Tennis, anyone? (or not) (I've always preferred badminton). Actually, why not hear a tennis pro sing? Because, golly, if there's one thing I think of when I hear the names Venus Williams or Raf Nadal, it's singing!
Which is not as far-fetched as you think. In 1959, Althea Gibson, the celebrated black athlete and one of the first to cross the color line of international pro tennis, actually cut an LP. Wait - what? See, in those days, if you gained sudden fame, you got a record deal, because why not? It wasn't that different from the early-1980s, when various celebrities like this got record deals, and simply because they were famous.
But here's the thing. In Althea's case, she can sing. No, really. And the set is nicely swingin', especially "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," with the crackerjack band giving solid support. For a one-shot-wonder, Althea's worth your time.
Also worth your time - hours and hours of it, in fact - is Count Basie. Of course. You know that. But...
...did you know that every single track from his Roulette Records years is available in one mouthwatering collection? Sounds like "too much," right? It's not. He wasn't called the King Of Swing for nuttin', after all, and it's shocking how little repetition there is in this multi-disc set, and how gorgeously listenable it is - and not just in short, half-hour stints, but for hours and hours and hours and hours.
Did you know? Roulette had ties to the mob back in the day. Ouch. But it also had superb taste in music; along with Basie, notables such as Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey and Dinah Washington were on its roster. Still, the owners were
Did musicians believe the underhanded business practices of Roulette were somehow worth the trouble in the long run? It's possible. The label's rise, reign and influence was spectacular, bringing newfound celebrity to all of its artists, which Basie cannily exploited by hitting the road in the U.S. and Europe. And there's no denying the results of these studio recordings. Basie, his vocalists and his orchestra sound absolutely fantastic.
Joy Bryan is the epitome of the All-American girl-next-door, isn't she?
But looks can be deceiving, and all is not vanilla. Joy was yet another terrific West Coast jazz songstress ignored by the East Coast elite, and it's a real shame, because she's a unique and subtle jazz vocalist whose loyal following included some of the best musicians of her day, like renown jazz pianist and arranger Marty Paich. She only cut two LPs, and her 1957 album "Sings" - a Jumpin' With Joy Cheerful Exclusive! - is her best. And, yes, that's Marty accompanying her on piano.
Meanwhile, watch, be watched, and remember:
Or rather, give it your best try, because the distributor of "Pain And Glory," Almodovar's latest masterpiece, is seemingly doing their best to hide it from you.
I'm not sure why, but Almodovar's last few movies, including his 2011 masterpiece "The Skin I Live In" (also starring Antonio Banderas) haven't garnered much attention - even though Almodovar's one of the few aging directors whose new movies are just as fine, if not better, than his early works. How often does that happen? Directors usually decay profitably.
As you may know, Almodovar has a Hitchcock/Herrmann relationship with Alberto Iglesias, a composer who knows intuitively what sounds are (and are not) missing from Almodovar's images. Just as wonderful, his gorgeous orchestral soundtracks are striking listening experiences all on their own.
The Secret Song File has lately become addicted to the sophomore effort by a certain Haitian-Canadian who was born the same year as Miley Cyrus. Of all people! Make of that what you will. But fair warning, if you look up the year, you'll feel so old.
Critics are using such superlatives as "hypnotic" and "trippy." Guess what? They're accurate. It's nice to listen to a new CD that lives up to the hype, ain't it? Phew, I feel younger already!
Belated Happy New Decade 'n' Such!
I'm marking "Parasite" for Best Pic In My Oscar Pool! You?
