Doesn't she look so very-very Greenwich? Connecticut, that is, the hometown of Miss Linda Purl, the celebrated actress, and yes, a luminous jazz chanteuse.
Me and my Cuban Luvuh saw her live a few years back and, for me, it was eye-opening, as I'd never heard her sing before. She had a radiant stage presence, which I expected, but more important, a clear-as-a-bell singing voice - complete with deep emotional dives into each and every number. Who knew that TV's "Matlock" gal, and, yes, Pam's mom on "The Office," was such a jazz baby? Trust me on this one - a Lovely Linda Cheerful Exclusive! - you really want to hear her. You'll be both surprised and enchanted, I swear.
Below is the exact face I make while posing for a quarantine-selfie:
Meanwhile, who was Marian Montgomery? If you live in the UK, you might know, since she's an American-born jazz singer who married a Brit and thereafter became a much-beloved fixture at UK jazz clubs, on stage and on TV. She was known formally as a "jazz minimalist" given her low-pitched vocals, which could lag behind, or leap ahead of, the beat with cunning elasticity. But most of all, she's a great deal of fun. In her 1966 LP, "What's New?" (a Mega-Marion Cheerful Exclusive!), you really get the sense that she's having an absolute ball, no matter the number.
Sometimes, Hollywood sells a film about jazz:
But what it's really selling is this:
Case in point, the 1961 movie "Paris Blues." The poster tells the story; hot jazz makes Newman give sexy-times to his wife (with a third party in a red dress waiting in the wings?).
Actually, "Paris Blues" is a perfectly fine little movie with terrific performances - amongst them, the always dazzling Diahann Carroll - and a great jazz score from Duke Ellington. Plus the "hepcat," "daddy-o" dialogue is thrilling for all the wrong reasons (yet so right!). All of which is a roundabout way of saying that that Duke's score is just one jazz soundtrack included in "Jazz On Film: Beat, Square & Cool," am awesome 5 CD collection of eight jazz soundtracks from the late 1950s and early 60s.
There is so much to love here, like the jazz score for "The Wild One" - complete with motorcycle vroom-vrooms! - plus many more, with heavyweights like Charles Mingus, Stan Getz and Oscar Peterson either composing or performing or both. By the way, I've yet to see "Les Tricheurs," or "Youthful Sinners," about a young man who's introduced to sordid jazz and that crazy existentialism in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, but it looks like a must, and the music tracks are jammin'.
Also a must? April and Nino, of course.
The Secret Song File is pondering a world where pop star Sia adopted two 18 year-olds and pop star Billie Eilish is 17 years-old. What the wha? Corona whoooo?
Speaking of COVID-19 (such a young'un!), many are calling this Perfumed lad's new pop CD the "soundtrack of sheltering-in-place," since that it's so moody 'n' such. A resident of Brooklyn (because of course he is) (Williamsburg, no less) (oy!), the album was made well before the virus, or BTV, as it shall now be known. Nevertheless, it is, in fact, quite moody, but luxuriantly so. In fact, some of it's almost like a sound bath (but in a good way). And virus or not, the Secret Song File j'adores luxury.
...and dark chocolate and small, frightfully expensive baubles and dirty giggles.
Giggle and gab in the comments, if you like!
