Basie at the Crescendo

[JSngry]

On 9/8/2022 at 11:19 AM, JSngry said:

The only memorable Wesson alto solo with Basie that I can remember is this one:

It would have helped if I had actually included an example...DOH!

 

[Larry Kart]

2 minutes ago, JSngry said:

It would have helped if I had actually included an example...DOH!

 

Again, there are several on "Basie at the Crescendo" -- not earthshaking but hot and inventive.

[AllenLowe]

20 hours ago, JSngry said:

Girl Talk 

Odd Couple 

Beaucoup movie and TV gigs 

What happened to him is that he probably died rich. 

 

funny and odd story - and true - I was walking around Brookline, Mass., where I then lived - circa1977 -  with my then girlfriend, and we walked past a man walking the other way on the sidewalk. I said to my girlfriend - "is that Neal Hefti?" She said, "who?" I didn't have time to explain, I turned around and went up to the guy (I was about 23 and had seen pictures of him) and asked "Are you Neal Hefti?" And it was, and he was quite shocked that someone recognized him. We talked a bit and I asked if I could interview him for a jazz mag I was working for. He was very pleased, and invited me over to his apartment in Brookline, where he was now living. I went there a few nights later. He introduced me to Francis Wayne, his wife, who was movie-star gorgeous. We had a nice interview (which never got published) and he told me that Francis Wayne had hated Hollywood, and had finally gotten him to agree to move East. They did so, and just a few months later she was sadly diagnosed with lung cancer. We talked, I left, and never saw him again, and was very upset to hear that she died just some months afterward.

Edited September 10, 2022 by AllenLowe

[gmonahan]

On 9/10/2022 at 1:48 PM, AllenLowe said:

funny and odd story - and true - I was walking around Brookline, Mass., where I then lived - circa1977 -  with my then girlfriend, and we walked past a man walking the other way on the sidewalk. I said to my girlfriend - "is that Neal Hefti?" She said, "who?" I didn't have time to explain, I turned around and went up to the guy (I was about 23 and had seen pictures of him) and asked "Are you Neal Hefti?" And it was, and he was quite shocked that someone recognized him. We talked a bit and I asked if I could interview him for a jazz mag I was working for. He was very pleased, and invited me over to his apartment in Brookline, where he was now living. I went there a few nights later. He introduced me to Francis Wayne, his wife, who was movie-star gorgeous. We had a nice interview (which never got published) and he told me that Francis Wayne had hated Hollywood, and had finally gotten him to agree to move East. They did so, and just a few months later she was sadly diagnosed with lung cancer. We talked, I left, and never saw him again, and was very upset to hear that she died just some months afterward.

I'm smiling at the notion of going right up to the guy and asking "Are you Neal Hefti?"  That certainly took a little bit of journalistic chutzpah!! Thanks for the story!

 

[DMP]

Seeing the name Frances Wayne made me realize I have her Atlantic album on one of those odd Collectables CDs - the ones that seem to pair two unrelated albums (in this case it’s with Jack Wilson) and I’ve never played her portion! Going to pull it out right now.