Tuffy P filmed a bit of banjo practice tonight, complete with false starts, sour notes, various pets, and a sideways portion. The tune I’m attempting to play is Angeline the Baker.
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Peter Appleyard RIP
I heard today that Peter Appleyard died, at 84. Do you know his work? He was a great vibraphone player who lived and played in the Toronto area for many years.
Here’s another video I’ve shared before in which Mr. Appleyard has an opportunity to rock out a little with the late Jane Vasey, the fantastic piano player in Downchild back in the day. I could play this video 100 times in a row. Just feel the joy.
And finally, here he is playing with Benny Goodman back in 73.
Summer Garden
Summer Garden
Earworm Alert
I’ve been messing around trying to learn a tune called Westfork Gals on the banjo and damned if that melody isn’t stuck in my ever-so-small brain (I think of Pooh, saying “big words bother me”)…and it won’t go away. In times like these, the only thing to do is share. Please enjoy Westfork Gals. You may be enjoying it over and over again, just like me.
Here’s a version from Twisted Geezer…
And here’s another lovely version I found on the amazing YouTube machine…. featuring Ralph Roberts at a Clifftop campsite jam.
And here’s a banjo version by Don Couchie. I like this one a lot too…straightforward, but he sneaks in some swanky little ornamentations. Nice job.
Chanterelles
I meant to post this shot on the weekend but didn’t get around to it…so here it is now.
hypothetical chanterelles
I call these hypothetical chanterelles, because any old fool knows there aren’t any edible wild mushrooms in Southern Ontario. These are CGI mushrooms. Har!
Upcoming contra dance on Ward’s Island
I don’t think Tuffy and I are going to make it to this one, but I did promise to let people know when I heard about upcoming country dances so here’s a link to info about the dance. Sunday July 21, 3:00 – 9:30. It looks like it’s going to be a great day!
John Brown’s Dream
It’s time for a Daily Dose of Old Time banjo music. Today, let’s listen to John Brown’s Dream. I’d like to start with a video featuring Guy Wolff. Listen to him take off…fantastic!
Here’s a version with a bit of a different flavour featuring Riley Baugus
Finally, here are Benton Flippen and the Smokey Valley Boys…
Jumpy
The Presurfer shared a video the other day featuring a dog named Jumpy. I admit Memphis and Ellie Mae aren’t this well trained.
Grilled Chicken with Chanterelles
I was asked today how I cooked the chanterelles I found on the weekend. Here is what I did. I fired up the bbq (I burn charcoal), and grilled a couple chicken breasts. Nothing fancy here. I used one of my standard bbq rubs – a spicy one – and simply grilled the chicken until it was almost done. Meanwhile back at the ranch, I started frying up my chanterelles – loads of them – in a wok with a little vegetable oil and some chopped up shallots and a wee pinch of salt. After a few minutes I added some zucchini halved and cut in roughly 1 inch pieces. I let this all cook until the mushrooms were almost done, then chopped up my bbq chicken into pieces the same size as the zucchini and tossed it in. I let it all cook together for a few minutes, added plenty of fresh ground pepper and there you have it. Spicy grilled chicken with chanterelles and courgettes.
Stranglehold
I don’t recall how I found out about Stranglehold by Robert Rotenberg. Maybe I heard an interview with the author or read a review. I do know that whatever it was caused me to write down “Read Stranglehold Robert Rotenberg Toronto mystery” in my trusty notebook. I came across that notation last week and read the book over the weekend.
Rotenberg writes mystery thriller type books based in Toronto. It was fun reading a book set in my city for a change. Rotenberg quotes Robert Traver from Anatomy of a Murder early on in the book: “Despite all the rules and objections and soft illusions of decorum, a trial was after all a savage and primative battle for survival itself.” It’s an apt quote as much of the book focuses on a trial. With that quote, Rotenberg places himself in some heady company. Stranglehold is not in the same league as Anatomy of a Murder, which is among my favourite books in any genre. It’s good though, very good.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, and I thought the characters were drawn out well and believable. As well, I enjoyed the way the book was firmly placed in a Toronto context. It’s a fun read and it’s a page-turner. I was on a long bus ride Saturday and Stranglehold was just what the doctor ordered. I’ll get around to reading the others in the series down the road.
27th Street 