Don’t forget to send your photos (two maximum) of you, preferably but not necessarily doing something in quarantine. (Photos of you and your cat are especially desirable.) We have only one other contribution after today’s.
And today’s post features have an evolution-themed contribution from reader Paul Rinzler, a retired professor at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California. Paul’s caption is indented:
Attached is my humble submission.
The Darwin action-figure is holding the Christian fish symbol re-purposed and is also holding up the skull of one of Darwin’s recent ancestors. Coincidentally, the Beatles just happen to be in the background, too. But what is the enigmatic smile on my face communicating?
Darwin, the Beatles, and Paul having been Director of Jazz Studies at Cal Poly for 23 years, as well as a jazz pianist—what’s not to like?
What a cool photo, Paul!
As always, interesting to see WEIT readers.
Doh! I accidentally posted before adding “Thanks, Paul”! (I wonder who your favourite Beatle was?)
Uh, Paul. I could go on and on about this, but Paul was clearly the most musically talented, and I’m in it for the sounds. Obviously, they were all great musicians (although I view Ringo as the mashed potatoes of the group, the plain background steadiness that all the other fantastic things have to play off of). No offense.
Ringo was not a flashy drummer, but the Beatles would have been weaker if he was. I saw one reviewer mention that he really knew what he was doing, and came up with sometimes elegant fills. I’ll let real experts discuss it more than that.
👍👍
Looking good, cousin.
You too! ; )
The Mona Lisa of San Louis Obispo.
Greetings, fellow alumnus! I graduated from CPSLO in 1971 with a BS in biology (medical laboratory technology concentration) while my wife graduated with a BS in biology in 1974 (concentration in plant pathology) and 7 months pregnant with our first child. She subsequently got a BS in Computer Science from Sonoma State University in 1987 and is still working as a software engineer today. I subsequently went back to school at age 45 and earned my Doctorate of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) from Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy in 1999 at the age of 49 — a very “non-traditional” student as the majority of my classmates were aged 21-25. I believe that our host, Dr. Coyne, and I were born within a couple weeks of each other … me on 11/30/1949. Ride high, you Mustangs!
Nice photo Paul. A very unique location in a very big state. Just follow the 101.
You must be a Californian.
The smile…and the beard…looking very much like old Charles himself.
Paul wins the Spike Milligan look-alike contest. And the connection to the Beatles and the smile? I am thinking Abbey Road, and Paul’s not dead.
I am quite pleased with the number of musicians and cyclists that show up in these photos of readers features. (I tick both boxes).
I am a Ringo absolutist. First and foremost I believe that Ringo is a musician that plays drums, as opposed to a drummer that plays music. He is one of the rare drummers where you can identify the song by the drum part alone. I’m sure George Martin had a role in that. For those drummers that frown on Ringo I ask: What would you have done different.
I agree about Paul being the most musically gifted/creative/inventive Beatle. But damn…..that combination of musicians is stunning and rare.
To have Paul and John in the same band, and then have George develop and write great tunes, too. And Paul and John complemented each other pretty well, too. I never get tired of hearing their music, and I play jazz that is *vastly* more complicated, too. Complex ≠ good (necessarily).
Got any music on YouTube we could listen to?
No, unfortunately, but I might be able to swing something, gimme a little time, if it works I’ll be back with another comment.
Splendid.
Sorry for the late reply, but I just realized I did have a couple things online here: http://cola.calpoly.edu/~prinzler/BluesImprov/. It’s the most rudimentary interface, though. Don’t click on the links in the text/htm docs, just click on the links you see right after the link above.
Included is a transcription in musical notation of the blues improvisation (I did the transcribing, too). It has a few errors here and there.
These two recordings are just about my favorites of all time that I have done.
PCC(E), I hope you check these out, too, as I know you’re something of a jazz fan.
Wow! That’s some really nice playing. I suggest you build a career online. You’d reach a huge audience playing like that.
PCC(E) should definitely check them out.
Well, I’ve retired, and I have a complicated history with performance. I think I have finally understood that I’m a bit akin to a (US) football player that is really fast, knows the pass routes, works hard, can make incredible plays, etc., but just drops too many balls. So I’ve focused my efforts elsewhere, even though I still love the good performances I’ve done.
Glad to see you’re content.
The first mp3 is somewhat classic jaz, while the second one is very meditative and engaging.
Thanks for digging these up. Any more like these?
Very nice photo.
The smile? Had you just listened to Rick Wakeman’s version of the Beatles’ song “Help”
I’m only half a minute in and I can tell already it’s great. Great re-conceiving of the tune, achieved mostly by the higher range and touch (with the textural elements helping, too). Great sense of rhythm and (almost-) swing in the faster (probably 16th-note) passages. Yeah.
Before listening to this I hadn’t realised what a fine tune “Help” was. I always thought of it as a Beatles’ filler.
Another “revealed” tune is “Modern Love” by The Last Town Chorus (originally a Bowie single).
I like that figure. I have the fish symbol on the back window of my car.
One more musician. How nice. We have a bit of everybody in the WEIT group. Great photo.
Nice! Love Darwin’s huge Disney shoes.
I’ve found listening to the Beatles (and Lennon/Harrison solo work and Wings) is helpful during these solemn months.
Love myself some good jazz piano. Ellington, Evans, Monk and Hancock…can’t get enough of ’em. All styles are welcome here 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions.
Anytime. 🙂
I also forgot Brubeck…there’s too many to list when I really start thinking about it.
Check out Billy Childs. The first tune I heard by him was “Quiet Girl” and it literally – I mean literally – snapped my head around. I had never heard anything like it. The harmonies are quite subtle, but dissonant, and really nice.
Quiet Girl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=uxMRPa3XXlM&feature=emb_logo
The original played by Childs is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9q0pSZpNnk&t=392s
Ah, thanks. That’s the one I thought I linked, but missed. Quiet Girl is the first track on the album.