Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed actor Dermot Mulroney for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Dermot co-starred in My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Family Stone and August: Osage County. He currently stars in the film Scream VI. He also grew up loving the cello and still plays the instrument and records today. Quite the contrast from the characters he plays in action and horror films. [Photo above of Dermot Mulroney courtesy of Marvel Cinematic Universe]
Also in the WSJ, my monthly Opinion essay on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month (go here).
Mark Murphy. Following my two-part post on singer Mark Murphy here and here, I heard from pianist Larry Dunlap:
Marc, I worked with Mark quite a bit and did one recording with him—"September Ballads"—that I co-produced, arranged and played piano on. Here is a link to one cut, "Crystal Silence." It features Larry Coryell on the guitar solo. Also Oscar Castro Neves on acoustic guitar. A wonderful recording. Go here...
More Mark Murphy. After my post, I also received a lovely email from vocalist Tessa Souter, who knew Mark well and passed along a tribute she wrote in 2015 after he died. Go here.
Lee Morgan. I couldn't get these tracks by trumpeter Lee Morgan out of my head last week, so now I'm putting them in yours:
Here's Heavy Dipper from The Cooker (1958), with Morgan (tp), Pepper Adams (bs), Bobby Timmons (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d)...
Here's Peckin' Time (1959), with Hank Mobley (ts), Morgan (tp), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Charlie Persip (d)...
And here's Speedball, from The Gigolo (1968), with Morgan (tp), Wayne Shorter (ts), Harold Mabern (p), Bob Cranshaw (b) and Billy Higgins...
Carl Saunders. Following my post of a brilliant Carl Saunders clip last week, Bill Kirchner sent along the following...
Marc, in 2012, Brazilian musician-composer Ivan Lins sent me this message, along with a YouTube link to a Carl Saunders’ recording of Lins’s “Love Dance”:
"Dear Bill, Do you know this version of my song 'Love Dance’? I cry all the time when I listen. Please, play it everyday to make your audience cry, too. Please! Love, Ivan.”
It’s perhaps the ultimate tribute by a composer to a performer.
To listen (and cry), go here...
Details from Bill: The track is on Bebop Big Band. The song was composed by Ivan Lins and was arranged by Larry Dominello (1952-2003). Carl solos on trumpet (1942-2023). The band: Carl Saunders, Frank Szabo, Bobby Shew, Ron Stout, Bob Summers and Scott Englebright (tp); Charley Loper, Andy Martin, Bob McChesney and Sam Cernuto (tb); Pete Brockman (b-tb); Lanny Morgan and Brian Scanlon (as); Jerry Pinter and Doug Webb (ts); Bob Efford (bar); Christian Jacob (p); Kevin Axt (b) and Santo Savino (d). Recorded at Capitol Records in Hollywood, on December16 & 17, 1999.
FM Radio Archive. Kim Paris sent along another batch of live recordings that aired originally over the radio:
- Mark Murphy was featured on a KJAZ's "See's Sunday Night"; shared by Mark Rabin. Go here.
- Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello were featured together in a 1998 TNT TV broadcast and on my Melting Pot radio show tribute to Burt Bacharach. Go here.
- Hampton Hawes performed in a 1976 concert at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, a performance that was broadcast on KJAZ. Go here.
- Miles Davis is featured in two concerts from later in his career, in Austria in 1984 (with Chick Corea) and in Chicago in 1990. Go here.
- Wes Montgomery appeared in two, half-hour sets on Jim Wilkes's weekly jazz program on KING FM in Seattle in 1966. Go here.
And finally, here's Sonny Stitt playing his original Miss Ann, Lisa Sue and Sadie, from his Goin' Down Slow album in 1972, featuring Stitt (as), Hank Jones (p), Billy Butler and Wally Richardson (g), George Duvivier (b), Idris Muhammad (d), Buddy Caldwell (cga,bells), + strings, Billy VerPlanck (arr,cond)...
