Dayton Ohio,
represented here in suburban Beijing today.
I’ve got Bud Shank on the air.
There’s another jazz name that you know.
You’ve heard a dozen times, but if I’d a had a gun to my head yesterday
I’d have flubbed, trying to guess his instrument or name anything particularly
germane about the gent. He is, an alto
saxophonist and flautist who is wailing sweetly in way that speaks to my ears
of Stan Getz, on the 1960 film soundtrack “Barefoot Adventure” which was
apparently an early, (hey, pre Beach Boys) surfer movie. The tune swings, and has a catchy head, but I
don’t know if it conjures anything remotely surf-like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPfpXWdNZUA
The mix on this album and a few of the others I’ve sampled could be quickly characterized as a “west coast” jazz feel. This is appropriate for the gentleman who, I
just learned, played the flute solo on the classic Mamas and the Poppas tune,
California Dreaming. More interestingly
he apparently cut an album with Ravi Shankar, which Rido doesn’t seem to have
but which I’d love to hear. Like many on
that coastal scene he cut quite a few discs with a bossa nova feel, working
with Sergio Mendes, and later Ray Brown.
Apparently he played right up until the end at, for a classic jazz
musician a reasonably healthy old age of 82.
The Guardian’s obituary was, more interesting than the one I found in
the LA Times: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/apr/06/bud-shank-obituary
My friend returned from a trip abroad and promptly got sick
last weekend. Food poisoning I
queried? “No. Air poisoning, I believe. I’ve had it before.” Last weekend’s air pollution was once again
off the charts. And this weekend doesn’t
seem to be any better. Driving out this
morning to drop my daughter off it was foul.
It might have felt atmospheric if you could believe it was simple
Baskerville-like mist, but that ain’t what’s happening. Interesting then, to see this article this
morning in the wonderful Chinese publication Caixin, which was asking aloud,
why it was that readings could spike this way, without mention from the
government. http://english.caixin.com/2014-02-18/100640141.html
In October it was announced that there are supposed to be a
series of blue, yellow, orange, and red warning levels that the State issues,
in response to different levels of pollution registered. But none of these was employed, for example,
last weekend. Apparently when the AQI
reached 419, which is life threatening for all non single-cell organisms, the
city finally found it in them to issue a mild yellow warning. This is unfathomable. Announcing forthcoming warnings on a highly sensitive topic and then a suspension of business, when it is time to act.
What was interesting is that even the state media, CCTV
found this unfathomable. CCTV took to
Weibo to ask why the city government had done nothing to warn the public. The article doesn’t explain whether this was
an individual or institutional act of 振振有词[1], three cheers, either way. And fascinating that it was allowed, either
way, as well.
My wife suggested we all go see a movie tonight. I just took a look at what’s there. It’s not inspiring. But I’ll try to be brave. Perhaps we’ll see something in English in
honor of my niece, who’ll hopefully join us.
She now has received news that she has gotten into another U.S.
university, this one Michigan State.
Perhaps she’ll be a Spartan/Wolverine fan. But we don’t have all the results in
yet. I just checked on the map, because
I really don’t have any idea where Lansing Michigan is. Ahh yes, halfway between Flint and Kalmazoo. Hmmm.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to anywhere in the state besides Ann Arbor
and Detroit. Looks to be about an hour’s
drive from the airport. From a New
Yorkers’ perspective that must be just around the corner from where Bud Shank
was born in Dayton, right? But it is a full
four hours’ drive south in what I’m sure is most assuredly a rather different
scene. I’m sure Michigan will be fun
during the winters that last till May.
Perhaps they’ll be some fresh air to brag about.
[1]
zhènzhènyǒucí: to speak
forcefully and with justice (idiom); to argue with the courage of one's
convictions
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