Between recent earthquakes, I managed to hike in the neighborhoods near Lake Hollywood, the man-made Hollywood Reservoir beneath the Hollywood sign. Rain cleared the air—you could see Redondo Beach—and brought the coyotes out in daylight. While backtracking down the Hollywood Hills, one broke away from the pack, swooping down a narrow street and darting toward a small dog—whose owner scared the coyote off in the nick of time. A few blocks later, another one dashed near a woman walking her pint-sized pooch with baby in tow. By then, word had traveled that two other coyotes were spotted. Coyotes are bold when they’re hungry—and dog owners ought to keep their pets on a leash—and it made for an exciting afternoon.
I’m thrilled to have discovered Duke Ellington’s (1899-1975) Piano in the Background, digitally remastered from the 1960 recording and an exciting 14-song collection. “[I]t is as a pianist that Duke exists as a musician,” wrote Irving Townsend in the original liner notes, included here. “He composes at the piano, and he teaches the band at the piano. He heads for the piano in any room he enters, and no hotel room he ever lived in is without one.” With new arrangements of Duke Ellington’s best known compositions—“Rockin’ in Rhythm,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” “Take the ‘A’ Train”)—and new liner notes by his longtime publicist, this jazz session practically bursts from the speakers. Played on his special 91-key (not the usual 88) piano.
