Diversions, Part 395
I've got little to say about the Terri Schiavo imbroglio, and probably nothing that hasn't been said already. I'm in the camp that sees the whole push to "save" her as odious (no, actually, make that "heinously offensive") political opportunism. The wholesale trashing of Michael Schiavo, with many baselessly portraying him as some kind of Floridian Josef Mengele, is particularly reprehensible. It is interesting to see, however, all the fallout-- Dubya's opposite stance on life support issues when he was a governor, Tom DeLay's handling of his own father's incapacity, the apparent GOP memo citing the Schiavo case as a way to "energize the base," the hardcore Christian right pissed at Jeb Bush for not going all the way with them...
I'm about 40 percent of the way through "Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker" by James Gavin...tremendously well-written. Gavin goes to great lengths to get a variety of viewpoints on Chet as a musician, as a husband, as a son, as a person. In particular, I enjoy the fact that the book is neither an altar of worship nor a slam piece. I will certainly follow Gavin's writing career with great interest.
I had a great time playing with the Frisky Frolics last night at Speisekammer last night in Alameda. I always do, but in addition to the great regular lineup of Rick Quisol on ukelele, vocals and kazoo, Steve Merritt on guitar, Pierre Laik on mandolin, and Chris Green on bass, we had Marty Eggers on piano (also the bassist with Bo Grumpus). I've always known Marty as a bassist, and man, have I been missing out. Marty's one of those guys that would be considered a "musician's musician"-- I heard Fats Waller, I heard James P. Johnson, I heard Earl Hines, I heard some 1927-era Duke when I heard him last night. I'm grateful that the Friskies give me a chance to air it out on clarinet...makes me want to work even harder.
During the break last night, a special guest, guitarist Garfield Kincross, came in to play and sing a rendition of the 1928 classic tune "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Halfway through the song, I realized that it's the same tune that the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish (his name, by the way, is Darius Rucker, NOT "Hootie") does with different lyrics in that blasted "Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch" commercial for Burger King.
I'm about 40 percent of the way through "Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker" by James Gavin...tremendously well-written. Gavin goes to great lengths to get a variety of viewpoints on Chet as a musician, as a husband, as a son, as a person. In particular, I enjoy the fact that the book is neither an altar of worship nor a slam piece. I will certainly follow Gavin's writing career with great interest.
I had a great time playing with the Frisky Frolics last night at Speisekammer last night in Alameda. I always do, but in addition to the great regular lineup of Rick Quisol on ukelele, vocals and kazoo, Steve Merritt on guitar, Pierre Laik on mandolin, and Chris Green on bass, we had Marty Eggers on piano (also the bassist with Bo Grumpus). I've always known Marty as a bassist, and man, have I been missing out. Marty's one of those guys that would be considered a "musician's musician"-- I heard Fats Waller, I heard James P. Johnson, I heard Earl Hines, I heard some 1927-era Duke when I heard him last night. I'm grateful that the Friskies give me a chance to air it out on clarinet...makes me want to work even harder.
During the break last night, a special guest, guitarist Garfield Kincross, came in to play and sing a rendition of the 1928 classic tune "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Halfway through the song, I realized that it's the same tune that the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish (his name, by the way, is Darius Rucker, NOT "Hootie") does with different lyrics in that blasted "Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch" commercial for Burger King.
posted by Tom (a.k.a. "G-Man") at 2:22 PM
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