International Jazz Day, 2024 -- April 30, 2024

jazzday.com

Happy International Jazz Day.

Hiromi – I've Got Rhythm

Duke Ellington 125 -- April 29, 2024

listal.com

125 years ago today, on 29-April-1899, Duke Ellington, America's greatest composer, was born in Washington, DC. Through his long career as a bandleader, he revolutionized American music. I always thought he looked like my grandfather. 

Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue, Ellington at Newport 1956

Duke Ellington - Mood Indigo [Restored]

In a Sentimental Mood

Duke Ellington - Black And Tan Fantasy [1927]

1928 HITS ARCHIVE: Creole Love Call - Duke Ellington (Adelaide Hall, vocal)

COVID-19, Vaccine, Masks, Church, Baseball and School -- April 29, 2024

cdc.gov

Covid-19 trends continue to go down. My wife and I both got some horrible virus/bacterium that was not Covid-19.

Iran launched an unprecedented attack directly on Israel. Israel has not started its final assault on the Gaza Strip. Students are at universities across the country are erecting tents and calling for divesting in Israeli companies and companies that do business in Israel. Many Jewish students feel threatened. 

Our former so-called president went on trial in New York for 34 felony counts. 

BART held a ceremonial last run of its original cars. 

The Giants are showing signs of life but are still hovering at or below .500. 

The House finally passed aid for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. 

Baseball -- Pacific Coast League -- April 28, 2024

Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, 25-April-1924

The Pacific Coast League San Francisco Seals visited the Vernon Tigers at Washington Park in Los Angeles. Vernon is a suburb of Los Angeles, but the Tigers shared the field with the PCL's Los Angeles Angels. "Ladies free except on opening of series, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays."

Under Auspices of Black Sox Baseball Club -- April 27, 2024

Baltimore Afro-American, 18-April-1924

The Baltimore Black Sox were a Negro League baseball team which played in various leagues from 1913 to 1936. The Get-Together Dance sounds like fun. 

New Cat #118 -- April 26, 2024

I took the photo on 07-April -2024.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 2024 -- April 25, 2024

Kellie Talbot created this poster for the 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It shows the Dixie Cups, New Orleans ladies who had a hit with "Chapel of Love" in 1964. During the same session they casually recorded the Mardi Gras song "Iko Iko." 

Black Cat Magazine April 1899 -- April 24, 2024

philsp.com

The Black Cat Magazine was launched in Boston in 1895. It published short stories and was known for printing stories by new writers. This issue is labelled "5 -- Cleverest Stories -- 5." "The Stolen Sky-Scraper" by Frank Lillie Pollack sounds like fun. 

Reverend Cecil Williams, RIP -- April 23, 2024

glide.org

 

Reverend Cecil Williams has died. He led a good life. May his memory be a blessing.

Dickey Betts, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Whitey Herzog, Carl Erskine and Ken Holtzman, RIP -- April 23, 2024

listal.com

Dickey Betts, one of the founders of the Eagles, has died. He was a heck of a guitar player and composer.

The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man - 11/2/1972 - Hofstra University (Official)

The Allman Brothers Perform "Jessica" | Letterman

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Clarence "Frogman" Henry has died. He was born in New Orleans and lived most of his life in Algiers. His unique voice made him a novelty act, but he was a good one.

Ain't Got No Home

Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog died. He managed the Cardinals for many years. I remember how his teams emphasized speed. 

Pitcher Carl Erskine has died. He was a Dodger, but I admire him. He had a son with Down Syndrome and decided to stay in his hometown to take the best care of him. He was strongly involved with Special Olympics and charities to help old ball players. 

Pitcher Ken Holtzman has also died. I remember him playing for the Cubs and the Athletics. He was one of many Athletics who had salary conflicts with Charlie Finley. 

Aid for Ukraine -- April 22, 2024

moveon.org

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was finally able to work around the Putin Caucus and get aid passed for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Johnson may lose his position, but in this case, he did the right thing. The six-month delay in funding Ukraine has allowed the Russians to make progress in their illegal invasion.

Earth Day 2024 -- April 22, 2024

earthday.org

I remember the first Earth Day in 1970.

Chrylster Phaeton -- April 21, 2024

Delaware County Daily Times, 07-April-1924

"The Chrylster Phaeton is the culmination of all past experience in designing and building cars."  A phaeton is an open-topped auto body without a fixed roof or a permanent convertible roof. The lack of a roof made the cars lighter, which is why Chrysler advertised its "speed capacity of more than 70 miles an hour from a motor of 3-inch bore..."

Couilter --The Golden Gate Was Filled With Grain Ships -- April 20, 2024

San Francisco Call, 26-November-1896

"The Golden Gate Was Filled With Grain Ships Yesterday, All Eager to Get to Sea on Their Way to Europe. In Consequence Nearly Every Tug in the. Port Was Engaged. Quite a Number of Vessels Got In at the Same Time."

A wharfinger supervises a wharf. Now the job would be called Harbor Master.

From the 22-November-1896 San Francisco Call. William A Coulter did many maritime drawings for the newspaper. Click on the image for a larger view.

AN EXODUS OF

GRAIN VESSELS

Many of Them Sailed for

Europe and India Yesterday.

Port Costa Is Crowded With

Vessels That Are Now Taking Wheat Aboard.

The Cruiser Philadelphia Has Taken

Aboard 1500 Tons of Coal and Is

Ready for Sea.

The biggest fleet of deep-water ships that has left this port in many a day sailed for foreign parts yesterday. Every tugboat in the bay was busy and in consequence the water front was almost deserted. Among the vessels that went out were the British ship Ross-shire for London, the Cromartyshire for Queenstown, the Rabaue for London, the Queen Margaret for Queenstown, the American ship Oriental for Nanaimo, B. C, and the American bark Prussia for Port Blakeley. Ail the vessels were in the Golden Gate at one time and the addition of a pilot-boat and some coasting schooners inward bound made up the liveliest scene that has occurred on the bay in many a day.

The United States cruiser Philadelphia is coaling and every available inch of space is being crowded with fuel. She will probably sail to-morrow for Callao and an attempt will be made to break the record. The warship is just off the drydock and has received a thorough overhauling. What the reason for haste is cannot be ascertained, but one thing is certain the Philadelphia will make for Callao without a stop and at a high rate of speed.

Over 1500 tons of coal have been put on the cruiser, and at the present time her decks do not present a very trim appearance. Everything will be shipshape before sailing day, however, and when Callao is reached the officers and crew will learn what has taken them there in a hurry.

The Abbey Club, composed principally of wharfingers and collectors on the waterfront, gave a social at its headquarters in Sausalito last evening. Chief Wharfinger Root and Assistant Chief Wharfinger Scott looked after the weliare of the guests, so it is no wonder that everybody had a most enjoyable time of it. Those who attended the social were: Mr, and Mrs. G. W. Root, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Stafford, Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Gibson, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Acche, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Tyler, Mr. and Mrs. G. H. S. Dryden, Miss Edna J. Scott, Miss Mae Root, the Misses Eva and Blanche Fairweather, Miss Jennie Gibson, Miss Carrie Keith, the Misses Anna and Tina Haas, Miss Nora Culp, Miss Mabel Washburn, Miss Josephine Dufficy, Ada Fogel, Messrs. C. F. Heywood, G. E. Bennett, F. C. and G. Hammond, H. S. Scott, Alex. Rosborough, H. P. Taylor, Dr. E. H. Pake, C. C. Pratt, F. B. Hall, G. S. Beachel, F. M. Weaton, Eaward Haas, "Prince" Johnson, Leon Swartz, James Gray, Walter Culp, J. F. Root.

One of the smartest pieces of work done on the water front in many a day was the unloading of 460,000 feet of lumber from the barkentine James A. Garfield in nineteen hours. The work was done under the supervision of C. L. Deiinet and he is justly proud of the performance. The handling of so much lumber in such a short space of time is remarkably quick work.

Captain Thomas W. Hutchinson, marine surveyor for Gutte & Frank, died at his residence, 927 Twentieth street, yesterday morning. He was at one time a bay pilot and was known to every shipping man in the City. He was well liked in all circles and the flags along the front were all at balfmast out of resneci to his memory.

The schooner J. W. Weatherwax put in here last night leaking. She was on her way from Grays Harbor to Levuka, Fiji, with a load of lumber, but sprang a leak during the recent heavy gale and had to put in for repairs.

The schooner C. A. Merchant arrived last night flying her flag at halfmast. She also was caught in the recent storm and one of the crew was washed overboard. The Merchant was a long time out, having taken sixteen days to get here from Everett, Wash.

The British ship California was sold last Tuesday for £17,600. She belonged to the White Star line and was the last of its fleet of sailing ships.

The British ship Duncan arrived off this port yesterday and, according to instructions, one of the pilots ordered her to proceed to Port Townsend to load for Europe.

High Speed Trolley to Philadelphia -- April 19, 2024

Delaware County Daily Times, 07-April-1924

The Chester Short Line was part of the Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company's Red Arrow Lines, which provided fast electric interurban transportation from Philadelphia to its southern suburbs. The line is now operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). 

Fire and Earthquake Anniversary, 2024 -- April 18, 2024

San Francisco Call-Chronicle-Examiner, 19-April-1906

Today is the 118th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire.

Albert Bierstadt -- Indian Sunset: Deer by a Lake -- April 17, 2024

artgallery.yale.edu

Albert Biersdadt created "Indian Sunset: Deer by a Lake" sometime between 1880 and 1890.

Henry Mancini 100 -- April 16, 2024

listal.com

Composer Henry Mancini was born 100 years ago today, on 16-April-1924. I grew up hearing his music in movies, in television shows and when my dad would sometimes listen to KABL, an easy-listening station. He often worked with Blake Edwards. "The Pink Panther Theme" is ubiquitous. 

listal.com

Henry Mancini - The Pink Panther Theme | WDR Funkhausorchester

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Moon River...Henry Mancini...

listal.com

I Say A Little Prayer

Trump Trial Opens and Assault on Israel -- April 15, 2024

cnn.com by artist Christine Cornell

Our former so-called president went on trial in New York for 34 felony counts related to election interference. He is the first former president to be charged and to go to trial. This is a good start.

I like the style of courtroom artist Christine Cornell.

Iran launched an unprecedented attack directly on Israel, firing hundreds of ballistic missile, cruise missiles and drones. Israel, with help from the US and other allies knocked down 99% of the weapons. One little girl was injured by fragments from a defensive missile. No one was killed. Almost everyone in the world is calling for restraint. 

Kodak in the Home -- April 15, 2024

Photoplay, April, 1924

George Eastman's Kodak cameras allowed many people to take up photography.

Time Magazine -- Joseph Conrad -- April 14, 2024

 

Time, April 7, 1923

I couldn't find an interesting Time Magazine cover subject for April 1924, so I jumped back to April 1923.

Joseph Conrad (Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) was born in Poland while much of the country was claimed by the Russian Empire. English may have been his fourth language (Polish, French, Russian, English).  His family had worked for Polish independence, so he had no future in Russia.  He joined the French merchant marine, and later the British.  I read somewhere that his shipmates called him "Polish Joe." He began writing fiction in English and then had to give up the sea because of his health.

I read a lot of Conrad in college. I took a summer class dedicated to him. I got to operate the projector to show Lord Jim with Peter O'Toole. It was my first experience with an anamorphic lens.

Conrad's books and stories show few signs that English was not his first language.  My final paper for the Conrad class was about a play he wrote, based on The Secret Agent I found traces of less-careful writing in the stage directions.

Pepsi-Cola -- When Thinking of Baseball -- Always Think of Pepsi-Cola -- April 13, 2024

Winston-Salem Journal, 08-April-1924

This is the largest Pepsi-Cola ad that I have found. It invites people to think about Pepsi when they attend the opening day of the Winston-Salem Twins in the Piedmont League. The Twins played the Greensboro Patriots and beat them 4-0.

Coca-Cola -- Refresh Yourself With the Beverage of Insured Purity -- April 12, 2024

Brownsville Herald, 20-April-1924

"Every bottle sterilized."

The World's Greatest Colored Orchestra -- April 11, 2024

Saint Joseph Herald-Press, 24-April-1924

100 years ago this month, in April 1923, Joe "King" Oliver's Creole Jazz Band was touring the country. This item is an ad for their show at the Silver Beach Pavillion in Benton Harbor. "Recording for Okeh, Columbia and Gennett Records."

Comedy to Be Given by KGO Players -- April 10, 2024

San Francisco Examiner, 27-April-1924

KGO, a powerful radio station licensed in San Francisco but based in Oakland, has been on the air since 1924. I have to look into the KGO Players. Daddy Long-Legs was a novel by Jean Webster that was made into a play, a stage musical and was filmed at least three times. I wonder if the radio script still exists. 

Solar Eclipse -- April 9, 2024

Yesterday we saw the first nationwide solar eclipse since 2017.  It was bright and sunny in Pacifica. I made a pinhole camera, but the results were not impressive. The sky did get darker around the totality.  I had the nationwide coverage from CBS on the television while I worked. 

Sheriffs Prevent Lynching of Negro -- April 9, 2024

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-Times, 05-April-1948

SHERIFFS PREVENT

LYNCHING OF NEGRO

Mob violence would decrease if public officials followed the example of the Rocky Mount, Va., officers who prevented the lynching of Ote Gilbert, a negro sentenced to 20 years for criminal assault, the American Civil Liberties Union declares in a statement issued today.

According to a letter received by the Union from J. P. Lee, public prosecutor of Rocky Mount, a mob formed outside the jail to lynch Gilbert, but dispersed when they found that any attempt to take the prisoner would result in a number of people being killed.

"The officers were determined to go to any length in the protection of the prisoner, even to the sacrifice of their lives," Lee's letter to the Civil Liberties Union declares. "The suit of the whole matter was satisfactory. The negro was saved from lynching and nobody was hurt."

Comic Book -- Detective Comics -- April 8 2024

listal.com

Bob Kane's The Batman made his debut in Detective Comics number 27, from May, 1939. Here we have a colorful cover from number 35, January, 1940. I hope Batman is not an anti-vaxxer. 

I've been a fan of Batman since I first saw the television show and read the comic books back in the 1960s. Superman has his powers because he was born on another planet. Spiderman has his because he was bitten by a radioactive spider. Batman is a self-made man.

Lou Conter, RIP -- April 7, 2024

I was sad to learn that Lou Conter, the last living survivor who had been aboard the USS Arizona during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. Coulter went on to attend flight school and served during World War Two, Korea and Vietnam. He retired as a Lieutenant Commander in 1967. I wish him fair winds and a following sea. 

'Round-World Flyers Reach Prince Rupert -- April 6, 2024

San Francisco Examiner, 07-April-1924

100 years ago this month, teams from several countries were trying to make the first aerial circumnavigation of the earth. The US Army, with the close cooperation of the Navy, made it.

San Francisco Examiner, 07-April-1924

'ROUND-WORLD FLYERS REACH PRINCE RUPERT

FOUR PLANES
MAKE HOP OF
650 MILES

U.S. Squadron Darts From
Seattle on Important Leg
of Globe-Circling Expedition

Army Aviators Triumph Over
Meteorological and Mechanical
Obstacles After Long Delay

PRINCE RUPERT (B.C.), April 6 -- (By Associated Press.) -- Major Frederick L Martin, commander of the United States army air squadron encircling the earth, damaged his plan, the Seattle, on landing here at 4:54 o'clock this afternoon, according to word given out by him tonight. Two other world flight planes, the Chicago and the New Orleans, which arrived at the same time, landed safely. The Boston, fourth machine of the squadron, reached here at 5:26 o'clock.

Indications pointed tonight toward indefinite delay in the flight as spare parts might have to be shipped here from Sitka, Alaska according to Major Martin.

The fliers encountered rain from Vancouver B.C. to Prince Rupert. They flew at an average height of 300 feet, Major Martin said.

---

SEATTLE, April 6 -- (By the Associated Press.) -- Four planes of the United States army that left Santa Monica, Cal. on March 17 on a flight around the world and arrived here March 20, left the states today.

Three of them departed from here just before 9 o'clock a.m. the other an hour later. At 1:20 p.m. the first three were reported passing over Egg Island, about half-way to Prince Rupert, where the squadron expects to drop down into Seal Cove at 7 p.m. to rest before the next stage -- to Sitka, Alaska. Reports from along the British Columbia coast, which the adventurers were skirting, indicated that the fourth had made up 13 minutes of his lost time.

Along the north coast of Vancouver Island the planes, reports forwarded here by the Canadian Press showed, encountered thick mist and rain, with a southeast breeze at their backs.

The start was a triumph over meteorology and mechanics. The seventeen days' stay here was for installation of pontoons with which the flyers, led by Major Frederick L Martin, hoped to conquer the Pacific ocean over a coast and ocean course of 4,168 miles.

"Adieu," said Major Martin from his cockpit, as his associates pushed his machine, the flagplane Seattle, off gently from a barge at Sand Point Aviation Field, upon which it had lain since a broken propeller and a lagging motor had defeated a departure yesterday, after storms in the North had kept the expedition here Friday.

"We are going to go this time," he added.

Two minutes before he said this, Major Martin had stood beside the cockpit, no wise nonplussed by hard labor all yesterday, resumed at 5:30 a.m. today after a short night's sleep. All the night mechanics from a Seattle airplane factory had toiled to make the Seattle fit.

Just one hour before she left the dock she had been gently lifted from the barge and lowered onto the water by a giant crane on a dredge. Then came fueling, for which it was found necessary to row out and borrow a pump from the plane New Orleans, flown by Lieutenant Wade, Major Martin's having refused to work.

At 8:15 a.m. Major Martin, having smiled and spoken his farewell genially, began tacking from the dock. He went north on the quiet surface of the lake, under a struggling sun and with almost no breeze until he was almost out of sight.

Then he came back a way. Then, with a mighty rush, throwing a cloud of spray behind him, he rose at 8:34 a.m. He turned straight across the line of vision of a crowd of 150 persons on the little dock and the barge and went at once on a course north of two miles to see if everything was all right.

He turned again and went south, over the same course, his motor sounding with a clear roar.

Pulp -- Nick Carter -- April 5, 2024

philsp.com

Nick Carter was a detective who appeared in dime novels, pulp magazines, radio shows, movies and a television pilot. I remember seeing a Czech movie called Dinner for Adele at the Clay, which had Nick Carter in Prague. I wanted to make a Super-8 Nick Carter movie but could never get it organized.

Athletics Carry on Their Tradition -- April 4, 2024

Philadelphia Inquirer, 09-November-1954

The Philadelphia Athletics were a baseball franchise founded by Connie Mack in 1901. The franchise has two strong traditions: 1. They build up a strong team and then have a fire sale because they can't pay their good players. 2. Attendance tanks and they don't make enough money, so they cut and run for another city. They moved to Kansas City in 1955 and Oakland in 1968. In 2025 they will play in Sacramento. In 2028, if the new stadium is ready, they will play in Las Vegas. I wonder how long it will be until they leave Las Vegas.

Philadelphia Inquirer, 09-November-1954

Kansas City Star, 25-June-1967

East Bay Times, 04-April-2024

Toonerville Trolley -- I Got Stuff t'Settle Yer Stummick or I Got Ipecac -- April 4, 2024

Casper Daily Tribune, 01-April-1924

I love Fontaine Fox's The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All the Trains.

Des Moines Register, 30-March-1924

I shall have to print this puzzle and complete it. If anyone else does it, I would be happy to see your results.

Des Moines Register, 03-April-1924

Washington Times, 30-June-1918

Krazy Kat -- The First Drop in the Bucket I Ever Seen -- April 3, 2024

Washington Times, 23-April-1924

I love George Herriman's Krazy Kat. Stumble Inn was another Herriman strip. Click on the image to see a larger version.

I don't know how many Krazy Kat animated cartoons were produced over the years. "Krazy Kat in 'Felix Saves the Day'" is an interesting item. It sounds as if someone got his cats mixed up. 

Washington Times, 30-June-1918