September Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

SEPTEMBER REFLECTIONS

Komorebi is Japanese for “the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees” from Lost in Translation, a collection of words without English counterparts … NYC’s CultureAID will prepare arts organizations for another Hurricane Sandy-like emergency … A newly discovered extinct swamp animal is named Jagger’s Water Nymph because its mouth structure is “a highly innervated muzzle with mobile and tactile lips.” … San Francisco’s Spoke Art Gallery pays homage to Stanley Kubrick’s glorious films with eye-catching artworks … Metallica made the Guinness World Records as the first rock band to perform on all seven continents … To celebrate the NY Philharmonic’s Opening Night Gala, the Empire State Building again glowed red … Hakuna Matata! Broadway’s The Lion King has the most box office total of any work in any media in entertainment history … New jukebox musical, Piece of My Heart, tells the story of Bert Berns who wrote Twist and Shout, Hang On Sloopy, and oh yeah, Piece of My Heart … NY Film Festival’s celebration of the wit, intelligence, and strong women characters of Joseph Mankiewicz’s films includes All About Eve and A Letter to Three Wives … Opening night at the Met Opera saw the return of James Levine leading the orchestra in a spirited and updated Le Nozze di Figaro. Bravo, Maestro! … George Harrison’s The Apple Years 1968-75 box set of his first six albums, digitally remastered from analog masters. Also an all-star tribute concert George Fest benefits the Sweet Relief Musician’s Fund … Also new Beatles Mono Vinyl box set … lullaby and…The Ceaseless Roar, Robert Plant’s 10th solo album inspired by blues, bluegrass, West African and world music, is “a kaleidoscope of sound, color, and friendship” … Introduced to music by granddad Theodore Augustus “Gus” Dupree, Keith Richards wrote Gus & Me, a children’s book with pen-and-ink illustrations by daughter Theodora … We lost Bob Crewe. You know his songs, the Four Seasons hits, Sherry, Walk Like a Man, Rag Doll, and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You … Also, Joe Sample, the Crusaders pianist, played funk, pop, dance, jazz, rock. “Unfortunately, in this country, there’s a lot of prejudice against the various forms of music. The jazz people hate the blues, the blues people hate rock, and the rock people hate jazz. But how can anyone hate music?” So true … And Bruce Springsteen turns 65. Born to run and still driving, searchin’, boppin’, and making magic. Happy birthday, Boss.

CAN WE TALK?

Who were Joan Rivers’ first guests on her Late Show Starring Joan Rivers? Cher, Pee-Wee Herman, and Elton John. Cool? Very … “I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door – or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” … Words to live by from a person who was always relevant, who always spoke the truth, and who was always funny. Amen.

As RUN-DMC’s agent, I booked them on the Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, where they performed Walk This Way in October 1986. And yes, Joan rapped with my guys: “Well, have you heard, I’m the first and number one, Not the best, not the worst, cause my name is Run, And I’m second cause I reckon that you want to see, An emcee like D inside the place to be, And have you heard he is third and his name is Jay.” And Joan raps: “I’m Mama Joan and I’m here to say, I got my own show and I’m here to stay!”

FUNNY + INFLUENTIAL = COSBY

“My father established our relationship when I was seven years old. He looked at me and said, ‘You know, I brought you in this world, and I can take you out. And it don’t make no difference to me, I’ll make another one look just like you.’” … In Cosby: His Life and Times (Simon & Schuster, September 2014), Mark Whitaker, longtime Newsweek editor and TV news executive, reveals the man we all think we know. Still travelling to do shows more than 30 weeks each year, Bill Cosby is a celebrity without entourage who carries his own bags and says hello to everyone. Mark will make you believe that the man we invited into our homes every week, the man who made us laugh at our own foibles, this groundbreaking comedian, is the approachable man we thought he was. Thank you Mark.

WE CAN HELP

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. Donations help pay for an artist’s medical expenses, housing, food, utilities, clothing, transportation, programs, and counseling.

Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, RUN-DMC’s DJ, died October 30, 2002. The Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music provides funding and resources to support free public school music education programs. Donate to continue Jay’s legacy of creativity, positivity and community support.

Soundtrack to this Issue is
Radio Nowhere by Bruce Springsteen
From the album, Magic ©2007

C’mon, sing along:
I was driving through the misty rain
Searchin’ for a mystery train
Boppin’ through the wild blue
Tryin’ to make a connection with you

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Sun through leaves pic: Stout Travel Adventure
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World: By Ella Frances Sanders (Ten Speed Press, September 2014)
Jagger’s Water Nymph quote: Journal of Paleontology (September 2014)
Kubrick pic: Tracie Ching
Robert Plant quote: from Amazon editorial review
Joe Sample quote: Los Angeles Times (1985)
RUN-DMC and Joan Rivers rap: Jam Master Jay: The Heart of Hip-Hop by David Thigpen
Cosby: His Life and Times: Simon & Schuster (September 2014)
Radio Nowhere lyrics: © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

May Newsletter: A Review of the Month’s Culture, Arts + Trends

MY OH MY WHAT A MAY

The US Postal Service honored two giants, issuing the Jimi Hendrix and Harvey Milk stamps. Need a better excuse to stop texting and send a letter? … Queen guitarist Brian May reveals plans for a new Queen album featuring unreleased Freddie Mercury vocals from the 1980s. More Freddie Mercury? Yes, please … Audra McDonald channels is Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill … Journey lead singer, Steve Perry, one of the true great rock voices, performed on stage with the Eels for the first time in almost 20 years. Don’t ever stop believin’ … Buzz Lightyear and Woody played the NY Philharmonic in Pixar in Concert … The NY Phil also held its annual Memorial Day concert at St. John the Divine, featuring Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony … Norm Lewis, who made his Broadway debut in The Who’s Tommy in 1993, takes over the Phantom role in Phantom of the Opera … “Swordfish.” You won’t need the password to go to Marxfest, a series of films, talks, and concerts honoring the Marx Brothers. Remember this Groucho groaner? “One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas; how he got in my pajamas I don’t know.”

 PASSAGES

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Mission accomplished, Maya Angelou.

A birthday is a time for reflection as well as celebration. So I spent some of mine at the Tibet and India: Buddhist Traditions and Transformations show at the Met. Buddhas offering protection. Buddhas praying. Buddhas preaching. Buddhas meditating. All were imposing, inspiring, graceful, and, most of all, peaceful.

WE CAN HELP

The ASPCA never stops caring, never stops helping. A brand new facility will help save the lives of NYC’s homeless and abused dogs and cats. The ASPCA Kitten Ward and the NYPD CARE ward for canine cruelty victims is a special place for the extra care they need. Support their steadfast efforts. Become an ASPCA member, donate, or volunteer.

Soundtrack to this Issue is
The Letter by The Box Tops

Listen to Alex Chilton’s indelible soulful vocals. Released in 1967 on the album of the same name, it reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100. Write a letter, mail it with Jimi and Harvey. C’mon, sing along:

Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain’t got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I’m-a goin’ home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter

I don’t care how much money I gotta spend
Got to get back to my baby again
Lonely days are gone …

Well, she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn’t live without me no more
Listen, mister, can’t you see I got to get back
To my baby once-a more. Anyway, yeah!

Buddha, stay. Good dog. z”l
“…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
(Buddha)

 

Sources:
Buddha pic: Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Letter lyrics: © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing

Fab Four Finale: Let It Be, Already

To end this week of Beatles posts, here are a few more top stories about them that were in the news this week.

Beatles Musical Redux Redux
First there was Beatlemania. Then Rain. Now Let It Be. A Broadway musical of Beatles songs opened this week, kind of a tribute concert, kind of a history. But there’s a snag. This production was sued for being the same as the last production. And yep, money is at the center of it. Will they work it out?

Beatles White Album in the News
As Beatles memorabilia goes, this is a goodie! The first copy of The White Album that was pressed to vinyl will be on auction, copy number A0000001. In the possession of Beatles fan David Mincks since 1989, it was a promotional item that was given out to about two dozen record company execs and to the Beatles. If you’re interested, the opening bid is set at $10,000. That sure is a lot of ob la di ob la da.

Lennon + McCartney = Nilsson
The eternal question (well, at least to some of us!), if you mix John Lennon with Paul McCartney what do you get? Easy. Harry Nilsson, of course. Now there’s even a new book that backs up what we’ve always known. In Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter (Oxford University Press July 2013), Alyn Shipton tells his story in this first full-length biography. Lennon and McCartney called this inscrutable musician simply the Beatles’ “favorite group.”

 

Source:
The cast of Let It Be pic: courtesy of Let It Be