* The Music : George Benson’s “Breezin”
Instead of the CD, or the MP3, Im playing it from the original vinyl, tonight. And when I say original, I mean original. This disk was handed me, while I was doing on their duties at what was WVOR/100.5 in Rochester, when Benson came to town, touring in support of the album.
The album came out in 76, and won Benson a Grammy. It also made Benson a star overnight.
Harvey Mason, who these days plays for Fourplay, Ralph MacDonald, who plays for everybody, Phil Upchurch and Ronnie Scott all appeared on the album.
I’ve always treasured that copy of the album, though I have a few more, and a couple digital copies, as well, that have additional tracks on them, that were not originally released in 76.
The hit off the album at the time was Leon Russell’s “This Masquerade”… a song also ably covered by Karen and Richard Carpenter, later that same year, if memory serves.
The album, was my first serious exposure to modern jazz, and to a large degree, I suppose it explains my leanings toward what is today called ‘smooth jazz’, because there isn’t a song on that album that wouldn’t fit on a smooth jazz outlet, today. It’s not exactly fair to say that Benson single-handedly changed jazz to match his style , but it would be unfair not to say that jazz of today doesn’t sound an awful lot like what he was doing them.
I’m not sure how many disks Benson is turned out over the years, since “Breezin” came out, (I have twelve of them) nor frankly, do I know many albums he turned out while still working for Creed Taylor… (though I own two of those, as well) … but I must tell you that I’ve always regretted never seeing him live.
* Steve Verdon over at OTB says they’ve located the cause of that tainted spinach scare, last winter….
It was an organic farm in San Benito County.
The contamination occurred in a field transitioning from conventional to organic farming practices, she said.
Seattle-based attorney Bill Marler, who is representing 90 plaintiffs in a suit related to the E. coli outbreak, added Salinas grower Mission Organics to the defendants in his lawsuit on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Marler told the Free Lance he has known since November that the E. coli contamination occurred on land farmed by Mission Organics and leased from Paicines Ranch, and that the state agency’s investigation only confirmed that.
“It’s the worst-kept secret,” Marler said. “It was already evident, and once you say that it’s a 50-acre ranch, well, it is what it is.”
So the logical question becomes if it’s such a badly kept secret why did it take so darned long to be identified publicly as such? You see I have long been firmly convinced that this nonsense about organic farming being so advantageous, was actually a crock of, well, you know…
* Surber has this one up, just as I go to publish this…. I see where Brit Hume of Fox news is saying that based on the evidence Valerie Plame committed perjury in that dog and pony show that Waxman threw the other day. Based on the evidence, I think he’s got a serious point. Given the level of screaming coming from the left, I’d say they think so too. On the other hand, facts mean little to such people. Well, I’ve got news for you; Welcome to reality, lefties. Plame, just like her no-good husband, lied.
And why do I get the feeling that Henry Waxman is looking for the big red sign over the door that says “exit”?
* Laura W over at Ace’s place gives as good a description as any of the animal ‘rights’ activists I’ve run across. How many of these idiots voted Republican, do you suppose? No, I don’t think so, either.
* It got up to 30°, around here, today, but the sun was out the majority of the day in the sky, which was the most beautiful blue you’d seen in quite awhile. Squadrons of geese keeping their V formations were going overhead, sometimes, several flocks at a time.
Sometimes, the flux were small; other times they were so large that it even a small shift in formation meant a spread of several hundred feet
It’s always encouraging to me to see their travel in the spring… and I always find myself somewhat wistful at their departure in the fall. This year has been no exception of but I did get a slight additional take this year…
As you may know my lovely wife is seriously into herons. We have a fair amount of swap around here within a very short drive, and it is such places that he’s, and herons, will hang out. one of the biggest charges of wildlife that I’ve ever had, was while on a camping trip seeing a huge blue heron along the shores of Lake Erie. This was quite frankly the biggest bird I had ever seen in my life. At least, the biggest one that could fly. And fly he did… straight out into lake Erie, I never did see him again.
So, you can imagine my surprise while driving home on Friday evening, on happening to notice a heron coming up in the mirror behind me overhead, and moving very fast indeed. Needless to say I was a bit surprised. I was very pleased. This was the first heron of the season, certainly a good omen that summer couldn’t be far away. well, the bird apparently spotted me as well. As the heron went by, it preceded to leave a deposit on my windshield, roof and hood. Had to wash BitsBox twice to get it clean, again.
I’m sure, that somewhere in the world, there is a subculture that would think that this is a very positive sign of forthcoming luck for me, and mine. They would be well advised to steer well clear of me until such time as summer is well established. (grr)
Tags: BitsBlog, Nightly Ramble
