Jerry Wexler The Man Behind Rhythm and Blues by Ronald Sklar The bookends of Jerry Wexler’s life are predictable and ordinary – it’s the middle that is practically unbelievable. He was born in 1917, to a poor Jewish family in the Bronx, and is currently battling poor health in Sarasota, Florida. That’s probably where he and … Continue reading
St. Elsewhere Season One (1982-1983) (20th Century Fox Home Video-2006) If for any other reason, screen this St. Elsewhere DVD to see how far we’ve come in defining the term “good television.” For those of you old enough to remember how good this show was, you’ll be amazed, disappointed – and heartbroken – at how badly it has aged. It’s the … Continue reading
Valerie Harper Good as Golda by Ronald Sklar Even all these decades later, the woman who played one of the most beloved TV characters of all time still arouses intense reactions. “Little old Jewish ladies grab my cheeks and say, ‘sweetheart, darling, they tell me you’re not Jewish. Say it isn’t so,’” says Valerie Harper, who played the … Continue reading
Fabian About This Thing Called Luck by Ronald Sklar Fabian was born under a lucky star, and that star first shone its light above the ancient, sooty row-house streets of South Philadelphia. Although we think of 1950s America as a world of suburbs, tailfins and sparkling new appliances, most of this country still lived in … Continue reading
Phoebe Snow Make Things All Right by Ronald Sklar The way Phoebe Snow can manipulate her vocal chords to achieve intense highs and duck-for-cover lows matches only the highs and lows of her own personal wild ride. Her voice, most well known for her 1974 hit, “Poetry Man,” is nothing short of a gift; however, … Continue reading
Matt White Best Days… and Getting Even Better by Ronald Sklar How’s this for destiny’s child? At five-years-old, Matt White spots and says hello to Bruce Springsteen in a Jersey diner. The meet-and-greet is totally by chance, but contains powerful, earth-shaking, life-changing impact. Not that White needed anyone to be The Boss of him – … Continue reading
Kitchen Confidential The Complete Series (2005) (20th Century Fox Home Video-2007) Kitchen Confidential came and went as fast as standing in line at McDonald’s Express. In it, superstar chef Anthony Bourdain (rechristened Jack for the series), as played by the underappreciated Bradley Cooper, talks about how your restaurant meal should “dazzle, amaze and delight.” Check, check … Continue reading
Gail O’Grady Roles of a Lifetime by Ronald Sklar “I did Celebrity Poker, and it was the first time I ever played,” actress Gail O’Grady tells me, and this should surprise me, shouldn’t it. You would think that the beauty and the brains were enough to get her by in life, that those heavy doors swing … Continue reading
Nico Muhly Speaks Volumes by Ronald Sklar What type of person do you imagine when you conjure up someone writing and arranging compositions for the likes of The Boston Pops, the American Symphony Orchestra, The Julliard Orchestra and The American Ballet Theater (if you think about this at all)? Perhaps some crusty old geezer who farts dust? … Continue reading
NYPD Blue Season 01 (1993-1994) (20th Century Fox-2003) In the dawn of the last decade of the twentieth century, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was putting a dazzling new sparkle on the formerly graffiti-laden and dingy New York City; meanwhile, on the West Coast, the beating of a law-defying Rodney King by enraged cops (and captured on videotape) … Continue reading
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