Category: Music

Week in Review – January 12th, 2025

“Carnival Kick-off”

We just took down Christmas and now it’s already time to put up Mardi Gras.  Here’s some helpful information on when Carnival starts and how Mardi Gras Day is decided:

“As the new year rolls in, a much more important holiday for New Orleanians follows closely on its heels: Twelfth Night, the official start of Carnival season in the Crescent City.

Each year on Jan. 6, as other Americans are taking down their Christmas decorations, residents in New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf South start hanging Mardi Gras beads and ordering their favorite king cakes.

As the name suggests, Twelfth Night always comes twelve days after Christmas, no matter where Fat Tuesday falls on the calendar. Though the tradition has evolved into a night of revelry and a kickoff to the celebratory season, the holiday’s roots lie in Christianity.

In the Christian tradition, Twelfth Night is also known as the Epiphany. On this day, believers celebrate the Magi, aka the three kings, visiting baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

But some historians say the post-Christmas celebration stretches back even further to Roman and Celtic times.

Twelfth Night celebrations reached their height during medieval times, according to a 2021 article form History.com. The day served as the exciting end to the Christmas season and as a time when social cues were turned upside down as mischief and revelry were celebrated.

Europeans living in the Middle Ages also celebrated the holiday with a special cake that contained a bean or another trinket hidden inside. Whoever found the trinket was king or queen for the day and would be responsible for hosting the party next year. Sound familiar?

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The Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc parades through the French Quarter of New Orleans on Saturday, January 6, 2024. (Photo by Chris Granger, The Times-Picayune)

How it’s celebrated now

Instead of being the culmination of the Christmas holiday, Twelfth Night in New Orleans is just the beginning of a season full of parties, merriment and costumes.

Many also consider it to be the first acceptable day to bite into a king cake. These days we’ve traded the bean for a plastic baby, thanks to Donald Entringer, owner of McKenzie’s Bakery.

From there, parades and celebrations will continue throughout Carnival season until Mardi Gras Day, which lands on March 4 in 2025.

New Orleans residents and visitors will be able to don purple, green and gold for a little longer during the 2025 Mardi Gras season, which will last over twice as long as last year’s celebrations.

Longer season this year:

The beginning of Carnival season always takes place on Jan. 6, the 12th night after Christmas. But the actual Mardi Gras holiday depends on Easter and the moon.

Mardi Gras is celebrated the day before the Christian holiday of Ash Wednesday. This year, it won’t happen until March 4, leaving revelers with over eight weeks to celebrate the season.

Last year, Mardi Gras fell on Feb. 13, limiting the Carnival season to just 28 days.

Fat Tuesday routinely falls 47 days before Easter (since Sundays are not counted in the 40 days of Lent), and is held the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox.

An equinox, known as the vernal equinox during spring, occurs when the sun is directly above the equator and day and night are of equal length. This happens twice a year, once in March and once in September.

This year, the spring equinox is March 20, and the first full moon to follow it will be April 13. That means Easter will fall on the next Sunday, April 20, leaving us with a March Mardi Gras date.

We braved the chilly weather on Monday (Twelfth Night) to greet the Phunny Phorty Phellows short streetcar parade.   It’s one of those where you wait around for a while and then it’s past in a minute.  Diana had constructed a special hat from various prior year accoutrements.  I sported the new purple hat the boys gave me for Christmas.
Before braving the cold, we watched the memorial services attended by President and Jill Biden.  They laid flowers at the Bourbon Street memorial, met with families, and then attended a multi-faith service at St. Louis cathedral.
Gail Benson carried the first tribute candle down the aisle, followed by relatives and friends of those lost:
The President gave a short and effective speech to end the very sad proceedings.
Tuesday was mostly consumed with Diana’s back surgery.  We arrived at the hospital at 9am and left a little after 4pm.  The actual procedure didn’t take too much over an hour.  Here’s McD with her space blanket prior to being rolled off to the holding area:
I was confident I had time to sneak out for breakfast and tried the Bearcat Cafe – just a few hundred feet from the hospital.  I enjoyed the food and thought it was a bit expensive and overly hipstery.  I did manage to get some good reading and viewing time in the waiting room for several hours.  The colour coded system to tell you what was happening with the patient, and the text messaging system, worked spottily.
I talked to the surgeon right after she finished and she reported that all had gone well.  The bulging section of the disc was larger than she had anticipated (MRI was from a few months ago), but she got it all out.  Diana seems to be recovering quite well.
Meanwhile, in Steamboat, Colorado, the Ogans and Kirsches were enjoying the first sunny day of their ski trip:
How’s Hamish doing these days?  Well, based on these photos, he seems to be blossoming very nicely:
On Thursday, we took the dressing off Diana’s incision site and cleaned off the iodine and left over glue from the EKG stickers.  All looks good and her recovery seems to be going very well.  Just a bit of lingering pain at the incision site if she sits on a seat that puts pressure on it.
Frenchy has a painting of Jon Batiste at the 2024 Jazzfest that I think would look great behind my piano.  I had been in touch with him, and he said to go by the gallery and look at in the window.  We did that but couldn’t see it – typical Frenchy.  I’ll swing by when the gallery opens again on Monday.
Since we were on Oak Street, we stopped into Juan’s Flying Burrito for lunch.  Their Luau quesadilla (shrimp, bacon, etc) is always delicious.    After that we returned home and then walked over to Aidan Gill for a haircut for me (somewhat overdue, but not as much as a beard trim according to McD.)
I finished up the day by hanging the Mardi Gras flag and bunting.
Diana tried out her new puzzle board and Christmas puzzles as she recuperated.  The penguin puzzle has so many interestingly shaped pieces – lots of penguins.  Diana left one piece for me to finish – a la Denny.
On Friday we made a visit to the New Orleans Athletic Club and then enjoyed lunch at 1,000 figs.  Their falafel plate is excellent and plenty to split between two.
We had the guys and Kara over to watch the UT and Ohio State game on Friday night.  Diana made pigs in the blanket, wings and jambalaya.  Thom brought some Midway pizzas.  We were well fed, even if the result of the game wasn’t to our liking.
On Saturday, we made a trip over to Bright Eyes Optique for Diana to check out new contacts and for us both to get new lenses and frames with our new prescriptions.  Diana got some fun purple coloured sunglasses.
Diana finished her second puzzle (minus the “Denny piece”) – this one is of the flatirons behind Boulder.
I watched a few entertaining movies this week.  The first “Feast of the Seven Fishes” was a direct flashback to Christmas Eve – some classic scenes that took me directly to the kitchen at 1, Gyspy Hill Rd, Pacifica.
Then, “The Company You Keep” with an amazing ensemble cast – Robert Redford, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Shia LeBeouf, Nick Nolte, Anna Kendrick, Stanley Tucci, Chris Cooper.  Are you kidding me?  It’s as if they asked me for several of my favourite actors and put them all together in a movie.  I’m not sure the story lived up to all the star power, but it was an entertaining watch:
And finally, “Brexit – The Uncivil War”.  This was a good insight into the work done behind the scenes that swayed the vote towards “Leave.”  Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent as always, and the story provides some great views into what might have happened:
I finished Amor Towles “Table for Two” this week.  So many folks have told me they either liked the short stories, or the novella, but nobody liked both.  I really enjoyed all of it.  “I Will Survive” and “The Bootlegger” were my favourites of the short stories.  Towles characters and observations are just so well done.
I finished up the “Wonder of Stevie” podcast series – highly recommended.  This horn section intro always makes me smile:
I listened to “Innervisions” and “Songs in the Key of Life” this week.  Such amazing music, and to think he played the majority of the instruments on all of these in his early twenties.
Something from the new Mark Knopfler release – he just keeps turning out great music with his unmatched guitar:
Something from a relatively new Marcus King release.  I much prefer his solo material to his band output:
Coexist peacefully, with patience and kindness for all!

Musical Research – Afrobeat Part 1

Afrobeat is a genre of music that blends traditional African rhythms with jazz, funk, highlife, and soul influences. It originated in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily in Nigeria, and became a significant cultural movement that reflected the political and social dynamics of West Africa. At its core, Afrobeat music was shaped by the need to create an expression that was uniquely African while incorporating elements from Western music traditions. This report provides an in-depth exploration of Afrobeat, focusing particularly on the roots of Nigerian and Ethiopian 1970s music, its evolution, and key artists and songs.

1. Introduction to Afrobeat Music

Afrobeat is a music genre that emerged from Nigeria in the late 1960s and 1970s, pioneered by Nigerian multi-instrumentalist Fela Kuti. It combines jazz, funk, highlife, traditional African rhythms, and soul music. The genre not only represents a sound but also encapsulates a revolutionary spirit, with its roots deeply intertwined with political activism, societal movements, and cultural identity.

Afrobeat music is characterized by large ensembles, complex polyrhythms, intricate horn sections, and the fusion of indigenous African instruments with Western instruments like the electric guitar, saxophone, and keyboards. The lyrics of Afrobeat are often socially and politically charged, tackling issues like corruption, poverty, and government oppression in African nations.

1.1 Origins of Afrobeat

Fela Kuti is widely credited as the founder of Afrobeat. Fela was born in 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and studied music in London, where he was exposed to jazz and funk. His return to Nigeria in the late 1960s saw him creating the band Koola Lobitos, where he started experimenting with different styles. Over time, Fela’s music evolved into a distinct blend of African highlife rhythms, jazz improvisation, and funk grooves.

1.2 Defining Features of Afrobeat Music

Afrobeat music is distinct in its use of rhythm and time signatures. Typical Afrobeat songs feature polyrhythmic drumming, long instrumental sections, and the use of call-and-response vocals. Fela’s songs, often ranging from 10 to 20 minutes long, reflect this extended and complex structure. The music is typically upbeat and danceable, though the lyrics address serious social issues.

2. The Role of Nigerian Music in Afrobeat Development

Nigeria’s diverse musical heritage, spanning traditional folk music, highlife, and Western influences, played a pivotal role in the development of Afrobeat. In the 1970s, Nigerian music was influenced by both local rhythms and global musical trends.

2.1 Nigerian Highlife Music

Highlife music, which combines traditional African sounds with Western instruments like the guitar, trumpet, and saxophone, was influential in shaping Afrobeat. Highlife was particularly popular in the 1950s and 1960s and laid the groundwork for Fela Kuti’s later innovations. Early Nigerian musicians such as Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe and Victor Olaiya popularized highlife, a style that would blend easily with the emerging Afrobeat sound.

2.2 Influence of Jazz and Funk on Nigerian Music

In the 1960s, Nigerian musicians began incorporating jazz and funk elements into their music. Fela Kuti was exposed to jazz music during his time in London, and he brought this genre’s improvisational nature into the fold of Nigerian music. The use of extended instrumental solos, syncopated rhythms, and complex horn arrangements were all elements of jazz that contributed to the distinctiveness of Afrobeat.

3. Ethiopian Music and Its Contribution to Afrobeat

While Nigeria is the birthplace of Afrobeat, Ethiopian music from the 1970s had a significant impact on the genre. Ethiopian musicians were not isolated from the global music scene, and the 1970s saw a wave of music innovation within the country, particularly in jazz and funk.

3.1 The Ethiopian Sound in the 1970s

In the 1970s, Ethiopian music was characterized by its unique pentatonic scale, modal melodies, and a fusion of traditional and modern sounds. Artists like Mulatu Astatke, known as the father of Ethio-jazz, blended traditional Ethiopian rhythms and scales with jazz improvisation. This fusion of traditional African and Western elements is what made Ethiopian jazz distinct and influential.

Mulatu Astatke’s work in particular is often cited as a key influence on the development of Afrobeat. His pioneering work in creating Ethio-jazz, which combines jazz with Ethiopian pentatonic scales, helped lay the foundation for Afrobeat’s fusion of African rhythms with jazz and funk.

3.2 Impact of Ethiopian Jazz on Afrobeat

Ethiopian jazz’s influence on Afrobeat can be seen in the incorporation of jazz instruments, like the saxophone and trumpet, into Afrobeat bands. Additionally, Ethiopian jazz’s use of unconventional time signatures and modal harmonies resonated with Fela Kuti’s experimentation with rhythm and structure. The Ethiopian sound contributed to the depth and complexity of Afrobeat’s arrangements, helping define its global appeal.

4. Key Artists in Afrobeat’s Evolution

While Fela Kuti is the most well-known figure in the Afrobeat genre, several other artists contributed significantly to its development. These musicians helped popularize Afrobeat and further expand its reach both within Africa and globally.

4.1 Fela Kuti

As the founder of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti’s impact cannot be overstated. His music became anthems for political activism, with songs like “Zombie” and “Water No Get Enemy” becoming rallying cries for resistance against corruption and dictatorship. Fela’s musical genius and his bold critique of African governments made him a hero for many in Africa and the African diaspora.

Fela’s style incorporated elements of highlife, jazz, funk, and traditional Nigerian rhythms. His powerful, often controversial, lyrics addressed topics like political corruption, human rights abuses, and the struggles of the African people. Fela’s ability to blend music with activism made him one of the most iconic figures in Afrobeat and one of Africa’s greatest musicians.

4.2 Tony Allen

Tony Allen was a Nigerian drummer who played a key role in the creation of Afrobeat. As the drummer for Fela Kuti’s band, Africa ’70, Tony Allen’s rhythmical innovations were integral to Afrobeat’s distinctive sound. His drumming style, characterized by complex polyrhythms, syncopated beats, and constant motion, laid the foundation for many of Afrobeat’s rhythms.

4.3 Other Afrobeat Artists

In addition to Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, other musicians contributed to the spread and evolution of Afrobeat. These include:

  • Antibalas: A Brooklyn-based Afrobeat band that helped bring the genre to a global audience in the 2000s.
  • Seun Kuti: Fela’s youngest son, who has carried on his father’s musical legacy while incorporating his own ideas and themes into Afrobeat.
  • Femi Kuti: Another of Fela’s sons, Femi has also contributed significantly to the genre with his own take on Afrobeat, blending funk, soul, and jazz with traditional African rhythms.

5. Afrobeat and Globalization

In the 1990s and 2000s, Afrobeat began to spread beyond Africa, gaining recognition in Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world. Artists like Antibalas and Seun Kuti played a significant role in introducing Afrobeat to a global audience. Furthermore, the genre’s fusion of funk, jazz, and African rhythms resonated with music enthusiasts worldwide.

Afrobeat’s influence can also be seen in the music of contemporary artists such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Mr. Eazi, who incorporate Afrobeat rhythms and themes into modern African pop, dancehall, and hip hop. Afrobeat’s reach has continued to grow, and today it is one of the most significant global music genres.

6. Musical Samples and Links to Afrobeat Music

To better understand Afrobeat music, here are links to some notable songs:

6.1 Fela Kuti – “Water No Get Enemy”

Water No Get Enemy – Fela Kuti
This classic song by Fela Kuti is a perfect example of his unique Afrobeat style, combining intricate rhythms with a message of unity and resilience.

6.2 Tony Allen – “Secret Agent”

Secret Agent – Tony Allen
Tony Allen’s drumming and musical innovations shine in this track, showcasing the rhythmic complexity that defines Afrobeat.

6.3 Mulatu Astatke – “Yekermo Sew”

Yekermo Sew – Mulatu Astatke
This track exemplifies the fusion of Ethiopian pentatonic scales and jazz improvisation, demonstrating the influence of Ethiopian music on Afrobeat.

6.4 Antibalas – “Dirty Money”

Dirty Money – Antibalas
A modern Afrobeat group, Antibalas has helped bring the genre to international audiences, blending traditional Afrobeat with modern sensibilities.

7. Conclusion

Afrobeat is a genre that has grown from the innovative experimentation of Fela Kuti and his contemporaries into a global phenomenon. By blending indigenous African rhythms with jazz, funk, highlife, and soul, Afrobeat created a sound that resonated with the struggles of African people while also pushing boundaries in music. Nigerian and Ethiopian music of the 1970s played a critical role in Afrobeat’s development, laying the foundation for the genre’s global expansion. Today, Afrobeat remains one of the most influential musical movements in the world, continuing to inspire new generations of musicians and fans alike.

Week in Review – January 5th, 2025

“Happy New Year, followed by tragedy in New Orleans”

We rode a real rollercoaster of emotions this week.  The joy and camaraderie of our New Year’s Eve party, followed by the tragic news of terrorism that we woke up to the next morning.  Thanks to the many folks that contacted us to check on the safety of our family and friends.

The early part of the week was spent on party preparations – several shopping trips, put up decorations, set up the Bartesian bar area, and finally, pick up the Saj (local Mediterranean restaurant) catering.

We invited folks to begin arriving at 6:30pm, not expecting anyone until around 7:30pm.  Wrong – John and Julia showed up right on time and helped with the final preparations.  We had around 35 folks, including the various kids (really young adults) that came and went over the night.  Here are some pictures of the group:

Those are our neighbours, Roeland and Jules, on the right.  Jules brought his famous meatballs to share with the group.  Kenny is standing to the left of Diana, and he brought his very popular open-faced muffulettas.  Here are Nina (one of Diana’s favourites) and the leader of her fan club:

Diana repurposed Mardi Gras throw hats with New Year’s Eve appropriate bands:

Denny and Kenny organized a special performance from the original New Orleans character that is Valerie Sassyfras:

She set up in the side yard and everyone moved outside to enjoy the performance.  Very well received by most (Bad Fred isn’t a huge fan.)  I was amazed that McD was oblivious to the whole thing until I invited folks into the backyard.

We’re all getting older.  Only six of us made it to midnight:

We woke up to the tragic news of the terrorist attack around 3am on Bourbon Street.  I love what Chris Peet, one of our party attendees did to send a message when Bourbon opened up again:

I was reading the paper and thought, “that looks like Chris Peet,” – sure enough that’s exactly who it was, “reclaiming the route for love.”

I joined the guys at the Bulldog on New Year’s afternoon to watch the UT vs Arizona State college football playoff game.  UT had a comfortable lead and then Arizona came back to tie things up.  Double overtime was very stressful for Thom – he had to go inside and away from the chatter of the group to watch the last portion of the game.  UT ultimately prevailed.

On Thursday we celebrated Jack and Mason’s 22nd birthdays (born on o1/02/03) with a dinner at Pascal’s Manale.  The girls (including a special appearance by Julia, whose daughter works at Pascal’s) started with oysters at the stand up bar, and then we had a great time in the “Manning” private dining room.  That was followed by ice cream cake back at the Ogan residence.

Happy Birthday boys!

On Friday we had the pre-op appointment for Diana’s back surgery.  It’s starting to get real and bit nerve wracking for both of us.

In the afternoon we went to the Broad to see the new movie about Bob Dylan, “A Complete Unknown.”

The movie was very well done, with Timothee Chalamet excellent as the young Dylan.

After the movie, we walked across the parking lot to the Broadside Theater for the Willow High School band fundraiser.  This was a well done event, starting with a performance by the Willow band.  That was followed by the Hot 8 Brass Band – a group that I always enjoy.

Shamar Allan’s son is in the Willow band, and he had organized the event as a fundraiser for a trip the band plans to take for a competition at Disneyland.  Shamar’s band gave a fun performance, including a solo from his 13 year old son.

Saturday began with a couple of laps around Audubon park, and then we got to work on taking down the Christmas decorations and loading them up into the third floor attic.  We needed to get those down in preparation for putting up Mardi Gras stuff on Twelfth Night – Monday.  Not much of a break between the two this year.

Meanwhile, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, David was quite pleased with his completed puzzle:

I started “Table for Two” by Amor Towles this week.  I’ve had it for over almost a year and have been waiting for a quiet time when I can really savour it.  The book consists of six short stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.

I’ve heard mixed reviews on this from friends – some preferring the short stories, and others the novella.  I’ve enjoyed the first couple of short stories quite a bit – very entertaining and well written.

I heard this wonderful song, co-written by Bobby Charles and Rick Danko of the Band again this week.  Great music.

A wonderful cover by the Scotsman, John Martyn:

I really like this cover of “Treme” by Mahmoud Chouki, originally from Morocco and now based in New Orleans:

And let’s finish up with something celebrating the good aspects of the Crescent City:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and compassion for all!

 

 

 

 

Week in Review – December 29th, 2024

“Holiday gatherings – and another one, and yet another one”

Diana’s friend, Amy, joined us in Pacifica on Monday.  I encouraged the girls to get out of the house for a while and they took me up on it.  Champagne at Nick’s and a view of the waves:

You don’t really get the perspective from the video, but those were some large swells – the same ones that washed away the pier in Santa Cruz.  After that the girls shopped at Sirens and then ran some other errands.  Diana always enjoys hanging out with Amy.

Tuesday (Christmas Eve) started with a visit from Campbell, Will, Christine, and Ollie.

Will brought some very yummy Indian food from Redwood City.  I don’t remember the name of the lamb dish, but that and the chicken Tikka were both delicious.  Thanks Will!

We had a fun gift exchange – I’ll have to show you a picture of my fancy purple hat when I wear it for the first time.

One of the more entertaining episodes was Will reminding us of his track and field and cross country activities in high school.  Funny that Campbell and I don’t remember anything about that.  He called his friend, Otter, who verified that they did high jump and long jump.  Hmmm.

I do remember Will skateboarding ALL THE TIME.  Told him to bring his board next time and take advantage of the new half pipe in Adamo’s back garden:

Immediately after that, it was time to start preparing for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  Do we really need to go to this trouble every year?  Absolutely, apparently!  The seven fishes were:

Petrale Sole with prep by Giancarlo:

Scallops and lobster by Adamo:

Smoked salmon from Diana and Marco.  Regular salmon from Diana.  Anchovy pasta from Diana.  Shrimp wontons from Carolyn.  And it seems like we had a bonus fish that I’m forgetting.  I would ask Diana, but she’s having a well deserved nap.

There were a total of nineteen people for the fishes.  Clorinda had a great time holding court with everyone.

That feast was a lot of work and delicious.  Everyone had a good time.

Next up – Christmas dinner.   We worked on lamb lollipops, baked ham, and scalloped potatoes.  Carlo did a great job with the lamb, Alicia with the potatoes, and Giancarlo with a very healthy salad.  This was a more manageable group – Marco and Julie and family, Giancarlo and Carlo, and the residents of 1 Gypsy Hill road.

We wondered about adding the livestock outside the kitchen window to the feast:

Dinner was followed by a gift exchange.  I should have made a video of the dancing dog singing “We wish you a Merry Xmas” that Marco got his Mom.  She has quite a collection of those silly things now – that she loves.

Boxing Day – we met Sean and Sheri at Buck’s in Woodside for lunch – halfway point between south San Jose and Pacifica.  We hadn’t seen these guys in a while and we had a lengthy catchup on family, jobs and everything else.  A very pleasant few hours.

Friday – time for another group.  A lovely group consisting of Diana’s stepsons John and Joey and their families.  The four kids are so wonderfully interactive and well behaved.  Diana did a great job raising those two boys.

You don’t hear about these guys too often, so from left to right:

Bonna, Joey, Lilly, Ezra, Diana, Clorinda, Lianna, Ben, Alicia, Maddie, and John.  Such a great group of people.

We had leftovers and a gift exchange for the kids.  One of the highlights was a mask for Lianna that Diana got her in the French Quarter after her birthday brunch.

She has a masquerade ball dance coming up and was very excited.  Grammie is sporting a mask that she’s had in her closet forever.

This was such a nice visit and so calm – maybe my favourite of the week.

Saturday – time to pack up and head home.  I couldn’t believe how quiet the airport was.  We left early, expecting a very crowded situation.  There was nobody in front of us in the TSA line and the entire concourse was empty:

Gave us time for a drink and a salad at the Lark Creek Grill – very good.  We had a very friendly flight attendant that made the flight to New Orleans fun.  Fortunately our flight arrived just as the thunder storms moved out of the area – the three flights ahead of us were diverted to Dallas, which would have been a real pain.

We dropped off my library book and made a visit to Martin to stock up for New Year’s Eve.  Interestingly, Jude Law was spotted there this week:

I pulled up to the intersection of Prytania and Washington and it was all blocked off by police vehicles.  After discussion, they allowed us in to park in our drive, just before a second line parade came down the street in front of our house.  This is unusual – they usually turn on St. Charles.

The rest of today will be spent watching football and prepping for New Year’s Eve.

Look at this gorgeous view from my sister and brother in law’s home in Aberdeenshire this week:

I finished up Demon Copperhead this week – finally.  Kelly had recommended this to me with:

“This is a book that is funny, sad and endearing.  5 stars for sure.”

It won the Pulitzer prize and was an Oprah’s book club selection.

All that is well and good, but it really wasn’t a great read for me.  I must have missed the “funny” parts.  It was a slog through all the sad things that happen to disadvantaged children in the midst of the opioid crisis in underprivileged parts of the country.

I think Kingsolver did an amazing job of putting herself into Damon’s mind and writing from his perspective.  Really amazing.

The last quarter of the book held my attention much better than the earlier sections – likely because a bit of optimism crept in.

The last page was maybe my favorite, as it uses an oyster metaphor for the relationship between Demon and Angus:

“I was extremely unclear about where we were headed. Was she still my sister?

She smacked her forehead. “Oh my God. Oysters.”

“What about them.”

“You can only eat them in winter! June, July, August, they’re poison.

You have to wait till the months that have the letter R.”

This sounded highly doubtful. “Why is that?”

“Believe it or not, with my amazingly advanced degree, I don’t know.

It’s one of these things you pick up. I went to New Orleans a few times with friends.”

There he was, the friend. “And you’re saying it’s worth the wait? Because I’m saying Mrs. Peggot used to cook them in soup at Christmas, and I was not a fan.”

“This is nothing like that. At the beach they’re fresh. You crack them open and drink them right off the shell. Raw. Technically I guess still alive.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

“You won’t believe how good. It’s like kissing the ocean. Demon.” She leaned forward so I could see her face, and drilled those bad-girl eyes into me with a look that threatened my perfect driving record. “And it’s kissing you back.”

Oh my Lord. The girl has set her cap. Not my sister.

We talked the whole way through the Shenandoah Valley. The end of the day grew long on the hills, then the dark pulled in close around us. Snowflakes looped and glared in the headlights like off-season lightning bugs. Ridiculous nut that I’d been to crack. I drove left-handed with my right arm resting on her seat back, running my thumb over the little hairs on the back of her neck. The trip itself, just the getting there, possibly the best part of my life so far.

That’s where we are. Well past the Christiansburg exit. Past Rich-mond, and still pointed east. Headed for the one big thing I know is not going to swallow me alive.””

I don’t think I agree with all the hype around this book, and really don’t recommend it unless you want a deep view into the tough life of disadvantaged children from many aspects.

I really enjoyed the guitar sound and atmosphere of this new one from T Bone:

This sounds like something modern from the Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty” album:

Kathleen Edward’s voice is so pure on this Springsteen cover:

Another great version of this song:

And finally, Nick Lowe showing all the age in his voice to great effect:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

 

 

 

 

Week in Review – December 22nd, 2024

“Multiple Birthdays”

When I left you last week, Kenny was coming to pick up Diana and shuttle her to the “Birthday Girl’s Brunch” in the French Quarter.  The ladies loved their time at Broussard’s and the location was a complete surprise to Diana.  Kenny and Keith know how to keep a secret!

Anne and Kara had spent some happy hours together crafting special cat eye glasses and bracelets:

Here they are modeling them in the Broussard’s lobby:

The ladies thought Diana needed a commemorative ornament:

Kenny had been trying to find a time when Diana would be gone for a few hours, so that he could execute on his birthday gift.  He spent over three hours pressure washing the front bricks while the girls were at lunch.  What a great job, and such a kind gift:

Look at the handmade card Kenny attached to the top of the stairs:

The ladies weren’t quite finished yet – they walked down Bourbon Street to Bar 33 (the bar owned by and next to Gallatoire’s) for French 75s.

Kenny drove down to the House of Blues to see a friend, Nina, perform and several of the ladies met him there.  Thanks to Kenny and Kara for delivering the almost sixty year old home safely.

We surprised Merry Lee for a late birthday dinner at Acamaya on Monday evening.  We arrived early and she was very happy to see us there.  Jeff pulled off a great surprise.  I love this restaurant – wonderfully creative Mexican seafood and different drinks.

After dinner we were looking for some music and I finally found a piano player at the Saturn bar – a short stroll from Acamaya.  BC Coogan treated us to “Classified” by James Booker on arrival.

 

 

 

Tuesday brought another birthday – Kenny this time.  Diana made some jambalaya, and the trivia group assembled at Kara and Kenny’s home for dinner and cake pre-trivia.

We did all right at trivia but did not place in the top three.  After that, we got to the Maple Leaf in time to catch a good amount of Bookerfest – the annual tribute to James Booker on his birthday.  This has become an annual celebration event with Kenny.  It was entertaining to see our trivia master at the show – we had a good chat about music and trivia.

Here are two song clips from the wonderful Joe Krown:

The night finished up with six hands on the piano – so, so good and fun to watch:

A very enjoyable Tuesday night all around.

Are you feeling sleepy after all this activity?  Well, time to catch a second wind because we have another birthday on Wednesday to talk about.

Beautiful birthday flowers from Kris and Cat:

And an excellent birthday song from Andy.  He’s getting so good and seems to have quite the recording setup going these days:

I had reserved a section of Oak and Ale to host a birthday dinner for Diana.  We had about twenty four people there.

We love that our friends kids are part of the group and wanted to attend the event:

Here’s a selection with friends:

Chickie called a few minutes before we were leaving for the restaurant – his flight to Vegas had been diverted to New Orleans due to an emergency.  He wanted to know what we had planned.  So we added him to the party list:

I think Diana had a good time with everyone.

Merry Lee came over for a walk with Diana on Thursday morning, and suggested that we meet Jeff downtown for lunch.  We had another yummy meal at Meril – the restaurant that Emeril named after his daughter.

 

 

 

Friday was packing and organizing day.  We had our own Christmas gift exchange in the evening, followed by an impromptu visit from Anne with some gifts.

Saturday came with an early start.  Out the door at 4:30am for our 6:30am flight.  Adamo picked us up at San Francisco airport around 9:30am.  We made it smoothly and a bit early.   Time to catch our breath and relax a bit.  I enjoyed the UT and Clemson college football playoff game (UT won).

Today, we did some shopping for Christmas Eve dinner and I’m looking forward to the Cowboys game this evening.  I’m comfortable enough to admit that I’m currently watching “A Merry Scottish Christmas” – a classic Hallmark style movie – with McD.

With all that activity, I had little time for reading or finding new music – so we’ll skip those sections this week.

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all.

Week in Review – December 15th, 2024

 “Retirement Celebration”

We flew to Austin early Monday morning and checked into the Carpenter hotel.  I had an executive committee meeting on Monday night, which turned into an early retirement party for me.

We went to the Guest House, which is an amazingly delicious Austin establishment.  I had a parmesan crusted filet that was ridiculously tasty.

There were lots of toasts and speeches that almost brought me to tears.  This has been such a wonderful work experience because of the people that I work with.  The team gave me a $500 gift certificate to Shaya, one of my favourite New Orleans restaurants.

Nikki and I shared a martini that came with quite the presentation.  Dry ice poured over the bottom:

Desert was quite a show:

What a lovely dinner and memory.

Tuesday was the annual holiday party at Bar Peached.  Great food, drinks and company.  They had a “Braveheart” cocktail in my honour:

Here I am with the IT team:

And here is a reprise of the “girls” from Roatan:

Here’s’ one of my favourites – the EXCO group (three of the people it has been a complete joy to work with.)

And finally with Neffie:

We had our usual pre-flight lunch at June’s.  Lisa joined us and we saw Lachie (CEO) walking by and he joined us for a drink.  This is where I had lunch after interviewing for my job, and where I had the last meal of my retirement celebration – seems appropriately bookended.

Here are my two cards:

And a ridiculously expensive bottle of bourbon from my team:

I enjoyed two separate free outdoor concerts on Saturday afternoon with most of the krewe.  “The Walrus” performed Beatles songs at the corner of Marengo and Dryads.  Such a good band.

That was followed by the Panorama Jazz Band at the Kingpin, which also had an outdoor Christmas market going.

Kenny will be arriving soon to shuttle Diana to her ladies brunch to celebrate her upcoming birthday.  All she knows is that it’s somewhere in the French Quarter.

I continued to work my way through Demon Copperhead this week.   Slow progress due to all the travel and holiday excitement.  I look forward to finishing it up next week in the lull leading up to the real holidays.

 

 

 

 

I love this Ethiopian song that I heard at the Carpenter hotel:

And another one from the same source:

Very relaxing:

And finally, some classic Bonnie Raitt:

Coexist peacefully, with patience and kindness for all!

 

Week in Review – December 8th, 2024

“Xmas parade and Meads visit”

Diana was back out in California to be with her Mom this week until late Thursday.  This is an amazing sunset picture.

 

 

 

I went for a walk in Audubon park on Monday and made a small diversion for brunch at Tartine.  Diana had told me about going there with Kara and it sounded very good.  The baked eggs in brioche was excellent and I look forward to returning soon.  Every plate I saw going past looked tasty.

 

 

I suggested to Kenny and Kara that we might want to attend the free concert by John Boutte in St Louis cathedral.  Kenny drove down, parked us at the fire house and then we had a drink at the Pirates Alley bar by the cathedral.  We got there fifteen minutes before show time and were very surprised to find the place completely full – standing room only.  One can go and see John Boutte at DBA during the week and have five to ten people join you – but a free concert draws thousands of folks?

The show was very good – including a version of Ave Maria where Boutte didn’t remember all the words the first time through.  The band was very nuanced and accomplished.  Video was not allowed in the cathedral and so here’s a taste of Boutte’s soulful voice from Jazzfest:

We had a drink at Fives bar after the show.  This is a sister to the Columns and has excellent craft cocktails.

 

 

I took this picture of Kenny and Kara on the walk back to the fire house.  The city has some lights to repair on the riverfront tree.

Diana was scheduled to fly home midday on Thursday.  She let me know there was a tsunami warning in place as she was packing up.  What?  Yes – there was an offshore earthquake north of San Francisco and they were evacuating the kids from the schools down the hill from Clorinda’s house.  The warning was lifted just before McD left for the airport.

Diana made it home safely late on Thursday night.

My friend Mike Mead was in town for the weekend – his wife had a girls trip for a cruise down the Danube (tough life), and Mike and his three boys decided a trip to New Orleans would be fun – they have not visited before.

I invited them to meet me for lunch at the Columns on Friday – we had a very entertaining time catching up and revisiting stories from our past.  Mike’s son, Simon, is very into music and audio equipment.  He asked me if there was any Japanese style jazz playing in town.  What on earth is that?  He described it some more and I called Denny for input.  There was a show at Snug Harbor in the evening that totally met the requirements.

Mike reports that Simon loved it.  And I get ahead of myself yet again.  After the Columns lunch, I invited the crew back to the house to check out my Linn audio setup and listen to some music.  We picked up Diana from her hair appointment on the way.  A walking tour of the Garden District ensued.  And then Diana was quite happy to host the group for oysters at Superior Seafood.  I had a very nice time hanging out with the Mead boys.

I heard the next morning that the boys had played poker at Caesar’s casino by their hotel until 3:30am.  Just nuts!

I talked Diana into going downtown for the Christmas parade on Saturday morning.

This was a two hour long parade – over thirty floats, at least ten marching bands, many marching krewes and balloon floats like Rudolph above.  Diana got quite a haul of throws, including a riding Elvii scarf and a light up ornament necklace.  Here’s one of the marching groups that put a smile on my face:

And of course I’m a fan of the balloon penguin:

Diana was excited to see Santa and his reindeer:

The Meads caught the parade outside their hotel:

I got tired of standing in place and so we walked down to Canal Street to see the end of it.  “We’re almost at the Roosevelt hotel, why not go in and see the lights?”  What a silly idea.  There were oodles of families taking their Christmas card pictures – a complete zoo.  Note to self – don’t do this after the parade next year.

 

 

We got home in time to freshen up for the Happy Hour that Kenny and Kara were hosting for his brother, Andrew, and his partner Todd.  Kenny was an excellent host – he had cooked up some gumbo, muffulettas, potato salad and all kinds of other goodies.  It was fun getting to know Andrew better – such a good sense of humor, and the same curious intelligence in his eyes that Kenny displays.

Diana and Kara were determined to go and listen to music, the rest of us quite happy to relax – so you can guess what we did.  Yep, over to the Bayou bar at the Ponchatrain hotel to listen to music.

The music was really good and the good news is that we were able to walk home.  We should frequent this place more often.

Sunday started with Diana getting her second shingles shot.  We followed that up with a trip to the grocery store, and now the Christmas decorations are going up.  Fun all around!

I received an interesting gift this week.  It’s called Bartesian and is like a Keurig machine, but for cocktails.  You fill up the big bottles with whiskey, vodka, gin and tequila and then insert the pods for various cocktails.  We’re looking forward to trying it out for New Year’s Eve.

I watched “Churchill at War” on Netflix this week.  Very interesting series that tracks his life and decisions before World War II – did he really have such a big opportunity to avert the rise of Hitler?

After the disappointment of “Bee Sting”, I moved on to Demon Copperfield by Barbara Kingsolver.  This is a modern take on Dickens’ David Copperfield and is off to a good start.  Much more to come.

 

 

 

I’m listening to a podcast, “The Wonder of Stevie”, that I love.  It covers his five classic albums from the early seventies and is very well done.

I watched a short documentary, “Only Girl in the Orchestra”, about the first lady to play in the New York Philharmonic – so well done.  It featured the second movement from Beethoven’s symphony number seven – amazing.

 

 

Finally, I found a new band this week called The Stews that I like very much:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all!

 

 

 

Week in Review – December 1st, 2024

“Give Thanks”

Diana made it back to New Orleans in time to celebrate Thanksgiving, and I was very thankful for that.

The Powells braved the rain and chilly temperature to watch their daughter perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in New York.  Neffie and Shaun did the same.  A shame for them to travel so far and have miserable weather.

We were invited over to the Ogans for Thanksgiving lunch.  Anne’s Mom, Carolyn, got started early with the little pigs in the blanket appetizers.  One of my favourites.

Chef Denny grilled some delicious lamb.

We had a lovely lunch followed by a spirited couple of rounds of the Scategories board game.  Those Ogan boys are very competitive.

Carolyn brought me a sixty and a half birthday gift – a couple of albums that she had picked out for me and was very proud of.  So sweet and thoughtful.

Lisa and Diana sported their matching “Thankful” shirts:

The gang left to attend the Tulane football game in the evening.  Diana and I stayed to hang out with Carolyn.  Diana might have taken a wee nap.

It was very pleasant not to travel for Thanksgiving for the first time in many years.

I hosted the Bauer girls and McD for lunch at Superior Seafood on Friday.  That’s Anne’s sister Mary Francis in the middle.

We had a long and very enjoyable lunch, and then invited the group over so that we could listen to the albums from Carolyn:

Oh, I forgot about this gem from Thanksgiving.  Somebody produced some early Denny and Anne pictures.  Bad Fred’s comment “Mason has a girlfriend?”  Young Denny does look an awful lot like Mason.

I joined Thom, Kara and Kenny to watch the University of Texas game at Fat Harry’s on Saturday.  I really like this bar – great food and service.  I had a great time hanging out – and will even admit that I ate the mini corn dogs.

I chuckled when I saw on TV that the Cowboys were still “in the hunt” for the NFL playoffs.  I think there is no chance at all.

I did not get much reading in this week at all – so skipping this section.

I love the horns and percussion on this track:

Tower of Power never gets old:

Coexist peacefully, with kindness and patience for all.

 

Week in Review – November 24th, 2024

“Friends and New Relatives”

Diana made a last minute trip to California to take care of her Mom.  It’s hard for her with the sciatica and long plane trips, but she’s a trooper and muscles through it.  The good news is that Clorinda was released from hospital after a few days and was happy to be home again.

We had an exciting new addition to the family this week.  Heather and Michael’s baby, Hamish, arrived at 8lbs 1oz and “very long.”  Everyone is doing well as evidenced by these pictures.  Not sure the dog, Milo, knows what to make of it all.

Neffie and Shaun and kids arrived on Thursday night late, on their way to New York to support another kid dancing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.  They are nuts to drive!

Kenny came over on Friday and we hung out for a while before lunch at Shaya.  Always so amazing – the lamb ragu hummus is still the best I’ve had.

We stopped at Mignon Faget on the way to lunch so that I could do some early shopping for the holidays. That ended up taking way longer than it should have – you know how patient I am with shopping expeditions.

Saturday was an excellent music day for me, thanks to Kenny, Kara, and Colleen.  Kenny got us on the guest list for his cousin, Tim Laughlin’s, concert with Tom McDermott at Tom’s house.  Here they perform my favourite Scott Joplin rag (Pineapple):

It was a bit unusual being in an artist’s home with bedroom and kitchen all open plan to the group attending the show – at the same time very intimate and welcoming.  I think Tim is a huge talent.

We followed that with a visit to the Kingpin to see the Iguanas perform.  These guys were a huge local band about twenty years ago.  Our friend, Derek, was a member back in the day.

I gave up on “The Bee Sting” this week.  I just can’t deal with the complete lack of punctuation for hundreds of pages – no periods, commas, or quotation marks.  Why?  What’s the point the author is trying to make?  I can parse it and read it, and I persevered for a while.  But no more.  This is the first book that I’ve given up on in several years.  Disappointing.  All of you reviewers that raved about this book need to rethink your opinions!

An interesting new take on a classic that I first heard done by David Coverdale and Whitesnake over forty years ago:

I know the Robert Palmer version of this, but had not heard this classic take:

A great sound:

Coexist peacefully, with patience and kindness for all!

Week in Review – November 17th, 2024

“Keep Austin Weird”

Shortly after we left the Bywater last Sunday, (you’ll remember we were driving around looking at the art exhibits) there was a second line for the “Death of Democracy.”  What’s a second line?  Well…it’s typical a brass band led parade for a jazz funeral or a wedding.  The family or newlyweds are the “first line” and the folks dancing behind them are the “second line.”  Only in New Orleans would you find something like this related to the election results:

https://www.nola.com/gambit/news/the_latest/new-orleanians-hold-jazz-funeral-for-democracy-following-trump-win/article_3f80f38a-a06c-11ef-ba85-cf2bfab10e8c.html

We flew to Austin on Monday morning and I attended a Board Audit Committee meeting in the afternoon.  That was followed by an excellent Austin evening – dinner at the Odd Duck followed by Bob Schneider and Lonelyland at the Saxon Pub.

But I get ahead of myself again.  As we were getting ready for dinner there was an outburst from the hotel bathroom.  I had to get up and investigate – the nail polish bottle had broken, covering Diana’s hand and ring in red goo.  She Door Dashed nail polish remover from Walgreens and was going to send me to the Odd Duck and then meet me there.  Better plan – I found a nail salon just across the street from the restaurant.  They got Diana all cleaned up in a few minutes, and we were actually early for dinner.  Crisis averted.

We had the usual amazing dinner at the Odd Duck.  McD was delighted to find they had those yummy Palomas back on the menu and I was impressed with the fancy martini glass.

We started with ceviche, followed with a goat pizza, and finished with cappelini.  All creative and delicious.

We walked across the street to the Saxon pub for Bob Schneider and the Lonelyland band.   They sounded amazing and Bob had his usual hilarious stream of consciousness commentary.  We sat with a young couple from Spain that had a great time at the show.  Bob oscillates from heartbreakingly beautiful ballads to crazy rap and rock songs.  He typically starts with a lovely song:

Here’s one of his humorous songs:

Back to a beautiful ballad:

And finally, he always asks what style the audience would like the goodbye song to be played in.  Somebody said “Gary Numan.”

We enjoyed the walk back downhill to the hotel – what a great Austin evening.

Tuesday brought the full Board meeting.  They gave me a round of applause for my contributions before retirement – very sweet to be appreciated.  We enjoyed a Meditteranean lunch on the beautiful patio at Aba, migrated to the San Jose hotel patio and finished up with dinner at Two Hands, described as an “Australian restaurant” – D thought it would appeal to Tim.  A very fun afternoon/evening.

Wednesday in Austin – must be lunch at June’s all day.  This has become our on the way to the airport routine.  We had to get our favourites – steak tartare for D and bone marrow Bolognese for K.

Will and nine friends came into town on Friday for a bachelor party – Blake is getting married.  I picked up some cutouts that they had to have and delivered them to their Airbnb in the Marigny.

After that we went to a 50th birthday party for Debra at Kenny and Kara’s home.  A very fun evening all around.

Will took the guys to Gallatoires.  He reports having crab gratin with a New York strip on top and the redfish special.  Good grief. Is that grey in his beard?

I watched the UT game on Saturday morning while D had a walk around town.  Will and the krewe took airboats out looking for gators, and apparently found some:

Everyone should have a yellow rubber duck shirt ready to go.

Our neighbors got in on the action with a reptile birthday party – no thanks!  Britney is completely freaking me out with this pic (such a poser):

And little Auggie (sporting the shirt we brought him from Honduras) clearly got his Mom’s love for snakes:

For the first time in ages, Diana and I had different activities on Saturday night.  Diana was invited to watch the Lakers and Pelicans basketball game.   Seems like she had a great time:

Thanks Julia!  And particularly thanks to John who wanted to watch college football (Georgia Tennessee) over Lebron James.

I joined Kenny, Thom and Libby for the 25th anniversary Lost Bayou Ramblers show at the Broadside.  They played the documentary about the band, followed by the show:

It was a nice treat when Rickie Lee Jones joined as a guest.  I’ve played her self titled album with “Chuck E’s in Love” so many times over the years.

I love the rhythm of the Ramblers:

Will’s Airbnb host was raving about Bar Pomona on St Claude Avenue and so D and I gave it a try on Sunday for brunch.

The food (Turkish eggs for me and Salad Nicoise for D) and particularly the bread was very good.  The service was “interesting.”  Diana had to have some soft serve pomegranate ice cream:

My book this week was “The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray.  This is a massive 600 page plus book, and I’m about half way through.

The book started out really well, then moved into a section with no punctuation at all – difficult to read and I don’t understand the purpose yet.  I like the story and am interested to see how it all works out.  Here’s the online scoop.  This was a New York Times top ten book from last year and it better live up to that with the time investment that I’m making.

“The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie’s once-lucrative car business is going under―but Dickie is spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife, Imelda, is selling off her jewelry on eBay and half-heartedly dodging the attention of fast-talking cattle farmer Big Mike, while their teenage daughter, Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge drink her way through her final exams. As for twelve-year-old PJ, he’s on the brink of running away.

If you wanted to change this story, how far back would you have to go? To the infamous bee sting that ruined Imelda’s wedding day? To the car crash one year before Cass was born? All the way back to Dickie at ten years old, standing in the summer garden with his father, learning how to be a real man?

The Bee Sting, Paul Murray’s exuberantly entertaining new novel, is a tour de force: a portrait of postcrash Ireland, a tragicomic family saga, and a dazzling story about the struggle to be good at the end of the world.”

Let’s start with some classic Kate Bush:

Great drum sounds:

A great new sound for me:

Coexist peacefully, with patience and kindness for all!