My mother used to gently urge me — “urge” is the nicest way of putting it — to go outside occasionally. “Are you going to stay in your room with a book all day? It’s so nice outside!”
This post’s for you, Mom — I made it out-of-doors at a jazz festival — the Sacramento Music Festival — and soaked up the sun, the Vitamin D, the sweet California air.
Of course, I didn’t notice much of those cosmic gifts, because I was busy feeling the good seismic disturbances that the Reynolds Brothers and Clint Baker were creating — that’s John on guitar, vocal, and whistling; Ralf on washboard and vocal; Marc Caparone on cornet and vocal; Katie Cavera on string bass and vocal; Clint Baker on trombone, clarinet, and occasional vocal (he had some laryngitis that weekend).
They began with their public profession of loving willingness from Alex Hill and perhaps Claude Hopkins, I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. John asserts it all so willingly; who would doubt him?
Marc sings about that naughty flirtatious COQUETTE, so tantalizing:
Ralf and John team up for their classic SADIE GREEN (The Vamp of New Orleans):
No one sings on MAHOGANY HALL STOMP (the lyrics would be about the fleshpots of Storyville) but the ghosts of Louis and Higgy certainly were enjoying the outdoors as well:
John, more plaintively this time, gives us the early Thirties version of the solitary lover, pale and wan, HUMMIN’ TO MYSELF:
The other side of the amorous spectrum — having one’s hands full of delights — is offered by the witty Miss Cavera in CHARLEY, MY BOY. “Shivers of joy,” indeed:
My new quest. Where or what or why is SAN?:
For Harold Arlen, Louis, and Jack, Marc lets us know he’s GOT A RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES:
I don’t know the source of STOMP STOMP! (is it Slim and Slam or the Cats and the Fiddle or a physical therapist’s command?) but it certainly made the cosmos move:
“Jack, you really come on!” How true. Even though no one in the band is named Jack.
“See, Mom, I went outside! What? Now you want me to clean my room . . . . ?”
May your happiness increase.
