Pinetop Perkins
97 today and still making music.
“Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie” is one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. It was recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis more than 50 years ago.
By this time, Pinetop had developed his own unmistakable sound. His right hand plays horn lines while his left kicks out bass lines and lots of bottom. It was Pinetop, along with Pete Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Little Brother Montgomery, who provided the basic format and ideas from which countless swing bands derived their sound – whole horn sections playing out what Pinetop’s right hand was playing. Although Pinetop never played swing, it was his brand of boogie-woogie that came to structure swing and, eventually, rock ‘n’ roll.
And he’s played everywhere, from Arkansas juke joints and Chicago blues dens to the White House.
“I played there before with Muddy Waters,” Perkins says. “I can’t remember the name [of the president]. Since I got older, I am so forgetful of the names.”
Pinetop will be appearing at the Hondarribia Blues Festival in Spain this Saturday, at the Pocono Blues Festival in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania, later this month, and at the Riverfront Blues Festival in Wilmington, Delaware, a month from now.
Pinetop Perkins begins playing in the video below at 35:24.
Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.
Manifest Destiny
This date, July 7, is significant in American imperial growth. On July 7, 1846, Commodore John D. Sloat captured Monterey and officially raised the American flag over California. On July 7, 1898, President William McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution which annexed the Hawaiian Islands to the United States.
Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
The Kingdom of the Netherlands has about 16.5 million people, or fewer than Florida. They’ll be playing for the FIFA World Cup Saturday against either Germany (82 million) or Spain (45.5 million).
Almost another case of Hickory, Indiana, isn’t it?
iPhone 4
I’ve only had it two hours and I love it, but the signal deterioration problems when you pick up the iPhone 4 are quite real. Resting on the arm of the chair: five bars. Held in my hand with my hand resting on the same spot: “Searching…”. The effect is not immediate; it takes up to a minute to go from five bars to no signal. It recovers in about 15-20 seconds.
So, it’s great if you don’t want to make any telephone calls.
I had signal problems around home with my iPhone 3G, but not this drastic. I haven’t tried the $30 bumper yet.
No regrets mind you — I’d buy it again for all the other reasons — but I’ve seen enough to come down on the side of those who say Apple messed up, at least for now.
UPDATE: The bumper, which I bought before the antenna issues came up because I tend to drop my phone, seems to resolve my reception problem rather well. I like it for protective purposes too.
What We Still Don’t Know About Sunscreens
What we don’t know may kill us. Sunscreens may be worse than no sunscreen. They’re not as good as they are in Europe. They may cause cancer. They are mislabeled. They may damage the skin.
Hats and long-sleeve shirts anyone?
Gov apps
There are a number of mobile apps from Uncle. Some look useful.
July 6th
Today is the birthday
… of former President George W. Bush, 64 today.
… of Sylvester Enzio Stallone, also 64 today. Stallone is one of three people to be nominated for a writing Oscar and an acting Oscar for the same movie. The others are Chaplin and Welles.
… of the woman born Anne Frances Robbins. Nancy Reagan is 89.
… of William Schallert, Patty Duke’s TV father, (88). Schallert was also the somewhat goofy sheriff’s deputy in Lonely Are the Brave, the fine 1962 Kirk Douglas film shot in Albuquerque.
… of Ned Beatty. Beatty, who is 73 today, was nominated for the supporting actor Oscar for Network.
Bill Haley (“Rock Around the Clock”) was born on this date in 1925; he died in 1981.
The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was born on this date in 1907 [she claimed 1910]. Ms. Kahlo died in 1954. The following is from the obituary in The New York Times when Ms. Kahlo died in 1954:
Frida Kahlo, wife of Diego Rivera, the noted painter, was found dead in her home today. Her age was 44. She had been suffering from cancer for several years.
She also was a painter and also had been active in leftist causes. She made her last public appearance in a wheel chair at a meeting here in support of the now ousted regime of Communist- backed President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman of Guatemala.
Frida Kahlo began painting in 1926 while obliged to lie in bed during convalescence from injuries suffered in a bus accident. Not long afterward she showed her work to Diego Rivera, who advised, “go on painting.” They were married in 1929, began living apart in 1939, were reunited in 1941.
Usually classed as a surrealist, the artist had no special explanation for her methods. She said only: “I put on the canvas whatever comes into my mind.” She gave one-woman shows in Mexico City, New York and elsewhere, and is said to have been the first woman artist to sell a picture to the Louvre.
Some of her pictures shocked beholders. One showed her with her hands cut off, a huge bleeding heart on the ground nearby, and on either side of her an empty dress. This was supposed to reveal how she felt when her husband went off alone on a trip. Another self-portrait presented the artist as a wounded deer, still carrying the shafts of nine arrows.
Arkansas Post National Memorial (Arkansas)
… was established on this date in 1960.
In 1686, Henri de Tonti established a trading post known as “Poste de Arkansea” at the Quapaw village of Osotouy. It was the first semi-permanent French settlement in the lower Mississippi River Valley. The establishment of the Post was the first step in a long struggle between France, Spain, and England over the interior of the North American continent.
Over the years, the Post relocated as necessary due to flooding from the Arkansas River, but its position always served of strategic importance for the French, Spanish, American, and Confederate military. Spanish soldiers and British partisans clashed here in the 1783 “Colbert Raid,” the only Revolutionary War action in Arkansas.
Arkansas Post became part of the United States following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. By 1819, the post was a thriving river port and the largest city in the region and selected as the first capital of the Arkansas Territory.
During the Civil War, Confederate troops tried to maintain tactical control of the confluence of the two rivers, and in 1862 they constructed a massive earthen fortification known as Fort Hindman at the Post. In January 1863 Union troops destroyed the fort, ensuring control of the Arkansas River.
Today, the memorial and museum commemorate the multi-layered and complex history of the site. Located on a peninsula bordered by the Arkansas River and two backwaters, the site offers excellent fishing and wildlife watching opportunities.
Devils Postpile National Monument (California)
… was established on this date in 1911.
Established in 1911 by presidential proclamation, Devils Postpile National Monument protects and preserves the Devils Postpile formation, the 101-foot Rainbow Falls, and the pristine mountain scenery.
The Devils Postpile formation is a rare sight in the geologic world and ranks as one of the world’s finest examples of columnar basalt. Its columns tower 60-feet high and display an unusual symmetry. Another wonder is in store just downstream from the Postpile at Rainbow Falls, once called “a gem unique and worthy of its name”. When the sun is overhead, a bright rainbow highlights the spectacular Falls.
The monument is also a portal to the High Sierra backcountry, with some 75% included in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. At 800 acres, Devils Postpile National Monument may be considered small by some, yet its natural and recreational values abound.
Line of the day
“In the 77 days since oil from the ruptured Deepwater Horizon began to gush into the Gulf of Mexico, BP has skimmed or burned about 60 percent of the amount it promised regulators it could remove in a single day.”
Via Eschaton
Happy Independence Day
It was the Declaration of Independence that was approved by the Second Continental Congress on this date in 1776.
Independence itself was voted two days earlier. We celebrate the anniversary of the birth certificate, not the birth.
The signing of the embossed copy we recognize as THE Declaration of Independence began on August 2nd.
Last night’s photos
The view from the $50 seats. Attendance was 49,271.
Sofie took time out during the game for a little dental work. It’s the lower tooth that came out during the game. The upper missing front tooth is old news.
No rain at the ballpark but we got these beautiful double rainbows.
The crowd from the left and center field seats was moved to the grass to watch the fireworks — one of the most awesome displays I’ve ever seen. They were set off right outside the ballpark — the smoke and debris actually floating down on us. Fireworks are very, very, very, very loud when you are within 50-60 yards of them. And the finale wouldn’t end. There must have been hundreds of rockets in that last blast.
A great night. All photos taken with an iPhone. Sofie photo taken by Veronica. Click on the images for larger versions.
Rockies game
I’m at Coors Field in Denver tonight for the Rockies vs. the Giants.
Parking a block away is just $40. I guess I can quit bitching about the new this year $5 to park for the Isotopes.
1-0 Rockies after one. Sellout crowd for fireworks and Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez, best pitcher in baseball this season.
7-1 Giants in the middle of the third. Jimenez gave up a grand slam among other bad things.
7-4 in the middle of six. Jimenez has recovered his cool and so has Sofie after loosing a baby tooth in the fourth inning. 50,000 people and 10,000 iPhones. Can’t upload any photos.
8-7 Rockies after 6. Great rally. Giants manager ejected. Big crowd lovin’ it.
Giants came back to win 11-8. Fun game anyway. Now we wait for part of the big crowd to settle onto the outfield grass for the fireworks show.
Simply awesome fireworks show!
Best line about something that happened on this date
“[Pickett’s Charge] was a magnificent mile-wide spectacle, a picture-book view of war that participants on both sides remembered with awe until their dying moment—which for many came within the next hour.”
James M. McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom
The third day at Gettysburg
Having failed on July 2 to turn either of Meade’s flanks (Culp’s Hill and the Round Tops), Lee decided on the 3rd to assault the Union center. James Longstreet, who would command the attack, wrote later that he told Lee: “General, I have been a soldier all my life. I have been with soldiers engaged in fights by couples, by squads, companies, regiments, divisions, and armies, and should know, as well as anyone, what soldiers can do. It is my opinion that no fifteen thousand men ever arrayed for battle can take that position.” But Lee had made up his mind — and he had already issued the orders. Two divisions from A.P. Hill’s Third Corps and one — Pickett’s — from Longstreet’s First Corps were to make the advance. It’s known as Pickett’s Charge, but more correctly it is the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge.
To prepare for the assault — to cripple the Union defenses — Lee order a massive artillery strike. The 163 Confederate cannons began firing at 1:07 PM. The Union artillery returned fire with nearly the same number. The Confederate aim was high and smoke curtained the targets. Little damage was done to the Union infantry. After a time, Union artillery commander Henry Hunt ordered his guns to cease firing — to save ammunition, cool the guns, and lure the rebels forward.
Forward they came, 14,000 men in a formation a mile wide, moving across open fields for three-quarters of a mile. The Union artillery opened on them with shot and shell and ultimately canister (shells filled with metal). At 200 yards, the Union infantry on the Confederate front opened fire, while other Union units moved out to attack both sides of the charge. Of the 14,000 in the advance, perhaps 200 breached the first Union line before being repulsed. Of the 14,000, half did not return.
Lee was defeated and withdrew from Gettysburg. While the war lasted 22 more months, the brief moment when the 200 reached the Union line was considered the high-water mark for the confederacy. Gettysburg totals: 25,000 Union casualties; 28,000 Confederate casualties.
Map: National Park Service
How Fireworks Work
Best redux line of the day
“illegal, n. A term used by descendents of European immigrants to refer to descendants of Indigenous Americans.”
Best line of the day yesterday
“When I was young and naïve, I believed that important people took positions based on careful consideration of the options. Now I know better. Much of what Serious People believe rests on prejudices, not analysis. And these prejudices are subject to fads and fashions.”
July Fourth Weekend Quiz
Today’s Photo
Emily, official younger daughter of NewMexiKen, is coaching an 8-and-under softball team this spring. None of the girls had ever played before. They struggled during the regular season — I saw a couple of their early games — all losses and mostly strikeouts — but they got better.
This week the girls entered the championship tournament as the third place team — out of four — but they’ve won all three of their games and go into Saturday in the winner’s bracket. The other remaining team will have to beat them twice.
Go Lime Turtles!
That’s the coach with her daughter, Sweetie Kiley.
Photo taken by Jill a few weeks ago.
On the 2nd of July
… in 1776 the Continental Congress approved a resolution declaring independence. Twelve of the 13 colonies voted in favor. (New York did not approve independence until July 9th.)
Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.
That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.
That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.
The Declaration of Independence stating the reasons for independence was approved two days later (and most likely not signed until August).
… in 1863 the second day of battle was fought at Gettysburg.
… in 1877 the Noble laureate Hermann Hesse was born.
… in 1881 Charles J. Guiteau assassinated President James A. Garfield.
On July 2, 1881 . . . President James A. Garfield was shot at the Baltimore & Potomac station in Washington by a failed lawyer named Charles Guiteau. The President took two months to die, and the trial of his assassin raised issues of criminal responsibility and the insanity defense that American jurisprudence struggles with to this day.
So begins a solid summary of the event and its legal aftermath at AmericanHeritage.com. Be the first kid on your block to know any details of the second presidential assassination in American history. Of course, if you’ve read Sarah Vowell’s Assassination Vacation
… in 1908 Thurgood Marshall was born.
Thurgood Marshall, pillar of the civil rights revolution, architect of the legal strategy that ended the era of official segregation and the first black Justice of the Supreme Court, died today. A major figure in American public life for a half-century, he was 84 years old.
The New York Times (1993)
… in 1937 Amelia Earhart was lost.
Coast Guard headquarters here received information that Miss Earhart probably overshot tiny Howland Island because she was blinded by the glare of an ascending sun. The message from the Coast Guard cutter Itasca said it it was believed Miss Earhart passed northwest of Howland Island about 3:20 P.M. [E.D.T.], or about 8 A.M., Howland Island time. The Itasca reported that heavy smoke was bellowing from its funnels at the time, to serve as a signal for the flyer. The cutter’s skipper expressed belief the Earhart plane had descended into the sea within 100 miles of Howland.
The New York Times (1937)
American Heritage has a lengthy essay on Earhart: Searching for Amelia Earhart.
… in 1946 the Air Force says a weather balloon crashed near Roswell, New Mexico.
… in 1961 Ernest Hemingway committed suicide at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
… in 1964 President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.
Today is the day Richard Petty turns 73.
Today is the day Luci Baines Johnson, the younger daughter of President Lyndon Johnson, turns 63.
Larry David turns 63 today as well.
Lindsay Lohan is 24 today.
The year 2010 is half over today at 1PM (noon if you’re not on daylight saving time). How are those New Year’s resolutions working for you?
Best line of the day
“What TSA really needs is a snappy motto. Something along the lines of ‘In Nonsense There Is Strength.'”
He has some interesting suggestions saying, “We’ve had almost a decade to get it right, but still the physical setup of the screening stations is atrocious — a jury-rigged assemblage of noise, clutter and disorganization.”
Best line about the hearing
“[Elena Kagan] seems fully comfortable standing before this committee and suggesting something which no recent nominee has ever dared suggest: Supreme Court justices should be among the nine smartest people in the land, and guess what? I’m one of ’em!”
Second-Act Aces
Another fine essay from Timothy Egan. He begins:
I used to be a connoisseur of stories about young, doomed geniuses: the F. Scott Fitzgeralds or Vincent van Goghs who died early, broke and crushed, going to their graves before anyone appreciated them. Doomed alcoholic youth were even better, an added edge to their stunted nobility.
. . .But those stories, like the doomed youth parables, no longer hold any inspiration for me. I now look to the late bloomer, somebody who kicks around in frustration and misdirection for decades before going on a brilliant late-innings streak.