Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Katherine's new stand-up special, Missus, is airing on Veeps, a new streaming platform. [Photo above of Katherine Ryan courtesy of Katherine Ryan via Instagram]
Here are my opening column paragraphs, in Katherine's voice...
My parents took me to my first day in kindergarten when I was 4 but dropped me at a French-speaking school. I don’t have many memories of that age, but I recall thinking it was a prank.
Listening to the teachers and other students converse, I assumed everyone in the world spoke French except for my family and the people we knew.
The school was strict, and teachers insisted we address them only in French. Otherwise, they wouldn’t answer us. The first time I asked to use the bathroom in English, they just let me wet myself. I learned French fast.
Here's Katherine in action...
Hurry up, buy your paperback copies of Anatomy of 55 More Songs, which is really Anatomy of 58 More Songs because I added three to last year's hardback just for you. You can buy the paperback for yourself or for someone else and click send as a gift. An easy way to give a holiday present. Who doesn't love the dramatic stories behind iconic hit songs? To buy, visit the site of your favorite bookseller or go here.
What I'm watching now. Here what I streamed last week and really enjoyed (I spare you the junk). Past recommendations appear in the list below the new entries:
Veronica Mars (2004 to 2019)—I'll watch anything with Kristen Bell. This series, which ran from 2004 to 2019, focuses on Veronica, the daughter of an amicable private investigator. Veronica is in high school and quite the sleuth herself. Nonstop fun, and Bell's acting gift is a joy to watch. (Hulu) [Photo above of Kristen Bell in Veronica Mars courtesy of UPN]
The Comeback (2005 and 2014)—If you want to see how great an actress Lisa Kudrow (Friends) is, watch this. The mockumentary series is about a B-list actress who agrees to be the subject of a a reality show as she tries to land a part in a sitcom. Kudrow aces this. You'll find yourself feeling deliciously uncomfortable and simultaneously sorry for her character and appalled by what she has to go through, which is the point. At the same time, you get enormous insight into how TV shows are made and what actors have to deal with in terms of readings, egos, self-doubt, ageism and rejection. Kudrow is so good here that you forget she's playing a part. (Max)
Past recommendations...
TV series
- The Crown, Season 6—(2023; the final season's first four episodes are up now; the final six will go up December 14. (Netflix)
- Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
- Band of Brothers—(2001/Netflix)
- 1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
- 1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
- Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
- Dark Winds—(2022/AMC)
- Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
- Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
- The Diplomat—(2023/Netflix)
- Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
- Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
- Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
- The Americans—(2013-2018)/Prime)
- Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
- Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
- Downton Abbey—(2020-2015/Prime)
- Pieces of Her—(2022/Netflix)
- Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
Films
- The Night Agent (2023/Netflix)
- Last Seen Alive(2020/Netflix)
- The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017Netflix)
- Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
- Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
- The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
- The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
- Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
- Spy(les)—(2009/Prime)
- God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
- MI-5—(2015/Max)
- Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
- Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
- Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
- Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
- Nobody—(2021/Prime)
- Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
- The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2018/Prime)
- Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
- Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
- The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
- The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
- The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
- Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
- Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
Documentaries
- Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
- The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
- Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
The Legend of Bop City is a documentary written and directed by Carol P. Chamberland and released in 1998. Bop City, also known as Jimbo’s Bop City, was a vital San Francisco jazz club that operated from 1949 to 1965. The club was in the back room of a Victorian house at 1690 Post Street and was known for its late-night jam sessions. The Legend of Bop City is scarce, and few have seen all of it. Last night, Bill Kirchner sent along a clip from the film that he found on YouTube. [Photo above of Jimbo's Bop City by Phil Palmer]
Go here or watch below by clicking on "Watch on YouTube"...
The Greatness of Joe Mooney. Two of my very favorite albums are The Greatness of Joe Mooney (1964) and The Happiness of Joe Mooney (1965). Both were arranged by Mundell Lowe and both were issued by Columbia. Mooney was a blind lounge organist and accordionist and singer who began performing in the 1940s. Here's the first track on The Greatness of Joe Mooney. Ignore the cover on the YouTube clip. The person who put this up mixed up Mooney's two Columbia albums...
Oscar Peterson. Kelly Peterson, Oscar Peterson's widow, is president and general manager of Regal Recordings and the producer of Two Lions Records and the Oscar Peterson International Jazz Festival. How did Oscar and Kelly meet? Ernestine Scalfani, author of Balls: How to Keep Your Relationship Alive When You Live With a Sports-Obsessed Guy (here), shared a touching piece via the following link here. [Photo above of Kelly and Oscar Peterson, courtesy of Kelly Peterson]
Deadline music. This past week I was cranking out WSJ columns and essays in advance of the holidays. To create a calm zone, here's what I had on in the background. It actually popped on by accident and I let it play for an hour or so. Thought you'd want it, too, even though you'll eventually realize it's just varying renditions of Jingle Bells. The holiday version of "white noise." [Sleigh Ride painting above by Linda Mears]
Jerome Sabbagh—Vintage (Sunnyside). Born in Paris in 1973, Jerome Sabbagh is a saxophonist who now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. His new album, Vintage, is a collection of originals and jazz standards. Jerome's tone on tenor and soprano saxophones is assertive and tender, drawing you in. Piano legend Kenny Barron must have heard the same qualities and more, since he's on the keyboard, with bassist Joe Martin and drummer Jonathan Blake. Best of all, Jerome gave Barron plenty of solo space, making this album particularly special. The tracks are Jerome's Vintage, Tadd Dameron's On a Misty Night, Billy Strayhorn's A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing, Jerome's Elson's Energy and Slay the Giant, and Thelonious Monk's We See and Ask Me Now. Jerome brings sensitivity and intelligence to his playing and composing, and with Barron, Vintage has enormous maturity and grace. Spring for the vinyl if you can. Jerome is an audiophile, and meticulously oversaw the mastering and production. For more on Jerome, go here. You'll find Vintage (Sunnyside) on CD and download here and vinyl here.
Here's the title track...
Jazz Nativity. This year, Kindred Spirits & Aunahil is producing Bending Towards the Light—A Jazz Nativity in New York on December 18 at 8 p.m. The performance stars Chris Brubeck, Maurice Chestnut and Bobby Sanabria as the Three Kings. You can view the performance two different ways:
- Live at St. Paul and St. Andrew – United Methodist Church, at 263 W 86th St in Manhattan.
- Live-streaming from home.
Original music was written by Anne Phillips and is combined with well-known carols. The performance is directed by Beth Ann Kennedy. For tickets and information, go here.
Bill Crow. Legendary bassist Bill Crow (above) writes for Allegro, the e-newsletter published by the American Federation of Musicians Local 802. His columns are a must-read. You'll find this month's column and plenty more in the archives here.
Donald Byrd radio. WKCR-FM in New York will feature a 24-hour tribute to trumpeter Donald Byrd on December 9 (ET). Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
Jean Knight (1943-2023). In tribute to the late R&B singer, here's Mr. Big Stuff, her biggest hit in 1971...
