duaneiac

I just learned today that Mal Sharpe, trombonist, leader of the group Big Money In Jazz, retired radio host from KCSM and one-half of the 1960s Coyle & Sharpe comedy team passed away on March 10. I spent many a Sunday night listening to his "Back on Basin Street" program on KCSM back in the 1990s. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/03/12/legendary-bay-area-television-personality-comic-musician-mal-sharpe-dies-age-83/ https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/comedy/mal-sharpe-the-man-on-the-street-radio-gag-man-dies-at-83 https://www.npr.org/2020/03/20/819186535/remembering-mal-sharpe-vox-populi-radio-humorist Rest In Peace, Mal. Thanks for all the music and laughter.

Beautiful. And perhaps more meaningful now. May all your storms be weathered / May all that's good get better.

From this new GoFundMe page: Annie Ross, the legendary singer and actress is urgently in need of financial assistance to pay for home care during this pandemic. Annie requires 24 hour supervision. Should Annie need to be transferred to a nursing facility during this time, she likely would not make it. We are trying to keep her at home and as comfortable as possible. When I looked, they were well on the way to their goal of $7,500. One may donate here.

His final album, from 1985, Pay attention to Mr. Withers' facial expression here. If you're looking for a kind of soulful, "quiet storm" make-out album, here ya go. Bill Withers' voice makes it at least tolerable, but it's all pretty unconvincing -- just as his expression in that cover photo seems somewhat dubious ("You sure you wanna buy this? Really? REALLY?"). Uninspired material, lackluster arrangements -- this should have been, at best, a Peabo Bryson album. If this was the type of material Columbia was pushing him to record, then hooray for Bill Withers for being able to walk away form the music "business" and lead a happy life. I've never made it this far down in the boxed set before. Doubt I shall be revisiting this disc anytime soon,

Lee Konitz joined the Kenton band in August of 1952. This Aug. 26, 1952 broadcast is supposedly his first night with the band. You can hear Mr. Kenton welcome and introduce Lee Konitz at around the 7:30 mark.

This one is from 1977, so there is a decided disco influence on some of the music. The next time you hear "Lovely Day", just pay attention to the cymbals This song has so many strong components: that rock solid bass line, strings which serve to uplift the music and keep it gliding along, the warm, honeyed, multi-tracked tones of Mr. Withers' voice and then this marvelous ongoing cymbal work that adds so much sizzle and spark to the tune. I'm not sure if Ralph McDonald or Russ Kunkel gets the credit for those cymbals, but the song sure would not have been the same without them.

Making my way through the Sussex/Columbia albums boxed set. This album has "Paint Your Pretty Picture" (which I think I first heard in a version by Carmen McRae) and "Hello Like Before", but today I really appreciated this song --

Tonight's guest on The Extreme Hand Close-Up Bandstand is Phineas Newborn, Jr.

Almost the anniversary of this one -- April 29, 1988 Disc 1 and 2 of 2. Chet Baker with the NDR Big Band (notable American members included Herb Geller and Walter Norris) and the Rundfunk Orchestra Hannover des NDR. This concert at the Funkhaus (does your city have a Funkhaus? does it deserve to?) in Hannover was presented just 2 weeks before Mr. Baker's sudden demise. The liner notes state that there were supposed to be 2 days of rehearsal with this ensemble, but the star did not show up until the day of the concert, so there was only one rehearsal that included him. The music is quite nice nonetheless. His chops were quite together for this show and he probably loved the opportunity to perform with strings.

Words are unnecessary. Enjoy.

Oh my goodness. That's so sad.. My thoughts are with the Pizzarelli family at this sad time.

An interesting and very enjoyable date. Mr. Mulligan's band featured some less well-known musicians (although vibist Dave Samuels would become much better known in the following years), but the bandleader spent a little extra and got the veteran rhythm team of George Duvivier and Bobby Rosengarden and the performance of "K-4 Pacific" here shows why it's worth it to spend a little extra and put Duvivier & Rosengarden LLC in your band. I'd imagine even in 1977, Mr Duvivier and Mr. Rosengarden were both still getting a lot of studio work, jazz and non-jazz, and they probably would not have gone out on the road to Europe with just any one. Say what you will about Gerry Mulligan the bari sax player (I love his playing), Gerry Mulligan the composer was pretty cool and "Song For Strayhorn" is as lovely a number as one could ever ask for.

I was maybe 10 or 11 when I found a book of James Thurber's cartoons at the library. This cartoon became my instant favorite way back than and it remains the funniest single panel cartoon I've ever seen. To this day, if any one wants to make me laugh, all they need do is utter the magic phrase, "What have you done with Dr. Millmoss?" I would only add, "Dr. Millmoss has been swallowed by a hippopotamus" -- allegedly!

Hi page! It seems like a long time since we have heard from you, so it's great to see you around here again. I hope all is well with you and your friends/family.

Also by Mort Drucker --

Mort Drucker, the Mad Magazine cartoonist who for decades lovingly spoofed politicians, celebrities and popular culture, died Thursday at 91. Drucker's daughter, Laurie Bachner, told The Associated Press that he fell ill last week, having difficulty walking and developing breathing problems. She did not give a specific cause of death and said that he was not tested for the coronavirus. He died at his home in Woodbury, New York, with his wife of more than 70 years, Barbara, by his side. More of the story here. He certainly was a part of a few years of my childhood. Thanks for the laughs, Mr. Drucker. May you Rest In Peace (or maybe "Rest In Peas" would be more MAD-like and fitting).

Plus the instrumental tracks he appeared on on that Nancy Wilson / Cannonball Adderley album. Did he do any other "co-leader" type albums like that? How is that Great Love Themes album? It doesn't sound too promising.