I spent the better part of the last two afternoons renewing my license plates. I had to go back the license bureau today because of a proof of property tax glitch. They seem to be pretty efficient here. I remember walking into the D.M.V. out in Seaside, California once and there were only two cashier windows of about twelve open. One line had probably 150 people in it, the other no one. The second window was for farm machinery, still had a cashier but no one in line, crazy.
As I was paying, I caught myself standing in a pose exactly like my dad used to. One of those genetic moments, that are totally out of your control that, for some reason, catch you off guard.
It made me think of a song John Hiatt wrote called “Just Like Your Dad Did”.
And you’re a chip off the old block
Why does it come as such a shock
That every road up which you walk
Your dad already did?Yeah you’ve seen the old man’s ghost
Come back as creamed chip beef on toast
Now if you don’t get your slice of the roast
You’re gonna flip your lid - just like your dad did
Hiatt has a way of nailing down those utterly human and universal experiences, warts and all. For some reason I haven’t listened to anything he has released in several years. I need to hunt some recent stuff down.
As I was doing some paperwork this morning I was listening to a C.D. entitled “The Bebop Revolution” which is a compilation including 14 songs by Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra. These recordings are circa 1947. The Gillespie Orchestra was a short lived but seminal band. Dense chord structure, lightning tempos and it featured Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo who brought a Latin feel and polyrhythms to the jazz table.
Years ago, I read Dizzy’s book “To Be Or Not To Bop” (great title) in which he talked about how the orchestra was a logistical nightmare and not profitable but, he saw it as a high water mark.
What most people remember about Dizzy is almost a caricature, the bent horn, puffed cheeked guy doing shtick on the Muppet Show, but he was a serious, formidable musician and composer.
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Tags: Chano Pozo, Dizzy Gillespie, John Hiatt
Jayne d'Arcy wrote,
You and Jim both remind me of Dad quite a bit and in a number of ways. It’s a nice bit of immortality.
Link | February 1st, 2007 at 11:06 pm