Early Wednesday evening I posted Mannheim Steamroller's "Silent Night" as my introduction to this year's favorite Christmas music. Nothing since. What happened?
Well, we had a pretty good-sized 'norther' come in during the wee hours Thursday morning. What was kind of weird with this one is that tornado warnings started being posted shortly after I published my last entry. They think it might have been a lightning strike that knocked out a big chunk of power at Hobby Airport and camera shots showing the hundreds of people waiting in humongous lines outside the terminal to be checked in were more proof positive that traveling during the holidays is perilous and fraught with risk and made me shake my head at their frustration and concern at the distinct possibility of not being able to get to their destinations on time.
Thank goodness those that I drove to either airport experienced no such delays, but you never know about the returns. I have one scheduled to come back in to Hobby Monday evening (late, with a Chicago connection) and another next week. Hopefully, their return schedules will be as delay-free.
Thursday afternoon I decided that I had to make one more Randall's stop. I hadn't found the 'perfect' Christmas card for my granddaughter. Had one that I really liked for the whole family, but wanted one really special for her. This year my granddaughter decided to become a Christian - a 'biggie' for me, as those of you who read some of my previous posts already know - and I wanted a card that would exemplify how I felt about the combination of her new faith melding in with that of her family. Without it actually saying so, if you know what I mean. You probably don't, but it's the best I can do here. I wish I had copied down the message - I'd share it with you - but I didn't.
[I gave her three ceramic figures of the holy family that I'd had for many years, and she seemed to like them. Also, a Bible that was given to me - either when I was baptized or when I joined the church, one or the other (don't know, because the dedication page is missing) - some 60 or 65 years ago. It was in the trunk of the taxicab all the years I was driving, and is now in a very fragile state. It's the old King James version, with Jesus' words in red.]
But back to Randall's. The temperature outside was now in the very low 40's (Fahrenheit) and winds were blowing at a constant 20-30mph, gusting to 41. I didn't dress anywhere near warm enough! I was not expecting the temperature inside the store to be the same as that outside.
Initially, however, I didn't realize that fact and decided to shop for chili and fudge ingredients 'as long as I was there'. Well, it took me a whole lot longer than it should have because this particular store's layout was unfamiliar to me. I got a good chill that went right on down through my bones and - tell you the truth, have still not quite recovered from.
The rest of Christmas Eve day and all of Christmas Eve were spent with me either in bed, tossing and turning - moaning, groaning and coughing, or watching "It's a Wonderful Life" for the 89 gazillionth time. I should have sent my son-in-law an e-mail before going to bed - telling him I wasn't feeling well and to 'start without me' Christmas Day - but I didn't. Guess I didn't think I'd sleep that long.
And so, around 9am the phone rang, waking me up. I knew who it was. I lay there for a few more minutes and then got up and staggered around, trying to find the phone so I could call them back.
I did get out there eventually - early afternoon, maybe - but felt really lousy the whole day. I ached all over. I had tried to go back to bed that morning and get some more sleep, but it just didn't happen. Tossing and turning while moaning, groaning and coughing were the most I could accomplish.
All things considered, it was a nice day. Well, the best that could be expected, I should think. I tried to lay down for a nap before driving back home, but was sleepless. Just all achy. I don't want to drone on and on and on here about how I felt, but it wasn't good.
I decided to get back up after a couple of hours at the attempted nap farm - as long as I was awake, anyway - and visit with the family before starting back. My daughter was upstairs napping, my granddaughter was on her second book of the day - she skim reads, she says (probably why she couldn't tell me what the book was about when I asked her) - and my son-in-law was prowling around, having just gotten up from his nap. Thank goodness someone was getting their sleep!
When I first began writing this post, I intended to say something more about my favorite Christmas music - and possibly include another selection or two for your enjoyment, but have decided that this is enough already! [Also, I have not forgotten that I owe you another "Simon Says" for December.] And so, without further ado, I wish you and yours the very best for this Sunday, December 27, 2009.
2010 is now just around the corner. How is that possible? Later!
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Favorite Christmas music - 2009 - #1
We'll begin this season again with Mannheim Steamroller's exquisitely-performed "Silent Night". I can think of few other pieces of Christmas music that better epitomize this most holy of days.
[Now, for some unknown reason, the first 30 seconds or so of this recording have no sound, but it's worth the wait. I've listened to it three or four times now, and it's the same every time. What happened? I don't know.]
The violinist who performs this wonderful tune has a pureness of tone matched by very few others. Just close your eyes and be transported - as I was - a few years back when I heard this group perform live here in Houston. Here we go ... ...
Wasn't that just wonderful? More coming.
[Now, for some unknown reason, the first 30 seconds or so of this recording have no sound, but it's worth the wait. I've listened to it three or four times now, and it's the same every time. What happened? I don't know.]
The violinist who performs this wonderful tune has a pureness of tone matched by very few others. Just close your eyes and be transported - as I was - a few years back when I heard this group perform live here in Houston. Here we go ... ...
Wasn't that just wonderful? More coming.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A day in my life
It began at 9am yesterday, when my alarm went off. I was due to mentor Roop Prasad at 10:30, my regular partner once a month during the day.
First thing I did, of course - after hitting the ladies' room and putting a fresh pot of coffee on, was come in here and see what was going on in my computer world.
Well, to my surprise, there was a notice from Zone Alarm, telling me that my subscription had expired. I thought, "Whaat!?!" (My son-in-law takes care of all such things. Surely there must be an error!)
I rebooted, thinking that something was amiss with the system. No, nothing was amiss with the system. Meanwhile, without really giving them a whole lot of consideration, I okayed a couple of requests from someone/something trying to access my system. And so, all **** is probably breaking loose in there. My firewalls are down and I am unprotected. Who knows if I'll be able to access the internet when I try to get back on later?
Sent my son-in-law three e-mails all told, then had to exit the house for the bridge studio. Meanwhile, back at his ranch, he's in business meetings and unavailable for comment/getting on to see what's happening/renewing my subscription, etc. and blah. Ye gods and little fish hooks!
Roop and I played and had a decent game, altho it could have been a lot better. We scratched, which is a bridge term for placing amongst the top pairs. Interestingly enough, several different notrump bidding sequences came up - ALL of which she mishandled. Would have made a great article for the Examiner, but I've all but given up on that rag.
I spent over four hours a few weeks ago trying to get my article on Arlene Weingarten published. I had some really good things I wanted to say about her, too. She's some kind of woman!
I had articles 'in the works' about Beth Stuart and Dottie Ann Goodloe, Eddie Wold, bridge teachers ... all sorts of great stuff, actually. Last week, when I tried to 'get on' to start the article on Eddie's squeeze class, I was interrupted in my signing in by Examiner's request for me to fill in a form so they could declare my income.
WHAT income??? I have made a total of 13 cents so far. I kid you not. If anyone in the bridge world wants the title of "Houston Duplicate Bridge Examiner", they can have it as far as I am concerned. However, I must warn you that the pipe-smoking frog is my personal property and may not be used without my express written permission.
Meanwhile, Roop and I had a really good after-session about notrump bids and I'll be creating a fairly hefty e-mail for her future reference on that subject. Hope she takes it to heart, studies and learns from it. She's a nice lady and I enjoy playing with her. We'll not be playing again until January 20th, for some reason - it's usually the second Wednesday, so I wished her a happy new year.
She surprised me with a gift. A lovely stone (of some sort) pendant on a silver chain. I was pleased as all get out, as you might imagine, and went around showing it to everybody.
Ran into Julian Barr, with whom I'm playing later today (another 10:30 start). I told him, "I found our card." (Referring, of course, to a convention card.) His response? "Does it have any similarity to what we've been playing?" I answered, "Vaguely." We both got a good laugh over that.
Evelyn James - one of my students for many years - came by to ask if I would play with Margie, Edna and her on a Swiss team in the Regional coming up in February. It didn't take me very long to accept. Years ago, I was the fifth on their team. (Anne was still with us then.) This was when they were all still students of mine. I played with each one during the two sessions. It was a lot of fun. We just might decide to dedicate this one to Anne.
Well, that's about it for my day yesterday. Tried to stay awake for Andre Rieu's special on PBS (They're having another fundraiser.) - are you familiar with him? (Wonderful!) - but couldn't. Had to hit the pillow. Just in case you don't have the foggiest idea who he is, here's what he looks like ... ...
Wiki has a nice writeup about him here. He's a tremendous showman and exudes great warmth, love and joy in all of his shows.
I'll leave you with an excerpt from one of his performances. You won't get anywhere near the total picture from this little bit, but perhaps it will entice you to look further into this man's persona.
First thing I did, of course - after hitting the ladies' room and putting a fresh pot of coffee on, was come in here and see what was going on in my computer world.
Well, to my surprise, there was a notice from Zone Alarm, telling me that my subscription had expired. I thought, "Whaat!?!" (My son-in-law takes care of all such things. Surely there must be an error!)
I rebooted, thinking that something was amiss with the system. No, nothing was amiss with the system. Meanwhile, without really giving them a whole lot of consideration, I okayed a couple of requests from someone/something trying to access my system. And so, all **** is probably breaking loose in there. My firewalls are down and I am unprotected. Who knows if I'll be able to access the internet when I try to get back on later?
Sent my son-in-law three e-mails all told, then had to exit the house for the bridge studio. Meanwhile, back at his ranch, he's in business meetings and unavailable for comment/getting on to see what's happening/renewing my subscription, etc. and blah. Ye gods and little fish hooks!
Roop and I played and had a decent game, altho it could have been a lot better. We scratched, which is a bridge term for placing amongst the top pairs. Interestingly enough, several different notrump bidding sequences came up - ALL of which she mishandled. Would have made a great article for the Examiner, but I've all but given up on that rag.
I spent over four hours a few weeks ago trying to get my article on Arlene Weingarten published. I had some really good things I wanted to say about her, too. She's some kind of woman!
I had articles 'in the works' about Beth Stuart and Dottie Ann Goodloe, Eddie Wold, bridge teachers ... all sorts of great stuff, actually. Last week, when I tried to 'get on' to start the article on Eddie's squeeze class, I was interrupted in my signing in by Examiner's request for me to fill in a form so they could declare my income.
WHAT income??? I have made a total of 13 cents so far. I kid you not. If anyone in the bridge world wants the title of "Houston Duplicate Bridge Examiner", they can have it as far as I am concerned. However, I must warn you that the pipe-smoking frog is my personal property and may not be used without my express written permission.
Meanwhile, Roop and I had a really good after-session about notrump bids and I'll be creating a fairly hefty e-mail for her future reference on that subject. Hope she takes it to heart, studies and learns from it. She's a nice lady and I enjoy playing with her. We'll not be playing again until January 20th, for some reason - it's usually the second Wednesday, so I wished her a happy new year.
She surprised me with a gift. A lovely stone (of some sort) pendant on a silver chain. I was pleased as all get out, as you might imagine, and went around showing it to everybody.
Ran into Julian Barr, with whom I'm playing later today (another 10:30 start). I told him, "I found our card." (Referring, of course, to a convention card.) His response? "Does it have any similarity to what we've been playing?" I answered, "Vaguely." We both got a good laugh over that.
Evelyn James - one of my students for many years - came by to ask if I would play with Margie, Edna and her on a Swiss team in the Regional coming up in February. It didn't take me very long to accept. Years ago, I was the fifth on their team. (Anne was still with us then.) This was when they were all still students of mine. I played with each one during the two sessions. It was a lot of fun. We just might decide to dedicate this one to Anne.
Well, that's about it for my day yesterday. Tried to stay awake for Andre Rieu's special on PBS (They're having another fundraiser.) - are you familiar with him? (Wonderful!) - but couldn't. Had to hit the pillow. Just in case you don't have the foggiest idea who he is, here's what he looks like ... ...
Wiki has a nice writeup about him here. He's a tremendous showman and exudes great warmth, love and joy in all of his shows.
I'll leave you with an excerpt from one of his performances. You won't get anywhere near the total picture from this little bit, but perhaps it will entice you to look further into this man's persona.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Glory, glory, Hallelujah!
Ever since I first read Chuck's post of just a few days ago, I have been thinking of when I published my own tribute to Elvis - albeit in conjunction with Odetta - and have been viewing/reviewing, listening/re-listening, ever since, to various recordings that Elvis made.
Chuck's post focuses on Elvis' religious side. (Did you know that he had a religious side? He did! Not all of those perspiration particles were due to lighting. Elvis was truly a deeply religious person.)
I invite you to to partake of one (or more) of the Elvis recordings - mentioned, and some even included in various YouTube selections on Chuck's site - that contributed to Elvis' being nominated to receive Grammy Awards for "How Great Thou Art" and "He Touched Me".
My personal favorite of Elvis' continues to remain (my apologies, Chuck!) this one ... ...
... but I really appreciate your going in depth into more of this man's life that was cut way too short (I think we'd all agree).
Chuck's post focuses on Elvis' religious side. (Did you know that he had a religious side? He did! Not all of those perspiration particles were due to lighting. Elvis was truly a deeply religious person.)
I invite you to to partake of one (or more) of the Elvis recordings - mentioned, and some even included in various YouTube selections on Chuck's site - that contributed to Elvis' being nominated to receive Grammy Awards for "How Great Thou Art" and "He Touched Me".
My personal favorite of Elvis' continues to remain (my apologies, Chuck!) this one ... ...
... but I really appreciate your going in depth into more of this man's life that was cut way too short (I think we'd all agree).
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Youthful hope and inspiration
A Venezuelan economist and amateur musician by the name of Jose Antonio Abreu, believing that young people in extremely impoverished circumstances could be rescued from their environment and directed away from a likely future life of crime and drug abuse by exposure to classical music, founded what is now called El Sistema (the system). That was in 1975.
Today, his theory has proved so sound that there are approximately 300,000 youngsters involved in this program, which includes hundreds of youth and children's orchestras. The best of these perform not only in Venezuela and other Latin American countries, but also throughout the United States and much of Europe.
CBS 60 Minutes, with Bob Simon reporting, aired - a year or so ago - an in depth piece that I'd like to share with you.
Watch CBS Videos Online
You might recall, from watching that report, the name Gustavo Dudamel. This young man, still in his 20's, is a product of the system that Dr. Abreu initiated so many years ago. You can find a very nice writeup about Gustavo, now an internationally-recognized conductor, here. (From CBS evening news --2008 -- Bob Simon reporting)
In 1995, Dr. Abreu was appointed Special Ambassador for the development of a global network of youth and children's orchestras and choirs by UNESCO. When he was given the Venezuelan B'nai B'rith Human Rights Award in 2008, he summarized the goal of El Sistema and his life's work by saying, "In the struggle for Human Rights, let us vigorously incorporate children's sublime right to music, in whose bosom shines Beingness in its splendor and its ineffable mystery. Let us reveal to our children the beauty of music and music shall reveal to our children the beauty of life."
Just this past month, one of only three of the prestigious TED prizes for 2009 was awarded to Dr. Abreu. From that award ceremony, under the conductorship of Gustavo Dudamel, here are some of Venezuela's elite high school musicians performing Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, 2nd movement, and Arturo Marquez' Danzon No. 2. Enjoy, and perhaps even be as amazed as I was!
Today, his theory has proved so sound that there are approximately 300,000 youngsters involved in this program, which includes hundreds of youth and children's orchestras. The best of these perform not only in Venezuela and other Latin American countries, but also throughout the United States and much of Europe.
CBS 60 Minutes, with Bob Simon reporting, aired - a year or so ago - an in depth piece that I'd like to share with you.
Watch CBS Videos Online
You might recall, from watching that report, the name Gustavo Dudamel. This young man, still in his 20's, is a product of the system that Dr. Abreu initiated so many years ago. You can find a very nice writeup about Gustavo, now an internationally-recognized conductor, here. (From CBS evening news --2008 -- Bob Simon reporting)
In 1995, Dr. Abreu was appointed Special Ambassador for the development of a global network of youth and children's orchestras and choirs by UNESCO. When he was given the Venezuelan B'nai B'rith Human Rights Award in 2008, he summarized the goal of El Sistema and his life's work by saying, "In the struggle for Human Rights, let us vigorously incorporate children's sublime right to music, in whose bosom shines Beingness in its splendor and its ineffable mystery. Let us reveal to our children the beauty of music and music shall reveal to our children the beauty of life."
Just this past month, one of only three of the prestigious TED prizes for 2009 was awarded to Dr. Abreu. From that award ceremony, under the conductorship of Gustavo Dudamel, here are some of Venezuela's elite high school musicians performing Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, 2nd movement, and Arturo Marquez' Danzon No. 2. Enjoy, and perhaps even be as amazed as I was!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
James Galway
I was on my way back home from delivering that check I talked about yesterday - and no, I didn't stop at that other store (another time perhaps) - and was listening to classical music on the radio when I heard them announce that James Galway would be performing with the Houston Symphony tonight in Jones Hall.
Boy, that brought back a few memories! I saw him perform - I guess - about thirty years ago now. I was mesmerized the whole time.
I couldn't wait to hear which of his hundreds of recordings the station would air. When they chose Bach (not one of my favorite composers) I was more than a little disappointed but listened, anyway, because after all it was James Galway!
Who's James Galway? Well, he's an Irishman who has earned the nickname, "The Man With the Golden Flute." I have selected three YouTube videos to share with you today. The first two include stunning photography, which allows one's mind to dreamily wander off. Remember this post and come on back to it and listen again and again in times of stress. Very peaceful and calming.
Here's one of my favorites, "Shenandoah" ...
And another, Massenet's "Meditation" ...
Are you fully relaxed and about to fall asleep? Here's "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" to help bring you back to a full state of alertness ...
Wasn't that fun? I regret that the first part of the video really doesn't show his fingers flying over the keys nearly as much as I would have liked, but the last part does! Yowsers!!
Boy, that brought back a few memories! I saw him perform - I guess - about thirty years ago now. I was mesmerized the whole time.
I couldn't wait to hear which of his hundreds of recordings the station would air. When they chose Bach (not one of my favorite composers) I was more than a little disappointed but listened, anyway, because after all it was James Galway!
Who's James Galway? Well, he's an Irishman who has earned the nickname, "The Man With the Golden Flute." I have selected three YouTube videos to share with you today. The first two include stunning photography, which allows one's mind to dreamily wander off. Remember this post and come on back to it and listen again and again in times of stress. Very peaceful and calming.
Here's one of my favorites, "Shenandoah" ...
And another, Massenet's "Meditation" ...
Are you fully relaxed and about to fall asleep? Here's "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" to help bring you back to a full state of alertness ...
Wasn't that fun? I regret that the first part of the video really doesn't show his fingers flying over the keys nearly as much as I would have liked, but the last part does! Yowsers!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday morning
About three hours ago I ate some of a fresh batch of chili, which was particularly appropriate since we have experienced nearly a 50-degree drop in temperature readings in the last day and a half. Brrr!
Then I checked in with some of my favorites, and was delighted to see a blog post that included sacred music by Russian composer Georgii Sviridov. I feel a great sense of peace whenever I listen to this wonderfully inspirational music. There is a quiet reverence throughout, and I view it full screen while listening. The photography is glorious!
That piece reminds me a little of a Gregorian chant, which is a form of plainsong whose origins are a bit hazy. Certainly it was commonly found in Monastic orders. Some very early sheet music still exists and here, scripted in square notation from the 14th-15th century, is the Introit Gaudeamus Omnes.
Wiki has an extensive writeup on the history of Gregorian chants in case you're intrigued and want to learn more. If you'd like to hear a couple of other Russian Orthodox chants, as sung by monks and metropolitan choirs of Kiev, go to Steven's post and scroll down to the second video. Thank you, Steven, for re-awakening my awareness of this genre!
Meanwhile, here's the Gregorian chant Benedictinos. As with the first video, the photography is lovely and full screen viewing while you're listening is highly recommended.
Because I was up cooking very early this morning, I'll be hitting the pillow again shortly. While I was up and at 'em, however, I happened to catch a movie I've seen only once before. I like it!
It's called "Morgan's Ferry" and its most well-known star is Kelly McGillis, a "lonely middle-aged Southerner" (Vonee) whose remote farm three escaped convicts enter uninvited. The story revolves around their efforts to get to the ferry and out of the state before the Sheriff can catch up with them, her independence and indomitableness, and a most unlikely romance between Sam - one of the escapees, played by Billy Zane (a 'hunk') - and her.
Roscoe Lee Browne, who plays "Pebo" - a blind man who has a mule and wagon and does grocery shopping for Vonee, turns in an excellent performance. It's a great story. Not the most happy of endings, but very satisfying overall.
Now, tonight I'll be glued to my television set watching "Rain Man" for only the second time ever. Won't that be a treat? Can you believe it's been 21 years since this movie first came out?!? I'm gettin' old, folks.
Hope your Sunday is starting out well. Talk atcha later!
Then I checked in with some of my favorites, and was delighted to see a blog post that included sacred music by Russian composer Georgii Sviridov. I feel a great sense of peace whenever I listen to this wonderfully inspirational music. There is a quiet reverence throughout, and I view it full screen while listening. The photography is glorious!
That piece reminds me a little of a Gregorian chant, which is a form of plainsong whose origins are a bit hazy. Certainly it was commonly found in Monastic orders. Some very early sheet music still exists and here, scripted in square notation from the 14th-15th century, is the Introit Gaudeamus Omnes.
Wiki has an extensive writeup on the history of Gregorian chants in case you're intrigued and want to learn more. If you'd like to hear a couple of other Russian Orthodox chants, as sung by monks and metropolitan choirs of Kiev, go to Steven's post and scroll down to the second video. Thank you, Steven, for re-awakening my awareness of this genre!
Meanwhile, here's the Gregorian chant Benedictinos. As with the first video, the photography is lovely and full screen viewing while you're listening is highly recommended.
Because I was up cooking very early this morning, I'll be hitting the pillow again shortly. While I was up and at 'em, however, I happened to catch a movie I've seen only once before. I like it!
It's called "Morgan's Ferry" and its most well-known star is Kelly McGillis, a "lonely middle-aged Southerner" (Vonee) whose remote farm three escaped convicts enter uninvited. The story revolves around their efforts to get to the ferry and out of the state before the Sheriff can catch up with them, her independence and indomitableness, and a most unlikely romance between Sam - one of the escapees, played by Billy Zane (a 'hunk') - and her.
Roscoe Lee Browne, who plays "Pebo" - a blind man who has a mule and wagon and does grocery shopping for Vonee, turns in an excellent performance. It's a great story. Not the most happy of endings, but very satisfying overall.
Now, tonight I'll be glued to my television set watching "Rain Man" for only the second time ever. Won't that be a treat? Can you believe it's been 21 years since this movie first came out?!? I'm gettin' old, folks.
Hope your Sunday is starting out well. Talk atcha later!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Nat "King" Cole
It seems like I know this man personally, although I never actually met him. Nathaniel Adams Coles was born on St. Patrick's Day* in 1919, and we were of different generations. I think one reason I might feel close to him is because my husband and I first moved south - to Ohio, then Indiana, and back to Ohio again - in the very early 60's, and I became fully aware that this country had serious racial and segregation problems.
I was taking graduate courses at Kent State University during its period of unrest. We were in Columbus, Ohio when all of the gas stations on the east side of town were closed - potential troublemakers were making gasoline 'bombs' out of coke bottles. There were nightly curfews. The church we belonged to had the word "Union" as part of its name to distinguish it from the South. One would have to be either an ostrich with its head in the sand or hibernating at this time not to be aware of what was going on.
Even all these many years later, the first thing I think of - after how lovely his songs are, that is - when I hear the name Nat King Cole is how badly he was discriminated against. Not that other black musicians were treated much better. They weren't!
I'll give you just a few examples. This first one is taken directly from Wiki ... ... In 1948, Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The property owner's association told Cole they did not want any undesirables moving in. Cole retorted, "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain." The Ku Klux Klan, still active in Los Angeles well into the 1950's, responded by placing a burning cross on his front lawn.
He once was attacked onstage during a concert in Birmingham, Alabama in 1956. After that incident, he never again performed in the South. (BTW, the concert was not finished.)
That same year he was invited to do a series of concerts in Cuba, but was forced to stay at a hotel other than the one where he was performing due to a "color bar". Since then, a Nat King Cole corner tribute has been erected in the Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
Nat recorded three albums in Spanish, all of which were extremely well-received in Latin American countries. He didn't know how to speak Spanish. He learned the pronunciation for the words phonetically.
A 2006 online interview with Carole Cole, the oldest of his children and currently CEO of King Cole Partners and King Cole Productions, can be found here. In Carole's extensive interview, she says that she was sure he would have recorded many more of these if his lifespan had been extended. He wanted to try and reach out and connect with everyone!
I wonder if you remember this one? Not in Spanish, however ... ... there's a little French thrown in here.
He was the first African American, I believe, to host his own radio show. And, in 1956, he was the first such to host his own television show! That it lasted barely over a year only attests to the fact that many others - possibly with even more famous hosts of a musical variety series in that period - had succumbed to the short-term attention span of the public.
Here is one of his songs as recorded on his show in 1957. The video is in black and white, as everything was at that time. It's not my favorite - the song, I mean, but it is a wonderful example of his soft voice effortlessly singing a tune that is a whole lot easier to play on an instrument ... ...
In 1991, Natalie Cole's live recording of the two of them singing "Unforgettable" - perhaps Nat's most famous song ever - brought his name and unique singing style back to the forefront, as well as it should have been all along!
I'll never forget the first time I heard and saw this. Talk about goose bumps! Their voices blend so beautifully.
This is the 5th and last in my series on African American musicians in honor of Black History Month. I have done my very best to try and pay them the recognition they so rightly deserve, and I hope that you have gained some enjoyment - perhaps even triggering some almost-forgotten memories - from this series.
*BTW, you all should know that Sam is now 'out of the closet' and decked out in his finest St. Patrick's Day regalia. Boy, does he ever look spiffy! He is ready to take on any and all comers!! "Who's Sam?" you might well ask. Go here for the original story.
I was taking graduate courses at Kent State University during its period of unrest. We were in Columbus, Ohio when all of the gas stations on the east side of town were closed - potential troublemakers were making gasoline 'bombs' out of coke bottles. There were nightly curfews. The church we belonged to had the word "Union" as part of its name to distinguish it from the South. One would have to be either an ostrich with its head in the sand or hibernating at this time not to be aware of what was going on.
Even all these many years later, the first thing I think of - after how lovely his songs are, that is - when I hear the name Nat King Cole is how badly he was discriminated against. Not that other black musicians were treated much better. They weren't!
I'll give you just a few examples. This first one is taken directly from Wiki ... ... In 1948, Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The property owner's association told Cole they did not want any undesirables moving in. Cole retorted, "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain." The Ku Klux Klan, still active in Los Angeles well into the 1950's, responded by placing a burning cross on his front lawn.
He once was attacked onstage during a concert in Birmingham, Alabama in 1956. After that incident, he never again performed in the South. (BTW, the concert was not finished.)
That same year he was invited to do a series of concerts in Cuba, but was forced to stay at a hotel other than the one where he was performing due to a "color bar". Since then, a Nat King Cole corner tribute has been erected in the Hotel Nacional de Cuba.
Nat recorded three albums in Spanish, all of which were extremely well-received in Latin American countries. He didn't know how to speak Spanish. He learned the pronunciation for the words phonetically.
A 2006 online interview with Carole Cole, the oldest of his children and currently CEO of King Cole Partners and King Cole Productions, can be found here. In Carole's extensive interview, she says that she was sure he would have recorded many more of these if his lifespan had been extended. He wanted to try and reach out and connect with everyone!
I wonder if you remember this one? Not in Spanish, however ... ... there's a little French thrown in here.
He was the first African American, I believe, to host his own radio show. And, in 1956, he was the first such to host his own television show! That it lasted barely over a year only attests to the fact that many others - possibly with even more famous hosts of a musical variety series in that period - had succumbed to the short-term attention span of the public.
Here is one of his songs as recorded on his show in 1957. The video is in black and white, as everything was at that time. It's not my favorite - the song, I mean, but it is a wonderful example of his soft voice effortlessly singing a tune that is a whole lot easier to play on an instrument ... ...
In 1991, Natalie Cole's live recording of the two of them singing "Unforgettable" - perhaps Nat's most famous song ever - brought his name and unique singing style back to the forefront, as well as it should have been all along!
I'll never forget the first time I heard and saw this. Talk about goose bumps! Their voices blend so beautifully.
This is the 5th and last in my series on African American musicians in honor of Black History Month. I have done my very best to try and pay them the recognition they so rightly deserve, and I hope that you have gained some enjoyment - perhaps even triggering some almost-forgotten memories - from this series.
*BTW, you all should know that Sam is now 'out of the closet' and decked out in his finest St. Patrick's Day regalia. Boy, does he ever look spiffy! He is ready to take on any and all comers!! "Who's Sam?" you might well ask. Go here for the original story.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wynton Marsalis
It's kind of difficult to know where exactly to begin or what to include in this post, the 4th in my series on African American musicians in honor of Black History Month.
The story of Wynton Marsalis is unfinished. He is six months and three days younger than my own daughter, and much of his life has yet to be experienced and then recorded for posterity. In spite of his youth, however (he's only 47!), he has garnered more awards, commendations, honorary degrees, and fame than most of us would ever even dream of achieving in a much longer lifetime!
[My daughter knew him from NOCCA - the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts - when they were both studying there in the late 70's. His biography in Wiki doesn't even mention NOCCA (interesting!). It says that he attended Benjamin Franklin High School. Well, he did (as did my daughter), but it would have been for a half day ... the other half was spent at NOCCA.
There's a really nice write-up about NOCCA here, if you'd like to learn more about this unique school. Ellis Marsalis, Wynton's dad, taught music theory there. I happened to run into Ellis on the riverfront some years later, when I was visiting for some reason - probably a bridge tournament. I'd heard about the many changes in that area, and wanted to walk along the water to see some of them for myself. Ellis was there. We immediately recognized each other, and spent the next several minutes talking about the 'good old days' as well as oohing and aahing about all the new additions and improvements to the downtown area.
Here's a great shot of Ellis (proud daddy) and Wynton ... ...
The two of them made more than one recording together. There are many such available on YouTube for your enjoyment.
Altho he is younger than my daughter, she remembered him as being older. Actually, the oldest son in the Marsalis family is Branford, a musician of no little accomplishment himself! My daughter remembers Branford as being a whole lot more "fun". She says that Wynton was extremely intense and totally focused on only one thing, his music. (I venture to say that's probably what it takes to have a meteoric rise such as the one he has enjoyed. Something has to "give".) One of the reasons she might have thought he was older than she was that he graduated from high school and then entered the Julliard School of Music in New York City when he was only 17 years old.]
Wynton has been recording since the early 80's. He has won many Grammy Awards, and was the first and only recipient of a Grammy in the same year for both jazz and classical compositions ... the 1st in 1983, and then again in 1984.
Long known for his outspokedness on the subject of jazz and his somewhat narrow views on jazz history, Wynton has been both praised and criticized for his publicly stated and published opinions. There is no one, however, who can quarrel with his contributions in bringing this genre back into the forefront of the public's mind over the past 25+ years.
The name Wynton Marsalis has become so intertwined with jazz that we sometimes forget some of his other interests and accomplishments. Before I continue with this discussion, I'd like to recommend that you follow this link, where you will be able to see, hear, and enjoy him performing the first movement of Joseph Haydn's "Trumpet Concerto in Eb".
What was most impressive to me while watching and listening to this live performance was the fact that Wynton memorized this! That is not required of soloists. In fact, often - if you are looking for it - you will see sheet music somewhere nearby.
Wynton has been commissioned to compose oratorios, in addition to music for dance (including ballet). In 1997, he received the Pulitzer Prize (denied to Duke Ellington some 32 years prior for a jazz composition) for his epic "Blood on the Fields", on the subject of slavery.
[When my daughter was living in Monterey, California in the late 80's, she happened to run across Wynton on Cannery Row one day. They hadn't seen each other in at least ten years, and both were surprised at the accidental meeting. After that initial surprise, the next many mutually-enjoyable minutes were spent sharing what had been happening with each during the interim.
It seems that Wynton was in Monterey with his group and they were planning to perform that evening at a small club - 100 seats or so - in town. Did she want to go? (He had tickets for her if she would like to do so.) Well, I guess! One of life's really neat and warmer fuzzies!!]
In more recent years, Wynton seems to have mellowed just a bit. In fact, just this past year he and Willie Nelson paired up in "Two Men with the Blues". I'm going to close this post with a YouTube presentation of the two of them in concert. Don't expect much in the way of special effects, visually (there aren't any!), but do listen. You're in for a real treat!
By the way, Stephen Thomas Erlewine provides a very nice introduction and background for this video here. I recommend that you read it. Now, the link I gave you gets you directly to the YouTube recording that you might have just watched. Wait until the video loads and the music starts all over again, then stop it if you wish, or listen again, your choice - it's worth listening to again - and scroll over to where you see "(more info)" under "2channeltv" ... click on (more info), and you'll get that really good information I was just telling you about.
The story of Wynton Marsalis is unfinished. He is six months and three days younger than my own daughter, and much of his life has yet to be experienced and then recorded for posterity. In spite of his youth, however (he's only 47!), he has garnered more awards, commendations, honorary degrees, and fame than most of us would ever even dream of achieving in a much longer lifetime!
[My daughter knew him from NOCCA - the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts - when they were both studying there in the late 70's. His biography in Wiki doesn't even mention NOCCA (interesting!). It says that he attended Benjamin Franklin High School. Well, he did (as did my daughter), but it would have been for a half day ... the other half was spent at NOCCA.
There's a really nice write-up about NOCCA here, if you'd like to learn more about this unique school. Ellis Marsalis, Wynton's dad, taught music theory there. I happened to run into Ellis on the riverfront some years later, when I was visiting for some reason - probably a bridge tournament. I'd heard about the many changes in that area, and wanted to walk along the water to see some of them for myself. Ellis was there. We immediately recognized each other, and spent the next several minutes talking about the 'good old days' as well as oohing and aahing about all the new additions and improvements to the downtown area.
Here's a great shot of Ellis (proud daddy) and Wynton ... ...
The two of them made more than one recording together. There are many such available on YouTube for your enjoyment.
Altho he is younger than my daughter, she remembered him as being older. Actually, the oldest son in the Marsalis family is Branford, a musician of no little accomplishment himself! My daughter remembers Branford as being a whole lot more "fun". She says that Wynton was extremely intense and totally focused on only one thing, his music. (I venture to say that's probably what it takes to have a meteoric rise such as the one he has enjoyed. Something has to "give".) One of the reasons she might have thought he was older than she was that he graduated from high school and then entered the Julliard School of Music in New York City when he was only 17 years old.]
Wynton has been recording since the early 80's. He has won many Grammy Awards, and was the first and only recipient of a Grammy in the same year for both jazz and classical compositions ... the 1st in 1983, and then again in 1984.
Long known for his outspokedness on the subject of jazz and his somewhat narrow views on jazz history, Wynton has been both praised and criticized for his publicly stated and published opinions. There is no one, however, who can quarrel with his contributions in bringing this genre back into the forefront of the public's mind over the past 25+ years.
The name Wynton Marsalis has become so intertwined with jazz that we sometimes forget some of his other interests and accomplishments. Before I continue with this discussion, I'd like to recommend that you follow this link, where you will be able to see, hear, and enjoy him performing the first movement of Joseph Haydn's "Trumpet Concerto in Eb".
What was most impressive to me while watching and listening to this live performance was the fact that Wynton memorized this! That is not required of soloists. In fact, often - if you are looking for it - you will see sheet music somewhere nearby.
Wynton has been commissioned to compose oratorios, in addition to music for dance (including ballet). In 1997, he received the Pulitzer Prize (denied to Duke Ellington some 32 years prior for a jazz composition) for his epic "Blood on the Fields", on the subject of slavery.
[When my daughter was living in Monterey, California in the late 80's, she happened to run across Wynton on Cannery Row one day. They hadn't seen each other in at least ten years, and both were surprised at the accidental meeting. After that initial surprise, the next many mutually-enjoyable minutes were spent sharing what had been happening with each during the interim.
It seems that Wynton was in Monterey with his group and they were planning to perform that evening at a small club - 100 seats or so - in town. Did she want to go? (He had tickets for her if she would like to do so.) Well, I guess! One of life's really neat and warmer fuzzies!!]
In more recent years, Wynton seems to have mellowed just a bit. In fact, just this past year he and Willie Nelson paired up in "Two Men with the Blues". I'm going to close this post with a YouTube presentation of the two of them in concert. Don't expect much in the way of special effects, visually (there aren't any!), but do listen. You're in for a real treat!
By the way, Stephen Thomas Erlewine provides a very nice introduction and background for this video here. I recommend that you read it. Now, the link I gave you gets you directly to the YouTube recording that you might have just watched. Wait until the video loads and the music starts all over again, then stop it if you wish, or listen again, your choice - it's worth listening to again - and scroll over to where you see "(more info)" under "2channeltv" ... click on (more info), and you'll get that really good information I was just telling you about.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Lee Hampton, born April 30, 1908, is the third in my series on African American musicians in honor of Black History Month.
When I saw him perform at The Blue Note* in Chicago in the late 50's, he was widely regarded as this country's premier vibraphonist**. He didn't start out playing the vibraphone, however. He started out on drums. When he was still in his teens and performing with Les Hite's band at Sebastian's Cotton Club in Culver City, CA, Hampton began experimenting with the vibraphone.
One article I read reported Hampton as saying that Sebastian got tired of this band after a few years, and brought in Louis Armstrong - who was living in the area at the time - to front for Les Hite. Hampton recalled Sebastian's introduction as, "The world's greatest trumpet player, Louis Armstrong, with the world's fastest drummer, Lionel Hampton."
It was while they were both performing at the Cotton Club that Armstrong, having heard Hampton practicing on the vibraphone, asked him if he would play vibes on two songs. And thus was launched his career as a vibraphonist.
Hampton continued to distinguish himself on the vibraphone, and in 1937 was invited by Benny Goodman - who had heard him perform in November just a few months prior - to join Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, and himself in what would become known as the Benny Goodman Quartet.
In the early 1930's, black and white musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In fact, segregation was enforced by Jim Crow laws in the southern states. Benny Goodman had broken with tradition in 1935 by inviting pianist Teddy Wilson to join him and Gene Krupa, forming the Benny Goodman Trio. Hampton later said, "As far as I'm concerned, what he did in those days - and they were hard days, in 1937 - made it possible for Negroes to have their chance in baseball and other fields."
The recipient of more than twenty-five honorary degrees and awards, Hampton also appeared as himself in ten films. One, A Song is Born (1948), was a musical remake of a 1941 film starring Gary Cooper. In the musical version, such legends as Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong were featured (along with many others). Here's a still photo from that movie ...
Wiki has an extensive writeup on Lionel Hampton, and you can peruse it as you wish here. As is usual with this series, I have consulted many different sources for background information, and I found some inconsistencies. Not a whole lot, but a few. Where what I have written differs from what you might find in Wiki is the result of my going with my best instincts as to the ultimate truth.
**It has occurred to me that you might not know what a vibraphone is. Here's a photo of one such ...
... and you can find a very nice writeup about the instrument here.
*The Blue Note, which closed in 1960, hosted many illustrious musicians, not the least of which was Duke Ellington, whose orchestra performed there seventeen times between 1947 and 1960. The last LP album recorded at The Blue Note was on April 30, 1960, with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. I had no idea at the time how lucky I was. None at all!
And finally - for your listening enjoyment - here is Lionel Hampton, much as I remember him performing Flying Home, one of his more famous compositions. Hope you like it!
When I saw him perform at The Blue Note* in Chicago in the late 50's, he was widely regarded as this country's premier vibraphonist**. He didn't start out playing the vibraphone, however. He started out on drums. When he was still in his teens and performing with Les Hite's band at Sebastian's Cotton Club in Culver City, CA, Hampton began experimenting with the vibraphone.
One article I read reported Hampton as saying that Sebastian got tired of this band after a few years, and brought in Louis Armstrong - who was living in the area at the time - to front for Les Hite. Hampton recalled Sebastian's introduction as, "The world's greatest trumpet player, Louis Armstrong, with the world's fastest drummer, Lionel Hampton."
It was while they were both performing at the Cotton Club that Armstrong, having heard Hampton practicing on the vibraphone, asked him if he would play vibes on two songs. And thus was launched his career as a vibraphonist.
Hampton continued to distinguish himself on the vibraphone, and in 1937 was invited by Benny Goodman - who had heard him perform in November just a few months prior - to join Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, and himself in what would become known as the Benny Goodman Quartet.
In the early 1930's, black and white musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In fact, segregation was enforced by Jim Crow laws in the southern states. Benny Goodman had broken with tradition in 1935 by inviting pianist Teddy Wilson to join him and Gene Krupa, forming the Benny Goodman Trio. Hampton later said, "As far as I'm concerned, what he did in those days - and they were hard days, in 1937 - made it possible for Negroes to have their chance in baseball and other fields."
The recipient of more than twenty-five honorary degrees and awards, Hampton also appeared as himself in ten films. One, A Song is Born (1948), was a musical remake of a 1941 film starring Gary Cooper. In the musical version, such legends as Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong were featured (along with many others). Here's a still photo from that movie ...
Wiki has an extensive writeup on Lionel Hampton, and you can peruse it as you wish here. As is usual with this series, I have consulted many different sources for background information, and I found some inconsistencies. Not a whole lot, but a few. Where what I have written differs from what you might find in Wiki is the result of my going with my best instincts as to the ultimate truth.
**It has occurred to me that you might not know what a vibraphone is. Here's a photo of one such ...
... and you can find a very nice writeup about the instrument here.
*The Blue Note, which closed in 1960, hosted many illustrious musicians, not the least of which was Duke Ellington, whose orchestra performed there seventeen times between 1947 and 1960. The last LP album recorded at The Blue Note was on April 30, 1960, with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. I had no idea at the time how lucky I was. None at all!
And finally - for your listening enjoyment - here is Lionel Hampton, much as I remember him performing Flying Home, one of his more famous compositions. Hope you like it!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
William Warfield
The second in my series on African American musicians in honor of Black History Month, William Caesar Warfield - altho I never heard his middle name uttered or even referred to, is one about whom I have personal knowledge.
The year was 1958. I was studying music at Northern Michigan University when Mr. Warfield appeared in concert. His rich bass-baritone voice just filled the concert hall, and afterwards all of us music majors were invited to go backstage and meet him at a private reception.
I was most familiar with his magnificent rendering of "Ol' Man River" in the 1951 movie version of "Show Boat", and was a little disappointed to see that it was not listed in the program. [Do I still have the program? No, I do not. If I'd realized that, 50-some years later, I'd be writing about him in my blog, I would have kept it!] And so, I do not remember whatall he actually sang. Certainly there would have been a German lieder or two.
He was fluent in German. As a matter of fact, he served as an Army Intelligence Officer during World War II. In his autobiography he wrote, "There has never been a time like Dec. 7, 1941, in the history of our country -- there certainly has never been anything like it since.* In the space of an hour on that Sunday afternoon, an entire nation of millions of Americans were united in a single purpose. And it was a unity of purpose that was sustained over the next three and a half years. Families were broken up, educations were interrupted, hundreds of thousands of people left home, many of them never to return. But somehow the personal problems all merged into a larger mission, with a feeling for God, flag, and country that is probably beyond the ken of people who weren't there. If it can't be comprehended emotionally, it can't be comprehended at all."
[*William Warfield died in 2002. His autobiography was written before that, obviously, and I don't know what remarks, references, or changes he might have made in regard to September 11th. What's most important to note here is his very last sentence, "If it can't be comprehended emotionally .. .."
He was a man of deep emotions. He often cried while rehearsing a song, found the level of emotion he could show during the performance without 'tearing up' himself, and then would go on to give a concert that had - at the end - at least half the audience reaching for additional handkerchiefs.]
He was equally at home with both the German lieder and the Negro spiritual, and was still performing until just before his last hospitalization. "When I reached 60 and was professor of music at the University of Illinois," he said in a personal interview, "I sort of half-retired from singing, thinking maybe the time had come for me to give it up completely and just do masterclasses. One night, lying in bed, something came over me that I still can't quite describe. I guess it must have been a message from God. What I heard was this, 'I gave you that voice. I'll tell you when to quit.' I thought I'd better listen. And you know something? Singing still continues to fill my life with joy. If it didn't, I wouldn't be doing it."
There's a lot of information (Isn't that nice?) that you can 'google' for yourself on him. His ability to project his feelings onto readings of both poetry and prose made him a highly soft-after guest and featured speaker.
In 1984, he won a Grammy Award in the 'Best Spoken Word or Non-musical category' for his narration of Copland: A Lincoln Portrait. Interestingly enough, Carl Sandburg had won a Grammy Award just a quarter century prior (Best Performance - Documentary or Spoken Word, other than comedy) for his reading of A Lincoln Portrait.
But I have digressed to the point of boring you all silly, I'm sure. Let's get back to when I actually met Mr. Warfield. As I said, his concert was wonderful - not what I expected, but still! - and none of us could wait to get backstage to meet him in person.
Our backstage in person meetings had to be delayed, however, because the audience simply would not let him go without several encores, the very last of which was "Ol' Man River". I'm getting goose bumps even now just thinking about that encore!
So, how was he? What was he like? I had always pictured in my mind a very large man. Would almost have to be, with such a huge voice, right? Wrong. I mean, he wasn't small but not enormous, either! About my height, probably. Very dark. Personable. Friendly, even.
[I wish I could tell you that you were soon to be treated to his singing "Ol' Man River" with scenes from the movie "Show Boat" showing in the background, but that video has since been removed from YouTube. I saved it, too, but it's gone. I'm sorry.]
However, I do have a couple of "goodies" for you. This first one is from a trailer of the 1951 movie. Pay attention to both the audio and video here. You will actually see William Warfield singing this song from the movie.
Warfield enjoyed telling the story of how his singing of "Ol' Man River" in MGM's 1951 "Show Boat" brought tears to the eyes of movie mogul Louis B. Mayer. With the cameras rolling, Warfield delivered a perfect rendition in an unheard of single take. When he had finished, he didn't know what all the screaming was about.
"Everyone was so excited," Warfield said, "they called Mayer from his office to come listen to the recording." Afterward Mayer began weeping and repeatedly said, "I can't believe it. I can't believe it." "Later," Warfield continued, "someone told me that when Mayer burst into tears it wasn't because of how well I had sung the song, but because of all the money I had saved him. I don't think that was true at all, but it was a good line."
Now, this last video that I'm going to share with you does not picture William Warfield singing "Old Man River." It shows Paul Robeson. However, it is William Warfield's voice. Just close your eyes, listen, and be transported - as I was.
Thank you, Trojanman21c, for putting this out there for all of us to enjoy!
The year was 1958. I was studying music at Northern Michigan University when Mr. Warfield appeared in concert. His rich bass-baritone voice just filled the concert hall, and afterwards all of us music majors were invited to go backstage and meet him at a private reception.
I was most familiar with his magnificent rendering of "Ol' Man River" in the 1951 movie version of "Show Boat", and was a little disappointed to see that it was not listed in the program. [Do I still have the program? No, I do not. If I'd realized that, 50-some years later, I'd be writing about him in my blog, I would have kept it!] And so, I do not remember whatall he actually sang. Certainly there would have been a German lieder or two.
He was fluent in German. As a matter of fact, he served as an Army Intelligence Officer during World War II. In his autobiography he wrote, "There has never been a time like Dec. 7, 1941, in the history of our country -- there certainly has never been anything like it since.* In the space of an hour on that Sunday afternoon, an entire nation of millions of Americans were united in a single purpose. And it was a unity of purpose that was sustained over the next three and a half years. Families were broken up, educations were interrupted, hundreds of thousands of people left home, many of them never to return. But somehow the personal problems all merged into a larger mission, with a feeling for God, flag, and country that is probably beyond the ken of people who weren't there. If it can't be comprehended emotionally, it can't be comprehended at all."
[*William Warfield died in 2002. His autobiography was written before that, obviously, and I don't know what remarks, references, or changes he might have made in regard to September 11th. What's most important to note here is his very last sentence, "If it can't be comprehended emotionally .. .."
He was a man of deep emotions. He often cried while rehearsing a song, found the level of emotion he could show during the performance without 'tearing up' himself, and then would go on to give a concert that had - at the end - at least half the audience reaching for additional handkerchiefs.]
He was equally at home with both the German lieder and the Negro spiritual, and was still performing until just before his last hospitalization. "When I reached 60 and was professor of music at the University of Illinois," he said in a personal interview, "I sort of half-retired from singing, thinking maybe the time had come for me to give it up completely and just do masterclasses. One night, lying in bed, something came over me that I still can't quite describe. I guess it must have been a message from God. What I heard was this, 'I gave you that voice. I'll tell you when to quit.' I thought I'd better listen. And you know something? Singing still continues to fill my life with joy. If it didn't, I wouldn't be doing it."
There's a lot of information (Isn't that nice?) that you can 'google' for yourself on him. His ability to project his feelings onto readings of both poetry and prose made him a highly soft-after guest and featured speaker.
In 1984, he won a Grammy Award in the 'Best Spoken Word or Non-musical category' for his narration of Copland: A Lincoln Portrait. Interestingly enough, Carl Sandburg had won a Grammy Award just a quarter century prior (Best Performance - Documentary or Spoken Word, other than comedy) for his reading of A Lincoln Portrait.
But I have digressed to the point of boring you all silly, I'm sure. Let's get back to when I actually met Mr. Warfield. As I said, his concert was wonderful - not what I expected, but still! - and none of us could wait to get backstage to meet him in person.
Our backstage in person meetings had to be delayed, however, because the audience simply would not let him go without several encores, the very last of which was "Ol' Man River". I'm getting goose bumps even now just thinking about that encore!
So, how was he? What was he like? I had always pictured in my mind a very large man. Would almost have to be, with such a huge voice, right? Wrong. I mean, he wasn't small but not enormous, either! About my height, probably. Very dark. Personable. Friendly, even.
[I wish I could tell you that you were soon to be treated to his singing "Ol' Man River" with scenes from the movie "Show Boat" showing in the background, but that video has since been removed from YouTube. I saved it, too, but it's gone. I'm sorry.]
However, I do have a couple of "goodies" for you. This first one is from a trailer of the 1951 movie. Pay attention to both the audio and video here. You will actually see William Warfield singing this song from the movie.
Warfield enjoyed telling the story of how his singing of "Ol' Man River" in MGM's 1951 "Show Boat" brought tears to the eyes of movie mogul Louis B. Mayer. With the cameras rolling, Warfield delivered a perfect rendition in an unheard of single take. When he had finished, he didn't know what all the screaming was about.
"Everyone was so excited," Warfield said, "they called Mayer from his office to come listen to the recording." Afterward Mayer began weeping and repeatedly said, "I can't believe it. I can't believe it." "Later," Warfield continued, "someone told me that when Mayer burst into tears it wasn't because of how well I had sung the song, but because of all the money I had saved him. I don't think that was true at all, but it was a good line."
Now, this last video that I'm going to share with you does not picture William Warfield singing "Old Man River." It shows Paul Robeson. However, it is William Warfield's voice. Just close your eyes, listen, and be transported - as I was.
Thank you, Trojanman21c, for putting this out there for all of us to enjoy!
Friday, February 6, 2009
George Theophilus Walker
On the evening of January 20th this year, I was listening to PBS while sitting in the parking lot of the Presbyterian Church waiting for one of my regular customers to come out from her board meeting.
I sat, enthralled, as I listened to composition after composition either performed or written by black musicians, some of which I'd never heard. I took a couple of notes, but mainly I just listened and enjoyed.
In honor of Black History Month, I thought it would be appropriate to share a few with you.
This first name, George Theophilus Walker, was a complete stranger to me, so don't be a bit surprised if you are in the same boat. Born in 1922, he has had a long and distinguished career as a concert pianist, a composer, and teacher. He earned a doctorate in music, and has had several honorary degrees conferred upon him since by other educational institutions.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra commissioned Dr. Walker to compose a piece around Walt Whitman's When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in music in 1996, the first African American to do so.
What is most amazing to me is that I was unable to find - after several hours of searching - a recording of this to share with you. Altho this was the second musical composition commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to win the Pulitzer - the first one performed again in several encore presentations and a recording made, the only logical explanation I can personally accept for the lack of promotion for "Lilacs" is that today's marketplace does not support contemporary classical music.
Mike Wallace, I believe it was, conducted what must have been (certainly sounded like!) an obligatory and somewhat distasteful interview following the Pulitzer announcement. I'd share it with you, but it upsets me. Many interruptions, sometimes mid-word. Disgraceful! The only reason I'm even talking about it now is that it did provide a little background and insight into some of Dr. Walker's thought processes while composing the piece.
Another blogger friend of mine, Steve, intends to do a post on Abraham Lincoln a bit later this month. I'll link it for you when he publishes. This should tie in quite nicely with his, I would think.
The best link I could find to read more about Dr. Walker is this one. There were many citations in Wiki and other locations where I tried to dig a little deeper, but most that I tried to follow were either deadends or of little consequence.
I'm feeling more than a little frustrated and inadequate with this post, but am going to hit "Publish" before another minute goes by.
I sat, enthralled, as I listened to composition after composition either performed or written by black musicians, some of which I'd never heard. I took a couple of notes, but mainly I just listened and enjoyed.
In honor of Black History Month, I thought it would be appropriate to share a few with you.
This first name, George Theophilus Walker, was a complete stranger to me, so don't be a bit surprised if you are in the same boat. Born in 1922, he has had a long and distinguished career as a concert pianist, a composer, and teacher. He earned a doctorate in music, and has had several honorary degrees conferred upon him since by other educational institutions.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra commissioned Dr. Walker to compose a piece around Walt Whitman's When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in music in 1996, the first African American to do so.
What is most amazing to me is that I was unable to find - after several hours of searching - a recording of this to share with you. Altho this was the second musical composition commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to win the Pulitzer - the first one performed again in several encore presentations and a recording made, the only logical explanation I can personally accept for the lack of promotion for "Lilacs" is that today's marketplace does not support contemporary classical music.
Mike Wallace, I believe it was, conducted what must have been (certainly sounded like!) an obligatory and somewhat distasteful interview following the Pulitzer announcement. I'd share it with you, but it upsets me. Many interruptions, sometimes mid-word. Disgraceful! The only reason I'm even talking about it now is that it did provide a little background and insight into some of Dr. Walker's thought processes while composing the piece.
Another blogger friend of mine, Steve, intends to do a post on Abraham Lincoln a bit later this month. I'll link it for you when he publishes. This should tie in quite nicely with his, I would think.
The best link I could find to read more about Dr. Walker is this one. There were many citations in Wiki and other locations where I tried to dig a little deeper, but most that I tried to follow were either deadends or of little consequence.
I'm feeling more than a little frustrated and inadequate with this post, but am going to hit "Publish" before another minute goes by.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Favorite Christmas music ... #8 ...
I began this very special series with Mannheim Steamroller, and I'll end it with the group playing a song that I heard for the first time less than two weeks ago. I just love it, and I'm pretty sure it will remain one of my favorites for many many years. Perhaps it will become one of yours, as well.
Here is Mannheim Steamroller's "Up Above the Northern Lights" ...
I hope that all of you have had a most blessed Christmas filled with love, hope, and warmth.
Here is Mannheim Steamroller's "Up Above the Northern Lights" ...
I hope that all of you have had a most blessed Christmas filled with love, hope, and warmth.
Favorite Christmas music ... #7 ...
"Go Tell It On the Mountain" is one of my favorite songs. When I found this rendition on YouTube, it sounded so joyous, happy, and light I knew that I just had to use it.
Favorite Christmas music ... #6 ...
It's difficult to think of gospel music without the name Mahalia Jackson coming immediately to mind, and this rendition of her singing "What Child is This?" is just wonderful.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Favorite Christmas music ... #5 ...
This is not one of my all-time favorites. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard it before -- at least not that I can remember. I'm including it in this special series because of the unique combination of video and audio as put together by a second year medical student and posted on YouTube just 26 days ago. I think it's quite lovely.
The video is an LDS short clip from the movie "The Nativity" and the music is from Amy Grant.
The video is an LDS short clip from the movie "The Nativity" and the music is from Amy Grant.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday scatterings
Favorite Christmas music ...
I spent most of what idle time I had yesterday going through my previous notes on whatall I wanted to include in this series and listening to song after song on YouTube.
Originally, I thought that I would post Gene Autry's rendition of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" on Christmas Eve. It's far and away my favorite version of that tune. In fact, I had already selected the exact video recording that I would publish.
But then, as I kept listening and watching, I decided to go a very different direction - one I thought more in keeping with the meaning of Christmas, and Rudolph just didn't fit into the mix. (Sorry, Rudolph!) And so, beginning at 8pm CST on the 24th - the scheduled publish time - you will be able to view my final choice.
Then, continuing from there on through Christmas Day, I have three more scheduled ... one at 6am, another at noon, and the third at 6pm. Eight in this series altogether. There were so many from which to choose! I had a really hard time pinning myself down.
Sunday morning ...
Does the name Kristin Chenoweth ring a bell? There was a segment featuring her this morning on Charles Osgood's show. While I was watching I thought, "Geez, she looks familiar. Isn't she one of the regulars on 'Pushing Daisies'?" (That's a show I watch with some frequency and yes, she is.) She has a really interesting life story. I wasn't more than 1% aware of her background until I watched his show today. Fascinating!
As usual, he had all sorts of good 'stuff' to share, including an extensive interview with Dustin Hoffman, who's been one of my favorite actors for many a moon. I thought we were about the same age and we are, except I've got him beat by a little over a month and a half. Now, that interview was fun! He has a wonderful sense of humor.
He talked about how he flunked out of Santa Monica College during his first year there, but yet they called upon him a few years ago to ask if he could help with their fund-raising efforts for some sort of center for theatrical studies on campus. They told him his name was the only one of note that they could find in the phone book. He said, "But I didn't graduate from there." They said they didn't care. Would he help? He said that he would.
When the building was near completion and names for it were being considered, he nixed the suggestion that his name be put on the building. However, his name appears on one of the rooms inside the building - that of the backstage restroom - and Dustin proudly showed off that little area on this morning's program. Rrvit! Don't you just love it?
He said that he had always wanted to be a jazz pianist. Did you know that? I didn't. When he was in his 20's, he composed the musical score for "Shoot the Breeze". Bette Midler added lyrics years later, and part of the feature this morning showed Dustin playing the piano while Sting sang the lyrics.
He is such a talented actor! I was reminded of some of my favorites of his. Three stand out in my mind ... "Tootsie", "Midnight Cowboy", and "Rainman". I know, I know, there were many others, but those are my favorites!
I will probably come back another time and do a separate post on something he said about divorce and ending relationships. Don't look for it until after the holidays, although I could surprise myself and tackle it before then. It will be very introspective.
I recommend ...
Steven is having a good time right now posting things he began planning for a few weeks ago, and I'd like to recommend a couple ... ...
... A three-part series on Truman Capote's short story, "A Christmas Memory" -- part one published Friday, part two yesterday, and (I'm assuming) part three will be later today.
... In addition, he has re-visited Mr. Bean. Remember this bumbling fool? Earlier today he began showing "Merry Christmas Mr. Bean". Don't know how many parts there will be to this one. Make sure you're sitting down while you're watching these, OK?
Weather ...
I'm not talking about Houston's weather, although we have dropped 30+ degrees within the past 24 hours. If I tell you that the current temperature is in the 40's, will that give you an idea of why I wasn't mentioning our weather recently?
No, I'm talking about Boston's weather. My son-in-law flew there Thursday to attend the annual Christmas/holiday festivities/family reunion. He arrived there OK, but the weather precluded him from getting to his final destination.
I don't know if he has been stuck at the airport since then, in a nearby hotel, or what! He hasn't been able to see his father, who's in his mid-90's, and is more than ready to come back home today except all of the flights have been cancelled!!
I seem to recall a very similar thing happening last year at this time, except that - somehow, on that occasion, he at least was able to see his Boston family and then finagle (perhaps even through devious means, who knows?) his way back here.
How awful! Absolutely dreadful news!!
Well, that's it for today. Talk atcha later!
PS. Either I'm not listening at all attentively or I am terribly uninformed. It's one or the other. Whatever the reason, I have to add an amendment to this post. My daughter told me - just within the past half hour or so (it's now going on 2pm) - that her husband did indeed arrive at his father's home, but that they were unable to attend the festivities on Saturday (nor were many other family members!) due to a snowstorm that is continuing as I write this addendum. The very earliest that he can possibly be back here in 'God's country' is tomorrow. He had to upgrade to a 1st class ticket for Tuesday, and will be spending all of tomorrow on 'standby' at Logan Airport. At least that's what my daughter told me. Yuk! Double yuk!!
PPS. It's now going on 3pm. Just spoke on the phone with my son-in-law and wished him a merry ho-ho just in case he didn't get back before then. He didn't sound all that concerned, actually, tho I'm sure he is! He sounded nice and warm, and wasn't at all sure that he would be spending tomorrow at the airport. Thought he might just stay with his dad and spend all day watching television. Rrvit!
I spent most of what idle time I had yesterday going through my previous notes on whatall I wanted to include in this series and listening to song after song on YouTube.
Originally, I thought that I would post Gene Autry's rendition of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" on Christmas Eve. It's far and away my favorite version of that tune. In fact, I had already selected the exact video recording that I would publish.
But then, as I kept listening and watching, I decided to go a very different direction - one I thought more in keeping with the meaning of Christmas, and Rudolph just didn't fit into the mix. (Sorry, Rudolph!) And so, beginning at 8pm CST on the 24th - the scheduled publish time - you will be able to view my final choice.
Then, continuing from there on through Christmas Day, I have three more scheduled ... one at 6am, another at noon, and the third at 6pm. Eight in this series altogether. There were so many from which to choose! I had a really hard time pinning myself down.
Sunday morning ...
Does the name Kristin Chenoweth ring a bell? There was a segment featuring her this morning on Charles Osgood's show. While I was watching I thought, "Geez, she looks familiar. Isn't she one of the regulars on 'Pushing Daisies'?" (That's a show I watch with some frequency and yes, she is.) She has a really interesting life story. I wasn't more than 1% aware of her background until I watched his show today. Fascinating!
As usual, he had all sorts of good 'stuff' to share, including an extensive interview with Dustin Hoffman, who's been one of my favorite actors for many a moon. I thought we were about the same age and we are, except I've got him beat by a little over a month and a half. Now, that interview was fun! He has a wonderful sense of humor.
He talked about how he flunked out of Santa Monica College during his first year there, but yet they called upon him a few years ago to ask if he could help with their fund-raising efforts for some sort of center for theatrical studies on campus. They told him his name was the only one of note that they could find in the phone book. He said, "But I didn't graduate from there." They said they didn't care. Would he help? He said that he would.
When the building was near completion and names for it were being considered, he nixed the suggestion that his name be put on the building. However, his name appears on one of the rooms inside the building - that of the backstage restroom - and Dustin proudly showed off that little area on this morning's program. Rrvit! Don't you just love it?
He said that he had always wanted to be a jazz pianist. Did you know that? I didn't. When he was in his 20's, he composed the musical score for "Shoot the Breeze". Bette Midler added lyrics years later, and part of the feature this morning showed Dustin playing the piano while Sting sang the lyrics.
He is such a talented actor! I was reminded of some of my favorites of his. Three stand out in my mind ... "Tootsie", "Midnight Cowboy", and "Rainman". I know, I know, there were many others, but those are my favorites!
I will probably come back another time and do a separate post on something he said about divorce and ending relationships. Don't look for it until after the holidays, although I could surprise myself and tackle it before then. It will be very introspective.
I recommend ...
Steven is having a good time right now posting things he began planning for a few weeks ago, and I'd like to recommend a couple ... ...
... A three-part series on Truman Capote's short story, "A Christmas Memory" -- part one published Friday, part two yesterday, and (I'm assuming) part three will be later today.
... In addition, he has re-visited Mr. Bean. Remember this bumbling fool? Earlier today he began showing "Merry Christmas Mr. Bean". Don't know how many parts there will be to this one. Make sure you're sitting down while you're watching these, OK?
Weather ...
I'm not talking about Houston's weather, although we have dropped 30+ degrees within the past 24 hours. If I tell you that the current temperature is in the 40's, will that give you an idea of why I wasn't mentioning our weather recently?
No, I'm talking about Boston's weather. My son-in-law flew there Thursday to attend the annual Christmas/holiday festivities/family reunion. He arrived there OK, but the weather precluded him from getting to his final destination.
I don't know if he has been stuck at the airport since then, in a nearby hotel, or what! He hasn't been able to see his father, who's in his mid-90's, and is more than ready to come back home today except all of the flights have been cancelled!!
I seem to recall a very similar thing happening last year at this time, except that - somehow, on that occasion, he at least was able to see his Boston family and then finagle (perhaps even through devious means, who knows?) his way back here.
How awful! Absolutely dreadful news!!
Well, that's it for today. Talk atcha later!
PS. Either I'm not listening at all attentively or I am terribly uninformed. It's one or the other. Whatever the reason, I have to add an amendment to this post. My daughter told me - just within the past half hour or so (it's now going on 2pm) - that her husband did indeed arrive at his father's home, but that they were unable to attend the festivities on Saturday (nor were many other family members!) due to a snowstorm that is continuing as I write this addendum. The very earliest that he can possibly be back here in 'God's country' is tomorrow. He had to upgrade to a 1st class ticket for Tuesday, and will be spending all of tomorrow on 'standby' at Logan Airport. At least that's what my daughter told me. Yuk! Double yuk!!
PPS. It's now going on 3pm. Just spoke on the phone with my son-in-law and wished him a merry ho-ho just in case he didn't get back before then. He didn't sound all that concerned, actually, tho I'm sure he is! He sounded nice and warm, and wasn't at all sure that he would be spending tomorrow at the airport. Thought he might just stay with his dad and spend all day watching television. Rrvit!
Favorite Christmas music ... #4 ...
One of my contemporaries - Johnny Mathis - is still performing, altho he now limits his public appearances to 50 or 60 concerts a year. That's still a bunch!
I cannot imagine "Silver Bells" sung more beautifully than by Johnny Mathis. The crystal clear clarity of his velvety voice can be easily heard in this clip.
Wiki has an extensive writeup about him if you'd like to read more, including some little tidbits that I didn't know about, such as his prowess in sports and his operatic training.
I cannot imagine "Silver Bells" sung more beautifully than by Johnny Mathis. The crystal clear clarity of his velvety voice can be easily heard in this clip.
Wiki has an extensive writeup about him if you'd like to read more, including some little tidbits that I didn't know about, such as his prowess in sports and his operatic training.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Favorite Christmas music ... #3 ...
"O Holy Night", I believe, is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I went in search of a recording that lifted my heart up and gave me chills. I found one.
Here, for your enjoyment and to help provide some inspiration, perhaps, is David Phelps ...
Here, for your enjoyment and to help provide some inspiration, perhaps, is David Phelps ...
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Odetta and Elvis
Probably seems like an odd combination, but these two names have been on my mind a lot recently.
Odetta, as you know, passed away last week at the age of 77 from heart failure. I happened to catch a recorded performance, which aired on PBS a month or so ago, from her 2008 tour. She was moving very slowly and had to be assisted up the stairs by her accompanist, but there was nothing weak about her voice. What a commanding presence she had!
My favorite of hers is probably "House of the Rising Sun." Pay attention, while you're listening, to how she maintains pitch while singing a cappella in the middle of this beautiful rendition of the piece.
Our local PBS station is in the middle of another fund-raising drive, and one can always look forward to special performance treats as they try to solicit much needed monies to stay on the air with all their wonderful and diverse programming.
A couple of nights ago the feature was the 25th anniversary live concert with large screen images of Elvis singing - reminded me of Natalie Cole singing "with" her father (remember that album?).
[I waited table on Elvis and two of his friends once - way back in the dark ages, early 50's. I can remember thinking how 'greasy-looking' their hair was. Lots and lots of goop had to be applied so their hair would stay 'just so'. Any of you old enough to remember that era? And sideburns. Remember those? My goodness, my goodness!]
This video was one of many included that evening, but it is not from the 25th anniversary concert. Rather, it is as he sang it on one of his concert tours. Here it is, "An American Trilogy".
Elvis was another with perfect pitch. A very talented man. Flashy? Yes, but just listen - again and again, if you wish - and enjoy.
Odetta, as you know, passed away last week at the age of 77 from heart failure. I happened to catch a recorded performance, which aired on PBS a month or so ago, from her 2008 tour. She was moving very slowly and had to be assisted up the stairs by her accompanist, but there was nothing weak about her voice. What a commanding presence she had!
My favorite of hers is probably "House of the Rising Sun." Pay attention, while you're listening, to how she maintains pitch while singing a cappella in the middle of this beautiful rendition of the piece.
Our local PBS station is in the middle of another fund-raising drive, and one can always look forward to special performance treats as they try to solicit much needed monies to stay on the air with all their wonderful and diverse programming.
A couple of nights ago the feature was the 25th anniversary live concert with large screen images of Elvis singing - reminded me of Natalie Cole singing "with" her father (remember that album?).
[I waited table on Elvis and two of his friends once - way back in the dark ages, early 50's. I can remember thinking how 'greasy-looking' their hair was. Lots and lots of goop had to be applied so their hair would stay 'just so'. Any of you old enough to remember that era? And sideburns. Remember those? My goodness, my goodness!]
This video was one of many included that evening, but it is not from the 25th anniversary concert. Rather, it is as he sang it on one of his concert tours. Here it is, "An American Trilogy".
Elvis was another with perfect pitch. A very talented man. Flashy? Yes, but just listen - again and again, if you wish - and enjoy.
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