Evanston: Liz Story; Crook Country; Cicada Central
Evanston: Liz Story; Crook Country; Cicada Central
As I noted several months ago when writing about Israel Kamakawiwo’ole , it may be more difficult to come up with a truly fresh version of a standard than to write something brand new.
In addition to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, I think of The Bushwackers’ version of ‘Waltzing Matilda’, particularly when preceded by their ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’; and will now add the pianist, Liz Story’s, take on ‘Mack the Knife.’
‘Mack the Knife’ is from Kurt Weill’s THREEPENNEY OPERA, and I don’t know how he intended it to be played, but Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darren made it their own with upbeat jazz versions.
Liz Story somehow silenced them in her mind, slowed the song, and has made it almost unrecognizably sad and lyrical and beautiful.
I heard it by chance on a music channel and downloaded it from iTunes as part of the album PURE LIZ STORY. The free sample iTunes offers isn’t enough. It’s just intro. You need to invest .99 cents and buy the track, or better still $9.99 for the entire album, which also includes a lovely rendition of a waltz from the movie, ALMELIE.
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Most American readers probably know that Chicago is in Cook Country. Yesterday’s bold headline on the Sun-Times: CROOK COUNTY. I didn’t even bother to read the article to find out which of our local politicians has been charged this time. A former governor was recently sentenced to prison. An average of one Chicago city alderman a year has been convicted for more than the past quarter century. This is the major league. In political corruption, we’re number 1.
The other Chicago paper, THE TRIBUNE, has an online “Cicada Central: all cicadas all the time.” There are articles about eating cicadas; reassuring people not to fear cicadas; a photo of a blue-eyed cicada--red eyes are the norm; and an interactive map of sightings. So far Evanston is a cicada exclusion zone, surrounded by sightings north, west, and south. However, I think that I am starting to hear them this afternoon, though thus far no more than usual each summer.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007