Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to Mr. Wes Montgomery’s brilliant A&M album, Down Here on the Ground, with orchestrations by Don Sebesky. I discovered this album when I briefly worked at the record store Sight and Sound Records in Van Nuys, just prior to my departure to New York at the end of 1968. I saw the cover, liked it, and bought the album and then played it to death. Montgomery was, thanks to his Verve albums, already a huge hit with listeners. But there were critics that didn’t care for the A&M albums, forgetting that most of his Verve output had orchestras and, in fact, Sebesky had worked on a few of them. But the public aren’t critics and the album went to number one on the Billboard jazz chart and reached number four on the R&B chart, and in the top 200 of ALL albums, it got to number 38. The song choices are great, and what the critics forgot was that Montgomery had done this kind of thing before, with orchestras, back in his Verve days. He made three of these kinds of albums for A&M and they’re all equally great and all with Sebesky – the other two are Road Song and A Day in the Life. And, as you’d expect, the musicians are cream of the crop. Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Grady Tate on drums, and the band is filled with well-known folks. I revisit the A&M albums often, and I also love some of his Verve albums, especially Tequila, which has orchestrations by the one and only Claus Ogerman. Other great ones are California Dreaming (charts by Sebesky) and Bumpin’ (also Sebesky). It was funny that everyone acted like the A&M albums were so different, when they weren’t at all. If you’ve never heard these, they are really wonderful and worthy of your attention. Otherwise, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray from Twilight Time – I Could Go on Singing, starring Miss Judy Garland and Mr. Dirk Bogarde. I’d checked out the transfer when I first got it but not watched beyond the first twenty minutes. I remember seeing the trailer and thinking it looked like such a sudser and I just wasn’t interested in sudsers the year it came out, although I liked Miss Garland and especially Mr. Bogarde back then. The script is sudsy and then some, even though Mr. Bogarde purportedly rewrote a lot of Judy’s lines, with her permission. It’s just a weird little movie, but the performances are excellent, from Garland and Bogarde and especially from co-stars Jack Klugman and Aline MacMahon. It was Garland’s final film. I’m wondering where it played in L.A. but due to the endless ineptitude of the imdb I can’t find it because every date they have listed is incorrect. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say the Four-Star on Wilshire, but that may be wrong. The transfer looks nothing like it should – it’s brown due to a fading internegative. It should look gorgeous.
I also found a DVD in the garage of the Fall River Legend ballet by Agnes de Mille, music by Morton Gould, with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. I got through ten minutes, removed the disc and tried to stomp it to death. You know of my dislike of “directors” like Ross MacGibbons and Kirk Browning – well, this “director” makes them look like masters of the art. This “director” is one Thomas Grimm and his work is grim indeed. He literally thinks he’s making a movie, complete with tight close-ups, over the shoulder shots, and waist up shots. He doesn’t seem to realize it’s a BALLET that has, I don’t know, call me crazy, DANCING and FEET. You never see the staging or patterns and frequently you miss any dancing at all. It’s shameful and the ballet and Miss de Mille deserve much better. I found another performance on YouTube which is much better but in not wonderful quality.
Yesterday wasn’t much of a day due to sleeping nine hours and getting up late. Once up, I had to catch up on e-mails and stuff. Once I’d done that, I went to the mail place and picked up a couple of packages and came right home. I ordered two breasts and two wings from the California Chicken Café via Grubhub – the item order page has a new checklist of things, one of which asks, “well done” or “juicy.” I chose well done, so naturally it arrived underdone and wasn’t one of their stellar moments. I ate it all up and that was that. I never had a chance to do anything I was supposed to do, save for choose a couple of songs. I missed the call of someone I’m trying to get to do our May online show. Hopefully, we’ll connect today. I also got word the new book is going to the printers. By that time, it was already after six. I had a long telephonic conversation, then finally sat on my couch like so much rish. So much rish??? Of course, I meant fish. I haven’t had rish in forever. The rest you know and you know the rest.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up and I’ll do whatever needs doing including all the stuff that needed doing yesterday. I’m supposed to hear from the moving people and the helper and that will tell me how Wednesday’s going to go, which I hope will be smooth. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages (although I don’t really think any are due), I’ll eat, I’ll complete the Tonight’s the Night CD packaging and get that off (the Blu-ray packaging is already done and the sheet music will be today), and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is the move – but I won’t know those details until today. If it is tomorrow, then I’ll find out an ETA of when the move will arrive at the new storage place and I’ll head up there at that time to sign the contracts and pay the first month. Of course, I’m praying all that goes smoothly so I can finally have that no longer weighing me down, so do send your strongest and most excellent vibes and xylophones, won’t you? The rest of the week is Indiegogo-land and Kritzerland-land and I intend to have a nice dinner out over the weekend – I know not where at this time.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing including all the stuff I should have done yesterday, hopefully hear from the helper, I’ll hopefully pick up packages, I’ll eat, finish the CD packaging and get that on its way, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Miss Judy Garland as well as your favorite recordings? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have revisited Wes Montgomery-land or as I like to call it, Bumpin’ with Wes.