Tune Tuesday

I played trumpet in high school. I played it off and on after high school, but I probably couldn’t play more than 5-10 minutes now. That being said, I do love to listen to the professionals who have mastered the instrument. I love listening to Maynard Ferguson, Clark Terry, Harry James, and Doc Severinsen.

The members of the Tonight Show Band were really something. They were TIGHT! I am always amazed to hear that band and how they really cook. One of the other trumpet players I love was a member of the Tonight Show Band – Eugene “Snooky” Young.

Snooky was born on this day in 1919. Not only could he play, but he was a master of the “plunger mute” (It’s exactly what you are picturing.) with which he was able to create a wide range of sounds. Sometimes folks will call it a “whah whah” mute because that’s sort of the sound you can produce with it.

Snooky played with greats like Count Basie and Lionel Hampton. He recorded three solo albums from 1971 to 1979.

He also performed on albums with Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin, The Mills Brothers, George Benson, Tony Bennett, The Band, Steely Dan, BB King, Neil Diamond, and Tracy Chapman.

In the late ’80’s, Doc and the Tonight Show Band went into the studio to record two albums. They are a must for folks who love a swingin’ big band. Snooky plays a solo on almost every cut on the album. One of my favorite cuts is their version of Lionel Hampton’s Flying Home. The saxophones are locked in and sound so good together. Listen for Doc (unmuted) and Snooky (Plunger muted) solos that are simply amazing.

First, the album cut –

The band live on the show (with an intro from Johnny Carson)

Here’s a fun clip of Snooky singing and playing.

Snooky passed away at the ripe age of 92 in May of 2011.

Happy Birthday, Snooky!

Movie Music Monday – Groundhog Day

I’m sure that it is pure coincidence, but you know I had to take advantage of the fact that Movie Music Monday falls on Groundhog Day. I bet you I don’t even have to tell you what song is featured today, because it has kind of become a Groundhog Day tradition.

I don’t know very many people who have not seen Groundhog Day. If you are not familiar with it, Bill Murray is in Pennsylvania for the annual Groundhog Day festivities. Murray’s character is awakened to “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher every morning at precisely 6:00 a.m. on the alarm clock in his hotel room. He relives the day over and over again. The movie grew a cult of fans that watched it every February 2, giving it a foothold in the popular culture

From Songfacts:

Sonny Bono was an up-and-coming record producer when he got Cher a job with Phil Spector as a session singer. They started dating and moved in to their manager’s house, where Bono would write songs on a piano in the garage. He came up with “I Got You Babe” and wrote the lyrics on a piece of cardboard.

Cher didn’t like it at first. She recalled to Billboard magazine: “Sonny woke me up in the middle of the night to come in where the piano was, in the living room, and sing it. And I didn’t like it and just said, ‘OK, I’ll sing it and then I’m going back to bed.'”

Sonny changed the key in the bridge to fit her voice and she loved it.

Fun Fact: Bob Dylan’s use of the word “Babe” in his 1964 song ” It Ain’t Me Babe” gave Sonny Bono the idea to use it in this song.

They last performed this together in 1987 on David Letterman’s show. They didn’t expect to sing, but Dave kept encouraging them until they did the song. Sonny and Cher put their differences aside and gave a touching performance. That was the last time they performed it together live, however, when Cher started her Las Vegas residency in 2017, she began performing this song as a virtual duet to a projection of Sonny.

1987 on Letterman

A Brand New Month

Happy February!

I’m not feeling too creative today. It’s been a very long week/month. As we turn the page on a new month, I thought I’d share some things to celebrate this month:

February is National Heart Month.

“Anyone can be at risk for heart disease. More and more, our sedentary lifestyles are putting us at risk at a younger age. Obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking all increase our risk factors. Get moving. Remove stress. Quit smoking. Eat healthier.

Even small changes help make a difference. Reduce the amount of fast food. Eat more greens. Take the stairs. Walk the kids to school. Go outside and play with the kids or walk the dog.”

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month

“Each year throughout National Children’s Dental Health Month in February, the American Dental Association promotes a different campaign targeting a new dental health goal.

National Children’s Dental Health Month brings together dental health professionals, caregivers, parents, and teachers to give children the best start on oral health. From brushing and flossing to healthy snacks and routine dental visits, the month also includes Give Kids A Smile Day on February 6th.”

February is National Black History Month

“National Black History Month, also known as National African American History Month, during February is a time for all Americans to celebrate the achievements of African Americans. In addition, the month recognizes the central role of Black Americans in history. February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and noted civil rights advocate Frederick Douglass.”

February is National Library Lover’s Month

“National Library Lover’s Month in February is dedicated to the people who love whole buildings devoted to reading, housing, organizing, categorizing, finding, studying, and otherwise loving books. If you don’t have a library card, it’s never too late! Visit your library to get one!”

I am so grateful for our public library. Not only can I get physical books, their apps allow me to get audio books to listen to.

February is National Grapefruit Month

“These citrus fruits range from white to red and sweet to tart but add a brightness to the tongue that will make anyone perk up. And, grapefruits are extremely healthy for you. High in vitamins C and A, grapefruits also pack in potassium.  They contain no cholesterol or sodium and only 52 calories per serving. This month, celebrate by eating all the grapefruit you want and enjoy this tart snack guilt-free!”

I wonder if a Grapefruit Shanty would be ok in this situation?

Source: National Day Calendar

Book Recommendation – Stoogeology

As a Three Stooges fan, I have pretty much read every book about them. I have read Moe’s autobiography, Curly’s biography written by his niece, Larry’s biography written by Steve Cox, both of the Shemp biographies, and just about every other “compilation.” This book has popped up on my Amazon “You Might Like” list for some time. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a book full of essays, but Stoogeology was actually a very good read.

Before I offer my thoughts, here is the short Goodreads synopsis:

In the world of slapstick comedy, few are more beloved than the Three Stooges. Throughout their 190 short films, they consistently delivered physical, verbal and situational comedy in new and creative ways. Following the trio from outer space to ancient Rome, this volume provides an in-depth look at their comedy and its impact on twentieth century art, culture and thought. This analysis reveals new insights into the language, literary structure, politics, race, gender, ethnicity and even psychology of the classic shorts. It discusses the elements of surrealism within the Stooges films, exploring the many ways in which they created their own reality regardless of time and space. The portrayal of women and minorities and the role of the mistake in Stooges’ works are also addressed.

What did I learn from this book? There was a lot more to the Stooges comedies than I imagined. I knew that the were all Jewish, of course, but I didn’t realize how much of their Jewish/Yiddish vocabulary was slipped into their shorts. The look at the surrealism was very interesting. I really never thought about how that worked into so many of their films.

What I really enjoyed was the very honest look at how race, gender and ethnicity played into their films. Obviously, many of the Stooges shorts were shot during World War II. The way Germans and the Japanese were played in the films was skewed to belittle them. The in-depth analysis of the portrayal of women in the shorts was very interesting.

Some folks may see the phrase “psychology of the Stooges” as humorous, but there really is a lot to it. I found myself taking photos of some of the pages and sending them to another Stooges friend who said he needed to pick up the book. He really enjoyed the breakdown and analysis as well.

I’m biased, I know, but it was a 5 out of 5 stars for me. Might be less for you.

Friday Photo Flashback

Today’s photo was taken during one of my brother’s visits home. I chose it because it is one of my favorite photos of my dad, my brother and me.

It’s hard to believe, but I think this photo is about 20+ years old. I’m guessing it was taken around 2006ish. I remember my brother, his partner and my dad drove up and we met for breakfast or lunch. This was taken in the parking lot of the coney island we went to.

I am sure that my ex wife and my oldest son were there, too. I don’t think my second oldest was born yet. It’s hard to say. I think I’m pretty close to the right year because I am wearing a radio station jacket. I bet this was from my second turn at B95 which would have been around 2006. They fired me after my second son was born in 2007.

Anyway, I truly love this photo of the three of us. We all look so young here. My brother and I still have some hair, and my dad looks great. I wish we could all get together more.

An Apple a Day … May Drive Me Crazy

After a lot of thought, weighing all options, and calculating savings – I jumped ship.

I made the call last night and not only switched carriers from Verizon to T-Mobile, I went Apple. The best deal for me not only is going to save me about $100 a month, my wife and I both get iPhones for free. It was too good a deal to pass up.

I could have opted for a new Android phone, but almost all of them needed money down right from the get go. I’d been eyeing a few different models, but to have to come up with $200 in addition to what I paid to switch just didn’t make sense.

Technically, we are still on Verizon until the new phones arrive and we get things set up. At some point tomorrow I’m going to have to head to the Verizon Cloud and grab everything from there and put it on a hard drive.

I know I shouldn’t be, but my anxiety and stress levels are slowly climbing in anticipation of the change ….

Maybe I need to call the doc and up some meds?

To T or Not To T. To I or Not To I. Those Are The Questions.

I have been a customer with Verizon for over 20 years. I have stayed with them because I knew that if I was traveling I would have a good signal. When I was DJing, I had their Jetpack which allowed me to use internet to download songs if I had to. Today, I rarely travel far and I no longer DJ. I had to really look at things.

I won’t go into my financial situation, but it recently became clear that we had to cut back a little. We have been paying about $250 for my phone and my wife’s phone. We also pay for a line for her Apple Watch. My mother and father-in-law have four phones on their plan (maybe with AT&T?) and pay about $100. So I began the search.

You would think that if you’ve been with a carrier for as long as I have that there would be some incentive to stay with them. Every time we get a new phone or the bill creeps up, I call Verizon. I tell them what I need and they may be able to bring the bill down a bit, but over time it begins to creep back up again.

T-Mobile’s coverage has increased a lot since they took over Sprint or whatever other carrier they merged with. They have a couple plans to choose from, and even their most expensive one is considerably less than what we pay at Verizon. I guess it helps that I am 55, because they have a 55+ plan. I will make a decision by the end of the day today, but it seems like we will make the switch. With that switch comes another issue.

I have been an Android user for what seems like forever. I have never had issues with it. I have things backed up to my Google account and on the Verizon Cloud (I suppose I will have to grab all of that if I switch). I always felt like it was easier to use than an iPhone. My wife has been bugging me to get an iPhone since we got married. I guess primarily for Facetime. I have no issue using Google Meet or even Facebook Messenger for video calls now, but she likes Facetime.

If we switch to T-Mobile, I can get an iPhone 17 for free. My wife would get an upgrade to the same phone for nothing (as long as she trades in her current iPhone). One of the things I love about my Android phone is that it seems to take better pictures than the iPhone (even my wife has said that). I like how quick I can edit photos with it, too.

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that I do not do good with change. Even though I have worked through a lot of it over the last 8 years, it just is not easy for me. I am a creature of habit and I worry about not having the familiarity that I have with my current phone. Every time I have ever had to do something on my wife’s phone, I end up having to hand it to her because I have no idea how to navigate it.

I have the guy from T-Mobile calling me back this evening to finalize things, should the switch be what happens. I guess I really need to think about this.

Tune Tuesday – Jerome Kern

Born on this day 141 years ago, one of the great contributors to the Great American Songbook – Jerome Kern. He was born January 27, 1885.

Jerome Kern was one of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century. He wrote more than 700 songs that were used in over 100 stage works.

Wikipedia states:

A native New Yorker, Kern created dozens of Broadway musicals and Hollywood films in a career that lasted for more than four decades. His musical innovations, such as 4/4 dance rhythms and the employment of syncopation and jazz progressions, built on, rather than rejected, earlier musical theatre tradition. He and his collaborators also employed his melodies to further the action or develop characterization to a greater extent than in the other musicals of his day, creating the model for later musicals. Although dozens of Kern’s musicals and musical films were hits, only Show Boat is now regularly revived. Songs from his other shows, however, are still frequently performed and adapted. Many of Kern’s songs have been adapted by jazz musicians to become standard tunes.

Among the songs he wrote were: Look For the Silver Lining, Ol’ Man River, The Last Time I Saw Paris, I Won’t Dance, and All The Things You Are. To celebrate his birthday, I’d like to present some of my favorite Jerome Kern compositions and my favorite versions of them.

First, written for the 1933 musical comedy “Roberta,” here are The Platters with Smoke Gets In Your Eyes:

From the 1936 film Swing Time, here is Frank Sinatra with The Way You Look Tonight:

Again from the 1933 musical comedy Roberta, here are Jane Monheit and Michael Buble’ with I Won’t Dance:

You cannot go wrong with Ella Fitzgerald. Here is Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man:

Happy Birthday, Mr. Kern! Thanks for the music!

Enter Year Nine

This week I was informed of another blogging milestone!

8 years ago, I created this blog for a couple reasons.  First, I needed a place to vent my frustrations during a very trying time in my life. Second, I wanted to start getting stories and memories somewhere in writing. 

Over the years, I’ve shared personal things both good and bad.  I opened up about dark days and the woman who changed it all for me.  I shared the anticipation of babies on the way and observations from parenting as an older adult.

I found many blogs that shared my love for movies, television, music, and books.  I’ve become friends with many of the bloggers from those sites, and contributed pieces for them and vice versa.

After eight years, I’ve kind of found a groove.  I think (maybe I’m wrong) there’s a nice balance between life stories, music, books, and random silliness.  I like that I have flexibility to change things up every once in a while too.

As far as growth, I don’t have a ton of followers, probably less than 500.  That’s fine with me, I never really thought that that many people would be interested in what I have to say.  It’s never been a goal or a way to measure the success of this blog.  If subscribers come, I welcome them.  If subscribers leave, it doesn’t hurt my feelings. The blog has always been for me, and I can’t force people to read it.

I’ve never had a button to “buy me a coffee” although, I can never get enough coffee.  I’ve also never had anyone gift me a subscription.  Times are tough and we’re all struggling to stay in the black.  I hope to never get to the point where I need a Go Fund Me page.

I’m just here because I love to write and I hope to bring laughter, joy, and pleasant memories to readers.  If I can do that, then I’m doing exactly what I hope for.

To those who have been with me since the beginning, I’m glad you are still here!  To newer subscribers, I’m glad you are here, too.  I can’t wait to get to know you better.

Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make my blog more enjoyable or interesting to you.  I look forward to what year nine has in store.

Movie Music Monday – The Color of Money

Born today in 1925, the legendary Paul Newman. He was in so many great movies. One of my favorites was the 1961 film The Hustler. Newman played “Fast Eddie” Felson who is a small time pool hustler who challenges Minnesota Fats played by Jackie Gleason. He would reprise that role again 25 years later in The Color of Money.

In the sequel, “Fast Eddie” isn’t as fast as he used to be. He has given up the game and is now a liquor salesman. He comes across a guy who is a skillful pool player and approaches him and his girlfriend and tells them they’d be pretty good at hustling. The trio then head out for six weeks of travel and hustling.

The soundtrack of the film is filled with great music from Willie Dixon, Robert Palmer, BB King, Don Henley, Robbie Robertson, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton. It has a very bluesy feel to it which fits the feel of the film. One of my favorite tracks is It’s In the Way That You Use It by Clapton.

(From Songfacts.com) Clapton wrote this with Robbie Robertson, whose work with The Band in the ’60s encouraged Clapton to get away from the long, heavy solos he was playing with Cream. Robertson was in charge of the music for The Color Of Money, but because he was not finished with his first solo album, his record company would not let him sing on any of the songs. He got around it by contributing instrumental songs to the soundtrack.

Billboard magazine called the tune a “neatly executed rocker [that] strongly recalls his mid-’70s.”

Here is the song, with some clips from the film featuring birthday boy, Paul Newman: