This weekend is the start of a two-week stretch of eating and relaxation. Savor every minute. As is the case with the long holiday season, the next thing you know it’s the start of the workweek in January. So make these two weeks pass as slowly as possible. [Painting above, “The Hunters in the Snow,” 1565, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria]
Here’s Holiday for Strings by the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band in 1944….
If you’re among the supportive subscribers who upgraded to paid this past week, thank you so much. Means a great deal to me. Welcome to six days a week of JazzWax and 24/7 site access.
If you aren’t a paid subscriber, here’s what you missed: my review of a new Paul Horn compilation; three Basie tribute albums recorded by Paul Quinichette between 1957 and 1959; and an incredible hour-long video of the Woody Herman band in 1973, with a stunning rendition of Early Autumn.
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Streaming movies I enjoyed this past week [photo above of Charlotte Rampling]:
I, Anna (MHz). A British noir thriller starring Charlotte Rampling who delivers a stunning performance. Here’s the trailer…
Safe Haven. (HBO Max). A romantic drama starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, Cobie Smulders and David Lyons. Here’s the trailer…
Jay Kelly (Netflix). A drama comedy starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler. Here’s the trailer…
Ben Webster radio. This Sunday (Dec. 21), Sid Gribetz hosts five hours of Ben Webster in the 1940s, from 2 to 7 p.m. (ET), on Jazz Profiles on WKCR-FM in New York. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here. [Photo above of Ben Webster]
Here’s a taste of Webster in the 1940s…
A few good ones. Here’s Vaughan Monroe in 1946 singing Let it Snow…
Here’s Jo Stafford singing By the Fireside…
Here’s Al Hibbler singing White Christmas…
Here’s Andy Williams and his three brothers singing Winter Wonderland…
And one more…
Great post full of interesting recommendations. They're on my watching list now except "Jay Kelly". Saw the movie about a week ago. I liked it.
When I looked at the beautiful painting from 1565, I thought to myself that that must have been a very interesting time. no one had ever heard the term jazz. even the greatest of classical music (Bach, Beethoven, Mozart) were not born.