In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed actor Kiefer Sutherland for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Turns out Keith grew up in an ethnically diverse Toronto apartment complex and can still make a mean Sri Lankan curry. His debut album is superb, and he stars in Designated Survivor, starting Sept. 20. [Photo above of Kiefer Sutherland by Jennifer Roberts for The Wall Street Journal]
Here's a track from the album...
And here's a trailer for ABC's Designated Survivor...
Also in the WSJ, I interviewed agent Shep Gordon for the Review section's "Playlist" column on his favorite song—Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' Wake Up Everybody (go here). Shep has a new book out—They Call Me Supermensch: A Backstage Pass to the Amazing Worlds of Film, Food, and Rock' n' Roll (go here). Here's Teddy Pendergrass, lead voalist of the Blue Notes, singing Wake Up Everybody...
And finally, in case you missed it, here's my WSJ "Anatomy of a Song" column on the writing and recording of the Beach Boys' Good Vibrations, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of its release on Oct. 10 (go here).
Speaking of the Beach Boys, Eagle Rock Entertainment has released a new DVD, The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds, a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the band's most celebrated album (go here). Here's a trailer...
Pete Rugolo. Following my post on arranger Pete Rugolo last week, I received a lovely email from reader Gina Rugolo, Pete's daughter:
"Thank you so very much for writing such wonderful things about my father Pete. It means so much to me. My dad was very humble and rarely talked about his work at home, so this is a terrific way for me to educate my children about their grandfather's work."
Jack Sheldon. Following my post on Pete Rugolo, which included a mention of trumpeter Jack Sheldon, I received the loveliest email from reader Margy Bloom, an enormously gifted advertising copywriter:
"Jack Sheldon! This very afternoon, I was playing one of my very, very, very favorite pieces by anyone of any era, and that’s Jack Sheldon playing of Al Cohn's Ah Moore, with Ralph Pena and Walter Norris. I cannot believe you posted a mention of Jack today.
"One time in a tax season long-past, my then-husband and I had just left our yearly and fractious visit to our accountant in the hilly area north of the Glendale area of L.A. When we were finished, we made our way down through 1960s modern, 1950s moderne and 1940s aircraft-worker neighborhoods until we reached a main street in Glendale.
"It was February, so it had grown dark early and had begun to rain. We parked the car—you could still find a diagonal parking space then. We knew nothing and nobody and no place to eat, but my then-husband was a great chooser of restaurants—I’ll give him that. We got out of the car, slamming the doors for effect, and walked (OK, stomped) down the wet pavement until we came to a place that smelled like hamburgers and onions—his kind of place. They served booze, so make that double his kind of place.
"We went in and found a booth—the wooden kind with flat backs that go up about 6 feet. the lights were very dim and I couldn’t see much. Finally, thick hamburgers and Jack Daniels arrived. It became evident that I’d be driving us home and my mood darkened.
"Then an incredible thing happened. From out of the darkness, practically right next to me, I heard a trumpet. Live trumpet. Just warming up a little, but I knew that trumpet like my handwriting. I looked to my right and saw a drum kit, piano and music stands. I’d been so angry when we walked in, I’d completely ignored my surroundings. Now, back-lit by neon beer signs and arranged somewhat delicately on a bar stool sat all of Jack Sheldon, just warming up like it was no big deal in this little Glendale joint called Jax. He played…and talked…and sang…all night.
"I just listened, too shy to tell him he’d been my first big crush."
Here's Jack Sheldon playing Ah Moore in 1954 backed by Walter Norris (p) Ralph Pena (b) and Gene Gammage (d)...
I'll throw my own Jack Sheldon favorite, his high-register trumpet solo on Johnny Mandel's theme The Shadow of Your Smile during the opening credits of The Sandpiper in 1965...
Please support JazzWax by pre-ordering my new book, Anatomy of a Song, an anthology of my popular Wall Street Journal oral-history column that features interviews with celebrity artists who wrote and recorded 45 top pop, rock and R&B hits. To pre-order in the U.S., go here for the book and here for the Kindle edition. In Canada, go here. In the U.K., go here for the book and here for the Kindle edition.
Dupree Bolton. Reader Richard Salvucci sent along a link to a super article on trumpeter Dupree Bolton (go here).
Pete Fountain. Following my post on a Pete Fountain documentary aired by PBS in 1980, reader David Perrine sent along the following note and clip:
"More so than Pete Fountain, Al Hirt was a guy who wasn't hesitant about stretching beyond the two-beat Dixieland format in concert, as evidenced here...
And reader Michael Bloom of Michael Bloom Media Relations sent along the photo above from New Orleans in the 1960s.
John Coltrane radio. Next Friday (Sept. 23), which means starting on Thursday night at midnight (EDT), WKCR-FM in New York will host its John Coltrane Birthday Broadcast, playing the saxophonist's music around the clock for 24 hours. To listen on your computer from anywhere in the world, go here.
A strong new jazz album from drummer Mike Melito, featuring Jerry Weldon (ts), Peter Bernstein (g), Jeb Patton (p) and Neal Miner (b) was recently released. Smart song choices and powerful playing by one and all. To sample, go here.
Prince Buster, RIP. A Jamaican producer who in the early 1960s helped raise the visibility of a horn-driven style of dance music known as "ska," died Sept. 8 in Miami. He was 78. Here's the Washington Post's obit. Reader Doug Patterson flagged his passing and sent along a link to a good article in The Guardian. Here's one of my Prince Buster faves, his cover of the Beatles' All My Loving...
And reader and reggae historian Steve Barrow sent along a link to a fascinating and illuminating interview he did with Prince Buster in 1995 (go here).
Hamp in 1929. Reader and director Raymond De Felitta, at his blog Movies Til Dawn, features a wild cameo clip of Lionel Hampton on drums from a 1929 movie, Gay Love. Go here.
Twp more Madisons! I know this has been going on for three weeks running, but just two more. I promise. Readers Michael Oliver-Goodwin and Phil Andrews sent along a Madison dance clip from Jean-Luc Godard's Band of Outsiders (1964)...
And finally, Ray Bryant's Split T (an extension of his original, It's Madison Time), with Harry "Sweets" Edison (tp), Al Grey (tb) Buddy Tate (ts) Ray Bryant (p) Tommy Bryant (b) Gerard "Dave" Pochonet (d) and Eddie Morrison handling the dance calls...
What the heck. If you've ever wondered what song may have inspired the Beatles' Get Back, now you know...
Oddball album cover of the week.
The 1962 cover would seem like an odd mix, but the music on the album is actually rather interesting, in an Artie Shaw-Frenesi sort of way...
