Monday, September 9
Pianist/songwriter, Steve Million grew up in a small town in Missouri with the fetching name of Booneville. Looking back now, Steve appreciates the quiet of that environment and the opportunity for freedom, but in his younger years, he couldn’t wait to move on and pursue a life in jazz, a musical passion that started at the tender age of seven when his mother took him to a Count Basie concert.
Now based in Chicago, Steve Million keeps a busy performance and teaching schedule and celebrates one of his favorite musicians, Thelonious Monk, in a two-keyboard band with Jeremy Kahn called Double Monk. His latest collaboration is his CD, Jazz Words, with vocalist Sarah Marie Young for which Steve wrote the music and lyrics.
Tuesday, September 10
Stage film and television actor Bruce McGill first came to fame as the motorcycle-riding, bad boy character D-Day in National Lampoon’s Animal House. McGill’s rugged looks led to more tough guy roles, but also to a wide range of everything from Shakespeare to voice acting on Family Guy, to long runs on MacGyver, Shades of Blueand Rizzoli and Isles. Bruce is an accomplished musician and golfer as well, and has used these skills to enhance or influence his take on multiple characters through the years, most notably, playing golf great Walter Hagen in the film The Legend of Badger Vance.
Bruce and I met on the Crystal Symphony on a Hollywood-themed cruise, where I was there to play a concert and Bruce to lecture about his long film career. One thing led to another and this fascinating conversation was recorded.
Wednesday, September 11
Guitarist Duke Robillard’s blues playing and singing have been honored with numerous awards, including a Grammy nomination. Duke is also a fan and swinging exponent of early jazz, which he celebrates on his latest CD, Duke Robillard and His Dames of Rhythm, which includes vocals by his longtime musical collaborator, Sunny Crownover, bluesy Cat Russell, sultry Maria Muldaur and a surprise appearance by Downton Abbey’sElizabeth McGovern. Duke brings it all together with his some of his favorite musicians celebrating well-known standards and lesser-known gems..
Thursday, September 12
Vocalist Maria Muldaur may be best known for her 1974 hit “Midnight at the Oasis” but it’s her long career and forty-three recordings that have continued to delight her fans with Maria’s unique approach to blues, roots and jug band music.
Maria’s mother pushed her toward classical music but when her grandmother played her some Western Swing, at the tender age of five, there was no looking back. Maria’s latest CD, Let’s Get Happy Together, is a collection of lesser-known musical gems recorded with the New Orleans band, Tuba Skinny
Friday, September 13
Bassist/composer Kyle Eastwood has a wide range of creative influences, including a passion for cinema and great film scores, a love nurtured by his father, Clint Eastwood, who in addition to directing and acting, has written the music for several of his movies. Clint introduced Kyle to jazz early on and encouraged his composing pursuits by asking Kyle to contribute themes for many of his films, including Gran Torino, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima and Invictus. Kyle’s latest tour celebrates his
CD, Eastwood Symphonic, a collection of quintet and symphony arrangements of some of the best-known themes from his father’s movies.
