Happy 100 Louis Prima: The Wildest

This past December 7 was the 100th birthday of Louis Prima. I'm not a biographer so I'm not going to give you a point by point, date by date on the life of Louis. I'm just wanted to show my appreciation for this "wild cat".  And let's face it- this blog is about the soundtrack

I remember Louis Prima mostly from movies. His songs had a way of giving a charge to a film. There's "The Jungle Book"- as King Louie, the orangutan that wanted to be "just like me". Or "Big Night", where he's a huge part of the plot- used as a tool to ruin a couple of brothers who own an Italian  restaurant. This film is worth a rental just to see Marc Anthony do some acting pre J-Lo.

His music was infectious- you could not move- never more evident in his composition "Sing Sing Sing".

Perhaps he is best known for his collaborations with his fourth wife Keely Smith.  Together the revolutionized the Las Vegas lounge act. The show was called "The Wildest"- meaning that it was the "wildest" show in Las Vegas.  To be fair- she is a fantastic singer but it was Louis Prima who created the "Keely Smith" persona (pageboy haircut, the silent observer)- together they were unbelievable.

A Christmas Memory

"A Christmas Memory" is one of my favorite holiday stories. Written by Truman Capote, the story is of a unique friendship between a boy and his childlike older cousin.  At this time of year it is not uncommon to reflect back on happier times and comparing them to the life we live now.  Some memories are good- simple joys, fine foods, smiles and laughter Some memories bring a sense of sadness because some part of the memories are no longer with us. Still, it is a time to celebrate (even if you don't celebrate the holidays).  Celebrate life. Celebrate the little things. Celebrate the memories.

Listen to "A Christmas Memory" by clicking on the title above or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes One Thousand Hertz.

Happy New Year to all.

Instant Radio

I know it's been a while since I last posted but I've been in the middle of a big move from Oakland to Los Angeles. Here's some advice: when renting a truck don't believe the specs when they say a 10' truck is perfect for a 1 bedroom.  It's like the measurements on your coffee maker carafe: it may have been true in the past but not now. Let's just say I'm glad it's over.

Moving to L.A. means I've left my radio position and am looking for another.  In tribute to my 20 years at KPFA in Berkeley I am presenting "Instant Radio" written and directed by Bill Chessman. It's a full day of radio programming in 30 minutes which I think is becoming a reality at KPFA (not bitter- not bitter). Click on the title to listen or download on iTunes.

This is a new adventure for me. Here's to some great memories.

Remembrance

Day of the Dead. I've always enjoyed the Day of the Dead. The idea of honoring loved ones who had died seemed right in some way. Not forgotten but always present.

This has become more apparent as I have gotten older. I am of a generation that was hit hard by death due to the AIDS pandemic. My experiences with friends dying prepared me for what I have recently gone through in being a caregiver for my parents although I didn't know this at the time.

"Remembrance" is about how we honor our dead. How we fight to keep the memories of them from fading away. It's about saying this this person- this life was important.  It's a celebration a life through the transition of death.

So this blog posting and podcast is dedicated to friends and family who have died and my way of saying to you that it's O.K. to mourn the passing of a loved one but don't forget to celebrate them as well. Live your life as a celebration of who they were- who they are.

"The War That Never Was"- Alan Lipton Part 2

This is the second post of the Alan Lipton series. I have to say, I am very impressed with Alan. I think that he is very talented but I didn't know how far his passion for creativity went. I recently went to hear him perform (sing) in Berkeley. Despite it being fairly hot, in BERKELEY, and the usual Berkeley characters milling about AND the scheduled BART trains shaking the outside venue, Alan played and sang with passion and conviction. I enjoyed myself.

"The War That Never Was" was the first piece the Fools did with Alan. The script seemed more cinematic than something for radio so it was a challenge to make it work for radio. I think we did.

Click on the title of the post to listen or download it on iTunes.

"Death and Taxidermy"- Alan Lipton Part Uno

Alan Lipton is a writer/musician/character living in the San Francisco Bay Area. We met when I was doing Pagliacci's Fools. He was a writer. I was looking for writers. Perfect fit.

One day in brought me this short piece, "Death and Taxidermy". I fell in love with the piece right away and wanted to record it. Instead of doing it in a live setting I thought it would work best as a pre-recorded piece. There was this actor that I wanted to work with, Brent Rose, who was working with the Shotgun Players at the time. Brent came in the studio, performing both parts and hit it out of the park.

Brent is now in New York, working as an actor. Check out how talented this guy is by going to his blog "50 Characters in 50 Weeks" http://50in50.wordpress.com/. You will be impressed.

Razor's Edge

Kim Nicolini. That's a name you should have heard of before now.  Kim Nicolini is one of the most talented individuals I know. A mother, poet, artist, photographer- a Renaissance Woman. You should know her name and her work.

Kim and I worked together in Concord California back in the early 1990s. Rarely do I get involved with co-workers passions but for some reason I felt there was something about Kim I wanted to experience. One day she invited me to come to one of her poetry readings in Vallejo California. I still remember that evening. Kim's poetry was intense, raw, unapologetic- it bled. I bought two of her books of poetry and wanted to get her on tape. I created a show featuring her and her poetry and the result is "Razor's Edge". 

You can discover more about this uniquely gifted woman on her website http://kdotdammit.livejournal.com/.  But first, experience this woman's passion by listening to the podcast either by clicking on the above title or through iTunes (One Thousand Hertz).

Hey Kim- Julian Schnabel has nothing on you. 

WOYZECK

woyzeck. Woyzeck.  WOYZECK. 

There's something about this play that has stayed with me for over thirty years. I first read the play in 1979 when I was a student in England. There's something haunting and sad about this play. I can't shake it.

Perhaps it's because it was written by Georg Buchner who died at the age of 23. Perhaps it's because the manuscript has the air of mystery around it. You see, although Georg Buchner had finished the play, a series of 29 scenes, there is no guide in which the scenes should be placed. The result is that the play changes slightly depending on the vision of the director. Whatever the reason, I amazed that a man so young had such insight.


Here is my vision- Woyzeck:performed and mixed live in front of an audience.
A direct link is: http://onethousandhertz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

I'm Going Back Home

I went to my first Family Reunion in 1996. I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't sure what to expect. Growing up  an only child living on the west coast, I knew very little about my fraternal family members who make the Mid-West and South their homes.

Arriving in St. Louis on that hot August afternoon I was greeted with smiles of curiosity. Everyone knew my Dad- in was legendary- and they knew of me but few had actually met the "son from California". Having dreadlocks and a laid back attitude made me a stand out right away. But I was welcomed and I had a since of belonging. I brought a tape recorder with me and created a show that is the basis of this podcast.

I just returned from the 2010 Family Reunion. It's been about 10 years since my last one in Jackson Mississippi. No longer sporting dreadlocks, a little grey- I was welcomed back- the prodigal "son from California".

I don't know what it is about families. There is no "perfect families" like those seen in on television of the 50's, 60's and early 70's. And dysfunctional families aren't as unique as films portrayed in films of today. Families are just people who are seeking to see beyond themselves by looking to others.

I went to the reunion this year to represent my father. But I realize now that I went home. I guess that's why my father found these semi-annual gatherings so important. We all need to have a home to return to; we all need a place where we are welcomed back.

Listen to the podcast of the 1996 reunion at http://onethousandhertz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default .

The Mystery of the Missing Links

Strange things have been happening in Carmel California.  Private detective Max Slade is on the job. Max must find the husband of a Monterey Peninsula socialite while at the same time avoid being hooked by the sexy vixen Trixie Deluxx. Can Max find the "wayward" husband? Will he escape the love trap set for him by Trixie? Find out as Max Slade uncovers "The Mystery of the Missing Links".

What's that smell? Could it be the scent of "Black Orchid"?

Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein": A Review

The Mel Brooks new musical "Young Frankenstein" is currently playing at the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco as part of its national tour. This is the second collaboration between Brooks and director/choreographer Susan Stroman after the hit "The Producers".

http://onethousandhertz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Still learning after all these months

I've been posting my podcasts on this blog but figured folks would be able to link to it directly to them from here.  Silly- silly me. From now on I will provide the direct link- which is below.   Go ahead- catch up and enjoy.

http://onethousandhertz.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

The Potion

It's said to be careful for what you wish for because you might just get it. Let's face it- we all wish/ pray/chant/mediate for a new job or a fine romance or more money (mmmm-more money) but there is a certain responsibility that comes with getting what we desire.

"The Potion" looks at one woman's desire and how she copes with what the consequences. "The Potion"- a little magic- a little fantasy- a lot of fun.

Rue St. Denis

Paris is known as the City of Light. But beneath that light is a dark seductive mystery. It is one of these mysteries that is Rue St. Denis.

The street's namesake, Saint Denis, was a Christian martyr beheaded by pagan priest on the highest hill in Paris- now Montmartre. It is said that after his head was cut off he picked it up and walked the six miles of what is now Rue St. Denis, preaching a sermon along the way. 

Today this street of the martyred saint is the home of stylish boutiques, up scale restaurants and sex clubs. It is a mystery how the secular and the holy co-exist side by side. It is this balance of the wicked and the divine that captures the imagination.

Come. Discover the mystery of Rue. St. Denis.

Wonderland

"Why sometimes I believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!"


Some wouldn't dear to believe in one impossible thing in their life let alone six before breakfast. 
But the Queen in "Alice in Wonderland" had no fear.  "Wonderland" came about because I
believed in the impossible- the idea of creating a radio theater group in the time of video games,
ipods, cable T.V.  and what not.


One Thousand Hertz gives you "Wonderland"- an impossible thing as a reality. I think the Lewis
Carroll encourage one to believe in the impossible. Maybe that's why there have been so many
adaptations of the stories. "Wonderland" asks you to believe in impossible things. Enjoy.

The Fungi Fiasco

There is Iron Man. And Batman. Don't forget Superman, Spiderman, Aquaman and the whole gang over at the American League. But they don't come close to Yes Man and Eunuch Boy. No really, they don't get close to these guys but it doesn't stop this usual duo from kicking butt and taking names. On this podcast we have them battling Moldfinger and his spongy crew. Presenting Yes Man and Eunuch Boy in "The Fungi Fiasco". This is the first of the Yes Man and Eunuch Boy adventures.

The Great Lena Horne

 As you may know, the wonderfully talented Lena Horne passed away on Sunday May 9, 2010.

I  met her when I was returning to Los Angeles from Seattle in 1982.  I fly up to Washington to attend my college roommate's wedding and decided to take the train back. It being an overnight trip I thought I would get a sleeper. I arrive at the train station and there she was- shining- I'm not lying- she was radiant. I walked up to her and said something I can't remember. And she said something I can't recall but what I do remember is her smile and her grace. WOW. I didn't get a sleeper because Ms. Horne had reserved all of them but I did have dinner with her granddaughter- Jenny Lumet- a mere teenager at the time.

I'm sure that neither Ms. Horne or Ms. Lumet remember me but I will always have that moment when I was on a slow moving train when I met a legend.

THE LEARNING CURVE

I have found out that the learning curve is much sharper after one turns fifty.  In fits and starts I almost have this blog and pod cast thing down. I look around and see younger folks get this internet/web language thing down as if it was part of their DNA. I, not having that technical gene, come more slowly to this modern day soapbox. The wheels may squeal but I make negotiate the curve.

An update on what’s going on:

The first official podcast is posted. You can get it using any RSS reader (http://onethousandhertz.blogspot.com/feeds/podcasts/default) or by going to iTunes and searching the iTunes store for One Thousand Hertz.  New podcasts will be posted twice a month. Keep an eye out for the next one: “The Adventures of Yes-Man and Eunuch Boy- Moldfinger”. This is the first of the Yes Man/Eunuch Boy adventures.

Now an observation: I was sitting outside Gaylord’s Coffeehouse the other day. Two women passed by me as I read the current issue of All-Story magazine. They sat down at the adjoining table and it was then I notice a small dog in the arms of the older woman. She put the dog down on the ground. As I wondered why anyone would take such effort to feed, walk (or carry) and clean after such a small creature, the older woman said, “What do you think of my daughter?” Her daughter? It was the younger woman with her who had gone into the coffeehouse. What do I say? It was the first time I had been asked such a question although it is probably a popular phrase in such DVD’s as “Moms and Daughters Gone Wild”.  Again, what do I say? I take a stab at it. “She’s very confident”, I say because you would have to be very self-assured to wear what she was wearing: knee high boots, leopard patterned blouse accented by a purple skirt, a hairstyle circa Dianna Ross 1975-2001. “A beautiful young woman”, I continued. “Intelligent and a nice person.” I don’t why I said the last part but I thought it was something a mother would appreciate. It seemed to work. I didn’t have the heart to say that I didn’t notice the daughter. It was the dog that held my interest. It still does. When the daughter came back with an iced something and a bottle of water, the mother asks me if she can tell the daughter what I said about her. I didn’t care so I said sure. Paraphrasing what I said the daughter listened and by the expression on her face I guess it was something she needed to her. I left them to the sunshine and watched the mother attempt to give the dog some water from the small cap of the bottle.

I guess one never knows why one is in a particular place at a particular time. Maybe I was at Gaylord’s at that time to give that young lady something to keep going for another day. Maybe she needed a moment of confirmation. Don’t we all need a moment of confirmation at times? It easy to criticize believing our honesty helpful but some times a tactful “truth” gives someone what they need to keep moving forward instead of standing still or giving up all together.  Just a thought.

DANCING IN THE PARK

"Dancing in the Park" came about because I wanted to write a love letter to Paris. You will find people enjoying the sunshine, the beauty of the gardens- maybe a puppet show and music coming from a small bandstand during the spring and summer in the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was the music that made Jardin du Luxembourg so magical for me. The afternoons I spent in the Jardin du Luxembourg is the first thing I remember when I think about Paris.

"Dancing in the Park" was recorded live in front of an audience in a small cafe in Carmel California. It was part of the Carmel Festival of the Arts. The featured performers are Susan Swift and Mike Reynolds.

Time to Calibrate

Mark your calendars: May 1st will be the first official podcast. I'm sending out tone as any good audio producer would do to make sure everything is calibrated for Saturday.

I guess this means I have made a commitment to doing this blog/podcast. There will be some old shows and some new but I hope each podcast will be interesting.

Thanks to Jimi for encouraging me to do something creative. I'm looking forward to this adventure.

Calibration

I'm doing a blog? I never thought I would be here but I am. 

I also thought that people who did blogs were under the illusion that they had something IMPORTANT  to say but really. . . Let's just say I was never enthusiastic about blogs. Everything changed after having dinner with my old friend Jimi- catching up on what's been happening the last 12 years since I last saw him- when he said "You should do a blog."

So I thought about it. I do not really have anything important to say. If I did do a blog it should have to have an unique angle at the very least not to mention a cool name. Kevin's blog? Vini's blog? I used to write a column called "Vini Vidi" but no. So I thought about my life and how much of it centered on the spoken word- years of Forensics/Debate- years of producing radio plays and audio shows. I'll start there.

One of the first things I learned in audio production ( in the analog years) was to place tone at the beginning of a reel of tape so that when it aired the playback calibration would be at its optimum.  Tone  is One Thousand Hertz. Welcome to One Thousand Hertz.

One Thousand Hertz (or OTH) is not merely a blog. Since the spoken word is so important to me, I've decided to have my blog be a podcast. It will be a place to post original productions from past radio projects (On Airotica, Rumor Mill and Pagliacci's Fools) and future productions. In time I would like to invite others to submit audio works to share. There are so few outlets for audio plays and spoken word producers on commercial or public radio so this is just a little blog providing an opportunity for people who enjoy creating spoken words pieces and for those who enjoy listening to them.

Soon I'll begin posting audio plays and other audio projects. Stay tuned.

So that's it. No special insights. No issues to discuss. Not that insights and issues will not be part of the blog because I believe artists are the true historians. 

My life is not that exciting but my imagination is limitless. It's time to calibrate. One Thousand Hertz.