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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 18:07:24 GMT -5
So much amazing drumming, Steely-Dan-reminiscent.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 18:04:32 GMT -5
Such an orchestral composition:
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 17:26:21 GMT -5
I feel like I've done this before, but blame it on MartinFever for bringing up GV, so I am creating a thread.
Try this for a primer, if you are unfamiliar (the chord changes!):
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 17:20:27 GMT -5
Gino Vannelli and Herb Alpert, from Wikipedia... Vannelli and his brother, Joe, moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Desperate and broke, they waited for hours in the parking lot outside A&M Studios, hoping to get a record deal. When Herb Alpert, the co-owner of A&M Records, finally emerged, Vannelli ran toward him and gave him a demo tape while being chased by security guards.[8] Alpert signed Vannelli and released his debut album, Crazy Life, in the summer of 1973.[9] MFever and I fell hard for Gino back in the day. The music was so unlike anything we had ever heard, and so well produced, played, sung and recorded. Sure, it was over the top at times, but damn, was it MUSICAL. And thematic, and dramatic, and uplifting. Still is, of course. If you are unfamiliar with Gino's music, get thee to YouTube or wherever and immerse thyself. Expect to hear few, if any, acoustic guitars. Keep an open mind, and I think you might be surprised how often you hit "Replay."
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 16:43:21 GMT -5
Gino Vannelli and Herb Alpert, from Wikipedia... Vannelli and his brother, Joe, moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Desperate and broke, they waited for hours in the parking lot outside A&M Studios, hoping to get a record deal. When Herb Alpert, the co-owner of A&M Records, finally emerged, Vannelli ran toward him and gave him a demo tape while being chased by security guards.[8] Alpert signed Vannelli and released his debut album, Crazy Life, in the summer of 1973.[9] MFever and I fell hard for Gino back in the day. The music was so unlike anything we had ever heard, and so well produced, played, sung and recorded. Sure, it was over the top at times, but damn, was it MUSICAL. And thematic, and dramatic, and uplifting. Still is, of course. If you are unfamiliar with Gino's music, get thee to YouTube or wherever and immerse thyself. Expect to hear few, if any, acoustic guitars. Keep an open mind, and I think you might be surprised how often you hit "Replay."
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 12:03:48 GMT -5
About 20 Canada geese just flew over my house in half of a "V" formation. The juvies are learning how to fly in close proximity in advance of their migration.
Although we have plenty of "Welfare Geese" who stay here all winter.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 9:53:18 GMT -5
(Just curious; what made you think my post may have been disparaging?) Just a hunch, no biggie.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 9:38:32 GMT -5
Last day of summer! Looks to be a nice day, with rain possible over the weekend, but mostly in the western part of the state.
LJ, sending you good-health vibes, and Jan, your trip sounds amazing -- Enjoy!
Slept in, will log into the mother ship for only a couple hours of work shortly. I have a ton of PTO to burn up by the end of the year or I will lose it.
Possible late lunch with Marty, I'm thinking Mex at Casa Azul Agave, which we have not visited in way too long. Elotes, maybe?
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Post by billhammond on Sept 22, 2023 8:51:25 GMT -5
Wait a minute! What about... Thomas Kincaid? < Kinkade >His work is beloved by millions, including Jan, be advised.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 21, 2023 18:29:43 GMT -5
Star Tribune excerpt:
By JON BREAM, STAR TRIBUNEVeteran trumpeter Herb Alpert shows no signs of slowing down. He released his 49th studio album last week. And his 1965 tune "Ladyfingers" has somehow resurfaced and chalked up more than 200 million views on TikTok. "Do you know TikTok?" Alpert asked a capacity crowd Tuesday night at the Ordway in St. Paul. Few in the baby-boomer audience responded affirmatively. But they had plenty of questions for him, which he invited throughout his 1¾-hour crowd-pleasing performance with his singing wife, Lani Hall. "What's your favorite song?" "Do you paint with watercolors?" "How long have you been married?" Alpert may be a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, the cofounder of hugely successful A&M Records (Peter Frampton, the Police, Janet Jackson) and the leader of one of the best-selling pop instrumental groups of all time (the Tijuana Brass). But he's really a jazz musician at heart, and improv is his thing. He's an in-the-moment kind of guy. That was the theme of his delightfully informal and thoroughly enjoyable concert. When you're 88 years old, celebrating the 60th anniversary of your recording career and 50th anniversary of your marriage, you've probably got some leeway. So you have a set list but you still wing it. You talk a lot, turning the concert into a rambling but informative monologue about your songs, life and career — with a few fun tangents like why a musician friend who spoke little English named an instrumental "Push Pull" (because he saw signs on restroom doors). And you let your three musicians — six-string bassist Hussain Jiffry, drummer Tiki Pasillas and keyboardist Bill Cantos — stretch out during their solos. To be sure, there were well-rehearsed medleys, especially the trumpeter's big instrumental hits starting with 1979's "Rise" and then breezing through several 1960s Tijuana Brass favorites including "Spanish Flea," "The Lonely Bull" and "A Taste of Honey." Hall was also given a medley of selections from Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (she was their lead singer) but, frankly, gems like "The Look of Love" and "The Fool on the Hill" got the short shrift truncated to a chorus and a verse. Hall, who, at 77, still possesses a lovely, beguiling voice, also delivered a full rendition of "Seasons of Love" from "Rent," but too often it felt like she was an accessory rather than a key participant. Alpert made a big to-do over their relationship in the kissy, kissy photos of them that accompanied "This Guy's in Love with You," his only noteworthy vocal hit. He explained he needed a vocal number to help break up the monotony of his trumpet playing for a 1968 TV special. And then Tuesday he offered what he thought would be his next singing effort, "Close to You," which was wisely rejected and given instead to the Carpenters on his A&M Records. At the Ordway, the trumpeter, who was in good form, also offered instrumental interpretations of "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Sunny Side of the Street" as well as a playful taste of "If I Were a Rich Man," which he called his Russian-born father's favorite song.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 21, 2023 12:54:23 GMT -5
The late painter Bob Ross created this work, titled "A Walk in the Woods," for the first installment of his PBS show, "The Joy of Painting," back in 1983. It has somehow found its way to a Minneapolis gallery, where it is priced at $9.85 million.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 19, 2023 18:11:14 GMT -5
"Don, I think you will be surprised by how much fun you can have driving a car that handles really well." Bill, you're a prophet. The CX-5 is a pleasure to drive. It also has more oomph than I thought it would. So far this buyer has no remorse. Yay! What color did you get? New? Used?
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Post by billhammond on Sept 19, 2023 10:20:53 GMT -5
Bill, I can't be sure until I see what they have. I can be impulsive. But a CX-5 with all-wheel drive will do what we want this one to do. We'll take this one on trips and we want help getting out of mud and snow. Mazda has a paint called Soul Red Crystal that is one of the most intense factory colors I have ever seen, really grabby, but you might wish to avoid the impulse to choose it, as there have been chipping problems, for some reason.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 19, 2023 9:16:08 GMT -5
I like Mazdas a lot, never driven one that was not light on its feet. Don, I think you will be surprised by how much fun you can have driving a car that handles really well. Which model you getting?
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Post by billhammond on Sept 18, 2023 13:34:44 GMT -5
I learned this morning that these skewers are a seasonal item, and will be going away soon until next summer.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 18, 2023 11:27:26 GMT -5
Canadian chicken? I only eat good old USA chicken! At the risk I’d sounding dumb(er), what is chimicurri? That doesn’t sound very American either. Didn’t Dick Van Dyke ding a song about that stuff? Chimichurri is an uncooked sauce used as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat. Found originally in Argentinian and Uruguayan cuisines, it has become widely adopted in most of Latin America. The sauce comes in green (chimichurri verde) and red (chimichurri rojo) varieties. It is made of finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano and red wine vinegar or lemon juice.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 18, 2023 10:40:26 GMT -5
Back from my daughter's wedding. Feeling real good about her and her guy. They bought their house this summer and have targeted April as when they will get to work on making me a grandpa! The ceremony was at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in a secluded woody nook next to a small waterfall (the place gets a lot of weddings). It was a simple, lovely, ceremony officiated by her brother. Yep, she wanted Gus to do the ceremony, so Gus went online and became minister in the Spiritual Humanism Church and then paid the county $20 to be certified to perform weddings. (he now can pick up a little money on weekends if he wants to turn it into a gig!) Anyway, it was a wonderful feeling seeing both my kids up there, one beautiful, one handsome, and I was as proud as I could be of both of them. I brunched yesterday at my beloved Holman's Table, which abuts the taxiway apron of St. Paul Downtown Airport, and chatted at length with the owner, Troy. He closed the restaurant on Saturday to marry off a dottir. Weather was ideal, the ceremony took place on some Old World stone steps overlooking the Mississippi River and then everyone walked the 50 yards or so to the restaurant for an hour of imbibing champagne, etc., before dinner, which was held in a huge tent on the taxiway. Guests could choose short ribs, salmon or veggie entrees, all paired with fine wines, of course. Post-feast, a DJ took over and dancing went into the wee hours, all in a location where no one would be bothered by loud music. Moral: If your dad owns a fine restaurant, don't hesitate to stage your wedding there.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 18, 2023 8:35:39 GMT -5
Ran across these babies last week and tried them over the weekend. Fired up the Foreman Grill and gave them four minutes, removed the meat chunks from the skewers and let them sit a minute or two. They're fully cooked, so all you're doing is heating them from frozen. The seasoning is spot on and they are juicy. They would be great in a salad or rice dish, pasta, whatever. Thumbs up.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 17, 2023 13:15:45 GMT -5
Powdered bacon seems like a good idea!
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Post by billhammond on Sept 16, 2023 21:40:24 GMT -5
When I was a kid, my family would frequently visit the bachelor apartment of Noble Hanson, a fine church choral director who we became close with and enjoyed his cooking, which included delicious creamed cabbage. He gave us at one time a music book of obscure Christmas-related songs, which is where I got this tune, a Negro spiritual (Google the lyrics to "Poor Little Jesus): youtu.be/Lu63ap_A7r0
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