Last Monday, Hoda Kotb on the Today show held up the upcoming paperback edition of my book, Anatomy of a Song, and called it her "favorite thing" of the week. I was blown away. Hoda is a peach. She's so warm, sincere, funny, loves music and is one of the kindest and sweetest people I know. As for the power of Hoda and the Today show, after Hoda's mentioned the book, it shot to #354 at Amazon, where it still remains #1 on three of the retailer's bestseller lists. Here's Hoda holding up her "favorite thing" of the week with Kathie Lee...
Get your copy of Anatomy of a Song here for the holidays! If you're in the U.K., it's available here. You'll find all of the songs in my book—in table of contents order—on my jukebox at Spotify. Just type in "Anatomy of a Song."
In The Wall Street Journal last week, I interviewed Julian Lennon, John Lennon's son with wife Cynthia, for my "Playlist" column. Julian talked about his favorite song—A Day in the Life—co-written and co-sung by his late father. Go here. [Photo above from YouTube]
Here's Julian's video of Valotte from 1984...
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed Bode Miller for my "House Call" column. The Olympic skier last week announced his retirement from competitive skiing to become an NBC ski analyst during the upcoming Winter Games in February. Bode grew up in the wilderness of New Hampshire after his hippie parents decided to build a house by hand a mile from the nearest road. Which meant zero electricity and plumbing and an outhouse across a stream. New Hampshire's brutal winters were interesting. Go here. [Photo above from YouTube]
Here's an amazing clip of Bode in 2005...
Quick, name one thing on your shelf made in the Czech Republic? Stumped? Roger Cross sent along the answer, which may surprise you. View the clip and read the post...
Fiddling around. Danny Finkleman in Toronto turned me on to the Quebe (KWAY-bee) Sisters, a fiddle-playing vocal trio from Texas. Dig this clip of the gals playing and singing It's a Sin to Tell a Lie...
Django Festival. In New York next week? Be sure to drop by Birdland to catch Gypsy Guitar Dynasty and the Schmitt Family plus alto saxophonist Grace Kelly and clarinetist Ken Peplowsky as they take on hot jazz in the spirit of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. The popular festival has been produced annually at Birdland by Pat Philips Stratta since 2000. For tickets and more information, go here. Or call (212) 581-3080. Here's a taste...
What the heck. Here's Roy Ayers performing Everybody Loves the Sunshine in 1976...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Somehow you get the feeling the couple in the background promised the girl in the foreground that they were going to bring all of their cool friends to her basement party but just came themselves to dance and be alone. "They must have screwed up the directions. Let's give them a little more time." Cover courtesy of Michael Bloom.
from JazzWax http://ift.tt/2lM2qqd
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