Category Archives: music

A Jazz Experience.

May 15, 2023books, entertainment, jazz, musicentertainment, jazz, music, music review, on the townThe Oasis at Four Queen Palms

I walked across the Woodstock town square to a restaurant-lounge called “Joey T’s.” This establishment has live jazz bands performing Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

When l walked in the door, the band was already playing. The group, composed of four members, was set up in the lounge’s bay window area. At first, I thought the band was in between sets and practicing. However, as some time passed, I realized that what they were doing was playing songs.

To me, their music was incoherent and overly loud. They sounded like people who never had musical training and were just banging the drum helter-skelter and hitting any note on the trumpets. Perhaps they were improvising. Perhaps I just could not appreciate their style.

As much as I really appreciate most types of music, this particular jazz band disappointed me, and I believe it’s mostly because of the loudness. I like jazz, but sometimes a band ruins the experience for me. Unfortunately, I forgot to find out this band’s name. On the brighter side, this is only one poor experience of many, many good ones. This will not prevent me from seeking similar entertainment in the future, as I am open to new experiences.

As ever,

About Admiration and Respect.

March 30, 2023a hopeful world, current events, dance, entertainment, music, opinion, relationships, respect, Uncategorized1950s, a hopeful world, dance, essay, etiquette, opinion, respect, singers, televisionThe Oasis at Four Queen Palms

Over the weekend, Best Friend and I were watching a few episodes from The Colgate Comedy Hour, a variety show on television that aired between 1950-55. It was before my time, but it still was a nice trip down Memory Lane.

In the several episodes we watched, Dean Martin sang with a small ensemble of dancers. The dancers were dressed in the typical 1950s ladies’ fashions – petticoats, chiffon, and femininity. Their hair was combed, and their makeup enhanced their good looks. The songs? They were all about love and respect and admiration, all the way through.

About halfway through a number, I commented to Best Friend as he sat watching the troupe swirling around Dean, “Look how nice this number is. If this was today, those dancers would be half naked and the singer would be spewing ‘Imma kill you b— ‘cuz I hate yo’ face’ while lewdly grabbing his every private body part. What a difference from then to now, wouldn’t you agree?”

Best Friend nodded in assent.

Lately, more so than ever, I have been directing my thoughts to years gone by . . . long ago years that I remember, and those long-ago years before my time that are legendary in my family lore. Since the beginning of time, there has always existed the good and the bad, yet the chaos of now and what it promises to bring to our doorsteps is all too real.

Watching these old television programs for me is about peace, calm, and a sort of escapism, of course, from the madness of the current chaotic world. Yes, it is good to periodically break away from the world’s insanity.

As ever,

A Night at the Opera – Part 2.

March 20, 2023entertainment, music, operaclothing, dating, entertainment, music, music review, opera, people watchingThe Oasis at Four Queen Palms

It’s opera season 2023, and this time we saw Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

We ate a light supper before getting ready. It wouldn’t work out to eat at a restaurant, since there are not that many along the way to the theater, which was in another town.

I wore a black and white dress with a sparkling black and gold shawl. Best Friend wore his black Beatle boots with dress pants and shirt.

The drive to the theater was easy, rain clouds hung in the distance, and we made it to the theater in about 40 minutes. The parking lot was crowded, but we easily found a spot to park our car. We later learned that the lot was crowded because there was also a private birthday party for “Chris” in a small conference room attached to the theater.

When the doors opened, we took our seats – orchestra left center. We had a good vantage point of the stage, and we were excited for the opera to begin. Especially since a gaggle of chitty chatty women were standing next to us in the aisle talking about their sons, their daughters, the beauty salon, the manicures they just got . . .

Patrons were dressed casually, and I observed it all – shorts, t-shirts, jeans, sparkling blouses, and khakis. Something that I wish people would cut back on is dousing themselves in cologne. It’s enough to gag an elephant.

The Mikado was enjoyable, although sometimes it was difficult to understand the spoken dialogue. The costumes were not what I expected. Since The Mikado takes place in a fictional location in Japan, I expected kimonos, yukatas, and traditional hairstyles. Instead, the costumes had hints of traditional dress – shoulder pads, vague oriental designs, and the like. Mainly, the costumes were of late nineteenth century Western style dress for both men and women.

Despite my disappointment with the costuming, the story was funny, and the songs were sung with strong, rich voices. My favorite piece from The Mikado is “On a Tree by a River (“Willow, tit-willow”), and I have liked that song since I was little. And . . .

We picked up a coloring book for my grandnephew that tells an abridged version of The Pirates of Penzance.

This was nearly a three-hour opera, and by the time we returned home, it was after eleven o’clock.

It was all worth a night out.

As ever,