Results for "TV / Film"

Leonard Bernstein the Original Culture Warrior

October 19, 2008

Since when was 'cosmopolitan' a dirty word? Leonard Bernstein proved that the low and high arts could make beautiful music together. I Feel Pretty: Bernstein's sex appeal didn't exactly hurt his pop-culture popularity. It is one of those stories that never get old. Once upon a time, a matinee crowd bustled into Carnegie Hall to hear ...

Melody on NBC's Lipstick Jungle | Melody Gardot | News

October 14, 2008

M for Mississippi Premieres in Clarksdale

October 14, 2008

From the Department of Shameless Self-Promotion, you are hereby humbly invited to check out my piece in the current Riverfront Times on the new documentary film M for Mississippi, which premiered this past weekend in Clarksdale, MS. The film was produced by St. Louisan Jeff Konkel, the man behind the country blues label Broke ...

"Let's Get Lost" The Lasting Allure of Chet Baker

October 13, 2008

Let's Get Lost captures the seductive power of the conflicted jazzman. Bruce Weber's 1989 film is a vivid portrait of trumpeter-vocalist Chet Baker. Early on in Let's Get Lost, Bruce Weber's 1989 documentary about Chet Baker, the jazz trumpeter is asked if he'd like a glass of wine? Yeah, he replies in that wispy ...

"Crazy," Film Inspired by the Life of Guitarist Hank Garland

October 13, 2008

Crazy, an independent feature film inspired by the tragic life and groundbreaking music of legendary 1950s-era guitarist Hank Garland, will have a limited theatrical release beginning October 17 at Regal Theatres and Carmike Theatres in Nashville and Malco Theatres in Memphis, TN. The film, which stars Waylon Payne (Walk The Line) as Garland and Ali Larter ...

New Oscar Rules Announced for Songs and Music Scores

October 12, 2008

The Oscars have announced new regulations governing songs and music scores that will enable more voters to participate in the selection of nominees and permit campaigners to reach them directly with music CDs. Last year Oscars campaigners were barred from sending CDs to voters. The academy wanted members of the music branch to judge scores in ...

Sat Eye Candy: SNL Turns 33

October 12, 2008

“LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT" On this evening in 1975, George Carlin hosted the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. Joined by musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston, he kicked off one of the longest running comedy variety show in TV history. Each Saturday night for a good chunk of each year, ...

"Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer": All That Jazz and Plenty of Drama

October 10, 2008

Anita O'Day sang like an angel, lived like the devil and made enough great music to fill a couple of lifetimes. Actually, she did live twice, considering that a heroin overdose killed her briefly in 1966, before revival with a then-experimental electric-shock device. It's practically a miracle O'Day lived to age 87, singing nearly until the ...

Movie for Masekela

October 9, 2008

International jazz giant Hugh Masekela travels the world, playing London, New York, Paris and more in any given year. But he has such fond memories of his childhood in Emalahleni, which was called Witbank at the time, that he's planning a movie about those years. “I want the film to depict how Witbank was back in ...

Forest Whitaker to Play Louis Armstrong

October 9, 2008

Oscar Winner Will Also Direct What A Wonderful World Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker is about to bring another jazz legend's life story to the big screen. Whitaker, who portrayed Charlie Parker for director Clint Eastwood in Bird, will star in and direct a film on jazz great Louis Armstrong. According to Variety, Whitaker will ...