ghost of miles

Lon, what did you think of Dick Powell's portrayal in MURDER, MY SWEET (adaptation of Chandler's FAREWELL, MY LOVELY)? I found myself pleasantly surprised... thought he was pretty effective, playing Marlowe with a slightly-more-unhinged quality than Bogie did. (Powell, by the way, has an Indiana jazz connection--sang with the Charlie Davis Orchestra in the late 1920s. I have some scratchy recordings done at a radio station.)

Will definitely do something on Helen sooner or later. Up for broadcast right now on WFIU.

This week on Night Lights it’s Vibin': Roy Ayers in the 1960s. He’s been called “the godfather of acid jazz” and modern-day hiphoppers refer to him as “The Icon Man,” but before his R & B success in the 1970s vibraphonist Roy Ayers was renowned by his colleagues for his 1960s jazz performances. He played with West Coast stalwarts such as pianist Jack Wilson and saxophonist Curtis Amy and was also a member of Gerald Wilson’s illustrious big band; as a leader he made records with the likes of saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Herbie Hancock, and trumpeter Charles Tolliver. We’ll hear selections from three of Ayers’ leader dates, as well as his sideman work with Amy and Wilson. “Vibin’” airs Saturday, July 8 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville. It also airs Sunday evening at 10 p.m. EST on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio (FM 90.3 and 88.8). The program will be posted Monday afternoon in the Night Lights archives. Next week: "Do It Again: Jazz Re-makes." Albums & their subsequent revisitations from June Christy, Gerry Mulligan, Helen Merrill, Curtis Fuller, and more.

Tell me about it... I gotta follow this guy on Sunday nights now! Feel like a mere Murcer to his DiMaggio, with aspirations of perhaps one day at least reaching Mantle-dom.

Apparently removed... sorry I missed it.

Tonight on Afterglow I'll be featuring pianist (and Organissimo poster) Frank Kimbrough's most recent Palmetto release, Play, which finds him in the good musical company of bassist Masa Kamguchi and drummer Paul Motian. In between sets of Play we'll hear an entire Duke Ellington "Pastel Period" broadcast, recorded at New York City's Hurricane Club in the summer of 1943. The Pastel Period broadcasts were a sort of Ellingtonian "mood music" set that emphasized the quieter side of the orchestra. Afterglow airs this evening at 10:05 p.m. EST on WFIU and at 10 p.m. Central Time Saturday night on WNIN-Evansville. The program will be posted Monday afternoon in the Afterglow archives.

Give the drummer some!!!

Been awhile since I read the relatively recent (boy, is that phrase's definition beginning to elongate) Chandler bio, but my memory is that they canned the earlier, 1944 version because Bacall's followup to TO HAVE & HAVE NOT--an espionage/war flick co-starring Charles Boyer--had bombed, and her career was thought to be in danger. (I believe it was CONFIDENTIAL AGENT--based on the Graham Greene novel?) Therefore some scenes meant to recapture the sizzling chemistry she had with Bogie in the earlier film were added. For noir, Chandler, and Bogie-Bacall buffs, the chance to see both versions is a real treat (current DVD has 'em both). Re: who killed whom, there's a story that the filmmakers called up Chandler to ask who was responsible for killing the man in the car that's being lifted out of the dockside water at one point--and he admitted that he didn't know.

Green is one of the better reissue sellers for modern-day Blue Note, correct? Mention of George Braith brought back memories of the famous BNBB thread, "We demand the release of the Braith and Wilkerson Doubletimes!" Anybody else remember that old chestnut? I also remember the suggestion being made to Michael Cuscuna to release them as "The Complete Recordings of Grant Green With Don Wilkerson/George Braith." I think MC thought that was stretching it a bit too much.

Catesta might know--doesn't he hang with her in NYC from time to time? I miss her too & hope she's doing well.

Best birthday wishes to Barak!!! You should invent a special b-day drink and call it "bone 'n bari."

Didn't catch that recent Cole bio, but glad to hear they paid some attention to ST. LOUIS BLUES. The program is now archived.

Mark, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. It's been a crappy Fourth for us too... our one-year-old kitten Lilly somehow got out last night and we haven't been able to find her, even after searching all day.

That should help you enjoy the rest of your day! Have a great one, Clinton.

Really eager to read AMONG THE DEAD CITIES, a new book about the Allied bombing of population centers during WWII--in the meantime, alternating between CONVERSATIONS WITH NELSON ALGREN and Dave Oliphant's TEXAN JAZZ.

This week on Night Lights it’s “Nat King Cole’s St. Louis Blues.” A so-called “biopic” of the blues composer W.C. Handy’s life, this 1958 movie was Cole’s only role as a leading man, and it also included Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, and Eartha Kitt in its all-black cast, along with the underrated Juano Hernandez (who had portrayed the trumpeter Art Hazard in the 1950 jazz film Young Man With a Horn) as Handy’s father. Coming on the heels of Cole’s legendary but unsponsored and ultimately cancelled TV show, this film went out with high hopes on the part of its makers and stars, but it failed at the box office and is rarely mentioned in media accounts of Cole’s career. We’ll hear selections from the soundtrack album that Cole recorded with arranger Nelson Riddle, as well as music from Kitt and Ella Fitzgerald, who makes a brief appearance as herself late in the movie. “Nat King Cole’s St. Louis Blues” airs Saturday, July 1 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU-Bloomington and at 10 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville. It will also air on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio FM 90.3 at 10 p.m. EST Sunday evening. The program will be posted in the Night Lights archives Monday afternoon. Next week: "Vibin': Roy Ayers in the 1960s."

I got both volumes yesterday and they have moved to the top of the "heap." They look wonderful, Allen, and I'm sure they're going to sound wonderful too. Taking orders for V. 3 yet?

You've been together as long as the Rolling Stones! And aged much more gracefully, I gotta say... seriously, congratulations, and thanks for posting the news here. My wife & I just celebrated our 7th anniversary (and 14th anniversary of our first date) and I surely hope we're still around for #43... only mortality's going to take us apart. We should really start a heroine thread for "jazz widows"--can you imagine being married to one of us folks?

Undoubtedly the Clash's worst album--another ill-advised comeback!

Brownie, I nearly picked up a used CD of Gainsbourg's early jazz recordings not too long ago... may head back to the shop and see if it's still there. Any recommendations in that area? GOM, bear in mind that although Gainsbourg knew his jazz very thoroughly (some favorites of his were Monk, Jimmy Smith, Jackie McLean among others) he did not record any strictly jazz albums. In addition to what couw already recommended, I would suggest you check 'Confidentiel' (with backing by Elek Bacsik on guitar and Michel Gaudry on bass) and 'Gainsbourg Percussions', also some jazzy soundtracks (with very nice trumpet playing by Roger Guérin) on several items in the 3-CD anthology 'Le Cinéma de Gainsbourg' that came out this year from Universal. I've been listening to DU JAZZ DANS LE RAVIN, and speaking of Jackie McLean, who is the saxophonist on track #16, "Quand mon 6:35 me fait les yeux doux"? Sure sounds like a Jackie acolyte.. no wonder SG used him. It originally appeared on GAINSBOURG PERCUSSIONS.

Two French ones--should know these, but can't pull them out of my work-fuddled brain right now: Barney Wilen Rene Urtreger

Virgil's an Indy guy....very good player, not well known! m~ He's also on tenor saxophonist David Young's s/t 1975 Mainstream LP--was just playing most of that on the air today, as a matter of fact. Jones sounds very good there as well.

I love connections and responses like that, best reward being a radio programmer can offer.

Yet another 25 % off sale from Allegro on Hep titles. Some new titles, including a Charlie Barnet Town Hall concert and an Isham Jones 1933-36 collection.