Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to, as I have hundreds of times since discovering it in 1961, Dave Brubeck’s ballet, Points on Jazz, originally scored for two pianos and played by Gold and Fizdale. I was so obsessed with the album and music – could not get enough of it. Amazingly, it has never been released on CD, which is criminal. In fact, I came within days of releasing it on CD coupled with Howard Brubeck’s Dialogue for Jazz Band and Orchestra (or something like that), but in the end it was just going to be too expensive for us to license. Of course, there have been two digital recordings since then for the two-piano version – one on Koch, I think, which I didn’t care for at all, especially the sound, and one very recent one that I liked much better, performed by Duo Jatekok. But nothing compares to the Gold and Fizdale recording. Maybe someday we’ll get a definitive Brubeck box. The orchestrated version is very interesting and excellent, but not as clean and lean as the original version for two pianos. And I did manage to watch two motion pictures, one documentary called Lunch, and the hideous Sextette – I’d only seen a couple of scenes and had no idea how truly awful it was. Of course, it stars Mae West at eighty-four and yes she can still deliver a signature quip, but she’s filmed with so much diffusion she’s completely out of focus. She wrote the play on which the film is based. Her leading man is the oddly cast Timothy Dalton. Amusingly, there’s a line at the end of the film that says his character is more man than 007 is – exactly a decade later he would play 007. It’s a ridiculous film filled with odd cameos from Tony Curtis, George Raft, George Hamilton, and others. It’s supposed to take place in England but was all shot here. There are several songs and some awful choreography – surprisingly done by Marc Breaux of Mary Poppins fame. And the director is Ken Hughes, who helmed Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang. You’d never know it from this film. Anyway, a highly not recommended rating from the likes of me. Lunch at eight-something minutes, seems like it goes on for three hours – it’s just not well thought out or edited. It’s about a group of old cockers, mostly writers, who gather one Wednesday a month for lunch at Factor’s Deli on Pico. It’s folks like Sid Caesar, who basically just sits there looking lost, Han Kanter, Arthur Marx. Monty Hall, Carl Reiner, Rocky Kalish, National Lampoon’s Matty Simmons, Gary Owens, director Arthur Hiller, Ben Starr, and John Rappaport. The majority of the people were in their mid-80s when this was shot in 2010, I’d guess (released in 2012). In addition to watching them hold forth, each has an interview where they talk about their life. It’s fun for a while but there’s simply no sense of pace, and that is something that the men involved would never have allowed – comedy is pacing and rhythm. The food looked good. I enjoyed it for what it was but just kind of wanted it to be more. They’ve all passed away since then, save for John Rappaport. A generation the likes of which we probably won’t ever see again in terms of comedy.
Yesterday was weird. I did get almost ten hours of uninterrupted sleep, got up, answered e-mails, had a very long telephonic conversation, then spent two hours filling out my ballot – I did, for once, read up on all the measures before voting on them – then I drove to an official ballot mailbox about five minutes from here and deposited it in there. So, that’s done. Then I went to Taco Bell, got food, came home, ate said food, which was fine, had a fruity fruit bar (grape), then spent two hours revising and adjusting the commentary for the Elmer Bernstein concert. And we had to replace Kerry O’Malley for Kritzerland because she got yet another gig – I did that quickly, thankfully and now we have our cast and it’s a good one. As soon as I have the flyer, I’ll share it.
I got news that the helper did indeed pick up the three CDs we’ve been waiting on forever – and I know she shipped out the remaining 10-CD perks that had one or more of those titles on those lists. This morning, I’ll forward all those orders and there are a lot to forward. I wish there were an easier way to do that, but there isn’t – it’s one by one, I’m afraid, and it takes quite some time. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish and the rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up by ten, then the helper comes at eleven and she’ll take the second batch of perks, I’ll forward the orders that need forwarding, I’ll eat, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye comes, so I’ll go somewhere and have some breakfast and then do other stuff. Once back home, I just intend to relax and rest my voice. Then Sunday we run stuff and then do the concert. I will, of course, have a full report for you.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by ten, have a helper visit, forward orders, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – I have no idea. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, always happy to listen to Points on Jazz.