Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed Kwame Onwuachi, chef and proprietor of Tatiana, a restaurant in David Geffen Hall at New York's Lincoln Center and the toughest reservation to get in the city (go here). Kwame specializes in his own Afro-Caribbean cuisine based on dishes he ate as a child and in Nigeria, where he spent two years growing up. I'm eating out in New York since the 1970s, and Kwame easily serves the most exciting and flavorful food I've ever eaten in the city. My meals at Tatiana have even surpassed a five-hour dinner at Per Se. Truly stunning. I've dined at Tatiana twice (on my dime) and plan to go back as soon as possible. [Photo above of Kwame Onwuachi courtesy of Top Chef]
Here's Kwame...
On TV. Last week, Chris Welch, anchor of Fox 5 New York, had me on The Noon to talk about my new paperback, Anatomy of 55 More Songs. Chris is a wonderful, gracious host who brings a gentle, easy-going quality to news broadcasting. Quite a change-up from most anchors, who constantly feel on edge. Here's our live studio chat...
Perfect for the holidays. There's still time to buy friends and family a copy of my new paperback, Anatomy of 55 More Songs, which includes three new additions, bringing the actual total to 58 hits. Go here.
More Concorde. Following my post on the rise and fall of British Airways' and Air France's supersonic Concorde, many readers emailed recollections of the passenger jet that flew twice the speed of sound. Since then, I've found a wonderful four-part documentary on the Concorde that is even more poetic and detailed. Here are the four parts...
Here's Part 1...
Here's Part 2...
Here's Part 3...
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And here's Part 4...
Edy Forey—The Fire. In advance of their album Culture Today, due April 5, vocalist Edy Szewy and pianist Guilhem Forey have just released their first single, The Fire. The two artists, known as Edy Forey, are based in Edinburgh. Scotland, and their style is a mash of R&B and jazz. Guilhem's electric piano takes me back to the 1970s and Edy's vocal is fresh. I'm looking forward to hearing the album. You'll find the single here.
Here they are performing The Fire a month ago...
Deodato. Of course, after listening to Guilhem's piano, I had a hankering for Eumir Deodato. Here's Deodato (rear) 13 years ago playing bass and harmony on an electric piano with Riccardo Dalli Cardillo on the Fender Rhodes. They're playing Deodato's For Carly and Carole. Go here,,,
Money for music. If you're a jazz recording artist and you want your music heard and get paid when it's used commercially, I may have a solution for you. Ina Dittke, of Ina Dittke & Associates, a major music management agency, has joined forces with a music supervisor in Los Angeles to launch Sync Agency, a one-stop jazz collective specializing in jazz and jazz-related music. Ina mentioned that Mike Barone is one of the artists in this new collective. Learn more by going here. [Photo above of Ina Dittke with the late James Moody]
Donald Byrd radio. A 24-hour tribute to trumpeter Donald Byrd will air on WKCR-FM in New York all day Saturday, December 9. You can listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
Barry Harris radio. WKCR-FM will also present a 24-hour broadcast honoring pianist Barry Harris next Friday, December 15. You can listen from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, here's DJ Dimitri of Paris (above, courtesy of BandsInTown) with a fabulous remix of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' The Love I Lost, featuring Teddy Pendergrass on lead vocal. Dig drummer Earl Young's one-two, one-two-three beat...
