JINGLY BELLS OH DEARIE ME

Yep, it's Christmas so its about time all you jokers had to suffer from the obligatory Christmas songs.

Here's one that should keep you awake at night.

JINGLE BELLS

FLO MURDERS MO

I was sorting out the CDs and found one that I'd forgotten I had - Florence Jenkins interpretation of opera.

Listen to this:

FLORENCE JENKINS 'DOING' MOZART

Poor old Flo had pots of money but no talent. She aspired to be an opera singer and maybe in a way put the truth to that old adage - "It aint over until the fat lady sings".

Born in 1868 and living to 1944 Florence was famous or, infamous for her amateur performances, with historian Stephen Pile calling her her "the world's worst opera singer". 

"No one, before or since," he wrote, "has succeeded in liberating themselves quite so completely from the shackles of musical notation." - Wikipaedia 

Despite the fact that she couldn't sing well she was nevertheless adored by a great many musicians and New York celebrities with Cole Porter, Enrico Caruso, Sir Thomas Beecham and others being 'fans'.

Although she was a rich socialite she had unhappiness in her life. Her first husband gave her syphilis a year after they married. She understandably booted him out but because of this she felt unable to have 'romantic' relationships with other men including a man she met later and felt close to.

UNFORTUNATELY SAME AS IT EVER WAS

I usually hate mash-ups of good videos and performances.

I assume that you (educated ad culturally aware readers) are familiar with David Byrne's excellent song and video Once In a Lifetime.

This Donald Trump send-up though is funny and topical.


TRUMP - THE ULTIMATE TALKING HEAD

"Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down

Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again after the money's gone

Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground…"

- same as it ever was.

LET'S GET HIM!

Angry Jesus and his henchman Baxter have attacked one of our members.
The Curmudgeon has advised us to not retaliate and as Chair his opinion must be respected but for me, I'd like to see us take all of those Bass Bugging Confederates, tie them to chairs and subject them to non-stop polka music and Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits.

"You. Yes you, you asked for it."

A NIGHT OUT IN THE STICKS

I've just been to the local bowling club to see one of the best concerts I've seen in my life. In a bloody bowling club! There were only about 40 people there, locals who come to events once a month. I heard about this group a month or so ago and was a bit lukewarm about going but then I heard them being interviewed and playing on Jesse Mulligan's afternoon programme on National Radio. They are the Danberrys being husband and wife Dan and Dorothy from Tennessee and Vanessa, the double bass player who is local.

See here (hopefully) their Facebook link that has some samplings of their music.

DANBERRYS

I was well pleased to have gone. The setting was intimate and set up with table seating as you'd expect in a bowling club setting. I arrived 15 minutes early, paid my $20 and had a choice of seating. I chose a table up front close to where the band would play, not on a stage, but in the corner. They were a friendly bunch and I chatted to them before they started to play. Nice people. They played two one hour sets with a half hour intermission. Of all the songs they played only two were not originals - a gospel number that Robert would approve of - something about a Holy Ghost Building and they closed as encore with a John Prine number. Their songs were great. Well written, good solid country/bluegrass/rockabilly/blues fusion stuff - not boring, not pop - excellent. Dorothy has a stunning voice sort of a Parton/Raitt/ Lucinda Williams cross. Lots of range and power. She played guitar occasionally and did percussion stuff. Dan played guitar and sang. He was an excellent guitarist (apparently previously a bass player) and was pleased as punch with his new guitar that he'd waited a year to be made for him. Something fancy with Austrian spruce and shit. Whatever, but the sound was great.

The Old Girl is in Auckland this weekend for a work project so missed out. She would have loved this.
Hopefully we will go to future music evenings at the club but I doubt that we will see quality like this in a small rural setting again. It reminded me of years ago when I saw and listened to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards jamming in a small bar at a late night unofficial 'concert' with a tiny audience. Magic.