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 Laramie, 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 entitled Levi Strauss: A History of American Style— tracing the development of an immigrant’s effect on work clothes, then becoming a symbol of the American West to a blank canvas for youth culture, with a range of garments, media, and archival materials — will be at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California through August 9th.
IN THE WAY that the state of Oklahoma became a leader in pre-K education by some subterfuge— it is now a haven for those in the retail business of marijuana — even though it legally allows only medical marijuana— due to the state’s “business friendly” ethos that (everywhere else) an exception is made for pot. Specifically: (1) a medical marijuana use permit is easy to get, (2) no limit on the number of retail outlets, and (3) a low-cost dispensary license in only two weeks.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #1— is a sad story of a women’s activewear company (whose founder everyone agreed was a creative genius) that sought to be a non-glamourous, innovative, inclusive retailer for all sizes, Outdoor Voices— yet whose founder created a toxic workplace (with her managers responsible for a Mean Girls environment) that also burned through cash (via elaborate store designs and travel expenses) before her ouster by the board last month.
THURSDAY's CHILD is a Welsh kitteh who was discovered trapped in a 3-inch wide gap between a garage and wall — but recovering nicely after being rescued by firefighters when a homeowner allowed them to knock through a garage wall.
AS A RESULT of the huge success of the recent Little Women remake by director Greta Gerwig: the town of Concord, Massachusetts has become a must-see for fans of the movie (including visiting Louisa May Alcott’s home, the local bookstore and local restaurants and hotels).
YOUR WEEKEND READ #2— is a CNN story entitled How Fox News misled viewers about the coronavirus— made worse by the elderly (and thus more vulnerable) population it serves.
HAPPY 95th BIRTHDAY to the drummer Roy Haynes— who is still active — and the only survivor of this 1953 photo along with three famous jazz legends: alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, pianist Thelonious Monk and bassist Charles Mingus.
IN LATIN AMERICA there are fifteen nations that recognize a distinct category of murder called femicide— the murder of a female due to her gender — to deal with old attitudes, although the additional sentences lead some prosecutors to believe it makes obtaining convictions on those grounds more difficult.
FRIDAY's CHILD is also a Welsh kitteh who began hanging around a family’s home and — because it had ticks — was taken to the vet’s office, where his microchip was discovered … only to find out it had been missing for five years (likely hitching a ride on a workman’s van) … and will soon be reunited with his family.
BRAIN TEASER - try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC.
LAST NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at what I refer to as the Velocity of Time— learning that I am not alone in believing that events in my youth proceeded more slowly than in adulthood, and ways to cope.
SEPARATED at BIRTH— TV stars Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) and Darren Criss (Glee).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… from 1949 to 1960, Atlantic Records benefited mightily from the recordings of singer Ruth Brown - so much so, that its then-headquarters at West 57th Street was known as the "House that Ruth Built". Her song stylings that blended R&B, pop and jazz led the singer Frankie Laine to refer to her as "Miss Rhythm" and no less than Little Richard has cited her as a vocal influence.
Born as Ruth Weston in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1928, she began singing in church but then showed more interest in singing at USO clubs. At age 17, she eloped with trumpeter Jimmy Brown to sing at nightclubs and was inspired by Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. A month into a job singing for Lucky Millender's band in 1947 ... she was fired for delivering a round of drinks to members of the band (as an underage person). Luckily, Cab Calloway's sister Blanche was able to offer her a nightclub gig in Washington, D.C. where her big break soon came.
This is when the noted jazz disk jockey Willis Conover - later to become famous world-wide as a Voice of America jockey and the subject of a music profile I wrote several years ago - liked Ruth Brown's singing enough to recommend her to Ahmet Ertegun, president of the (then) fledgling label, Atlantic Records. Before she could record her first tune, though: similar to Carl Perkins, she endured an automobile accident on her way to New York. Fortunately, Atlantic waited for her nine-month recuperation to end.
It paid off: as her May 1949 debut song "So Long" (backed by Eddie Condon's jazz band) reached #4 on the R&B charts. She had other R&B chart hits, such as Teardrops from My Eyes in 1950 and 5-10-15 Hours from 1952: both of which reached #1 and were written by Rudy Toombs - a prolific songwriter whose most famous hit was "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer".
In 1953, she had another #1 R&B chart - and which also cracked the Top 25 mainstream pop charts - with (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean - which became her signature tune. Throughout the decade, she had crossover hits such as "Lucky Lips" (written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) and "This Little Girl’s Gone Rockin'" (written for her by Bobby Darin) and had a successful career right up until 1960 ....... when at age 32 she retired from music to raise a family.
Fifteen years later in 1975, she made a comeback musically: with some album releases that included some ballads and jazz tunes (in addition to her old R&B hits).
By the end of the decade she branched out into comedy, radio and acting. First was a role in the short-lived McLean Stevenson show Hello, Larry then a role in the director John Waters' sock-hop satire film Hairspray in 1985. In 1987, Brown starred in Allen Toussaint's off-Broadway musical Staggerlee - which led to a starring role in the Broadway musical Black and Blue in 1989. She also hosted two shows for National Public Radio: "Harlem Hit Parade" and "BluesStage".
All along, she had been concerned at the plight of many musicians who never profited from the music they made (due to unscrupulous record company owners and producers) and years later she helped found the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in order to achieve that goal. I heard Ruth Brown years ago talking with Boston public radio host Eric Jackson about her work, and he was (pleasantly) surprised to hear Ruth talk about "My gal, Bonnie Raitt" - who has been a major supporter of the organization to this day.
During the past few decades, Ruth Brown continued to tour and record occasional albums - such as a roots music album in 1997 which won a Grammy nomination. She also released her memoirs entitled Miss Rhythm in 1995.
Ruth Brown died in November, 2006 at the age of 78 following a heart attack and stroke.
Her legacy is quite strong, and in many fields: there is an excellent compilation album of her 1950's hits. From her time on Broadway, she has both a 1989 Tony Award - from her stint in "Black and Blue" - as well as a Grammy for her album Blues on Broadway from that same year. And she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Her aforementioned Grammy-nominated 1997 album was named after a famous quote of hers. "R&B stands for rhythm and blues ... but it also stands for Ruth Brown" ...... and on the strength of her career: who could disagree?
Of all of her work, my favorite is her 1959 rendition (#5 R&B charts and #64 pop chart) of "I Don't Know"— not the more famous Willie Mabon blues tune, but one written by Bobby Stevenson with lyrics by Brook Benton (of "Rainy Night in Georgia" fame). And below you can listen to it.
Should I let myself go In his direction Is his love strong enough For my heart's protectionYouTube VideoWhen he crushes my eager lips My heart starts doing flips Whenever I feel his touch I get a thrill that's much too much Too much, too much, too much
I don't know I don't know But he loves me so good Til I think I should, oh, oh