Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Barbara Carroll (RCA Years)

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In February, just after pianist Barbara Carroll's death, I posted a tribute in which I focused on the grace of her chord voicings and swing time in the early 1950s. From 1954 to 1956, she was with RCA and recorded five superb albums. Prior to these dates in the '50s, Carroll recorded 10-inch albums for the Discovery, Livingston and Atlantic labels. All featured an artist with bass and drums who was determined to show off her energetic elegance and marvelous technique. As noted in my earlier post, this era and the '40s featured quite a few gifted female pianists, many of whom started out playing at bars during intermission as background filler. Carroll was among the most gifted of these pianists in terms of the swinging story she told when taking on standards and her cozy familiarity with bop and lush pop.

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If you love Carroll as much as I do, then you'll appreciate this update: I found a four CD set that covers her entire early 1950s period. It's called Barbara Carroll Trio: Complete 1951-1956 Recordings (Fresh Sound). You'll find it here or here. Fresh Sound also combined Carroll's Funny Face and Barbara, originally on Verve from 1957, on a single CD or download (go here).

JazzWax clips: Here's Let's Fall In Love...

Here's Give Me the Simple Life...

Here's Come Rain or Come Shine...

Here's Love Is a Simple Thing, with Barbara on celeste and piano...

Here's You Make Me Feel So Young...

And here's Fancy Pants...

       


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3 Curtain Rod Alternatives

From time to time, it’s good to change things up a bit. Instead of going with a traditional curtain rod, why not try one of the following alternatives for a more creative option?

Image Source: Flickr

Rod-Free Curtains
Curtains don’t have to be hung with rods. Instead of using a store-bought or homemade rod, hammer a line of nails across arched and straight windows. Evenly space the nails and paint them to match the walls or the curtains. Once the paint is dry, loop the curtains over the nails or hang them with ribbons or large hooks. Another unique option is to space old door or cabinet knobs about 12 inches apart along the top of the window; use wood screws or nails to secure them in place. Cut holes in the curtains or use tab top panels and loop them over the knobs. If you’re using brass or metal knobs, paint them to ensure that the curtains won’t be stained should the knobs tarnish. Source: EHow

Coat Hangers
You can use coat hangers as another alternative for curtain rods. Put the coat hooks on the window frames. You can simply attach the curtain to the rods. Or, if you want something really eye-catching, you can use a ribbon to tie the openings of the curtain to the rod. This will add a whimsy appeal to your curtains. This style goes best in the living room or children’s room. You can even paint the coat hangers to make it stand out or blend with the colors of the walls. Source: DoItYourself

Branching Out
Sometimes the perfect object for a lightweight drapery rod may be sitting right outside your window. Branches can make for excellent, sculptural drapery rods with a few simple do-it-yourself updates. Search for a branch with the proper length and width to fit above a window and handle the weight of the chosen drapery panel. Next, cut it to size and spray-paint it in a color which contrasts well against the wall. Lastly, secure standoffs, ready-made drapery rod brackets or L-brackets directly to the wall using plastic drywall anchors, then attach the branch with screws or bailing wire. Source: HGTV

Tell us your creative plans! We’ll try our best to help you out. Contact us!

 

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

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3 Tips for Buying Bathroom Faucets

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Having a hard time looking for faucets that best match your bathroom style? Luckily, we have some tips for buying bathroom faucets, such as: knowing the different styles, choosing the quality and matching with the number of mounting holes.

Below are 3 tips for buying bathroom faucets:

Knowing the Different Styles
Widespread: Most commonly found on pedestal sinks, widespread faucets are made for sinks with three pre-drilled holes that are 8″ apart. When purchasing a widespread faucet you’ll receive three individual components: two handles and one spout.
Vessel/Single-hole: On single hole faucets, the handle is attached to the spout and is for use on a sink with 1 pre-drilled hole. If you are in the market for a vessel style faucet but have a sink with 3 pre-drilled holes, it’s sometimes an option to purchase an additional deck plate to cover the existing holes on the sink. Contact the faucets manufacturer to see if that is an option before buying.
Wall-mounted: Ready for it? Wall-mounted faucets are mounted to …the wall! Normally, your water supply lines come up from the sink, but in this case they’ll need to be installed into the wall. One thing to be aware of when purchasing these types of faucets is that the spout is actually long enough to reach from the wall over the sink basin.
4″ Centerset: These faucets are found on sinks with 3 holes set at 4″ apart. The components sit on a deck plate that connect the handles with the spout body, and can also be found with single handle components.
4″ Minispread: Similar to centerset, these faucets fit 4″ configurations on sinks with 3 pre-drilled holes. But instead of purchasing a faucet with a 4″ deck plate, a minispread faucet looks more like a widespread faucet with three individual components: two handles and one spout. Source: ApartmentTherapy

Choosing the Quality
You’ll have to pay for it up front, but buying quality now means you won’t be paying during the life (or lack thereof) of your faucet. Look for an all-brass body, as opposed to brass- or chrome-plated. And keep in mind that the tub faucet has a larger flow rate than other household faucets, which means you can’t use a kitchen faucet or your tub. Bathtub faucets should have a 3/4-inch supply line, as opposed to 1/2-inch for the rest of the house. Some tubs hold up to 60 gallons of water, so you’ll want a faucet that can get the job done in a timely manner. Source: HGTV

Matching with the Number of Mounting Holes
Most sinks come with mounting holes pre-drilled for faucets and accessories such as side sprays or soap dispensers. If you’re keeping your original sink, you’ll need to match what you have or get a base plate to cover any extra holes. The base plate sold with your new faucet can be used to cover holes in your countertop, but don’t buy a faucet that requires more sink holes than your sink has; it’s not a good idea to try to drill additional holes in an existing sink or countertop. Get additional information on how to best match sinks and faucets.  Source: ConsumerReports

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post 3 Tips for Buying Bathroom Faucets appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.



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High Five! Tell EHS Today About Your Successful Hand Protection Program

EHS Today is reaching out to safety professionals to find out how they manage hand protection and the prevention of hand injuries.

If you are a safety professional in any industry who has a successful hand protection program, EHS Today wants to talk to you!!

Over 1 million workplace hand injuries occur each year. Some 20 percent of disabling workplace injuries involve the hands. Of those injuries, 63 percent are lacerations, 13 percent are crush injuries and the remaining injuries are punctures, fractures, burns and amputations.

OSHA 1910.138 states:

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Fatality Investigation: Nissan North America Fined After Worker Death

The car manufacturer has been cited for a repeat lockout/tagout violation after a worker is crushed during conveyor system operation.

On Nov. 16, 2016, Nissan North America sent 46-year-old maintenance technician Dennis Pinkston to investigate an equipment breakdown .

Pinkston, along with the rest of the maintenance crew at the company’s Smryna plant, discovered the roller drive motor for an elevator, which is designed to move car seat pallets from one conveyor system to another, was not working.

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Monday, February 27, 2017

Dave Brubeck: Zurich '64

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In September 1964, the Dave Brubeck Quartet was in Zurich, Switzerland, on one of its countless tours of Europe. The group—Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, Eugene Wright on bass and Joe Morello on drums—appeared at the city's Kongresshaus concert hall. Desmond's Take Five had become a massive hit for the group, and Dave was a crossover phenomenon, bridging the gap between jazz and the classical tradition. On the road to promote his Time Changes album, released in early 1964, Dave and Desmond once again delivered a live-performance one-two punch.

Dave often favored rocking the audience into a near-hypnotic state with his pounding classical-inspired, rhythmic chords. When he finished his tumultuous improvisation, Desmond would slip in and provide an impossibly seductive jazz solo on the high end of his alto register. This sparkling heavy-light change-up was in evidence during the Zurich concert, released recently on CD thanks to the TCB label as Swiss Radio Days: Dave Brubeck Quartet, Zurich 1964.

BrubeckTime
Dave opened the concert with Audrey, an original he wrote with Desmond and recorded 10 years earlier on Brubeck Time. The Zurich version is far superior, with its delicate, seductive touch and Desmond's feathery articulation.

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Dave's Cable Car, a 6/8 waltz, was first recorded a year earlier in 1963 on Time Changes. On top of the restless melody, Morello plays brushes that emulate the sound of San Francisco's cable cars.

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The first time Dave recorded You Go to My Head in 1946 with his octet, it was executed as an optimistic ballad. Here, the quartet gave it a medium-tempo, walking-bass reading, with Desmond breaking your heart on his breezy solo. It's one of the best recordings of the song.

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When Dave launches into Take Five, the audience responds with a tidal-wave roar. It's a fairly standard reading, but Morello steals the show with his extended, tour-de-force drum solo, unleashing everything he has. 

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Koto Song
was first recorded in the studio for Jazz Impressions of Japan in June 1964. Interestingly, Koto Song was the only tune from the album that became a standard. The album's recording began in 1960, following Dave's 1958 world tour for the U.S. State Department, which stopped in Japan, but had to be sidelined for a few years due to touring and other projects.

Pennies From Heaven receives a classic uptempo treatment by the quartet, with Dave hammering out chords before Desmond jumps in with his parfait-like solo.

Morello's Shim Wa was first recorded by the drummer for his It's About Time album in 1962 but not released on the album. The 6/8 waltz also wound up on the Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Changes album in 1963.

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Dave's Dziekuje (or Thank You in Polish) is a bright tune with an Eastern European flavor. It appeared on Jazz Impressions of Eurasia in 1958 and is a lovely, up-tempo song.

Like many albums in the Swiss Radio Days series, this one is essential listening if you love the Dave Brubeck Quartet. The sound is clear and the playing extraordinary.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find the CD version of Swiss Radio Days: Dave Brubeck Quartet, Zurich 1964 (TCB) here.

JazzWax clip: Here's Audrey...

JazzWax note: To read my at-home interview with Dave Brubeck for The Wall Street Journal in 2010, go here.



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Ladder Losers

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Survey Says U.S. Adults Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Problems with the quantity and quality of sleep U.S. adults experience indicate a disturbing trend when it comes to healthcare use, work performance and accident risk.

A new report shows a majority of Americans have trouble sleeping at least once a week, which spells trouble for employers when it comes to healthcare costs, accident risk and productivity.

The study, initiated by Packaged Facts, discovered troubled sleep is “normal,” with 82 percent of U.S. adults surveyed indicating they have issues getting rest at least once a week. If extrapolated, this is 206 million of the 249 million U.S. adult population.

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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Big Sid Catlett: 1944-46

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Back in January, I posted on drummers Gene Krupa and Big Sid Catlett, whose styles were quite similar in their tap-dance attack. As noted then, Catlett was one of the most influential and dynamic drummers of the 1940s. Sadly, he died in 1951, which means his entire career was spent in the 78rpm era, and his clutch of leadership sessions were recorded between 1944 and 1946.

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In 1944, these included four sides for Commodore, featuring Ben Webster (ts), Marlowe Morris (p) and John Simmons (b) (Sleep, Linger Awile, Memories of You and Just a Riff). and two more with the same group for Onyx (1-2-3 Blues and I've Found a New Baby).

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Next came Sidney Catlett and the Regis All Stars (for Regis Records), featuring Charlie Shavers (tp), Edmond Hall (cl), Frank Socolow (ts), Eddie Heywood (p) and Oscar Pettiford (b) (Blues in Room 920, Sweet Georgia Brown and Blue Skies).

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The same group, minus Hall, recorded two more as Sid Catlett and the Big City Jazzmen (Blue Skies and Thermo-Dynamics). In January 1945, Big Sid Catlett's Band recorded four sides for Capitol in Los Angeles. The band featured Joe Guy (tp), Bull Moose Jackson (as), Bumps Myers and Illinois Jacquet (ts), Horace Henderson (p), Al Casey (g) and John Simmons (b). The tracks were I Never Knew; Love for Sale; Just You, Just Me and Henderson Romp.

The personnel is unclear on Sometimes I'm Happy and How High the Moon.

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Finally, in 1946, Catlett recorded for the Manor label with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (ts), Bill Gooden (org,celeste,vcl), Pete Johnson (p), Jimmy Shirley (g) and Gene Ramey (b). They recorded Organ Boogie, Organ blues, Sherry Wine Blues, Open the Door Richard, Shirley's Boogie and Humoresque Boogie. Of the bunch, Sherry Wine Blues is most fascinating, pairing Davis, the blues modernist with boogie-woogie pianist Johnson topped by Gooden's celeste.

The reason I provided so much detail above is because you're going to need it. If you want to own all of these tracks, you'll have to spend upward of $84 for The Chronological Sid Catlett, 1944-1946. But if you simply want to listen to them, you can hear the complete album at YouTube. Here are Catlett's leadership sessions above...

A special thanks to Doug Paterson.

       


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The Felling of the Oak

Our house “was built for a newlywed couple in 1885. The big oak tree in the front yard was planted the year they moved in and the maple tree was also one they planted,” according to information provided by the previous owner.

century-old oak and maple trees

The venerable oak and maple, planted by the original owners over a century ago.

I was thinking about this oak tree as I drove home from a talk given by Doug Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home. For some reason, when it came to changing my garden to increase diversity and attract more birds and pollinators, I had always thought in terms of planting more native perennials–and perhaps some native berry-bearing shrubs as well.

But Tallamy made me realize that native trees are essential to creating a self-sustaining habitat in my garden. Yes, birds eat lots of bugs all summer long; yes, they eat seeds and berries in the fall–but they raise their young almost totally on caterpillars. In the case of one pair of Carolina chickadees that he watched, they fed their chicks 27 caterpillars in 30 minutes. It works out to 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars for one clutch of nestlings until they can fend for themselves. And the chickadee parents don’t fly more than 50 meters (164ft) from the nest to get these caterpillars.

So if you want birds in your backyard, you’ve got to provide a steady supply of caterpillars, or the birds will just die out. And the plant that feeds the greatest variety of caterpillars is–you guessed it–the oak. To be specific: 385 different kinds of moths and butterflies use the oak as a caterpillar host plant in my area. (Click here to find the best plants for wildlife for your area.)

It’s not just monarch butterflies that are picky. Apparently most caterpillars can only feed on a few (or even one) types of plants. The rest are poison to them. Some plants are food to only one kind of insect, but some–like the oak–support a whole bunch.

And in a few short weeks, we would be cutting that oak tree down.

Why?

cracked trunk of red oak

We could no longer ignore the fact that our beloved oak was splitting in two.

Perhaps two years ago, we noticed that the oak was splitting along its crotch. At first we were in denial. It’s always looked like that. Eventually we accepted that the oak was slowly splitting in two. The trunk that was leaning would fall onto the driveway and possibly onto cars parked there. We began to be more careful about where we parked, and I even started keeping my eye on it as I crossed its path on the way to other parts of the property. We started asking around for tree removal recommendations even as we were occupied with other pressing domestic projects (and a wedding).
Forked red oak

On the morning of the Big Chop, you can see the rightmost trunk leaning into the yard.

The right man for the job was finally located. He was very much in demand solely through word-of-mouth and was hard to get a hold of. When he showed up to give an estimate, he was so concerned about the condition of our tree that he squeezed us in ahead of schedule. This was both alarming yet strangely reassuring–we were indeed correct in thinking the oak needed to come down.
Arborist preparing to fell a tree

The first order of business was setting up the safety harness.

Rocky Liddell did not use a cherry picker. He climbed the tree with spurs; he had two helpers on the ground. It was fascinating to watch him work even as we were sad to see the oak come down.
Partially de-limbed oak tree

Five hours later.

About halfway through the day we got more bad news. The old maple was also showing signs of decay and would need to come down within the next three years. Rocky offered to remove it that same day. Removing it today would make taking down the rest of the oak easier, so he was cutting us a deal. No one wanted to lose two trees in one day, but it made financial sense.
Felled maple amidst cut limbs.

The heart of the maple was rotted. You can glimpse a bit of it in this picture.

Later, when we saw the extent of the decay, we knew we had made the right decision.

Timber-r-r-r!

When the remaining bole of the oak toppled, it split apart on impact: The extent of the decay was greater than I had imagined.

rotted oak trunk

Six (1.8m) to eight feet (2.4m) of the trunk had rotted.

base of tree was 5ft across

Five feet (1.5m) at its widest.

compost from rotten tree

The rotted portion of the oak looked like the best compost I have ever seen.

Oak seedlings in rotten tree

Acorns had dropped into the crack and grown into good-sized seedlings.

The new normal

Now that those two impressive trees are gone, the character of the front yard has changed. The front garden beds will certainly be sunnier than they were before–and the house will be hotter in summer.

fallen leaves from maple

There won’t be nearly as many leaves to rake…

…or to chop for leaf mold.
chips from oak

However, I do have a huge pile of wood chips for mulch…

portable saw mill

…and 640 board-feet of lumber.

Not to mention the firewood we’ll be heating our house with.

We never wanted this to happen but we are trying to make the best of a sad situation. Nothing in this life stays the same; all living things eventually die. Fortunately we have many other oaks on our land to help sustain wildlife.



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