I post a weekly diary of historical notes, arts & science items, foreign news (often receiving little notice in the US) and whimsical pieces from the outside world that I often feature in "Cheers & Jeers".
OK, you've been warned - here is this week's tomfoolery material that I posted.
CHEERS to Bill and Michael in PWM, our Wyoming-based friend Irish Patti and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead, as well as for Thanksgiving.
ART NOTES — an exhibition entitled Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960–1985 will be at the Hammer Museum (on the UCLA campus) in Los Angeles, California through December 31st.
At UCLA’s campus to 12/31A WEEKEND READ of note is this essay by David Dayen (dday) on the retail apocalypse— which he attributes only partially to Amazon and other online sellers, and much more to private equity firms (with the Ayn Rand-lovin’ CEO of Sears as merely Exhibit A).
PROGRAMMING NOTE — I will not have an Odds & Ends for next weekend (as I will be visiting family for Thanksgiving). Will return at the beginning of December.
THE BIG QUESTION — as SNL’s former cast member Joe Piscopo would say — was how SNL would handle their other former cast member’s political situation … and Colin Jost did make reference to it on Weekend Update.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Romeo the Cat— a Maine kitteh who was lost for a year, before being found 100 miles away … due to his microchip.
Romeo the Cat: 100 milesHISTORY NOTES — two noted events took place during this week many years ago:
* SIXTY YEARS AGO the Apalachin Meeting— a gathering of an estimated 100 members of the Cosa Nostra — took place in Apalachin, New York (near Binghamton). Law enforcement was alerted when numerous luxury vehicles (with license plates from across the country) congregated in one small town, and the resulting arrests forced J. Edgar Hoover to finally publicly acknowledge the presence of organized crime (rather than belabor Cold War fears) back in 1957.
* ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO the future of jazz was changed when the Secretary of the Navy (as the US was entering WW-I in 1917) ordered the closing of the famed music and prostitution center Storyville in New Orleans (and he did so without, as the woman who wrote an old Arthur Frommer city guide noted, the support of the enlisted men). This led to the migration of the center of the jazz world to Kansas City and Chicago over the next few years.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Ellie the Cat— a kitteh who survived the Gatlinburg, Tennessee fires several months back … and who is visited regularly by a retired Army veteran, who does so hoping that “I can make her life a little bit better.”
Ellie the Gatlinburg CatLITERARY NOTES — after a century of disagreement, the National Library of Israel and the Russian State Library agreed to digitize a collection of ancient Hebrew manuscripts and books once belonging to Baron David Günzburg — funded in part by a donation from a foundation run by a Russian Muslim.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
YUK for TODAY — I have a sibling who works for NBC Sports (and thus covers each of the Olympic Games). In posting this old photo, the notation was that management needed to synchronize these clocks …
Stamford, CT — plus the 2014 Olympic Games in Russia…. but my thought was: this looks like the backdrop for (a rain-soaked) Peter Finch as the “mad prophet” broadcaster in the film “Network”.
HAIL and FAREWELL to the Tunisian-born fashion designer Azzedine Alaia— who designed for Michelle Obama, among many others on the red carpet — who has died at the age of 77 …. to the jazz drummer Ben Riley— who performed with everyone from Thelonious Monk to Stan Getz — who has died at the age of 84 ….. and to the country music star Mel Tillis— also the father of country star Pam Tillis — who has died at the age of 85. —
SEPARATED at BIRTH — two 1960’s photos: TV star David McCallum (in the role as Man from U.N.C.L.E. star Ilya Kuryakin) … and a young KGB agent: Vladimir Putin.
Ilya Kuryakin (just a TV spy) Putin — an actual KGB spy...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… another entry from the “You may not know their name, but you know their work” file — a jazz drummer who has been in touring bands before: but best known as having performed on numerous session work recordings of popular music. In much the same way that drummer Hal Blaine was to the Wrecking Crew in Los Angeles during the 60’s-70’s, so too is drummer Steve Gadd to the New York/Los Angeles scene.
Born in suburban Rochester, NY in 1945, he sat-in with Dizzy Gillespie at only age eleven, and graduated from the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester. He played in an early band of trumpeter Chuck Mangione (which also included pianist Chick Corea) before being drafted into the US Army (luckily for him, he remained stateside as a member of the Army Music program).
After his discharge, he migrated to NYC to seek his fortune — and did he ever. Over the years, he has led his own bands from time-to-time (such as the Gadd Gang) but more often as a session performer and touring with various stars. For example — I’ll admit that I am not a fan of the disco performer Van McCoy, but it is Steve Gadd’s drumming on The Hustle (to me) that makes that song memorable. There are three performers in particular he has worked with:
Having attended the 1981 concert in Central Park by Simon & Garfunkel, it turns out that was the first time I heard him in concert (too far away to “see” much). And he has recorded with both Simon and Garfunkel individually, touring extensively with Paul Simon and is best known as the drummer on 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover…. which you can hear and see Steve Gadd play at this link.
For many years, he has been Eric Clapton’s first-or-second call drummer, performing at Clapton’s frequent Royal Albert Hall concert series, and at the guitarist’s Crossroads series in the US. He is the drummer on the Eric Clapton/B.B. King recording of Riding with the King, especially the title track (that was written by John Hiatt about Elvis).
And he has also toured and recorded with Steely Dan (on many of their most popular 1970’s hits) — with perhaps his most memorable recording being the title track of the album Aja from 1977.
Just a partial list of the other popular music figures he has recorded with: Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney, Al Jarreau, Joe Cocker, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Carly Simon, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael McDonald, Roberta Flack and the Bee Gees.
Nor has he neglected the jazz world in which he grew-up with: Nancy Wilson, Frank Sinatra, the Manhattan Transfer, Chet Baker, Maynard Ferguson, George Benson and guitarist Jim Hall. Altogether, a wide spectrum of music.
Just now (at age 72) he has formed the Corea-Gadd Band with Chick Corea — as noted, someone whom he has recorded/performed with before — who are currently on tour in Europe with an album due to be released this coming January.
Steve Gadd had a 2016 Grammy nomination for a live album, has a drumming instructional video, an honorary doctorate from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2005 and has been ranked as #24 in the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time listing in Rolling Stone. But two fine tributes come from other musicians:
Phil Collins: I know that it takes five (drummers) to change a lightbulb – one to screw it in, and four to talk about how much better Steve Gadd would have done it.
Kate Bush: I wanted to work with him for a long time but ... I hadn’t quite had the courage to sort of ask him ... and somebody of his stature could really carry a lot of baggage … but his interpretation of music is just so sophisticated.
Steve Gadd (in the 70’s) …. … and much more recentlyAmong the albums he has recorded on was Rickie Lee Jones’ album from 1981, Pirates— and here is the title track from that recording.
Come on Joey — get out of school We got places to go A '57 Lincoln you got a radio that hurts And the girls like to touch it Just to find out if it works But don't look at me It wasn't me
Joey lives on the edge of the corner Of living on the run I like to ride in the middle I'm just trying to have some fun Until the Pirates come And take me
And I won't need a pilot Got a pirate who might sail Somewhere I heard far away You answer me So I'm holding on To your rainbow sleeves
x xYouTube Video