Wax of the Week #110...Billy May: Johnny Cool (1963)

Solid crime jazz soundtrack from May, a Pittsburgh native. He’s the big band–era guy who wrote the themes for The Green Hornet and Naked City. He was also known for being a long-time Sinatra arranger.

Wax of the Week #109...Quartz: “Street Fighting Lady” 7” (1977)

The thing that strikes me about this British metal single (from their debut LP) is how much it sounds like Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell record from three years later; Tony Iommi produced this, and it makes you wonder if he didn’t pick up some ideas. This is the 1980 reissue version. Singer Mike Taylor died in 2016 at age 68, and future Sabbath keyboardist Geoff Nicholls was a member.

Wax of the Week #108...Bill Wray And His Showband Royale: For Our Friends (1970)

Louisiana pseudo-lounge that’s a little grittier and non-clowny than most, including a fiery cover of Dylan’s “Dear Landlord,” a low key version of David Wiffen’s “Driving Wheel,” and the bluesy original “Everybody Boogie.” Wray had a 1976 LP on the MCA-associated Legend label, along with two early ’80s records on Liberty. Pretty fiery, six-minute+ “Try a Little Tenderness” done in the Otis Redding/Three Dog Night style, also.

Wax of the Week #107...Bill Nash: The Original (1974)

Very sincere, Texas-based (?) lounge singer does three early ’70s standards (“American Trilogy” is always a treat to hear on these records). The back cover reprints newspaper stories touting connections with Kris Kristofferson in Nashville and Glen Campbell in Vegas.

Wax of the Week #106...Bill Marx and the Jazz Octet: Jazz Kaleidoscope (1962)

Born in 1937, the adopted son of Harpo Marx here makes a fine jazz record, with help from Paul Horn on sax and Dick Nash on trombone. I don’t know enough about jazz to tell you what specific kind it is; maybe someone can chime in. I just like it. Marx composed several film scores for director Bob Kelljan (including both Count Yorga films), plus stuff like DEATHMASTER and TERROR AT RED WOLF INN. He’s lived in the Palm Springs area since 1992, and still performed at a local restaurant with a trio in recent years.