Mosaic Records

Mosaic Records, purveyor of fantastic CD box sets and collector vinyl, has a YouTube channel, loaded with interviews and clips for ever-obsessed music geeks. Great stuff!

Billie Holiday - Fine And Mellow (1957)

More Saxxy Stuff With Ben Webster

Ben digs into the ballad Old Folks, with the impeccable Teddy Wilson on piano, in a 1970 Copenhagen performance that took place the day after the passing of the incredible Ellington orchestra saxophonist Johnny Hodges. It was no doubt an emotional and sad time for all involved, yet they transformed sadness into music that is moving, heartfelt and beautiful.

Hey, if any jazz fans read this blog, tell me where I can buy a DVD of this!

Coleman Hawkins Swings

I've thinking a lot about jazz today. If I could find a clip of iconic saxophonist Coleman Hawkins playing with The Bud Powell Trio, that would be my pick for today. Alas, I can't find such a clip, so here's something almost as good: the bluesy and ever-innovative Hawk performing Ellington's Caravan with the Jo Jones Band. Jones demonstrates his amazing abilities as a percussionist yet again here: he exudes taste, flair, originality, creativity and panache - while clearly having fun with his work.

Since one Coleman Hawkins clip simply isn't enough, here's the swingin' saxophonist's rendition of a great ballad, Indian Summer.

And now I must find that recording with Hawkins, Coltrane and Thelonious Monk playing together. Otherwise known as healing music, baby.

Burt Bacharach Day

The Fourth Presidential Debate

Has a vaguely familiar air, doesn't it?

More Marty Feldman Covers Of Tom Lehrer Tunes

Marty and Derek Griffiths perform Tom Lehrer's hilarious National Brotherhood Week on the 1974 BBC series Marty Back Together Again. While the quality of this clip isn't great (appears to have been mastered from a VHS tape that's going-going-going and soon to be gone), I can't complain, having never seen any excerpts from this series before a few days ago.



Thanks, flashbackcaruso, for posting this on YouTube!

Poisoning Pigeons In The Park

From "An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer", taped in 1967.



And click here for more Tom Lehrer.

Marty Feldman Covers Tom Lehrer

Marty covers "The Vatican Rag" as a high-stepping production number and sings "Pollution" with guitarist Derek Griffiths.

Marty Feldman and Spike Milligan, 1971

In "The Undertaker Sketch", from the Marty Feldman Comedy Machine show.

Palin For President - Michael, That Is

This Palin is all right by me: has been for a long time.

The other Palin? The recent incident involving bigots in the Alaska governor's rally audiences yelling "TERRORIST!", "OFF WITH HIS HEAD" and "KILL HIM!" about Senator Obama was an ugly and appalling blast from the past, a most unwelcome throwback to the bad old days of 1965 George Wallace and 1948 Strom Thurmond.

Your Best Investment For 2007-2008

Jonathan Clemens of Hawaii provided this great informative tidbit for today's "we can't stuff money under the mattress - we sold the mattress" times:

• If you had purchased $1,000 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago you would have $49 left.


• With Fannie Mae, you would have $2.50 left of the original $1,000.


• With AIG, you would have less than $15 left.


• If you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, guzzled all of the suds, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214 cash!

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. Forget those 401-Ks, my friends, and go for the 401-KEG!