Saturday, October 16, 2010

Whine and Cheese

It has come to my attention that my last post, I'll Be . . ., came very close to a whine and cheese festival. I’ve given myself a good talking to, so that won’t happen again.

What we really need around here is a smidge of humor.

Like the very literary blog name I came up with on the spur of some miscellaneous cogitating:

TITLE: Stream of Unconsciousness
TAG LINE: I wish I knew what I was thinking.

Clever, isn't it.

I think we need some more music too. I was surprised by the response to Jimmy Durante, the "Schnozzola" (as Pat correctly identified him), so I chose this blurry but short video of Jimmy with Ella:



What’s that you say? The lady could SING? Of course she could sing, and so could Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Dinah Washington, Mahalia Jackson . . .

Nowadays, what passes for “singing” are American Idol winners mashed on gigantic mixing boards by wizard sound engineers. Their albums, to me, are decidedly poo.

But wait a minute.

It almost sounds like I’m whining.

29 comments:

savannah said...

no, sugar, that wasn't a whine, that was the truth! and now that there's an application (i refuse to say app) for the iphone that will take any out of tune warbling wannabe singer into the next ella or sinatra with a the song of beauty we're doomed! ;~D xoxoxoxo

Djanstewart said...

No, it doesn't. I listened to that wonderful clip, with Ella and Jimmy, and it's not been duplicated by ANYBODY, mixing boards or no. And go ahead and whine, Charlie, if you want to, you've still got lots to say.

Charlie Callahan said...

There are exceptions, of course, but it seems we Americans are satisfied with tripe in music, books, television, movies and acting—it's all very sad.

Charlie Callahan said...

Boy, you and Sav are fast on the comments! I think we were very lucky growing up with incredible singers and jazz artists of the mid-twentieth century.

Mapstew said...

Ah Ella! Well she WAS irish!
How is you my friend? :¬)

Faysoflife said...

Whine away, my dear. It's just good to hear from you.
Her talent is bigger than his nose! (I also can get behind that song done slow and smokey)

Robert the Skeptic said...

Dad's favorite was Lena Horne; we loved her singing AND she was wonderful to look at.

ADaftScot said...

Are you whining? I couldn't hear you. I was too busy listening to Ella.

Pat said...

Nothing like the odd wine and a moan - better out than in.
When I was a gel I thought Ella's voice was the sexiest ever and Billie's gives me the shivers.
I'm trying - unsuccessfully - to remember the sketch where 'Schnozzle says:
'And with my left foot I'm cracking walnuts'. Great guy!

hope said...

Which is why I enjoy Michael Buble....grew up listening to my parents' music and I kinda miss the sound of an orchestra swelling from time to time. :)

You're not whining...you're telling the truth. I tell the kids I work with, "What music will you still be singing when you're older? Right now you can't even finish a song for all the self censoring you're doing with the words you're not suppose to say!"

Thanks for a trip down memory lane. As a nod to our childhood last year, I gave Hubby a CD of Dean Martin's greatest hits. And yesterday, I found Dean in my car's CD player singing "Mambo Italiano" as I grinned...almost like being a kid again.

TechnoBabe said...

Not whining, Charlie, you are just expressing your opinion. I happen to agree by the way. You probably already know hubby and I do not watch television. Haven't watched anything on TV in over five years. The best years of freedom in my life. Ella was one of my favorites while I was growing up. Nice video.

Cs said...

You could make blog names with tag lines to sell!!!!!

glad your posting this weekend!

Trina
www.mommeville.com

Eryl said...

I've heard whine is very good for you so go ahead. Leave out the cheese though, that's not so good.

Amanda said...

Funny post Charlie,
Thanks Amanda

Tiffin said...

ooooh you're making me want to dig out an Ella cd and belt 'er out along with her. But you know, Charlie, you are sounding like my Dad dissing the Beatles when I was a sprat (everything from their appearance to their "incomprehensible" words). Unfortunately for him he had raised me on Big Band Swing, so I could usually shut him up by singing some of that era's dopey lyrics to him.

What gets me is the wallowing misery in many of the songs today. I listened to three songs in a row at the gym where the singers wanted to off themselves. It was the most morbid, depressing, self-absorbed whiney voiced crap I'd ever heard. Got up on the bench and turned the ceiling speaker off. Hey, I'm sounding like Dad too!

Charlie Callahan said...

Okay, Linda, I concede the cleverness crown to you:"Days of Whine and Noses".is exceptionally exceptionable!

Jerry from Gently Said said...

Indeed. Their albums are decidedly poo.

kara said...

i don't care what you post, as long as you post. also...cheese is awesome.

laytonwoman3rd said...

I love you, man.

unknownmami said...

I don't mind a little whining now and then.

Joni said...

Oh gosh, I'm so glad you are in a much better frame of mind. Your post reminds me of when I was called on the carpet (Chief's office YIKES!) for something stupid, to which all the cops commiserated with me on the idiocy of the whole thing. One said, "Did you whine?" I replied, "No, but speaking of wine, I think I got screwed and didn't and didn't even GET a bottle of wine...." Yuh, one of my classless moments for sure but boy was I irate!

barbara said...

Sadly, you are so right about those American Idol contestants. There are a lot of really fine singers around, but unfortunately certain genres of music in particular are inundated with that instrument of the devil - the autotuner. Bah!

Syd said...

Stream of unconsciousness--I like that.

Charlie Callahan said...

Hi, Kara!

Charlie Callahan said...

Sorry, Barb, but I wouldn't know an autotuner if one fell over me. But if you say they're evil, you're definitely the one to know.

Charlie Callahan said...

Whining is fine, but remember: you're drinking for two right now, so moderation is the key..

Alice said...

Love Ella and Billie...and while I like Jimmy, Bing is my favorite. And you can find those singers still...on broadway...not the radio. (But I confess I like the radio-friendly, soundboard-mixed, angsty-drama of today songs too.)

laytonwoman3rd said...

I think you should have titled this post "Days of Whine and Noses". Just the other day, my mother was saying she loved to listen to Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra because you could understand every word they sang. I told her she should be thrilled she can't understand the lyrics of most of the popular stuff today. She's no prude, but her ears would shrivel right up and fall off her head if she got the gist of some of that tripe.

Kevin said...

And Jimmy Durante wouldn't get anywhere these days because he didn't sing in a faux alto wobble and - worse yet! - you could pick out every word (even if you couldn't always actually be sure what it meant).

(Whine? Psha! Just wait for the howl of anguish coming from this side of the Pond on Wednesday when we find out the outcomes of our having to borrow a ton of money off ourselves to pay ourselves back for bailing out the bankers!)