Good Friends, Good Times

Once upon a time, in the tiny hamlet of Loudonville, stood a ramshackle little pub run by a ramshackle little man. Every night the little man would put on his colorful sweater and climb up on a bar stool with his guitar and sing out Irish songs. The people came from all over to hear the little man sing. One young man from a far away city came to see the little man sing. He had never heard Irish music before and the melodies and lyrics put him under a spell. The young man started to spend more and more time at the side of the little man and he learned all the tunes. One day, the little man told him, "You will play on Sundays". So the first Sunday came along and the people came to the ramshackle pub to see the little man sing but no, it was the young man singing. Magic happened that day as the young man invited people to join him in song. Soon everyone was coming on Sundays and joining in with the young man. A silver haired tenor singing , a young man playing bodhran, a fiddler, a little fellow playing tin whistle, a tin whistler blowing bubbles from his whistle, everyone was joyous and singing. Every Sunday the crowds got bigger and the music got better. One day, the ramshackle little man passed away, everyone was sad. The young man, now older and wiser, kept the Sunday music going. The people sang and sang, the music and the guinness flowed and the people were happy again. One night a terrible thing happened, the ramshackle pub burned to the ground, never to be again. Today if you go to Loundonville to where the pub stood a new bright and shinny building stands in the place of the old pub. But what of the music and song? The now older man has taken the songs on the road to nearby villages of Troy or Albany and the people have followed. Sunday afternoons are still filled with song and laughter and friendship.

This may sound like a fairy tale to you but it is true. Yesterday I went to the Hibernian Center in Albany to see and hear Frank Jaklitsch play. The funny thing about going to see Frank is that you never know who or how many friends are going to join in. The people that come to hear the music are almost a private club, but a private club that is open to anyone and everyone. All you have to do is smile and join the fun and the people will welcome you with open arms. Yesterday, joining Frank on stage were Amy Collins singing one of my favorites, The Dutchman, (You can see Amy at the Moon and River Cafe in Schenectady on July 14th, check out www.amycollinsmusic.com for more dates), Bill and Tom Flynn (The Brothers Flynn at Anna O'Keeffes on June 29th, www.thebrothersflynn.com has all their dates), Chris Gill, Mike Roche, Erin Harkes singing the Sally Gardens, (Erin will be at the Dinosour BBQ in Troy Friday July 1st. www.erinharkes.com has all her dates), Keith Barney and Steve Hrubin just to name a few.

So check out Frank's website at, www.frankjak.com for upcoming shows and join in the fun, everyone needs a little magic and fun on a Sunday afternoon.

Good-bye Clarence

In September of 1975 the Guilderland High School newspaper, The Journal, issued the first edition of the school year. There under the heading of music review, was the new album by a relatively unknown band, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The album was Born to Run. I went out, after reading a glowing review, and bought the album ( yes album, LP, 12 inch vinyl. Ten years later when I bought my first cd player, Born to Run was one of the first cd's I got.) before side one was over I was a fan. A lot is said about Bruce Springsteen, he is the "voice of a generation" and he was the next Bob Dylan, and although he is deserving of all these accolades, he alone was not what captured my attention. It was the band. The E Street Band had a sound that took us out of the disco era and back to rock and roll. In a year that featured number one hits by, Captain and Tennille, Love Will Keep Us Together, Glen Cambell, Rhinestone Cowboy, K.C. and The Sunshine Band, That's The Way (Get Down Tonight), and C.W. McCall, Convoy, the best the song Born to Run could do is 23 on the Billboard Charts. The 70's was a somewhat ugly decade for music ("see this scar right here on my wrist, that's from when I heard that the BeeGees were getting back together" Denis Leary) but the E Street Band continued to roll.

The band was made up of many different musicians the ones that have stayed the course and were at least part of the Born to Run album are, Bruce Springsteen, Vocals, guitar, harmonica, Gary Tallent, bass guitar, Max Weinberg, drums, Steven Van Zandt, backround vocals, and Clarence Clemons, saxaphone. Over the years others have joined and left the group. Weinberg was the bandleader on the Conan O'Brian Show, Steve Van Zandt was on the HBO series , The Saprano's, Clarence Clemons played with several other musicians and released a few solo albums. The band never reached the heights alone as they did together.

On this past Saturday, Clarence Clemons passed away from complications from a stroke he suffered on June 12, 2011. To say part of my childhood went with him isn't totally true. I was 17 when I first heard the band and for the next thirty five years they have held a spot very close to the top in my list of favorite music. I don't put together many playlist for my mp3 without at least one tune from the E Street Band. Born to Run is still my favorite followed by Thunder Road, I still smile and think of Sara when I hear Jersey Girl (only the line, "I'm in love with a Jersey girl" ) and I get to see a young Courtney Cox in the video of Dancing in the Dark.

I read the news Sunday morning of Clarence's death and felt like I had lost an old friend. Bruce on stage always did the intros right from referring to Clemons as "The Master of the Universe" to "I have seen the future of the whole f---ing thing and it's Big Man, Clarence Clemons".

I'm sure on the next tour the E Street Band will have a new sax player but the band will have a hole in their soul with out the Big Man. Thank you Clarence for all the fond memories.

Father's Day

Father's Day is coming up, I know this because every ad on TV is what to get for your father. Lowes, Home Depot, Budwiser, The OutBack restaurants, doesn't matter, everyone jumps on the bandwagon. What do fathers really want for their day? They don't want gifts, this father would just like to spend time with his children. We, as fathers, don't think about what our lives will be like when the young ones have grown and moved away. Even the ones that are close by, have lives of their own to live. My wish for father's day is to have one more moment of walking into the house and the kids come running to me, excited that I was home.

You see, as a child you don't realize how important you are to the everyday living of your father. Only as an adult, when sometimes it is too late, you wish you had spent more time with dad. My father passed on in 1980. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of him and miss him. I wish that he had lived to see my children. What joy it would have been for him. My brother and sisters now laugh and tell "dad" stories. Who lasted the longest learning to drive with dad before they pulled the car over and told him to drive. The late night ghost stories around the camp and dad would scare everyone. The day you walked in to a bar together and shared a beer.

I only hope that my grandchildren hear great stories about me when I am gone.

Until then, dad, I miss you.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there and to my kids especially, I was only joking about the no gift thing.

FYI, as of this morning (Friday) no Canadians have read the post about Canada. Take off you hosers .

Saturday morning update. All it took was calling them out. One lone Canadian read the blog yesterday , apparently the rest are still reeling from the loss to Boston.

Sunday Morning Stats update

I checked the stats page for this blog this morning and Germany has taken a nine reader lead over Russia. It still amazes me that people all over the world are reading this. I want to help out a little. Canada, our neighbor to the north still sits in the basement just like the Expos did for do many years in the National League. Maybe if I write about Canada, more searches will bring Canadians to this blog.

From Ottawa we have Dan Aykroyd, From Saturday Night Live and movies like, The Blues Brother's and Ghostbusters. The Pondarossa may have beeen his home on TV for over twenty years but Ottawa is also the birthplace of Lorne Greene. The man of a thousand voices, Rich Little and 1950's teen idol, Paul Anka both hail from Ottawa.

Celine Dion, Glenn Ford and are just three names from Quebec. You have to go to the other side of the country to find Alberta native Michael J. Fox and British Columbia born Ryan Reynolds and Yvonne DeCarlo.

Any list of Canadians from Ontario would be incomplete without, Jeopardy host, Alex Trebek , hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky and actor Alan Thicke.

The television series SCTV in 1977 opened our homes to John Candy, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty and Rick Moranis.

Canada is much more than actors and comedians, It's also Molson country, the place for LaBatts Blue and Moosehead beer.

Toronto has two professional sports teams in American sports, the NBA's Raptors and in baseball, AL East, Blue Jays.

So, if you're from Canada, welcome and enjoy the blog. If you aren't from Canada it is a great place to go on Vacation, gocanada.about.com is a great place to start to plan your trip.

Com'on Canada, let's go to the blog.

Selling Saratoga

OK, so I'm not a native Saratogian. I grew up in Guilderland, a suburb of Albany. When I was growing up, there was no Crossgates Mall, it was a horse farm with trails through the woods. Stuyvesant Plaza was made up of The Grand Union, Central Market, Woolworths, Western Auto and W. T. Grant. Guilderland was a nice place to raise a family back then, not that there is anything wrong with it now. In December of 1985 I moved to Saratoga Springs with my wife and small son. Twenty six years later there is no wife and my last of four childern is about to graduate from Saratoga Springs High School. I feel that Saratoga is my home and I love to live here. The education my childern received was outstanding. They have represented their city all over the country. My oldest was part of three Section ll Cross Country Champions and two New York State Championship teams. My daughter wore the blue and white as part of the girls soccer team. My two youngest both ran track and were members of the Drama Club. I have done my part as a coach in little league, rec soccer and the Saratoga Soccer Club. I am part of the Saratoga Springs Ancient Order of Hibernians. I'm telling you all this not because the Saratogian is asking for people to send in their favorite things about Saratoga ( Grasso's Italian Ice has to be one of them ) but because tomorrow I have to meet with eight members of the New York State Board of the AOH and the LAOH to pitch a convention for Saratoga Springs in 2013.

I think that this city is a perfect place for any group to hold their convention. After hours of meetings what could be better than to take a walk downtown to the shops and restaurants? You would think that this would be an easy sell, but you would be wrong. Saratoga Springs held the AOH National Convention in 1906, I guess at that time the people were used to walking places. This year when we travel to Pearl River for the 2011 Convention we have to give a presentation to convince the statewide membership to choose Saratoga Springs over Nassau County. There is nothing wrong with Nassau county, everything will be held in one, very nice hotel, and that's where everyone will stay for the four days, never leaving, never seeing anything else but the inside of a very nice hotel. We want them to come to Saratoga Springs and experience the entire city. When our meeting is over tomorrow it will be just in time for the Elk's Flag Day Parade and in the afternoon The Saratoga Arts Fest will be in full swing. What better way to show off our city. If you need to convince anyone to come to Saratoga Springs here are just a few reasons.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center

Saratoga Automobile Museum

Did you say Golf?

Saratoga National Golf Club

Saratoga Spa Golf Course

Airway Meadows Club

Saratoga Lake Golf Club

Music and Dining?

Way, way too many to name here. Just look down Caroline St. or Phila St. or Broadway, see what I mean.

How about a walk to the Beekman St. Art District or a stroll into Congress Park, don't feed the ducks but do take a ride on the century old Carousel.

Shopping is a must do item when you come to Saratoga Springs with Broadway packed with both national chains and unique one of a kind shops.

I guess selling Saratoga Springs is not a difficult task after all, wish us luck and I hope we can bring the convention here in 2013.

By the way, did I mention we have a casino and the greatest thoroughbred racing in the world?

My Italian is not that good but I believe they are voting for Saratoga.

Covers and Remakes

Well I had a lot of fun with last Fridays post on road trip music. I got a lot of feedback and saw what other people want to listen to. Just a couple of personal notes here, Brian, listening to a road trip playlist of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and AC/DC, I think I would have a few speeding tickets. Matisyahu, (Cornershop, Morrissey, Elliott Smith, Jayhawks....) never heard of any of them.

Now onto today's posting. Covers and remakes. Just what makes a good cover song? First thing is you have to start with a good song. That's why there are so many great covers of Beatle (Rufus Wainwright, Across the Universe, Joe Cocker, With a Little Help From my Friends, Jackson Browne, Golden Slumbers ) and Bob Dylan songs (Ani DeFranco, Hurricane, Rage Against the Machine, Maggie's Farm). Sometimes it's the time between versions, for example, The Allman Brothers, Statesboro Blues in 1971, was a remake of Blind Willie McTell's 1928 hit. Sometimes it's who has a better fan base, The Cues and The Platters both released Only You in 1954. The best compliment, I think, is when you associate the remake as sometimes the better or more popular version. Janis Joplin, Me and Bobby McGee 1971, ( Kris Kristofferson, 1970 ), The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man, 1965 (Bob Dylan, 1964), Crosby, Stills Nash & Young, Woodstock, 1970 (Joni Mitchell, 1970 ).

I always like to find an remake of a great song. The late Warren Zevon had two, Back in the High Life Again, (Steve Winwood 1987) and Knockin' on Heaven's Door, (Bob Dylan 1973 ). I also like Ani DeFranco with the Indigo Girls, Midnight Train to Georgia, ( Gladys Knight & the Pips 1973). All of this is subject to your taste in music as always but keep looking out there, you never know just when you will find a hidden gem.

Top 10 Remakes (not mentioned above )

1) All Along The Watchtower Jimi Hendricks 1968 ( Bob Dylan 1967 )

2) Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar), The Doors 1967 (Kurt Weill 1930 )

3) Crazy Love , Marc Cohn & Jackson Browne (Van Morrison 1970)

4) California Girls, David Lee Roth 1985 (The Beach Boys 1965)

5) If You Don't Know me by Now, Simply Red 1989 ( Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes 1972 )

6) Mony Mony, Billy Idol 1987 (Tommy James 1967 )

7) I'm a Man, Chicago 1969 (Spencer Davis Group 1967 )

8) Wild Night , John Mellencamp 1994 (Van Morrison 1971 )

9) Proud Mary, Ike & Tina Turner 1971 (Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969)

10) For Once in My Life, Stevie Wonder 1968 (Jean DuShon 1966 )

not ranked in any order just ten good songs.

Now, what song will be stuck in your head all day?

Road Trip Music

I'm taking a road trip tomorrow. Three hours each way, music is a must. With out having satellite radio you can not go on a long drive with out getting your music in order first.. I turned to the internet for help. It seems everyone from NPR to some slob with a blog (thank you) has an opinion about road songs. I think I have come up with a fine selection. The songs are in no order, just the picks that I made.

1.) Rascal Flatts, Life Is A Highway

kind of gets you in the mood for your long drive.

2.) Fiona Apple, Across the Universe

you can't go wrong with a Beatle's tune. As I was listening to this on youtube, they gave me a related video of Rufus Wainright doing the same song, either one works.

3.) Doobie Brothers, Rockin' Down the Highway

Old school style

4.) Lustra, Scotty Doesn't Know

From the soundtrack of the movie EuroTrip, this song is great anytime.

5.) Janis Joplin, Me and Bobby McGee

nothing needs to be said

6.) Roy Orbison, Pretty Woman

Why not feel free to insert Only the Lonely they both work

7.)Van Morrison, Brown Eyed Girl

because it's Van

8.) The Band, The Weight

Do I really need to explain some of these?

9.) Jackson Browne, The Load Out

Actually, the entire Running on Empty album works

10.) Marshall Tucker Band, 24 Hours at a Time

Getting a little Southern rockish here so we will wait for the Allman Brothers and go back to some rock and roll

11.) Train, Hey Soul Sister

Because I like it

12.) The Fratellis, Chelsea Dagger

Because it's a dam good song (pardon the pun)

13.)Shania Twain, Man I feel Like a Woman

One because she's hot and two I liked the commercial when the guy in the back seat sings this and at this point you need a laugh

14.) Bruce Springsteen, Thunder Road

It's a fast car, it's freedom, it's the highway

15.) Santana, Smooth

Carlos and Rob Thomas, it works

16.) The Blues Brothers, Sweet Home Chicago

Make it a mission from God

17.) Allman Brothers, Midnight Rider

because the road goes on forever

18.) Cream, Sunshine of Your Love

Because I'm a child of the 60's

19.) The Greatful Dead, Truckin'

20.) Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run

So there are a million reasons for this song but to put it simply, it's Born to Run

Well now that's a twenty song cd that you won't mind playing over and over on your trip. Happy motoring.