Over the past two weeks, I interviewed actresses Andrea Martin (above, left) and Uzo Aduba for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal (go here and here).
Andrea co-stars in Season 3 of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. Here's her standing-ovation, Tony-winning performance of No Time at All in the 2013 Broadway revival of Pippin...
And here's Uzo in the spectacular new Netflix limited series Painkiller...
Miles Davis break. Here's Miles Ahead in May 1953 with Miles Davis (tp), John Lewis (p), Percy Heath (b) and Max Roach (d) from the album Blue Haze...
Lucy Yeghiazaryan. Last week I heard from Brett Gold...
Marc, a couple of years ago you hipped me to Lucy Yeghiazaryan. She's now my favorite contemporary jazz singer, and I was lucky enough to see her a couple of months ago at the Hudson Jazz Festival.
If readers haven't seen these, they might enjoy. Lucy posted several YouTube videos called "Cookies and I Sing," in which she talks about various topics while icing cookies, and then sings a song or two in her apartment. I have never seen such artistic cookies, and the process of her icing them is, oddly, hypnotic and relaxing:
Here's episode #1...
Here's episode #2...
And here's episode #3...
To read my interview with Lucy, go here.
The Chess Project: New Moves (Czyz Records). Marshall Chess is the son of Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess Records. Chess, of course, was the label that first recorded many of Chicago's best electric blues players in the 1950s and early rock 'n' rollers such as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. Now Marshall has teamed up with his son, Jamar, and Keith LeBlanc to co-produce an album of updated cover versions of eleven original Chess blues recordings. The tracks are Boom Boom Out Go the Lights, Moanin’ at Midnight, Nine Below Zero, So Glad I’m Living, Tell Me, Booted, Mother Earth, Goin Down Slow, High Temperature, Smokestack Lightning and Help Me. The personnel on the album includes vocalist Bernard Fowler, guitarists Skip McDonald and Eric Gales, drummer and keyboardist LeBlanc among others. You'll find the album at Spotify and YouTube and for download or stream here.
Here's a promo for the album...
Here's Boom Boom Out Go the Lights...
Here's Little Walter's original, for context...
Pianist Joe Alterman has two albums out—Big Mo and Little Joe, on which Joe plays the music of Les McCann, and Solo Joe: Songs You Know. McCann, a soul-jazz pioneer who began recording in 1960. Joe became friends with McCann and the new album is a tribute to the keyboardist-composer. The tracks are Gone On And Get That Church, Someday We'll Meet Again, Could Be, The Stragler, Beaux J. Poo Boo, Samia, Ruby Jubilation, It's You, Dorene Don't Cry, Big Jim and Don't Forget to Love Yourself. Joe is joined by Kevin Smith on bass and Justin Chesarek on drums. The solo album features Shenandoah, Just The Way You Are, You've Got A Friend In Me, Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, Your Song, Alone Again Naturally, Heal The World, Nowhere Man, How Deep Is Your Love?, If I Keep My Heart Out Of Sight, The Long And Winding Road, Uncle John's Band, You've Got A Friend, Lean On Me and America The Beautiful.
You'll find Big Mo and Little Joe here and Solo Joe here.
Here's Gone On and Get That Church...
Chet Baker. Lee Constable sent along this YouTube post of the trumpeter playing Zingaro at the Bussola Club near Pietrasanta, Italy. Go here (below, click on the "Watch on YouTube" link in the embedded box)...
Leny Andrade, one of Brazil's finest singers and performers, died on July 24 in Rio de Janeiro at age 80. I last posted about her here. Alex Williams wrote a superb obit for The New York Times here.
Dave Thompson. Here's pianist Dave Thompson playing But Not for Me...
The Django Festival Allstars are on the road again in November. If they're nearby, go see them. They're a must dig. They have a magical way of filling everyone in the audience with pure joy. Pat Philips of Stratta Philips Productions, the group's producer, sent along the tour schedule....
November
- 10: Royal Conservatory, Toronto, Canada
- 11: Palais Montclalm, Quebec, Canada
- 12: Barrington Stage, Pittsfield, Mass.
- 13: Workshop, Barrington Stage, Mass.
- 14-19: Birdland in New York*
- 20: Van to Westport, Conn - Rest Day
- 21: MoCA Museum of Contemporary Art, Westport
- 24-26: San Francisco Jazz Festival
- 27: Kuumbwa, Santa Cruz, Calif.
- 30: Lycee Francais de Los Angeles/ Kabazz Theatre, LA
(Roger Kellaway - Guest)
December
- 2-3: Berney Theatre, Rady Jewish Community Center, Winnipeg
*Special guests at Birdland in November...
- 14: Anat Cohen
- 15: Edmar Casraneda
- 16: Ken Peplowski
- 17: Randy Brecker
- 18: Madeleine Peyroux at 8:30
- 19: Houston Person
Bobby Eli (1946-2023), one of the finest soul arranger-composers and record producers in Philadelphia in the 1970s, died on August 17. He was 77. Bobby was instrumental in launching Blue Magic in 1974 and founding and playing guitar in the Philadelphia studio band that became known as MFSB. I remember an evening with Bobby and Tom Moulton back in 2013 when the Cooler Than Ice: Arctic Records box was released. He was a wonderful cat. An obit can be found here. [Photo above of Bobby Eli]
Here's Blue Magic singing Sideshow in 1974, a song co-written by Bobby and Vinny Barrett, with Bobby on guitar and Norm Harris producing, remixing and arranging. Vince Montana is on vibes and Don Renaldo and his Strings and Horns are on here, too...
Here's another co-written by Bobby and Barrett...
And finally, this is why I love Eliane Elias. Lucy is her granddaughter. Go here.