Saturday, February 17, 2024: Glenn Miller & his Orchestra - Juke Box Saturday Night

 

"Money, we really don't need that, 
We make out alright."

What an entirely different world, and world view.  Who would even say that, these days?

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.  Nostalgia for a time and place you were never even a part of is even more dangerous.

However, there is something about gathering in a group and listening to music together, talking, laughing, singing along with a jukebox, rather than everyone having their own headphones, existing only in their own world.  That is not blind nostalgia, not to me at least, I've done that, I remember doing that with my own friends, many many years ago.

If I could bring back one thing from the past, it would probably be jukeboxes.  And small little diners where everyone (everyone!) can gather, mop up soda pop rickys to our hearts delight, and sing along.  

Loud and without any headphones in sight.

Thursday, July 12, 2012: The "Lily Tomlin" Edition

Lily Tomlin is probably one of the greatest comedic actresses of all time, and one of her most beloved characters was Ernestine, the pushy, rude and power hungry telephone operator.

I mention her because today's edition of TELEPHONE WEEK, which is mostly focused on phone numbers.

And, no, we won't be doing 867-5309.

Ernestine harks back to a time when you could get real people on the phone at the phone company.  And, usually, they were more helpful in real life then Ms Tomlin's creation - though probably not by much.  And those real people helped you dial wholly different phone numbers than we use today, mostly because of the old telephone name exchange system. This utilized exchange names to distinguish identical numerics for different customers.

How it worked was that first two or three numbers of the phone number were exchanged for letters of the exchange name, followed by the numeric digits. That's how the number for the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City changes from the rather bland 736-5000, to the far more romantic and evocative Pennsylvania Six Five Thousand.

Or how the Marvelettes end up calling Beechwood 4-5789. Or simply dialing BUtterfield 8 if you wanted to chat with the sultry Elizabeth Taylor.

Yes, phone numbers, like pretty much everything else, were a lot better back then.  As opposed 911.

Which, according to Flavor Flav, is just a joke. But not a funny Lily Tomlin joke.

Thursday, February 17, 2011: Glenn Miller & His Orchestra - In The Mood

Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller

I blog about cool music.

These names ARE cool music. They are part of the essence, the fabric of what makes music cool

If you do not know who these people are, then stop what you are doing and go find recording from each and every one and listen to them. Right Now.

I guarantee you, it will be your Acts 9:18 moment, when the scales fall off your eyes (and ears) and you will hear clearly what this blog is truly about. And what cool music really is.

I hesitate to blog just one song from this time, and I chide myself for waiting even this to do it. But, you know, the floodgates of doubt and hesitation are already opening.

Was this the right song to choose? If I die tomorrow, would I regret not blogging another big band leader, another swing song?

Possibly.

But what I'm doing here is trying to reclaim this song. It kills me that this music is only played as a connection to World War II. They are always trotting out this song, or "String of Pearls", for the soundtrack to some war story, or as background fodder for yet another documentary about the last great war, when in fact In The Mood is as fresh, exciting and cool as any other song around today. Even more so, to be honest.

So just get up, clear some space on the floor, grab your best girl (or guy) and dance like there is no tomorrow to one of the great dance classics from yesterday. For all time.

Enjoy