This 2012 piece for The Rake features quotes from The Andover Shop’s Charlie Davidson. * * * Passive Form: Don’t be fooled by those pulse-slowing tunes: self-destructive jazz prodigy Chet Baker — the most stylish man ever to not give a hoot about clothing — was a man of sheer, energetic brass By Christian Chensvold …
In 1965, Esquire jazz and style writer George Frazier wrote this essay for the liner notes of the album “Miles Davis’ Greatest Hits.” The Warlord of the Weejuns By George Frazier I don’t mean to be a bastard about this, but, at the same time, I have no intention of being agreeable just for the …
Happy Birthday to singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte, who turns 90 today. Below you can check out an early recording he made with the Zoot Sims Quintet below. It features Roy Haynes on drums. Haynes was one of the jazz musicians who got hip to Ivy in the mid-’50s, and I interviewed him in …
Since I like to doodle at the piano and believe this to be the most wonderful time of the year, I break out the Christmas sheet music the day after Thanksgiving so I can enjoy a whole month of playing yuletide hymns. Of course the retailers start earlier and earlier, but decorations and music are …
To make sure you’re in the proper Christmas spirit, here’s Chet Baker and the Lighthouse All Stars doing “Winter Wonderland” from 1953. Chet cut one Christmas album, “Silent Nights,” in 1986. He declined to include, however, the Christmas tune that would have best suited him: “All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.” …
Many of you are probably feeling blue today, even if you’re not in a blue state. So here’s a little tune called “Harvard Blues,” which was written by a young student named George Frazier, who would go on to become Esquire’s style critic and best pal of Charlie Davidson of The Andover Shop. The song …
Last week Kamakura Shirts used its Madison Avenue location for a soiree book signing for Graham Marsh. Marsh, an author, designer and illustrator, is one of the biggest names in the UK Ivy community. He has also collaborated with Kamakura on a line of vintage Ivy shirts. The party was in celebration of a new …
Update: 12:26 PM EST I’ve just been informed that the story at The Gentleman’s Journal linked below is not loading. My apologies and I’ve informed my editor to investigate the broken link. Update: 12:49 Link should be working. * * * I’ve recently begun writing for The Gentleman’s Journal, a London-based luxury magazine with close …
Tonight at 9pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific I’ll be the guest on Jazz Advance, an online radio show hosted by Dublab.com, the oldest Internet radio site. To tune in, simply head here at the appointed time and press play at the top of the page. And if you’re otherwise engaged, the show will be archived and …
This post from 2009 came up in conversation yesterday and is worth revisiting. What an incredible mix of people. I had great fun writing this and imagining the scene. * * * One of the saddest phrases in the English language is “You missed a great party.” Well here’s one we all missed. In 1957 …
Derek at the Die Workwear! blog may be a style omnivore, but he still has a soft spot for the Ivy League Look. Yesterday he was on a bit of a trad kick. First he tweeted the following: Then he posted a great gallery of images of jazz pianist Bill Evans, along with some remarks …
Like many suburban California boys of a recalcitrant nature, I spent my early teenage years in the ’80s listening to rock, metal and punk. I went to many concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area, and even started a fanzine, foreshadowing my forays into Internet publishing years later. I even got to interview Kirk Hammett, …
As a follow-up to yesterday’s post on Ethan Hawke’s new Chet Baker biopic, we’re revisiting Ivy Style’s one and only fashion photo shoot, originally posted on October 23, 2012. Today we begin planning a new one. * * * He was a prep-school dropout From the Donegal Mist Academy, Fortune’s fool who dared to love …
Ivy Style has been reporting for years on Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic (which is finally going to be released), but who knew there was a Chet Baker film in development? Apparently we knew, and I’d forgotten all about it. And this weekend it opened. “Born To Be Blue” stars Ethan Hawke as the jazz …
There’s a line from an old movie that goes, “It’s easier to change your mind than you cafe.” After a couple years of intractability, neighbor and Millennial Fogey columnist DCG and I had our morning coffee today at a new cafe. It’s a longer walk, but the coffee is better and so is the music. …
During the heyday of The Ivy League Look, a number of guys from preppy backgrounds wound up working in the field of jazz. Bobby Troup was one of them. Raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Troup prepped at The Hill School, then studied economics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. While an undergraduate, Troup …
I’m going to start the week out by playing DJ. Below is a playlist with 50 tunes spanning the years 1954-1967. This is not a historic survey, but instead a far more personal selection. In general, these are songs I’ve been listening to for a long time. A couple are from my parents’ record …
Jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman has died at the age of 85. Here is the Wall Street Journal’s coverage. I don’t know what the guys are wearing in this photo, but for me it’s always been the epitome of ’50s-“Talented Mr. Ripley” suited-up blacks-and-whites making music together jazz cool. — CC
Take a five minute break and listen to some music. Actually, you’ll need more like 15. Last night ABC’s “World News Tonight” reported on a new documentary on the plight of music in Pakistan. An important topic to be sure, but what does that have to do with us here? The story recounts a 1962 …