Sounds for Saturday--Jose Melis, Clooney Sisters, Hans Barth

Jose Melis, from 1946. More about Melis next time, when I feature the remaining four selections from his Piano Classics--The South American Way set. The man had remarkable credentials (to go with his remarkable piano chops). Today, we'll be hearing two selections from that 78 rpm set.

Along with two numbers by Tony Pastor and His Orchestra featuring the Clooney Sisters, straight from a 1947 promo 78--here's your chance to hear Betty and Rosemary croon I'm My Own Grandpaw (with Tony doing the lead chores, which makes sense, gender-wise).

Our set closes with a 1926 Victor label 78, on which Hans Barth performs Ethelbert Nevin's Narcissus in glorious early-electric-era sound. Too bad the pressing wasn't gloriously quiet. If you listen past the hiss, though, you'll hear some remarkable sonic detail. Imagine if they'd had magnetic tape back then--hi-fi would have been born 25 years earlier.

Download, dig, enjoy! (But don't get caught.)

Click here to reach zip file: Sounds for Saturday.

PLAYLIST

Waltz No. 9 (Chopin)--Jose Melis and His Latin-American Ensemble, 1946.
Hungarian Dance No. 6 (Brahms)--Same.
I'm My Own Grandpaw--Tony Pastor Orch., feat. Pastor and Clooney Sisters, 1947.
The Secretary Song (Bidibi Bot Bot)--Same.
Narcissus (Ethelbert Nevin)--Hans Barth, piano solo, 1926.


Lee

Slightly late news: NC goes blue

Glad to see stubbysfears get his wish! Thanks, North Carolina!

Barack did amazingly well, overall. I quote from the Daily Telegraph website:

"The first black president-elect won with 63.25 million votes, more than the total of any other presidential candidate in history.

He also netted a higher percentage of the overall vote than any Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964."

Percentage-wise, Obama beat McCain 53 to 47.

We return to Christmas-blogging-preparation, in progress.

Music for Obama's victory

I'm still not sure I believe it, yet it's obvious by now that I'm not dreaming. So it has to be true--Obama won. And decisively. Likely, there will be no stole-the-vote claims from the GOP--things weren't that close. It would appear that, more than anything else, early voting radically messed up the Republicans' plans, both in my state (Ohio) and elsewhere.

Like most folks, I'm thrilled to see Obama get the job--the man is brilliant and tough and, by all appearances, one of the fastest learners on the planet. But there are those who have their doubts about such a person. Richard Dawkins, for instance, must be expecting a lot of bad things--"There is a logical path from religious faith to evil deeds," writes Dawkins at his website. And Obama's a man of religious faith, for sure. Then again, Richard also feels that most religious folks "are harmless people," so maybe he sees Barack as merely harmless. (So religious faith doesn't lead to evil deeds, or...?)

Anyway, count me among those who have high hopes for Obama's performance. And among those thankful for the blessing of his victory. In keeping with that theme, we have Claude T. Smith's terrific Variations on a Hymn by Louis Bourgeois, performed by the U.S. Air Force Logistics Command Band of Flight (of Wright-Patterson AFB, home of E.T.'s on ice) in 1987. The hymn tune in question, Old 100th, is best known under the title of Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow.

Our two-selection playlist concludes with Henry Fillmore's Men of Ohio, which I'm posting in tribute to the voters of Ohio who, in spite of the Ohio GOP's best efforts, made their voices heard and, to boot, chose the way-better candidate. A double victory for the voters of the Buckeye State, who decided we're not the Ohio of John Boehner.

To the victory music:

Music for Obama's victory

PLAYLIST

1. Variations on a Hymn by Louis Bourgeois (Claude T. Smith)
2. Men of Ohio (Henry Fillmore)

The U.S. Air Force Logistic Command Band of Flight; Conducted by Major Earl E. Turner, 1987.


Lee

CBS, Fox, MSNBC call Ohio for Obama

Thank goodness....

To the Ohio GOP, which harassed Jennifer Brunner and the voters of Ohio, we say:

Frankie voted

A public service message from Sarah

Election, cold, Aunt Clara's Christmas Casserole

So, it's the day before the election, and I've got some kind of virus (in my body, not my PC). Feels like a cold, which is a good thing. After all, it could've been the flu.

I've had it for a couple days, and it seems to be going away, thank goodness. The last thing I want to do is stand in line for an hour with a dizzy, achy head. Or even half an hour. But I seem to be getting better.

I've been listening to MSNBC while lying, half-aware, on my living room easy chair, and up popped the news that Barack Obama's grandmother died. Sad news, and what grisly timing. The wonderful Obama family has my sympathy and my prayers. And, of course, Obama (unless the Ohio GOP has its way) has my vote.

Many thanks to all who have downloaded, or plan to download, all or part of my Christmas at Halloween music. The count averages out to 45 per selection--more than I expected!

And, for those of you in the mood for an early Christmas novelty video at YouTube, here's a very elaborate one featuring music composed by a MYP(W)HAE reader (whose name I'd give, but I didn't know whether or not he wanted me to). Enjoy:

Aunt Clara's Christmas Casserole.


Lee

Day-before-election music

Savefile.com is back up, as the site promised. So I was able to upload today's playlist, which I call "Day-before-election music," in spite of the fact that none of the music has anything to do with the election, or the anticipation thereof--it just happens to be a Nov. 3 post. An accident of the calendar, that's all.

Don't get me wrong--if I had any songs related to voter roll purging, crookedly-worded ads, scowl-faced House Minority Leaders, or the shortage of voting machines in black areas, I'd haul them out and feature them. But I don't, so we'll have to settle for The East Bound Train, Jazzie Addie, For My Country (wait a minute....), and The Organ Masters' version of What the World Needs Now is Love. Among other titles that don't relate to voting. Or lines for voting. Or concerns about getting arrested on a VWD (Voting While Democrat) charge. This music will put us in another place.

Yes, sir. For My Country's sake, I hope we Never get in this kind of neocon-guided mess again. What can I say? I'm a Yellow Dog Democrat. I'd probably vote for the Queen of Sheba if she were on my party's ticket.

Anyway, nothing Nov.-4th-related about this playlist, which can be reached by clicking on this link: Day-before-election music.

DAY-BEFORE-ELECTION-MUSIC PLAYLIST

RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD--Puff 'n Toot Singers (Peter Pan label)
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE--The Organ Masters, 1969.
FOR MY COUNTRY (MARCH)--Spanish String Orchestra, 1924. (From 78)
FLOWER OF THE DAY--Spanish String Orch., 1924. (From 78)
THE EAST BOUND TRAIN--Lester McFarland, Robert A. Gardner, 1927. (From 78)
THE BRIGHT SHERMAN VALLEY--Same. (From 78)
QUEEN OF SHEBA (Lewis)--Ted Lewis Jazz band, 1921. (From 78)
JAZZIE ADDIE--Jazarimba Orch., 1918. (From 78)
GOULASH--Same. (From 78)
HELLO, IS THAT YOU?--The (Original) Red Tops; vocal by Rufus McCay, 1957.
NEVER--Toni Arden w. Percy Faith Orch., 1951.
AMAZING GRACE--The Taylor Mountain Boys.


Lee

Griff and Bill don't care

"What do I think of the election coming up? What election?"--Griff.
"Hey--turn off that flash. I'm trying to sleep."--Bill.

Invasion of the Robocalls

We've been getting them at 20-minute intervals. But not today. Maybe all the robots are at church?

Sunday morning gospel will return next week

Hopefully, anyway. Needless to say, Savefile.com refused to accept my zip file. I forget which try that was.

Meanwhile, this message on the site's Help page:

"Currently we are experiencing some connection problems with one of our servers. We're looking into this, and hoping to get it resolved by the end of the weekend.

We apologize for the inconvience (sic) this may cause you, and thank you for your patience."

Ahhh. Now we know.

Too bad I didn't check there first. Of course, Savefile could have put that message on their main page, but that would be too much like communication....