Al Jolson, May 26, 1886-October 23, 1950

Al Jolson passed away 75 years ago. He was known as The World's Greatest Entertainer for his music, Broadway shows, silent movies, and being in the first talkie. He was performing before microphones, and his voice could fill a hall, reaching all the way to the back rows. His most well known songs came from the acoustic recording era, and his career waned quickly when microphones came on the scene. Crooners took over the popular music scene, but he made a comeback in the Forties with electrical recordings. His final gig was in 1950 when he went to Korea to entertain troops.  He died of a heart attack shortly after returning to the states.

 

"A man'd be a dang fool to leave all this!"

I've been enjoying some of the early Beverly Hillbillies shows.  I don't remember what was going on when this series started, but I actually missed the first one, so this is a real treat.

A Little Mood Music For Halloween, Pt. 1

We used to go watch Sanford Lee, aka Professor Barnswallow T. Farquar, at the Log Village at Old Threshers every Labor Day weekend.  He plays the part of a patent medicine huckster, performing songs and magic tricks for the crowd.  This year he did his 500th performance at Old Threshers!  He and his Mrs. are modern day Vaudevillians, travelling and performing in Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa.  Here is one of my favorite songs, from his album, The Last American Minstrel, published in 1992.

Hard To Believe...

...but true.  I talked to a couple of grown men at the range over the weekend who hadn't heard of Hickok45!  Just in case you fall into that sad category, here is a video from the NRA to fill you in and to probably get you hooked on Hickok45's channel.

Your Cure For Melancholy!

This weekend ( May 16, 17, 2015) Sanford D. Lee, better known as Professor Farquar, and his lovely better half, Polecat Annie, will be bringing the Great American Medicine Show to Naperville, Illinois for Naper Settlement Civil War Days. (Click) There will be a Civil War encampment, and battle re-enactments Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Don't miss this great event; The Professor spends most of his time in Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa, so this is a rare treat for northern Illinoisans. Be There!

Weekend Steam: The Great Train Robbery!

Mt. Vernon Herb and Garden Show; This Weekend!

The 27th annual Herb and Garden Show is February 13, 14, and 15 at Times Square Mall, at Broadway and 42nd Street, Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Attend classes about lilys, herbal remedies, orchids, birdhouses, beekeeping, foot care, bats, roses, herbal seasonings, and more!

We always check out the orchids, and we usually bring home a new one.

The handmade knives are always a joy to look at, and some of them follow us home, too.

Check it out at www.midwesternherbandgardenshow.com
We picked up a stack of century-old records from one of the vendors a couple years ago, and they were a huge hit with our old record fan in the UK, and maybe one or two other people. Anyhow, it's a large time. If you are in the neighborhood, you should attend.

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Turn it up LOUD for the first ten seconds!

What brought this song to mind? My little brother sent a video link to me of a real turbo fan. Here you go, real TURBO madness!

The Magic Is Gone

That New Lone Ranger Movie....

...that the critics hated, and it lost at the box office.  It caught my interest, and I waited patiently until the price at the big box store dropped below full retail.  Johny Depp is an off-the-wall Tonto, and didn't play any of the traditionl "Me Go Town" lines of the old Lone Range TV show.  Armie Hammer played a very unlikely Lone Ranger, and the movie worked for our little family.  One thing that remained true to the old values of the Lone Ranger was that he didn't kill any bad guys himself; he shot the guns out of their hands even better that he did in the old shows from my  childhood.  Get a load of the trains used to film this movie in the video below.  Ignore the critics, and get this movie for a good time.