Rob, Ronnie and Helen

In The Wall Street Journal last week, I interviewed actor Rob Lowe for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). Rob talked openly about his difficult childhood and how acting became an obsession. He is currently hosting Fox's The Floor game show. [Photo above of Rob Lowe courtesy of Fox]

Here's Rob on Austin Powers...

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. Friday Night Lights
9. The Old Man
10. Feud: Bette and Joan
11. Downton Abbey
12. The Blacklist
13. Goliath
14. The Gentlemen
15. Turn: Washington's Spies
16. Unbelievable
17. Justified
18. Voiceless (Bella da morire (2020/MHz)

Just viewed and highly recommended...

The Old Man—(2022). Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow star in this global thriller as a CIA operative and his handler come out of retirement to protect a young woman both consider their daughter. The acting is marvelous and the storyline is first rate. (Hulu)

The Commuter—(2018). Liam Neeson plays a suddenly unemployed commuter who meets a woman on his train ride home and is swept up in a murder conspiracy. Non-stop suspense. (Amazon Prime)

Here's the trailer...

Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)—Still watching this one. A fantastic series I missed when it came out focusing on a Texas football town and the drama that goes on with the gridiron at the center of it all. Great performances by Connie Britton, Taylor Kitsch and Minka Kelly. (Netflix)

Here's the trailer...

The Blacklist (2013-2023)—I'm stalled on Season 6 out of 10 but plan to return to 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)

Just watched, recommend and start soon...

• Interior Chinatown S1 (Now/Hulu)
• No Good Deed S1 (Dec. 12/Netflix)
  
• American Primeval S1 (Jan. 9/Netflix)
• Back in Action (Jan. 17/Netflix)
• Zero Day (Feb. 20/Netflix)

Favorites...

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/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)
• Friday Night Lights (2006-2011/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)
• The Old Man—(2022/Hulu)
• 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

Clifton Anderson (above) sent along a delicious new track, Robyn's Light, from his upcoming album. The track is dedicated to his late friend Robyn Nash. The personnel: Clifton Anderson (trombone, producer, composer and arranger), Antoine Roney (tenor/soprano saxophone), Edsel Gomez (piano/Fender Rhodes), Belden Bullock (bass), Steve Johns (drums) and Victor See Yuen (percussion). What We Do Music (c)2024. It's available on all streaming platforms. Go here...

Art and Laurie Pepper in 1979. Photo above courtesy of Laurie Pepper, author of Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper and Art: Why I Stuck With a Junkie Jazzman: Inventing a Marriage.

Scarborough Fair/Canticle. In April 1968, Simon & Garfunkel appeared on the Andy Williams Show, where Williams joined them to sing Scarborough Fair/Canticle. Despite Garfunkel's creepy stare aimed at Williams, the result was quite beautiful. Go here...

The Queen and Smoke. In 1979, Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson were on TV's Soul Train and sang Smokey's Ooo Baby Baby (1965) as a duet. Go here...

Mary Wells was Motown's first female recording star. Her mistake was leaving the label in 1964 after becoming disgruntled with her contract and the labeling favoring the Supremes. Here's Wells, on 20th Century Fox Records a year later, singing Jennifer Lambert and Mickey Gentile's Never, Never Leave Me, a little-known gem with a spectacular arrangement. Go here...

The Ronettes in 1965 released You Baby, proving once again that with these three singers, Phil Spector had reached his pinnacle as an dramatic arranger and producer. Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann wrote the song. I miss Ronnie. Go here...

My Romance. Dave Thompson sent along a track from his studio work last week. Go here...

Michael Cuscuna memorial. Michael's contribution to jazz was and still is enormous. While a re-issue producer at Blue Note from 1975 to 1981, Michael was singularly responsible for dozens of albums with bonus tracks and previously unreleased LPs. After co-founding Mosaic Records in 1983, he delivered the jazz equivalent of Thanksgiving dinners—megaboxes with complete recording sessions of an artist and detail-rich, glossy 12-inch booklets. Michael died on April 20, 2024. [Photo above, from left, Michael Cuscuna, Bruce Lundvall (head of CBS Records) and tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, courtesy of the Cuscuna Family]

This Monday, December 9, at 8:30 p.m., Michael and his legacy will be honored and celebrated in New York at Saint Peters, the jazz church at the foot of the Citicorp Building. If you're not able to attend, you can stream from anywhere in the world by going here. 

Choose the event link on the calendar to access the streaming event.

And finally, here's Helen Shapiro's 1967 cover of Earl Okin's Stop and You Will Become Aware, with a big Swingin' London arrangement by Zack Laurence [photo of Helen Shapiro above]...

And here's Earl Okin's version of his composition earlier in 1967. Both of these singles would help launch the Northern Soul DJ movement in the U.K in 1970...