Larry, Dan and Annie

In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm writer Larry Charles for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). Larry also directed Borat, Brüno and The Dictator, all starring writer Sacha Baron Cohen. Larry just published a memoir, Comedy Samurai: Forty Years of Blood, Guts, and Laughter. [Photo above of Larry Charles courtesy of Netflix]

Here's Larry talking about writing for Seinfeld...

What I'm Watching

New and watched this past week...

• Leanne—(sitcom/July 31/Netflix)
• The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox—(series/August/Disney+)

Worthwhile stuff that started or will start soon...

• Words of War (film/theaters)
• FUBAR 2 (series/Netflix)
• The Better Sister (Prime)
• Deep Cover (Prime film)
• The Gilded Age—Season 3 (starts June 22/HBO)
• Sovereign (July 11/film/theaters)
• Leanne—(July 31/Netflix)

My favorite streaming series, ranked...

1. Babylon Berlin
2. Adolescence
3. Sovereign
4. My Brilliant Friend
5. Good American Family
6. Killing Eve
7. The Crown
8. Mad Men
9. The Americans
10. Younger
11. Fleabag
12. Band of Brothers
13. The Sopranos
14. Enlightened
15. Friday Night Lights
16. Justified
17. The Promised Life
18. Feud: Bette and Joan
19. The Old Man
20. Downton Abbey
21. The Blacklist
22. Goliath
23. Julia
24. The Gentlemen
25. Turn: Washington's Spies
26. Unbelievable
27. Landman
28. Voiceless (Bella da morire)(2020/MHz)
29. Black Doves
30. Web Therapy

Archive: Recommended series, films and documentaries...

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)
• Black Doves (2024/Netflix)
• The Blacklist (2013-2023/Netflix)
• Belgravia—(2020/Prime Video)
• The Bletchley Circle (2012/Britbox)
• 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)
• The Dropout (2022/Hulu)
• Elizabeth 1 (2005/Max)
• Emily in Paris—(2020-present/Netflix)
• Enlightened—(2011-2013/Max)
• 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)
• Il Commissario Manara (Inspector Manara) (2009-2011/MHz)
• 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)
• Lioness—(2023-current/Paramount+)
• Loudermilk—(2017-2020/Netflix)
• MI-5, the Series—(2002-2011/BritBox)
• Mobland—(2025/Paramount+)
• Monsieur Spade—(2024/AMC)
• Murdaugh Murders: The Movie, Parts 1 and 2—(2023/Lifetime)
• My Brilliant Friend—(2018-current/Max)
• The Night Agent—(2023-present/Netflix)
• 1923—(2022-present/Paramount+)
• 1883—(2021-2022/Prime)
• The Old Man—(2022/Hulu)
• On Call—2025/Amazon Prime)
• Outlander—(2014-present/Netflix)
• Protection—(2024/S1/BritBox)
• The Perfect Couple—(2024/Netflix)
• Poldark—(2015-2019/Prime)
• The Promised Life—(2018/MHz via Prime Video)
• Reacher—(2016-present/Netflix)
• Ripley—(2024/Netflix)
• Scott & Bailey (2011-2016/Prime)
• The Spy—(2019/Netflix)
• 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)
• Web Therapy—(2011-2015/Fandango)
• Wilder—(2017-current)
• WPC 56—(2013-2015/Britbox)
• Yellowstone—(2018-present/Paramount Network)
• Younger—(2015-2021K/Netflix)

Films

• Anna (2019/Tubi)
• 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)
• Enrico Piaggio - Un Sogno Italiano (An Italian Dream) (2019/MHz)
• The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3—(2014-2024/Prime)
• The Great Lillian Hall—(2024/Max)
• The Family Man—(2000/Netflix)
• 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+) 
• Just My Luck (2006/Paramount+)
• Kill Chain—(2019/Max)
• Killers of the Flower Moon—(2023/Apple+)
• La Palma (2024/Netflix)
• Life or Something Like It—(2002/Netflix)
• 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)
• 99 Homes—(2014/Roku)
• Nobody—(2021/Prime)
• Nobody Wants This—(2024/Netflix)
• Ordinary Angels—(2024/assorted platforms)
• The Pledge—(2011/Peacock)
• Purple Hearts—(2022/Netflix)
• The Queen—(2006/Paramount+)
• The Queen's Gambit—(2020/Netflix)
• Queenpins—(2021/Pluto TV)
• Reptile—(2023/Netflix)
• Ruthless—(2023/Hulu)
• The Secret: Dare to Dream—(2020/Netflix).
• Sicario (2015/Netflix)
• Self Reliance—(2023/Hulu)
• Seraphim Falls—(2006/Netflix)
• Some Girl(s)—(2013/Amazon Prime)
• Somewhere in Queens—(2022/Hulu)
• Spy(ies)—(2009/Prime)
• The Stranger—(2022/Netflix)
• Toscana—(2022/Netflix)
• The Two Popes—(2019/Netflix)
• Up in the Air—(2009/Max)
• Woman in Gold—(2015/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)
• The Only Girl in the Orchestra—(2023/Netflix)
• The Stones and Brian Jones—(2023/Hulu)
• Suzi Q: Suzi Quatro—(2019/Prime)
• The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari—(2022/Netflix)
• 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris—(2007/go here)

Bill Mays. The pianist Bill Mays (above) has been busy doing outreach programs with students, most recently as scholar-in-residence at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla. Here's Bill's "brief history of jazz piano”...

And, Bill's most recent album is Autumn Serenade here.

RIP Dan Podkulski, who for the past five years diligently and graciously proofed JazzWax the day of my post along with others to catch typos, died on June 14 at age 67. A former chemical engineer at Exxon Mobile Chemical Co., Dan loved flying, and when he wasn't up in the air, he and his wife, Michelle, loved music—either at concert venues or aboard cruises. The cause of death was not disclosed. [Photo above of Dan Podkulski]

Dan's chatty emails each day were often about how much he loved Michelle or they detailed their upcoming travels or bemoaned the rough Houston weather—the scorching heat in summer and the heavy rains in the fall and spring.

I'm writing JazzWax now for nearly 18 years and have made hundreds of friends over email. As time goes by, these friends suddenly pass on, and I receive an email from a spouse letting me know the sad news. Last week, there was Dan's email, and when I opened it expecting to find a few catches and a note, it was Michelle, letting me know the sad news. I was floored. For Michelle, "It's the worst day of my life."  

My deepest condolences to Michelle and Dan's family. He was such a sweet, kind and loyal guy for whom music meant everything.

Music of Note.

Terry Waldo—Treasury Vol. 2 (Turtle Bay). I last wrote about pianist Terry Waldo in 2021, when I posted an interview with him (here). Now, the protégé of the late Eubie Blake, and master of 1920s and '30s ragtime and jazz, is out with a new album of speakeasy music. He's joined by the Gotham City Band and Veronica Swift with terrific authenticity. A glorious resurfacing of jazz-age songs, with Terry keeping intoxicating time. You'll find the album on most streaming platforms or here.

Here's Get Out and Under the Moon (1928)...

Camila Meza—Portal (GroundUp). Chilean jazz guitarist, singer and songwriter Camila Meza is out with a captivating new album of originals. She blends a potent mix of stacked vocals and joyous energy with Chilean folk touches and a Pat Metheny-like sense of musical elation and adventure. It's unlike anything you've heard and tremendously exciting. She's backed by Shai Maestro (keyboards), Ofri Nehemya (drums and percussion) and Margaret Davis (harp). You'll find it on major streaming platforms and here.

Here's Utopia...

Free radio concert music. Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive sent along the following links to free listens related to recent JazzWax posts [photo above of Kirk Lightsey]: 

Gerry Mulligan—the archive has a 1972 concert with Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond; one on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz in 1987; and a 2008 Jazz Profiles episode with Nancy Wilson. Go here and listen.

The Beach Boys—are featured in a 1993 concert at the Paramount Center in Peekskill, N.Y., on their "Boxed Set Tour" to promote Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys five-CD set. Go here and listen. 

Kirk Lightsey—played with Dexter Gordon & Friends at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 1990, in a concert broadcast on NPR radio. Thanks to Mark Rubin. Go here and listen.

Larry Carlton—was at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Festival in Spain in 2017, broadcast on La 2 TV. Go here and listen.

Pat Metheny—has three broadcasts on FMRA with the Pat Metheny Group, recorded from 1978 to 1982. Go here and listen.

Bill Evans—is featured in two broadcast recordings on FM Radio Archive, one with his trio on RSR in Switzerland in 1975, and the other with Tony Bennett on a 1976 CBC-Canada broadcast. Go here and listen.

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross radio. On Sunday, WKCR-FM's Sid Gribetz will feature the recordings of the vocalese trio for five hours on Jazz Profiles, from 2 to 7 p.m. (ET). Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.

And finally, here's Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, joined by vocalist Joe Williams and Count Basie (with Tony Bennett in the background), on Playboy's Penthouse in 1959...