In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interview painter Rick Lowe for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Rick's new solo exhibit, Meditations on Social Sculpture, just opened at New York's Gagosian Gallery in Chelsea. Inspired by dominoes and social interactions of everyday people, Rick's work is earthy, massive, colorful, textured and breathtaking. He's also a great guy. [Photo above of Rick Lowe by Brent Reaney, courtesy of Gagosian]
Below are a few of Rick's works that I snapped at his opening on Thursday...
Here's Rick on his work...
Also in the WSJ, my Opinion essay on how Black Sabbath's Vol. 4, released 50 years ago this month in 1972, paved the way for hard rock and heavy metal (go here).
SiriusXM. I'll be on SiriusXM with Nik Carter and Alan Light for an hour on Monday night at 8 p.m. (ET) on Channel 103 (Faction) or Channel 780 (Volume). I'll be talking with Nik and Alan about the importance of this album and its lasting influence.
Me, in pieces! Bret Primack last week turned the tables on me and conducted a seven-part, on-camera interview series. Thanks to Bret, a long-time and dear friend, for his insightful questions. Part 1 is up now (go here); a new part will be up each week going forward...
And don't forget to pre-order my next book, Anatomy of 55 More Songs, a large followup to my 2016 bestseller, Anatomy of a Song. Go here.
If you want to read about my other books or give a listen to the new Spotify playlist I just embedded at my book site so you can listen to the music while you read Anatomy of 55 More Songs, go here.
Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). There was something oddly parental about the Queen's death last week. Her death hit many people like the passing of a mother or grandmother. You don't fully realize how monumental someone is until that person is gone and you consider their accomplishments and legacy. Unfortunately, most of us only know the woman through characterizations in The Queen and The Crown. It seems so strange in our transparent culture that someone who was the most recognized person in the world floated through life like a statue, virtually unknown and expressionless. Be sure to read two elegantly written masterpiece obits yesterday, one by The New York Times and the other by The Washington Post, here and here.
See Marcos Valle at Birdland. If you can't make it to New York next week to catch Brazilian bossa nova legend Marcos Valle during his run at Birdland (September 13-17) see and hear him from home. Dan Podkulski emailed to let me know that Marcos's performance will be live-streamed from the club on September 15 at 9:15 p.m. (ET) for $15 at FlyMachine.com. Go here.
Phil Schaap, the late jazz-radio host on WKCR-FM in New York whose shows were notable for his wealth of granular information on jazz and jazz legends, has a newly designed site. It's clean look is loaded with his many taped shows, from his beloved Bird Flight to his birthday broadcasts. Fortunately for us, two energetic admirers of Phil—Charles Iselin and Matthew Rivera—have devoted long hours to the site's redesign and are now watching over it. The new site is here. [Photo above of Phil Schaap]
Esther Phillips. I've long loved Odyssey's 1977 recording of Native New Yorker, but I had no idea that Esther Phillips (above) covered it on a studio album. Here she is live at Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall in Hamburg in 1978 delivering a smashing cover of the disco hit....
Esther Phillips radio. Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive sent along a link to a live CTI performance by Esther Phillips in Châteauvallon, France, in 1972 here.
Bill Holman tribute. On October 19 through 23, the Los Angeles Jazz Institute will pay tribute to composer, arranger and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel at LAX airport in Los Angeles. For information, go here and scroll down, or call (909) 939-0777. Book by October 7.
For a list of the staggering number of bands performing and the swinging arrangements by Bill to be covered, go here and scroll down.
Jay Maisel's jazz and street images. Last week, Paris photographer Gilles D'Elia sent along links to 1950s jazz portraits and streets scenes by magnificent photographer Jay Maisel, whose photo of Miles Davis appears on the cover of Kind of Blue.
Maisel's jazz portraits are here.
Maisel's street scenes are here.
Claus Ogerman. Last week, saxophonist and arranger Frank Griffith in London sent along a link to arranger Claus Ogerman's scores. Go here. [Photo above of Claus Ogerman]
Creed Taylor and Joey DeFrancesco radio. Chris Cowles, host of Greasy Tracks on WRTC-FM in Hartford, Ct., recently put together a three-hour show of tracks off albums produced by the late Creed Taylor (above) and records by late organist Joey DeFrancesco. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, here's Linda Ronstadt singing Frenesi...
