My lp listening this week

This is a great lp. Bass is tremendous and the playing is intense. Piano concertos!

Jazz in Paris

Dusty Groove has a nice series of cds called Jazz in Paris, recordings made in France during the 50's thru the mid 70's, and featuring artists like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey, Max Roach, and lesser known artists like Henri Criolla, Bobby Jasper, Don Byas, Lou Bennett, Rene Thomas, etc. My favorite right now is a Rene Thomas disc that features Lou Bennett on organ. Smokes like a US made Presige soul jazz session! Dig it!

A Strange and silly movie of Mrs Wardh

This was a disappointing movie. After reading the hype about it on various sites, like DVD Drive in, I picked this up at Best Buy thinking I was in for a treat, especially since it stars the beautiful actress Edwige French. Well, she's gorgeous in it, but spends most of her time wandering around in a daze as she tries to avoid an ex lover who still continues to haunt her (I think Ivan Rassimov), taking up a new beau (George Hilton), all the while being married to a diplomat (again I think Manuel Gil). A serial killer is terrorizing the city, and the movie leads you (and out heroine) to believe that it is one of the three men. But the silly pseudo Hitchcockian Maguffins (false trails) serve to confuse the viewer. Is Edwige nuts or is one of her beaus a psycho? Lots of topless scenes with her writhing with Hilton, or getting the bejeezus knocked out of her by Rassimov, as there is a lot of sadomasochism stuff in their relationship. A plot that tries to be cleverer than it is, the viewpoints change 3/4 of the way through the movie, to a conclusion that makes as much sense as the more recent Wild Things, but without the winking knowingly at the audience. I called the ending before it happened, which is always bad. Issued as part of a new Sergio Martino Collection by NoShame films, it is an average giallo mystery but without the tension or suspense of a Mario Bava. Look for All the Colors of the Dark for a much superior giallo, also starring Edwige French.

Peer Gynt

I saw this recent review in classicstoday.com, and put in an order. I loved the suite, and I am really interested in hearing how the complete version is. A detailed report soon!