Billy Bob, Nancy and Lou

For The Wall Street Journal last week, I interviewed actor Billy Bob Thornton for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). Billy Bob grew up poor. The saving grace, he said, was that his parents were literate in an area of Arkansas where that was a rarity. His life changed the day he was catering and director Billy Wilder told him he was too ugly to be a lead actor and too pretty to be a character actor. Wilder's advice that followed changed Billy Bob's life. [Photo above of Billy Bob Thornton courtesy of Paramount+]

Billy Bob currently stars in what I consider to be the series of the year—Landman. It begins on Sunday on Paramount+. Here's an extended trailer...

What I'm Watching Now

My favorite streaming TV series, ranked...

1. Babylon Berlin
2. My Brilliant Friend
3. Killing Eve
4. The Crown
5. The Americans
6. Band of Brothers
7. Landman
8. Feud: Bette and Joan
9. Downton Abbey
10. The Blacklist
11. Goliath
12. The Gentlemen
13. Turn: Washington's Spies
14. Unbelievable
15. Justified
16. Voiceless (Bella da morire (2020/MHz)

Just viewed and highly recommended...

The Blacklist (2013-2023)—Yep, still pushing along, in between watching what's coming in the first months of 2025. Winding down Season 6 of 10 and still hooked on this spy-thriller series. James Spader is fantastic as the man who knows where the bad guys are and, in action-packed scenes, does away with them with an FBI task force. Lots of other subplots going on throughout. An attention-holder. (Netflix)

Watched in advance and recommended, plus start dates...

• Landman S1 (Nov. 17/Paramount+)
• Interior Chinatown S1 (Nov. 19/Hulu)
• A Man on the Inside S1 (Nov. 21/Netflix)
• No Good Deed S1 (Dec. 12/Netflix)
  
• American Primeval S1 (Jan. 9/Netflix)

Worth watching...

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)
• Babylon Berlin (2017-2024/MHz via Prime Video)
• Band of Brothers—(2001/Netflix) 
• The Bay (2019-current/BritBox)
• The Blacklist (2013-2023/Netflix)
• 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-present/Netflix)
• Downton Abbey—(2020-2015/Prime)
• Emily in Paris—(2020-present/Netflix)
• 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)
• Killing Eve—(2018-2022/Netflix)
• 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)
• My Brilliant Friend—(2018-current)
• 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)
• Voiceless (Bella da morire—(2020/MHz)
• 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)
• Wilder—(2017-current)
• 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)
• The Great Lillian Hall—(2024/Max)
• Fury—(2014/Netflix)
• God's Country—(2022/Hulu
• Guy Ritchie's The Covenant—(2023/Prime)
• I Used to Be Funny (2023/Netflix)
• 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)
• Lonely Planet—(2024)/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)
• Nobody Wants This—(2024/Netflix)
• Ordinary Angels—(2024)
• Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
• The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
• Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
• Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
• Ruthless—(2023/Hulu)
• The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix)
• Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
• Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
• Some Girl(s)—(2013/Amazon Prime)
• Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
• The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
• Spy(ies)—(2009/Prime)
• The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
• Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
• The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
• Up in the Air—(2009/Max)
• 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)
• Jane Fonda in Five Acts—(2024/Max)
• Kate Hepburn: Call Me Kate—(2023/Netflix)
• Suzi Q: Suzi Quatro—(2019/Prime)
• The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
• 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here

Nancy Wilson. For Once in My Life was most famously a hit for Stevie Wonder in 1967. Written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, the song was first recorded by Connie Haines in 1965. Yep, that Connie Haines. What she was doing at Motown is beyond me. What I do know is that the 45 was never released [photo above of Nancy Wilson]. Go here...

For my money, the best version of the song after Stevie's was by Nancy Wilson. Here she is on the Carol Burnett Show...

Bud Powell. Last week, I heard from Peter Pullman, author of Wail: The Life of Bud Powell (2012), on his recent BBC radio appearance:

Dear Marc. BBC Radio 3 just devoted a week to honor bepop pianist and composer Bud Powell. I was interviewed by the BBC's Kate Molleson. To listen, go here.

Larry McKenna, a beloved Philadelphia tenor saxophonist, died last year on November 20 at age 86. Here's an hour-long tribute by Melissa Gilstrap, Larry's friend and songwriting collaborator [photo above of Larry McKenna by Melissa Gilstrap]. A special thanks to Danilo Morandi. Be sure to click on the "Watch on YouTube" link in the embedded clip below...

Mitch Miller. Ever wonder why so many kids and musicians in the 1960s and '70s rebelled against older authority figures? For one, the draft during the mindless Vietnam War angered and alienated young adults. For another, the civil rights movement was battling against practices that disgusted many in the youth culture. And finally, pop music for mainstream adults back then was truly awful. A change had to come.

Back then, there seemed to be a dreadful variety-show special on TV each night of the week. On FM radio, the Beautiful Music easy-listening format dominated the 50-plus adult format. And square, bland artists like Lawrence Welk lingered on TV way too long. Perhaps the oddest and worst of these creaky pop offerings was Mitch Miller and his singalong shows.

His TV special from January 10, 1981 is a case in point. Once you watch it, especially the rendition of If I Had a Hammer at 24:45 (a must view), you'll see and hear everything you need to know about why rock and soul triumphed among the younger set. Go here...

Buck Clayton. Here's Buck Clayton's arrangement of Robbins' Nest in 1953 with an all-star band: Buck Clayton and Joe Newman (tp); Urbie Green and Henderson Chambers (tb); Lem Davis (as); Julian Dash (ts); Charles Fowlkes (bs); Freddie Green (g); Sir Charles Thompson (p), Walter Page (b) and Jo Jones (d) [photo above of Buck Clayton]...

And here's The Hucklebuck...

The Eagles. Here are the Eagles playing Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther's New Kid in Town in 1977...

Wings. Here's Paul McCartney and Wings recording the title track for what was arguably their best album, Band on the Run, at EMI Studios in London in 1974...

Chicago. Here's the best Chicago cover band, from Russia no less—Leonid & Friends, recording Beginnings...

Lou Donaldson. Here's an hour of Lou in France in 2004 with Dr. Lonnie Smith on organ...

Free radio jazz. This week, Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive sent along a batch of live radio recordings by artists featured recently in JazzWax:

Lou Donaldson (above)—is featured on two FMRA recordings, first with Jimmy Smith at the 1981 Chicago Jazz Festival and then in two Blue Note 75th Anniversary radio specials on NPR. Go here.

Emily Remler—played at the Dakota Bar & Grill in St. Paul, MN, in a 1988 Jazz88 broadcast. Go here.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young—played at the Fillmore East in 1970; Crosby, Nash & Young played a benefit concert in 1972; and we have three other CSN broadcasts from 1989. Go here.

Gerry Mulligan—appears in three broadcast recordings: with Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond in 1972; with Marian McPartland in 1987; and on a 2008 NPR Jazz Profiles show. Go here.

Note from Kim: Thanks to Mark Rabin for sharing the 1981 Chicago Jazz Festival set from his collection.

And finally, here's Count Basie at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957 playing One O'clock Jump with solos by Lester Young, Roy Eldridge and Illinois Jacquet...