FINE VINTAGES (Part Two): J. WALTER HAWKES, TODD LONDAGIN, MATT RAY at DOMAINE (April 5, 2017)

I had a fine time on April 5 at Domaine Wine Bar in Long Island City. Excellent small plates, friendly solicitous service from Candace behind the bar, the Vernon-Jackson subway stop right in front.

And music!  Talk about cheerful multi-tasking by J. Walter Hawkes, trombone / vocal / ukulele; Todd Londagin, trombone / vocal; Matt Ray, piano / vocal.  I was excited to come to this gig because I have admired Walter in all of his manifestations for more than a dozen years; Todd, the same; although I only encountered Matt at one gig, he is memorable. And how many two-trombone trios do you ever encounter?  Not only two trombones plus piano, but when I wrote Walter to ask his blessing to bring my camera as well as its owner, he said, “We’ve been delving into some 3 part vocal harmonies for fun…”

Fun indeed.

Domaine is an atmospheric wine bar and thus dark.  The lighting scheme is red (which you’ll have to imagine) with disco-ball lighting. But the music is stellar and I was dangerously close to the two sliders, so you’ll hear everything.  Walter is to the left of the piano; Todd is to its right.  Matt is playing it.  Here is the first part of the evening.

One of Walter’s masterpieces, his slow wooing ROSE ROOM, which takes the Hickman song back to its dreamy pre-Goodman roots:

The venerable and much-loved EXACTLY LIKE YOU:

The tender THESE FOOLISH THINGS:

To close, a song about bedding (and so much else): MAKE ME A PALLET ON THE FLOOR:

I look forward to future appearances by this trio: a very generous outpouring of creative melodic improvised music.

May your happiness increase!

IMMENSELY RESTORATIVE, 1934

This may be better than other restoratives, such as a brisk walk before breakfast.

The details?  Dick Powell and the Mills Brothers.  A song by Al Dubin and Harry Warren, from the 1934 film TWENTY MILLION SWEETHEARTS.  And I read that Powell insisted on this being recorded and filmed “live” rather than have the five of them — notice, no studio orchestra (which would have been entirely unnecessary) — lip-syncing, as was the custom.

This performance, just over two minutes, is totally entrancing: clearly rehearsed, because there are a million places where collisions would be possible, it becomes a sweet vocal ballet with very uplifting visual touches.  Historically-minded listeners may hear parallels between this and what Bing had done even before he and the Brothers made a record in 1932 (and a film appearance in THE BIG BROADCAST) and I hear a good deal of what the Spirits of Rhythm were so memorably creating.

But right now, I plan to watch and listen to this clip several more times.  I encourage you to take as needed as well.  Thanks to Steven Potteiger of Facebook for pointing me to Ron Evry’s video — without them, I would have been unrestored.

May your happiness increase!