Sixty-three years ago, on New Year's Day in 1955, pianist Teddy Wilson, bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Jo Jones went into a studio for Norgran Records and recorded The Creative Teddy Wilson, a 7-inch 45-rpm set.
The tracks were soon reissued on Verve as a 12-inch LP called Teddy Wilson: For Quiet Lovers. You'll find it at Spotify or at Amazon. Here's are a handful of songs from the album:
In The Wall Street Journal this week,my "Anatomy of a Song" column this month is on Spandau Ballet's True from 1983 (go here). I interviewed the band's co-founder and True's sole songwriter Gary Kemp. You'll never believe the role the Beatles' Dig a Pony played. Here's the song...
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed pop singer Johnny Mathis for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). John, as he prefers to be called, talked about growing up in San Francisco, the person who helped him most to become a singer and the trick she taught him. Sony Legacy has just issued all of John's albums in a 68-CD box set (go here). Here's a clip from 1959...
And finally, I interviewed William H. McRaven, the retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral who commanded all U.S. Special Operations Forces for my "Playlist" column (go here). His most meaningful song is Off We Go (Into the Wild Blue Yonder). As a child, he saw and heard his father sing the song at the officer's club outside of Paris. Admiral McRaven is the author of the nifty book, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World (Grand Central).
Kenny Harris, a British drummer who recorded in the 1950s with the British Jazz Trio and pianists Ralph Sharon and Gene Harris (the British Gene Harris), and was known for his exquisite brushwork, died on Dec. 10. He was 90. [Photo of Kenny Harris, above, courtesy of the photographer, John Foster]
A long-time JazzWax reader, Kenny was a session player for RCA, Capital and Atlantic Records in the decades that followed. For more on Kenny, go here. Two days before Kenny's passing, he sent along an email commenting on my post on John Plonsky...
"Marc, I played with John (Plonsky or Parker) on a couple of club dates in New York in the 1950's. Then a summer season (1959) in the Catskills, at the White Roe Hotel and Livingston Manor. The band was a quintet. The only other person in the band that I can recall was Hy Kletzel (tenor saxophonist and clarinetist). On Sunday evenings we played jazz concerts, and John would explain to the audience what we were doing. John and I became great friends and I saw him a several of times in California and Arizona."
A special thanks to Keith Hart, Kenny's long-time friend, for alerting.
Here's Kenny with his brushes backing Gene Harris (p) and Ben Tucker (d) in 1952. I'll miss those emails...
Sonny Rollins (above) with Hampton Hawes (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b), Shelly Manne (d) and Barney Kessell (g) at the Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders session at
Contemporary Studios in Los Angeles in October 1958. Courtesy of Hugo Dusk's Facebook page.
Charles Mingus. Jimi Mentis sent along this glorious link to Beneath the Underdog: Charles Mingus Revisited, a recent BBC program on bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus. Why we don't embrace the music of our very own jazz greats in this spectacular fashion is beyond me. I suspect it has something to do with state sponsorship of the arts in the U.K. that is non-existent here. Some things have to change. Here's the BBC on Mingus...
Vocal-harmony radio. Last week I checked in on Marv Goldberg, the dean of vocal-harmony groups. He said he was listening to Billy Williams & the Charioteers. Familiar with them? If not, tune into Marv's upcoming show on January 7. He posts on Sunday and you can access as you wish. Go here to stream his show and listen to more than 150 previous radio shows. Here are the Charioteers...
Stephen Feldman, a Los Angeles pal, sent along the following video clip of him playing George Harrison's Here Comes the Sun. Steve says the song was recorded in the studio, where he double-tracked the guitar part at the suggestion of the producer, "except for the closing Clapton-esque riff. "Then I did my best lip-and-strum-sync at a nearby park." For more on Steve, go here. Here's the clip...
What the heck.Here's R&B pianist Little Willie Littlefield (K.C. Loving) in Germany at the Baden-Baden Boogie Festival playing Every Day I Have the Blues in 2009...
Oddball album cover of the week.
Maybe I watch too many Law & Order reruns, but whatever Tony did for Maria, it can't be good based on this cover. When I checked the song, turns out I wasn't too far off...
Too often, we think of rock 'n' roll as a jazz killer. It wasn't. The music appealed to a growing number of adolescents and teens who had greater access to the dance music in the 1950s thanks to radio, 45 singles and concerts. In truth, rock's evolution during this period often found the music intermingling with jazz. For example, on Alan Freed's Camel Rock & Roll Dance Party in 1956, Count Basie was the band that opened the show and played throughout. Other jazz-influenced stars appeared such as singer Tony Bennett. [Photo above of Alan Freed and Tony Bennett during a Camel Rock & Roll Dance Party broadcast]
To prove my point, go here to listen for free to 26 entire episodes of Freed's Camel Rock & Roll Dance Party. On the right side, just click on an episode and it will start. Each one opens with Basie's New Testament band tearing the paint off the walls. A special thanks to Bob Waldman for sending this along.
And yes, it's pretty weird that Camel cigarettes were being promoted to kids on the radio, with Freed urging listeners to buy dad a few cartons as a gift.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
Giving your bathroom a new look for the upcoming new year is a great way to indulge yourself after the busy schedule you’ve had during the holidays. But before you proceed on your plans, here are some pointers to consider:
Consider how long you won’t be able to use the bathroom “How long does a bathroom renovation take?” Many people are surprised when they hear that a quality bathroom renovation takes about four weeks. Renovation shows are not reality!
Many people don’t have a spare bathroom they can use while the renovation takes place. If that’s the case for you, plan ahead. Hire a portable toilet or shower from a reputable builder, join a nearby gym (there are often free trials you can take advantage of) or consider renting elsewhere for a month while the job is done. None of these are ideal, but if you’re going to build a bathroom to last 20 to 30 years, that month of inconvenience will quickly be forgotten when you step inside Source:Houzz
Don’t forget to update the fixtures No renovation is complete without remodeling or repairing fixtures and features, which could very well make a separate checklist themselves: shower, bathtub, toilet, bidet, sink, faucets and shower heads. You should also update or repair your mirrors and shower doors. You can also change the look of your bathroom very easily by changing out door handles, drawer pulls and the hardware for your shower doors. If you have the budget a new set of shower doors can completely change the look of your room. Source:Freshome
Order fixtures ahead of time Regardless of whether you are buying from a high-street store or a high-end brand, factor in delivery times. Big name manufacturers might take three or four weeks to deliver, while luxury brands can take around eight weeks. Any custom products will take longer so give yourself plenty of wriggle room to avoid having contractors twiddling their thumbs on site. Source:IdealHome
Check out the latest trends in bathroom fixtures when you visit our site today!
On May 7, 1958, alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley appeared on an NBC-TV broadcast called The Subject Is Bop. He was part of the Billy Taylor All-Stars. The show was hosted by Gilbert Seldes, a music writer and critic who each week showcased a different jazz style illustrated by different guests. [Photo above of Cannonball Adderley during the Somethin' Else recording session in March 1958]
In the case of Adderley, he's captured here at a very interesting moment in his career. Two months earlier he had recorded the seminal Somethin' Else for Blue Note. Later in May, he would record On Green Dolphin Street, Fran-Dance and Stella by Starlight with the Miles Davis Sextet. So we have Adderley here at a turning point.
Appearing in the group were Cannonball Adderley (as), Nat Adderley (tp), Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Billy Taylor (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Ed Thigpen (b) and Ed Safranski (d).
Thanks to Bret Primack for sending along this one.
Here's the Billy Taylor All-Stars featuring Cannonball Adderley...
