The Hog Logs On

Yardhog's birthday month celebration continues tonight at the Jazz Factory with a performance by saxophonist Jane Bunnet and her Cuban band. I first saw Bunnet last year in Chicago at the Hot House, one of that city's most interesting venues for international music. I hope to get some good photos with my new digital camera. For some reason I've been taking a lot of photos lately of attractive female musicians and singers. At the Jazzfest Sunday I got a wonderful shot of singer Sonia Hensley in a short yellow mini dress and matching high heels. Bunnet is also a very attractive woman, although not as flashy Hensley. I remember I couldn't take my eyes off of her in Chicago. It's always amazing to me that someone who is beautiful and wonderful to look at, can also be a great musician.

Birds, Babes and White Castles

Warning: Never drink five martinis late at night and chase them with five White Castle grease bombs. It's not a pretty picture.
     Instead of riding my bike last night I decided to go to the Jazz Factory downtown and catch Pete Peterson. I called singer Gayle Wynters earlier in the day and she met me there. Pete was playing with a trio led by Jamaican drummer Hugh Peterson (no relation) and featuring tenor saxophonist Tim Whalen, and young bass player. I can't remember his name.
     Pete kicked ass on the club's big Yamaha grand. And I got some great pictures with my new digital camera, although I'm still learning and all thumbs.
     Gayle had great news. Pianist Roger Kellaway, for those who don't know his outstanding jazz credentials, he's the guy who composed and played the opening piano theme on the 1970s tv show "All In the Family," is wanting her to record a new cd with him of Cole Porter songs at Vic's a jazz club in Santa Monica, California. He loves Gail's singing and wrote to her in an email that they should have performed the music in the recent Cole Porter film "Da' Lovely." He said even Natalie Cole couldn't over-come the lousy arrangements used in that flick.
     Yesterday before I left for the club I went to Winn Dixie in Saint Matthews, which is located in the middle of what was formerly a horse farm before suburbia encroached. The paved lot, which contains several large stores, is still the home of many birds including mallard ducks, crows and a little bird, I forget its name, that resembles a sand piper.
     Last night the lot was full of these tiny creatures. There were also several colorful, old customized cars from the Classic Car show that's in town this weekend. Lots of eye candy. All you have to do is PAY ATTENTION.
     There was so much to look at that I nearly missed seeing a young, attractive woman in a Hooters t-shirt holding hands with her boy friend at the super market's entrance. But she was just a cliche, a distraction. Everybody looks at a  pretty girl.

Summer Musings

I'm starting to enjoy the benefits of 14 months of house renovation. Last night I was sitting at my new granite breakfast bar, when I realized the two rooms together have an altogether different acoustic balance. By sitting further away from the speakers you get the effect of being in an actual nightclub sitting at the bar facing the bandstand. The sensation is exquisite.
     At the same time I could look out into the yard and see at the birdfeeders - Get This - black-caped chickadees, tufted tit mice, cardinals, doves, robins, woodpeckers and an occassional hummingbird.  Plus squirrels and chipmunks feeding on the ground. A much better show than "Thunder Over Louisville."
     These are re-cyclable natural pets. They don't cost anything. You don't have to walk them in the morning, take them to the vet and if they die they're immediately replaced. COOL! D said it would be a good thing if husbands were like that.
     Pianist Pete Peterson is playing at the Jazz Factory downtown tonight and tomorrow. I was reading an article in New Orlean's "OffBeat" magazine yesterday that mentioned Pete. The piano player being profiled, a fellow named Hood, I forgot his first name, said the only piano lesson he had ever taken was from a guy named Pete Petterson at Mom's Music in Louisville.

OLD MAN MOSE

Yardhog completed 70 miles of biking today in three days. Rode down to Shawnee Park Golf Course this morning along the river. All kinds of wild life breaking in front of him, rabbits, doves, robins. mallard ducks. The track was wet from yesterday's storms. When I got to the park just before entering a heavily wooded area a quarter inch of mud covering the asphalt and assorted sticks left from the river, caused the Hog to use caution and turn back. No use tempting fate.
I did managed to stop at the new children's playground and boat dock that opened last week at River Front Park. A very nice area with lots of seating and good views of the river.
Last night D and I sat through two sets of singer/pianist Mose Allison at the Jazz Factory. A large, but not very attentive crowd. Couldn't these people save their cash and go some place like Walmart to hold their loud, long, boring conversations.
Allison doesn't look much different from when I last saw him playing on Washington Street in Louisville in the 1970s. A little grayer, a little thinner but the man is 77 years old.
I first became aware of Allsion over 40 years ago when I bought a record by saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims entitled "You n'Me." Allison was the pianist on the date. Not long after he began a solo career based on an odd melange of classically influenced piano, nearly dissonant vocals ( he sings around the edges of a chord where few vocalists dare to go) plus an eclectic repertoire of originals, blues and country music.
Trouble is, I know the man's music by heart and last night there were no surprises. I did enjoy the crowd's reaction when Allison sang an old original with the lyrics "Everyone wants peace on earth as soon as we win this war." Somethings never age. luv, yardhog

SO, YOU WANT TO BE IN PICTURES!

A nice bike ride down to the river this morning. The air full of the scents of fresh mown grass and road kill. A bloody, fly blown raccoon smashed into an unrecognizable pulp save for it's tell-tale striped tail.
The mighty Ohio was much cleaner and drift wood free than last week, although there wasn't a pleasure boater to be seen. I hadn't paused a moment until the distant rumble of thunder and dark clouds on the Indiana side caused the Hog to head for home. Good thing, it has been storming all day. Severe weather has hit the state again.
Despite the weather L and I drove downtown to the Galt House for a casting call for extras in a Hollywood movie that is being shot here. I should of known better. The event had been announced all week both on TV and the newspaper so, it turned out to be a cattle call. Everybody including Betty Lou and Bob with their photos clutched tightly in their greedy, expectant hands were there waiting to be transformed into "movie stars." I told L how this phenomenon is fully explained in Walker Percy's novel "The MovieGoer." How an ennui laden day can be transformed by the mere presense of an "ACTOR." As Spaulding Gray so eloquently put it "America is a pagan land and all the Gods and Goddesses are movie stars."
When we arrived at the hotel we boarded a packed elevator to the third floor and when the doors opened, I panicked. Bodies as far as the eye could see lined the room in front of me and some Hollywood type was standing amid the hoard announcing "Alright we're going to take the first hundred people and if you all don't cooperate we're going to be here all day."
Visions of Dachau and people being loaded on-to box cars filled my head and I said to L "Let's get out of here!"
Gearing up for Mose Allsion tonight at the Jazz Factory. I'm looking forward to it. Unlike tuesdays Rick Jones concert I'm sure I'll be able to understand the lyrics. Funny thing, both Jones and Allison are musical poets with a lot say, but I swear to the heavens I couldn't make out a word that lady uttered during her show. I can't even make out the words on her latest cd and the liner notes don't provide song lyrics, So, I'm still in the dark.