Points On Jazz has its origins in 1958, when Dave Brubeck was on tour in Poland. Its primary melody
was conceived as a way of thanking his audiences for their kind reception. It’s title was “Dziekuye,”
the Polish word for “Thank you.” After hearing the piece on Brubeck’s album, choregrapher, Dania Krupska,
sought permission to use the music for a new jazz ballet. The piece was eventually commissioned by the
American Ballet Theatre.

Although it was created four years ago, it’s barely been seen. Now that missions to, and eventual human
habitation on Mars continue to inspire and fascinate, let’s revisit this fantasy…

Original composition until the aviary is open, then the music “montage” is comprised only of snippets of
jazz, classical and popular music about birds. How many can you recognize?

 
The October 15th concert to honor Juliet Shaw featured her own theremin, custom-built for her by the
instrument’s inventor himself, Lev Termen (Leon Theremin). Since Juliet Shaw’s theremin still works,
it on display during the concert and I used it to play Londonderry Air (aka Danny Boy), a song requested
by her daughter, Sandra Shaw Murphy. Juliet herself can be heard playing the song on Track 8 of Music in
the Air – The Artistry of Thereminist Juliet Shaw, Volume 1.

Following her very fist performance at Yale University somewhere between 1936 and 1937, she learned that
Theremin lived in New York City. With her own RCA Theremin in tow, she was able to meet him at his
apartments on West 53rd St. (an event she describes in several handwritten accounts as well as in recordings
of some of her live concert performances). Theremin was so impressed with herself-taught virtuosity that he
offered to trade her RCA, with it’s range of two and a half octaves, for a custom built instrument that would
have a range of six and one half octaves. She continued to perform on that instrument for the rest of her life.

Might have been shot 12 years ago (extremely hard to believe), but here it is again.
Belated birthday wishes.

Italian composer, Alfredo Catalani and librettist Luigi Illica, created one of opera’s most beautiful
and most famous arias. And like so many sublimely beautiful arias, it’s contrasted by its subject
matter — one that pervades operas: Wally, the heroine, refuses to marry the man her father has chosen
and basically says, “If I can’t marry the man I am in love with, I shall do myself in.”

For forty-seven years this composition has held a special place in our hearts. This was the piece played
at our wedding. Never gets old.

“Life in Pink…” Ain’t got quite the same ring to it in English, huh? But the song’s still bootiful, ain’t it?
Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, Louis Armstrong and lots of other singers sang it. Now, the theremin does.