The Perils of Spring Housecleaning

click and click at right of docu to enlarge

While doing so just now, I excavated this. Gakkkk! Where in godz name is Max Perkins when you need him?

Those who can, do. . .

Michael Buble doesn't need me to defend him, but from all the negative remarks about him on last week's American Idol, I was expecting something far worse. I just now took a look at the clip on youtube, and while he's a bit---if you will--- "pitchy" and not in very good voice that night, it's not like he's Wayne Newton ferkrisakes. (However, that attitudinous twitchy Elvis upper lip has gotta go.)

As for Buble's primetime remark about "steal your parents' credit cards" on AI, that almost exact same statement got the great Soupy Sales kicked off of daytime TV back in the sixties! So I guess Michael's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. But I like his singing. He has a nice smoker's bran muffin growl in his lower register, swings nicely, and has overall good conception. I fearlessly predict that someday in the not too distant future he'll make a trio or quartet album that will instantaneously convert most naysayers.

I had never seen the show before, but decided I wanted to scope out Tony Bennett on it last week. With Tony, it became a sort of Vegas version of Terence Mcnally's Master Class. As for the much reported-upon Sanjaya and his version of "Cheek to Cheek," he might well turn out to be the lovechild that Jonathan and Darlene Edwards tried to hide. Not since Mrs. Miller!

I think judge Simon summed up Sanjaya's performance best with his single word reaction: "Incredible!"

I hope Sanjaya wins the season and destroys "Idol" in the process. Enuf of this melismania!

That's all.

Happy Birthday to YOU

I promise I'll get better at this business of uploading complete albums. But, hey! I'm an old man, and sometimes this stuff doesn't come so easily to someone raised on prrrractically 78s and crystal radio sets. Speaking of which it's my birthday. . .but YOU get the gifts.

Tommy Wolf's first album on Fraternity has been fairly readily available, but this one from 1957 is a toughie. Recently I found a copy in a friend's collection and transferred from vinyl. Feat. the participation of the doubly redoubtable Monty Budwig and Shelly Manne, I like this one a tad better. You've got to click the above link and THEN enter the code "4IKNNY" (wish I could figger out zip files).

Tracks are: 1. I've Never Been Anyone 2. So It's Spring 3. Apples on the Lilac Tree 4. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most 5. It Isn't So Good It Couldn't Get Better 6. Here's To Spring 7. You Smell So Good 8. A New Day a New Life 9. My Girl Likes Me Like I Am 10. She's in Love With the Boss 11. From an Ancient Proverb 12. Will Love Come Along?

lyrics for 3, 4, 5, 8. 10. 11, 12 by the wonderful Fran Landesman. Tommy wrote lyrics for 1, 6. Wayne Arnold = 2, 9, and 7 by Harry Stone (who he?)

A Hell of a Life. . .more 2/2

Chapter two, part two