I am a recent and fervent convert to the cult of Koko Taylor.
She is magnificent. Koko Taylor is the personification of confidence and affirmations
to live life to the fullest. In her songs of lamentation for a love affair gone
wrong there is resolve and ultimately, triumph. She is Koko Taylor, she sings
the Blues, and you are better for having basked in the glory of her down-home,
rock-steady vocals. There is no retreat and there is no surrender when with Koko
Taylor. If the spirit of Koko and the band hits you just the right way,
where and when you need it, there is transcendence. In my understanding of Koko
Taylor’s music right now, her songs give me the sense of a glorious summer
gathering. It is late in the day, the sun is still shining with vigor and a
light breeze is rustling the leaves of the shade trees. There is talk and
laughter and the hint of the unexpected in the air. Libations are in hand. Good
friends are in the midst of reverie. As of my baptism in the healing waters of
Koko Taylor Chicago Blues, these are my favorite songs so far:
"Stand Up Straight and Sing!" A memoir by Jessye Norman
The cover photo of Jessye Norman’s memoir "Stand Up
Straight and Sing!" is glamorous. Her luminous face is set in
mid-expression. The image seems to capture her singing the last note of
something special. The book cover tempts the reader to immerse herself in the
life of this singular artist.
For the opera lover there are many Jessye Normans. She was
the diva whose flawless voice embodied the diverse pantheon of operatic
heroines and villains. She was the marvel who performed France’s national anthem 'La
Marseillaise' at the bicentennial of the French Revolution. Resplendent in a
tri-color couture gown inspired by the French flag, Ms. Norman sang to a live
audience of millions in Paris. Unfortunately, opera fans will not find
many delicious details or behind-the-scenes stories about the world of classical
music in "Stand Up Straight and Sing!.” Ms. Norman only provides very light sketches
of her work with James Levine of the Metropolitan Opera and other conductors. After watching Ms.
Norman in Julie Taymor's inventive production of Oedipus Rex, reading a more substantive reflection of the
production from her would have been invaluable to the discussion of aesthetics in classical music productions.The most intriguing opera related story in the book is about Ms. Norman
helping a friend and fellow singer defect from East Germany.
"Stand Up
Straight and Sing!" is at its best when Jessye Norman shares stories about
her upbringing in segregated Augusta, Georgia. Tales of growing up in a
middle-class black community in the Jim Crow South are not commonly documented
in memoirs. She writes with love about her dedicated parents and credits them
with setting expectations that have defined her approach to living: "Be
conscious of one's choices, resolute in one's beliefs, and always maintain
integrity and a work ethic that demands concentration and focus." Even in
the midst of a loving community Norman could not escape the horrors of the
times. She recounts the story of a black man executed for raping a white woman.
According to Norman, the man and woman were caught by the police having
consensual sex in the man’s car. The woman feared the consequences of having
her interracial relationship exposed and claimed she was raped. The man was
arrested, tried, convicted and executed by electrocution. The woman was broken
by her lover's fate. “She would later be found wandering around various African
American churches throughout Augusta on Sunday mornings, asking for forgiveness
for what she had done; she could not find peace. When she found her way to a
church, she was allowed to speak, as was anyone who wanted to stand up and
testify before a congregation, whether it was to give thanks for the help that
a grandmother received during her illness, or for being hired for a new job.
Still, when this woman finished her apology and begged for forgiveness, the
church was often silent as there was no discussion.”
Living in a segregated environment and under laws that
conferred second-class citizenship upon her did not deter Jessye Norman. In
addition to her parents and elders in her community, Ms. Norman found strength
and inspiration in Marian Anderson. Ms. Norman writes about Ms. Anderson's concert
at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday 1939 with reverence. Marian Anderson
had been denied the right to sing at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of
American Revolution. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt organized the concert at the Lincoln
Memorial in protest. Ms. Anderson's first song was a scathing rebuke of the
idiocy of American racism. She sang “My Country Tis' of Thee.”
“Stand Up Straight
and Sing!” is Jessye Norman’s testament to her phenomenal life.
Some people think Republicans don't have a sense of humor. You'd need one to survive eight years of Obummer! My housekeeper told me Republicans have been tearing up America like an episiotomy. I just laughed. What a hoot! It has been a stunning 2015. First, Texas Senator John Conryn changed the name of the subcomitte he now leads. It was called the Subcomittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights. He just chopped off 'civil rights' and 'human rights' from the name. This man is a genius. The Constitution as it was originally written had all the best stuff in it. The special rights crowd didn't see this coming. Some people around town have given Senator Conryn the nickname "Big Bunyons." If he has bunyons, his Italian leather loafers would be stretched to the nubs. There is no visual evidence of bunyons, hammer toes or corns as far as I can tell.
Linds Graham, the gentleman from South Carolina recently told a real eye-popping story at an intimate dinner party for the GOP's most dedicated supporters. According to Linds, there's a Negro bailiff over at the Supreme Court. Talk about affirmative action. He is apparently undeportable and engages in sassy banter with Justice Sotoportorico. When they're conversing the room smells like refried beans and menthol cigarettes. Can you imagine?
Arkansas turd blossom Tom Cotton was at the same dinner drinking his body weight in Dr. Pepper. He's a bit dramatic, but Tom made some good points. He said, "those liberals must feel really stupid. People who love America, who own National Treasure on Blue Ray are running the show now." He is completely right. I agree with him and the other forty-six senators about Iran. Those senators sure put the ayatollahs on notice with that beautiful letter they put together on Google Translate. American ingenuity at its best. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa wasn't at the dinner. Word is she's been scouring the Capitol for trash bags to wear as rain ponchos.
Not everyone is made for this life. To fight for American values you have to be tough. If only Governor Bobby Jindal and Senator Marco Rubio could get over that messy minority business. Jindal referred to himself on television as a pre-existing condition. Poor Rubio has the nimbleness of a crack baby despite not being on crack or a baby.
Thank God for Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. They would commit mass murder to get their points across. Ted and Rand running for president is giving me night sweats. 2015 is shaping up to be a great year.
Empire is over for the season, but the return of Cookie Lyon
cannot come too soon. She is an iconoclast adored by millions of people. Cookie
is unapologetically herself. She sacrificed her freedom to ensure her husband's
success. In return, he divorced her and did not allow her children to visit her
in prison. Cookie's return to her family and the business built on her drug
dealing is that of a triumphant hero. The people in her life may not view her
return in such glorious terms, but Cookie is not bothered by their lack of
vision.
Source: Mic.com
She is not ashamed of her past. Those intimidated by her
gravitas attempt to use the fact of her incarceration to demean her, but Cookie
will not be cowed. Cookie is beloved because she is honest and righteous. Her truth telling is bracing in its depth and hilarious in its application. There is no room for shame when one is on a mission to avenge herself. Propriety only serves to diminish women like Cookie who fight for their place in the world. As the lion is not concerned with the opinion of sheep, Cookie does not require praise from small minds. She is Cookie. Take a bite at your peril.
Source: Mic.com
To survive a summer without Cookie, enjoy some sartorial playtime with Cookie paper dolls from Vulture.com.
Credit: Tom Copi- Michael Ochs Archive/ Getty Images
When Carmen McRae
died on November 10, 1994, she was remembered as one of the greatest singers of
the 20th century. "With [Ella] Fitzgerald and the late [Sarah] Vaughan,
Miss McRae formed the troika of female American jazz singers," the Los Angeles
Times reported. She wasn't as well known as her two counterparts, but she was
adored worldwide by her legion of dedicated fans. The jazz critic Ralph J.
Gleason described her style this way: "Carmen McRae sings the lyrics like
Laurence Olivier delivers Shakespeare."
For Ms. McRae
singing was an immersive experience. "Every word is very important to
me," she said. "Lyrics come first, then the melody. The lyric of a
song I might decide to sing must have something that I can convince you with.
It's like an actress who selects a role that contains something she wants to
portray."
Ms. McRae recorded
over 35 albums full of elegant, magisterial singing. In her Los Angeles Times
obituary, Ms. McRae was quoted as telling friends, "I don't want a
funeral. I don't want flowers. All I want to be remembered for is my
music."
