...said to have vanished from Alcatraz Island September 12, 1963, months after its closure. Focused, and unaware of evacuation, pianist and drummer's unplanned basement rehearsal slipped the final guard sweep, the critic incorrectly (unusual) telling guards, "that's a cassette playing, of an unrecorded Art Pepper tune." Goia also lost track of time, and the keys out of the remote compound, remaining as the evacuation concluded. Months later the trio floated to safety, separately. How is a story waiting to be told. Two musical lookalikes established themselves in NYC, with some small notoriety. Goia hasn't been heard from since, though a San Francisco dead-letter postcard, September 18th, 1963 displays the terse message, "Goia is Gioia". Thanks for the Hammett profile.
The Maltese Falcon is Hammett’s leanest and tautest novel, imho. I read Red Harvest at 12 or 13 and found it incredibly exciting, — I credit it with my lifetime of reading and writing, but it’s a blunt work, and to me The Glass Key never quite comes into focus — I never find the central relationships credible, and movie versions haven’t helped. The Dain Curse is meta-fun, Hammett describing himself for a crucial character, but slight, and The Thin Man another thing entirely, a comedy. But ah, Huston’s Falcon, with the perfectly cast players, top to bottom (Bogie, Mary Astor and the conspirators, of course, but also Jerome Cowan, Lee Patrick, Gladys George, Barton McLane, Ward Bond and uncredited, Walter Huston stumbling in carrying “you know”).
Thank you so much for not only the insights, but also especially for the vicarious tours to places I will never venture. Great that you got to meet Ted, the epitome of "a gentleman and a scholar" for our times. Marilyn and I are going with some friends to see Immanuel Wilkins on Friday night at the Performance Space on the Ohio State campus, a great venue for jazz. I'm hoping you will be hitting Columbus or Cincinnati this year -- and while I'm thinking of it, what is the latest on your quintets? Will they be released on CD?
Well, I wrote one sextet and it went pretty well. I need to edit that one, and then write two more for a record. The next "classical" record will be the four-hand music, a Sonata and so forth, with Hiroko Sasaki
The reference to City of Nets by Otto Friedrich. Terrific book. Along with Mike Davis and Joan Didion among the greatest interpreters of the Southern California phenomenon.
Yes I've read CITY OF NETS over and over! Incredible. My one quibble is with the bland title, a title that ties into to the counterpoint the author makes with Brecht, all of which seems a bit forced. Thankfully the book is mostly wonderful stories that defy belief.
you appear to have missed the 45 year window where you could’ve retraced the steps of the continental operator and Sam Spade through actual locations of San Francisco tenderloin with the great Don Herron
Caption for three substackers:
...said to have vanished from Alcatraz Island September 12, 1963, months after its closure. Focused, and unaware of evacuation, pianist and drummer's unplanned basement rehearsal slipped the final guard sweep, the critic incorrectly (unusual) telling guards, "that's a cassette playing, of an unrecorded Art Pepper tune." Goia also lost track of time, and the keys out of the remote compound, remaining as the evacuation concluded. Months later the trio floated to safety, separately. How is a story waiting to be told. Two musical lookalikes established themselves in NYC, with some small notoriety. Goia hasn't been heard from since, though a San Francisco dead-letter postcard, September 18th, 1963 displays the terse message, "Goia is Gioia". Thanks for the Hammett profile.
!!! God is good? I'm vamping here...don't know the song, but like the singer!
The Maltese Falcon is Hammett’s leanest and tautest novel, imho. I read Red Harvest at 12 or 13 and found it incredibly exciting, — I credit it with my lifetime of reading and writing, but it’s a blunt work, and to me The Glass Key never quite comes into focus — I never find the central relationships credible, and movie versions haven’t helped. The Dain Curse is meta-fun, Hammett describing himself for a crucial character, but slight, and The Thin Man another thing entirely, a comedy. But ah, Huston’s Falcon, with the perfectly cast players, top to bottom (Bogie, Mary Astor and the conspirators, of course, but also Jerome Cowan, Lee Patrick, Gladys George, Barton McLane, Ward Bond and uncredited, Walter Huston stumbling in carrying “you know”).
love that you know this literature so well, Howard! Thanks for comment!
Thank you so much for not only the insights, but also especially for the vicarious tours to places I will never venture. Great that you got to meet Ted, the epitome of "a gentleman and a scholar" for our times. Marilyn and I are going with some friends to see Immanuel Wilkins on Friday night at the Performance Space on the Ohio State campus, a great venue for jazz. I'm hoping you will be hitting Columbus or Cincinnati this year -- and while I'm thinking of it, what is the latest on your quintets? Will they be released on CD?
Well, I wrote one sextet and it went pretty well. I need to edit that one, and then write two more for a record. The next "classical" record will be the four-hand music, a Sonata and so forth, with Hiroko Sasaki
The reference to City of Nets by Otto Friedrich. Terrific book. Along with Mike Davis and Joan Didion among the greatest interpreters of the Southern California phenomenon.
Yes I've read CITY OF NETS over and over! Incredible. My one quibble is with the bland title, a title that ties into to the counterpoint the author makes with Brecht, all of which seems a bit forced. Thankfully the book is mostly wonderful stories that defy belief.
I have a copy of the Marshall Stearns book! Part of my course at Penn in 1976!
Great book IMO
Sorry I missed you here in LA, of course I was playing on the east coast. I wanted to hear you with Jonathan, he's a fantastic drummer.
thanks and yeah, Jonathan is really great!
A nice post all the way around. Where do I find a "noir filter?"
"noir" is one of several filters available in iPhoto on my Apple laptop. Just a click
and thanks!
Thanks for the link.
i’ve forgotten more about ethan iverson than most people ever knew
you appear to have missed the 45 year window where you could’ve retraced the steps of the continental operator and Sam Spade through actual locations of San Francisco tenderloin with the great Don Herron
https://donherron.com/the-books/literary-world-of-san-francisco/
as you probably know, I interviewed Herron about Willeford https://ethaniverson.com/newgate-callendar/willeford-interview-1-don-herron/
for what it’s worth I’ve also forgotten my sub stack login, or it has forgotten me