Tag: Jack Newlon

  • Jack Newlon, Oriental Blues and Oriental Rag

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    Ben Model
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    Jack Newlon may have been hoping lightning might strike twice in 1952 when he composed and recorded Oriental Rag. His former piano student Tony DeSimone’s recording of his Oriental Blues was now being heard fairly regularly on Ernie Kovacs’ popular shows on WPTZ. Why not capitalize on its (qualified) success? This is, of course, entirely…

  • The Further Adventures of Jack Newlon and “Oriental Blues”

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    Ben Model
    in

    Thanks to a number of comments here and on FB in response to yesterday’s post, I now am a little further down the Jack Newlon rabbit-hole. For one thing, it turns out Oriental Blues was written much earlier than Kovacs’ first TV show, and also there’s a connection to Tony DeSimone. It’s funny how you…

  • Ernie Kovacs’ Theme Song

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    by

    Ben Model
    in

    Throughout the various iterations of Ernie Kovacs’ television shows over different networks, time slots and formats from 1951-1962 there was one thing that remained constant — his theme song. And like much of Kovacs’ humor, there was an element of Dada to it. “Oriental Blues” by Jack Newlon is neither oriental, a blues, or wholly…