Paul Coates, Jan. 6, 1961

Jan. 6, 1961: Paul Coates dips into the mailbag and has an item on a jazz band and choir that perform “ ‘Peter Gunn’-type music” at church services.

Oh, Tin-enbaum!

Nov. 24, 1960: Yes, the aluminum Christmas tree is back again, in all its shimmering majesty, at Sears! The 7-foot tree with 153 branches cost $178.73 in 2009 dollars. ALSO Aluminum Christmas trees on the Daily Mirror RIP Garth Gimble

Buddy Collette -- ‘Shotgun Freeway’

Amid the tributes to Buddy Collette, Daily Mirror readers should remember that he appears in “Shotgun Freeway,” one of the great documentaries about Los Angeles. The trailer is here.

The Incomparable Stan Freberg, II

Aug. 9-10, 1960: Here are Parts 2 and 3 of Ursula Baumann’s profile of Stan Freberg. "Mad Men" please take note: “I'm a bitter pill to Madison Avenue because I represent originality and freshness of approach -- the kind of thing that seldom sees the light of day in advertising. The best things done on Madison Avenue are still in the desk drawers of the copywriters who wrote them." He says he would starve before he played Las Vegas. "I don't want to help people lose money they can't afford. And that's all an entertainer is there for -- to be a professional shill." As for being a perfectionist: "The worst two phrases in the world today are 'It's good enough' and 'Nobody will know the difference.' If it isn't perfect -- or as close as you can make it -- it's NOT good enough. And somebody WILL know the difference." Baumann says: Freberg credits much of his success to his meticulous craftsmanship, but adds: "It was chance and luck. And I think God has a lot to do with it -- I give God a lot of credit for my success."

Riot Closes Newport Jazz Festival

July 4, 1960: Newport, R.I. -- “Mobs of students, many of whom had driven long distances to hear their favorite musicians, were broken up with tear gas bombs, streams of water from high-pressure fire hoses and flying wedges of police cars.”

Hearing on the Gas House, Part 4

Sept. 8, 1959: This is the fourth part of a transcript of testimony by “Holy Barbarians” author Lawrence Lipton before the the Los Angeles Police Commission on the Gas House, the Beat hangout in Venice.  Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.

Westbrook Pegler, March 11, 1926

Before he emerged as a columnist on the national scene, Westbrook Pegler was a sportswriter. Here’s one of his columns about spring training by the Brooklyn Dodgers. And, frankly, he reads like a pretty fair writer.

Matt Weinstock, March 1, 1960

Way Out Walkout     A great many people walked out on Miles Davis and John Coltrane, two great men of music they had primarily come to see and hear, at last Saturday's jazz concert at Shrine Auditorium, thereby provoking a recurrent point of controversy in listener-ship.     The Miles Davis sextet was the main event of the evening, last on the program, eagerly awaited.     Without any formality they went into a way-out number. It went on and on, with Davis and Coltrane alternating on solo passages.  After about 15 minutes a few people got up and left.  Then more and more, particularly during Coltrane's solos.  He probably blows more notes than any other saxophonist but they seemed meaningless and repetitious.     Most of those who got up and left doubtless felt that whatever it was the group was trying to convey wasn't coming through to them and they'd had it.  After all, they'd applauded wildly for the polished, subtle Modern Jazz Quartet, which preceded them.

Jarvis Urges Recall of Gov. Brown

Vice President Richard Nixon greets admirers in South Bend, Ind., while visiting Notre Dame to receive its Patriotism Award. Caryl Chessman and the Finch trial. A good day for news. And the historic Southern Pacific depot on Alameda burns down. Howard “Prop. 13” Jarvis advocates a recall of Gov. Brown, who says capital punishment is barbaric and predicts that it will one day be abolished in California.  The Supreme Court rules that the NAACP doesn't have to turn over its membership rolls to authorities. Miles Davis and the MJQ …  Plus Paul Horn. I’m there! And no, I’d never heard of Jackie and Roy.

Feb. 24, 1960: Frank Finch profiles Stan  Williams and Don Drysdale as they change their pitching styles. When was the last time a sports columnist said “peachy keen” without being sarcastic?

Matt Weinstock, Jan. 25, 1960

Endless Liquor Flow     Many years ago the mails were cluttered with a  nuisance chain letter called the Good Luck of London.  It was an anonymous, loosely written but harmless bit of nonsense vaguely promising riches to recipients who quickly made six copies and mailed them to friends, bad luck to those who didn't.  A wartime general made his copies like a good soldier and got rich, it stated, but another guy broke the chain and died ignominiously.     Through the years the letters flourished, disappeared, then reappeared, sometimes with the wording changed.  Doubtless they were kept going by superstitious people.  Finally a couple of years ago, to the relief of postal clerks everywhere, they seemed to have disappeared permanently.     Now they're back, completely different.  A recipient is instructed to get in touch with the person atop the list of five names, ask what brand of liquor, (not to exceed $5.50 a fifth) he prefers, give him a  bottle, remove his name, add his own to the bottom of the list and send out copies.      A man in Hollywood claims he received 14 fifths of whisky through the chain letter.  I don't believe it.  But that's where we are today -- even a chain letter turns into a commercial. ::     VAGRANT THOUGHT -- Another day, another picture of Carole Tregoff. ::     A BIG MOMENT, at least conversationally, to people driving in high mountains is when their ears pop.  To facilitate this procedure, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Anderson of Canoga Park were chewing gum as they recently came over the Ridge Route.  The situation was pinpointed by Sally, 5, who remarked suddenly, "Hey, who shut me off?" ::     INSIDE DOPE The pills and the capsules     I'm taking these days Are costly, but beautifully     dyed. There's turquoise with     brown and there's     purple with gold- I'll bet I'm sure     pretty inside.         --GINNY LENZ ::     WISHING TO buy "The Pirates of Penzance," an Escondido lady named Christiane went into a local record shop and asked, "Do you have Gilbert and Sullivan?"     The young man didn't know. He worked there only part time, he said.  He spoke to another young man wearing a Palomar J.C. sweater.  Both shrugged and the first one asked, "What does Gilbert N. Sullivan blow, ma'am?" ::     THE CLIENTELE is not quite finished with variations on the phrase "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain."     Tom M. is of the opinion that "The smog in the bog is like grog to the frog."     C.E.M. argues that "The snow in Mo. falls slowly on St. Joe."  He adds that he signs only his initials because he'd hate for anyone to know he thought of it.     Writer Alvin Sapinsley, who once passed briefly through New Haven, Conn., wonders if maybe "The hail at Yale falls gaily in the dale."     Alvin also must accept responsibility for "The monsoon in Rangoon makes all the loonies swoon" and "The precipitation in Union Station causes consternation in the capital of the nation." ::     AROUND TOWN -- Quite an uproar along Santa Monica Bay since  a huge derrick barge anchored about a mile off Malibu pier last week, object oil exploration.  Most seaside residents say the rig ruins their view.  However, some say any activity in the ocean enhances its charm . . . AKFI newscaster, said, "I'll be back in a moment with the air-crash news."  These are the conditions which have prevailed lately . . . Speaking of which, there's an unverified tale circulating that as a celebrity-loaded flight prepared to take off at the airport the call went out over the public address system, "Will Dr. Spears please call at the ticket office to check his luggage?"

Pasadena Jazz Hall a Nuisance, Neighbors Say

“Wonder What a 20 Months Old Baby Baby Thinks About?” by Clare Briggs. View Larger Map 333 Summit Ave., Pasadena, via Google maps' street view.

Jan. 3, 1920: Capt. Jack, 85, walks on water and says anybody can do it if they practice ... And neighbors complain about the jazz music coming from the Mark Hall Social Club, 333 Summit Ave., Pasadena.

A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

Dec. 30, 1941: “Jackie Cooper is studying the finer points of drumming with Buddy Rich of Tommy Dorsey's band these days and doing so well that he sits in with the band at the Mocambo now and then just to get used to playing before an audience.”