In The Wall Street Journal last week, I interviewed standup comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Sebastian co-wrote and co-stars in the comedy film About My Father, with Robert De Niro, and has multiple Netflix comedy specials. [Photo above of Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, courtesy of Lionsgate/Everett Collection]
Here's Sebastian in action...
Here's Sebastian in The Irishman (2019)...
Here's Sebastian in Green Book (2018)...
And here he is with Robert De Niro promoting About My Father (2023)...
Also in the WSJ, the subject of my monthly Arts in Review essay on an album celebrating a 50th anniversary that changed music history looked at Harry Nilsson's A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night (go here). It wasn't the first American songbook album by a rock-era artist (that honor belongs to Ringo Starr and his jaunty Sentimental Journey in 1970).
But Nilsson's in 1973 was the first by a rock-era singer that took the American songbook seriously. He brought in Gordon Jenkins to arrange and sang with an earnestness and warmth that paid deep respect to the genre. In the process, the album launched a major trend that continues to this day.
Among the artists who recorded successful songbook albums early on are Willie Nelson's Stardust in 1978, Carly Simon’s Torch in 1981, Linda Ronstadt’s three albums arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle (1983-86) and Rod Stewart’s five albums (2002-10). The list also includes Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Natalie Cole, Bryan Ferry and Bob Dylan, who released three.
Here's a televised concert of Nilsson performing A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, with Gordon Jenkins conducting, in March 1973 on the BBC. It was taped at CTS Studios, Wembley, at the BBC Television Theatre, to be broadcast that June when the album was released…
Dr. John. Following my post last week on Dr. John, the New Orleans pianist, Mark Rabin sent along the following.:
Hi, Marc. You mentioned Slim Gaillard in your Dr. John post. I had the good fortune to spend a few hours with him in Chicago around 1980. My girlfriend and I attended his Sunday afternoon show at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase. Slim put on exactly the kind of show you mentioned. He was all over the stage playing various instruments, improvising and joking with the audience. He was obviously very talented, but it was more about the fun than the music.
After the show, Slim was chatting with a woman who was sitting with us. We all wound up going out for drinks and dinner at a local Greek restaurant. Slim was talking and joking in Greek with the restaurant staff and telling stories of living in Crete making shoes when he was in his late teens. It was an entertaining evening.
Eliane Elias. Last week, pianist Dave Thompson sent along a link to the following video of pianist Eliane Elias in 1991, with Jay Randall Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums. Go here or click "Watch on YouTube" in the embedded screen below...
Live radio. Last week, Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive sent along links to the following live radio broadcasts that tie into my recent posts. The narrative below is from Kim:
Thelonious Monk played what is said to be his final concert broadcast in 1975 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. Monk's health had declined, but George Wein coaxed him into playing this performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, broadcast on WBGO. Go here.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's induction concert in 1995 was featured in a three-hour broadcast on HBO. FM Radio Archive has the audio recording for this concert. The all-star event featured some of the Hall of Fame's first inductees, such as Chuck Berry and Aretha Franklin. Go here.
Steely Dan has four broadcast recordings in the archive, including two 1974 broadcasts, one each from KMET and the BBC. The SFX Radio Network broadcast a 2000 live special featuring tracks from their album Two Against Nature, and VH1 featured Steely Dan on Storytellers in 2001. Go here.
Tina Turner was featured in a live television broadcast from Amsterdam on the FilmNet network in 1996 during her Wildest Dreams tour. The audio for this concert was recently added to the archive. The late, great Queen of Rock & Roll performed 21 songs during this set. Go here.
Count Basie is featured in a 2008 episode of NPR's Jazz Profiles hosted by Nancy Wilson. Also, she was in concert with Joe Williams at the 1981 Chicago Jazz Festival, also broadcast on NPR. The Basie Alumni Band played at that festival, led by Earle Warren. Go here.
Dr. John played at Ultrasonic Studios in Hempstead, N.Y., on November 6, 1973, on a broadcast by Long Island's WLIR-FM. This set includes songs from that period in his career and an interview. Go here.
Erroll Garner radio. The ever-elegant and singular pianist will be celebrated in a 24-hour broadcast by WKCR-FM in New York on Thursday (June 15). His music will be played all day and evening starting at 11:59 on Wednesday. To listen from anywhere in the world, go here.
And finally, here's a taste of Garner playing It's the Talk of the Town in 1951...
