Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). She appears in the new season of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones, and her latest Netflix stand-up special is Hot Forever. She's currently on her Hard Feelings world stand-up tour. [Photo above of Iliza Shlesinger courtesy of FX]
Here's Iliza in action...
Count Basie. After my week of posts on Count Basie, Larry Pluth sent along a clip with Basie and the Mills Brothers (above) singing April in Paris...
Frank Sinatra. Joe Lang last week sent along a clip of Frank Sinatra in the studio during the recording of It Was a Very Good Year, in 1965...
Gary David on Flip Nuñez. Last week, I heard from Gary David of the Sound of Feeling (here and here) with a great story about San Francisco pianist Flip Nuñez (above). I last posted about him in 2017:
Marc, I stumbled on your post on Flip Nuñez. In the early 1960s, Flip and I were very close. We hung out in San Francisco and played together. He is one of the most memorable and admirable human beings I ever met. I have some recordings of his trio from a gig in Sacramento that show what he did more than his records.
A Flip story from around 1961: I was playing with a trio at The Dragon Lady in North Beach, San Francisco. Sometimes after hours, I would wander over to Jimbo's Bop City. It was open from 2 to 6 a.m. The music was a jam. Anyone could sit in if they dared. Flip was on piano. I was sitting there listening, which became increasingly difficult. At the next table, this guy was harassing two young women. I was distracted by what he was doing. Finally, I told him, "Man, why don't you leave them alone. Quit bothering them."
He came over to me and said, "OK, I'll bother you, instead. Let's go outside if you want to do something about it." He was a big guy, and like a fool, I followed him and his friend out to the front of the club. We stood there face to face when, out of nowhere came Flip's stocky body. He stood between us facing the big guy.
Early in his life, Flip had done some pro boxing, and he was built like a little tank. He told the guy, "If you want to get to my friend, you're gonna have to go through me. He's a piano player, and I don't want him to hurt his hands. The big guy looked at Flip and me and then turned around and left.
Photos from Quincy Jones. Larry Pluth told me about photos that Quincy Jones was sharing on his Facebook page. The one above included these words from Quincy...
I recently came across this photo & thought I'd share it with y'awl in honor of the Grammys! Man, what an absolutely unforgettable moment. This was the night I won my first award for my arrangement of "I Can't Stop Loving You" with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1963, which was also the same year a young 21 year old singer named Barbra Streisand won her first Grammy ("The Barbra Streisand Album"). Here we are with fellow winners Jack Jones ("Wives & Lovers"), Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé ("Go Away Little Girl"), Tony Bennett ("I Left My Heart in San Francisco") and Count Basie.
I've added two more from his page...
Photo above of Quincy Jones at the piano.
Photo above, from left, Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Quincy Jones.
The Bix Centennial All Stars—Celebrating Bix! (Turtle Bay). Out now is a reissue of a 2003 Bix Beiderbecke tribute album that has been expanded to two CDs. The original 2003 release could only fit one CD's worth of music. The collective personnel of all-star musicians are Jon-Erik Kellso, Randy Reinhart and Randy Sandke (cornet); Dan Barrett (trombone and cornet); Harvey Tibbs (trombone); Dan Levinson (clarinet, alto and C-melody saxophones); Jack Stuckey (clarinet and alto saxophone); Dick Hyman (piano on Clementine); Mark Shane (piano); Howard Alden and Matt Munisteri (guitar); Greg Cohen (bass); Vince Giordano (bass and bass saxophone); Joe Ascione (drums); James Langton and Barbara Rosene (vocals); the Manhattan Rhythm Kings (Marc Kessler, Brian Nalepka and Hal Shane on vocals). There are 22 tracks and all neatly honor the cornetist, who died August 6, 1931. Go here for the album.
Here's Singin' the Blues...
FM Radio Archive's live on-air performances are free to hear. Hours of music from the FM Radio Archive along with notes were sent along by Kim Paris based on my recent posts:
The Allman Brothers played a live show at San Francisco's Cow Palace on New Year's Eve just months after Brothers and Sisters was released that year. Go here.
Jon Hendricks played a New Years show in 1982 in New York with his band Jon Hendricks & Company. This NPR recording from WBEZ is courtesy of Mark Rabin. Go here.
Charlie Parker was celebrated on the 25th anniversary of his death at the 1980 Chicago Jazz Festival. Also from WBEZ and Mark Rabin. Go here.
Count Basie played at the 1980 Chicago Jazz Festival, and his lead vocalist, Joe Williams, appeared separately at that show. Both recordings are from WBEZ and Mark Rabin. Go here.
Harry "Sweets" Edison and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis played a set together at the 1981 Chicago Jazz Festival. This recording is also from WBEZ and Mark Rabin's music collection. Go here.
Sonny Rollins radio. On Thursday, September 7, New York's WKCR-FM will present a birthday broadcast of the tenor saxophonist's recordings for 24 hours (ET), starting at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday night. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, here's Sammy Davis Jr.'s recording of Love Is All Around, the Mary Tyler Moore Show's TV theme...
