“Solid!”

From the Lou Grant episode “Jazz” (January 4, 1982). Rossi (Robert Walden) is trying to reunite a long-disbanded jazz quartet, three of whose members are played by real musicians: Louie Bellson, Ray Brown, and Joe Williams. Shades of Route 66 !

It turns out that nearly everyone in the newsroom is a jazz fan, and several are musicians. Who knew? Art (Jack Bannon) played trumpet; Charlie (Mason Adams) studied clarinet; Rossi (Robert Walden) played bass. Grouchy Lou (Ed Asner) has no interest. “Why don’t all you cats bring your instruments in, and we’ll jam after deadline? Solid!” he sneers.

Not long after, Art, Charlie, Rossi, and Billie (Linda Kersey) are looking at a record catalog.

Art: “Basically a big band catalog, but there’s some real collector’s items in it.”

Charlie: “Look at all that Ellington.”

Rossi: “Wow — Stan Kenton, This Modern World, City of Glass.”

Billie: “Let me know when you get to June Christy.”

And Animal (Daryl Anderson) leans over from Lou’s desk: “They got any Zoot Sims?”

And Lou sneers again. He’s strictly an L7. When Rossi mentions the disbanded quartet’s classic recording of “Summertime,” Lou fondly recalls the McGuire Sisters. Ahh, “Summertime.” But that’s the wrong time. Some pretty clever writing there.

Related reading
All OCA jazz posts (Pinboard)