I remember hearing Boz Scaggs’ “Silk Degrees” album when it came out, in ‘76. It was another great record in a year of them, including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, and Boz’ old bandmate (and fellow Texan), Steve Miller.

Perhaps it was because I was a huge R&B fan already, having had the nerve to play in a 10-piece integrated band in the mid ‘60’s, that I wasn’t compelled to embrace Boz a deeply as, say, Steely Dan, whose cleverness with famous jazz riffs was brilliant. I listened to the same blues that Boz had, probably.

That finally changed thanks to girl in a beret, in a bookstore in Healdsburg. The store has an amazing music section, especially for the stuff I love: jazz, rock, R&B, the more adult-appealing pop. The girl suggested Boz’ new (at the time) CD, “Memphis”. This intrigued me, because Memphis rules as a music capitol. I really enjoyed it, and heard a maturity in Boz’ voice, style and choice of material that totally resonated for me. I felt I’d discovered a brother. I can’t get over his version of “Can I Change My Mind”. Doing two songs I from Mink DeVille's first album was cool, too.

His next (and most recent) CD, “A Fool To Care”, was cut in Nashville. His drummer produced both CDs; they’re well-engineered with excellent arrangements and instrumentation on all the material. It’s not overcooked; each song comes through with its own identity. A duet with Bonnie Raitt, on her “Hell To Pay”, is a high point.

So I went back to the bookstore. I got Boz’ 2003 jazz vocals CD, “But Beautiful”. It is.
He’s feeling these jazz classics beautifully, singing warmly, but cool (dig?). The final tune, the standard “For All We Know”, is all I need to know to love this album.

Hooked, I decided to spring for his “Essentials” compilation. (Columbia has a good series of “Essential” artists, including Miles Davis.) This two-disc set covers Boz’ career right up to “Memphis”, so I caught up. When I listened to the older stuff, I realized why I hadn’t connected with him before. He had the sensibility, but not the maturity. Then, in 1994, he released “Some Change”, a killer blues-rocker that he wrote. That year, he also did a show with Booker T and the M.G.s,featuring R&B guitar pioneer, Steve Cropper ; “As the Years Go Passing By” indicates how Boz brings it live.  “97’s “It All Went Down the Drain” is dark and bluesy.  In 2001, Boz worked again with David Paich, who had arranged his hits from “Silk Degrees” (“Lowdown”, “Lido Shuffle”). Paich and the great Danny Kortchmar co-produced the album “Dig”, and the feeling deepened another notch. “Miss Riddle” is light and sexy, “I Just Go” is lonely and apologetic, and “Thanks To You” is the song I want to sing to my wife - the lyrics kill me.
(Find the songs on-line; I'd download just the six listed above from "The Essential...")

I’ve got to tell you about a most delightful series, "The Victorian Trilogy", highly recommended for fans of classic sci-fi and steampunk alike. I waited impatiently for a year for "The Map of Chaos", which finally came out during the summer of 2015. These books use H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine", "War of the Worlds" and "The Invisible Man" for inspiration, and are sublimely wry social satires from the Spanish author Felix J. Palma. The whimsical style isn't for everyone, but I love it. Here are some promo blurbs for the three books:

“Set in Victorian London with characters real and imagined, "The Map of Time" boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H.G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including "The Time Machine", from being wiped from existence. What happens if we change history? The author explores this question in the novel, weaving an historical fantasy as imaginative as it is exciting—a story full of love and adventure that transports readers to a haunting setting in Victorian London for their own taste of time travel.

“"The Map of the Sky" begins in 1898. New York socialite Emma Harlow agrees to marry well-to-do Montgomery Gilmore, but only if he first accepts her audacious challenge: to reproduce the Martian invasion featured in H. G. Wells’s popular novel "The War of the Worlds". Meanwhile in London, Wells himself is unexpectedly made privy to certain objects, apparently of extraterrestrial origin, that were discovered decades earlier on an ill-fated expedition to the Antarctic. On that same expedition was an American crew member named Edgar Allan Poe, whose inexplicable experiences in the frozen wasteland would ultimately inspire him to create one of his most enduring works of literature. When eerie, alien-looking cylinders begin appearing in London, Wells is certain it is all part of some elaborate hoax. But soon, to his great horror, he realizes that a true invasion of Earth has indeed begun. As brave bands of citizens converge on a crumbling London to defend it against utter ruin, Emma and her suitor must confront the enigma that is their love, a bright spark of hope even against the darkening light of apocalypse.

“When the person he loves most dies in tragic circumstances, the mysterious protagonist of "The Map of Chaos" does all he can to speak to her one last time. A session with a renowned medium seems to offer the only solution, but the experience unleashes terrible forces that bring the world to the brink of disaster. Salvation can only be found in "The Map of Chaos", an obscure book that he is desperate to uncover. In his search, he is given invaluable help by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lewis Carroll, and of course by H. G. Wells, whose "Invisible Man" seems to have escaped from the pages of his famous novel to sow terror among mankind. They alone can discover the means to save the world and to find the path that will reunite the lovers separated by death…”
​
I couldn’t resist these books, having grown up with H.G. Wells novels and movies. And I’m glad I didn’t!

Does anyone not like Scarlett Johannsen? C’mon, she’s adorable! Yet her recent roles have revealed a darker side. “Under the Skin”...wierd! As Black Widow in the Marvel universe...cool and tough! As the A.I. in “Her” and a bad boa in “The Jungle Book” … what a voice! But her breakthrough, the first film that she carried to over $100 million, was in 2014’s “Lucy”, as a girl who is transformed from a victimized drug mule into an evolving and avenging super-being.

It was another hit for French writer/producer/director Luc Besson. He’s been doing this for some time now, and I believe he’s done more than anyone to create the powerful woman archetype that’s come to be in the media, such as on “Game of Thrones”. Angelina Jolie gets props, too, of course, but check Mr. Besson’s resume:

In 1990, he gave us “Le Femme Nikita”, a young criminal turned into a government assassin. The French film was so successful that it launched an American version (“Point of No Return”) and a TV franchise. No one had seen a woman like this before.

In 1994, a teenage Natalie Portman learned to be a survivor in the noir classic “Leon: The Professional.” It was a major film for Gary Oldman and Jean Reno.

In 1997, Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman fought over “The Fifth Element”, in which a model-like Milla Jovovitch was a super-being. This was the most fun of any science fiction blockbuster. Ms. Jovovitch went on to do the “Resident Evil” series of films.

Then there’s 2005’s “Angel-A” (the girl’s, yes, an angel!), the 2006 script for Penelope Cruz and Salma Hyeck’s “Bandidas”,  2010’s fun fantasy “The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec” and 2011’s script for another girl-as-assassin story, Zoe Saldana’s “Columbiana.”

Yes, Mr Besson is a prolific guy. He’s also successfully launched several male-dominated major franchises, including “The Transporter” and the “Taken” trilogy. In fact, he’s virtually a studio unto himself!

I’m very excited to see his next two films, in which, again, we’ll have powerful young women as the main protagonists: “The Lake”, with Sylvia Hoeks, is about some Navy Seals discovering a treasure, and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”, with Cara Delevingne, which promises to be a fun sci-fi in the style of “The Fifth Element”. Both are due in 2017. Meanwhile, try some from the list above if you haven’t seen them already!

I feel compelled to write about those books that I love to re-read. Dan Simmons is a multi-genre master. He’s done some very scary horror books, a hard-boiled detective novel and an alternate-history Victorian adventure featuring Sherlock Holmes. But it’s his two sci-fi series that I find indispensible.  

“Hyperion” won Sci-fi’s big prize, the Hugo, when it debuted in 1990. It was a “Canterbury Tales”-type of story in which several pilgrims relate their personal stories to each other while on a fateful journey. The first story, told by a priest, is actually about another priest’s bizarre experience among a tribe of strange, primitive people in a remote and mysterious region. These first hundred pages can seem slow, but set up what will be a thrilling series of events with inter-galactic consequences. The Catholic Church in the far future figures crucially in this epic, and is captive to dark forces.  And there’s the Shrike; a powerful creature who guards the Time Tombs, it’s a mortal threat to our pilgrims and, later, a heroic couple who are on the run from sinister powers. The sequels are “The Fall of Hyperion”, “Endymion” and “The Rise of Endymion”. “Hyperion” and “Endymion” are poems by John Keats; the literary references are one of the delights of Simmons’ writing. “The Matrix” borrowed mightily from the evolving story, in which mankind trades free will for a form of immortality. Serious but exciting stuff!

“Ilium and “Olympus” are even richer in their literary allusions. Yes, it’s “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” being re-played in the far future, as a game for the gods. Only this time, both Mt. Olympus and the battlefields of Troy are on Mars! All our favorite Homeric heroes are back, especially Ulysses, Achilles and Helen, although their fates may play out a bit differently, with a reincarnated old-Earth professor and some charming machine-men from Jupiter’s moons complicating things. (Minor characters in the war are oft-mentioned; it may seem distracting, but it’s a stylistic homage to the original epics which are, after all, our first.) Shakespeare and Proust are referenced frequently in the Ionian moravecs’ dialogue, much to the reader’s amusement. There’re also many scenes on Earth, beginning at a garden party in what once was the northeastern U.S., dropping in at the site of the Burning Man festival (yes, it’s still going millennia down the line!) , going underground in volcanic Paris, scaling the peaks of Machu Pichu and fighting horrible creatures for the survival of civilization.  it’s rousing adventure!

There is an abundance of imagination at work in these stories. Simmons’ descriptive skills are cinematic, and his cleverness is endless. These six books are easily found used.

Naming my favorite movies of the 21st century, I’d naturally list the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “Avatar” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, so you can see that I like a dose of fantasy. But I also love unexpected humor, and for that reason must give my top pick to “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, which to me deserved the 2014 Best Picture Oscar. (It was nominated.)

As Wes Anderson’s most recent film, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is just the latest in a string of unpredictable delights. “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox” were also brilliant. How does anyone manage to be so original? In that respect, Mr. Anderson deserves as much applause as Stanley Kubrick achieved in his golden era.

2009’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” used a lo-fi approach to animation compared to the Pixar/Disney hits, but charmed with genius voice casting (George Clooney, Meryl Streep, et al). It’s the classic Ronald Dahl children’s story made into a surprisingly sophisticated and twisted feature-length cartoon. The talking animals in this film make the ones in “The Jungle Book” and “Zootopia” sound pretty dumb, because they act like people. That’s not to say they’re better, just more, well, human. The people in “Mr. Fox” are the dumbs ones. SO funny!

2012’s “Moonrise Kingdom” was live action, but still maintained the unreality of an animated film. Two kids go on an unauthorized adventure, and there’s a big search. The cast includes many Anderson regulars, including Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Jason Schwartzman, along with Edward Norton, Frances McDormand and a goofy Bruce Willis. The child actors are brilliant. Co-written with Roman Coppola, this is a sweet and wacky ride.

It all reached a new level with “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. Set in a fictional Eastern European resort town in the early 20th century as war approaches, it tells the story of the titular hotel’s concierge, Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), and his loyal young bellman, Zero (Tony Revolori), and their mishaps while investigating the suspicious death of a very wealthy hotel guest (Tilda Swinton, as unrecognizable as she was in the sci-fi “Snowpiercer”). What a great cast: F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Saoirse Ronan, Lea Seydoux, Jason Schwartzman…. The set pieces are eye-popping fun; my favorites are a wild toboggan ride down a mountain with an evil Willem Dafoe in pursuit, and a jail-break from fortress prison. There’s something about the animator’s mind that gets into Anderson’s live-action scenes that make them unique, unforgettable and, simply, a hoot. There’s drama in the story, too, as a Nazi-like invasion competes with a maniacal heir to threaten our heroes.

These are films that can be re-watched many times!

My first post was meant as a gift. Although you'll have to pay to download the songs, the playlist and sequence was a fortuitous accident, soothing, seductive and representative of the best jazz ever recorded. You'll be happy for the investment! Here are the liner notes for those interested.

"RAY'S GROOVE"
In the years between Sputnik’s launch and JFK's assassination, pop music sucked. We were also between the induction of Elvis and the arrival of the Beatles. It was a fallow time, but not for black music, as Ray Charles broke through with his fusion of R&B with gospel, and James Brown invented funk.  And it was in this time frame that Jazz reached its creative peak. That's my thesis, anyway.

Of course it's a subjective view. According to researchers' theory, most people's music tastes are defined for life when they're 18-to-20 years old.  I was 18 in early 1962 when I first heard most of the music on this compilation. Having subsequently spent a career promoting new Rock musicians, I proved the researchers' theory by returning to Jazz in my retirement. It provided my Comfort Zone.
 Here's some background on the songs I chose:

 1. "Concierto” is an epic, almost 20 minutes long, from the album of the same name, by Jim Hall.
My relatively-recent discovery of this '75 recording was the catalyst of the compilation, even though the rest of the material is from the late '50"s and early '60's. The other songs are from long-time favorite albums. "Concierto", as a song, set the groove for what I hoped would be a romantically listenable mix tape. I didn't find this CTI recording until its Columbia reissue in '99. I knew the song, the Rodriguez classic that had been the lead track for the early-'60's Miles Davis/Gil Evans orchestral "Sketches of Spain". The line-up on this version was amazing. Jim Hall (whose brilliant duet with Bill Evans on the '62 album "Undercurrent" had long been a favorite) was the guitarist and leader. His horn section was Paul Desmond on alto sax (famous from the best-selling "Time Out", also '62, by the Dave Brubeck Trio), and Chet Baker on trumpet. (My older brother turned me on to Chet at a time when I was staying with him in '99; I had been so obsessed with Miles from my college days that, like many, I had greatly underestimated Chet.) The arranger was Don Sebesky, whose many hits for CTI had been among my favorite '70's records. The pianist, Roland Hanna, was new to me, but immediately joined my All-Time Greats list. The rhythm section was the jazz great Ron Carter on bass (one of the principals of CTI) and Steve Gadd on drums. (Steve was a major session player better known for his pop hits.) The Producer was Mr. CTI himself, Creed Taylor, and the engineer was Rudy Gelder, who made many of my favorite records, usually for the Blue Note label. Like every track on "Ray's Groove", "Concierto” was recorded in New York. It kicks my compilation off with a classic flamenco feel.

2. That led me to Miles Davis’ “Flamenco Sketches", from what is to me and many others the greatest jazz album of all time, "Kind Of Blue". This1959 recording, important for its seminal creation of "modal" jazz, has been the subject of at least two books. The great pianist Bill Evans did the arrangements of these Miles Davis originals, which were amazingly recorded without overdubs and generally in one take. The horn section was the best of the best: John Coltrane on tenor sax, Cannonball Adderley on alto sax and, of course, that superstar Miles Davis on trumpet. The rhythm section was Paul Chambers on bass and James Cobb on drums. (At this point I should say that there's a "six degrees of separation" thing going on in this compilation; as you'll see, "Ray's Groove" is a time capsule of a small but incredibly influential group of musicians at a time of creative apogee.) Bear in mind that, like all the songs on "Kind Of Blue", "Flamenco Sketches" represented a new type of “modal” scale structure, and required improvisational virtuosity of a masterly level from each of the players.
(The full “Kind of Blue” album gets my highest recommendation!) 

3. From my second-favorite jazz recording, Kenny Burrell's "Midnight Blue", I chose "Soul Lament" because it maintains both the flamenco and blues themes already introduced. It's a solo piece from Kenny Burrell who's my idol as a guitarist. His playing is understated yet elegant; his feeling for the blues is impeccable. Another Rudy Gelder-engineered classic, the album features Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Ray Barreto on congas, and a solid rhythm section; the overall effect is a cool, sexy groove. The producer is Blue Note founder Alfred Lion.
(The full “Midnight Blue” album is highly recommended.)

4. This arrangement of the standard "Autumn Leaves" is moody and mysterious. The leader is technically Cannonball Adderley, but with Miles Davis involved, it's a toss-up between two of the greatest. Even the drummer, Art Blakey, was a leader (of the Jazz Messengers). I love the simple but compelling piano part, as played by Hank Jones; like Bill Evans or Roland Hanna, his light touch is perfect. And listen to the bass counterpoint. Sam Jones on bass is no relation, except for being a (great) fellow participant on the original album, called "Somethin' Else." It's another Blue Note/Alfred Lion - Rudy Van Gelder classic, from '58. (Don't worry if you're all mellowed-out; the four-bar horn blast near the end of the intro doesn’t repeat.)

5. The Thelonious Monk composition "'Round Midnight" is, to me, the"Stairway To Heaven" of Jazz. It was the most-played Jazz song of its time, but never better than this, Miles Davis' first recording for Columbia. It was also the first collaboration with long-time Miles producer Teo Macero. The musical "breakdown" that sets the tone for John Coltrane's tenor solo is a classic, high-energy passage in an otherwise melodic, romantic arrangement. And this solo was Coltrane’s breakout.

6. Also produced by Teo Macero, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is originally from "Mingus Ah Um". Charles Mingus was another genius for Columbia. Mingus composed, arranged and led on his recordings, and was also the best on bass. He's in the Duke Ellington tradition, but looked like the prototype for the cool '50's beatnik. The tenor sax is by John Handy III; Horace Parlan is on piano. The album is from '59, and shares an approach to art design with Columbia's "Time Out” by the Dave Brubeck Trio.

7. Coming full circle, trumpeter Chet Baker (from "Concierto") joins up with Bill Evans and Paul Chambers (from "Flamenco Sketches") on an all-star recording on the Riverside label called "Alone Together" The baritone sax is by Monk regular Pepper Adams, the flute by future star Herbie Mann. Elsewhere on the album "Chet", a flawless collection of Jazz ballads recorded in late '58-early '59, is guitarist Kenny Burrell (from "Soul Lament”). T
(The full "Chet" album is highly recommended.)

8. As popularized in the film, "The Talented Mr. Ripley", Chet Baker also had some surprising success as a Jazz vocalist in the '50's. This closing song is an oddly charming take on the standard, "My Funny Valentine". It's originally from "Chet Baker Sings", on Verve.

​Put your “Ray’s Groove” CD on repeat. As Chet would say, “Let’s get lost.”