Notable People: Bill Frisell with Thomas
Morgan and Rudy Royston Produced by: Lee Townsend
Title: Valentine
Review: Need a break from our current realities? Check out this wonderful, latest Bill Frisell album……or any Frisell album for that matter. All of his dozens of recordings are similar- one tasteful and brilliantly arranged tune after another. Frisell is a true master-genius of the guitar- in my view the worlds’ greatest living jazz oriented guitarist- comparable to Django, Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christian of days gone by. He takes both his own splendid compositions and songs you’ve heard a million times, and makes them into an otherworldly mix of rhythm, licks and sumptuous melody. This set features a trio- one of his may configurations…. with his regular ally- the brilliant Morgan on bass and the fabulous Royston on skins. Frisell for President!
Review: The twenty-sixth annual
installment in Mayors’ very long running Joe Gunther series was hit and miss
for me. Archer, who is a longstanding acquaintance of ours in Vermont, does a great
job of keeping Joe and his troops fresh- though at this point, I would calculate
Gunther to be around 95 based on the chronology of the earlier books- but who’s
counting? The main characters have graced these pages for over a quarter century
and all gotten richer and deeper with time. Mayor also continues to bring back characters
he introduced decades ago, with several in this book who were small children in
the early books- now thriving and interesting young women. The sense of Vermont
in the books remains the best around, with this one criss -crossing the state
to many of our regular haunts. And the understated philosophical meanderings about
Vermont as a place and state of mind is worth the price of admission. The story
in this one meandered a bit for my tastes, though it did eventually reel me in.
But sort of petered out at the end, without much of a resolution. I’m being
picky, since most of the book in thus series are” A” material for me. It remains
an event every October for the release of the next addition…makes me want to make
a trip to Gunther’s Brattleboro every time.
Greetings- Shocked to get this in your box on Saturday
night….me too…. but TQ, the Beast and I are escaping Dodge, up to The un-tropical
Islands (such as they are) for couple of nights……. just need to escape from the
drama of this week…ergo the early transmission………………………………………
“Wisdom is better than wit” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Jane Austin
“We’re in
a kind of repeat McCarthy era. Only this time, to borrow from that old-school
communist Karl Marx, history is repeating itself not as tragedy but as farce.”
……………………Jonas Goldberg (conservative writer)
“This is how election results
are disputed in a banana a republic…not in our democratic republic” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………George
W. Bush
Well, its really hard to talk
about this week…and just go on with my usual Blog sermon…I mean, let’s face it……there
was nothing usual about this week
In a few words (really)…..it was
kind of like most Plague weeks here in Vermont…..Cold…Snow….More Cold….More Snow….a
few bits of sunshine…a lot of ice…..keeping up with The Queens’ projects….getting
out for rides, walks and a few take out lunches…..let’s face it….we are all really
tired of this…..but now is not the time to let our guard down…like when the war
ends, but you haven’t gotten home yet…that is not the time to get yourself shot….I
am thinking about chaining my unmasked self to the frond door of the Rutland Regional
Medical center until they give me both doses of the vaccine…..after which I plan
to go out to eat, see a movie, get sloppy drunk in a bar, and hang out with random
strangers up close….THIS is The Dream?
Now…this week in our country…that
is another story…We followed a historic night in Georgia, in which a deep southern
state elected a Black Man and young Jewish boy to the United States Senate……are
you kidding me…… and then…. with images that will take many of us a lifetime
to get rid of……it was like watching a real old fashioned lynching up close
and persona. Even in the context of having spent the last four years riding a
coaster of shock and embarrassment, but this……even though it seems hard not to
have imagined that this was a predictable end result to this craziness…still,
this is just another level altogether……
I’m not sure what has become
of our national integrity that could possibly allow us to get to this point….…and
I’m ashamed to admit that I have friends and family who have continued to
support this small minded, heartless, deceitful, criminal idiot of a dictator….as
well as his minions…. but I still never thought it could go this far…. who are
these lunatics? Does anybody actually know any of them? Did they miss breast feeding…or
bedtime stories…. or trips to the park………how can we breed so much hatred and
ignorance……inspired by the most cowardly public figure of my lifetime…far surpassing
Tricky Dick in very way……
Can we continue to think of this
as a fair election issue….as a political conundrum…. liberal vs conservative…. Republican
vs. Democrat…. I think and hope not
A reckless and despotic coward,
and those who have, and continue to, enable him, have led us down a dangerous,
primrose path. The new administration and the new congress, controlled by a different
party, may not be a panacea……but they deserve a chance to help us return to
the democratic ideals that have defined our nation, and all of us………………
I’m not saying this was a
third world style Coup, though, in essence, it may have been…………
I’m not saying that getting
rid of this very bad man, and his enablers, will make everything come up roses……
I’m not saying that those who
disagree with me are all bad people…….
Notable People: Sidse Babett
Knudsen, Birgitte Hjort Sorenson, Saren Malling, Pilou Asbaek, Created by: Adam
Price
Title: Borgen
Review: This one is a sleeper. Danish political intrigue,
reflections on moral underpinnings of modern society, subtitles……. was not sure
about this recommendation, and took half of first season to get the rhythm of
it…. but then……wow…what a piece of television. Top three in shows I’ve seen
in last five years. Cast is brilliant, writing is really captivating, plot never
loses steam, and there are some truly unforgettable characters. (check out
Asbaek as spin doctor Kaspar Juul, fresh from his turn on Game of Thrones- who
knew he was Danish?). Third season turned out to be about half in English,
which everyone in Denmark speaks flawlessly. Quite the look inside the modern Danish
culture, with its balance of great tradition, ancient histories and ultra-hip
modern ethos. Unlike may of the highest quality shows on TV, this one is loaded
with very likeable (though complex) characters, which is a refreshing change of
pace- from dark, evil and foreboding. Flat out loved this show. Season four apparently
coming in 2022-holding my breath.
Review: The first –and origin story-
book, in Baldacci’s popular series about Amos Decker; quasi- FBI agent with total
recall as a result of a pro football head injury shifting his brain. Decker is wonderfully
complex character that you want to work hard to like, though not always easily
done. The pot, covering a mass school shooting and flashing back to the unsolved
murder of Decker’s family, is tautly written, with great dialog and unforgettable
characters. I don’t usually like this kind of bestselling author, but pretty hooked
on this series. Got it in LARGE print from the library which is really quite
nice.
Notable People: Arlo McKinley, Produced by:
Matt Ross-Spang
Title: Die
Midwestern
Review: McKinley emerged from Cincinnati’s vibrant music
scene and shuffled on down to Memphis to record this beauty. Crispy produced by
Ross-Spang, who has produced John Prine and Margo Price records- and featuring a full on crack session band,
this album is an absolute throwback to the height of 70s country rock, with echoes
of everyone form Gene Clark to Johnny Paycheck, with the ghost of the recently passed
Justin Townes Earle thrown in. McKinley’s 10 original songs are drenched in emotion
from a wounded heart- some apparently composed in a funeral home parking lot
after carrying the coffin of his best friend. The title song features the mantra
“never going to get out of Ohio alive” …..which I may be a bit too close to
home for yours truly. Lyrics may be a bit dark for some, but the music and production
are wonderful.
Notable People: Bruce and The Band, Produced
by: Ron Aniello, Bruce
Title: Letter
to You
Review: Bruce’s’ 20th studio album and his first since 2014
with The E-Street gang….is a magnificent throwback to his late 70 efforts. Reminiscent
of Darkness on the Edge of Town……all jangly guitars, deep and sometimes foreboding
lyrics, Roy Bittan’s tasteful driving piano and a wall of guitars and backup vocals.
Miami Steve and Nils Lofgren shine with the extra guitars and Max Weinberg may
be the most underrated rock drummer around. The tunes miss The Big Man’s sax efforts,
but Clarence’s nephew does a nice job of filling in for his late uncle. I had
kind of lost interest in most of what Bruce has been doing in recent years, but
this will catch your attention. Still a master.
“Year’s end, all corners of this floating world……swept”
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Basho
“You can’t stop the waves…. but you can learn to
surf” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Jon Kabat- Zinn
“If the FOO shits……wear it” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………From
the Country Jews’ Tall Tales
As this new year starts, we all have a lot of
questions…………. here are mine:
These next four (with totally unbiased answers)
could be culled from Stu’s Reviews- which shame on you if you don’t read thoroughly:
What was the best film of 2020?……Tie: Uncut Gems
and 1917?
What was the best TV series you watched in 2020?…………
The Wire
What was the best book you read in 2020?………………………When
the Crawdads Sing?
What as the best album you heard in 2020?………………………….”
Letter to You”- Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band
All my troubles seem so far away…Can “Yesterday”
possibly be the Beatles all time best song (Sirius radio says yes in their annual
top Beatles 100)?
Does anyone else wake up thinking about the
phone number 281-8211…. which was the constant source for time and temp in the
70s?
Did anyone else get a care package of bagels
form New Jersey from McConnell, Pelosi and Schumer?
What is the population increase going to be as result
of stay-at –home, no contact, no nothing 2020?
Are we tired of going for walks yet?
Have you done more baking this past year than in
the last 20 years combined?
How many pizzas have you eaten in 2020?
Has there been a general resurgence in midnight snacking?
Did we gain weight?
Once you get the vaccine, can you do anything
you want? Kiss strangers? Go to a “sex club”? Share a popsicle with someone on the
street?
California sunset?………….How long to drive
from Vermont to San Diego…. actually 2960 miles……thinking about it.
Can people go to any state they choose to get a vaccine….
goin’ back to the country…. baby don’t you want to go………
Does anyone have sense of power and control anymore?…………
Good or bad thing?
That may be about ten questions too many….so on
we go……what to do on a Covid Sunday……when another week of the virtual (no pun
intended) same is about to start……Well, we get out every Sunday for an outing…..which
means drive, walk, lunch, repeat……lately that has meant heading south to Stratton
Mountain….Stu writes the Sunday Sermon…..we typically divert to see The Dumpmaster…then
head down Route 155…past the Weston Priory, where strange doings are happening….down
through Weston and the line of out –of- state crazies descending on the Vermont
County Store…..on to Londonderry, past Mike and Tammy’s general store, with 850
flavors of soft serve, with a typical
stop at Grandma Miller’s bakery for more pastry than we should eat in a month…..past
the world’s best remote shopping center in South Londonderry….on to the rolling
hills approaching the ski area….Vermont 100 to 11…to 30…and back to 100….where The
Honeypie sits……lunch in the car of the exotic sausages from Morocco and Thailand,
hand cut fries and pickles….and on to find the dirt road walk…last week we found
a wonderful dirt road with light dusting of snow….but as we strolled along with
the mountains as backdrop on all sides …hit an underlay of black ice…and down
went Papi…. in complete angel stance…out for a standing eight count as head hits
ice…. then…. no one around as he falls and can’t get up…. but catches up with The
Queen and The Beast….and finished the walk at snail’s pace…. poor. poor, sore
boy…
And speaking of TV…. Papi a bit of a High-Brow
snob……preferring heady dramas that transport our Covid selves to another place
and another time…. but…. when I’m not looking…. TQ tends to watch things like “Lucifer”
……which I can identify from anywhere, since the devil sounds just like Vincent
Price….
The bi-weekly dinner at Sal’s…which is our closest
take out place, at a mere 12 minutes down the snowy mountain…. was quite good
this week ……pasta fazzoul, eggplant parm, Baba Louie’s bread, chicken scaloppini……but
just as you head down through White Rocks National Forrest into enchanting Wallingford….
you hit the 25 mph speed trap…usually unmanned…. but it’s a holiday…and TQ was singing
really loud with her radio……so …Sal’s supper…. Priceless…. or $145 in reality….
Been a big week for drives…and on NY Eve Day we
trekked for northern romp……up the Connecticut River Valley…Sirius radio fading
in and out…can Sgt. Pepper really not be in the top 100 Fab Four songs?…..drove
up past Norwich…where we found a magnificent Gold Coast series of dirt roads for
the rich and famous……which led to a long hike –looking at Vermont style
MacMansions….and being accosted by an ancient codger on an ancient tractor for
parking on the side of the road….TQ worked
to apologize to him……while I drifted away, index finger in the air…..wound up
at White River Junction where we found open Bar-B-que (Fatty’s) and bulked up for
the cold…..found a place to sit and eat at Queeche Lake , where we watched the extraordinary
art of ice fishing……honing their craft………one
guy was on laying the ice for half hour tying to roll himself up…and…..that…..was
pretty much our new year’s celebration….. how old do you have to be to not care
that it is New Year’s eve?
And…then …yesterday…. got the muse again…and went
out to follow the sun……crossing two mountain ranges until we found it over by
Hubbardton…and had midafternoon, very cold, but sun soaked walk on a fabulous dirt
road…and a quick stop at Ramuntos for the requisite 2 slice cheese special……has
anyone rediscovered Coke during The Plague?…
Is the “All-State man” really G_D? …………….and, TQ
just got back from testing the latest 3-5 inches roads, feeding someone’s’ pig,
flirting with The Dumpmaster, waving to her friends from an appropriate distance
and taking out the slough bucket…so time to go…is it a new year yet?
Hope this is a much better year for us all…stay safe…cast
an illegal vote in Georgia so Stacey Abrams will stop e-mailing me…….be
vigilant a while longer……and be……Forever Young…….
Notable People: Carey
Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J Blige, Rob Morgan, Jonathan
Banks, Directed by: Dee Rees
Title:
Mudbound
Review: Excellent Netflix original from their
“Black Lives Matter” collection- telling the story of two poor farm families-one
black and one white- in rural Mississippi
after the second world war. This is not an easy movie to watch, and reminds us
of how we got to where we live toady with racial injustice. Still, there remains
an underlying humanity in even such a torrid environment. Blige does an impressive
subtle turn as the matriarch of one family and banks is his usual cantankerous self
as the bigoted patriarch of the other. The story line of what is was like for black
heroes to come back to the south after the war is powerful and humbling. Well directed-well
shot, and worth the tears.
Review: The fourth book in Penny’s great
Gamache- Chief Inspector series, is another brilliantly written novel of life
in Southern Quebec. Though the story line in this one felt a bit random and
quirky, Penny writes so well, her characters are so well developed and her sense
of place………well, just magnificent. The entire boo takes place in a tiny “auberge”
on Lake Massawippi in Quebec’s Eastern Township lakes district. You’ll want to
go there once Trudeau allows us back in. The setting is based on the very real
Manoir Hovey (from her liner notes)- a magical place that we visited may times
in the late 90s when the strength of the dollar made such places quite affordable.
I’m lining up a reservation for when we can again cross………………and taking a few
Penny books with me. Wonderful!
