This is really a great time to share music with friends. My pal Clifford, whose hatches are battened down on The French Quarter, recently prepared for me and other folks a four-volume musical companion to Charlie Gillett’s classic The Sound of the City, which traces the tributarial developments that led to an ocean of rock and roll. The highlight of my day was simply sitting with Nicole at the kitchen table, enjoying lunch and beers to the tune of Bill Doggett, Cecil Gant, Wynonie Harris, Ruth Brown, Hank Williams, Merrill Moore, The Everlys, Ray Charles, and so many more. We already had their music in our library, but Cliff assembled his compilations so wisely we had to listen to it that way.
We tried to go for a walk to the park–quite a beautiful day!–but of course someone was out with an unleashed dog. I understand that some unleashed dogs are better trained and friendlier than others, but that’s no guarantee they’re going to interact with leashed dogs that aren’t. Just sayin’…
We binged on two of our favorite snacks. Binging on favorite snacks is a requirement during a plague. If you can get ’em.
Sunday isn’t Sunday without Call the Midwife. Seldom does an episode pass without teaching the viewer something new about the way women’s bodies are tortured for our species to be propagated, and last night’s episode was no exception. Nurses Crane and Anderson: now those are heroes.
Speaking of, in the morning on CBS, I also marveled at the ability of Cuomo and de Blasio to look directly at their respective audiences and speak with eloquence, leadership, clarity, respect, inspiration, compassion, concern, power, truth, and preparation. Hearing that was on the level of experiencing Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally”with the stereo turned up to about 7.
Streaming for Shut-Ins:
Celebrating the birthday of a true original.
The Overeem Farewell Tour: Dispatches from the Public School Trenches 