Lives in a Shoe

Etta James Has Died

RIP, Miss James.

"Tell Mama" below

Something Wonderful

Anna Burden, a 17-year-old from Indiana.

 

Sally Go Round the Pretty Roses

I'm recovering from two surgeries for a detached retina -- all is well so far, according to the surgeon who appears to be about twelve and fugitive from study hall.  Hard to read or write anything sustained.  My Nook has a setting for the Missus Magoo font -- four or five words per page -- so I can at least keep up with my recreational read: Margaret George's Elizabeth I.

I miss posting so I'll share something I like very much.  This is "Sally Go Round the Roses" by the Jaynetts. (I didn't care at the time but the making of the record is an interesting yarn.)  This was 1963 -- a summer of beaches and golden sunshine every single day. 

 

I just can't resist -- here is the same song done by  ? and the Mysterians.  Complete with feather fans and (WTF) pandas. Pandas? Really?  Some things are destined to remain mysterious.  Forever. 

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa -- Royal Albert Hall spring 2009.  Is That a Gigliotti Guitar?  Maybe.

I'm posting this now because the local PBS station is having a pledge drive using "Joe Bonamassa Live at Royal Albert Hall".  When Joe was playing in Las Vegas, George went with his friend Pat who was doing something with the guitars he had custom built for Joe.  George was backstage acting as a roadie -- and he had the time of his life. 

So below is a repost from December 07 when we first saw Joe in person.  I remember seeing him somehow on television when he was about 12 and opening for BB King.

 

REPOST --

Wednesday, 07 December 2005

I'll take Nightlife for Five Hundred, Alex -- and please throw in a pair of those Texas socks

What a wonderful time we had last night.  Husband George has known Pat Gigliotti for years.  Pat has started a new career building custom guitars.  Last night blues musician Joe Bonamassa played the first of two sold-out appearances at Jazz Alley in Seattle, and we were there with our friend Carolyn, in blue..

Thanks to Pat's courtesy we sat at stageside so we were able to see and hear just great.  Joe changes guitars maybe six times in a 90-minute set, and last night three of the guitars he chose were crafted by Pat.  The instruments are beautiful - go see them at Pat's site.

It was like watching lightning, like hearing something entirely new, but old as the blues at the same time. Worth hearing.   

But if you get a chance to see him perform do not pass it up.  Steal your kid's lunch money, pretend you forgot Mothers Day, buy bologna that has passed the pull date, quit your job -- whatever risk it may take, cast your fate to the winds and go. Even if he is playing in Duluth and you live in Taos, go.  He's that good.

Getting home late, too happy to sleep right away.  So I walked AROUND the NEVERENDING AFGHAN that is partially completed for my demanding, slave driving sister-in-law Diana -- I didn't give it so much as a glance, carefully avoided making eye contact with the thing, even though I could FEEL it whining for attention --  grabbed the Texas yarn and cruised on the Texas socks.  They're a sweet color, works up nice; Sockotta and double circs.  Less bubble-gummy, more orange and red than they appear in this photo.  They might do for my evil stepdaughter Marcella for Christmas.  We'll see how they turn out.

Wednesday, 07 December 2005 | Permalink

D'oh Canada

First They Came for Huckleberry Finn.... . . and now they've come for the rock band Dire Straits, the third verse of whose 1985 No. 1 hit, "Money For Nothing" is now banned from Canadian radio for using what officials called an "extremely offensive" word.

--From Robert Stacy McCain's article in the American Spectator.

Wussification of the West.  The tyranny of the perpetually offended.

Holiday Delights

Try to stay grumpy while watching this.  Just try it.  Straight No Chaser doing the Christmas Can Can.

And if you need another jump-start to put you in the Christmas mood, try this, which would get me out shopping quicker if it happened in my local mall.  People in a food court munching away when the Hallelujah Chorus breaks out, courtesy of a flash mob. 

 

 

 

Vancouver - Canadian Pop Royalty

The Olympics.  Opening Ceremonies.  Canadian K.D. Lang sang "Hallelujah" written by Canadian Leonard Cohen.  Standing O-O-O-O-O.

Once in a century, maybe, a voice like this appears.  Copyright prevents showing the Opening Ceremony video but here is the song performed by Ms. Lang in 2005.

Christmas CanCan

The group is STRAIGHT NO CHASER.

You cannot watch this without smiling -- really you can't.  Thank you to Bonnie.

Well, okay.  I tend to be a tad Grinchly around all the Christmas jingly stuff -- but this not only made me smile, it made me want to watch it three times and sing along.  And also to think about baking cookies or something.  The kind with little red and green sparkly thingies on top.  And going to the mall.

Nah.