Molly and The Ghost of Charlie

 

Molly: "Hello ... entschuldigen Sie mich. I have been on hold for over an hour now. Hello! Hello! Can somebody hear me? Is this the number to report a stalker. I believe the ghost of Charlie Chaplin has been following me."

Robocall: "Hello, the number you dialed has been changed. Please hang up and call again."

A Short Film

Somewhere on the Swiss Alps.  Hope you enjoy.

You can also watch on YouTube.

Dave Brubeck/Gerry Mulligan - Indian Song (original recording jazz vinyl)

 

Dave Brubeck/Gerry Mulligan - Indian Song (original recording jazz vinyl)

"I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas." - Hillary Clinton From the vinyl album Live at the Berlin Philharmonic. Dave Brubeck - piano; Gerry Mulligan - baritone sax; Jack Six - bass; Alan Dawson - drums "In 1967, Dave Brubeck broke up his famous quartet (alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, bassist Eugene Wright, drummer Joe Morello) and the following year formed his New Quartet with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, bassist Jack Six, and drummer Alan Dawson. They recorded two albums in 1968 (Compadres and Blues Roots) and the following year appeared at the 1969 Newport Jazz Festival. "This Saturday evening engagement on July 5th found Brubeck, Mulligan and the regal rhythm tandem of bassist Six and drummer Dawson to be truly on one accord in a stellar performance that wowed the Newport faithful at Freebody Park. They open with a soulful loping blues which eventually morphs into the Duke Ellington staple, "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" (a tune that Brubeck had also played with his quartet at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, documented on a live Columbia recording). From the outset, Mulligan is in a laidback mood on top of Dawson's loose, interactive swing pulse. Brubeck comps forcefully behind Mulligan's solo before launching into a harmonically provocative solo of his own that introduces some edgier elements into the proceedings (his version of Cecil Taylor by way of Mary Lou Williams) while still remaining true to the spirit of Ellingtonia. Six also turns in a potent bass solo on this spirited opener. "They follow with a mellow rendition of the Johnny Green-Edward Heyman standard "Out of Nowhere," a tune introduced in 1931 by Bing Crosby and subsequently covered by such jazz stars as saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and guitarist Django Reinhardt, alto saxophonists Charlie Parker and Sonny Stitt, vocalists Lena Horne and Joe Williams. Next up is requiem-like "Blessed Are the Poor (The Sermon on the Mount,)" a mournful piece carried by Mulligan's resonant baritone horn. (The following year, Brubeck's new quartet with Mulligan, Six, and Dawson would record this spiritual number with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra). Mulligan's performance is especially moving while Brubeck again pushes the envelope on his solo, treading into the Cecil Taylor camp with his spiky chordal clusters and sparkling, dissonant runs on the keyboard. And they close their set with the propulsive 6/8 number, "Indian Song," which highlights Dawson on a brilliant extended drum solo." (Excerpt from Liner Notes - Milkowski) I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS #bebop #jazz #vinylrecord #qouteoftheday :

Don't You Love Her Madly (ii)

 

"Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts." - Jim Morrison

Bob Brookmeyer and Friends - Jive Hoot (restored 1965 original jazz vinyl LP)

 

Bob Brookmeyer and Friends - Jive Hoot (restored 1965 original jazz vinyl LP)

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." - Mark Twain Jive Definition: noun: 1. a lively style of dance popular especially in the 1940s and 1950s, performed to swing music or rock and roll. 2. a form of slang associated with black American jazz musicians. verb: 1. perform the jive or a similar dance to popular music. 2. taunt or sneer at. 3. be in accord; agree. adjective: deceitful or worthless. Stan Gentz / Herbie Hancock / Ron Carter /Gary Burton / Elvin Jones/ Bass – Ron Carter Cover [Cover Art] – Bob Cato Drums – Elvin Jones Liner Notes – Dan Morgenstern Piano – Herbie Hancock Producer – Teo Macero Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz Valve Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer Vibraphone – Gary Burton I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS. #vinyl #jazzsax #bebop #quoteoftheday

One Monday Morning In Texas

 You can also watch in YouTube.

Texas is broken.  Caught flat footed.  It's not supposed to snow this much in Texas.  

Today was a big relief.  Outdoor temperatures have gone up to a toasty 30 degrees F.  Snow has started to melt.  Power and running water were restored, indoor heating appeared stable.  I had my first hot shower this morning and it was the best. 

Since Monday morning, outdoor temperatures were  at 7 degrees F.  We would walk around the house with gloves, hats, and five layers of clothing for each of Rose and me. We slept with five blankets on - with our hats and gloves.  We didn't have power, heater and hot water.  At best, we might have about 2 hours of electricity a day.  No fireplace. We began worrying that we were running out of food that needed cooking since we have no ability to cook without electricity.  Mandatory "boil water" for consumption. Wasn't much of an issue because we didn't have water.  

I did fill two bathtubs with water before they shut the water supply.  One day, we boiled water so we can have an elephant bath.  Couldn't believe that a large pot of hot water was all that was needed for both Rose and I to shampoo our hair and soap our bodies.  "Try beating that, Navy Seals!"

A teachable experience for sure. We found out that the pasta bowl for cooking was the ideal size for flushing the toilet.  For a while, our rubric was "if it's yellow, make it mellow, if it's brown, send it down." Hahah.  I used an old hair dryer to thaw the water pipe to get hot water back.  

One of the upsides of this crisis is that Texans forgot about the Covid pandemic.  Everybody was talking about how to cope up with the snow storms (we had three consecutive storms).  Our church community was a great support to everyone.  People sharing food, opening their houses that still have power, praying for one another.  Kind of like the early church in the New Testament.  (Acts 2:44)

Sang this psalm after our morning prayer:

"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.

Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the Lord: "O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

The Lord preserves the simple;

when I was brought low, he saved me." - Psalm 116:1-6

The say this kind of snowstorms only happens every 30 years in Texas.  By then, I would be so old that I wouldn't know where I am.

Selah. 

The Bobby Darin Story - Beyond the Sea / Spoken intro by Mr Darin (restored original 1961 vinyl LP)

 

The Bobby Darin Story - Beyond the Sea / Spoken intro by Mr Darin (restored original 1961 vinyl LP)

"The blues - the sound of a sinner on revival day." - William Christopher (WC) Handy The Bobby Darin Story is a 1961 compilation album by American singer Bobby Darin, featuring narration by Darin himself. The master plates of several versions of this release contained Darin's autograph in the trail off section of the vinyl on side two. Darin's career took off with a songwriting partnership, formed in 1955 with Don Kirshner, whom he met at a candy store in Washington Heights. (Yes, the same Don Kirshner who was best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups like Kansas.) I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS. #bebop #jazz #vinylrecord #qouteoftheday

Daybreak at San Antonio

 

There are so many things wrong with this image.  The light falling on the people is off.  The sunset should be located farther on the left side of the image.  The little girl on the left is playing unsupervised.  The men should be on the picture but maybe they are elsewhere drinking local brew to unwind from the day's fishing.  The older woman talking to the infant is speaking in a foreign language that nobody understands. And so on.

For the Photo savvy:  Captured with a Crappy Canon Rebel XT, 8 mp, Nifty 50mm f1.8, 1/1250 sec, f/8, iso 800.

Hope your day is going well.

Iced Rapini

 I've said it before, one of the upsides of these unexpected snowstorms in Texas is that it makes for great photo op.  This was captured a week ago before the great snow storm that came last Monday.  It rained iced and destroyed most of our vegetables but Rose managed to harvest a bundle of Rapini.  Unfortunately, all of the vegetables are now decimated because of this recent storm.  Time to find another subject for photo op.

Be well and take care, my friends.

Blue Hour in Snowy Texas

 

This was captured early morning after the recent storm.  We still have power at that time.  Then the crisis happened.  We lost power, no heating inside the house, no hot water, roads were undriveable.  Texas was caught flat footed.  As of this writing, we have temporary power.  Don't know for how long.  It's now past midnight.  Great - just the right time we badly need electricity.  Lately, we would have electricity available for about two hours a day.  Just tonight, the officials mandated boiling water for consumption.  How can you boil water if there is no electricity?  Maybe they thought we can burn firewood to provide energy and heat.  We have no furnace so forget that.  There are two more storms coming on the horizon.  We ain't seen nothing yet.

Hope it's better in your neck of the wood.

A Day at the Market

 

Another day at the marketplace.  Most people don't have refrigerators so they have to buy fresh produce everyday.  Otherwise they will spoil.  I mean the produce - not the people.  It is easy to get lost at the marketplace.  So many people buying items.  So many things that are sold.  Fruits, fish, meat, lucky charms, t-shirts.  Amazon would be jealous.  Haggling is not uncommon.  The ground is always wet, at times muddy.  The place smells funny.  Fishy at best.  

For the photo savvy:  blur is in-camera, 1/10 sec, f/18, iso 400, Nifty 50 Canon EF 1.8, Crappy Canon Rebel XT, 8 mp, pretty much low tech.

Hope your day is going well.

More Texan Icicles

 

I must admit that these icicles do make for great photo op.  The downside is our vegetables and fruit trees are already dying.  They are not used to these freezing temperatures.  I will not be discouraged.  I've already started germinating new plants indoor.  Hopefully, they would be ready for re-transplanting this spring.  Obviously, this is the vanity of vanities.  The meaningless of life according to the Preacher.

What do people gain from all their labor

    at which they toil under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:3

Hope your day is going well.

Tomato Soup on a Cold Weather

 

Today was another icy day. We have a travel advisory that it is not safe to drive as the roads are frozen.  Texas is not supposed to have this much snow.  Tomorrow's low is forecasted at 2 degrees F.  It would be incredibly cold.  (32 degrees F is freezing as you well know.)  We are experiencing below freezing temperatures right now.  Grateful that we have food good for a week or so.  The heater is holding up.  I let the faucets drip so the pipe pressure won't build up.  Never thought it would be like this.  Even the locals are caught flat footed.   Life in Texas in 2021.  Good thing we can take comfort on a hot Tomato Soup.

Hope your day is going well.

King of the Road

 

King of the Road.  One of the many kings that travail on the streets of the Panay Island in the Philippines. When you see them, better move away.  They are ruthless and have no regards for civil traffic.  I've known people whose bones where fractured from being hit by reckless drivers.  Nonetheless, they are considered the local taxis.  Unless you prefer to walk, these are the means to get from one place to another.

Hope your day is going well.

Icicles as Art - Texas Style

As far I know, snow storms are rare in Central Texas.  Having lived here for just over a year, we've already experienced our second snow storm today.  I never thought I would be spending one afternoon outside on icy rain defrosting our centralized heating system by pouring hot water on the fan blades and karate-chopping the ices from the unit because the blades stopped turning.  Last month our backyard was covered with snow.  This time it's all ice.  Walking on icy grass is like walking on brittle glass.  It cracks every time you step on the grass.  Icicles everywhere.  I think I prefer the snow.  Strangely so is that when I took pictures of the icicles they looked like art paintings.  

Hope you are comfortably warm where you are.

Captain John Handy - Chinatown My Chinatown

 

Captain John Handy - Chinatown My Chinatown

"If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." - Louis Armstrong From the 1965 album All Aboard Volume 2. Captain John Handy (June 24, 1900 – January 12, 1971), was an American jazz alto saxophonist who was part of the New Orleans jazz revival. Handy was born in Pass Christian, Mississippi. He played clarinet in New Orleans bands in the 1920s and led the Louisiana Shakers. He switched to alto saxophone in 1928. Alto Saxophone – Capt. John Handy Banjo – Dick Griffin Bass – Dick McCarthy Clarinet – Sammy Rimington Drums – Sammy Penn Piano – Bill Sinclair Trombone – Jim Robinson Trumpet – Kid Thomas I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS #neworleansjazz #jazzsax #vinylrecord #qouteoftheday : :

Repost : Countdown to Retirement

Waiting.... In dog years, that would be a little over a month.

Repost from October 28, 2012

Nota Bene:  Rose started the blog Travels with Mimi on October 27, 2012.  Each of Mimi's post would be viewed by hundreds of people (and pets).  More than what I get from my personal blog Observations.  Google has notified me that they will be removing the blog so I am going to repost the posts here for posterity sake.  

Mimi

August 11, 2005 - February 10, 2019

She was always a California girl.

Lester Young - I Cover the Waterfront (restored original recording jazz vinyl LP)

 

Lester Young - I Cover the Waterfront (restored original recording jazz vinyl LP)

"Ignis, quo magis lutet, eo minus fumat." (As fire gives more light, it gives less smoke.) - Richard Sibbes Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959) Arguably, Young introduced an approach to improvisation that provided much of the basis for modern jazz solo conception. The impact of his style was so broad that he has been cited as a favourite by such diverse modern jazz figures as Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, and John Coltrane. Much of the West Coast “cool” style was a direct product of Lester Young’s approach, many saxophonists playing his lines note for note in their own performances. Billie Holiday called him president of tenor saxophonists, and he was known thereafter as Pres (or Prez). In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike". Known for his hip, introverted style, he invented or popularized much of the hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music. I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS #bebop #jazzsax #vinylrecord #qouteoftheday : :

Count Basie Orchestra - Sweety Cakes (restored 1945 original jazz recording vinyl LP)

 

Count Basie Orchestra - Sweety Cakes (restored 1945 original jazz recording vinyl LP)

“My one regret in life is that I am not someone else.” - Woody Allen Released 1945 under the album title April in Paris. The Count Basie Orchestra was a 16 to 18-piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recorded regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. Alto Saxophone – Earle Warren, Jimmy Powell Baritone Saxophone – Rudy Rutherford Double Bass – Rodney Richardson Drums – Shadow Wilson Guitar – Freddie Green Piano – Count Basie Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate, Lucky Thompson Trombone – Dickie Wells, Eli Robinson, Louis Taylor, Ted Donnelly Trumpet – Al Killian, Al Stearns, Harry Edison, Joe Newman I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS. #bebop #jazz #vinylrecord #quoteoftheday

Buddy De Franco - In A Sentimental Mood (restored original recording jazz vinyl LP)

 

Buddy De Franco - In A Sentimental Mood (restored original recording jazz vinyl LP)

"It's better not to argue with women." - Vladimir Putin From the vinyl album Mr Lucky released in 1982 on Pablo. Credits: Bass – George Duvivier Clarinet – Buddy De Franco Drums – Ronnie Bedford Guitar – Joe Cohn Layout, Design – Norman Granz, Sheldon Marks Photography By – Tom Copi Piano – Albert Dailey Producer – Joyce DeFranco Producer, Liner Notes – Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014). An Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra under the name, "The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, Directed By Buddy DeFranco" for almost a decade in the 1960s and '70s. He began his professional career just as swing music and big bands—many of which were led by clarinetists like Artie Shaw, and Benny Goodman—were in decline. While most jazz clarinet players did not adapt to this change, DeFranco successfully continued to play clarinet exclusively, and was one of the few bebop clarinetists. He also performed with Gene Krupa, Art Blakey, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Charlie Barnet, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Lennie Tristano, Dodo Marmarosa, Terry Gibbs, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Eddie Daniels, Putte Wickman, Billie Holiday and many others, and released dozens of albums as a leader. : I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS #bebop #jazz #vinylrecord : #qouteoftheday

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Mame (restored original 1966 recording jazz vinyl LP)

 Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Mame (restored original 1966 recording jazz vinyl LP)

"Frustra nititur qui non innititur." (Dependent spirits are the wisest and ablest.) - Richard Sibbes Released 1966, SRO was the seventh album by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, and it performed about as well as most of its predecessors, reaching #2 on the U.S. album charts, helped by three singles: “The Work Song,” “Flamingo,” and “Mame.” By late 1966, it seemed as if every TV commercial and every pop arranger had latched onto the Herb Alpert “Ameriachi” sound — at which point the resourceful originator of that sound began to pare it down and loosen it up a bit. S.R.O. (Standing Room Only), referring to the Tijuana Brass’ string of sold-out concerts, is an accurate title, for this LP is about a seven-piece band loaded with experienced jazzers who groove and swing together to a greater degree than on their previous albums. Sure, the arrangements are very tightly knit and don’t allow much room for spontaneity, but they still sound fresh and uninhibited, and Alpert often allows the flavor of jazz to come through more clearly. (All Music Review, https://www.allmusic.com/album/sro-mw0000207867 ) Arranged By – Herb Alpert Bass Guitar – Pat Senatore Design – Peter Whorf Graphics Drums – Nick Ceroli Engineer – Larry Levine Guitar – John Pisano Leader [Band] – Herb Alpert Liner Notes – Chuck Champlin Photography By [Cover] – George Jerman Piano – Lou Pagani Producer – Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss Trombone – Bob Edmondson Trumpet – Tonni Kalash I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS. #latinjazz #jazz #vinylrecord #quoteoftheday : :

Horace Silver Quintet - Que Pasa (restored 1965 original jazz recording vinyl LP)

 

Horace Silver Quintet - Que Pasa (restored 1965 original  jazz recording vinyl LP)

“Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is.” - Albert Camus From the1965 album Song for My Father by the Horace Silver Quintet, released on the Blue Note label in 1965. The album was inspired by a trip that Silver had made to Brazil. The cover artwork features a photograph of Silver's father, John Tavares Silver, to whom the title composition was dedicated. "My mother was of Irish and Negro descent, my father of Portuguese origin," Silver recalls in the liner notes: "He was born on the island of Maio, one of the Cape Verde Islands. As a player, Silver transitioned from bebop to hard bop by stressing melody rather than complex harmony, and combined clean and often humorous right-hand lines with darker notes and chords in a near-perpetual left-hand rumble. Bass – Teddy Smith Drums – Roger Humphries Piano – Horace Silver Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson Trumpet – Carmell Jones Written-By – Horace Silver I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy. INXDS. #bebop #jazzpiano #vinylrecord #quoteoftheday : :

Count Basie Orchestra - Did'n You (restored 1945 original jazz recording vinyl LP)

 

Count Basie Orchestra - Did'n You (restored 1945 original jazz recording vinyl LP)

“Go to heaven for the climate and hell for the company.” - Benjamin Franklin Wade Released 1945 under the album title April in Paris. The Count Basie Orchestra was a 16 to 18-piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recorded regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. Alto Saxophone – Earle Warren, Jimmy Powell Baritone Saxophone – Rudy Rutherford Double Bass – Rodney Richardson Drums – Shadow Wilson Guitar – Freddie Green Piano – Count Basie Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate, Lucky Thompson Trombone – Dickie Wells, Eli Robinson, Louis Taylor, Ted Donnelly Trumpet – Al Killian, Al Stearns, Harry Edison, Joe Newman I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos.  (Image post and video art were appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Hope you enjoy.  INXDS. #bebop #jazz #vinylrecord #quoteoftheday :