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.
ART NOTES — an photography exhibit by Lee Freidlander— best known for his work at record companies in the 50’s-70’s (and especially for Atlantic Records) — will be at the New Orleans, Louisiana Museum of Art through June 17th.
Rahsaan Roland KirkPOLITICAL NOTES #1 — the South American country of Paraguay is seeing its female members of Congress seek democratic parity— and have been promised a debate by the president of the Senate.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Cornbread the Cat— who provides stress relief at the sheriff’s office in Baxter County, Arkansas: with Sheriff John Montgomery saying, “She has even won the hearts of the most ardent non-cat lovers. Now, I see those who objected to her the most, petting her and playing with her.”
Cornbread the CatPOLITICAL NOTES #2 — Ireland’s ruling Fine Gael party is under fire over its Strategic Communications Unit— which the opposition sees are mostly promoting the policies (via newspaper “adver-torials”) of prime minister Leo Varadkar.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Henry the Cat— a Georgia kitteh who somehow hitched a ride with a family member to the Atlanta airport … then was discovered by his microchip when, two weeks later, he hopped into the car of a kind stranger.
Henry the CatBRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at a trip to Philadelphia to visit something relatively new (the downtown Barnes Museum) and something old (the Palestra basketball arena) that was in my bucket list for so long ... the bucket was rusted. I am not lacking, just slow.
GRANDMOTHER — GRANDAUGHTER? — a young Hillary Rodham Clinton and a not-quite eighteen year-old Delaney Tarr— a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and now one of the prime spokespeople for the #neveragain movement. I’m not a betting man: but if I had to wager just which young person’s future seems limitless ….. my chips would go on her.
Hillary Rodham (born 1947) Delaney Tarr (born in 2000)...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… there are some musicians whose musical style is hard to pin down, and others who have written songs for legions of musicians from different styles. Someone who combines both is John Hiatt whose songwriting was his main claim-to-fame for a while, but who has (over the past twenty-five years) established himself as a performer in his own right.
The Indianapolis native had a stressful early life - at age nine seeing his much-older brother commit suicide, his father dying two years later and helping to steal a Ford Thunderbird with friends (for which they were caught, yet not prosecuted). Music was his one outlet, with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and the Stones his heroes. He moved to Nashville at age eighteen in 1970 (when the city was changing rapidly) and while trying to break in as a performer had a day-job as songwriter for Tree Publishing.
And he had some early success: with a recording contract and songs covered by country performers (such as Conway Twitty and Tracy Nelson) - but in addition Three Dog Night had a hit with Sure as I’m Sitting Here in 1974. His own performing began to shift from country-rock towards the new wave sound of Elvis Costello and Graham Parker during the late 1970’s, but he lost his recording contract as well as his songwriting gig, anyway.
Signed by MCA in 1979, he had some notable success in the Netherlands (to this day, he cites that nation for sustaining him during the lean times) and slowly began to make critics lists (albeit without large record sales). He released Riding With the King - the title track of which Eric Clapton and B.B. King made famous over two decades later - and Roseanne Cash had hits with “It Hasn’t Happened Yet” and “The Way We Make a Broken Heart”. Yet his personal life started going downhill, due to a bout with alcoholism as well as his second wife committing suicide in 1985 (so difficult for someone who had already lost a brother that way) and he took time off for rehabilitation, a new marriage and a chance to regroup on the A&M label.
His 1986 album Bring the Family (with Ry Cooder on guitar, Nick Lowe on bass and Jim Keltner on drums) reflected a more roots-music sound. And Have a Little Faith in Me became a hit for others (such as Joe Cocker, Mandy Moore and Delbert McClinton) — and a song that strikes a chord with me. The album garnered his best reviews to-date and sales began to climb.
It was not until his next album Slow Turning (produced by Glyn Johns) that he had his breakthrough, with “Tennessee Plates” later appeared in the film Thelma and Louise. John Hiatt then became a touring success for the first time. On Bonnie Raitt’s own breakthrough 1989 album “Nick of Time”, she featured a spirited version of Hiatt’s “Thing Called Love”.
In 1992, Hiatt reunited with Cooder, Keltner and Lowe as a supergroup under the name Little Village (after a a Sonny Boy Williamson song) but lasted only one album before it broke up.
He returned with his own band and has recorded a number of successful albums since, with “Perfectly Good Guitar” and "Walk On" among his best sellers. In 2000 he was named Songwriter/Artist of the year at the Nashville Music Awards and has had nine Grammy nominations (although has yet to win one). In 2008, Hiatt was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and was honored by the Americana Music Association with a Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting Award.
His 2011 album Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns featured songs such as Damn this Town as well as When New York Had Her Heart Broken - (as you might imagine, about 9-11) - as its strong points. His most recent recording was 2014’s Terms of My Surrender— with a strong blues presence.
John Hiatt will turn age 66 this coming August and begins his 30th Anniversary Tour (with guest slide guitarist Sonny Landreth) later this month on the West Coast, heading to the Midwest .. and the European portion of the tour features three performances in the Netherlands … still fondly in his heart. Two of his classic albums are set for a 30th anniversary re-release, and his daughter Lily has a new recording out now.
The list of performers who have performed John Hiatt songs is not only long but amazingly diverse; reflecting his own sound and cross-category appeal. In addition to the artists already mentioned, here are some more: Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Paula Abdul, Jimmy Buffett, Iggy Pop, Buddy Guy, Emmylou Harris, Jewel, Joan Baez, Aaron Neville, Bon Jovi, Earl Thomas Conley, Flaco Jimenez, Ronnie Milsap, Jeff Healey, Chaka Khan and Keith Urban. Something tells me that (partial) list ... is not yet finished.
John Hiatt back in the 80’s … and during this decadeMy favorite song of his remains the title track of Slow Turning— which was his highest-selling single (reaching #8 in 1987) and featured original Eagles member Bernie Leadon on banjo. He even managed to slip in the name of one of his early heroes (from the Rolling Stones) at the same time. And below you can listen to it.
Now I'm in my car I've turned the radio down And I'm yelling at the kids in the back 'cause they're banging like Charlie WattsYou think you've come so far In this one-horse-town Then she's laughing that crazy laugh 'cause you haven't left the parking lot
Time is short and here's the damn thing about it: You're gonna die, gonna die for sure You can learn to life with love or without it But there ain't no cure
It's been a slow turning From the inside out A slow turning But you come about
Slow learning But you learn to sway A slow turning Not fade away
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