Salute Folks on Memorial Day!

Today is Memorial Day and I am thinking about what this special day means to me. Once upon a time I was in the U.S. Air Force working in information, in other words I was a desk man what they used to call Category 3, non-flying. Anyway I met some fine individuals when I was in the service. Most all of these people were so "real" and not heavy laden with thin coatings of what one might call the artificial. Today I had to go to the airport here in Atlanta and I saw a lot of young men and women in uniform and it brought back a lot of memories. One great thing I saw was the fact of when some of the soldiers came up the escalator there were numerous volunteers who suddenly started clapping and welcomed these people back to their country. This had deep meaning for me. I appreciate the sacrifices these people have made. Let us think in a good kind way right now on this thing they call Memorial Day. To paraphrase James Agee, "Let us all praise great men."

Diana Krall, Don DeLillo: Super Souls!

Diana Krall is the kind of modern vocalist who really knows how to frame a song. It is difficult to produce a sensitive, compelling and yes perhaps remarkable interpretation of a tune. However, Diana Krall makes the exciting process sound so smooth and virtually effortless. It is a superb thing also that she has a skillful sense of keyboard style but again her ways with grand vocal standards are so unique and sensual and sensitive. This cheery Tuesday with all its glorious joys and up times was indeed fabulous. But believe me the fact that I listened to Diana Krall today really helped the crafty codger known as me out in a huge way. Krall sings, 'Fly me to the Moon' and I am right there. NASA would love the Krall moon interpretation. The music of Diana Krall reminds me of the delightful sensory sensations of reading the highly skilled fiction artist, the incomparable Don DeLillo who really knows how to engage us with decisive, vigorous word magic. The first time I read the superior book, 'Underworld' by the amazing Don DeLillo it did indeed send me into tremendous intellectual delight. The man, DeLillo knows well how to work very hard and come up with what is a very great story. Well, in another cultural universe, Diana Krall also knows how to conjure up some fascinating musical art. What a grand and glorious day this Tuesday has been!

Atlanta Okinawa Kenjin-Kai Big Anniversary

This is a Sunday culture blog, people. Yesterday was a great experience. We had the celebratory 25th anniversary of Atlanta Okinawa Kenjin-Kai event at a church location in Gwinnett County, Ga, A huge crowd of folks from all over came and the cultural event celebrating the interesting cultural dynamics of the Okinawan people proved to be a fun time for all the celebrants who came to the event. There was a tremendous number of traditional dances, taiko drum groups and just all kinds of super performers. The people of Okinawa have marvelous personalities and they are so friendly and a lot of fun to be with. It is great for the Metro Atlanta community to have unique cultural activities that interpret the vigorous joys of numerous multi-cultural experiences and modes of expression. All folks had a great time at this very happy May 22 event. The Lord bless the wonderful times that we all have in the so happening Metro Atlanta area.

Perkins and Kamuca: 2 swingin' Tenorists

The speed and cleverness of good West Coast tenor saxophone guys is engaging. It is remarkable how their kind of jazz lifts us people who respond to fine music. The lilting and compelling sounds of two great tenor sax guys, Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca were what I listened to this afternoon. And it was a fun experience. The big boss sounds of the crafty Bill Perkins and the sleek Richie Kamuca made me feel truly great. Two standards in this set were just right for me today. Yeah, I liked, 'All of Me and 'Sweet and Lovely.' The bass work of Red Mitchell and the vigorous and interesting drumming of Mel Lewis was a lot of fun, too. Enjoy your great Friday night and have a blast of a weekend all of you out there.

World cultures in need of some soothing

Many of the world's cultures are becoming more and more fragmented and so confusing. The recent election situation in Great Britain, the weird economic oddity that is happening in Greece and the rambunctious situation in Thailand are all examples of worlds much like ours that are running off the sides of the road as some pundits might put it. In many ways this is a shame. We all need good vigorous countries that have a good handle on how to run things. Also, we need governmental bodies that have a good comprehension of how to really connect with the people. So much beautiful art, music, dance and other great modes of the modern cultural ethos have come out of Great Britain, Greece and Thailand. Yours truly is in hopes that there can be a soothing of the world's brows so to speak and peaceful getting along can come into fashion again.

Pianist Hank Jones passes at 91

A great man passed away today. The wonderful man of jazz piano, Hank Jones, left us at the age of 91. He was a powerful force in music for about seven decades. Also, he worked with some superstars like John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald. We all will truly miss this legendary performer.

'Iron Man 2' rocks out and swings hard!

Had a "cool" day yesterday. Saw the marvelous new fun film, 'Iron Man 2' and it made me so tickled. The thing had plenty of old-style rock-em, sock-em wild stuff. I especially enjoyed the truly superb performances of the wily Robert Downey Jr. and the strong fellow, Mickey Rourke. When you get a tough, intense stand-off in a cinematic story the experience can prove remarkable. I liked the way Robert Downey Jr and Mickey Rourke square off in this one. Also, there is the matter of the women....Yes, the good performances of the delightful Scarlet Johansson and the lovely G. Paltrow are lots of fun for the moviegoer. They are stunning. Fascinating. The crafty and slick workouts our buddy, director Jon Favreau, did on this project are intensely remarkable. I really recommend this film because the story really cracks right along and makes an individual smile. Yeah, enjoy the IRONMAN everybody.

Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Mr. Roth

So many memories do I have when it comes to the sometimes confusing instrument that is the saxophone. When I was a real young guy I started trying to learn how to play that pesky nemesis that is the saxophone, but like a truly brash kid I opted for the tenor saxophone also telling myself I liked the tenor's big sound. I worked and worked but I had a dickens of a time trying to learn all the fingerings and most of all I had a teacher who believed in pounding into folks the importance of tone. I worked and huffed and prayed and moaned and then tried harder and harder. Finally I started to get the hang of it and started playing in a group with some friends on guitar and a mighty fine drummer guy who was one year older than me. Man, he could really kick it on those skins. Well, what I am leading up to is the fact I have a passionate respect for the really boss great tenor s. men like Sonny Rollins and the man of such fantastic jazz soul the one and only John Coltrane. When an individual listens to the super guys, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane it is a magnificent total joy. Today yours truly listened to a vivid sparkling Sonny Rollins rendition of the superior jazz tune, 'St. Thomas.' I just totally love the composition, 'St. Thomas' cause it has such a magnificent kickin' good feeling to it. On this Rollins workout there was also the fascinating keyboard work of the man of deep poignancy, Tommy Flanagan and there was also the tasteful but certainly appropriately feisty work of the sensational Max Roach on drums. What a fine super Friday this is everyone. When I get back to the great gigantic jazz sounds of the tenor saxophone then I feel the same way as when I read a multi-layered work by the brilliant Mr. Philip Roth. Magnificent that is Philip Roth. Saxophones and Roth...what a wonderful world this is as Louis A. used to say.

Hey, Everyone.....Happy Mother's Day!

A fantastic Happy Mother's Day to everyone! It has been a superb, so gorgeous day in my portion of the country, the great place that is known as Metro Atlanta. Son, daughter-in-law and son's two daughters invited us for a truly grand lunch today. Felt so magnificent when the girls showed me some of their marvelous art they had created in school. It is so fine when one realizes the young ones are getting into the splendid world of art just like yours truly. Perhaps, the remarkable scenarios of youthful Georgia O'Keefe and Pablo Picasso and of course Salvador Dali and Joan Miro will soon be theirs. Georgia O'Keefe is a grand joy. It is a good, enthralling essence this portion of our Southern cultural infrastructure that assists us in revving up the excitement and getting in there and truly enjoying Mother's Day. When I was a boy my grandfather and my father and mother took me to church and I will always remember seeing the proud men in their white shirts wearing the red flowers (mother living) and the white flowers (mother deceased). The culture of the South teaches us the intrinsic value and the deep passion that is an integral part of us and our relationship to our mothers and of course to our fathers, too. Indeed the great Atlanta newspaper columnist Celestine Sibley (a marvelous genius of a woman) used to write often about the delightful times with her mother, the one she called, "Muv." I recall many conversations I had with the grand one, the poignant and passionate Celestine Sibley. She taught me great things, like learning how to be good to all people and reaching out to everyone and yes, be friendly with everyone. Indeed Mother's Day is a day of wonderful love and passion and in a definitive sense it brings so much rich soulful flavor into our lives kind of like realizing the fresh, invigorating joy of encountering Mark Rothko or Alexander Calder art. Happiness is filling me up today and I am so tickled with the fact this has been a truly great Mother's Day. The Lord bless you all!

'House Across the Bay' is a real film delight

'The House Across the Bay' is a superior 1940 film with the incomparable George Raft and the very fine Joan Bennett. I saw this one recently and I say the thing really charmed me. It is a strong drama about a gangster (George Raft) who overplays his hand and gets himself in prison. Naturally because of the love of the woman, Brenda Bentley (Joan Bennett) she takes an apartment across the bay in San Francisco because she wants closeness with him. The dramatic work of Raft and Bennett is quite remarkable. Also, the very distinguished Walter Pidgeon is an aircraft business man in this film. Pidgeon is powerfully attracted to the woman Brenda Bentley, also. Indeed, Walter Pidgeon personifies maximun sophistication. I find delightful the way the film sweeps right along and it is good there is very little prattle dialogue to slow down the story. George Raft is not a tall man, but wow! he projects a lot of dramatic energy and strength.

M. Haggard, W. Nelson: 2 Great Ones

Surprise! I like country music, too. Especially, the rough-hewn kind. My friends might find it hard to believe but I just truly dig Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Lord when I heard Merle Haggard do 'Okie' today it was just right. Then, when Willie Nelson did 'Stardust' well Lord, that was so fine, too. I get the feeling that country music is moving on up what with CMT really picking up steam. Oh me, oh my...the Lord bless Mr. Haggard and Mr. Nelson.

Atlanta Hawks Fly So High Today!

Pro basketball is a vital and so integral part of our Metro Atlanta culture. And this afternoon a great thing happened. What a super playoff game! The mighty Atlanta Hawks played fantastically and defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 95-74. Congrats to Coach Mike Woodson and all the great guys like Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Mike Bibby and well just this whole team of great guys. This win has made me so happy!