moon traveller herald

There I am in the Rocket Garden. Take a picture of a family taking a picture in front of a Saturn. Mailer was here 29 years ago to cover the launch to the Moon, Jules - blinded by the Sun, entranced by the alligators, stymied some as he tried to get the story from the Waspy Nasa of the day - another big anniversary is a year away, and here I am too. Mailer is dead in the last year. Here I am. Coming down here, knowing where I was going, reading Of a Fire on the Moon - [and smartly too, 2001 was showing on the Orlando TV] - thinking back to how the Moon quest was part and parcel of my youth - seeing how this Mailer piece, mere journalism at the time, for lucre at that, resonates like few tomes on tech - and seeing how the Space program had left its mark on the present day - no where more clearly than at the airport - with droning Midwest voice messages - with moving sidewalks and coolly alienated populace - with birds on tarpaulins. Red light glow of National Rental Car Pontiac dashboa...

Jeff DeMark saw fit to provide a view on his recent performance in old Racine. He provided a link to an excellent Journal-Times article...and there is a link you should see above to Jeff on YouTube. Thought you might like to see this article from the Journal-Times if you haven’t seen it. It was an absolutely remarkable experience on both nights. The first night John Landaal organized bunch of people to go to Wells Brothers (I went, too), including Bob Henken, John Reutz, Bob Shenkenberg, Bob Stepien, Dick Ruetz, Ed Raymond and their wives then they all went to the show. Six or seven nuns came, including Sister Carol Wester and Jean Ferstl, Devon Hudson came, Jeff Montgomery, Carla Dougard, a bunch of my cousins and their mates….both nights sold out and there was such a warm, electric atmosphere. I was simply amazed at the response. Talk about bringing it all back home. I felt truly blessed to be able to bring it the Root (River).

There was no Seventh and Deciding Game tonight. The Celtics pulverized the Lakers Tuesday, 131-92, and won the NBA championship for the first time since 1986. During that 22-year drought, the Lakers won five championships. L.A. Coach Phil Jackson now remains tied with the late Celtics Coach Red Auerbach for most championships. Both have nine. Both bad and good, Auerbach is a god around here. Like God, he had his good and bad days. The idea of tofu-munching Jackson surpassing cigar-smoking Red on the Celtics watch would have been hard for the city’s psyche. One might ask: Did the Celtics pour it on? The Boston fan’s answer: No. The Celts themselves, their fans recall, had come back from a 24-point deficit [a record] just two games ago. If they were to ease up, well that would mean easing up. And opening the door. Better to nail the door shut, especially since this door holds back not only L.A., but also some very shadowy figures, akin to curses, that followed the team. During the 22 ye...

Writes to William S. Burroughs, February, 1958 …. “…writing every night by candlelight, with windows open to moony yards & trees of Muckland Central Florida in Febiary…..” Little known but Kerouack had a home in Orlando . On hard ground under a dome of cypress trees After On the Road. Before the Deluge. About the time He’d hit some money. Of late the historically & literary minded people in the area bought the home to create a writers retreat. In homage to Jack. It’s a regular neighborhood. A simple street. I got up there this year and got by at the end of day. Back then. Seemed like the next place for him. But definitely UnKerouacian. The place is northwest of downtown Orlando & far from today’s DisneyWorld & Universal Studios. The screen door opens & the bebop negros are singing The blues & jazz & Jack half winking is thinking golden eternity. It wasn’t happy - The time in Orlando - So far from Lowell. The grinding cicadas. Looking at the Falstaff - ...

Bo Diddley died Monday . There are probably some competitive flamenco cats that I am not aware of - but I would rate him greatest rhythm guitar player of all time. The guitar as percussive motivator in his hands was total banshee force, but full of invention. He also had a lyrical approach that was in its turn incredibly rhythmic and original and also humorous. Mona, Who Do You Love, You Cant Judge a Book, Road Runner .. so many numbers that were part of my best days. He created a foundational style of rocknroll and he did so by reinventing the instrument called the guitar. Who would say he did not have his hand on the pulse of his time as much as the Nasa astronauts or the Beats? Say Man, Mumbles, Ride on Josephine, Cadillac, Cops and Robbers. His super session with Muddy Waters and Little Walter. An all instrumental Checker record of his I used to have. Certainly unique. Some good articles have traced his tremendous influence. Let me add a few: The Doors doing Who Do you Love; the Cr...

I discovered this in the basement. It bears resemblance to I Will See You In The Spring done by The Memphis Jug Band although it appears to be from another planet. It also bears resemblance to Fare The Well which I knew from Paul Rishell [or one of the other members of a one-time aggregation known as The J Band] which I have just learned was done by Bluesman Joe Callicott, but which I have heretofore incorrectly associated with Pink Anderson. Which makes me think of the late Fritz Richmond but which lead me to note that Jim Kweskin played in Sommerville last week, and Geoff Muldar in Hingham last weekend. Darn but I missed both of them. We have been disucussing/wondering about the name of the artists? Jr Vaughan has been suggested. Could it be Blind Lemon Pledge? What about Ramblin Arnold [The Oringal Louisville Bardic Lipster]? Thoughts and comments are appreciated. By the way

Our Memorial Day Special: When we were working on the Titanic Transmissions Monograph , spent some time in Jeff Hull's studio, where he had all these great drawings hanging on clothesline. Jacob took pics, I put them in a slide show, filmed that, put music too it, and posted via Blogger. If you can guess the names of the duo playing the music to accompany the video, you can go into a drawing to win a copy of Sunnyland Blues. Use the comment capability of the fabulous blog mechanism.