Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974. To many folks this was sacrilegious, a black man passing Babe Ruth. Luckily today we seem to be past this, but now we get the Barry Bonds issue. Baseball just isn't the same anymore.
Also, one year later Frank Robinson became baseball's first black manager.
I suppose if we were all color blind none of this would matter.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tv and Fil imitate life
April 7, 1927, Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover read a speech in Washington which was viewed on television by an audience in New York. It was the first ever demonstration of long distance television transmission.
On April 7, 1862, two dozen men hatched a plan to slip behind Confederate lines, steal a locomotive, and run it north destroying track along the way. They actually pulled this off, and Private Jacob Parrott became the first recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Buster Keaton, my favorite comedian/director of all time made this into one of, if not the, best silent films ever made...The General.
On April 7, 1862, two dozen men hatched a plan to slip behind Confederate lines, steal a locomotive, and run it north destroying track along the way. They actually pulled this off, and Private Jacob Parrott became the first recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Buster Keaton, my favorite comedian/director of all time made this into one of, if not the, best silent films ever made...The General.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Music Day II
Here is the second installment of my musical history tour.
As for most folks my age, The Beatles were number one. They were simply magical. Everybody else in rock music was a distant second at best. But this is not about rock. it's about jazz, or several permutations of jazz.
Most music fans think of fusion as some awful combination of muzak and pop. But way back when fusion was called jazz-rock. And many of my favorites were rockers crossing into jazz. I suppose the first band that I thought of as rock-jazz was Cream. Now maybe that tag doesn't really fit, but their improvisations playing live went into areas I was pretty much unfamiliar with. Wheels of Fire was on my turntable maybe more than any other recording of that time period. There were other bands more closely tied to rock-jazz like Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Lighthouse and one obscure band whose tunes stick in my head to this day...Battered Ornaments. Never heard of them? Yes, neither has anyone else. But it was cutting edge music back in the day. If you ever come across their second album titled Mantlepiece, do not hesitate. Chances are you never will. Their leader was Pete Brown who wrote many of the lyrics for Cream but should never have tried to sing. Speaking of Cream, Jack Bruce was in the forefront of many rock-jazz projects most of which hold up very well some 40 years on. Try to listen to Things we Like with John McLaughlin, and the 3-CD Spirit which has several BBC shows with Jon Hiseman and Dick Hekstall-Smith.
And who can forget Soft Machine. Their album Third is a classic of rock-jazz. I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of folks...
More next time on jazz-rock.
As for most folks my age, The Beatles were number one. They were simply magical. Everybody else in rock music was a distant second at best. But this is not about rock. it's about jazz, or several permutations of jazz.
Most music fans think of fusion as some awful combination of muzak and pop. But way back when fusion was called jazz-rock. And many of my favorites were rockers crossing into jazz. I suppose the first band that I thought of as rock-jazz was Cream. Now maybe that tag doesn't really fit, but their improvisations playing live went into areas I was pretty much unfamiliar with. Wheels of Fire was on my turntable maybe more than any other recording of that time period. There were other bands more closely tied to rock-jazz like Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Lighthouse and one obscure band whose tunes stick in my head to this day...Battered Ornaments. Never heard of them? Yes, neither has anyone else. But it was cutting edge music back in the day. If you ever come across their second album titled Mantlepiece, do not hesitate. Chances are you never will. Their leader was Pete Brown who wrote many of the lyrics for Cream but should never have tried to sing. Speaking of Cream, Jack Bruce was in the forefront of many rock-jazz projects most of which hold up very well some 40 years on. Try to listen to Things we Like with John McLaughlin, and the 3-CD Spirit which has several BBC shows with Jon Hiseman and Dick Hekstall-Smith.
And who can forget Soft Machine. Their album Third is a classic of rock-jazz. I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of folks...
More next time on jazz-rock.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Tippecanoe and Tyler too
On April 4, 1841, William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia. He was our ninth president but only for one month. He is remembered due to his short stay in the Oval Office and for Tippecanoe and Tyler too. Actually the Battle of Tippecanoe did not take place at the Tippecanoe River as reported by Harrison. His most famour victory on the battlefront was the Battle of Thames but try rhyming with Thames. Harrison favored slavery, and fought hard for Indiana to be a slave state.
Harrison became quite ill about three weeks after the inauguration, thus putting the lie to his catching cold because he didn't didn't wear a hat or coat that day. Colds don't take that long to materialize. Anway, he was treated with opium, castor oil, and Virginia snake oil. Ugh. Anyway, he probably dies of a virus and the inablity to get any rest. The White House was a wide open public building in those days, and hangers on and job seekers were everywhere.
The interesting thing about his death was that it tested the Constitutional succession clause. Nobody was exactly sure that John Tyler, the VP, was actually next in line to become the permanent president. It was then decided that once he was sworn in he did indeed become the president.
Oh, and on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Harrison became quite ill about three weeks after the inauguration, thus putting the lie to his catching cold because he didn't didn't wear a hat or coat that day. Colds don't take that long to materialize. Anway, he was treated with opium, castor oil, and Virginia snake oil. Ugh. Anyway, he probably dies of a virus and the inablity to get any rest. The White House was a wide open public building in those days, and hangers on and job seekers were everywhere.
The interesting thing about his death was that it tested the Constitutional succession clause. Nobody was exactly sure that John Tyler, the VP, was actually next in line to become the permanent president. It was then decided that once he was sworn in he did indeed become the president.
Oh, and on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Happy Birthday Cell Phones
On April 3, 1973 Martin Cooper made the first portable cell phone call. He worked for Motorola and invented this miracle that people now use to annoy each other all over the globe. Thanks a bunch Marty. I'll remember you the next time I'm in line at Wal-Mart and the lady in front of me is holding the line up by talking as loudly as possible about absolutely nothing.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Ponce Goes to Florida
On April 2, 1513 Ponce de Leon stepped onto a beach somewhere near present day St. Augustine and named the land Florida. He had been told by Indians in Puerto Rico that there was an island of gold and a fountain of perpetual youth. Had it been one day earlier perhaps Ponce would have taken this information with a grain of salt, but the pursuit of gold and youth was overpowering and off he went. His three ships sailed around the southern end of Florida but seeing no hotels in Miami they continued up the west coast. Since it was already April he figured that Spring Training was over so headed back to Puerto Rico.
Not one to quit so easily, Ponce returned to Florida eight years later. Though there were still no hotels in Miami, at least with air conditioning, he was determined to establish a settlement and perhaps build a fancy hotel all on his own. He brought along 200 men, horses, cattle, and supplies, but no air conditioners. Little did he know that the land was already occupied. Early land speculators, also known as the Calusa Indians, did not take kindly to these fancy shmancy Europeans trying to grab up the good spots. And they meant business. One of the Indians, being known as On Target by his fellow warriors, struck old Ponce with a poison arrow and killed the dude. He was buried in Puerto Rico. Originally his tombstone was to read, "Here lies No Fountain No Gold" but they thought better of it and instead are inscribed the words, "Here rest the bones of a lion."
Not one to quit so easily, Ponce returned to Florida eight years later. Though there were still no hotels in Miami, at least with air conditioning, he was determined to establish a settlement and perhaps build a fancy hotel all on his own. He brought along 200 men, horses, cattle, and supplies, but no air conditioners. Little did he know that the land was already occupied. Early land speculators, also known as the Calusa Indians, did not take kindly to these fancy shmancy Europeans trying to grab up the good spots. And they meant business. One of the Indians, being known as On Target by his fellow warriors, struck old Ponce with a poison arrow and killed the dude. He was buried in Puerto Rico. Originally his tombstone was to read, "Here lies No Fountain No Gold" but they thought better of it and instead are inscribed the words, "Here rest the bones of a lion."
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Liberty Bell renamed!!!
Did you know that Wal-Mart today bought the rights to the Liberty Bell? It shall henceforth be named the Save Money Live Better Wal-Mart Liberty Bell.
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