The Beloved, who Knows Things, told me about ”Google Alerts”: I could enter any words or names I wanted into a simple form and then get an email from Google whenever they appeared on the web (once a day, as they happen, or every week). No ads, no identity theft. And it’s easier to do than it is to read about. I was characteristically skeptical, but now, whenever someone online mentions Louis (frequently), Lester, Ruby, or Sid, I know. Hugely reassuring. Some of what surfaces is trivial, but this morning I was Alerted to an extraordinary website: THE EVANSVILLE BONEYARD.
That’s Evansville, Indiana.
A rather cryptic, even macabre title, granted.
But these pictures are anything but cryptic.
I find the second one — shock and sorrow too sharp for any place but the front page – especially moving. Thanks to John Baburnich, the BONEYARD’s editor, for posting these irreplaceable artifacts of the man he calls an “Evansville Born Jazz Great” — which Sidney Catlett was.
I also found myself reading about other events in Evansville history — Mike the Headless Chicken and The Great Molasses Flood. Neither story is for the faint of heart, but they are both engrossing. A visit to THE EVANSVILLE BONEYARD will amuse, enlighten, and exalt, even if it’s always too early in the day to read about headless chickens.
3 responses so far ↓
Night Lights Classic Jazz Blog and Radio Program with David Brent Johnson | WFIU Public Media // August 4, 2008 at 11:16 pm
[...] *Jazz Lives has a great post up about swing-era trumpeter Frankie Newton, who’s been on my program “to-do” list for a long time. Newton was a brilliant trumpeter, a political leftist, a painter, a tennis player, and in many ways a man of mystery. Jazz Lives (aka Michael Steinman) also turned up a period-piece account of the death of swing-to-bop drumming great Big Sid Catlett. [...]
Brian Menendez // August 4, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Thanks for the tip on Google Alerts. And it’s good to know that Big Sid still lives in the hearts of people today. As a drummer I have always been fond of him. Some of the first solo’s I check out were his.
tradermike // August 25, 2008 at 11:28 am
You should also check out FaveBot.com — it can track keywords / phrases in podcasts, videos, blog posts, news articles, new music releases, new books, etc. Plus it can find local events matching your keywords. (you might want to track “Jazz” across several categories)
You can track your output (results) on the site or via RSS feeds.