Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed stand-up comedian Erica Rhodes for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). Erica's comedy knocks me out. Her act, unlike many today, is largely clean, and her sense of humor and her delivery are impossibly masterful and effortless. [Photo above of Erica Rhodes, courtesy of Erica Rhodes]
Here's Erica in action...
Also in the WSJ last week, I wrote about Bad Company's self-titled first album released in 1974 for my Album@50 column in the Arts in Review section (go here). Bad Company had a hard-rock formula that worked: play loud, make the lyrics easy to understand and mix it up with gospel, pop, soul and country. They also had one of the best rock vocalists in the business in Paul Rodgers. It's music that's perfect for a long road trip.
Here's Can't Get Enough...
Killing Eve (2018-2022)—Just finished the series. Easily the best TV series I've screened this year. Bleak, comedic British spy thriller starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, who is one of today's finest actresses. (Netflix)
Here's the trailer to Season 4...
Ruthless (2023)—Action-thriller film starring Dermot Mulroney. He plays Harry, a high school wrestling coach who protects a young girl named Catia who is being abused at home. His protection soon attracts the attention of a dangerous human trafficking ring. Junk but a good boy-action movie. (Hulu)
Here's the trailer...
This weekend, I'll be watching the upcoming season of Emily in Paris and the fall limited series The Penguin.
Previously watched and recommended...
TV series
- The Affair—(2014-2019/Hulu)
- Alaska Daily—(2022/Prime)
- The Americans—(2013-2018)/Prime)
- Anatomy of a Scandal—(2022/Netflix)
- Apples Never Fall—2024/Peacock)
- Band of Brothers—(2001/Netflix)
- The Bay (2019-current/BritBox)
- Belgravia—(2020/Prime Video)
- Blue Lights—(2023/BritBox)
- Bosch—(2014-2021/Prime)
- Bosch: Legacy—(2022-current/Prime)
- The Crown—(2016-2023/Netflix)
- Cherif—(2013-2019/Prime)
- Dark Winds—(2022/AMC)
- The Diplomat—(2023/Netflix)
- Downton Abbey—(2020-2015/Prime)
- Feud (S1): Bette and Joan—(2017/Hulu)
- Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans—(2024/FX, with streaming on Hulu)
- Fisk—(2021/Netflix)
- The Gentlemen—(2024/Netflix)
- Godless—(2017/Netflix)
- Goliath—(2016-2021/Prime)
- The Gilded Age—(current/Max)
- High Water—(2022/Netflix)
- Homeland—(2011-2020/Showtime)
- Jane Eyre—(2006/Britbox)
- Justified—(2010-2015/Hulu)
- Life & Beth—(Seasons 1& 2, 2022-present/Hulu)
- Lincoln Lawyer—(2022-present/Netflix)
- Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
- MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
- Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
- Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
- 1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
- 1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
- Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
- Pieces of Her—(2022/Netflix)
- Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
- Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
- Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
- Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
- Turn: Washington's Spies—(2014-2017/Prime)
- Unbelievable—(2019/Netflix)
- Under the Banner of Heave—(2022/Hulu)
- Veronica Mars—(2004 to 2019/Hulu)
- The Watcher—(2022/Netflix)
- The Way Home—(2023-current/Peacock)
- Who Is Erin Carter—(2023/Netflix)
- The Woman in the Wall—(2024/Showtime)
- The Veil—(2024/Hulu-FX)
- WPC 56—(2013-2015/Britbox)
- Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
Films
- The Accountant—(2016/Hulu)
- American Gangster—(2007/Max).
- Armageddon Time—(2022/Prime)
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—(2018/Netflix)
- The Ballad of Lefty Brown—(2017/Netflix)
- Blackout (2022/Netflix)
- The Bricklayer—(2024/Netflix)
- The Commuter (2018/Netflix)
- The Dig—(2021/Netflix)
- Eiffel—(2021/Prime)
- Enola Holmes 1 and 2—(2022/Netflix)
- The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
- Fury—(2014/Netflix)
- God's Country—(2022/Hulu)
- Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
- Jack Reacher (the movie)—(2012/Paramount+)
- Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
- Knight and Day—(2010/Roku)
- Last Night in Soho—(2021/Prime)
- Last Seen Alive—(2020/Netflix)
- The Little Things—(2021/Netflix)
- Man on Fire—(2004/Max)
- Manchester by the Sea—(2016/Prime Video)
- MI-5—(2015/Max)
- The Mule—(2018/Netflix)
- The Night Agent—(2023/Netflix)
- Nobody—(2021/Prime)
- Ordinary Angels—(2024)
- Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
- The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
- Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
- Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
- The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix)
- Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
- Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
- Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
- The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
- Spy(les)—(2009/Prime)
- The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
- Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
- The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
- Wonder Wheel—(2017/Prime)
Documentaries
- Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake—(2022/Netflix)
- The Beach Boys—(2024/Disney)
- Carole King: Live in Central Park—(2023/PBS)
- The Comeback—(2005 and 2014/Max)
- Cunk on Earth—(2022/Netflix)
- Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing—(2023/Paramount+)
- Facing Nolan—(2022/Netflix)
- Five Came Back—(2017/Netflix)
- Kate Hepburn: Call Me Kate—(2023/Netflix)
- The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
- 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here
Nils Lindberg. Last week, following my post on Nils Lindberg, I heard from Bruce Klauber on one of the tracks I provided [photo above of Charlie Ventura]:
Hi Marc. Hope all is well. FYI, loved those recordings by Nils, and it's great to hear anything by baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin. I especially dug "Birdland," but I was wracking my brain to remember where I'd heard it before. I found the recording, and guess who did it? Charlie Ventura with Jackie Cain and Roy Kral. Ventura couldn't help but play to the gallery. Anyway, I continue to read, follow and enjoy.
Here's Nils Lindberg's Birdland...
And here's Birdland by Charlie Ventura...
Nutville. Following my post last weekend that included a couple of clips of Buddy Rich, I heard from Bill Kirchner, who identified the soloists on Nutville. [Photo above of Buddy Rich, courtesy of Drummerworld]
Writes Bill: The soloists are Lew Tabackin on tenor saxophone, Conte Candoli on trumpet and Ross Tompkins on piano. Note that at 0:39, Rich looks at the bass player and exclaims, “Oh look who that is!” That’s because bassist Joel DiBartolo was a former member of Rich’s band.
Here's the clip again...
Bill also included these clips of Joel DiBartolo:
Here's DiBartolo on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson...
Here's an interview with DiBartolo...
Seeing the Beatles. Last week, following my post about a 1985 documentary on the British Invasion, I heard from my cousin, Mark Dischell. In case you missed my last post with Mark on vocal harmony groups, go here:
Marc, I saw the Beatles on August 30, 1964 in Atlantic City after the Democratic convention and before my first week of college. I couldn’t get tickets and prevailed upon my dad to get them. He did. Cost me around ten bucks or so each, but I was taking my new girlfriend.
We ate at the new McDonald’s and got to Convention Hall really early. Crazy. She was bedecked in Beatles regalia. I was appalled. My musical tastes ran otherwise. The opening acts were great: Bill Black Combo, Jackie DeShannon and the Righteous Brothers. They sang "Little Latin Lupe Lu." Jackie D. did her hits, and Bill Black was good, too. I don’t remember what he played.
The. Beatles came out and brought pandemonium. Our seats were on the floor, fifth row. I thought I would hear everything. I heard nothing. Maybe a few snatches of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Girls screaming, including mine, and rushing the stage. It was scary.
There she was, my flame from Pittsburgh, a summer server at Steel Pier, yelling for Ringo and not one of the others. I didn’t care. Anticipating later, she could have yelled for Hitler. Sixty years since, I realize it was a high point for me—- being 18 in tumultuous 1964, still having optimism and my mojo working.
Like everyone, I wonder if the Beatles would have excellently evolved had they stayed together for many more years, like the Stones or the great Kinks.
A memorable evening even with her yelling for Ringo. A small price to pay. I went off to college the next week. She was in her last year of high school. I was crazy about her and saw her a lot during my first year.
The next summer, I ran my Dad’s parking lot across from Tony Mart’s (a famous underage drinking institution in Somers Point). I had the keys to the store and enjoyed too much of a good thing. She didn’t like it and we broke up.
Now she lives on the West Coast and successfully does what she does. Sometimes I Google her to see if she’s OK or look in my yearbook to see if I am. Her name was Sherry, and yes, the Four Seasons single was our song. I still have the 45.
That Girl! Here's Marlo Thomas on set in New York in 1966, with Henry Mancini's Breakfast at Tiffany's Theme as background.
Sondheim and Company. Late last year, I posted a documentary by D.A. Pennebaker on the making of the Company soundtrack album. Here's a clip of Stephen Sondheim rehearsing Jane Whittenshaw (above) and other members of the cast in London on Getting Married Today from Company. Whittenshaw's execution is stunning, and dig her breath control. Go here...
Quincy Jones. Following my post last week on Quincy Jones's Funk Junction, Bill Kirchner noted another early Quincy gem. It’s Tuma, played by Clark Terry. As far as we know, this is the only recording of the song. [Photo above of Quincy Jones] Go here...
Louis Armstrong radio. WKCR-FM in New York will present it's annual "Louis Armstrong Birthday Broadcast" on July 4, playing Pops's music for 24 hours. Tune in from anywhere in the world by going here.
And finally, here are three by Candi Staton...
Here's Young Hearts Run Free...
Here's Nights on Broadway...
And here's Victim...