In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed baseball legend Willie McCovey, the former first baseman of the San Francisco Giants, for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Willie talked about growing up in the segregated South, the slight his father had to endure and how he wound up playing major league baseball.
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed former Manhattan prosecutor and novelist Linda Fairstein on her favorite song, James Taylor's Fire and Rain, for my "Playlist" column in the Review section and how the song helped her through the terrible loss of a close friend (go here).
And finally, in case you missed it, I interviewed Steely Dan's Donald Fagen a couple of weeks ago on his new touring band made up of musicians in their 20s (go here). A few weeks ago I spent a few hours up in Woodstock, N.Y., as Donald rehearsed the band, the Nightflyers. A dream come true.
Tina and Fathead. Jim Eigo of Jazz Promo Services sent along this video clip of tenor saxophonists Tina Brooks and David "Fathead" Newman battling in the Ray Charles Orchestra....
Jessica Williams. Last week, I mentioned that pianist Jessica Williams was ill and in need of financial help (go here). Duff Bruce passed along a link to Jessica on Marian McPartland's radio show Piano Jazz in 1992 (go here)
The Voice meets Shorty. Photo above of Frank Sinatra and Short Rogers courtesy of Shorty's son Marshall Rogers, from his Facebook page. Frank and Shorty were on the film set of Man with the Golden Arm (1955).
Muse Records radio. In tribute to the late Joe Fields, "Symphony Sid" Gribetz will present a look at the Muse label on Sunday, July 30, from 2 to 7 p.m. (EDT). As Sid writes: "Muse Records was Joe’s biggest legacy, the record company that he ran from the early 1970's until 1996. As an independent label, Muse presented a wide array of uncompromising productions, delivering a snapshot of the jazz scene as it endured, and survived, through various iterations beyond the commercial ravages of the rock era. Muse championed younger artists like Woody Shaw, and stalwarts ranging from Sonny Stitt and Cedar Walton, to Pat Martino, Charles Earland and Houston Person, as well as vocalists such as Mark Murphy and Etta Jones. Muse also recorded contemporary and less famous artists, and left behind an awesome catalog.
Fred Seibert on Joe Fields. Fred, the founder and CEO of Frederator Networks and Frederator Studios, recently penned a lovely essay on Joe and what Joe taught him about producing albums (go here). Fred is a dear friend and the genius behind the MTV logo. Read my interview with Fred on the logo's creation in 2011 here.
To read my two-part interview with Sammy in 2010, go here
SWR Big Band Plays Sammy. Germany's SWR Big Band is out with a new album—A Cool Breeze—featuring the wham-bang arrangements of Sammy Nestico. You'll find A Cool Breeze here.
You'll find my two-part JazzWax interview with Sammy Nestico here (a link to the second part is above the red date at the top in Part 1)
What the heck. Nosing around YouTube the other day, I came across this clip of Walter Wanderley's Summer Samba (So Nice) from 1966. It's being fed through a board that cleans up the sound. I have no idea what the board does or how this technology works (Tom Fine?), only that Summer Samba sounds great cranked up...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Wish I could have been in on the meeting that green-lighted this album. Pitch probably went something like this: "Boss, I have a great idea. Are you ready? I mean you're going to really love it. Totally original, never been done. We create an entire album of music that's—are you ready?—just for listening. That's it. Just listening. Great, right? My girl checked and it's never been done before. Ever. We own the concept. Crazy, right? They put it on and they listen."
from JazzWax http://ift.tt/2v5qDuR
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