I’m a freak. I love my XM radio but don’t have it in my car. Instead, it’s in my kitchen, so I get my music when I cook. This is great. The kids come in and dance and we cook together. I can theme my channel to my meal – classical for an elegant steak dinner, musica tropica if I’m going Mexican or spicy latin, even Broadway, rock – it’s all right there. I used to spend some of that time focused on CNN or the politics channel. That’s crude fast food fair.
Why have Lou Dobbs — who is to journalism what Leona Anderson was to opera? Actually, this depends on how you look at Lou Dobbs. Some think he’s comical – in which case I would compare him more to this. I think I learned what satire was from Allan Sherman (and my father). Sherman had some terrific songs, which brings me right back to XM. The thing has so many channels that I keep discovering new ones. Case in point: I discovered one of their several comedy channels, and it was like reliving Doctor Dimento all over again. I heard – in order – Idi Amin, Yoda by Weird Al Yankovic, and Too Fat Polka by Arthur Godfrey (is it my imagination or is Godfrey’s laugh particularly psychotic?).
Tears were rolling down my cheeks as I was putting ginger, garlic, soy sauce, coconut milk and honey on chicken breasts and wrapping them in foil. My wife thought something was wrong. I was laughing so hard I could not talk, but just pointed to the radio. At that point, Godfrey was done supporting Jenny Craig and this came on. We both lost it.
Dinner, by the way, was a smashing success – even our finicky daughter loved it. That just goes to show you what a little satire – and coconut milk – will do for roasted chicken breasts. And that is why I love having music in my kitchen!
Current Events Soundtracks:
Hurricane Bill is now a category 4 storm, and although it’s nowhere near land at the moment, the cone of uncertainty (if that isn’t a perfect term for weather forecasting I don’t know what is) has it scraping coastal New England – our little patch of heaven. And here is Dorothy Lamour from the 1937 film The Hurricane, singing Moon of Manakoora. Because – well – haven’t you had your fill of “Bill” songs yet?
Nevada Senator John Ensign tells the public that his affair with a married woman was not like Bill Clinton’s, because he did nothing illegal. Take it away, Fats Waller!
This day in history soundtracks:
In 1692, the Salem witch trials began in Massachusetts.
In 1772, King Gustav III of Sweden staged a coup to consolidate his power. In subsequent years he became instrumental to the development of the arts in the country, starting both the Royal Swedish Opera and the Swedish Ballet. He was later killed by a group of assassins, and the story was the theme of Verdi’s opera Un Ballo in Maschera. Here is Volta La Terrea froma 1990 production featuring baritone Leo Nucci and the legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
In 1909, Indianapolis speedway plays host to its first auto race. I don’t know why this song makes sense, but it does!
Paris is liberated from the clutches of the Nazis in 1944. What better way to remember than a song from Edith Piaf. This is actually one of my favorite Piaf songs. What a magnificent vibrato!
In 1955, the Northeastern US was pounded by Hurricane Diane. Another hurricane, another song.
In 1990, Leonard Bernstein conducted his final concert. One of the pieces was Beethoven’s Symphony #7. This video is the same piece, but from 12 years earlier in 1978.
Birthday soundtracks:
George Enescu (1881), Romanian composer. Here is his Romanian Rhapsody, probably his best known work.
Gene Roddenberry (1921), producer. Space, the final frontier…
Bill Clinton (1946), former President of the United States.
Lee Ann Womack (1966), country singer. OK, you find another song about Little Rock.
Passing memorial soundtracks:
Jean-Baptiste Accolay (1900), Belgian composer. Here is his Violin Concerto in A-minor.
Blind Willie McTell (1959), blues musician. Very, very influential blues musician.
Groucho Marx (1977), comic genius and character. I love the old crazy Groucho from the Marx Brothers movies. His timing is perfect, as is his singing. Hello, I Must Be Going from Animal Crackers is a great example of this. For those of you who are not in the know about these things, the matronly lady is Margaret Dumont, who – in many a Marx Brothers movie – played the straightest of straight men to Groucho’s antics. Why was she so good at this? Well – apparently – she didn’t really get the jokes!
LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and member of the Dave Matthews Band. You can here his work with the band here.
More notes on notes tomorrow.
Posted by jbtakenote 
Taking Note 