A squawking wild turkey as president, voodoo, a dancing grandpa pharmacist and a nervous criminal urinating in his pants on television — welcome to Mexico’s election race, as wacky as it is vitriolic.
Full of colorful insults, blaring pop songs and nonsensical sparring, the campaign for the July 2 election has been based as much on personalities and petty point-scoring as policies.
Read the rest here. What are you doing this weekend?
This weekend?
I’m goin’ to Chicago.
Sorry, but I can’t take you.
Ravinia Jazz Festival.
Playing on Sunday.
Mostly Oliver Nelson and Quincy Jones charts.
Classic post-bop, mainstream jazz music.
Classic.
Later…
AG
P.S. Ida Cox
Chicago Monkey Man Blues
Recorded in March 1924 for Paramount. From Milestone MLP-2015 “Ida Cox: Blues Ain’t Nothin’ Else But…”
I’m goin’ to Chicago, sorry but I can’t take you
Yes I’m goin’ to Chicago, sorry but I can’t take you
Cause there’s nothin’ on State Street, that a monkey man can do
I’ve got a monkey man here, a monkey man over there
I’ve got a monkey man here, a monkey man over there
If monkey men were money, I’d be a Chicago millionaire
I’ve got fourteen men now, I only want one more
I’ve got fourteen men now, and I only want one more
As soon as I can get one, I’ll let these fourteen go
Now I’m goin’ tell you, like the day goes so must you
Now I’m goin’ tell you, like the day goes so must you
When you nobody no money, mama can no usin’ you
I can take my monkey men, and stand them all in line
I can take my monkey men, and stand them all in line
Anybody can count them, one two three four five six seven eight times
Caught the Chicago Bluesfest last weekend — as close to heaven as I expect to get.
Have a good time, and don’t forget the Jazzfest downtown starting Sept. 1 –free and good. With a mainstage and a couple of smaller one’s, there’s always something great going on. The schedule’s here.
Which Oliver Nelson tunes do think you’ll be playing? Maybe I’ll work out something so some of these turkeys can hear one of them and get some idea of what you’ll be up to.
I’ll tell you exactly.
Hoe-Down
Stolen Moments
Black, Brown and Beautiful
Emancipation Blues
Self Help Is Needed
Ja-Da (Oliver’s reharmonization and arrangement of the old New Orleans standard)
I Remember Bird
Miss Fine
Step Right Up
Naptown Blues
Down By the Riverside (Another reharmonization and arrangement of an old warhorse)
Night Train (Ditto)
Of them all, Stolen Moments, Down By the Riverside and Hoe Down are the three that just put me on the floor every time I hear or play them.
Master work.
And they are not “turkeys”, these bloggers.
Just culturally deprived by the society in which they grew up.
Hee hee.
Later…
AG
Good choices. I use turkey as a term of affection. I’m sure you understand.
“As Secretary of Culture, I hereby swear to uphold the Multicultural Constitution of these United States so as to produce FEWER ignorant turkeys than now populate …”
I am presently involved in a sort of low key flame war at My Left Wing over my having had the temerity to suggest that people turn off their TVs and stop accepting the Big Lie that mainstream TV promulgates. Oliver Nelson and the entire history of jazz shoul;d be the natural cultural inheritance of every American turkey walking the streets. ESPECIALLY those of us who think that we are hip enough to criticize what is going on here. But it is not.
And it is our fault.
The music is available and, objectively speaking, it is a a GREAT music. But we have let it go away from the consciousness of several generations now, and the country is much the worse for it.
They ARE “turkeys”, in some serious sense.
For not seeing the Big Lie.
Anyone who ignores this musical heritage…the product of the real social avant garde of this country, the very first place where whites and blacks met in real equality, the kind of equality that allowed black people a place of primacy when it was so deserved…anyone who has not made a CONSCIOUS effort to understand this music which was ignited by the divine sparks thrown off by the quest for freedom and equality of a severely maligned race…IS a turkey.
Nice, well meaning turkeys, most of ’em.
But turkeys nevertheless.
JIVE turkeys, as the bebop patois would have it.
So it goes.
Oop bop shebam,…kluglemop.
As Diz would have said.
Later…
AG
No work, just trying to catch up on social activities.
Saturday: Clearwater Festival with other Tribbers – you’ll be there?
Sunday: Father’s Day w/asklets and curly w/brother&family.
I’ll be there unless Tracy drives the wrong way 😉
Getting organized!!!!
Buying my cat some formal attire. And duck. Always duck.
I’m trying to make my place presentable this weekend ahead of my son’s graduation party/barbeque/horseshoe tournament/pool party next weekend. I can’t believe my kid is that old already, and as big as me. Thank goodness I can still master the evil eye ;o)
Hopefully, I’m seeing you tomorrow.
Watching World Cup soccer.