A nightly pause from the news to give the reader/viewer a bit of classic entertainment.
An evening pause: Performed live November 29th 2013 at the Lutheran Church, The Hague. There is something hypnotic about this. Watch and try to distinguish the different melodic lines produced by his feet vs his fingers.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
An evening pause: Best to play this with the captions on, considering the thick accents. As noted on the youtube webpage:
Andy Crow is clearing the barn of straw which has become home to lots and lots of rats – and he wants them off the farmyard. As a final effort to get rid of as many as possible Andy has enrolled the help of a couple of terriers, a lurcher and a lab/springer cross. As he moves the bales the dogs and sticks start flying.
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.
An evening pause: The producers of this video, VideosRecordedLive, describe this as music used as the theme for the television show, Mad Men, to which they added lyrics from a Nat King Cole song. However, Annie Haslam performed this song with these lyrics as far back as 1997.
No matter. They do a beautiful job.
Hat tip Wayne Devette.
An evening pause: This is not a complete list, as it leaves out some very deep caves and mines that I myself have actually visited, but it truly does provide a sense of scale. It also mixes artificial structures with natural features.
Hat tip Cotour.
An evening pause: This pause is my apology for forgetting to schedule something tonight. Pauses shall resume as normal tomorrow.
An evening pause: A brilliant simple cover of the Leonard Cohen song. Seems right to start the holiday season, right after Thanksgiving.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
An evening pause: As Linus most correctly notes, “Ours is the first country in the world to make a national holiday to give thanks,” and then adds, in saying grace before the dinner:
In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of its brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this: “We thank God for our homes and our food, and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice.”
Accurate and well put. Keep Brewster’s prayer in mind the next time someone tries to slander the U.S.
An evening pause: For Americans, Charo is mostly known as a buxom crazy comic. Few know she is also considered a world class flamenco guitarist, having won awards.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
An evening pause: This interview of Burt Lancaster on the Dick Cavett Show took place on July 21, 1969 (the day after Neil Armstrong took that first step on the Moon).
I could not help noting how humble and gracious Lancaster seemed. He might have been one of the world’s most charismatic actors, but he surely did not appear full of himself. The second part of this interview can be watched here.
Hat tip Cotour.
An evening pause: Isn’t it amazing how one person’s fingers, making music, can hold an audience of thousands in utter silence.
Hat tip Dan Steele.
An evening pause: Stay with it. If you don’t recognize the title you will definitely recognize the music.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
An evening pause: Performed live at the Fillmore East in NYC in 1971. Fuzzy and rough, but also a bit of rock ‘n roll history.
Hat tip Dan Steele.
An evening pause: For Veterans Day, a story about the men who in World War II risked their lives and died to make it possible for freedom to reign for the next three-quarters of a century.
Hat tip Mike Nelson. For a much longer and more detailed documentary describing this battle, go here.
An evening pause: The players are Henri Sigfridsson, Rachel Bullen and Etienne Boudreault. The music is late 20th century classical. Though this can sometimes be grating, this piece is quite comparable in sound and melody to a lot of great 20th century art rock. And the instruments are unusual, the playing is grand, and it definitely gives us some variety.
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.
An evening pause: Performed live in 2019, when he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
An evening pause: Nicely done, in this age of no memory and a forgotten past.
How does it feel
To be an expert in a dying field
How do you know
It’s over when you can’t let go
You can’t stop
Can’t rewind
Love is learned over time
‘Til you’re an expert in a dying field
Hat tip Gavin Packard.
An evening pause: Unfortunately, there is no translation on the youtube webpage to identify the music.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.
An evening pause: Performed live in 1987 on Martha’s Vineyard.
Hat tip Alton Blevins, who sent it as a memorial for the passing of Simon’s two sisters last week.
An evening pause: A very different dance number from the 1969 film Sweet Charity, the first that Bob Fosse directed.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
An evening pause: It is a commercial for KUKA robotics, and it is a bit staged, a competition between a KUKA robot and table tennis professional Timo Bollo playing music on glasses. Nonetheless, the punchline is good. Human creativity can always beat out robotic programming.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.
An evening pause: Another piece with Catarina Sisinni the lead singer. Seems perfect for Halloween.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
An evening pause: A nice way to start the weekend. As noted by the orca expert, “They’re really just big dolphins with a fancy paint job.”
Hat tip Cotour.
