Marc, what a treasure to the world Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington were. This videotape clip of Armstrong and Ellington on the "Ed Sullivan Show" playing "In a Mellow Tone" in 1961 says it all. If only more people today knew of them. Go here...
Tammy Burdett, the bassist, songwriter and singer I interviewed last month, sent along a video of harmonicist-vocalist Paul Green with Duncan Stiitt (p), Gene Holmes (g), Jacke Wood (d) and Les Merrihew (d) in Tucson, Ariz., in 2018. Go here...
And finally, here are the Crusaders, with Randy Crawford on vocal, performing Street Life in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1980...