Sunday morning coming down

Yesterday I started in on A Terry Teachout Reader over lunch. The Reader begins with his 1995 New York Times review of Dawn Powell’s Diaries cum tribute to Powell’s novels in just under 1,500 words. It is a marvel of concision and appreciation. It ends with his moving 1996 Commentary essay “Mourning Nancy LaMott” (retitled “My Friend Nancy”). “I loved her with all my heart,” he confesses in the introduction. In between are such gems as his perfectly just review of the first volume of Peter Guralnick’s two-volume Elvis biography for National Review.

Then coincidentally I received the email notice of this week’s edition of Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey. The email features a photo portrait of Teachout while the show replays their 2006 episode with Teachout sitting in and picking the tunes. Included on his playlist was a number by Mary Foster Conklin, whose then current recording I wrote about that year in “A work of art and heart” (her husband had graciously sent me a copy). I learned more listening to Teachout’s appreciation of her work on the show.

Here is the Radio Deluxe summary of “A Tribute to Terry Teachout,” this week’s replay of the 2006 episode:

Terry Teachout liked the entertainment arts in all their forms. He expressed his passions by working as an author, critic, biographer, playwright, stage director, and librettist. On May 13, 2006, Terry visited Radio Deluxe and talked about the arts, his career, and some of his favorite music, which he brought with him. After Terry died, on January 13th at the age of 65, John & Jessica decided to honor him by replaying, in its entirety, the conversation they had with him way back on the 24th Radio Deluxe program. Terry’s insights have helped us all appreciate the elements that make life beautiful.

I assess it highly unlikely that you can listen to this episode without enjoying yourself and learning something along the way. It reminds me all over again what a loss Teachout’s death represents to our country and our culture. The show is posted here and embedded at the bottom.

NOTE: “Too Cool to Cash In, Favorite of the Few” is Teachout’s 1997 New York Times column on Joe Mooney, “Mister Waller’s Regrets” the 2006 Commentary essay on Fats Waller, both of which are cited in Hour One. Teachout profiled Mary Foster Conklin in his 2001 New York Times column “She Straddles the Line Between Jazz and Cabaret.” Teachout’s 2016 Wall Street Journal column on Cy Walter is “Cy Walter’s Cocktail Piano, With a Twist.” Teachout mentions Wilfrid Sheed’s novel Max Jamison in passing. His 2011 Wall Street Journal column on the novel is “Neither does he spin.”

This Week’s Playlist per the show notes (in a few cases I have added the album titles to the track listing)(the Teachout replay begins with segment 2 after the third number):

HOUR ONE
Louis Armstrong – Lazy River (Jazz on a Summer’s Day)
Nat King Cole/George Shearing – Let There Be Love (Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays)
Sammy Davis, Jr. – A Lot of Livin’ to Do (What Kind of Fool Am I and Other Showstoppers)
Louis Armstrong – Jeepers Creepers (100th Anniversary)
Louis Armstrong – Hello, Dolly (Greatest Hits)
Joe Mooney – I Wonder What Became of Me (The Greatness of Joe Mooney)
Joe Mooney – From Monday On (On the Rocks)
Fats Waller – Pantin’ in the Panther Room (You Look Good to Me)
John Pizzarelli – If Dreams Come True (The Rare Delight of You)
Count Basie & His Orch. – In a Mellow Tone (Complete Live at the Americana Hotel 1959)

HOUR TWO
Count Basie & His Orch. – Basie Straight Ahead (Straight Ahead)
Cy Walter – Just One of Those Things/I Get a Kick out of You (Piano Styles of Cy Walter or A Dry Martini Please!, I think)
Mary Foster Conklin – On a Slow Boat to China (Crazy Eyes)
Nancy LaMott – The People That You Never Get to Know (Live at Tavern on the Green)
Bing Crosby & Bob Hope – Road to Morocco (Bob Hope and Friends – Thanks for the Memories)
John Pizzarelli – Oscar Night (Kisses in the Rain)
Frank Wes – Stray Horn (Trying to Make My Blues Turn Green)
Dave Brubeck – When You Wish Upon a Star (Dave Digs Disney)

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