When I was in Toronto a few weeks ago, ms. Modigliani and I had dinner with our dear friend Lou Bourgeois. On the drive to Il Paridiso in Oakville, the CD playing on the car stereo was The Genus of Coleman Hawkins, one of my Top 10, Stranded on a Desert Island jazz records. Just listen to Hawk’s honking tenor ripping up an old chestnut like “In a Mellow Tone.” It could be the sound track for Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, also released 50 years ago this month. Blow, man, blow!
Lou asked about the music. “That’s Coleman Hawkins with the Oscar Peterson Trio, Herb Ellis on guitar,” I said.
“Oscar Peterson?” Lou said. “We have the same piano tuner.” Turns out Oscar lives down the road now in Mississauga, Ontario. That put me in the mood to hear more from Oscar and send out this edition of the Mouffe to Lou.
As the program notes say, this YouTube clip features an unusual trio. Oscar Peterson is accompanied by two bassists,Ray Brown and Niels Pedersen. Their performance of “You Look Good To Me” was recorded in 1977 at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
If that only whets your appetite, check out this vintage clip of Oscar Peterson with Nat King Cole on vocals and Coleman Hawkins on tenor, swinging with “Sweet Lorraine.”
![Gustave Caillebotte. Paris Street, Rainy Day (La Place de l’Europe, temps de pluie). 1877. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago. [Source: Wikimedia Commons]](../../../../wp-content/uploads/2009/02/gustave_caillebotte_paris_street_rainy_day_1877_wiki.jpg "gustave_caillebotte_paris_street_rainy_day")
The legendary Kiki of Montparnasse posed for Man Ray’s 
![Fog at Isle Royale [Source: wildmengoneborneo.com]](../../../../wp-content/uploads/2008/04/isle_royale_fog.jpg "Fog at Isle Royale [Source: wildmengoneborneo.com]")
If there is an emerging genetic underclass, I could run for class president or class clown. Read more in 
![Grant Wood. Parson Weem’s’ Fable. 1939. Amon Carter Museum, Forth Worth.. Steven Biel describes the painting: “Parson Weems, imitating Charles Willson Peale’s pose in The Artist in His Museum (1822), opens a red velvet curtain on the legendary scene: Augustine Washington, elegant in crimson coat, white ruffle, tan breeches, silver-buckled pumps, and green tricornered hat, grasps in his right hand the slim trunk of the bent cherry tree. A row of cherries dangles from the perfectly rounded treetop, mirroring the very cherry-like fringe of the Parson’s curtain. Augustine’s outstretched left palm and furrowed brow signal a serious inquiry. His son George, boyish in stature and dress—coatless, with sky-blue breeches and petite buckled pumps—is manly in his expression. In fact, his white-wigged head is that of Gilbert Stuart’s portrait and the dollar bill. He points with his right hand to the hatchet in his left. Wood chips lie in the circle of soil at the base of the tree, its lower trunk smoothly incised and poised to split off. In the background, a well-dressed slave couple harvests the fruit of a second tree.” [Alt Text Source: Common-Place/ http://www.common-place.org/vol-06/no-04/biel/ ]](../../../../wp-content/uploads/2011/08/grant_wood_parson_weems_fable_200px.jpg "grant_wood_parson_weems_fable_200px")
Pingback: a blind flaneur
Pingback: a blind flaneur
Pingback: a blind flaneur
Pingback: a blind flaneur
I noticed in my backend stats a referring link to this post from The Wall Street Journal. Not exactly the usual company I keep, but hey, bring down the social barriers! To my surprise and delight, the link led to an article by Nat Hentoff. I thought he was a Village Voice, not WSJ, kind of guy. Working writers have to make a living however they can. WSJ appears to use a refreshable Sphere search widget to link out to related blog content. I’m pleased and proud to be connected with Nat Hentoff on jazz, however it happens.