September 30, 2008
Ukelele Ella
I picked Ella up from morning Kindergarten today, and we made a stop at Sam Ash Music to say hello to Uncle Matthew. He encourages his nieces in every form of music enjoyment and so today he bought Ella her first ukelele. She always admires them each time we go into that store and wishes she had one to add to her growing collection of instruments (maracas, tambourine and a floor drum) so she was thrilled when Uncle Matthew handed it to her! She can play pretty well actually, and soon enough she was strumming and I was "singing along" with Aloha Oe. After supper Steve was playing some Beatles tunes on his guitar (Ella knows most of their songs by heart!) and she was playing her ukelele - when Taylor walked in to pick her up he was duly impressed!
All of this is good practice for the career Ella has chosen as a Rock Star!!!
Posted by Carol at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2008
Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet
The concert last night was great! It was in a small venue and Matthew, Davie and I sat not 15 feet away from the stage area. Just to hear Bela Fleck play his banjo was worth the price of admission, he being the absolute top banjo player in the whole wide world. Then Abigail Washburn plays banjo too, and has a fantastic voice. They sang a very unusual arrangement of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” which I guess was the inspiration for their name. The other two guys played cello, and 5 string fiddle. Saw several people I knew there, including my dentist! I would say that over half of the audience was my age or older, then all the way down to 25ish. They played about 20 pieces, and a lot of solo stuff too. It isn’t run of the mill music for sure. It started at 8:30 and I got home around 11:30 I think. Nothing like live music.
Posted by Carol at 11:37 PM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2007
Still singing
Friday night we saw Gordon Lightfoot at the Murat. What a deal, to be nearly 70 and still perform to a full house of avid fans. We have been to his concerts half a dozen times since about 1973 and while his voice is not what it once was, it was worth the price of admission to hear him sing the Canadian Railroad Trilogy and of course Edmund Fitzgerald among many other favorites.
I think we are on a live music roll - last month Eddi Reader, this month Gordon Lightfoot, next month...well, who knows??!!
Posted by Carol at 11:55 PM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2007
A Sublime Evening
It seems a dream now, but Tuesday night was absolutely real! A full house of about 150 people listened to Eddi sing her heart out for over 2 hours. I would expect most of us were “first timers”. Before the show I was able to talk to her, and thank her in person for recording the Burns poems for my poetry group 2 years ago. It was not surprising to me that she knew who I was and we chatted for a bit. This show was a benefit for the Illinois Saint Andrew Society who claim that they will be bringing her back to Chicago “soon”!! The pub was a perfect setting - we sat not more than 15 feet from her and the boys. She sang so many songs that I lost track - some old, some new, some Burns, some I didn’t know. Including an a capella “Clare” and other songs that brought out the hanky. Eddi Reader is such a lovely, talented and gracious lady and we Americans are so fortunate to have her visiting. I’m thrilled to join the ranks of all the other concert-going braggers in her usual touring spots in the UK, Australia, Japan, Spain etc etc:)
I can die happy now.
Posted by Carol at 10:34 PM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2007
Off to see Eddi
Tuesday morning will see Steve and I driving north to Chi-town to go that evening to Martyr's Pub where Eddi Reader will be singing. She is the Scottish singer with the unbelievably beautiful voice. She is also the lady who is common enough to read some Robert Burns poems onto a CD for our poetry group, and send it across the sea to us! Craig sent me some of her CD's about 3 years ago, and from the moment I heard her sing I was hooked. Since then I have kept up with where she is singing - most often somewhere in the British Isles, but also in Japan and Australia. But FINALLY for the first time in years, she is on a mini-tour here in the states. New York, Boston, Milwaukee and Chicago! I can't wait, but I am a bit worried that when she begins her first song, my emotions will all spill out and I shall be weeping the rest of the night!! Adding to the enjoyment of the evening will be Craig and Nereida driving over from Minnesota to join us! What a grand way to put a bright spot in the dog days of summer!
Posted by Carol at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2006
Balmy
Felt warm in my quilted jacket today while I was out and about, but the lady in shorts at Target was a bit much. Or a bit less. And it's beginning to look like it won't be a white Christmas - perhaps a soggy one. Reminds me of my first one here in 1979 - that green grass really shocked me.
Have to admit that I am pretty slow sometimes. I have very belatedly discovered Mariah Carey's Christmas CD, put out in 1994. It is great!! What a voice - just when you think she can't possibly end the song with the logical high note, she does. My other new listen this Christmas is The Cheetah Girls - Delaney's favorites. We listened to the CD's when I gave her a ride home from Kid's Night at church. She absolutely goes crazy over "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus". Of course she thinks mom is kissing the genuine elf which in her mind, certifies his authenticity!
Posted by Carol at 11:28 PM | Comments (2)
December 30, 2005
And from across the pond...
I read today on the website of Scottish singer/songwriter Eddi Reader that she has been awarded an MBE by HRM Queen Elizabeth for valuable service to the United Kingdom and it's people! Hurray! Others honored include Robby Coltrane (Hagrid of Harry Potter fame) and knighthood for singer Tom Jones! They should look pretty spiffy wearing those medals!
Posted by Carol at 9:23 PM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2005
Another loss
The music world has lost a wonderful violinist and tireless ambassador for music education. Dick Dennis died on Thursday and he will be missed by people all over the world. He was the Orchestra Director at North Central H.S. for 32 years and we had the privilege of knowing him during Matthew's years in that group. Before and during that time, he was also concertmaster for the Henry Mancini Orchestra, and those of Julie Andrews, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams and Burt Bacharach. He was really something - at the same time unbelievably demanding and unbelievably funny. I am sure he is playing sweet music for his biggest audience ever right now!!
Posted by Carol at 11:25 PM | Comments (1)
October 6, 2005
Eddi Packs the House in Indy!
We did have a bit of back row seating left, but the good seats(all front row!) were filled early for my ladies poetry group on Tuesday night. And once we all settled down and Eddi "came on stage", she transfixed us with her song and spoken word. Robert Burns works came quite alive that evening and we are certain that when Eddi's performance ended, the sound of his hands clapping preceded ours...
For Eddi Reader ~ a public Thank You from all of us in the group. We ladies were so impressed that she would take the time to recite Burns for our little group way across the sea, and when she sang Green Grow the Rashes and Of Ae the Airts for instance, at least one of the ladies was rummaging for a kleenex. But hearing To a Louse restored us all to our celebratory mood! Must also thank Lola again for the kindness in sending the Celtic Festival DVD, and to my brother Craig for bringing me Eddi's music in the first place!
Posted by Carol at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)
September 27, 2005
It's a Beautiful Morning!
The Rascals had hit after hit in the late 1960's, but this is the one that goes through my head on a lovely day such as this - it reminds me of early morning walks to school in Pine City with my friend Beth Pearthree...
Beautiful Morning
The Rascals
It's a beautiful mornin', Ahhh,
I think I'll go outside a while,
An jus' smile.
Just take in some clean fresh air, boy!
Ain't no sense in stayin' inside
If the weather's fine an' you got the time.
It's your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day.
Either way,
It's a beautiful mornin', Ahhh,
Each bird keeps singin' his own song.
So long!
I've got to be on my way, now.
Ain't no fun just hangin' around,
I've got to cover ground, you couldn't keep me down.
It just ain't no good if the sun shines
When you're still inside,
Shouldn't hide, still inside, shouldn't hide,
Ahhhh..Oh! (shouldn't hide) Ah, ah, Oh.....
There will be children with robins and flowers;
Sunshine caresses each new waking hour.
Seems to me that the people keep seeing
More and more each day, gotta say, lead the way,
It's okay, wednesday, thursday, it's okay,
(Ahhh) monday, wednesday, friday, weekday, Ah, Ah, Ohhh.
I think I'll go dig up that record album, right now!!
Posted by Carol at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)