Adam Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 (edited) My mother saw Billy Crystal's one-man show the other night. He talks about the environment in which he grew up, and meeting a wide variety of great musicians - Billie Holiday, etc. Apparently this is Long Island, because his uncle apparently was Milt Gabler. He said his father used to work at the record store. The record store closed when Billy was 15, and his uncle (Milt) who owned it was working for Decca by then. His father had difficulty finding work after the store closed, and died soon after. This is all as my mom's tells me, so I might have details wrong But an interesting footnote. Edited February 17, 2006 by Adam Quote
ghost of miles Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 Yep. Universal just did a couple of Billie and Commodore comps last year riffing on this connection. They even included an old-style "interview" with Billy Crystal which consists solely of his answers (you, the local DJ, pipe in the questions). Quote
JSngry Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 Ever seen the solo bit he did on one of the early SNL shows where he did a monologue as "Face"? Roughly based on Zutty Singleton, IIRC. Tag line - "Can you dig it? I knew that you could." Pretty touching, really. Quote
medjuck Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 His productin company is "Face Productions". He was given the name Face by Willie the Lion. Quote
Adam Posted February 17, 2006 Author Report Posted February 17, 2006 Ah, so old news to all you guys... Quote
ValerieB Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 i, too was recently "enlightened" about billy's jazz connections through his one-man show. i knew very little before seeing it. had heard about the commodore record store and the label but not much more than that. it was a mind-blower to learln that billy's father was the one who recorded billie holiday's "strange fruit" when no one else would touch it!! billy did the "ziggy" bit in the show. the entire three-hour performance was so incredible that i'm trying to see it again before it closes next week! and the night i went is when president clinton came out on stage to receive a check from billy. the audiences throughout billy's tour had been contributing to a katrina fund (where billy matched every dollar donated). the whole thing was just too cool for words!! Quote
JSngry Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 But it's always good to be reminded. Sometimes Crystal gets on my nerves really badly, and remembering the Gabler/Commodore connection often eases the pressure. Quote
jazzbo Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 i, too was recently "enlightened" about billy's jazz connections through his one-man show. i knew very little before seeing it. had heard about the commodore record store and the label but not much more than that. it was a mind-blower to learln that billy's father was the one who recorded billie holiday's "strange fruit" when no one else would touch it!! billy did the "ziggy" bit in the show. the entire three-hour performance was so incredible that i'm trying to see it again before it closes next week! and the night i went is when president clinton came out on stage to receive a check from billy. the audiences throughout billy's tour had been contributing to a katrina fund (where billy matched every dollar donated). the whole thing was just too cool for words!! His uncle, not his father, was the one who produced "Strange Fruit." (Probably this was just a typo!) Jim, I'm going to have to use that reminder myself. . . the guy can be so frikkin' annoying. . . Quote
ValerieB Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 i, too was recently "enlightened" about billy's jazz connections through his one-man show. i knew very little before seeing it. had heard about the commodore record store and the label but not much more than that. it was a mind-blower to learln that billy's father was the one who recorded billie holiday's "strange fruit" when no one else would touch it!! billy did the "ziggy" bit in the show. the entire three-hour performance was so incredible that i'm trying to see it again before it closes next week! and the night i went is when president clinton came out on stage to receive a check from billy. the audiences throughout billy's tour had been contributing to a katrina fund (where billy matched every dollar donated). the whole thing was just too cool for words!! His uncle, not his father, was the one who produced "Strange Fruit." (Probably this was just a typo!) i actually remember billy saying that it was his father but it sure makes more sense if it were his uncle. Quote
BruceH Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 But it's always good to be reminded. Sometimes Crystal gets on my nerves really badly, and remembering the Gabler/Commodore connection often eases the pressure. Heh. Very well put. Quote
ghost of miles Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 it was a mind-blower to learln that billy's father was the one who recorded billie holiday's "strange fruit" when no one else would touch it!! Valerie, I highly recommend this book on the whole story behind "Strange Fruit." Quote
RDK Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 I'm confused. I thought Billy was related to Norah Jones??? Quote
ValerieB Posted February 17, 2006 Report Posted February 17, 2006 it was a mind-blower to learln that billy's father was the one who recorded billie holiday's "strange fruit" when no one else would touch it!! Valerie, I highly recommend this book on the whole story behind "Strange Fruit." thanks very much, ghost! Quote
7/4 Posted February 18, 2006 Report Posted February 18, 2006 I'm confused. I thought Billy was related to Norah Jones??? But not L. Shankar. He played with Zappa and Steve Vai. Quote
Jim Dye Posted February 18, 2006 Report Posted February 18, 2006 (edited) Jack Crystal is on the right. [Portrait of Milt Gabler, Herbie Hill, Lou Blum, and Jack Crystal, Commodore Record Shop, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947]. Gottlieb, William P. 1917- photographer. Edited February 18, 2006 by Jim Dye Quote
Jazzmoose Posted February 18, 2006 Report Posted February 18, 2006 I'm confused. I thought Billy was related to Norah Jones??? Just checking to see who made the obligatory Norah Jones post... Quote
Kalo Posted February 18, 2006 Report Posted February 18, 2006 Ever seen the solo bit he did on one of the early SNL shows where he did a monologue as "Face"? Roughly based on Zutty Singleton, IIRC. Tag line - "Can you dig it? I knew that you could." Pretty touching, really. I remember that fondly, I must say. But it's always good to be reminded. Sometimes Crystal gets on my nerves really badly, and remembering the Gabler/Commodore connection often eases the pressure. He sure can be "tight" for someone who grew up around such presumably "loose" improvisers... Quote
Kalo Posted February 18, 2006 Report Posted February 18, 2006 Jack Crystal is on the right. [Portrait of Milt Gabler, Herbie Hill, Lou Blum, and Jack Crystal, Commodore Record Shop, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947]. Gottlieb, William P. 1917- photographer. Based on the get-up, I'd say that Jack was low man on the totem pole, pay-scale-wise... Quote
Kalo Posted February 18, 2006 Report Posted February 18, 2006 Jack Crystal almost looks more like Steve Buscemi's dad than Billy Crystal's... Quote
BruceH Posted February 18, 2006 Report Posted February 18, 2006 Jack Crystal almost looks more like Steve Buscemi's dad than Billy Crystal's... I was thinking the same thing. Quote
Kalo Posted March 5, 2006 Report Posted March 5, 2006 Have Buscemi and Crystal ever been in a movie together? I don't think so, but it might work. "The Commodore Story" anyone? Billy as Milt, Steve as Jack. Hallie Berry as Billie Holiday, Reese Witherspoon as Lee Wiley... Quote
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