StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Two from Billie and Basie, plus two from Weather Report

As occasionally happens, this Saturday's videos have nothing in particular to do with St. Louis, but are just some clips that I thought StLJN readers might enjoy. Some of the YouTube videos I've been bookmarking for future reference seem to be disappearing before I get a chance to post them here, so there's also something of a newfound sense of urgency to use any good stuff I've run across in a timely way.

Given that what reader reponse there's been to these video postings has been favorable, I may just end up using this trend of deleted videos as an excuse to start posting clips on another day besides Saturday. I'm thinking of Wednesday, just to spread things out a bit during the week, but nothing is set in stone. In the meantime, I'd also be interested in hearing more reader feedback. Do you like the video posts? Hate them? Don't care one way or the other? Please use the comments to voice your opinion.

And now, on to the videos. If there's a theme this week, maybe it's "two-for-one," as both of these clips include two songs each. Or maybe the theme really should be "people who died too young," for both also feature jazz legends who made a unfortunately early departure from this plane of existence.

The first clip is from 1952, and features Billie Holiday singing and the Count Basie Band playing "Now Baby or Never" and "God Bless The Child". The second clip dates from 1978, and features the seminal fusion band Weather Report - at that point at the height of their popularity, and anchored by the sensational (in the literal sense of the word) bass playing of Jaco Pastorius - performing "Black Market" and "Scarlet Woman". It's a shame that two individuals as talented as Holiday and Pastorius were also so troubled, but the world is definitely a better place for the artistry they shared.