[Otclassof1973] SUNDAY, MARCH 19TH & The World Baseball Classic
Mindy Schwartz
mas at balancedbookcompany.com
Tue Mar 21 21:15:14 EST 2006
What an amazing night! Marvin, I'm always jealous of your tales of the San Francisco Blues Festival, but this sounds like a really amazing event. I must say, that though most people seem to be waxing nostalgic about the jazz musicians, I would have loved to have seen Green Day shaking up the "old farts". I've been dealing with a lot of stress in my business, which is only made more difficult because it's tax season, and I've been listening to "American Idiot" at full volume a lot (it helps).
On a completely different note, I went to the World Baseball Classic Final last night. Since Team USA didn't make it to the finals, it was a truly international event. There were fans there for both the Cuban and Japanese teams and plenty of Americans being good sports and just cheering for a good game. I never would have expected to be sitting in Petco Park in San Diego, which is still very much a Navy town, and see someone waving a banner with Che Guevara's picture on it. The international crowd even stood up and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. There were no riots, no anger, just people watching and enjoying baseball, which is after all, still America's pastime.
Hooray, it's Spring!
Mindy
----- Original Message -----
From: Russ Malta
To: otclassof1973 at devel2.njit.edu
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 5:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Otclassof1973] SUNDAY, MARCH 19TH
DAVE BRUBECK!!! I am positively viridian with envy. Many was the time in college when I needed to take five from studying that I would unwind to the bouncy beat of "Take Five." I still give it a spin every now and again. BTW we play Brubeck's Christmas album every year at yuletide. Definitely NOT your department store muzak.
The last time I saw Stanley Clark up close and personal was thirty years ago. He was playing at Rutgers, I believe with Chick Corea. It was a general admission concert (I think in a gym). My friends and I managed to squeeze our way all the way to the front. Stanley looked even more gigantic from his vantage point at the center of the temporary stage. A couple of my buds managed to sneal backstage, but another classmate and I were snagged by security. Oh, well.
You are one fortunate son(-in-law).
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: neufsaid at juno.com
Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 8:10 PM
To: otclassof1973 at devel2.njit.edu
Subject: [Otclassof1973] SUNDAY, MARCH 19TH
Last night SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) and I attended the local San Francisco chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) AKA the Grammy organization (yuh-huh, THOSE recording arts people). This year’s awards dinner was held in a huge ballroom in the San Francisco Westin hotel, picturesquely located on the cable car line where it passes Union Square. Last night’s honorees were three local individuals and one local group.
I’ve mentioned that SWMBO’s stepfather, Tom Mazzolini, produces the San Francisco Blues Festival (SFBF). Tom was one of last night’s honorees and the extended nuclear family came along to share the event with him. When we arrived at the swank hotel we were directed to a third floor Hospitality Suite where they said the other honorees were relaxing before the event. As they led us down a maze of hallways I wound up walking with Tom and another honoree, Dave Brubeck. I wanted to ask Dave (ahem, Mr. Brubeck) if I could have my picture taken with him, but I didn’t want to impose, so it didn’t happen and now I’m kicking myself because I’m sure it would’ve been fine.
I don’t usually take pictures of the performers and that picture I posted a while back of me and Stevie “Guitar” Miller at the SFBF was a real rarity. The only other picture I have like that is of me and Robert Cray (long story).
Meanwhile, back to the NARAS event; when we got to the door of the Hospitality Suite, we nearly tripped over a punk kid lying on the floor, and text messaging so furiously I thought he was playing a Gameboy. Inside the suite of rooms there was a room with a small buffet and bar and another main room with sofas. The other honorees were gathered in the main room and a few more punks were in the buffet room The punks were dressed in grunge chic and all of them were text messaging madly away. I figured they were “talking” about the rest of us “old farts” in our semi formal evening wear.
We hung around for a while and left SWMBO’s mother and Tom in the suite (they had to wait for Tom’s press photo session). After we left the room and were going back to the elevator a family friend started complaining, “What kind of people would bring their kids to this event?” I let him vent and then told him, “They’re here, because they’re Green Day, one of tonight’s other honorees. They’re from Oakland.”
Oh!
Being with an honoree meant that our table was right in front of the stage (we’re talking about an event for more than 2,000 people and the tables filled a room that was easily 50 yards long and about 25-30 yards wide. It may have been larger than that, it certainly took a while to thread our way through the tables coming in and going out). Tom was introduced by Taj Mahal (he headlined the SFBF in ‘92) who called Tom up to the podium to receive his 15 pound hunk of etched glass. I’d been wondering if he’d receive one of their bronze gramophone awards, but 15 pounds of glass is pretty impressive, too. They had a nice video presentation of Tom with many of the major blues performers he’s had at the Festival over the years (this coming September will be the 34th annual SFBF) and if you keep in mind how it feels to look back at our HS pictures, this was kind of like that. Then Keb Mo (he headlined the SFBF in ‘93) took the stage and performed a song that will be released so!
on. Totally cool!
Dave Brubeck told a story about a recent recording of his “Take Five” hit from the ‘50s made with some current virtuosos. Mr. Brubeck said someone had asked Winton Marsalis at the recording why he was rehearsing his part just before the recording (Winton is known for coming totally prepared and not having to rehearse anything in the booth). Winton had told the person, “Because this is that hard.”
Later, when Green Day came up for their award, their front man Billie Joe Armstrong said, “Mr. Brubeck was talking about rehearsing. My dad was a jazz musician and when I was little I asked him why he didn’t play rock and roll and he told me, ‘Because that shit’s too easy!’”
Green Day was introduced by their producer/agent who had just finished telling the room that Green Day had currently sold 43 million albums worldwide. It made Armstrong’s father’s words that much funnier.
I don’t know if these names mean anything to any of you. I’m sure most of you have at least heard of Dave Brubeck and Green Day. The other honoree was George Duke, who was introduced by Stanley Clark. The music for Dave Brubeck was a performance of “Take Five” which was awesome in its complexity, and breakneck tempo. The performers were young guys (not dressed in grunge) and they were ALL incredible. They were joined by an alum of Tower of Power. Our table was next to Dave Brubeck’s and he was having a ball.
George Duke’s resume includes teaming with a young Al Jarreau, followed by teaming with a young Jean Luc-Ponty, as well as a few years with Frank Zappa and many more. Michael Narada Walden (a big local musician and record producer who made a few videos back in the 80s with Clarence “The Big Man” Clemons and Jackson Brown) lead a quintet and a singer who soon invited George up to the piano and the place totally rocked.
Green Day didn’t play, but another band called My Chemical Romance did a medley of Green Day songs. I enjoyed the whole evening, but My Chemical Romance made me feel a bit old – and I say that from my vantage next to an 84 year old Dave Brubeck.
Happy Vernal Equinox everybody
Marvin
#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9
A posse ad esse
Latin saying that means
>From possibility to actuality
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