Some years ago when I was teaching at Bayonne’s Adult Evening School I’d start the first day of class by going around the room and asking each student how he felt about his first name. It got interesting results and it broke the ice. I always added my own reaction to my name — a name my mother picked from a song (fortuitous). I’ll share it even though this is July. I always liked my first name and not just because it rhymed with “tune.” In kindergarten, (you didn’t think I could remember that far back!) when my teacher wrote the date on the blackboard I felt special because I thought she was writing my name. Then something happened to make me feel differently about it. A song from a Broadway musical became very popular but, unhappily, it was used frequently by males to taunt me. How can I defend myself against Oscar Hammerstein’s “June Is Bustin’ out All Over!” Well, enough time has passed and I’m over it.
When I told my three adult kids, Jim, Andy, and Jolie, that I was not a fan of the Beatles, they reacted as though I had committed heresy. However, I recently learned more about the “Fab Four” when I caught their silver-screen debut, “A Hard Day’s Night,” on television. I was converted. The film was intended as “a low-budget exploitation movie to milk the latest ‘brief’ musical for all it was worth.” Ha! Today “A Hard Day’s Night,” a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film, is considered to be one of the best and most influential musical films of all times. It’s hard for me to understand that! In the movie, the Beatles are rocking, singing, smoking, eating, joking, drinking, charming, cussing, and laughing. Much to my surprise I now enjoy their music: “Can’t Buy Me Love,”“All My Loving,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” (although my mom always corrected us to say not “yeah” but “yes”), and more. If you are a Beatles fan, I bet you can name the four: John Lennon, Paul McCartney (I’m a devoted fan especially since he put out an album with vintage songs), George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. In cities across the U.S. the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night,” in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary, will be screened on July 4. It has been digitally restored, remixed, and remastered with sound effects. Many books have been written about the Beatles. If you are inspired after seeing the movie, you might want to read one of them. Each Beatle has had a mixed and somewhat troubled background.
New York City is the jazz mecca for those of us who enjoy the music and there’s one place that stands out for me. It’s Birdland in the theater district (315 West 44th Street), and here are my reasons. It offers top-flight jazz, good sightlines, elbowroom, and a menu featuring American cuisine with a Cajun flair. Well there’s another reason – a tuba-playing lawyer (yes, a lawyer!). David Ostwald has led his band every Wednesday for the past 16 years. His group is devoted to preserving the infectiously swinging musical style introduced by Louis Armstrong, the renowned jazz musician and beloved entertainer known worldwide as Satchmo. Ostwald, who plays the tuba with his Louis Armstrong’s Eternity Band, explains that his goal is more to salute Armstrong’s spirit than to imitate his sound. New trumpet players have asked Ostwald, “Do I have to play like Louis?”, and his reply is, “What, are you kidding? Nobody can.” I enjoy something else about Birdland. The music starts at 5:30 pm every Wednesday. It’s perfect for after a matinee or before seeing a Broadway show. In my case, it’s perfect for getting home early going through the Holland Tunnel. If you are looking for a musical bargain, you might find Birdland the answer.
I usually prefer song, dance, and romance. However I got hooked on “The Sopranos” and watched every episode of the HBO television series. As a result, I became a fan of the actor who played the mob boss, James Gandolfini. In interviews, which the actor did his very best to avoid, he would often fall back on some version of “I’m just a dumb, fat guy from Jersey.” For six years as I watched the hit 1999 program, I marveled at Gandolfini’s gift for shedding light on the vulnerable side of a seemingly ruthless character. Recently I saw one of his final major movie roles, “Enough Said.” A reviewer called it “a small miracle of a movie.” At times, it made me laugh and at other times, it made me tearful. I suppose the accidental by-product of seeing Mr. Gandolfini, so playful and alive, highlighted the loss of his remarkable gifts. When the actor died in Italy after suffering a heart attack, he was only 51. If you can catch “Enough Said” on HBO, I think you’ll enjoy seeing Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the romantic lead and certainly once more feel the loss of the much-loved actor.
If you were asked to name Manhattan’s most romantic room, I don’t know if you would give the same answer that I would. For me, there’s one with a most spectacular view of Central Park and Columbus Circle. My reply would be the Appel Room. What, you never heard of the Appel Room? Well, I know why. Until recently, it was called the Allen Room. The cause was an unprecedented gift of 20 million dollars (whew!). When questioned, Robert J. Appel said, “Jazz is happy.” He and his wife feel that the former Allen Room is the finest place to enjoy it. The room is based on the design of a Greek amphitheater. It merges luxurious splendor with functional accessibility. One can’t help enjoy sitting there. Currently, there’s a series called “Legends of the Jazz Age.” An entertainer who knows the music of the “Roaring 20s” and the Great Depression thoroughly hosts it. Michael Feinstein curates the series and proves himself an erudite, charismatic singer-pianist very much at ease on stage. Joining him is my favorite 11-piece orchestra, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, who specialize in the era. The increasingly innovative Great American Songbook series hits the spot for me, and based on the happy audience, there are plenty of folks who agree.
You can e-mail June Sturz at intunejune@optonline.net