I have barely yet dipped

In to the three amazing books I received for Xmas.  I am the farthest along in The Last Boy, a biography of Mickey Mantle.  Thank you, Mum & Da.

Eight Oscars, how many do you got?

Oh, Ingrid.  Notorious, indeed.

Anna May Wong.

Renee gave me two books, both of the large coffee-table variety.  I willn't link to the Edith Head book.  You can see it advertised on TCM.  The Edith Head book is ripe w/ lush, gorgeous photographs, natch.  And I love that Head herself had such a distinctive style of her own.  Stanwyck, no matter what studio she was working for, would be dressed by no one other than Head.  And how can we not mention Bette Davis' "wardrobe malfunction" that made for one of Head's finest creations, the cut armpit dress that Davis wore in her legendary All About Eve party sequence.  (And oh yeah, she designed Monroe's dress for that scene, too.  [I am sorry, but Monroe was better in black and white, damnitt.])  Anyhoo, I am just aboot a quarter through that book.  (Banton is a drunk wreck she's always apologizing for and she is finally on her own, beginning to make her name.)

The second book she gave me was by Will Friedwald, who writes about music for the Wall Street Journal, of all places, A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers.  I have only read one entry.  I started with Ella Fitzgerald.  The book is comprehensive but written in the language and style of a layman such as I.  It is a fabulous treat.  Who knew I had owned the worst of the essential Fitzgerald songbooks, the Cole Porter one.  I learned tout-suite when I bought the Rodgers & Hart songbook on iTunes.  I am not sure I can describe the luxurious, blissful feeling I felt when I heard it at last.  Or how thrilled I am when I listen to Lullabies of Birdland, with its' ice rink organ and Ella losing her mind at the mic.

I have only scratched the surface with Ella.  Jeez, what happens when I hit Torme next? Or Sarah Vaughn? Or Holiday? Or, ...

THE first, first, first, first lady of song.

The Commerce Comet.

I love you all, mwah!