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 and ...... well, each of you at Cheers and Jeers. Have a fabulous weekend .... and week ahead.
ART NOTES— a traveling exhibition entitled Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection— thirty-nine artists of African descent (spanning the twentieth century to the present) celebrating the founding of Spelman College’s fine arts museum — is at the Boise, Idaho Art Museum to July 21st.
END of an ERA — the 100 year-old family-owned musical equipment store chain Sam Ash has announced all its stores will be closing. For many a young musician, not only was this one of the premier places to buy equipment ... musical instrument stores like this were also a hub where you could seek a new drummer on their billboards, of meeting possible bandmates, looking at all of the new gear with envy, talking-up the latest offerings with store employees, seeing what was on your holiday wish list, et al.
RECYCLING NOTES— in addition to traditionally returning cans/bottles to store clerks (which a deposit was charged for initially), Ireland has now followed the lead of other countries in installing reverse vending machines (RVM’s) — which issues vouchers that can be redeemed at the cash register against store purchases, or as a cash refund.
DEBAUCHERY CENTRAL #2— San Vero Milis, on the Italian island of Sardinia, plans to allow nudists to get married on its storied beach, with the mayor adding one stipulation: "All the brides will need to wear a nice veil (for tradition's sake)".
THURSDAY's CHILD is named Galena the Cat - a Utah kitteh who wandered into a family’s Amazon return shipment box … and was transported 650 miles away, yet survived nearly a week without food or water ... and now reunited with her family.
YOUR WEEKEND READ #2 is this account in Politico by Gaby Del Valle of attending a convention dedicated to promoting childbirth— although as she points out, the speakers varied widely: a few thisclose to promoting eugenics, others anti-corporate, still others focusing on birth control and even some wanting to simply encourage already large families ... to grow even larger.
FRIDAY's CHILD is named Evelyn the Cat - who was feared to have died in an Ohio house fire (believed to have been caused by arson) … but was discovered two days later in the rubble.
BRAIN TEASER— try this Quiz of the Week's News from the BBC ...… and the usually easier, less UK-centered New York Times quiz.
THE OTHER NIGHT yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a look at my 2004 case of the condition vertigo— a subject seemingly in the news of late — which was confusing to me, as I misunderstood the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo.
FATHER-SON?— two British bandleaders: the late Alexis Korner (profiled in this space last week) and Ray “Mungo Jerry” Dorset (“In the Summertime”).
...... and finally, for a song of the week ...........................… two weeks ago saw the annual National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress (L-of-C) announcing this year’s twenty-five entries for posterity — selected on the basis of their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage (bringing the accumulated total to 650 works). I’ll look at two (highlighted).
Recordings Selected for the 2024 National Recording Registry
(chronological order)
- “Clarinet Marmalade” – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band (1919)
- “Kauhavan Polkka” – Viola Turpeinen and John Rosendahl (1928)
- Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)
- “Rose Room” – Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian (1939)
- “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” – Gene Autry (1949)
- “Tennessee Waltz” – Patti Page (1950)
- “Rocket ‘88’” – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)
- “Catch a Falling Star” / ”Magic Moments” – Perry Como (1957)
- “Chances Are” – Johnny Mathis (1957)
- “The Sidewinder” – Lee Morgan (1964)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
- “Surrealistic Pillow” – Jefferson Airplane (1967)
- “Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers (1971)
- “This is a Recording” – Lily Tomlin (1971)
- “J.D. Crowe & the New South” – J.D. Crowe & the New South (1975)
- “Arrival” – ABBA (1976)
- “El Cantante” – Héctor Lavoe (1978)
- “The Cars” – The Cars (1978)
- “Parallel Lines” – Blondie (1978)
- “La-Di-Da-Di” – Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick (MC Ricky D) (1985)
- “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – Bobby McFerrin (1988)
- “Amor Eterno” – Juan Gabriel (1990)
- “Pieces of Africa” – Kronos Quartet (1992)
- “Dookie” – Green Day (1994)
- “Ready to Die” – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
- “Wide Open Spaces” – The Chicks (1998)
I wrote a 2020 Top Comments essay on the trumpeter Lee Morgan and his drummer Billy Higgins, and while the title track of Sidewinder is the highlight of the album, the L-of-C indicates it applies to the entire album. Yet as I noted in my earlier essay (and as the L-of-C reiterates), its commercial success almost single-handedly saved its label (Blue Note) from certain bankruptcy at the time.
Then, the Kronos Quartet— a San Francisco-based string quartet (with a rotating membership of musicians) for 50 years, with a classical music base that veers-off into any direction, blending with other styles. The AllMusic Guide’s Brian Olewnick:
The album Pieces of Africa consists of commissions from African composers working (at varying distances) from European conventions, (yet) the Kronos Quartet's members managed to sublimate themselves in service to the compositions, never giving the listener any sense of condescension.
My favorite: Tilliboyo (Sunset), written by Gambian musician Foday Musa Suso.