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very valid observation.

While dys and Yit discuss validity, folks. Here's our quote for the day:

Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.
Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000), Charlie

just my own rambling thoughts here folks, I seem to have always separated music I listen to in (1) artists or (2) technicians. This having nothing to do with their success but rather what I think I feel/sense in their music. I apply this to the composers/lyricists/preformers etc. as an example and a simple one at that I think of John Cale as an artist and Eric Clapton as a technician.
anyone have any thoughts?

now that i've been validated, how about an anti-carol by Miles Davis & Bob Dorough:

Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern)

Merry Christmas
I hope you have a white one but for me it's blue

Blue Christmas
That's the way you say it when you're feeling blue
Blue Xmas
When you're blue at Christmastime
You see right through
All the waste
All the sham
All the haste
And plain old bad taste

Sidewalk Santa Clauses are much much much too thin
They're wearing fancy rented costumes
False beards
And big fat phony grins
And nearly everybody's standing round
Holding out their empty hand or tin cup
Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme
Fill my stocking up
All the way up

It's a time when the greedy
Give a dime to the needy

Blue Christmas
All the paper, tinsel, and the folderol
Blue Xmas
People trading gifts that matter not at all
What I call
Folderol
Bitter gall
Folderol

Lots of hungry homeless children in your own back yards
While you're very very busy addressing twenty zillion Christmas cards
Now yuletide is the season to receive
And oh to give
And ah to share
But all you December do-gooders rush around
And rant and rave and loudly blare
Merry Christmas
I hope yours is a bright one but for me it's blue

here's an interesting note i found about this selection:

Davis, Columbia's best-selling jazz artist, was persuaded to contribute a title to a Christmas compilation album to be in the stores in December 1962. According to Jack Chambers (Milestones), Davis complained to Dorough, "What the **** am I supposed to play for them? 'White Christmas'?" The lyrics are by Dorough and the arrangement is by Gil Evans. Davis plays some very tasty obbligatos behind Dorough's vocals, and Wayne Shorter -- taking a break from the Jazz Messengers -- has an excellent one-chorus solo on the issued take.

dys, i think Clapton plays with a lot of feeling these days. if any guitar player fits the technician label to a T, i think it's Jimmy Page.

Thanks, Yit and dys for the musical exchanges. We all become a bit jaded at Christmas, I think.

News from the animal world:

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New mammal found in Borneo jungles: WWF Tue Dec 6, 6:01 AM ET



JAKARTA (AFP) - Researchers from the WWF conservation group may have made the extremely rare discovery of a new species of mammal in the dense forests of central Borneo, the organisation said.



The carnivorous mammal, slightly larger than a domestic cat with dark red fur and a long bushy tail, was photographed twice by an automated camera at night in 2003 on the Indonesian side of the island, the WWF said Tuesday.

Neither Bornean wildlife experts nor locals well acquainted with the area recognised the animal, the group said.

The animal, which has very small ears and large hind legs, was spotted in the Kayan Mentarang national park in the mountainous jungles of Kalimantan, where vast tracts of rainforest still remain.

"Most were convinced it was a new species of carnivore," WWF said, adding that researchers were hoping to set traps to catch a live specimen.

WWF ecologist Stephan Wulffraat told AFP that a live capture of the animal was required to confirm it was a new species.

The animal appeared to be a cross "between a fox and a cat."

If I find a picture of that odd creature, I'll put it on our bulletin board.

Yeah, whatever this animal is, keep it in it's own backyard. We have enough ferral varmits setting up home in our towns & cities. These freeloaders should be taught too know their place. That place is a ring fenced island like Greenland. I mean it's for the best, for their safety as much as our peace of mind. You know what happened when they introduced little bunnie rabbits into Australia. Well we know about rabbits, right. They turn out more littluns every year than Honda makes cars.
Strewth -- lets get real before some Darwin reincarnation gets on board.

Well, hello there, oakman.Then how about a song for our listeners by the Monkees:



Monkees song lyrics
(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone song lyrics

I'm not your stepping stone

You're trying to make your mark in society
Your using all the tricks that you used on me.
You're reading all them high fashion magazines
The clothes you're wearin' girl are causing public scenes.

I said
I'm not your stepping stone

Not your stepping stone.

When I first met you girl you didn't have no shoes
Now you're walking 'round like you're front page news.
You've been awful careful 'bout the friends you choose
But you won't find my name in your book of Who's Who.

I said
I'm not your stepping stone

Not your stepping stone.

here's a dedication to our PD, inspired by another thread:

(Recitation) If some of ya'll never been down South too much... I'm gonna tell you a little bit about this, so that you'll understand What I'm talking about Down there we have a plant that grows out in the woods and the fields, looks somethin' like a turnip green. Everybody calls it Polk salad. Polk salad. Used to know a girl that lived down there and she'd go out in the evenings and pick a mess of it... Carry it home and cook it for supper, 'cause that's about all they had to eat, But they did all right.

Down in Louisiana
Where the alligators grow so mean
There lived a girl that I swear to the world
Made the alligators look tame
Polk salad Annie
polk salad Annie
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her mama was working on the chain-gang
(a mean, vicious woman)

Everyday 'fore supper time
She'd go down by the truck patch
And pick her a mess o' Polk salad
And carry it home in a tote sack
Polk salad Annie
'Gators got you granny
Everybody said it was a shame
'Cause her mama was aworkin' on the chain-gang
(a wretched, spiteful, straight-razor totin' woman, Lord have mercy.
Pick a mess of it)

Her daddy was lazy and no count
Claimed he had a bad back
All her brothers were fit for was
stealin' watermelons out of my truck patch
Polk salad Annie,
the gators got your granny
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her mama was a working' on the chain gang
(Sock a little polk salad to me,
you know I need a mess of it)

Yeah I hear that, I was only trying to give an example of my personal feelings re the Clapton>Cale idea. what I meant to offer is the idea of the distinction between "artist" vs "technician" also I am not making a qualitive assessment, Clapton is a great musician however I think Cale is a consumate artist. I would like to hear others thoughts.

and i understand what you're saying, as well, i think. if i could allude to my favorite genre, jazz, Thelonious Monk was an extraordinary artist, but technically far from brilliant. or as an old cliche goes, and i don't know who originated it, it's not what you play, it's what you don't play.

and i'll join you in inviting other comments.

Ah, Yit, that's great. Thanks, honey. I remember my grandmother talking about polk berries, but polk salad, I have never eaten. Wilted lettuce salad is good though.

Dys, I understand what you are asking. I'll be back later to comment. I simply don't feel well right now.

station break:

This is cyberspace, WA2K radio.

I don't know if this would count, but I think Frank Sinatra is an artist for his vocalisations. The personality and power of his styling was unique.

For musicians, Charlie Mingus comes to mind as an artistic genius.

In Bob;s bio of Ira Gershwin, the everyday sounds of the city were used, especially in American in Paris.

There have been several recordings of everyday sounds that, while not musical (usually) are fascinating when they are heard with concentration.

Here is a site that has several clips of some of these sounds. I especially enjoyed the "Ladies at tea, yakking and the sounds of Times Square at News Years.

http://www.folkways.si.edu/search/AlbumDetails.aspx?ID=1139#

Well, listeners, I guess it's my turn to comment.

Incidentally, this is a great discussion in musicology.

Yit, that comment about "it's not what you play, it's what you don't play." was really a great way to define jazz.

Yes, dys, artist versus technician. I have a friend who can read notes like crazy, and plays pipe organ that would make you think there were "tears in heaven" but he simply does not have the artistry for jazz. Because I was born into a musical family, I learn to listen at an early age and pick up some things by osmosis.

I also recall vocalist who had great voices, but simply did not have a sense of rhythm, and actually had to count the beat to know when to begin.

Frankly, folks. I believe labels are the ruination of any music. I had never heard of free jazz nor fusion jazz, but it's probably the result of good musicians trying to create a new sound, because that is what they do.

Diane, as we discussed earlier, it's not so much Frank's voice, it's the rhythm he creates.

Okay, folks, I'll stop now. <smile>

no bands by alphabet tonight, just band, representing "R", one of my faves REM

What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
REM

"What's the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed
I thought I'd pegged you an idiot's dream
Tunnel vision from the outsider's screen
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh

I'd studied your cartoons, radio, music, tv, movies, magazines
Richard said, "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy"
A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh

"What's the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh
Butterfly decal, rearview mirror, dogging the scene
You smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I never understood the frequency, uh-huh
You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh
I couldn't understand
You said that irony was the shackles of youth, uh-huh
I couldn't understand
You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh
I couldn't understand
I never understood, don't f**k with me, uh-huh


Half A World Away
REM

This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to a miracle
high alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hand is tired my heart aches
I'm half a world away here
my head sworn
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Go it alone
Hold it along and hold, hold.

This lonely deep sit hollow
I'm half a world
Half the world away
My shoes are gone
My life spent
I had too much to drink
I didn't think
and I I didn't think of you
I guess that's all I needed
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Blackbirds backwards forwards and fall and hold hold.

Oh this lonely world is wasted
Pathetic eyes high alive
blind to the tide that turns the sea
This storm it came up strong
it shook the trees
And blew away our fear
I couldn't even hear

To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Blackbirds backwards forwards and fall and hold hold.

This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to a miracle
high alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hands tired my heart aches
I'm half a world away and go.


(Don't Go Back To) Rockville
REM

Looking at your watch a third time waiting in the station for a bus
Going to a place that's far, so far away and if that's not enough
Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know
You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go
Walk home to an empty house, sit around all by yourself
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Don't go back to Rockville
And waste another year

At night I drink myself to sleep and pretend
I don't care if you're not here with me
'Cause it's so much easier to handle
All my problems if I'm too far out to sea
But something better happen soon
Or it's gonna be too late to bring you back

It's not as though I really need you
If you were here I'd only bleed you
But everybody else in town only wants to bring you down and
That's not how it ought to be
I know it might sound strange, but I believe
You'll be coming back before too long

Ah, dj, Three REM's in a row. Delightful, Canada. I particularly like this stanza:


"This could be the saddest dusk
I've ever seen
Turn to a miracle
high alive
My mind is racing
As it always will
My hand is tired my heart aches
I'm half a world away here
my head sworn
To go it alone
And hold it along
Haul it along
And hold it
Go it alone
Hold it along and hold, hold."

And that will be my goodnight song to all of you.

From Letty with much love.

Willa Cather
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.


Willa Seibert Cather (December 7, 1873 - April 24, 1947) is among the most eminent female American authors. She is known for her depictions of US prairie life in novels like O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and Death Comes for the Archbishop.

Cather was born in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley but her family relocated to Nebraska in 1883 and she spent the rest of her childhood in Red Cloud, Nebraska. She insisted on attending college, so her family borrowed money so she could enroll at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While there she became a regular contributor to the Nebraska State Journal.

She then moved to Pittsburgh where where she taught high school and worked for Home Monthly and McClure's Magazine. The latter publication serialized her first novel, Alexander's Bridge, which was heavily influenced by Henry James. She met author Sarah Orne Jewett, who advised Cather to rely less on the influence of James and more on her native Nebraska.

For her novels she returned to the prairie for inspiration, and these works became popular and critical successes. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1923 for One of Ours (1922). She was celebrated by critics like H.L. Mencken for writing about ordinary people in plainspoken language. When he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, Sinclair Lewis said Cather should have won it instead. However, later critics attacked Cather, a political conservative, for ignoring the plight of those ordinary people and tended to favor more experimental authors.

In 1973, Willa Cather was honored by the United States Postal Service with her image on a postage stamp. Cather is a member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willa_Cather

Rudolf Friml
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Rudolf Friml (December 7, 1879 - November 12, 1972) was a Jewish composer of operettas, musicals, songs, as well as a pianist.


Early Life

Born in Prague, at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and now capital of the Czech Republic, Friml showed aptitude for music at an early age. His abilities gained him acceptance into the Prague Conservatory where he studied music composition with Antonin Dvorak. While studying at the conservatory he began to compose light songs and airs. After graduation he took a position as accompanist to violinist Jan Kubelik. He toured with Kubelik twice in the United States and at the end of the second tour remained there to compose. He premiered his Piano Concerto in B-Major in 1904 with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Walter Damrosch.


The Firefly

One of the most popular theatrical forms in the early decades of the 20th Century in America was the operetta and its most famous composer was Irish-born Victor Herbert. It was announced in 1912 that operetta diva Emma Trentini would be starring in a new operetta by Herbert with lyricist Otto Harbach entitled The Firefly. Shortly before the writing of the operetta, Trentini appeared in a special performance of Herbert's Naughty Marietta conducted by Herbert himself. When Trentini refused to sing "Italian Street Song" for the encore, an enraged Herbert stormed out of the orchestra pit refusing any further work with Trentini.

Arthur Hammerstein, the operetta's sponsor, frantically began to search for a composer. Not finding anyone who could compose as well as Herbert, Hammerstein settled on the almost unknown Friml for his classical training. After a month of work, Friml produced a glittering score for what would be his first theatrical success.

After the success of The Firefly, Friml followed with three more operettas that were successful, though not as successful as The Firefly. These were High Jinks (1913), Katinka (1915) and You're in Love (1917). He also contributed songs to a musical in 1915 entitled The Peasant Girl.

Musical Comedies

With operetta falling out of fashion as the 1920s neared, Friml moved onto to musical comedy. He scored his first major musical comedy success in 1924 with Rose-Marie. This musical, on which Friml collaborated with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, was a hit worldwide and a few of the songs from it also became hits including "The Mounties" and "Indian Love Call". Friml's use of murder as part of the plot as well as his integrating the music and the plot was ground-breaking for its time.

After Rose-Marie's success came two other musical comedies, The Vagabond King in 1925 with lyrics by P.G. Wodehouse and Clifford Grey, and The Thee Musketeers in 1928. In addition, Friml contributed to Florenz Ziegfeld's follies of 1921 and 1923.

Like his contemporary, Ivor Novello, he was sometimes ridiculed for the insubstantial nature of his compositions and often dubbed as trite. Friml was also criticized for the old-fashioned, Old World sentiments found in his works. By the end of the 1930s, Friml had fallen out of fashion.

Friml retired after writing the operetta Music Hath Charms in 1934. He died in Los Angeles in 1972 and was interred in the "Court of Honor" at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

A few of Friml's works have seen revivals on Broadway, these include a 1943 production of The Vagabond King and a 1984 production of The Three Musketeers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Friml