Monday Music: Some Other Time (Tony Bennett & Bill Evans)

The legendary Tony Bennett recently announced his retirement from performing at the age of 95. His career has spanned eight decades. "Some Other Time" was recorded in 1975 with jazz pianist Bill Evans. It is from The Tony Bennett and Bill Evans Album in which the two musicians collaborated on nine songs to produce a rich smooth jazz sound. Bennett is known for interpreting the Great American Songbook, but this collaboration reveals a musical river that runs deeper in the singer than some fans might have realized.

 

"Some Other Time" was composed by Leonard Bernstein, with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green from the 1944 musical On the Town.

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Remembering Brian Hawkins

First Fridays at Bards & Brews

By Charles Kinnaird

Voice Porter (BPL photo)

 “Are you ready for the next poet?” Voice Porter would ask.

“Yeah!” the crowd would respond.

“Let’s hear it for our next poet!”

And the crowd would go wild, even if I was the next poet walking up to the mic.

It was an exciting happening that took place at the Birmingham Public Library on the first Friday of every month (with the exception of December). Usually, a local musician or band would get the evening started, and then Voice Porter (aka Brian Hawkins), would hold the room spellbound as he emceed a night of poetry. There would be “headliner” spoken word artists interspersed with any poet in the audience who wanted to sign up to present his or her work.

That was how Brian Hawkins operated. He bought people together, he celebrated the arts, and he lauded the spoken word. A supremely talented spoken word artist himself, Brian would often present his own work which we always loved, but most of the time, he ceded the stage to the artists he loved and to any poet in the community who desired a voice.

Helping Artists Find their Way

Several years ago, when I was re-entering the world of poetry, I decided to take advantage of every open mic that I could. I believe in the power of poetry and especially value the spoken word. Being an introvert may be an advantage to my writing, but it is a handicap when it comes to presenting my work. I knew that poets were receptive audiences and that I could only benefit by making myself get up before an audience whenever I could. One of the best and most reliable opportunities was with Brian Hawkins at Bards & Brews.

While I benefitted from the open mic opportunity, I benefitted even more from Brian. It was the way he celebrated local talent and brought the community together. I heard some of the best spoken word artists in the area because of Brian Hawkins. He took every opportunity to support local talent. In fact, that was his “soapbox.” He would tell the audience at every event that he wanted us all to use SOAP, which was his acronym for Support Our Artists, Please. He lamented that local artists often felt the need to go to Atlanta, or Nashville, or even New York and Los Angeles to hone their craft. Brian wanted a community that could support and encourage its artists enough that they did not have to leave town to find their way.

Feeling the Loss

I am still reeling from the loss our community experienced with the unexpected death of Brian Hawkins this week. Many are telling their Brain Hawkins stories, and many knew him far better than I did. There is much more of his life to celebrate than I can recount here. He named himself “The Voice” and he worked tirelessly to help others find their voice. Brian Hawkins cannot be replaced, but we can honor his memory by continuing to come together to celebrate the art that is already at work among us.

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[Learn more about Brian Hawkins at the WBHM Public Radio website]

Those who wish to offer support for Brian's family may make a contribution at Penny Foundation, Inc. 

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Saturday Haiku: San Francisco Bay

 

sailing out to sea
or casting a line from shore
living in wonder

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Image: "San Francisco Bay"

Artist: Tony Bennett (Antony Benedetto) *

*The legendary Tony Bennett recently announced his retirement from performing at the age of 95. His career has spanned eight decades. Famous for his singing career, he has also had a passion for painting. In celebration of his career that has spanned eight decades, I am doing a series of haiku inspired by Mr. Bennett's artwork (when he paints, he uses his given name, Antony Benedetto).

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Friday Funnies: The Latest Technology

 

The Queen’s Drop Scone Pancakes

I found out about these pancakes by chance when I was watching one of those antique shows on television. Someone was showing a wooden lap desk and mentioned that inside the desk was the pancake recipe that Queen Elizabeth sent to President Eisenhower. It piqued my interest. I thought, surely, I could find that recipe online, and I did. You’ll find it here at Hello! Magazine, but I will also share the recipe below and tell you about my experience preparing it. I had to look up and translate some of the British terms such as “castor sugar” and “teacup.”

 

The Queen's drop scone recipe

Serves 16

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the Queen's drop scones

• 4 teacups flour (a teacup, is about ¾ cup measure, or 190 mL – I had to look that up)
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar (i.e., confectioner’s sugar)
• 2 teacups milk (or 1½ cups)
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (i.e. baking soda)
• 3 teaspoons cream of tartar (you may substitute with 4½ t. baking powder – 1½ t. for each t. of cream of tartar – I looked that up, too)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (I used a plant-based butter substitute)

INSTRUCTIONS

How to make the Queen's drop scones

Step 1

Beat the eggs, sugar and about half the milk together.

Step 2

Add the flour and mix well together, adding the remainder of milk as required.

Step 3

Add the bicarbonate and cream of tartar, then fold in the melted butter.

Step 4

Heat a frying or griddle pan with some melted butter in. Pour in two or three large spoonfuls of the batter (make sure they don't touch each other) – these will be your drop scones or 'Scotch pancakes'.

(I used a ¼ cup measure to pour the batter for each pancake, and it worked out perfectly)

Step 5

When the batter is bubbling on top, flip over each drop scone. They are ready when each side is slightly browned.

Step 6

Serve with whatever you fancy: fresh fruit, maple syrup, jam, you decide!

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These pancakes don’t soak up the syrup the way typical pancakes do, which some will see as a plus (soggy pancakes can be a drag). When I took my first bite, I realized that these pancakes would be perfect for strawberry shortcake. I went to the grocery store that very day and bought some fresh strawberries and whipped cream so I could use the remaining pancakes for a dessert that evening. I made it simple, just cut up the strawberries and tossed them with some confectioner's sugar and with a can of Reddi-whip built the dessert.

As noted above, I used baking powder in place of the cream of tartar since I did not have the latter on hand. I looked up online the conversion ratio of 1 ½ teaspoons for each 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

The second time I made this recipe, I bought some cream of tartar so I could prepare them exactly like the Queen did. The result was essentially the same, I could tell no difference in appearance or taste. What was surprising, though, was that the cream of tartar begins working immediately, right in the bowl the batter begins rising even as you are scooping it out to the griddle!

I read that cream of tartar is a by-product of winemaking. I don’t know how anyone figured out the culinary benefits of the product, but there you go.

I hope you will try this recipe and use if for breakfast pancakes or for strawberry shortcake, and I hope you will fondly remember the Queen and me when you do.

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Monday Music: Tecumseh Valley (Nanci Griffith)

We lost beloved folk singer, Nanci Griffith, last week. One of the tracks on her 1993 album, Other Voices, Other Rooms  offers a beautiful rendition of Townes Van Zandt's, "Tecumseh Valley." Arlo Guthrie accompanies Ms. Griffith on the recording. 

 

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Saturday Haiku: Morning Gold

 

morning light reveals
the bright gold that was hidden
before zinnias bloomed

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Photo by Charles Kinnaird

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Friday Funnies: Tell me you haven't had this dream

 

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Cartoon by Meredith Southard at the New Yorker

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Monday Music: Abraham, Martin, and John (Dion)

 Here's Dion performing his 1968 hit live on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour back in the day.

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Saturday Haiku: Wren Rules

 

the wren will hold court
in a realm where boundaries
are secured in song

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Photo: Carolina wren

Credit: Charles Kinnaird

To hear the Carolina wren's song, go to https://youtu.be/HujjAUnJubc

Friday Funnies: Calvin & Hobbs Classic

 

COVID Moments

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

 

COVID Moments

by Charles Kinnaird

 

We kept death so distant

we could eat steak

without thinking of the slaughterhouse.

We could fry chicken every Wednesday

and never have to wring a neck.

And now the hangman

waits for us.

 

We treated death

like flotsam that washes up

with the tide,

Not realizing

that death is the tide itself.

 

The cedar waxwing –

lovely elegant form –

lay lifeless on the sidewalk,

a victim of plate glass windows.

She had flown freely,

oblivious of

civilization’s snare.

 

Death waited

expectantly,

perhaps over the next hill

or down the block

or just around the corner.

We moved within it

as it moved among us.

Careful steps.

An ominous dance.

 

Some things die slowly.

Police Send Two Black Men Away from

Walmart Store for Wearing Protective Masks

Though death is the

ultimate leveler,

it is still more difficult

to be safe

while being black.

  

Burial trenches

are dug in The Bronx

for mass graves

as were once seen in wartime,

or in despotic regimes.

COVID-19 claims more victims

and while we dig

we dare not doubt

that a vaccine

will soon combat this death.

 

Reluctantly

we closed down

and donned our masks.

Streets and courtyards

Restaurants and banks

Schools and churches

Now empty.

None can say when

or how

we will open back up.

 

Social distancing

Is the directive.

 

Hospitals retool.

Nurses retrain.

Doctors reframe

medical necessity.

Chaplains remind

that caring

spans distance.

*     *      *     *

Just when we thought we were seeing an end to the pandemic, the Delta variant has brought about an increase in COVID cases with more hospitalizations.  The poem above is one of many others that some friends and I have compiled in a poetry anthology, The Social Distance: Poetry in Response to COVID-19. The book has received many compliments from readers and is available on Amazon.  The poets featured are from different walks of life and their words offer a meaningful examination of how we make our way through these unusual times.

I was pleased that Alabama's poet laureate, Jennifer Horne, read one of my poems from the book for her Midweek Poetry Break. You can enjoy that reading here. 

*     *     *

The Social Distance: Poetry in Response to COVID-19

An Anthology by the Highland Avenue Eaters of Words

Poetry and photographs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, sheltering in place and related trials. The poets, who include doctors, lawyers, journalists, and other professionals open themselves up in non-sentimental, beautiful, and often painful verse that seeks to capture these odd and often difficult times. This book is for those who want to keep a reminder of what "social distancing" was like and to experience how others dealt with isolation and fear. Although engaged in other vocations, the contributing poets include experienced writers who are the winners of local and national contests. Several of the poets have written other books of poetry, essays, and fiction as well as numerous articles and contributions to professional publications.

Available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Social-Distance-Poetry-Response-COVID-19/dp/1098317092

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Monday Music: Chicken Fat (Robert Preston)

In the 1960s, local stations were inventing morning television, and no one did it better than Tom York in Birmingham, Alabama on WBRC 6.  Tom York's Morning Show used to play "Chicken Fat," the official song for President Kennedy's youth fitness program.

Last week came the news of Tom York's passing at the age of 96.  I hope his family doesn't mind my digging up the Robert Preston recording that his show once featured many a morning as they encouraged folks to get up and move.

 

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Saturday Haiku: Owl of Central Park

owl of Central Park
reminds the urban weary
it’s time to reset

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The Barred Owl of Central Park on his first appearance, October 9, 2020.

Credit: TWITTER @WINOBRADNY

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Friday Funnies: Literary Humor

 

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Brown Thrasher Bathes

 This brown thrasher is loving the water!

 

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Monday Music: The Levee's Gonna Break (Bob Dylan)

If it keep on rainin', the levee gonna break! Here's a live performance of "The Levee's Gonna Break," originally released on Bob Dylan's Modern Times album.

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