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staysaneathome · 1 year ago

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Turnabout SamurEye

Martin Blackwood stares at the fallen head of the oversized cartoon samurai mascot, and asks himself yet again how he got here.

The simple answer to that question would be “on the 386 bus that has a stop five minutes’ walk away from Global Studios”, but that isn’t quite what he means.

For all that he is a defense attorney, Martin’s always fancied that he has a poetic soul, one that still can’t quite believe he managed to scrape his way through law school and a handful of cases to running his own, meager firm. Sasha always used to laugh and tease that it was a combination of his dramatics and insecurities talking, that Martin was an ace attorney in his own right.

There are some days when missing his best friend and mentor gets easier, but today isn’t one of them.

There is a gentle tug on his suit sleeve.

Robbie’s eyes are crinkled in a smile above their face mask. They sign, “Ready to go check out the scene of the crime, Martin?”

He nods back. “Yes, ah, let me just take a picture of this for our evidence, first.”

They settle back, still bouncing on their heels slightly as he finishes up.

It makes sense they’re excited, he supposes. It’s not everyday that someone gets to go on the set of their favorite TV show, even if the leading actress has just been accused of murdering her coworker.

He probably would’ve taken the case even if they hadn’t badgered him into it with protests of the Blazing Samurai’s innocence, he reflects as they start walking towards the set area. Work has been thin on the ground lately, and the fees for Mum’s care home and renting the office space certainly aren’t going down anytime soon.

“We should get steak after this.” Robbie signs.

Martin blinks, has to mime out the signs himself to ensure he’s interpreted them correctly.

“What? But we just had lunch on the bus! How can you still be hungry after that?”

Robbie raises their chin proudly. “I have a second stomach for steaks!”

Martin gives them a knowing look. “Right. And, er, that wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you’ve just discovered that Lynn Hammond, The Blazing Samurai, also loves steak?”

Robbie’s eyes dart to the side guiltily as their fingers trip over the sign for “Noooo”.

“Ah,” Martin can’t quite control his grin at that as he pokes their shoulder. “Objection—the witness is withholding testimony!”

He snickers as they playfully shove his arm, hands a rapid flurry. “Don’t do that outside of court!”

There are wires and cameras everywhere when the two of them arrive on the set proper, large green screens and painted backgrounds propped up against the walls.

Robbie is practically vibrating with excitement next to him, likely torn between their desire to explore and their sense of duty as his self-imposed assistant.

They really remind him so much of Sasha, at times like this.

“Keep a lookout for anything that could be a clue,” He advises. They give him a mock salute.

There’s a large white outline near the base of the director’s chair, a discarded spear next to it. The murder weapon, presumably? It’s big and heavy, couldn’t be picked up by anyone who wasn’t trained for it, like Miss Hammond or even Jude Perry, the victim. That’s what it says in the autopsy report, but…

Martin frowns and kneels down next to it.

Surely, something like this, which is meant to have stabbed through Jude Perry’s torso, surely it ought to have more, well. Blood, on it? There’s a bit of dried bright red liquid on the very tip, but something’s…?

“Martin Blackwood.”

Martin freezes up. No. No, no, maybe, maybe he’s hallucinating things. Yes, that sounds plausible, surely he wouldn’t be here. He’s always been content sitting pretty in his office, while Detective Tonner brought him all the evidence to ruin Martin’s day, please don’t let him actually be—!

“Covering your ears and ignoring me doesn’t mean I stop existing, Blackwood.”

Well, worth a shot.

He takes a deep breath and turns to face the Demon of the Bar, trying desperately to turn his grimace into a polite smile. “Prosecutor Sims! How can I help you today?”

Jonathan Sims does not look happy.

He’s as crisp and ironed as ever, from his starched collar to his pressed cravat to the tips of his shiny, shiny shoes.

Martin feels small and shoddy just looking at him.

“I seriously doubt you could. I’d be better off banning you from the crime scene, so your bumbling around doesn’t destroy valuable evidence.” Sims scoffs. “That would be a welcome relief.”

Ouch. It takes everything Martin has not to wince.

“However,” Sims heaves a great sigh. “The law still states that the defense must have the same opportunity as the prosecution to examine evidence, so I can’t have you thrown off the premises. Yet.”

Yet??

“Yet?!” Robbie signs.

They’ve taken a step to place themself between him and the man who haunts his sleep every night. They are also trying to roll up the billowing sleeves of their apprentice uniform with their fists clenched.

Martin quickly places a hand on their arm and gives his kind-of-assistant-by-adoption a placating smile so they don’t do anything crazy like assault the prosecution.

“So I take it you’re representing the guilty party in this case?” Sims sneers.

“L-Lynne Hammond isn’t the one who killed Jude Perry!” Martin protests. “We’re still gathering evidence, but, but all the character witnesses thus far have shown that she wasn’t the kind of person who held any grudges against the victim!”

Robbie nods furiously next to him, signing “That’s right! The Blazing Samurai could never do that!”

Sims glances between them and Martin with an eyebrow raised.

“And you believe it’s suitable to bring a child along to a murder investigation?” He demands imperiously, one finger pointing at Robbie. “Really, Blackwood, I knew you were irresponsible, but this takes the cake.”

Robbie puffs up indignantly, hands moving almost too quickly to parse as they sign, “I’m not a kid! I’m thirteen years old!”

“Wh-?!” Martin splutters, “That’s not the—! And you, Sims, you were trying to find them guilty of murdering Sasha last month!”

“That—!” Sims sniffs, trying to regain his composure. “That’s different.”

“How?!” Martin cries, trying not to tear his hair out. “They would’ve got the death penalty! The only reason they didn’t is because I found out the real murderer and she decided it’d be funny to frame me as well! If we hadn’t gotten that list of names—”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that, actually.” Sims cuts in, glare hard. “How did you find that list of Nikola Orsinov’s blackmail victims?”

Martin freezes.

“I. Um?”

Prosecutor Sims tilts his head, pinning Martin in place under that stare which thousands of witness have sworn somehow makes them say things they’d never tell another soul.

“Well?”

It’s not like he can just say ‘oh the tween tagging along with me is a spirit medium and channeled the ghost of my dead mentor who’s also their older sister so she could tell me and force Orsinov to confess! Oh and your hair looks really good like that and I’d maybe like to gaze into your eyes constantly and I’ve been in love with you since we were both five so do you wanna go out sometime?’

No. No, no, bad Martin, bad! Just because he’s got a nice face does not make him boyfriend material. Jonathan Sims is a dick, no matter what he was like when you were in primary school together. 17 years of radio silence to you and Gerry have sent that message.

Besides, you learned this lesson with Michael. He was pretty, and funny, and seemed like the perfect boyfriend, and what did he do? He framed you for murder. Yeesh. Why is that becoming a pattern in his life. Better for everyone to not—

There’s a gentle tap on his arm.

He looks down to see Robbie staring up at him, signing “Martin?”

Wait. Hold on. Oh god. How long has he just been staring into Jon’s eyes for?! Sim’s eyes?! Shit?!

The prosecutor is giving him an odd look, his glare morphed slightly to…something else? “Well?” He snaps.

“I…uh…um. Well. You know how, er, Robbie, Sasha is their, was their older sister?” He darts an apologetic glance to them. They hunch into his side slightly.

“I know the relation between the acquitted defendant and the late Ms. James, yes.” Sims drawls, “What of it?”

“W-well,” Martin bluffs. “Sasha and Robbie had a separate hiding spot here in the city, when, when Robbie had come to visit her before. She, she’d left a copy of that list here, a while ago, so Orsinov and Sarah Baldwin didn’t know about it. Robbie mentioned the place off-hand before the last day so I…checked…”

Jon’s glare has deepened to its former disdain.

“Forget it.” He sneers. “If you’ll do nothing but lie, I don’t know why I bother. Still, if you’re going to be that obvious, it’ll be easy to prove the accused’s guilt in court tomorrow. Good afternoon, Martin Blackwood.”

Prosecutor Sims turns on his heel and marches away.

Martin watches him go and tries to ignore the twinge in his chest.

There’s another small tug on his suit sleeve.

He looks down to see Robbie staring up at him with gratitude. They slip one hand into his and give it a squeeze, one hand touching their chin as if blowing a kiss. “Thank you.”

He squeezes back, a tired smile on his face. “Oh, it’s no. No trouble, really. I’m not about to tell anyone about you-know-what just, just willy-nilly.”

Robbie puffs out their chest, hands coming up to sign, “Let’s go prove that mean prosecutor wrong! He’s nothing but a phony anyway, you’ll show him!”

Martin huffs a small laugh at their enthusiasm.

Wait.

Something clicks in his head. He turns back to examine the spear.

Blood is this color when it comes out of a body, yes. But for it to stay this way when dried, and there to be no stains around the white outline of the corpse…

“It’s phony.” He mutters, excitement raising his volume gradually. “It’s—this crime scene, it’s not real, it’s, it’s fake! The blood on the spear, it’s not the right color, and, and there are no other bloodstains or anything, so that means that when Jude Perry died, it wasn’t on set! It had to be somewhere else, and the body was moved here later!”

Robbie matches his excitement when he grins at them, fingers drumming against their neck rapidly.

“C’mon,” Martin says, feeling the thrill of unraveling a contradiction, of getting closer to the truth. “Let’s go see if we can’t work out where the real murder happened.”

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hammondcast · 2 years ago

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Louie Bellson Interview With Jon Hammond HammondCast

#LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE: Louie Bellson Interview With Jon Hammond HammondCast

Jon's archive https://archive.org/details/louie-bellson-interview-with-jon-hammond-hammond-cast

Louie Bellson Interview With Jon Hammond HammondCast

Jon Hammond

Usage

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International

Topics

Louie Bellson, Jazz Drummer, Band Leader, Double Bass Drums, Johnny Hodges, Pearl Bailey, Educator, HammondCast, CBS Radio, KYOU, KYCY, Jon Hammond

Language

English

Louie Bellson Interview With Jon Hammond HammondCast on CBS KYOU / KYCY Radio - August 2003, he appeared at Jazz Club Nouveau in San Francisco with tenor saxophonist Don Menza -

Louie Bellson's Wiki:

Birth nameLuigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio BalassoniBornJuly 6, 1924Rock Falls, IllinoisDiedFebruary 14, 2009 (aged 84)Los Angeles, CaliforniaGenresJazz, big band, swingOccupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger, bandleaderInstrument(s)DrumsYears active1931–2009LabelsRoulette, Concord, Pablo, Musicmasters

Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, arranger, bandleader, and jazz educator, and is credited with pioneering the use of two bass drums.[1]

Bellson performed in most of the major capitals around the world. Bellson and his wife, actress and singer Pearl Bailey[2] (married from 1952 until Bailey's death in 1990), had the second highest number of appearances at the White House (only Bob Hope had more).

Bellson was a vice president at Remo, a drum company.[3] He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1985

Bellson was born in Rock Falls, Illinois, in 1924, where his father owned a music store. He started playing drums at three years of age. While still a young child, Bellson's father moved the family and music store to Moline, Illinois.[5] At 15, he pioneered using two bass drums at the same time, a technique he invented in his high school art class.[6] At age 17, he triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the Slingerland National Gene Krupa contest.[7]

After graduating from Moline High School in 1942, he worked with big bands throughout the 1940s, with Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Duke Ellington. In 1952, he married jazz singer Pearl Bailey. During the 1950s, he played with the Dorsey Brothers, Jazz at the Philharmonic, acted as Bailey's music director, and recorded as a leader for Norgran Records and Verve Records.[8]

Over the years, his sidemen included Ray Brown, Pete and Conte Candoli, Chuck Findley, John Heard, Roger Ingram, Don Menza, Blue Mitchell, Larry Novak, Nat Pierce, Frank Rosolino, Bobby Shew, Clark Terry, and Snooky Young.

In an interview in 2005 with Jazz Connection magazine, he cited as influences Jo Jones, Sid Catlett, and Chick Webb. "I have to give just dues to two guys who really got me off on the drums – Big Sid Catlett and Jo Jones. They were my influences. All three of us realized what Jo Jones did and it influenced a lot of us. We all three looked to Jo as the 'Papa' who really did it. Gene helped bring the drums to the foreground as a solo instrument. Buddy was a great natural player. But we also have to look back at Chick Webb's contributions, too."[9]

During the 1960s, he returned to Ellington's orchestra for Emancipation Proclamation Centennial stage production, My People in and for A Concert of Sacred Music, which is sometimes called The First Sacred Concert. Ellington called these concerts "the most important thing I have ever done."[10]

Bellson's album The Sacred Music of Louie Bellson and the Jazz Ballet appeared in 2006. In May 2009, Francine Bellson told The Jazz Joy and Roy syndicated radio show, "I like to call (Sacred) 'how the Master used two maestros,'" adding, "When (Ellington) did his sacred concert back in 1965 with Louie on drums, he told Louie that the sacred concerts were based on 'in-the-beginning,' the first three words of the bible." She recalled how Ellington explained to Louie that "in the beginning there was lightning and thunder and that's you!" Ellington exclaimed, pointing out that Louie's drums were the thunder. Both Ellington and Louie, says Mrs. Bellson, were deeply religious. "Ellington told Louie, 'You ought to do a sacred concert of your own' and so it was," said Bellson, adding, "'The Sacred Music of Louie Bellson' combines symphony, big band and choir, while 'The Jazz Ballet' is based on the vows of Holy Matrimony..."

On December 5, 1971, he took part in a memorial concert at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall for drummer Frank King. This tribute show also featured Buddy Rich and British drummer Kenny Clare. The orchestra was led by Irish trombonist Bobby Lamb and American trombonist Raymond Premru. A few years later, Rich (often called the world's greatest drummer) paid Bellson a compliment by asking him to lead his band on tour while he (Rich) was temporarily disabled by a back injury. Bellson accepted.

As a prolific creator of music, both written and improvised, his compositions and arrangements (in the hundreds) embrace jazz, jazz/rock/fusion, romantic orchestral suites, symphonic works and a ballet. Bellson was also a poet and a lyricist. His only Broadway venture, Portofino (1958), was a resounding flop that closed after three performances.[13]

As an author, he published more than a dozen books on drums and percussion. He was at work with his biographer on a book chronicling his career and bearing the same name as one of his compositions, "Skin Deep". In addition, "The London Suite" (recorded on his album Louie in London) was performed at the Hollywood Pilgrimage Bowl before a record-breaking audience. The three-part work includes a choral section in which a 12-voice choir sings lyrics penned by Bellson. Part One is the band's rousing "Carnaby Street", a collaboration with Jack Hayes.[14]

In 1987, at the Percussive Arts Society convention in Washington, D.C., Bellson and Harold Farberman performed a major orchestral work titled "Concerto for Jazz Drummer and Full Orchestra", the first piece ever written specifically for jazz drummer and full symphony orchestra. This work was recorded by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in England, and was released by the Swedish label BIS.

Bellson was known throughout his career to conduct drum and band clinics at high schools, colleges and music stores.[16]

Bellson maintained a tight schedule of clinics and performances of both big bands and small bands in colleges, clubs and concert halls. In between, he continued to record and compose, resulting in more than 100 albums and more than 300 compositions. Bellson's Telarc debut recording, Louie Bellson And His Big Band: Live From New York, was released in June 1994. He also created new drum technology for Remo, of which he was vice-president.[17]

Bellson received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 1985 at Northern Illinois University. As of 2005, among other performing activities, Bellson had visited his home town of Rock Falls, Illinois, every July for Louie Bellson Heritage Days, a weekend in his honor close to his July 6 birthday, with receptions, music clinics and other performances by Bellson.[1] At the 2004 event celebrating his 80th birthday, Bellson said, "I'm not that old; I'm 40 in this leg, and 40 in the other leg."[18] He celebrated his birthday every year at the River Music Experience in Davenport, Iowa.

Bellson was voted into the Halls of Fame for Modern Drummer magazine, in 1985, and the Percussive Arts Society, in 1978. Yale University named him a Duke Ellington Fellow in 1977. He received an honorary Doctorate from Northern Illinois University in 1985. He performed his original concert – Tomus I, II, III – with the Washington Civic Symphony in historic Constitution Hall in 1993. A combination of full symphony orchestra, big-band ensemble and 80-voice choir, "Tomus" was a collaboration of music by Bellson and lyrics by his late wife, Pearl Bailey. Bellson was a nine-time Grammy Award nominee.[19]

In January 1994, Bellson received the NEA Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.[20] As one of three recipients, he was lauded by NEA chair Jane Alexander, who said, "These colossal talents have helped write the history of jazz in America."

On November 19, 1952, Bellson married American actress and singer, Pearl Bailey, in London. Bellson and Bailey adopted a son, Tony, in the mid-1950s, and a daughter, Dee Dee (born April 20, 1960).[22] Tony Bellson died in 2004, and Dee Dee Bellson died on July 4, 2009, at age 49, within five months of her father. After Bailey's death in 1990, Bellson married Francine Wright in September 1992.[23]

Wright, who had trained as a physicist and engineer at MIT,[24] became his manager. The union lasted until his death in 2009.[25]

On February 14, 2009, Bellson died at age 84 from complications of a broken hip suffered in December 2008 and Parkinson's disease. He is buried next to his father in Riverside Cemetery, Moline, Illinois.

Discography[edit]

As leader[edit]

1952 Just Jazz All Stars (Capitol)

1954 Louis Bellson and His Drums (Norgran)

1955 Skin Deep (Norgran) compiles Belson's 10 inch LPs The Amazing Artistry of Louis Bellson and The Exciting Mr. Bellson

1954 The Exciting Mr. Bellson and His Big Band (Norgran)

1954 Louis Bellson with Wardell Gray (Norgran)

1954 Louis Bellson Quintet (Norgran) also released as Concerto for Drums by Louis Bellson

1954 Journey into Love (Norgan) also released as Two in Love

1955 The Driving Louis Bellson (Norgran)

1956 The Hawk Talks (Norgran)

1957 Drumorama! (Verve)

1959 Let's Call It Swing (Verve)

1959 Music, Romance and Especially Love (Verve)

1957 Louis Bellson at The Flamingo (Verve)

1959 Live in Stereo at the Flamingo Hotel, Vol. 1: June 28, 1959

1961 Drummer's Holiday (Verve)

1960 The Brilliant Bellson Sound (Verve)

1960 Louis Bellson Swings Jule Styne (Verve)

1961 Around the World in Percussion (Roulette)

1962 Big Band Jazz from the Summit (Roulette)

1962 Happy Sounds (Roulette) with Pearl Bailey

1962 The Mighty Two (Roulette) with Gene Krupa

1964 Explorations (Roulette) with Lalo Schifrin

1965 Are You Ready for This? (Roost) with Buddy Rich

1965 Thunderbird (Impulse!)

1967 Repercussion (Studio2Stereo)

1968 Breakthrough! (Project 3)

1970 Louie in London (DRG)

1972 Conversations (Vocalion)

1974 150 MPH (Concord)

1975 The Louis Bellson Explosion (Pablo)

1975 The Drum Session (Philips Records with Shelly Manne, Willie Bobo & Paul Humphrey)

1976 Louie Bellson's 7 (Concord Jazz)

1977 Ecue Ritmos Cubanos (Pablo) with Walfredo de los Reyes

1978 Raincheck (Concord)

1978 Note Smoking

1978 Louis Bellson Jam with Blue Mitchell (Pablo)

1978 Matterhorn: Louie Bellson Drum Explosion

1978 Sunshine Rock (Pablo)

1978 Prime Time (Concord Jazz)

1979 Dynamite (Concord Jazz)

1979 Side Track (Concord Jazz)

1979 Louis Bellson, With Bells On! (Vogue Jazz (UK))[27]

1980 London Scene (Concord Jazz)

1980 Live at Ronnie Scott's (DRG)

1982 Hi Percussion (Accord)

1982 Cool, Cool Blue (Pablo)

1982 The London Gig (Pablo)

1983 Loose Walk

1984 Don't Stop Now! (Capri)

1986 Farberman: Concerto for Jazz Drummer; Shchedrin: Carmen Suite(BIS)

1987 Intensive Care

1988 Hot (Nimbus)

1989 Jazz Giants (Musicmasters)

1989 East Side Suite (Musicmasters)

1990 Airmail Special: A Salute to the Big Band Masters (Musicmasters)

1992 Live at the Jazz Showcase (Concord Jazz)

1992 Peaceful Thunder (Musicmasters)

1994 Live from New York (Telarc)

1994 Black Brown & Beige (Musicmasters)

1994 Cool Cool Blue (Original Jazz Classics)

1994 Salute (Chiaroscuro)

1995 I'm Shooting High (Four Star)

1995 Explosion Band (Exhibit)

1995 Salute (Chiaroscuro)

1995 Live at Concord Summer Festival (Concord Jazz)

1996 Their Time Was the Greatest (Concord Jazz)

1997 Air Bellson (Concord Jazz)

1998 The Art of Chart (Concord Jazz)[28]

As sideman[edit]

With Count Basie

Back with Basie (Roulette, 1962)

Basie in Sweden (Roulette, 1962)

Pop Goes the Basie (Reprise, 1965)

Basie's in the Bag (Brunswick, 1967)

The Happiest Millionaire (Coliseum, 1967)

Count Basie Jam Session at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975 (Pablo, 1975)

With Benny Carter

Benny Carter Plays Pretty (Norgran, 1954)

New Jazz Sounds (Norgran, 1954)

In the Mood for Swing (MusicMasters, 1988)

With Buddy Collette

Porgy & Bess (Interlude 1957 [1959])

With Duke Ellington

Ellington Uptown (Columbia, 1952)

My People (Contact, 1963)

A Concert of Sacred Music (RCA Victor, 1965)

Ella at Duke's Place (Verve, 1965)

With Dizzy Gillespie

Roy and Diz (Clef, 1954)

With Stephane Grappelli

Classic Sessions: Stephane Grappelli, with Phil Woods and Louie Bellson (1987)

With Johnny Hodges

The Blues (Norgran, 1952–54, [1955])

Used to Be Duke (Norgran, 1954)

Louie Bellson, Jazz Drummer, Band Leader, Double Bass Drums, Johnny Hodges, Pearl Bailey, Educator, HammondCast, CBS Radio, KYOU, KYCY, Jon Hammond

#Louie Bellson #Jazz Drummer #Band Leader #Double Bass Drums #Johnny Hodges #Pearl Bailey #Educator #HammondCast #CBS Radio #kyouka izumi #KYCY #Jon Hammond

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