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 exhibition of works by Harvey Dunn to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I will be at the South Dakota Art Museum in Brookings through February 9th.
At the South Dakota Art MuseumENVIRONMENTAL NOTES — a Dutch non-profit called The Ocean Cleanup is experimenting with equipment that can retrieve plastics from the ocean …. and if successful, plan to deploy an additional sixty booms.
MEDICAL UPDATE on your-friend-and-mine, Bill in Portland Maine— he had surgery to remove cancerous cells from his stomach (successfully) and he hopes to be released as early as today (or, at the latest, tomorrow). His Twitter feed last night was relentless and comical — when he used the word “coagulating”, I thought of the old Eve of Destruction song.
Update: Bill was discharged from the hospital this afternoon (Sunday) with chemo treatments in the future.
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Survivor the Cat— a kitteh being rescued along with a North Carolina man from the floodwaters of Hurricane Florence.
Survivor w/Robert SimmonsTRANSPORTATION NOTES — for all of its technological prowess: the state of Israel has a railroad system dating back to the Ottoman era … until a long-delayed Tel Aviv-to-Jerusalem line may (finally) open sometime this year.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Gladstone the Cat— the chief mouser at Great Britain’s Treasury Department, who has gone missing just recently.
Gladstone 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 candidate for the New Hampshire legislature who came as a refugee from Afghanistan eleven years ago …. and after winning a lopsided primary victory this past week, has a good chance of being elected in November.
SEPARATED at BIRTH — TV star Becky Ann Baker (the mother in the series “Freaks and Geeks”) and Guns ‘n Roses founder Axl Rose.
Starring as mom Jean Weir Axl now also sings for AC/DC...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… although his first name is Jean-Baptiste (and he was made a Baron in his native Belgium in 2001) — the world knew him as Toots Thielemans - and in addition to his famous chromatic harmonica playing he was also known for his professional whistling, and played guitar throughout his career. He may not have been a household name outside of jazz, but it would be an uncommon household that has never heard his work at least once — on commercials, TV shows, film scores, albums and more.
Born in Brussels, Belgium in 1922, he began performing primarily as a guitarist (influenced by Django Reinhardt - a fellow Belgian). Thielemans said that at age 18 hearing a Louis Armstrong record was "instant contamination" with American jazz — and he performed at American GI clubs in Europe. He toured Europe with Benny Goodman and he emigrated to the US in 1952, becoming a member of the George Shearing Quintet for much of the 1950's.
In fact, the American Rickenbacker guitar he used while touring with George Shearing in Hamburg, Germany was noted by an audience member: a young John Lennon who later purchased one himself. But all along, Toots developed his sound on the chromatic harmonica - a more complex instrument than the simpler blues harp favored by (obviously) blues musicians. And he also became a noted melodic whistler, although less so for albums and performances.
Toots had his own releases, such as 1958's Man Bites Harmonica featuring the Great American Songbook - but it was 1962's Bluesette - featuring both his harmonica and whistling skills - for which he became widely known.
Yet his career was largely as an accompanist (not a band leader) until the 1990's. His recording The Brasil Project established him once again to a wider audience. His 1998 album Chez Toots explores his French language musical influence and he has continued to record to this day, often with guest stars.
Even if his name is still not registering in your ears: the number of popular music standards he has performed on is immense. For example, at this link you can hear his whistling featured on the Old Spice commercials of many years ago.
And on harmonica? By clicking at these following links, you can hear him play:
(a) the 1970's ending theme to the TV show Sesame Street as well as ...
(b) the opening theme to the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy plus ...
(c) Billy Joel's Leave a Tender Moment Alone - not to mention on recordings with Paul Simon, Ella Fitzgerald and many others.
Talk about high honors: Toots Thielemans was a Chevalier des arts et des lettres in France, was named a Baron in 2001 by Belgium's King Albert II, made the Top 50 Greatest Belgians in his native land - and in 2009, he was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in the US.
Toots Thielemans retired from music in March, 2014 (just short of age ninety-two) and he died in August, 2016 at the age of ninety-four in his native Belgium.
Toots Thielemans in the 50’s ……. and much later in lifeAnother popular song he performs on was Too Late for Goodbyes - the break-out song for Julian Lennon in 1984.
Although Toots does not appear on the video below, it's his harmonica playing that you actually hear ... and from the "Coming Full-Circle" file: how fitting is it that Toots recorded with the son of a man ...... who listened to him play in Hamburg decades earlier (and bought a Rickenbacker guitar in part due to Toots' playing)?
Ever since you've been leaving me I've been wanting to cry Now I know how it feels for you I've been wanting to dieTime has gone since I've been with you We've been starting to die Now it seems you don't care for me and I don't understand why
But it's much too late for goodbyes Yes, it's much too late for goodbyes
x xYouTube Video