Reporting in from the slagheap of black aspiration:

I read a survey not so long ago in which a shocking ("Shocked! Shocked!") 66 percent of all African-American males between the ages of 13 and 18 said they believe they can earn a living playing professional sports. The logical conclusion is that most of that percentile also sense that getting a good education is not really all that necessary, i.e. "Screw the SATs. I can play for the CLIPPERS!" And, in the survey, a fair number of their parents seconded that emotion. GOD HOW I HATE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS! There oughta be a law.

As famous as ever - Happy Birthday, Duke

Photos (copies of copies, alas) by my friend, the late Ted Williams (he took many hundreds of The Duke). PS: Not the ballplayer Williams. Wouldn't even know what he looked like. MY Ted is who they shoulda froze

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I once saw Ellington perform in his bathrobe at the crack of dawn at N.Y's Apollo. And then, in a tux at Basin Street East. Ummmm. . .just sharing.

Fallen between AND beneath the cracks. . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBPcQrUkWfs 

 

 

Singer Bob Ellis was a fairly well-known entertainer circ 1945-1970, especially in the Virgin Islands where he owned and operated the high end St. Thomas Club. He performed there as well. Also played piano. Made a number of nice recordings. . .most of them on his own label. The one heard here was co-written and produced by the excellent singer Bob Haymes, Dick Haymes' brother. It is arranged by Hugo Montenegro  and recorded at a pricey New York Studio in the mid-1950s. The orch contains 40-some players. Ellis was also a society figure of sorts having  been married to the heiress to the Dodge Motors fortune from 1951-'55. Lots of Winchell-Kilgallen coverage of their rocky marriage. Don't know whatever happened to Ellis post-seventies. By no means a jazz singer, still he belts nicely. Good legit "sound."

HAPPY B'DAY TO THE TIMELESS ELLA FITZGERALD

On the road in 1939