A few posts back, I was thinking about influences on life, and earlier today I got a pleasant surprise that echoed just that. The website had a special visitor today, and he left a note, saying his mother was John Bartee's youngest sister. He briefly wrote about a memory from when he was a 4-year-old child in Burbank, California, and John visiting with him, bringing a guitar & a box of sheet music. Now John's nephew can't remember what his uncle looked like at that age, but to this day he remembers how the Guitar and the music stuff took him. He went on to start playing guitar at age 8, and upright and electric bass at 12. He will say Music was a gift, as will my own nephew, who has received that natural gift as well. We may watch and listen as they play different instruments and enjoy their talents... But I feel the Music is so much deeper in them than what we witness outwardly. A gift which they may not even have words for... A love & A life.
With that said, I'd like to change up the Jazz beat a little with some sounds that would have no problem sharing the room with those that came before.
I had only seen pictures of Johnny Alexander playing Bass; we have never met personally. Yet a few hours ago, I got to see & hear him perform thanks to the Internet.
Dave Crimmen & his Band
Dave Crimmen - Lead Vocals, Guitar Johnny Alexander - Bass Guitar Greg Windust - Drums
If you are near the San Mateo-San Francisco Area of California, you need to check out Dave Crimmen & his Band live. Check their schedule, and if you enjoyed the tunes above, they are burning things up on Myspace.
These words don't just apply to the Music Industry... The lack of integrity has become an ever-present force within our World. It surrounds us and draws us in... even the best of us are challenged daily to compromise what is right.
It reins in our governments, the world's financial systems, and even the religions so many consider the moral compass of their souls.
I will find a way to deal with those elements in the world around me... What bothers me most is the lack of integrity we allow in recorded History. Here we are at what many would call the most technologically advanced stage of human civilization. Yet history is put to shame by pictures on a cave wall, and even some of those early historians exaggerated the truth. The future depends in part on the History we leave behind; will truth not matter to our descendants?
The PC age of computers has allowed us to record & scan massive amounts of information. Now, a document that was once known only to one individual, buried among boxes in their attic, can be scanned and reunited with other hidden pieces of the event. Even if this doesn't paint a precise picture of the past, it might give us a clearer understanding of what took place.
Without fail... the overwhelming power that keeps the truth away seems to always have an underlying reason.
In the Music Industry, this reason is ROYALTIES. If acknowledging the real truth could lead to the loss of current-day royalties for individuals & music publishers... they have either copied, burned, buried, or locked that truth up in Fort Knox. Even if they were told they could keep all the money & rights, they still wouldn't share the truth. For then the illusion of integrity is gone. So... the code of silence is the Industry motto...
After hundreds of inquiries to individuals & corporations within the music industry over the last seven years regarding John Bartee, I have gotten the message loud & clear. CASH trumps Truth.
Old lovable Buddy in The Dick Van Dyke Show went to his grave under a similar code: denial. Right or Wrong...even in this case, the truth is somewhere in there. Are we prepared, as individuals, for future generations to write the Wikipedia article on who we were based on the information they have available? But then do we really care?
Lord Invader - Rum & Coca-Cola
Andrew Sisters - Rum & Coca-Cola
At least this makes the rules of the game easier to understand. I now only believe the illusion that there were 9 laws on those stone tablets, and even those are debatable. Play Ball...
It seems that every day, a visitor to this blog opens my eyes to yet another piece of the musical world. One individual who tends to enlighten & educate me more on the offstage business of the industry is jazz journalist & writer Chris Albertson. I assume most of us have arrived at our present location in life, in part, because of the influence of others. Bessie Smith seems to have influenced his path when, in 1947, he first heard one of her recordings on Danish radio.
From that first song, an appreciation of jazz and blues music apparently has taken Mr. Albertson on a very interesting journey. On his current blog, Stomp Off, he regularly reaches into a treasure trove of notes, letters, and original recordings of interviews he did in the past. I'm sure others in the music business have a closet full of history too, but Chris seems to have endeared himself to a wide range of individuals in the industry, most importantly, the Artists of days gone by. From what I have learned about Chris without personally meeting him, I think many who know him might feel similarly to what Duke Ellington felt about Stanley & Helen Oakley-Dance, long-time friends to both Ellington & Chris.
In 1970 Duke Ellington wrote:
"Stanley is well informed about my activities and those of my associates. He has been a part of our scene for a long time, maybe longer than he cares to remember. He and his wife, Helen, are the kind of people it is good to have in your corner, the kind you don't mind knowing your secrets. In other words, they are friends - and you don't have to be careful with friends."
From the beginning of my search for John Bartee, I have been influenced by the sounds & History of an era when life & Music were far different from what we experience in the mainstream of life today. Yet it was an era that still had all the human vices & shortcomings mankind has nurtured since the beginning of its existence here on planet Earth.
Years ago, one of the first pictures that really drew me into the world of big band & jazz was this grouping of Chick Webb, Artie Shaw & Duke Ellington.
Jam Session with Jazz Giants (1937)
Helen Oakley, in the light dress, then working for Irving Mills, organized this 1937 jam session at the Brunswick Recording Studio in New York to help launch the Master and Variety record labels.
Chick Webb, Artie Shaw, and Duke Ellington all volunteered their time. Milt Gabler kneels behind Ellington; Oakley's British-born future husband, the jazz historian Stanley Dance, stands against the far wall.
And that's Teddy McRae, Back Bay Shuffle... to the left of Helen Dance. Bandleader. George Hall, right of Shaw.
Originally uncredited: Charles Peterson was the photographer for this event and is himself part of the pictures he created of the New York music world. His son, Don, compiled his work in the bookSwing Era New York. Here, we come full circle, with the foreword by Stanley Dance. After seeing the preview pictures at the link above, I'm sure I'll look forward to seeing the other images Mr. Peterson lived & captured on film. The picture above is a web link to the site where it is posted.
Turns out when Chris Albertson gives a lesson, most recently about his friend Stanley Dance... I am left wanting to know more. Although I had seen her name before...Helen Oakley with this picture, until I did my homework, I really didn't know who she was... Now I really know how important this picture is in music history... because it's not just about the well-known musicians Webb, Shaw & Ellington. It's also about their friends, supporters, and promoters within the industry who helped shape and influence their success.
That event / open house for the new Variety & Master record labels was truly an event. As noted above, Stanley Dance stands against the far wall; he arrived in New York just a month earlier aboard the Queen Mary. Read a brief account from him. There is so much more history beyond what this one picture shows, yet true History is a difficult product to market. I bet a complete motion picture screenplay could be produced from just the beginning of this picture's story. But in today's economy, not even a film about Miles Davis gets put on the shelf.
One thing I have learned from many books published about music history is that many just scratch the surface when it comes to the individuals who aren't pictured on the album cover. I am not sure whether this is intentional, between the writer & the publisher, to create the illusion that the product will impart information & true knowledge of the marketing subject. But in this day and age, if someone is actually reading & then takes the step to buy a book on a subject that interests them... wouldn't it be more beneficial to a publisher's future publications if they were known for producing well-researched, truly informative books & articles?
Through this website, I've learned that our news service industry no longer relies on first-hand research by contacting someone like Chris Albertson. Instead, much of the best news research is done at a keyboard, collecting third- and fourth-hand accounts of events from bloggers like me. So I add this disclaimer: I am an authority on Custom Cabinetmaking, Genealogy research, John Bartee & visits to the emergency room... On everything else in life, I remain a lifelong student with a passion for many subjects and activities.
If you were puzzled about the previous post... Yes, it reflects my feelings about many organizations & the fact that I base my opinion of an individual on their personal actions. We are what WE do, not what any political, religious, or ethnic organization does. Beyond that... it was a humorous image that just popped into my head, so I had to create it. Not meant to offend any supporters of President Obama... You could cut and paste the face of any President of the past few decades & I would still see it the same.
If you read Thoreau's quote, it's very easy to understand the depiction.
If you're still upset with my humorous depiction of World Government in action, I refer you back to spokesperson Porky Pig.
Sonny Rollins was really busy last week; on Tuesday, September 7th, he turned 80, and a new book by Abbott and Blumenthal, “Saxophone Colossus: A Portrait of Sonny Rollins,” was released. Though he was just warming up...
To top off the week, he appeared with guitarist Jim Hall, who, at age 79, brought the two great Jazz artists together at New York City's Beacon Theater. If that wasn't enough to fill the sold-out concert... Roy Hargrove was the first special guest to join Mr. Rollins and his band on stage. The drummer Roy Haynes, who, at 85, surprised the audience (I think more because he didn't look 85), joined Mr. Rollins in a trio with the youngster, 38-year-old bassist Christian McBride, for a number. Then Mr. Rollins seemed to become a magician, pulling another surprise guest from his hat when alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman, who also turned 80 this year, joined the show.
Also featured were Mr. Rollins’s longtime bassist Bob Cranshaw, guitarist Russell Malone, drummer Kobie Watkins, and percussionist Sammy Figueroa.
A very lucky audience seemed to be the recipients of a gifted historical performance that topped off Sonny Rollins's week-long birthday celebration. Apparently... 80 is the new magical number for really getting in the groove.
I started a post planning to write about all the comments attached to YouTube Music Videos by the under-25 generation worldwide. Many of them watch old videos & listen to music by big bands and jazz musicians from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Then they comment on how great the music is, how talented the artists are, and how the era is depicted, which makes them wish they could have been born then. I think that is great... but I hope they also know a lot of people died in war during the same time period, and many families struggled during the Depression & War years. But I also realize they are seeing the quality of the performance, in contrast to... Yo, Yo, I can't play an instrument or read music, Mr. Rapper Dogg & American Idol.
That's what I started out writing about... the good old days.
Part of that was about Artie Shaw and his role in shaping American music, inspiring respect and admiration for his contributions during the Great Depression. All the musicians, through their radio, movie & dance club performances, along with records, gave the people hope to keep getting up in the morning.
Now our World is stumbling around, trying to find the ability to move forward, and I think maybe the past might help. Then all those thoughts kind of rolled into one when I read the following press release.
They had me up to the influences on later contemporary artists; I guess that's how they are going to tie in Mr. Shaw's life after 1960.
My high-tech marketing study would tell the experts to focus on the years before 1970, with much of the attention on the 1930s & 40s. This story offers all of us Baby Boomers, and those who followed, insight into a past era most know little about. Show the sights & sounds of the era. And make it believable by balancing fact with creative storytelling. Tell the truth, good & bad... about Artie, about the business of movies & music... about the life of the era, ensuring viewers get an authentic yet engaging experience.
Over at the Scabvendorwebsite this past week, Jonathan Shaw wrote about how many on this planet have elevated CRAP to the level of worshipped discipleship. Given our world's overflowing excess of rectal material, it was suggested we take this matter out to the desert and bury it. Then an enterprising individual would dig it up, package it in colorful boxes, and resell it to the original owners.
That is exactly what would piss off Artie Shaw: replaying the same song over & over until it no longer resembled the art it was originally. Or putting together some fluff that doesn't even resemble what Mr. Shaw knew as his truth. Rest assured, Mr. Shaw won't be happy with any film about him if it distorts his character or omits his human weaknesses. But he never got used to an audience seeing who he really was. Including these honest portrayals may win him over to a new audience, help them relate to his internal struggles and complexities, and make the story more genuine and impactful.
Again, I offer a colorful, entertaining picture...yet Mr. Shaw's personal image comes through intact because we all have friends & family members who got older. Dinner with Artie Shaw, painted by Jonathan Shaw.
In 1939, Billie Holiday gave an interview with some thoughts on Artie Shaw. She said Artie and a few guys in the band traveled to a gig with her in the same car. Billie says they were driving down the road and having a casual conversation. They pass a bearded man on the side of the road, and Billie asks Artie if he has ever had a beard. Artie responds, "Oh yeah, he had had a beard back in the days when he had a farm." Billie asks, "So how did you look?" Artie replies, " Like a Young Jesus Christ." "All those in the car roared with laughter, all but Artie. Artie looked mad, because he had been serious. So I said, 'We'll just call you Jesus Christ, King of the Clarinet, and his Band."
"Now here's the payoff--the story got out around Boston and even today, we hear a lot of the musicians refer to Artie as 'Jesus Christ and his Clarinet'."
Two scenes with light-hearted humor let Artie come through without self-destructing. I would start the film with the images & story Jonathan created of the roller coaster ride in the dark of night, with the underlying sound of Artie's theme song, Nightmare, along with some of the opening credits. Then, as Artie's cane pops Jonathan in the head, the viewer is blasted into solarizing sunshine and a young Artie with his own father. At this point, the audience will want to pet the sleepy cocker spaniel, giving the filmmaker a hook to tell his story.
When I first read about the rights finally being sold for Shaw's Life, I hoped they'd end up in capable hands, first because I like great movies and second because I believe a great movie can be made from Artie Shaw's Life. Eleven years ago, a film was discussed with Robert Altman writing & directing, and Johnny Depp in the role of Artie Shaw. It wouldn't have hurt to have Jonathan Shaw along as a co-writer & advisor. So... now we have this new group. I checked them out. I read about the people behind the company. One is listed as the founder and President of Tri-Star Pictures; their website mentions plans for a new movie studio and theme park... The principals planned a $2 billion investment over 12 months a couple of years ago. That's a great start, if real dollars make it into a real bank account. I won't say too much about their film library. You look them up. But hey... the head guy is listed as the founder & president of Tri-Star Pictures... you know, Pegasus, the flying white horse logo. They made some really good pictures; The Natural, with Robert Redford, was TriStar's first picture.
All this is going on in my head, and I start thinking about the 1986 documentary Time Is All You've Got by Brigitte Berman... Except for special showings, that Academy Award-winning film has been locked away from public eyes. I looked up Ms. Berman and saw that in late July she started promoting her newly released documentary on Hugh Hefner; it seems Mr. Hefner opened the doors to his life for her to document. It appears he won't be taking all the credit for her work and wants control over it. In the interview I am reading about her, Ms. Berman is asked about her next project and says she can't talk about it at present, but she does say it's going to be a full-length motion picture.
Humm... I say, you think these guys from Sunn are going to bring her in to pull all the Artie Shaw stuff together.... Nah... she probably spit for years trying to get the bad taste from the last Shaw project out of her mouth.
But then the final little piece of information rolls across my computer screen, from all places... a story in Forbes Magazine by Seth Lubove, published November 25, 2002. Now I came across this story because I went looking for information on a guy who was the founder & president of Tri-Star Pictures. I figured I'd find all kinds of information on his Wikipedia Biography, all the references to Tri-Star. Still, I found little beyond plans for this great new magical studio & theme park in the desert near Palm Springs.
Tri-Star Pictures (sorry, spelling before 1991). TriStar Pictures came about in 1982 when Columbia Pictures (then a subsidiary of Coca-Cola), HBO, and CBS (who, despite their former full name - Columbia Broadcasting System - was unrelated to Columbia Pictures, although the film studio did produce some series for CBS) decided to pool resources to split the ever-growing costs of making movies, creating Nova Pictures as a joint venture. Later, Columbia Pictures bought out HBO & CBS. Then Sony bought control of all of Coca-Cola's entertainment holdings.
Back to the Forbes article... now we find the individual who claims he founded Tri-Star, listed with lots of other details. And another Film company named Ameri-Dreaming, which planned to build a movie studio and theme park in the desert outside Palm Springs in 2002. Wow... It's like they had the same idea years earlier, on a few occasions with different company names. Maybe you'd best just read the original article. At least before you pull out your wallet to invest more than the ticket price.
All I can say now is I hope this isn't Artie working from the grave to put all the access out of reach and prevent any film from ever being made. Should it ever find a script & the ability of a true storytelling filmmaker, like a Martin Scorsese. It should entertain while offering a believable historical view of the past through the Life of Artie Shaw. A bigger and better version of the era than... "The Aviator," which was a good movie. They turned to Artie Shaw to supply the music for Nightmare. Maybe something with the feel of Howard Hughes riding Seabiscuit while he plays the Clarinet for his riding partner Ava Gardner while Frank Sinatra cries in the corner. Anyway you look at it, doing it right will be a challenge.
Johnny Depp would have been great in the role 11 years ago; I still vote for him today... But he, probably like Artie Shaw, is at another stage in his life journey. If he answers their calls, they'd best be ready to make it happen this time, and not even think of asking Mr. Depp to put on a cheap suit.
An audience from the past gets smaller every day, and an audience from the future needs a connection to the past today for insight into the future. Otherwise... Hollywood should just continue making Doomsday Pictures wrapped in pretty paper smelling like... Well, you know. Apparently there is always another buyer for that.
UPDATE: Aug 9th - Appears Shaw's longtime lawyer who handled the deal with Sunn Classic Pictures was an Associate Producer for this group's "Blockbuster Hit", CAGE in 1989. I can hear a flushing sound in the background... must be a new batch of pretty gift boxes.
What a Nightmare.
Update: Sept 26th Part II "A Future Nightmare" **scroll down and read comments first.**
A response to a comment below, at the bottom of the comment section.
To Anonymous:
Yes...the above post was an opinion & collection of thoughts. Based on more research than your PROFESSIONAL Media types do. Many of them come to this website, including a couple of LA investment analysts and financial managers looking for facts... that is why I am posting your Anonymous comment, because I feel it deserves attention.
But I will start by saying even the "so-called professional" will start their search with the information in Sunn Classic Pictures' own press release; Judy Garland, in her release, included a link to the company's website. I believe those truths and falsehoods in Internet media should have been set straight on the company website. I have given credit and links so readers can form their own opinion. Researching the founder of Tri-Star basically starts with finding the founder's name in the film credits and documents on the INTERNET. Not much is written connecting him to the big Corporation it is part of today; I will make sure to send them a letter asking why not.
I am sorry to say, even with its faults, the Net is the best tool for getting information out to the masses, and a good starting point for further research. This site is a couple of months old, and Google has already spread its content far and wide. If Sunn & its principals were truly concerned that the World knew of their accomplishments & abilities, it wouldn't be a difficult task for a good press agent to make happen. In 24 to 48 hours, Google will eat it up and share it with the world.
This would also give people who form opinions a more balanced supply of information from different sources. I ask... shouldn't the average person give a little weight to the Forbes Magazine article, which wasn't just an Internet blurb? I know many investors want basic information about where they are putting their money. I should add... in 2002, that detailed Forbes article described an image of the company that closely resembles the image still presented on Sunn's website today, 8 years later, same impression, along with a lot of other details gained from a personal interview with the principals at their offices in the desert. I'm pretty sure Forbes Magazine has folks in suits who specialize in telling them whether it's okay to publish their stories.
Wikipedia's listing of Tri-Star (TriStar) on the Internet can be edited to include the facts, which I don't find hard to believe, as stated by the organization you write about. So why not update & address these issues... which I believe was again a shortcoming of the press agent in presenting a good image of the company. I do know the films which TriStar Pictures is truly noted for producing came after this original organization. I'll personally note the film productions before "The Natural," which was produced under new ownership.
So what opinion was I left to come to... and believe me, my "marketing study" will sell you some tickets if I was involved in getting Artie Shaw & the Era to the screen.
I truly want to see this story of Mr. Shaw become a successful film project. Then John Bartee will finally get a royalty check for using one of his Latin compositions. At least one, which any depiction of the 1949 band during the popular Latin Jazz Era will need... He then will be able to afford a tombstone for his grave. But the image presented of those behind the venture makes me wonder...If he will have to be content a little longer with his cardboard marker.
I wish them all the luck and fortune with this picture. But if you want the World to know the facts, don't bury them under a rock. Print Tri-Star's history, along with the other information in the founder's bio, on your company website. On that same site, there is a link for investment opportunities. I would present the key facts on that website so potential investors don't have to beat around the bush to dig up information on their own.
I do know who Anonymous is, given the Google searches you did to get to this site. And AOL has terrible proxy servers, and it's not that hard to get over the rainbow to find Toto on Facebook. I am actually pretty good at research if you had bothered to read what this blog was primarily about. Believe me, the above post, A Future Nightmare? really wasn't about your interest; it was about mine... Artie Shaw, The Music, and quality movies. If those you represent focus on those facts, rather than worrying about some blogger like me, they might have a chance to create something worth watching. I hope this exercise prepares you for the real Movie Industry critics.
Now if... all those involved with Sunn Classic Pictures get this picture produced and it shows some level of quality & integrity, I will be the first to write a glowing review of the film & the production company's Artistic abilities. I will give you a full page on this site starting today, should you want me to report on its progress & promotions. Again, take note... even the Miles Davis film project is now sitting on the shelf because of the economy; if 100-150 million of that 2 billion is still around, Sunn could hire the people to make the project work. Maybe pull in an initial 200 million Worldwide with a good film, on a good day.
Until then, I remain a skeptic, given the 20 years that have passed since you produced the films you mention. Along with the amateurish image on the website, which in no way reflects a $ 2 billion film company (again, not my claim... but from Sunn's press releases 2 years ago). But then I refer that back to your press agent. Maybe... all the money is in the bank, and they see no need to waste it on a superficial corporate image.
The Artistry that will be needed to make the film regarding the life of Artie Shaw and the Glamour of Hollywood & the Big Band Era is no way in the same league with producing videos... of Dorf, an original storybook for kids idea into a video about a modern-day Pinocchio who lives in the Hood, which has been in pre-production since 2006, and Martial Arts & FIGHT pictures which make lots of money.
I think you would agree Martin Scorsese made a "fight picture" which appealed to a wide audience; it also had a believable storyline: it was "Gangs of New York". This is a film in a league that "Nightmare" will need to be produced to be considered an Artistic success to the viewing public. I am sure if your focus is straight to video & cable, you will probably find a way to see it as a profitable venture, yet a disappointment to those actually interested in seeing a memorable, quality film.
A quote from your comments: "You refer to Sunn's "CAGE" movie as though it amounted to nothing in terms of viewer acceptance. It was an action-adventure genre movie, which led to a sequel, is still paying royalties around the world, and was and is the "Father" of today's mixed martial arts sports fights, which are making billions of dollars." In my original post, I refer to the film as a Blockbuster, and any assumption beyond that is your own. As for financial success, I won't dispute your claims... as my original post clearly states, this society has a strong market for things wrapped in pretty boxes. I just don't happen to be in that market's demographics. And the more power goes to those who are successful at marketing that type of product, the more it sells, but that doesn't make it smell & look like a field of beautiful flowers.
Please forward any documented information regarding my "Blatant Errors," as you failed to point them out clearly in your comment; most of it was about my lack of research, although you did see fit to cut & paste what I did note about Tri-Star's history in your own comments. Also, I am not sure if you know that my original post includes links that highlight red when clicked, linking to documents & articles others have written and published that inform my opinion. Isn't it their lack of research if their words aren't true? Should I get their address or phone number for you? I look forward to your email, and I will be happy to post the corrections. First, I am going to jump right into researching the 3 films you mentioned. Where should I look for factual information about them? As you surely know, the internet isn't to be trusted.
Also... I am a registered Editor on Wikipedia and would be happy to update the public data on the true creation of Tri-Star and its History. Or you could register yourself; you'll need a name and email, since they don't allow anonymous submissions.
I truly do like the guy's name you mentioned... Cool name, Lang Elliott. That will look real good on the Movie Poster... as long as it's not drawn in crayon.
