On
Wednesday, December 31, 2014, Andy Summers – my favorite guitarist
and musician of all time – turns 72 years old.
I
first became acquainted with the music of Summers in 1983 at the age
of 10 in a Catholic elementary school classroom when I heard a
hypnotic and futuristic-sounding pop/rock song emanating from the
radio of Candy, my substitute teacher. When I asked what the song was
and who recorded it, I was promptly informed that it was “Spirits
in the Material World” by The Police. I was instantly hooked, so
much so that that Christmas, my parents got me a vinyl copy of
Synchronicity, The Police’s fifth and final studio album and
one of the biggest hits of the year. The Police have since remained
my favorite rock band of all time.
Summers
was the guitarist for the mega-popular group, who were active in the
late 1970s and early 1980s and reunited for a 30th anniversary tour
in 2007 and 2008. Being a good decade older than his bandmates Sting
and Stewart Copeland, Summers began his professional recording career
in the early 1960s, playing for Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (which
later became the psychedelic but short-lived Dantalian’s Chariot),
Eric Burdon’s New Animals, and Soft Machine. After formally
studying guitar at Northridge University in California from the late
1960s to the early 1970s, Summers returned to England and plied his
trade as a session guitarist for Joan Armatrading, Neil Sedaka, Kevin
Coyne, and Deep Purple’s Jon Lord before achieving monumental
success and international stardom with The Police.
After
the dissolution of The Police in the early 1980s, Summers scored some
Hollywood films (Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Weekend at
Bernie’s) and recorded one rock vocal album before establishing
himself as an acclaimed and accomplished contemporary instrumental
guitarist across a variety of styles, including jazz, fusion, New
Age, and world music.
I
was privileged to interview Summers by telephone in Fall 2000 for the
January 2001 issue of DirecTV: The Guide. I was pleasantly
surprised when I discovered that Summers posted a notice of the
interview in the news section of his Web site. Later, I met Summers
in person during his book tour in Fall 2006, just a few months before
The Police reunited for a 30th anniversary reunion tour, which I was
fortunate to attend twice in August of 2007 and 2008.
For
a good overview of Summers’ solo work, I highly recommend the
following albums: Mysterious
Barricades, A Windham Hill Retrospective, Synaesthesia,
and The
X Tracks.
My personal favorite Summers albums are Mysterious
Barricades, The Golden Wire, World Gone Strange, Synaesthesia,
Fundamental
(with
Fernanda Takai), and Circus
Hero (with
his rock band Circa Zero).
--Raj
Manoharan
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Happy Birthday, Michael Nesmith!
On
Tuesday,
December 30, 2014, Michael
Nesmith of The Monkees (the one with the green wool hat) turns 72
years old.
Of all of The Monkees, Nesmith has had the most prolific and successful solo career. He pioneered the country-rock music format in the early to mid-1970s, founded the music and video label Pacific Arts, and basically created the concept of MTV. In addition to producing films and music videos, Nesmith also won the very first Grammy Award for Best Home Video for Elephant Parts, which later led to NBC’s short-lived Television Parts. In an interesting side note, Nesmith’s mother invented liquid paper and sold it to Gillette for a substantial fortune, which Nesmith inherited.
For a good overview of Nesmith’s solo music career, I recommend The Older Stuff, The Newer Stuff, Tropical Campfire’s, Live at the Britt Festival, Rays, and Movies of the Mind.
More information about Nesmith is available on his Web site at www.videoranch.com.
The following are links to my reviews of Nesmith's 2013 live tour and the subsequent live CD.
http://www.monkees.net/michael-nesmith-review-live-at-bergen-pac-2013/
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Michael-Nesmith-tickets/artist/735735?tm_link=artist_artistvenue_module
Of all of The Monkees, Nesmith has had the most prolific and successful solo career. He pioneered the country-rock music format in the early to mid-1970s, founded the music and video label Pacific Arts, and basically created the concept of MTV. In addition to producing films and music videos, Nesmith also won the very first Grammy Award for Best Home Video for Elephant Parts, which later led to NBC’s short-lived Television Parts. In an interesting side note, Nesmith’s mother invented liquid paper and sold it to Gillette for a substantial fortune, which Nesmith inherited.
For a good overview of Nesmith’s solo music career, I recommend The Older Stuff, The Newer Stuff, Tropical Campfire’s, Live at the Britt Festival, Rays, and Movies of the Mind.
More information about Nesmith is available on his Web site at www.videoranch.com.
The following are links to my reviews of Nesmith's 2013 live tour and the subsequent live CD.
http://www.monkees.net/michael-nesmith-review-live-at-bergen-pac-2013/
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Michael-Nesmith-tickets/artist/735735?tm_link=artist_artistvenue_module
Sunday, December 14, 2014
CD Review – Craftsman, by Bob Ardern
Bob
Ardern is a craftsman, alright, showcasing his
craftsmanship as a spot-on composer and performer of
sprightly acoustic guitar instrumentals.
The original tunes reflect Ardern's inherent rustic folksiness, which is given a pop lilt thanks to the contributions of class act musicians who are artists in their own right.
Ardern's accompanists include Kev Corbett on bass, bodhran, and percussion; David Findlay on bass, bells, bodhran, celeste, glockenspiel, hi hat, piano, pipe organ, synthesizer pads, and trumpet; and Alyssa Wright on cello.
If you're looking for acoustic guitar music with a pulse, this certainly fits the bill.
--Raj Manoharan
The original tunes reflect Ardern's inherent rustic folksiness, which is given a pop lilt thanks to the contributions of class act musicians who are artists in their own right.
Ardern's accompanists include Kev Corbett on bass, bodhran, and percussion; David Findlay on bass, bells, bodhran, celeste, glockenspiel, hi hat, piano, pipe organ, synthesizer pads, and trumpet; and Alyssa Wright on cello.
If you're looking for acoustic guitar music with a pulse, this certainly fits the bill.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, December 7, 2014
CD Review – New Horizon, by Minstrel Streams
The
acoustic guitar and piano of Matt Stuart and flutes
of Rebecca Stuart come together to form lyrical,
melodic music that is fit for fairy tales (that's a
good thing).
The songs all have a fanciful storybook quality to them. Just like the name of the band suggests, this is minstrel music with a modern twist.
Giving a contemporary bent to the duo's olde time sound are the talents of Eugene Friesen on cello, Jill Haley on English horn, Paul Kochanski on string bass, Matt Heaton on bodhran drum, Noah Wilding on vocals, and Tom Eaton on percussion and accordion.
If you're inclined toward modern Renaissance fare, this is worth your time and consideration.
--Raj Manoharan
The songs all have a fanciful storybook quality to them. Just like the name of the band suggests, this is minstrel music with a modern twist.
Giving a contemporary bent to the duo's olde time sound are the talents of Eugene Friesen on cello, Jill Haley on English horn, Paul Kochanski on string bass, Matt Heaton on bodhran drum, Noah Wilding on vocals, and Tom Eaton on percussion and accordion.
If you're inclined toward modern Renaissance fare, this is worth your time and consideration.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, November 30, 2014
TV, Music – Tis the Season, Charlie Brown
It’s
that time of year again – the period from late October through late
December where we go through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas,
complete with pumpkin picking and trick-or-treating, Butterball and
football, and decked halls and snowfalls. In terms of entertainment,
we have costumes, parades, and the Rockettes, along with numerous
television specials and holiday music releases. However, nothing
captures the pop culture spirit of the season like the Charlie
Brown
TV specials. Good old Chuck, Linus and Lucy, Snoopy, and the rest of
the Peanuts
gang epitomize the holidays like no one else.
If you don’t have the time (or the stomach) to watch all the holiday programming that will be overwhelming the airwaves over the next couple of months, your best bets are the Charlie Brown specials, including It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown Christmas. These are all available on DVD, but there’s something magical about watching them on network television during the season.
In terms of holiday music, you can’t do better than the soundtracks to the Charlie Brown specials. As enjoyable as holiday releases by major and independent artists can be, they don’t compare to the beauty and innocence of the scores for the Peanuts specials. There are several albums that cover the music of the Peanuts shows, but I really recommend the actual soundtracks to the programs composed and performed by Vince Gauraldi. Like the shows, his timeless Charlie Brown recordings exude the peace, contentment, and happiness of the holidays.
--Raj Manoharan
If you don’t have the time (or the stomach) to watch all the holiday programming that will be overwhelming the airwaves over the next couple of months, your best bets are the Charlie Brown specials, including It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown Christmas. These are all available on DVD, but there’s something magical about watching them on network television during the season.
In terms of holiday music, you can’t do better than the soundtracks to the Charlie Brown specials. As enjoyable as holiday releases by major and independent artists can be, they don’t compare to the beauty and innocence of the scores for the Peanuts specials. There are several albums that cover the music of the Peanuts shows, but I really recommend the actual soundtracks to the programs composed and performed by Vince Gauraldi. Like the shows, his timeless Charlie Brown recordings exude the peace, contentment, and happiness of the holidays.
--Raj Manoharan
TV – Watch People Interviewed by Me on Me TV
Several
people that I interviewed during my entertainment writing and
celebrity interviewing heyday can be seen regularly on Me TV.
The 6 p.m. weeknight beat is patrolled by Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox as California Highway Patrol motorcycle cops Ponch and Jon on CHiPs.
At 9 p.m. on Saturdays, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy explore space while trying to keep the intergalactic peace as Kirk and Spock on Star Trek.
On Sundays at 6 p.m., you can see James MacArthur (Helen Hayes' son) as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams getting patched through to McGarrett (Jack Lord) on Hawaii Five-O.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Estrada and Wilcox in 1998 for the occasion of their CHiPs '99 TV reunion movie. Estrada kept calling me “pardner,” and Wilcox, a computer business mogul at the time, invited me to his ranch in California, an invitation I regrettably never had the opportunity to take him up on.
I interviewed Nimoy in 1997 for his participation in a series of radio plays inspired by Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and spearheaded by John de Lancie (Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation).
I interviewed Shatner because he was hosting The Sci-Fi Channel's remastered reruns of the show in 1998. It was thrilling to hear Captain Kirk/T.J. Hooker himself tell me he needed my help in getting the word out about his activities at the time. When I told him he was really going where no man had gone before with his Name in Space project, in which you could have your and your lover's names orbit Earth alongside his name in a space capsule, he exclaimed, “Isn't that wild?!”
I interviewed MacArthur in 1997 because The Family Channel was airing remastered versions of the show. When I interviewed MacArthur, he was in his home office in Palm Desert, California, looking at posters of his films, such as Swiss Family Robinson. MacArthur told me that in return for promoting the remastered shows, rather than money, he wanted The Family Channel to give him all the remastered episodes on videotape so he could show them to his children and grandchildren. This was just before the advent of DVDs. So MacArthur wasn't just one of the stars of the show, he was also a fan!
It was great to hear MacArthur not only reminisce about his career (including working with his mother Helen Hayes, who guest-starred as Danno's aunt in Hawaii Five-O), but also recollect the late, great Jack Lord. MacArthur himself passed away in 2010, just as he was finalizing plans to guest star in the new Hawaii Five-0 TV series. MacArthur was living in Florida at the time.
Watch people interviewed by me on Me TV.
--Raj Manoharan
The 6 p.m. weeknight beat is patrolled by Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox as California Highway Patrol motorcycle cops Ponch and Jon on CHiPs.
At 9 p.m. on Saturdays, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy explore space while trying to keep the intergalactic peace as Kirk and Spock on Star Trek.
On Sundays at 6 p.m., you can see James MacArthur (Helen Hayes' son) as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams getting patched through to McGarrett (Jack Lord) on Hawaii Five-O.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Estrada and Wilcox in 1998 for the occasion of their CHiPs '99 TV reunion movie. Estrada kept calling me “pardner,” and Wilcox, a computer business mogul at the time, invited me to his ranch in California, an invitation I regrettably never had the opportunity to take him up on.
I interviewed Nimoy in 1997 for his participation in a series of radio plays inspired by Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre and spearheaded by John de Lancie (Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation).
I interviewed Shatner because he was hosting The Sci-Fi Channel's remastered reruns of the show in 1998. It was thrilling to hear Captain Kirk/T.J. Hooker himself tell me he needed my help in getting the word out about his activities at the time. When I told him he was really going where no man had gone before with his Name in Space project, in which you could have your and your lover's names orbit Earth alongside his name in a space capsule, he exclaimed, “Isn't that wild?!”
I interviewed MacArthur in 1997 because The Family Channel was airing remastered versions of the show. When I interviewed MacArthur, he was in his home office in Palm Desert, California, looking at posters of his films, such as Swiss Family Robinson. MacArthur told me that in return for promoting the remastered shows, rather than money, he wanted The Family Channel to give him all the remastered episodes on videotape so he could show them to his children and grandchildren. This was just before the advent of DVDs. So MacArthur wasn't just one of the stars of the show, he was also a fan!
It was great to hear MacArthur not only reminisce about his career (including working with his mother Helen Hayes, who guest-starred as Danno's aunt in Hawaii Five-O), but also recollect the late, great Jack Lord. MacArthur himself passed away in 2010, just as he was finalizing plans to guest star in the new Hawaii Five-0 TV series. MacArthur was living in Florida at the time.
Watch people interviewed by me on Me TV.
--Raj Manoharan
TV – Superman Returns! See the Dawn of Justice on Me TV Before It Arrives in Theaters!
This
is what I wrote back on December 28, 2013:
“Watching Batman and Wonder Woman on Me TV is a great way to prepare for the Man of Steel sequel set for release in 2015, with Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman and joined by Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Now all Me TV needs to do is add the 1950s series The Adventures of Superman to the lineup.”
My thought from last winter has become reality as The Adventures of Superman is now part of Me TV's Super Sci-Fi Saturday Nights lineup.
The classic show starring George Reeves as TV's first live-action Man of Steel kicks off a super-powered evening of super-heroics at 6:00 p.m., followed by Adam West and Burt Ward as the Caped Crusading Dynamic Duo in Batman at 7:00 p.m. and Lynda Carter as the original warrior princess in Wonder Woman at 8:00 p.m.
Now, thanks to Me TV, super fans will be super ready to anticipate the theatrical release (now set for 2016) of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, respectively, and introducing a host of other legendary DC Comics superheroes.
--Raj Manoharan
“Watching Batman and Wonder Woman on Me TV is a great way to prepare for the Man of Steel sequel set for release in 2015, with Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman and joined by Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Now all Me TV needs to do is add the 1950s series The Adventures of Superman to the lineup.”
My thought from last winter has become reality as The Adventures of Superman is now part of Me TV's Super Sci-Fi Saturday Nights lineup.
The classic show starring George Reeves as TV's first live-action Man of Steel kicks off a super-powered evening of super-heroics at 6:00 p.m., followed by Adam West and Burt Ward as the Caped Crusading Dynamic Duo in Batman at 7:00 p.m. and Lynda Carter as the original warrior princess in Wonder Woman at 8:00 p.m.
Now, thanks to Me TV, super fans will be super ready to anticipate the theatrical release (now set for 2016) of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, respectively, and introducing a host of other legendary DC Comics superheroes.
--Raj Manoharan
TV – William Shatner Weekends Double “Bill”: Double the Bill, Double the Thrill
If
you’re as much of a Shatfan as I am, then you’ll be thrilled to
know that you can watch William Shatner every weekend in
all his scenery-chewing and over-the-top gut-busting glory in two
different decades in two different uniforms in two different
hairstyles (or hairpieces?).
First up, catch Shatner in his first iteration of Captain Kirk in the original 1960s Star Trek television series, which airs Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. on Me TV (Memorable Entertainment Television). Nothing beats Shatner hamming philosophic about the quandaries of mankind’s place in the universe, all the while sporting a ‘60s-style “straight-laced” coiffure (Was it real or was it a hairpiece? Find out at www.shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com). Shatner’s partners in pop cultural perpetuity include Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and George Takei.
First up, catch Shatner in his first iteration of Captain Kirk in the original 1960s Star Trek television series, which airs Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. on Me TV (Memorable Entertainment Television). Nothing beats Shatner hamming philosophic about the quandaries of mankind’s place in the universe, all the while sporting a ‘60s-style “straight-laced” coiffure (Was it real or was it a hairpiece? Find out at www.shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com). Shatner’s partners in pop cultural perpetuity include Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and George Takei.
Shatner’s
heyday (shortly before he became a self-parodying, perpetually
wealth-generating cottage industry unto himself) came in the 1980s,
when—at the same time he was reprising his role as James T. Kirk
in the Star Trek movies—he pounded the pavement and cleaned
the streets of slimy scum as the titular no-nonsense police sergeant
in T.J. Hooker, airing Sundays at 6:00 p.m. on
Family Net (check your local listings for additional weekday
showings).
Shatner
as a uniformed police officer is about as high-concept as you can
get, making this the best cop show of all time. Shatner often gets
touted for his peerless hood jumping, but he was quite adept behind
the wheel as well. He could drift (brake-skidding the car on fast
turns) with the best of them, even when it wasn't necessary. And who
could forget that Shatastic ‘80s perm? (Again—real or
fake? Check out www.shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com.) The series
also stars the adorably smug Adrian Zmed, a very fresh-faced Heather
Locklear, and Shatner’s fellow aging pretty boy James Darren.
So
don’t forget to enjoy William Shatner in two of his most memorable
TV roles. Tune in every weekend, same Shat time, same Shat channel!
(Actually, that's two different times on two different
channels.)
--Raj
Manoharan
TV – Starsky & Hutch Ride Again on Family Net
The
1970s TV cop duo is cleaning the boob tube (or LCD, LED, or
plasma set) of crime at 7:00 p.m. Sundays on Family Net (check
your local listings for additional weekday showings), and it’s
quite the “trip” down memory lane.
The opening credits are hilarious, because, although the show is called Starsky & Hutch, the guy who plays Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and drives the flashy red and white-striped Ford Gran Torino is the second actor listed. David Soul (Hutch) gets top billing, and over a freeze frame of him yelling and flailing his arms maniacally.
Antonio Fargas, who plays nightclub-owning street informant Huggy Bear, gets special standout billing (“and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear”). But then, all of a sudden, the credits list Bernie Hamilton (the irascible but lovable Captain Dobey). That’s it – just Bernie Hamilton. It’s like the credits are saying, “…and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear – oh, by the way, Bernie Hamilton.”
There’s more to the show than just the hilarious opening credits, and certainly much more than the insipid, shallow, and unworthy big-screen Starsky & Hutch parody starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Stiller and Wilson may be funny (not really), but they’re no David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser. Soul and Glaser are solid actors with great screen chemistry, and Glaser is a better and more accomplished film and television director.
Even if you’re not into TV cop shows or don’t particularly care for Starsky & Hutch, at least just check out the opening credits of the current rotation of episodes on Family Net. It’s one of the more entertaining highlights of classic 1970s television.
--Raj Manoharan
The opening credits are hilarious, because, although the show is called Starsky & Hutch, the guy who plays Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and drives the flashy red and white-striped Ford Gran Torino is the second actor listed. David Soul (Hutch) gets top billing, and over a freeze frame of him yelling and flailing his arms maniacally.
Antonio Fargas, who plays nightclub-owning street informant Huggy Bear, gets special standout billing (“and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear”). But then, all of a sudden, the credits list Bernie Hamilton (the irascible but lovable Captain Dobey). That’s it – just Bernie Hamilton. It’s like the credits are saying, “…and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear – oh, by the way, Bernie Hamilton.”
There’s more to the show than just the hilarious opening credits, and certainly much more than the insipid, shallow, and unworthy big-screen Starsky & Hutch parody starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Stiller and Wilson may be funny (not really), but they’re no David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser. Soul and Glaser are solid actors with great screen chemistry, and Glaser is a better and more accomplished film and television director.
Even if you’re not into TV cop shows or don’t particularly care for Starsky & Hutch, at least just check out the opening credits of the current rotation of episodes on Family Net. It’s one of the more entertaining highlights of classic 1970s television.
--Raj Manoharan
Publications and Interviews
Publications
TV Key (King Features Syndicate); CableView; PrimeStar; DirecTV: The Guide; Starlog; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; IGN Sci-Fi (Web site)
Interviews
Richard Dean Anderson; Amanda Bearse; Jim Belushi; Don Berliner; Ken Burns; LeVar Burton; Timothy Busfield; Kim Catrall; Robert Conrad; John De Lancie; Cleavant Derricks; Fred Dryer; Erik Estrada; Greg Evigan; Lou Ferrigno; June Foray; Jonathan Frakes (twice); Stanton Friedman; David Alan Grier; Mark Hamill; David Hasselhoff (before the interview, I got free tickets to his Jeckyll and Hyde Broadway show and an invitation to visit the DVD production studio before the show; I took my mom – that was a great night out); Richard Hatch (after the interview, the Battlestar Galactica star sent my mom a personally autographed photo); John Henson; Bruce Hornsby; Chuck Jones; Eartha Kitt; Stan Lee; Scott Leva (who told me that could be him in my profile picture); James MacArthur; Poppy Montgomery; Leonard Nimoy; Jerry O’Connell (also my NYU Tisch classmate); Edward James Olmos (who filled in at the last minute for James Gandolfini); Joe Pantoliano; Michael Piller; Sam Raimi; Ernie Sabella; Katey Sagal; John Schneider; William Shatner; Sinbad; Patrick Stewart; Andy Summers; Henry Thomas; Tim White; Larry Wilcox; Brian Wilson; Tom Wopat; Bill Wyman
TV Key (King Features Syndicate); CableView; PrimeStar; DirecTV: The Guide; Starlog; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; IGN Sci-Fi (Web site)
Interviews
Richard Dean Anderson; Amanda Bearse; Jim Belushi; Don Berliner; Ken Burns; LeVar Burton; Timothy Busfield; Kim Catrall; Robert Conrad; John De Lancie; Cleavant Derricks; Fred Dryer; Erik Estrada; Greg Evigan; Lou Ferrigno; June Foray; Jonathan Frakes (twice); Stanton Friedman; David Alan Grier; Mark Hamill; David Hasselhoff (before the interview, I got free tickets to his Jeckyll and Hyde Broadway show and an invitation to visit the DVD production studio before the show; I took my mom – that was a great night out); Richard Hatch (after the interview, the Battlestar Galactica star sent my mom a personally autographed photo); John Henson; Bruce Hornsby; Chuck Jones; Eartha Kitt; Stan Lee; Scott Leva (who told me that could be him in my profile picture); James MacArthur; Poppy Montgomery; Leonard Nimoy; Jerry O’Connell (also my NYU Tisch classmate); Edward James Olmos (who filled in at the last minute for James Gandolfini); Joe Pantoliano; Michael Piller; Sam Raimi; Ernie Sabella; Katey Sagal; John Schneider; William Shatner; Sinbad; Patrick Stewart; Andy Summers; Henry Thomas; Tim White; Larry Wilcox; Brian Wilson; Tom Wopat; Bill Wyman
Books, Movies, TV, Pop Culture – RIP Steven H. Scheuer and John N. Goudas
I've
just learned that Steven H. Scheuer, whom I did my New York
University internship with from 1993 to 1995, passed away in late
May/early June of this year. He was 88 years old.
Scheuer was recently mentioned in an online CNN article about movie critic Leonard Maltin's final movie guide. Maltin was influenced and inspired by Scheuer, who practically invented the art and industries of newspaper television reviews and movie guides.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to also mention John N. Goudas, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 72. Goudas was Scheuer's main writer for the TV Key newspaper column that was distributed by King Features Syndicate to over 300 newspapers across the country.
Although I worked with Scheuer and Goudas for only three years, they made a lasting impression on me personally and professionally. I still remember my “job” interview with Scheuer on a cold January morning back in 1993 in his New York City office in the lobby of a high-rise apartment building in the East 50s, where he showed me that he had many of the same TV, movie, and pop culture books that I had.
There were also many other wonderful moments in that office that I remember as if they happened yesterday, such as the time none of us were answering the phone for some reason that I've since forgotten, and Scheuer, who was making a rare appearance in the office while doing some errands, quipped, “Is this some sort of holiday where nobody is supposed to answer the phone?” We also watched the O.J. Simpson verdict live on the office television.
While Scheuer couldn't pay the interns as we all anticipated a deal with the fledgling Microsoft Network that never came through (this was the dawn of the Internet in 1995), he did treat us to many nice business lunches at fancy and renowned restaurants in New York City. I also had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Scheuer's gracious wife, Alida Brill-Scheuer, who accompanied us on many of these outings.
My internship at TV Key was the launching pad that enabled me to go on to interview and write about the iconic actors and musicians that I grew up loving.
I consider myself very fortunate to have known and worked with these titans of television criticism. They were giants in their field. They were also a couple of lovable and fun-loving characters.
I can only hope that RajMan Reviews embodies something of their spirit, if not their brilliance.
The following links do them far more justice than I ever could. Thank you for everything, John and Mr. Scheuer. Rest in peace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_H._Scheuer
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/arts/television/steven-h-scheuer-is-dead-at-88-he-put-the-tv-review-before-the-show.html?_r=0
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-h-scheuer-tv-listings-709521
http://easthamptonstar.com/Obituaries/2014612/Steven-H-Scheuer-Television-Historian
http://www.emmys.com/bios/steven-h-scheuer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/steven-scheuer-influential-tv-reviewer-dies-at-88/2014/06/09/7d85c492-f007-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html
http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/336055/Goudas-John.php
http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2008/02/turn-of-the-tv-key.html
--Raj Manoharan
Scheuer was recently mentioned in an online CNN article about movie critic Leonard Maltin's final movie guide. Maltin was influenced and inspired by Scheuer, who practically invented the art and industries of newspaper television reviews and movie guides.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to also mention John N. Goudas, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 72. Goudas was Scheuer's main writer for the TV Key newspaper column that was distributed by King Features Syndicate to over 300 newspapers across the country.
Although I worked with Scheuer and Goudas for only three years, they made a lasting impression on me personally and professionally. I still remember my “job” interview with Scheuer on a cold January morning back in 1993 in his New York City office in the lobby of a high-rise apartment building in the East 50s, where he showed me that he had many of the same TV, movie, and pop culture books that I had.
There were also many other wonderful moments in that office that I remember as if they happened yesterday, such as the time none of us were answering the phone for some reason that I've since forgotten, and Scheuer, who was making a rare appearance in the office while doing some errands, quipped, “Is this some sort of holiday where nobody is supposed to answer the phone?” We also watched the O.J. Simpson verdict live on the office television.
While Scheuer couldn't pay the interns as we all anticipated a deal with the fledgling Microsoft Network that never came through (this was the dawn of the Internet in 1995), he did treat us to many nice business lunches at fancy and renowned restaurants in New York City. I also had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Scheuer's gracious wife, Alida Brill-Scheuer, who accompanied us on many of these outings.
My internship at TV Key was the launching pad that enabled me to go on to interview and write about the iconic actors and musicians that I grew up loving.
I consider myself very fortunate to have known and worked with these titans of television criticism. They were giants in their field. They were also a couple of lovable and fun-loving characters.
I can only hope that RajMan Reviews embodies something of their spirit, if not their brilliance.
The following links do them far more justice than I ever could. Thank you for everything, John and Mr. Scheuer. Rest in peace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_H._Scheuer
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/arts/television/steven-h-scheuer-is-dead-at-88-he-put-the-tv-review-before-the-show.html?_r=0
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-h-scheuer-tv-listings-709521
http://easthamptonstar.com/Obituaries/2014612/Steven-H-Scheuer-Television-Historian
http://www.emmys.com/bios/steven-h-scheuer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/steven-scheuer-influential-tv-reviewer-dies-at-88/2014/06/09/7d85c492-f007-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html
http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/336055/Goudas-John.php
http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2008/02/turn-of-the-tv-key.html
--Raj Manoharan
Thursday, November 27, 2014
TV, Music – Tis the Season, Charlie Brown
It’s
that time of year again – the period from late October through late
December where we go through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas,
complete with pumpkin picking and trick-or-treating, Butterball and
football, and decked halls and snowfalls. In terms of entertainment,
we have costumes, parades, and the Rockettes, along with numerous
television specials and holiday music releases. However, nothing
captures the pop culture spirit of the season like the Charlie
Brown TV specials. Good old Chuck, Linus and Lucy, Snoopy, and
the rest of the Peanuts gang epitomize the holidays like no
one else.
If
you don’t have the time (or the stomach) to watch all the holiday
programming that will be overwhelming the airwaves over the next
couple of months, your best bets are the Charlie Brown
specials, including It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown;
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown
Christmas. These are all available on DVD, but there’s
something magical about watching them on network television during
the season.
In
terms of holiday music, you can’t do better than the soundtracks
to the Charlie Brown specials. As enjoyable as holiday
releases by major and independent artists can be, they don’t
compare to the beauty and innocence of the scores for the Peanuts
specials. There are several albums that cover the music of the
Peanuts shows, but I really recommend the actual soundtracks
to the programs composed and performed by Vince Gauraldi. Like the
shows, his timeless Charlie Brown recordings exude the peace,
contentment, and happiness of the holidays.
--Raj
Manoharan
Sunday, November 23, 2014
CD Review – Kaleidoscope, by Lisa Hilton
This
girl's got groove!
Lisa Hilton proves once again why she's one of the most preeminent pianists working in contemporary jazz.
Her confident mastery of the genre both in terms of composition and performance allows her to bend it to her will with ease, as she does on her uppity take of “When I Fall in Love” and her classical/jazz mash-up “Bach/Basie/Bird Boogie/Blues Bop.”
Hilton's elegant and tasteful piano playing gets world-class accompaniment by the likes of Larry Grenadier on bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums, and J.D. Allen on saxophone, a powerhouse lineup that rivals anything on the jazz scene today.
This is a delightful, engaging album that pays proper tribute to a great tradition while filtering it through new and exciting lenses.
--Raj Manoharan
Lisa Hilton proves once again why she's one of the most preeminent pianists working in contemporary jazz.
Her confident mastery of the genre both in terms of composition and performance allows her to bend it to her will with ease, as she does on her uppity take of “When I Fall in Love” and her classical/jazz mash-up “Bach/Basie/Bird Boogie/Blues Bop.”
Hilton's elegant and tasteful piano playing gets world-class accompaniment by the likes of Larry Grenadier on bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums, and J.D. Allen on saxophone, a powerhouse lineup that rivals anything on the jazz scene today.
This is a delightful, engaging album that pays proper tribute to a great tradition while filtering it through new and exciting lenses.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, November 16, 2014
CD Review – Tapestries of Time, by Ann Sweeten
As
can be expected, Ann Sweeten delivers the goods on
her latest piano music release.
This album features eleven original compositions penned by the pianist and showcasing her songwriting skill and performance artistry. Sweeten has crafted pieces that draw the listener in with their lyrical beauty, and her playing brings them to luxurious life.
This album features eleven original compositions penned by the pianist and showcasing her songwriting skill and performance artistry. Sweeten has crafted pieces that draw the listener in with their lyrical beauty, and her playing brings them to luxurious life.
Joining
Sweeten on this outing are Eugene Friesen on cello,
Akane Setiawan on English horn and oboe, Andrew Eng
on violin, Richard Sebring on French horn, producer
Will Ackerman on acoustic guitar, Noah Wilding on
vocals, and Jeff Oster on flugelhorn.
This
is another outstanding addition to Sweeten's
excellent catalog of work.
--Raj
Manoharan
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Music – Remembering Michael Nesmith Live at bergenPAC One Year Later
One
year ago tonight, I saw Michael Nesmith live for the first
time, something I thought would never happen. The evening
was a truly memorable one, one that is still fresh in my
memory and one that I won’t soon forget. The following are
links to my reviews of the show and the subsequent live CD.
--Raj
Manoharan
Sunday, November 9, 2014
CD Review – Sojourn, by Jim Gabriel
Although
this is the debut album by pianist Jim Gabriel, it
sounds like the flawless work of a venerable, veteran
recording artist.
The CD features eleven tracks of exquisite piano music that really do take you on an inward journey of peaceful reflection and tranquil meditation. This is due to Gabriel's brilliantly subtle compositions and his seemingly effortless and masterfully understated performances.
Gabriel's beautiful handiwork is further embellished with flourishes of producer Will Ackerman's percussion, Charlie Bisharat's violin, Eugene Friesen's cello, Tony Levin's bass, and Jeff Pearce's Chapman Stick.
From beginning to end, this is a musical excursion well worth undertaking.
--Raj Manoharan
The CD features eleven tracks of exquisite piano music that really do take you on an inward journey of peaceful reflection and tranquil meditation. This is due to Gabriel's brilliantly subtle compositions and his seemingly effortless and masterfully understated performances.
Gabriel's beautiful handiwork is further embellished with flourishes of producer Will Ackerman's percussion, Charlie Bisharat's violin, Eugene Friesen's cello, Tony Levin's bass, and Jeff Pearce's Chapman Stick.
From beginning to end, this is a musical excursion well worth undertaking.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, October 19, 2014
TV – Starsky & Hutch Ride Again on Family Net
The
1970s TV cop duo is cleaning the boob tube (or LCD, LED, or
plasma set) of crime at 7:00 p.m. Sundays on Family Net (check
your local listings for additional weekday showings), and it’s
quite the “trip” down memory lane.
The funky second-season theme by Tom Scott is both catchy and cheeky and complements the hilarious opening credits much better than Lalo Schifrin’s grim, downbeat, first-season theme. And hilarious the opening credits are, because, although the show is called Starsky & Hutch, the guy who plays Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and drives the flashy red and white-striped Ford Gran Torino is the second actor listed. David Soul (Hutch) gets top billing, and over a freeze frame of him yelling and flailing his arms maniacally.
Antonio Fargas, who plays nightclub-owning street informant Huggy Bear, gets special standout billing (“and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear”). But then, all of a sudden, the credits list Bernie Hamilton (the irascible but lovable Captain Dobey). That’s it – just Bernie Hamilton. It’s like the credits are saying, “…and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear – oh, by the way, Bernie Hamilton.”
There’s more to the show than just the hilarious opening credits and wacky main theme, and certainly much more than the insipid, shallow, and unworthy big-screen Starsky & Hutch parody starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Stiller and Wilson may be funny (not really), but they’re no David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser. Soul and Glaser are solid actors with great screen chemistry, and Glaser is a better and more accomplished film and television director.
Even if you’re not into TV cop shows or don’t particularly care for Starsky & Hutch, at least just check out the opening credits and main theme of the current rotation of episodes on Family Net. It’s one of the more entertaining highlights of classic 1970s television.
--Raj Manoharan
The funky second-season theme by Tom Scott is both catchy and cheeky and complements the hilarious opening credits much better than Lalo Schifrin’s grim, downbeat, first-season theme. And hilarious the opening credits are, because, although the show is called Starsky & Hutch, the guy who plays Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and drives the flashy red and white-striped Ford Gran Torino is the second actor listed. David Soul (Hutch) gets top billing, and over a freeze frame of him yelling and flailing his arms maniacally.
Antonio Fargas, who plays nightclub-owning street informant Huggy Bear, gets special standout billing (“and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear”). But then, all of a sudden, the credits list Bernie Hamilton (the irascible but lovable Captain Dobey). That’s it – just Bernie Hamilton. It’s like the credits are saying, “…and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear – oh, by the way, Bernie Hamilton.”
There’s more to the show than just the hilarious opening credits and wacky main theme, and certainly much more than the insipid, shallow, and unworthy big-screen Starsky & Hutch parody starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Stiller and Wilson may be funny (not really), but they’re no David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser. Soul and Glaser are solid actors with great screen chemistry, and Glaser is a better and more accomplished film and television director.
Even if you’re not into TV cop shows or don’t particularly care for Starsky & Hutch, at least just check out the opening credits and main theme of the current rotation of episodes on Family Net. It’s one of the more entertaining highlights of classic 1970s television.
--Raj Manoharan
TV – William Shatner Weekends Double “Bill”: Double the Bill, Double the Thrill
If
you’re as much of a Shatfan as I am, then you’ll be thrilled to
know that you can watch William Shatner every weekend in
all his scenery-chewing and over-the-top gut-busting glory in two
different decades in two different uniforms in two different
hairstyles (or hairpieces?).
First
up, catch Shatner in his first iteration of Captain Kirk in the
original 1960s Star Trek television series, which airs
Saturdays at 9:00 p.m. on Me TV (Memorable Entertainment Television).
Nothing beats Shatner hamming philosophic about the quandaries of
mankind’s place in the universe, all the while sporting a
‘60s-style “straight-laced” coiffure (Was it real or was it a
hairpiece? Find out at www.shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com).
Shatner’s partners in pop cultural perpetuity include Leonard
Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle
Nichols, and George Takei.
Shatner’s
heyday (shortly before he became a self-parodying, perpetually
wealth-generating cottage industry unto himself) came in the 1980s,
when—at the same time he was reprising his role as James T. Kirk in
the Star Trek movies—he pounded the pavement and cleaned the
streets of slimy scum as the titular no-nonsense police sergeant in
T.J. Hooker, airing Sundays at 6:00 p.m. on Family
Net (check your local listings for additional weekday showings).
Shatner
as a uniformed police officer is about as high-concept as you can
get, making this the best cop show of all time. Shatner often gets
touted for his peerless hood jumping, but he was quite adept behind
the wheel as well. He could drift (brake-skidding the car on fast
turns) with the best of them, even when it wasn't necessary. And who
could forget that Shatastic ‘80s perm? (Again—real or fake? Check
out www.shatnerstoupee.blogspot.com.) The series also stars the
adorably smug Adrian Zmed, a very fresh-faced Heather Locklear, and
Shatner’s fellow aging pretty boy James Darren.
So
don’t forget to enjoy William Shatner in two of his most memorable
TV roles. Tune in every weekend, same Shat time, same Shat channel!
(Actually, that's two different times on two different
channels.)
--Raj
Manoharan
CD Review – Unlike the Stars, by Vin Downes
Acoustic
guitarist Vin Downes' third album is up for Best New
Age Album in the 57th Annual Grammy
Awards, and deservedly so.
This is one of the best acoustic guitar albums out there; it flows beautifully from beginning to end, with nary a dud on the track list.
This is a testament to Downes' craftsmanship as a composer and his skill as a guitarist. Every chord and note is rapturous, and the sound is lush and luxurious thanks to the studio acumen of producer Will Ackerman and recording engineer Tom Eaton.
Grammy winner Ackerman contributes additional guitar to one track, with other guest turns throughout by bass impressario Tony Levin, cellist Eugene Friesen, and flutist David Watson. Friesen's cello and Watson's flutes blend very nicely with Downes' guitar, by the way.
This is more than just a great guitar record – this is great music, period.
--Raj Manoharan
This is one of the best acoustic guitar albums out there; it flows beautifully from beginning to end, with nary a dud on the track list.
This is a testament to Downes' craftsmanship as a composer and his skill as a guitarist. Every chord and note is rapturous, and the sound is lush and luxurious thanks to the studio acumen of producer Will Ackerman and recording engineer Tom Eaton.
Grammy winner Ackerman contributes additional guitar to one track, with other guest turns throughout by bass impressario Tony Levin, cellist Eugene Friesen, and flutist David Watson. Friesen's cello and Watson's flutes blend very nicely with Downes' guitar, by the way.
This is more than just a great guitar record – this is great music, period.
--Raj Manoharan
TV – RajMan's TV Picks: 500 Channels and Something Actually On
For
the first time in as long as I can remember, there is at least one
new and/or returning prime-time program worth watching every
weeknight, as well as good shows both old and new on the weekends.
Here's my day-by-day rundown of recommendations. Check your
local listings for show times.
Sunday
Bar Rescue (Spike); Hungry Investors (Spike); The First Family (Syndication); Mr. Box Office (Syndication); Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980, Me TV); T.J. Hooker (Family Net); Starsky & Hutch (Family Net); The Simpsons (Fox); Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox); Family Guy (Fox)
Monday
Gotham (Fox); Sleepy Hollow (Fox)
Tuesday
The Flash (The CW)
Wednesday
Criminal Minds (CBS)
Thursday
Gracepoint (Fox)
Friday
Hawaii Five-0 (2010-Present, CBS); What's Happening! (TV One); Good Times (TV One); The Jeffersons (TV One)
Saturday
Good Times Marathon (TV One); Sanford & Son Marathon (TV One); What's Happening! (TV One); The Adventures of Superman (Me TV); Batman (Me TV); Star Trek (Me TV)
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday
Bar Rescue (Spike); Hungry Investors (Spike); The First Family (Syndication); Mr. Box Office (Syndication); Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980, Me TV); T.J. Hooker (Family Net); Starsky & Hutch (Family Net); The Simpsons (Fox); Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox); Family Guy (Fox)
Monday
Gotham (Fox); Sleepy Hollow (Fox)
Tuesday
The Flash (The CW)
Wednesday
Criminal Minds (CBS)
Thursday
Gracepoint (Fox)
Friday
Hawaii Five-0 (2010-Present, CBS); What's Happening! (TV One); Good Times (TV One); The Jeffersons (TV One)
Saturday
Good Times Marathon (TV One); Sanford & Son Marathon (TV One); What's Happening! (TV One); The Adventures of Superman (Me TV); Batman (Me TV); Star Trek (Me TV)
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, October 12, 2014
TV – Superman Returns! See the Dawn of Justice on Me TV Before It Arrives in Theaters!
This is what I wrote back on December 28, 2013:
“Watching Batman and Wonder Woman on Me TV is a great way to prepare for the Man of Steel sequel set for release in 2015, with Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman and joined by Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Now all Me TV needs to do is add the 1950s series The Adventures of Superman to the lineup.”
My thought from last winter has become reality as The Adventures of Superman is now part of Me TV's Super Sci-Fi Saturday Nights lineup.
The classic show starring George Reeves as TV's first live-action Man of Steel kicks off a super-powered evening of super-heroics at 6:00 p.m., followed by Adam West and Burt Ward as the Caped Crusading Dynamic Duo in Batman at 7:00 p.m. and Lynda Carter as the original warrior princess in Wonder Woman at 8:00 p.m.
Now, thanks to Me TV, super fans will be super ready to anticipate the theatrical release (now set for 2016) of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, respectively, and introducing a host of other legendary DC Comics superheroes.
--Raj Manoharan
“Watching Batman and Wonder Woman on Me TV is a great way to prepare for the Man of Steel sequel set for release in 2015, with Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman and joined by Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Now all Me TV needs to do is add the 1950s series The Adventures of Superman to the lineup.”
My thought from last winter has become reality as The Adventures of Superman is now part of Me TV's Super Sci-Fi Saturday Nights lineup.
The classic show starring George Reeves as TV's first live-action Man of Steel kicks off a super-powered evening of super-heroics at 6:00 p.m., followed by Adam West and Burt Ward as the Caped Crusading Dynamic Duo in Batman at 7:00 p.m. and Lynda Carter as the original warrior princess in Wonder Woman at 8:00 p.m.
Now, thanks to Me TV, super fans will be super ready to anticipate the theatrical release (now set for 2016) of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, starring Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, respectively, and introducing a host of other legendary DC Comics superheroes.
--Raj Manoharan
Publications and Interviews
Publications
TV Key (King Features Syndicate); CableView; PrimeStar; DirecTV: The Guide; Starlog; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; IGN Sci-Fi (Web site)
Interviews
Richard Dean Anderson; Amanda Bearse; Jim Belushi; Don Berliner; Ken Burns; LeVar Burton; Timothy Busfield; Kim Catrall; Robert Conrad; John De Lancie; Cleavant Derricks; Fred Dryer; Erik Estrada; Greg Evigan; Lou Ferrigno; June Foray; Jonathan Frakes (twice); Stanton Friedman; David Alan Grier; Mark Hamill; David Hasselhoff (before the interview, I got free tickets to his Jeckyll and Hyde Broadway show and an invitation to visit the DVD production studio before the show; I took my mom – that was a great night out); Richard Hatch (after the interview, the Battlestar Galactica star sent my mom a personally autographed photo); John Henson; Bruce Hornsby; Chuck Jones; Eartha Kitt; Stan Lee; Scott Leva (who told me that could be him in my profile picture); James MacArthur; Poppy Montgomery; Leonard Nimoy; Jerry O’Connell (also my NYU Tisch classmate); Edward James Olmos (who filled in at the last minute for James Gandolfini); Joe Pantoliano; Michael Piller; Sam Raimi; Ernie Sabella; Katey Sagal; John Schneider; William Shatner; Sinbad; Patrick Stewart; Andy Summers; Henry Thomas; Tim White; Larry Wilcox; Brian Wilson; Tom Wopat; Bill Wyman
TV Key (King Features Syndicate); CableView; PrimeStar; DirecTV: The Guide; Starlog; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Star Trek: Voyager; IGN Sci-Fi (Web site)
Interviews
Richard Dean Anderson; Amanda Bearse; Jim Belushi; Don Berliner; Ken Burns; LeVar Burton; Timothy Busfield; Kim Catrall; Robert Conrad; John De Lancie; Cleavant Derricks; Fred Dryer; Erik Estrada; Greg Evigan; Lou Ferrigno; June Foray; Jonathan Frakes (twice); Stanton Friedman; David Alan Grier; Mark Hamill; David Hasselhoff (before the interview, I got free tickets to his Jeckyll and Hyde Broadway show and an invitation to visit the DVD production studio before the show; I took my mom – that was a great night out); Richard Hatch (after the interview, the Battlestar Galactica star sent my mom a personally autographed photo); John Henson; Bruce Hornsby; Chuck Jones; Eartha Kitt; Stan Lee; Scott Leva (who told me that could be him in my profile picture); James MacArthur; Poppy Montgomery; Leonard Nimoy; Jerry O’Connell (also my NYU Tisch classmate); Edward James Olmos (who filled in at the last minute for James Gandolfini); Joe Pantoliano; Michael Piller; Sam Raimi; Ernie Sabella; Katey Sagal; John Schneider; William Shatner; Sinbad; Patrick Stewart; Andy Summers; Henry Thomas; Tim White; Larry Wilcox; Brian Wilson; Tom Wopat; Bill Wyman
Friday, October 10, 2014
Books, Movies, TV, Pop Culture – RIP Steven H. Scheuer and John N. Goudas
I've
just learned that Steven H. Scheuer, whom I did my New York
University internship with from 1993 to 1995, passed away in late
May/early June of this year. He was 88 years old.
Scheuer was recently mentioned in an online CNN article about movie critic Leonard Maltin's final movie guide. Maltin was influenced and inspired by Scheuer, who practically invented the art and industries of newspaper television reviews and movie guides.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to also mention John N. Goudas, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 72. Goudas was Scheuer's main writer for the TV Key newspaper column that was distributed by King Features Syndicate to over 300 newspapers across the country.
Although I worked with Scheuer and Goudas for only three years, they made a lasting impression on me personally and professionally. I still remember my “job” interview with Scheuer on a cold January morning back in 1993 in his New York City office in the lobby of a high-rise apartment building in the East 50s, where he showed me that he had many of the same TV, movie, and pop culture books that I had.
There were also many other wonderful moments in that office that I remember as if they happened yesterday, such as the time none of us were answering the phone for some reason that I've since forgotten, and Scheuer, who was making a rare appearance in the office while doing some errands, quipped, “Is this some sort of holiday where nobody is supposed to answer the phone?” We also watched the O.J. Simpson verdict live on the office television.
While Scheuer couldn't pay the interns as we all anticipated a deal with the fledgling Microsoft Network that never came through (this was the dawn of the Internet in 1995), he did treat us to many nice business lunches at fancy and renowned restaurants in New York City. I also had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Scheuer's gracious wife, Alida Brill-Scheuer, who accompanied us on many of these outings.
My internship at TV Key was the launching pad that enabled me to go on to interview and write about the iconic actors and musicians that I grew up loving.
I consider myself very fortunate to have known and worked with these titans of television criticism. They were giants in their field. They were also a couple of lovable and fun-loving characters.
I can only hope that RajMan Reviews embodies something of their spirit, if not their brilliance.
The following links do them far more justice than I ever could. Thank you for everything, John and Mr. Scheuer. Rest in peace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_H._Scheuer
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/arts/television/steven-h-scheuer-is-dead-at-88-he-put-the-tv-review-before-the-show.html?_r=0
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-h-scheuer-tv-listings-709521
http://easthamptonstar.com/Obituaries/2014612/Steven-H-Scheuer-Television-Historian
http://www.emmys.com/bios/steven-h-scheuer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/steven-scheuer-influential-tv-reviewer-dies-at-88/2014/06/09/7d85c492-f007-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html
http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/336055/Goudas-John.php
Scheuer was recently mentioned in an online CNN article about movie critic Leonard Maltin's final movie guide. Maltin was influenced and inspired by Scheuer, who practically invented the art and industries of newspaper television reviews and movie guides.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to also mention John N. Goudas, who passed away in 2008 at the age of 72. Goudas was Scheuer's main writer for the TV Key newspaper column that was distributed by King Features Syndicate to over 300 newspapers across the country.
Although I worked with Scheuer and Goudas for only three years, they made a lasting impression on me personally and professionally. I still remember my “job” interview with Scheuer on a cold January morning back in 1993 in his New York City office in the lobby of a high-rise apartment building in the East 50s, where he showed me that he had many of the same TV, movie, and pop culture books that I had.
There were also many other wonderful moments in that office that I remember as if they happened yesterday, such as the time none of us were answering the phone for some reason that I've since forgotten, and Scheuer, who was making a rare appearance in the office while doing some errands, quipped, “Is this some sort of holiday where nobody is supposed to answer the phone?” We also watched the O.J. Simpson verdict live on the office television.
While Scheuer couldn't pay the interns as we all anticipated a deal with the fledgling Microsoft Network that never came through (this was the dawn of the Internet in 1995), he did treat us to many nice business lunches at fancy and renowned restaurants in New York City. I also had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Scheuer's gracious wife, Alida Brill-Scheuer, who accompanied us on many of these outings.
My internship at TV Key was the launching pad that enabled me to go on to interview and write about the iconic actors and musicians that I grew up loving.
I consider myself very fortunate to have known and worked with these titans of television criticism. They were giants in their field. They were also a couple of lovable and fun-loving characters.
I can only hope that RajMan Reviews embodies something of their spirit, if not their brilliance.
The following links do them far more justice than I ever could. Thank you for everything, John and Mr. Scheuer. Rest in peace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_H._Scheuer
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/arts/television/steven-h-scheuer-is-dead-at-88-he-put-the-tv-review-before-the-show.html?_r=0
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-h-scheuer-tv-listings-709521
http://easthamptonstar.com/Obituaries/2014612/Steven-H-Scheuer-Television-Historian
http://www.emmys.com/bios/steven-h-scheuer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/steven-scheuer-influential-tv-reviewer-dies-at-88/2014/06/09/7d85c492-f007-11e3-9ebc-2ee6f81ed217_story.html
http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/336055/Goudas-John.php
Sunday, October 5, 2014
CD Review – Pavane, by Paul Higgs
British
horn player Paul Higgs' latest release is a
trumpet-based album that people who are not
particularly fans of trumpet music can enjoy.
I feel comfortable saying that because, although I do appreciate the contributions and embellishments of horns to music, I am by no means a horn enthusiast, and yet I enjoy this CD as much as I would a well done guitar-based album – or any album of good music, really.
I think the key to Higgs' success here is that rather than make a CD of simply “trumpet music,” he has delivered a collection of pleasant ear-catching compositions that just happen to have the trumpet as the lead instrument. Instead of resorting to showy, flamboyant histrionics, Higgs just plays it straight, keeping to the melodies with eloquent phrasing and letting the distinctive sound of the horn speak for itself.
So in the end, it's Higgs' skill as a composer and his tasteful restraint as a trumpeter that elevate this album to a high level of exquisite elegance.
--Raj Manoharan
I feel comfortable saying that because, although I do appreciate the contributions and embellishments of horns to music, I am by no means a horn enthusiast, and yet I enjoy this CD as much as I would a well done guitar-based album – or any album of good music, really.
I think the key to Higgs' success here is that rather than make a CD of simply “trumpet music,” he has delivered a collection of pleasant ear-catching compositions that just happen to have the trumpet as the lead instrument. Instead of resorting to showy, flamboyant histrionics, Higgs just plays it straight, keeping to the melodies with eloquent phrasing and letting the distinctive sound of the horn speak for itself.
So in the end, it's Higgs' skill as a composer and his tasteful restraint as a trumpeter that elevate this album to a high level of exquisite elegance.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, September 28, 2014
CD Review – Storybook Love, by Laura McMillan
Laura
McMillan's third solo piano music release features
fourteen original compositions based on notions of
blissful, fairy tale amour.
Once again, McMillan demonstrates her flair for penning dynamic, wide-ranging tunes that are balanced by tasteful restraint. And her keyboard skills are as graceful and virtuosic as ever.
The music itself is serene and tranquil and perfect for unwinding no matter your mood.
This CD will be right at home in the collections of piano music lovers.
--Raj Manoharan
Once again, McMillan demonstrates her flair for penning dynamic, wide-ranging tunes that are balanced by tasteful restraint. And her keyboard skills are as graceful and virtuosic as ever.
The music itself is serene and tranquil and perfect for unwinding no matter your mood.
This CD will be right at home in the collections of piano music lovers.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, September 14, 2014
CD Review – Voyage of the Troubadour, by Jack Gates
Guitarist
Jack Gates' latest album is a pleasant, engaging
exploration of Latin jazz, with generous helpings of
classical, fusion, and new age thrown in for good
measure.
Gates plays acoustic and electric guitars, with some tracks featuring his wife Sharyl Gates on English and Portuguese vocals, Dean Muench on bass, and Phil Thompson on drums.
With the exception of the vibrant cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's “So Danco Samba,” Gates composed the music and Sharyl wrote the lyrics, both of which are worthy of the Brazilian bossa nova greats.
This CD deserves the attention of fans of guitar and Latin jazz.
--Raj Manoharan
Gates plays acoustic and electric guitars, with some tracks featuring his wife Sharyl Gates on English and Portuguese vocals, Dean Muench on bass, and Phil Thompson on drums.
With the exception of the vibrant cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's “So Danco Samba,” Gates composed the music and Sharyl wrote the lyrics, both of which are worthy of the Brazilian bossa nova greats.
This CD deserves the attention of fans of guitar and Latin jazz.
--Raj Manoharan
Sunday, September 7, 2014
TV – Watch People Interviewed by Me on Me TV
Several
people that I interviewed during my entertainment writing and
celebrity interviewing heyday can be seen regularly on Me TV.
The
6 p.m. weeknight beat is patrolled by Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox
as California Highway Patrol motorcycle cops Ponch and Jon on CHiPs.
I
had the pleasure of interviewing Estrada and Wilcox in 1998 for the
occasion of their CHiPs '99
TV reunion movie. Estrada
kept calling me “pardner,” and Wilcox, a computer business mogul
at the time, invited me to his ranch in California, an invitation I
regrettably never had the opportunity to
take him up on.
At
9 p.m. on Saturdays, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy explore space
while trying to keep the intergalactic peace as Kirk and Spock on
Star Trek.
I
interviewed Nimoy in 1997 for his participation in a series of radio
plays inspired by Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre
and spearheaded by John de Lancie (Q on Star Trek: The Next
Generation).
I
interviewed Shatner because he was hosting The
Sci-Fi Channel's remastered reruns of the show in 1998. It was
thrilling
to hear Captain Kirk/T.J. Hooker himself
tell me he needed my help in
getting the word out about his activities at the time. When I told
him he was really going where no man had gone before with his
Name in Space project, in which you could have your and your lover's
names orbit Earth alongside his name in a space capsule, he
exclaimed, “Isn't that wild?!”
On
Sundays at 6 p.m., you can
see James MacArthur (Helen Hayes' son) as Detective Danny “Danno”
Williams getting patched through to McGarrett (Jack Lord) on Hawaii
Five-O.
I
interviewed MacArthur in 1997 because The Family Channel was airing
remastered versions of the show. When I interviewed MacArthur, he was
in his home office in Palm Desert, California, looking at posters of
his films, such as Swiss Family Robinson.
MacArthur told me that in return for promoting the remastered shows,
rather than money, he
wanted The Family Channel to give him all the remastered episodes on
videotape so he could show them to his children and grandchildren.
This was just before the advent of DVDs. So MacArthur wasn't just one
of the stars of the show, he was also a fan!
It
was great to hear MacArthur not
only reminisce
about his career (including
working with his mother Helen Hayes, who guest-starred as Danno's
aunt in Hawaii Five-O),
but also recollect
the late, great Jack Lord. MacArthur himself passed away in 2010,
just as he was finalizing plans to guest star in the new Hawaii
Five-0 TV series. MacArthur
was living in Florida at the time.
Watch
people interviewed by me on Me TV.
--Raj
Manoharan
Books, Movies, Pop Culture – Leonard Maltin's Final Movie Guide Marks the End of an Era
This
great article features two mentions of the person I did my college
internship with from 1993 to
1995. He's the one whose
seminal movie
guide inspired Leonard Maltin
and his editor to create their
own:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/02/showbiz/movies/leonard-maltin-movie-guide-ending/index.html?iref=allsearch
--Raj Manoharan
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/02/showbiz/movies/leonard-maltin-movie-guide-ending/index.html?iref=allsearch
--Raj Manoharan
CD Review – The Undiscovered Horizon, by Harrison Edwards
The
fourth release by composer and keyboardist Harrison
Edwards isn't what one might typically think of as
new age music, but new age has come to be synonymous
with contemporary instrumental music, and Edwards'
new CD is a lively and engaging entry in the
genre(s).
Although Edwards is the only performer on the album, he has such command of synthesizer technology that he is able to simulate the sound of a full band plus an orchestra, complete with piano, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and strings. The result is a disc that has the feel and chemistry of a host of players and instruments, all conceived in the mind of Edwards and brought to fruition through his electronic sleight of hand.
Edwards' compositions are dynamic in their diversity, running the gamut from pensive and moody to robust and bouncy. Edwards is certainly resourceful when it comes to musical creativity and expression.
If Edwards remains undiscovered in your catalog of sounds, it is time to change that and give him a few spins.
--Raj Manoharan
Although Edwards is the only performer on the album, he has such command of synthesizer technology that he is able to simulate the sound of a full band plus an orchestra, complete with piano, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and strings. The result is a disc that has the feel and chemistry of a host of players and instruments, all conceived in the mind of Edwards and brought to fruition through his electronic sleight of hand.
Edwards' compositions are dynamic in their diversity, running the gamut from pensive and moody to robust and bouncy. Edwards is certainly resourceful when it comes to musical creativity and expression.
If Edwards remains undiscovered in your catalog of sounds, it is time to change that and give him a few spins.
--Raj Manoharan
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