My friend Charles keeps on providing surprises from his Spring trip to Chicago, where he captured Kim Cusack and Andy Schumm on video at the Honky Tonk, although he assures me that this is The End of his Secret Stash.
Dear Michael,
I dug down into the video archives (where the videos sleep on the computer) and found six more little gems to share with you and your blog-audience. These performances are a little more noisy — people gnawing on ribs and suchlike — but Kim and Andy come through beautifully. I’ll be in New York at the start of October, and we shall meet . . . .
Your pal,
Charles
On the Mildred Bailey radio show, circa 1944-45, she refers to her selected jazz group (Teddy Wilson, Al Hall, Red Norvo, others) as her HOT HALF-DOZEN. Here is the 2018 version of that collective noun:
YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME:
LIMEHOUSE BLUES:
JAPANESE SANDMAN:
TROUBLE IN MIND:
MELANCHOLY BABY:
INDIANA:
And since the Cornucopia According to Charles is now well and truly emptied, it’s up to you to get out and hear Kim and Andy — as a duo, or in other permutations — on your own. No slacking, now.
May your happiness increase!