Hey, y’all! Hope you’re doing your best. It’s Tuesday again, and we’re back on the air this week with two all-new programs and two fresh new write-ups! Read on down to learn more about what we’re playing tonight on datafruits.fm!
Talkie Time : Casey, Crime Photographer: Wanted–A Gun / Woman Of Mystery
truly the face of a man who has shat his pants on the job
I made a joke last week about my photojournalist cat ass enjoying a good by-the-numbers police-procedural detective story despite not being the biggest fan of the boys in blue. Well, I’m knee-deep in a historical research rabbit hole for this week’s Clippings column over on Assigned that involves a whoooole lotta police corruption and incompetence, and I’m not in the mood to hear much out of even the fictional blue bloods at the moment.
So, in lieu of Dragnet or some other malarkey, here’s two episodes of another idiot photojournalist getting himself into dumb deep shit and solving problems despite the police rather than because of them–and despite his own dumb ass half the time, too.
That’s right, kids–it’s time for one of my favorite old time radio shows, Casey: Crime Photographer. We’ve got two stories of my beloved greaseball with a Speed Graphic for you tonight.
First up, it’s “Wanted: A Gun” (no relation to our friend to the right up there), originally aired on January 19, 1950. A guy who’s in jail for beating his wife’s about to get out of jail, and the wife’s boyfriend buys a gun for the occasion. Y’know, just because. No reason. Whaddya mean he got shot? Couldn’ta been the boyfriend. Definitely not.
After that, we’ve got “Woman Of Mystery”, originally aired on November 9, 1950. An elderly woman calls up the press to let our flashbulb-toting friend know that there’s a dead guy in her apartment. Weird thing to phone a stringer about, but hey; probably better the press office than the cops.
The Jazz Program Is In Chicago Now! Hubert Laws “The Chicago Theme” (1975) / Oscar Peterson Trio “The Trio: Live From Chicago” (1961) / Chicago Transit Authority’s “Chicago Transit Authority” (1969)
home of daaaa pope
Fantastic news this week: ya girl has relocated to Chicago! And, to commemorate our very first broadcast from The Second City, this week’s Jazz Program is–gasp! surprise! shock!–on some dumb theme night shit again.
I mean, come on. Did you honestly expect me to pass up a chance to crate dig around a vague premise? You know how we do things here. Now pull up a milk crate, sit your ass down, and help me unpack these vinyls. These discs ain’t gonna put themselves in neat stacks next to the laundry that I’ll half-ass putting on the actual shelves for the next six months.
Besides, any theme night that gives me a chance to slot in one of my favorite records is bound to be a good one. Speakin’ of which, our opener for this evening is none other than Hubert Laws’ fantastic “The Chicago Theme”, from 1979.
After that, we’ve got the Oscar Peterson Trio (with none other than the fantastic Ray Brown on bass) playing live in the Windy City, with “The Trio: Live From Chicago”, released in 1961.
And finally, we’ve got the jazz-rock outfit Chicago Transit Authority, who you (and your dad) probably know better as the adult-contemporary band they became in their later years, after they discarded the reference to the L in favor of a simpler mononym: Chicago. We’ll be closing out the evening with their 1961 self-titled debut album.
Aaand that’s it for this week! No reruns this week! Gotta commemorate the accomplishments when you can, after all, and this has been a rough move if there ever was one. I’ve made it in, though, and now it’s time to sit back and spin some records for all of you! I do hope you can make it.
Speaking of, if you’re reading this the day of, and you can make it in tonight, you should come hang out in the chat with us on Datafruits! We’ve got a good crowd of folks in the chat every week, and whether you have a suggestion for a future show or just want to hang out and chat with fellow jazz enjoyers, you’re welcome here with us.
You’re all amazing and don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not. Stay safe out there, and I’ll see you back again next week. Same time, same station.