Monday, February 09, 2009

What ARod and I Have In Common

So I am sorry for my Texas years.
--Alex Rodriquez. 2.9.0
I know what you mean, Alex. I know what you mean. I can't say I ever got paid $252 million to play baseball in Texas, or felt the need to live up to that $252 million by ingesting a bunch of chemicals about which I knew pretty much nothing about. To be honest, growing up I didn't get much past Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and Chimichangas.

But we'll always have one thing in common, Alex. A deep regret over our "Texas years".

P.S.: And the news is a constant non sequitur. It took me a bit, but I found an actual clip of the now-late Blossom Dearie singing "Surrey With The Fringe On Top". It's lo-fi, it's not my favorite Dearie performance, I despise the musical from which the song originates, and I think that's a fairly clueless Jack Paar with the introduction (also note the state of the art early-60s microphone). Still, alongside Keely Smith, Dinah Washington, and Billie Holiday (of course), Blossom Dearie has always been one of the few "jazz" singers I really like. Thanks, Ms. Dearie, for everything. Even for "Surrey With The Fringe On Top".

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jack Paar and Blossom Dearie, now there's a pair to draw to. But thanks for reminding us that singers really can sing all the notes that were written and do it on key even while adlibbing in a harmonious way. And BIG tears for A-Rod. What a sad role model for young athletes.