New Blog Feature: "Now Playing"

One of these days, I'm actually going to figure out all of the capabilities of this here blog. But for now, baby steps are the order of the day.

Today's new feature, over there on the right, is the "Now Playing" box, courtesy of Lala. In it, I will feature a current object of obsession, which right now would be the Drive-By Truckers. Less than six months ago, I had never heard of the band, which is to my own discredit. Now, they are threatening to become my favorite band. I just saw them during my trip to Chicago, and suspect that more concerts are in the future.

On tap right now is their album "The Fine Print," which is billed as a "collection of rarities and oddities, 2003-2008." It's all great stuff, but in particular I want to highlight two cover versions: Tom T. Hall's "Mama Bake A Pie (Daddy Kill A Chicken)," and Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone."

Enjoy!

Two Golfers

As much I don't want to get sucked into the psychodrama surrounding the world's best golfer, it's impossible for me not to comment on the striking contrast between these two articles:

SI's Alan Shipnuck, on what he calls Phil's greatest victory, and how it was fueled by his love for his wife.

The London Daily Mail, claiming in an article that Elin Nordegren is planning to divorce Tiger, based on her distaste for the Nike commercial that aired during Masters weekend.

There's really no way to tell how accurate that last article is, but assuming for the sake of argument that it is, my reaction is somewhere between bemused disbelief and "WTF? Everything that's happened up to this point, and you're leaving him because of a TV commercial?

The sooner we can all get past this story, the better.

One More Masterpiece

"The Child's Bath," by Mary Cassatt.

Back in the days when we played Masterpiece on a regular basis, we had a different name for this one: "Fat Foot." We weren't terribly respectful to our elders.

The Masterpiece Paintings

Random Notes on Wynton Marsalis

As previously mentioned, Wynton Marsalis was the keynote speaker during Sunday's General Session of the conference that I've just attended. Attending conferences is part of the job I've had for the last six years, and after a couple of days of reflection, there's little doubt in my mind that his speech was the best conference speech I've heard in those six years (before this, I probably would have said Sidney Poitier, with Daniel Pink being a close second). Speech doesn't really do justice to what Marsalis did - it was a rich tapestry, into which he wove American history, the history of jazz, strong comments about today's popular culture, and well-thought out arguments about what should constitute a meaningful public education in this day and age.

I don't usually take notes during these, but there were so many memorable passages that in this case I did. Some of these are fragments; consider this a little experiment to see if it is possible to take those fragments and, as Marsalis did, weave them into something with meaning.

- characterized today as a "cultural bubonic plague" (reference to reality TV)

- the Constitution was a "sterling example of improvisation"

- "the freedom to choose your life and living"

- "once you let freedom loose, there's no telling where it will lead

- likened Jefferson, Madison and Adams to Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk; the founding fathers "spoke the language of swing - an individual and collective responsibility"

- we must recognize the value of an artistic heritage; "how can one measure the value of an 'Amazing Grace' or a 'Yankee Doodle Dandy?'"

- likened Ralph Waldo Emerson to Monk

- "Edgar Allan Poe sang the blues before the blues was ever born"

- "No two armies on earth ever had better fight songs" [talking about the Civil War]

- With band, demonstrates the direct line between the Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Mickey Mouse Theme (chills)

- "The American artist is caught between 3 masters: the critical expert validated by hundreds of years of European tradition, the church, and the court of fickle public opinion"

- "Walt Whitman's crime? Telling us who we are"

- on the blues: "Those purporting to save souls were denying the benefits of what was coming from our souls"

- great story about Alan Freed meeting Big Al Sears (Ellington band) in college, how became lifelong friendship

- Louis Armstrong played trumpet on Jimmie Rodgers "Blue Yodel # 9" [I did not know that!]

- "we want to embrace one another but we don't know how"

- "the answer is a culturally substantive education...the point of education is not to beat anyone...we need to be educated in who we are..."

- "when you don't consider the song of yourself you become lost"

- "if you don't know where you've been, you might just end up where you started"

Hopefully, that does it some small measure of justice.

Last Night in Chicago

Dinner at Rosebud, which was wonderful. The way I feel right now, I may never eat again.

Masters

Apparently there is one thing that you can take to the bank - if I am in Chicago during the Masters, Phil Mickelson is going to be the winner (last time that happened was '06, and here I was).

Today was the first day I was able to watch any of the tournament, and that was only for just over an hour. When I began watching, Phil was on the 10th hole, and when I had to leave, he was heading for the 15th tee. But in that hour, there was a lot of dramatic golf - from Tiger's ups and downs, and Anthony Kim's stirring back nine run, to Phil's usual match of brilliance and head-scratching failure (specifically, I'm thinking of 13). But when he is on, he is nearly impossible to beat - and with Tiger at less than 100%, the green jacket shouldn't come as a surprise.

The happiest person on the planet right now is PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem, who now knows - with Phil's victory, and Tiger's proclamation that he's not taking any weeks off between now and the U.S. Open - that the two best draws on the tour are primed for a showdown the likes of which hasn't been seen since the days of Nicklaus and Watson.

I'll go out on a short limb here, and say that Tiger will win both the U.S. and British Opens - with Phil contending in both. But whatever happens, it should be fun.

Theaters (Or If You Prefer, Theatres)

Nice Way To Start A Sunday

At the conference I am attending, Wynton Marsalis was the morning's keynote speaker. I'll be writing more about his address, but suffice to say that it was amazing - incorporating American history, Jazz history, music history, and a host of other topics - all interspersed throughout with music.

The Nation's Biggest McDonalds

Also taken during a cab ride. It's hard to get a feel for the scale, but you can trust me when I tell you that it's really f*cking big.

And remember, no McDonalds jokes, since I worked there for four years in the late 1970s.

Nighttime

Not bad, considering I took it during a cab ride.

Saturday Night in Chicago

"Endgame," by Samuel Beckett, at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, starring William Petersen.

The one-act play is bleak, and open to many interpretations, as was made clear in the "study discussion" which took place after the performance.

From Wikipedia, the synopsis:

The protagonist of the play is Hamm, an aged master who is blind and not able to stand up, and his servant Clov, who cannot sit down. They exist in a location by the sea, although the dialogue suggests that there is nothing left outside—no sea, no sun, no clouds. The two characters, mutually dependent, have been fighting for years and continue to do so as the play progresses. Clov always wants to leave but never seems to be able. Also present are Hamm's legless parents Nagg and Nell, who live in rubbish bins downstage and initially request food or argue inanely.

The cast was uniformly good, and it was very interesting to see Petersen "up close and personal," after having seen him only on the silver and small screens.

Drive-By Truckers at The Vic

Because God Knows We Could All Use One

This Highway's Mean

Well, of course - since I'll be seeing them tonight, I've got to post a DBT video.

My Favorite Painting

"Nighthawks," Edward Hopper.

At the Art Institute of Chicago.