Edition: U.S. / Global  This Year's Model Is the Only One That
Matters  Published: July 11, 2004  ELVIS COSTELLO agreed to sit
for an interview not long ago, but where to sit was up for
grabs. The place was a conference room at the Friars Club, the
longtime Manhattan show-business hangout where every chair has a
nameplate for a member, and Mr. Costello methodically looked at
the dozens of them lined up around the walls: songwriters,
singers, actors, comedians, vaudeville acts. Lorenz Hart was a
contender; so was Damon Runyon.  But in the end, Mr. Costello
chose the seat named for Sammy Cahn, the lyricist for "Come Fly
With Me," "Call Me Irresponsible" and "Guess I'll Hang My Tears
Out to Dry." It turned out that Mr. Costello had tried to
collaborate on a song with Cahn, who died in 1993. Nothing came
of their meeting, but it had been one more opportunity Mr.
Costello couldn't resist.  He has collaborated restlessly and
relentlessly. The list keeps growing: Paul McCartney, Burt
Bacharach, Brian Eno, George Jon