STAY AWAY FROM RECESSIVE IDEAS + VENTURES. STAY UP + FORWARD FROM REGRESSION AND REGRESSIVE DEVOLVE INITIATIVES + RESULTS. LET THEIR SPONSORS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM ALONE. STOP CRADLING IMINALS, IMINALITY, CRIMINALS, + CRIMINALITY. AIDING AND ABETTING CAN BE UP TO HALF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTIONS, SO STAY OUT OF IT.
MENTALLY PROCESS WHAT YOU HAVE OUTSTANDING THAT GETS IN YOUR WAY AND DOWNGRADES YOUR WAY OF QUALITY. PROCESS WHAT YOU NEED TO KEEP AND WHAT YOU NEED TO GET RID OF. MAINTAIN HEALING HEALTH, VALUE + VIGILANCE, CONSCIOUS CONSCIOUSNESS. DIVORCE 1) THOSE + THAT WHICH CREATE WRECKAGE IN YOUR LIFE AND IN ALL LIFE 2) THOSE WHICH TURMOIL, GRIEF, LOSS + LIABILITY FOLLOW. ACCEPT THAT HAPPINESS AND PEACE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN POSSIBLE, PROBABLE AND ARE THE LARGER MORE GRANDIOSE WAY OF LIVING.
PUT YOUR DUMB ASS SKILLS IN PERSPECTIVE. BE A LEGAL OR EGAL DUMB ASS. DON’T ILLEGAL WITH IT OR IEGAL. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR RESPECT, YOUR HARD-WON SKILLS, YOUR POSITIVE JOB REFERENCES, AND YOUR POSITIVE JOBS. DUMB-ASS IS AN AMAZING CULTURAL PHENOMENON. BUT DON’T MISTAKE IT FOR A LIFE SUSTAINABILITY. IT IS A LIABITY ALOT.
AIM FOR THE IDEAL, NOT THE DESTRUCTIVE, EXUAL, DEVOLVING, SCORED WAY OF LIFE. MATURE, ASCEND, PROGRESS WITH WHAT YOU SAY AND DO. MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FUTURE WITH YOUR WAY OF PROCEEDING. BE PURPOSEFUL, ENTHUSED, GRACIOUS + GRATEFUL FOR LIFE, LOVE, PEACE AND ADVENTURE.
Connor Murphy’s March 7 hit on Erik Cernak has sparked heavy frustrations between the Blackhawks and Lightning. | Getty
“If [Victor] Hedman finishes a hard check on Murph, I don’t think they’re going to love if we’ve got guys chasing him around the ice or expecting that he should take a five-minute [major] or risk breaking his hand on someone’s head,” a frustrated Colliton said Saturday morning.
Tensions between the Blackhawks and Lightning, largely stemming from Connor Murphy’s March 7 hit on Erik Cernak, have hit a boiling point this weekend.
Ahead of Saturday’s 3 p.m. game between the two division rivals, Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton emphatically denounced the Lightning’s behavior in Thursday’s game, when they frequently tried to incite Murphy into a fight.
“I don’t think he should have to be warding off challengers for the whole game because he’s finishing his checks,” Colliton said during his pregame press conference. “[Murphy] has no problem answering the bell. He probably would love to [fight]. But we’ve asked him not to, because he’s too important to our team. We need him on the ice. We’ve asked him to suck it up and make a team decision and just play, and he’s done that.”
Murphy received a match penalty and was ejected from that March 7 game — which was extremely chippy throughout — after the hit.
But the NHL did not suspend or fine him afterward, and Colliton said Saturday he believed the hit was actually legal.
“He went through [Cernak’s] chest,” Colliton said. “He hit him hard, but I don’t believe it was a dirty hit… I’m well-acquainted with headshots and obviously against them in any way. But at best it was glancing, incidental contact there. Obviously [Cernak] missed the rest of the game, but it wasn’t a head issue; otherwise he wouldn’t have played 20 minutes the next game against Detroit.”
Thursday’s matchup — a 4-2 Hawks loss — was the two teams’ first meeting since March 7, and the Lightning tried to take enforcement into their own hands.
Barclay Goodrow was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first minute of the game for trying to instigate a fight with Murphy. Other Lightning players were often seen jostling Murphy during stoppages later in the game.
“Goodrow came up to me and challenged me to fight,” Murphy said postgame Thursday. “I just said no to the fight and he wouldn’t get it go, so he got a penalty. There were times throughout the game guys are going to chirp and have some trash talk because they’re unhappy about the last game…and that’s just the way it went.”
Lightning coach Jon Cooper, after the game Thursday, conversely ripped Murphy for not accepting the “ramifications for what you do.”
“This is a tough game and tough players play it,” Cooper told reporters. “If you’re going to be physical, you’ve got to reap what you sow.”
Leading into Saturday’s rematch, Cooper’s comments and his players’ actions have struck a chord with Colliton and the Hawks.
Growing frustration with other teams was always inevitable given the NHL’s scheduling format this year, and the Hawks and Lightning will be playing their fifth game against each other in a two-week span. (They have just one remaining meeting this season: April 27 in Chicago.)
But this level of outward distrust and anger between two teams, especially before a game even starts, has rarely been seen around the league in 2021.
Colliton declined to disclose the Hawks’ lineup Saturday morning — the third consecutive game day against the Lightning in which he has kept it secret. Then he named Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman in an example pointing out what he perceives as the hypocrisy of goading Murphy.
“They’ve got some guys who play a hard game, a physical game,” he said. “If Hedman finishes a hard check on ‘Murph,’ I don’t think they’re going to love if we’ve got guys chasing him around the ice or expecting that he should take a five-minute [major] or risk breaking his hand on someone’s head.”
Sister Jean, pictured in 2019. | Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
Loyola’s beloved ambassador hasn’t finished her full scouting report yet, but she has her Ramblers beating the top ranked Illinois squad and making it to the Elite Eight.
After being cooped up in her downtown apartment for more than a year, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt was able to attend her first basketball game of the season on Friday.
And what it game it was.
With Loyola back in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years, Sister Jean, accompanied by her right-hand man Tom Hitcho and a caregiver, got to watch her beloved Ramblers back in action in March from the stands at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
On Saturday, the team’s beloved ambassador described the opening minutes of eighth-seeded Loyola’s first-round matchup against ninth-seeded Georgia Tech as “nerve-wracking,” especially when Loyola fell into a 13-3 hole early. But the Ramblers were able to regroup and ultimately beat the Yellow Jackets 71-60 in what ended up being a “spectacular game” by Sister Jean’s standards.
“We have such a passion for the game,” Sister Jean said. “They did so well [Friday], we weren’t sure about it, but we always felt we could do it. And it’s like a little engine that could — you just keep puffing along and get relaxed.”
Next up: Top-seeded Illinois on Sunday.
The last time the in-state neighbors met in the NCAA Tournament, John F. Kennedy was president and Sister Jean was working at Mundelein College.
She doesn’t remember much of that 1963 game, but she does vividly recall the Ramblers winning the national title that year.
“As soon as we won, all the male students from Loyola… walked down Sheridan Road … even though it was midnight, and were yelling ‘We won! We won! We won!’” she said.
Loyola coach Porter Moser and his squad have their work cut out for them this weekend. Sister Jean said she believes Loyola’s love for the game and a little prayer could help the Ramblers as they prepare to go up against one of the best teams in the country.
She said she hasn’t completed her full scouting report on the Illini yet, though she’s already started laying the foundation by watching a little film and pulling boxscores. She believes Loyola has a fighting chance given how Ohio State almost beat Illinois in the Big Ten Championship game earlier this month.
But that was all the intel Sister Jean would release ahead of the second-round matchup.
“For the rest of my information on Illinois, we might have somebody sitting in this group from there, and I don’t want to tell him my secret,” she said.
In the meantime, Sister Jean did give her prediction for the game. It’ll be a hard-fought battle, but she has Loyola edging out Illinois and heading as far as the Elite Eight.
“I believe, again, that we can do it,” Sister Jean said. “So we’ll try. We’ll try our best, and we’ll do our best.”
Eagle County sheriffs found 21 pounds of meth, oxycodone pills and cash along with baseball gloves and cleats in Camargo’s vehicle.
MESA, Ariz – Cubs prospect Jesus Camargo was arrested on Wednesday in Eagle, Colorado after deputies found 21 pounds of meth and oxycodone pills in his duffel bag. Camargo, who was held on $75,000 bond, faces four felony possession and distribution charges.
According to reports, local authorities pulled Camargo over for speeding and drifting in and out of lanes. Upon K-9 units searching the vehicle, Eagle County sheriffs found the meth, oxycodone pills and cash in a Cubs duffel bag, as well as baseball gloves and cleats.
“We are aware of the arrest of one of our Minor League players,” Cubs SVP of communications Julian Green told the Sun-Times in a statement. “We are investigating this matter and cannot provide additional comment until we have further details.”
Camargo, 25, signed with the Cubs as an international free agent out of Sinaloa, Mexico in 2014. He pitched for Class A-Advanced Myrtle Beach in 2019.
Marisnick skills on display in first week of games
Outfielder Jake Marisnick’s Cubs debut this spring was delayed after being slowed by a right calf injury. But after his first week of game action, he’s already showing why the Cubs wanted to add him to their outfield mix.
Marisnick, who is considered one of the game’s best defensive outfielders, has already been making plays with the glove and the bat and his early results have already gotten the attention of his manager.
“It’s an easy run out there [in the outfield],” Ross said. “It’s one of those sneaky [runs], it doesn’t look like he’s moving very fast. But he’s just covering a ton of ground. He just runs the ball down with ease. … It’s good. The arm is good. He’s swung the bat well, so it’s been nice to have him back and healthy.
“It looks like a group that enjoys playing the game and that’s kind of the vibe I’ve gotten early,” Marisnick said. “I’m really happy to be here right now, to be honest with you just kind of interacting with these guys and seeing the group that’s in that clubhouse. It’s unbelievable.”
The 29-year-old outfielder signed a one-year deal this offseason and has a career .229/.281/.385 slash line with 56 homers and 72 stolen bases.
Wick throws off the mound
Right-hander Rowan Wick threw off the mound for the first time this spring after suffering an intercostal injury earlier this spring. Wick threw 10 pitches during his bullpen as his throwing progression ramps up. The 28-year-old right-hander reached 105 feet playing long toss last week.
“Rowan Wick is in a really good spot,” Ross said. “He’s itching to do more. [We’re] trying to navigate a good plan for him. He’s feeling really good, but as good as he’s feeling which is always great news, with all the time off we’re trying to build him back up in the right capacity. The trainers and the pitching guys are on top of that, but things are going really well for him.”
SWAT teams and a police officer talk at an active shooter scene near 207 N. La Crosse Ave. in the South Austin neighborhood on Saturday. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The wounded officer was hit in the hand and another was hospitalized for “minor distress,” officials said.
A Chicago police SWAT team arrested a gunman suspected of shooting a police officer Saturday afternoon in Austin on the West Side — the third department member wounded in a week.
Officers were investigating reports of gunfire about 11:25 a.m. near La Crosse and Maypole avenues when someone fired shots at them, according to Chicago police.
When more units arrived to search for the shooter, the gunman fired again, striking an officer on the hand, police said.
She was taken in a squad car to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said. Her wound was not considered life-threatening.
Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesAuthorities investigate after a Chicago police officer was shot Saturday on the West Side.
Officers returned fire but did not hit the suspected gunman, who then holed up inside a building in the 200 block of North La Crosse Avenue, police said.
A SWAT team was called to the scene and the suspected gunman was taken into custody by 2:20 p.m., according to CPD spokesman Tom Ahern.
The suspect surrendered himself, according to Chicago Police Supt. David Brown. A gun was recovered at the scene, police said.
Another officer was hospitalized for “minor distress,” according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
Before the arrest, dozens of squad cars and seven firetrucks blocked off the area as officers could be seen escorting two people away from the scene in handcuffs. Brown later described them as possible witnesses who were being questioned.
Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesPolice put two people in custody after a West Side shooting left an officer wounded Saturday.
The officer who was shot is the third from the police department to suffer a gunshot wound in a week. Brown said she was in “good spirits” but still experiencing a lot of pain.
On Monday, an off-duty officer was ambushed by two gunmen at a red light in Calumet Heights on the South Side. And last Sunday, an on-duty Chicago police sergeant was shot while standing in the parking lot of the Gresham District police station, 7808 S. Halsted St.
Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesPolice officers stand near an active shooter scene near 207 N. La Crosse Ave. on Saturday.
Here’s the latest news on how COVID-19 is impacting Chicago and Illinois. Follow here for live updates.
Latest
120K more COVID-19 shots given in Illinois as positivity rate ticks up again
Public health officials on Saturday reported another six-figure vaccination day for Illinois, but 1,962 more people tested positive for COVID-19 to raise the statewide infection rate to its highest point in almost a month.
The new cases were diagnosed among 77,661 tests, raising the average positivity rate over the past week to 2.6%. Experts use that number to gauge how rapidly the virus is spreading.
It hit an all-time low of 2.1% last weekend but has now increased for four consecutive days. As infections have declined dramatically statewide since the start of the year, the positivity rate hadn’t hit 2.6% since Feb. 25.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 25 more coronavirus deaths, including that of a Cook County woman in her 30s.
The number of hospitalized patients increased slightly as well to 1,179, but that’s still near a record low.
3:00 p.m. City snuffs out smokers, says they won’t have priority for vaccine
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Being a regular visitor to Flavor Country might get you to the front of the line for a COVID-19 shot in most of Illinois and beyond, but not in Chicago.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised eyebrows when it included smokers on the list of people who should be prioritized for vaccination because of increased vulnerability to the coronavirus due to underlying health conditions.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker followed suit when he expanded the state’s pool of eligible vaccine recipients last month. So did officials in suburban Cook County, which will start inoculating people 16 and older with chronic conditions beginning Monday.
But Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady have snuffed out eligibility for smokers when registration opens to more residents with the city’s launch of vaccination Phase 1C on March 29.
“In this interim period where we just have very limited vaccine, we’re using the state’s 1B+ guidance, but we did not include smokers in that,” Arwady said during an online Q&A last week.
2:12 p.m. Loretto exec prays for redemption after COVID vaccine mess
The chief executive of The Loretto Hospital posted a prayer on Facebook asking for the Lord’s forgiveness on the same day he and the officer who orchestrated the Trump Tower COVID-19 vaccinations were reprimanded by the West Side institution’s board.
“Have mercy on me O God,” George Miller wrote on Facebook. “Forgive me for going my own way and not aligning my life with Your perfect will. I confess that I have been misguided by my own self-serving purposes and have lost sight of Your face.”
The prayer, posted Friday morning, preceded a statement later in the day from Loretto’s board that announced an undisclosed action against the CEO and another top officer after a week of disclosures about the hospital’s vaccinations of ineligible people. Miller couldn’t be reached for comment.
“We are disappointed by the revelations of the past week,” the board said in a statement. “We have taken appropriate actions of reprimand against Loretto’s President/CEO George Miller and [Chief Operating Officer] Anosh Ahmed, MD, for their roles in mistakes of judgment made.”
9:17 a.m. Cook County to prioritize vaccinations in 32 suburbs
Cook County health officials will prioritize coronavirus vaccine appointments in more than two dozen of the hardest-hit suburbs to ensure equal access to the life-saving shots.
The 32 suburbs given high priority for shots were predominantly communities of color in the west and south suburbs, the Cook County Department of Public Health announced Friday.
The department used two risk-factor indexes to identify the municipalities most adversely impacted by COVID-19. Those indexes — the COVID-19 Vulnerability Index and Social Vulnerability Index — considered factors including socioeconomic, household composition and disability, minority status and language.
Public health officials on Friday announced 135,525 more COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered statewide.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 2,380 new cases of the disease were diagnosed among 92,161 tests.
Analysis & Commentary
9:20 a.m. Loretto Hospital leaders deserve more than a ‘harsh reprimand’ for misuse of COVID shots
I was pleasantly surprised when Loretto Hospital, a small hospital in Austin, was chosen to kick off the city’s campaign to get Chicagoans vaccinated against the deadly COVID-19 virus.
The city’s honor did two things:
It pushed the issue of health care disparities from handwringing to action.
And it elevated the profile of a community hospital that desperately needed its own shot in the arm.
Sandwiched between the massive Loyola University Medical Center in nearby Maywood and the sprawling medical district to the east, Loretto has struggled to be recognized as a credible provider of care in an area that desperately needs access to quality health care.
Hospitals like Loretto have suffered because too often community residents with financial resources and good insurance choose to go elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the goings-on since those first shots of the Pfizer vaccine went to Loretto’s hospital workers are shocking. Instead of focusing on the Austin community, where there is no shortage of people waiting to be vaccinated, the vaccine also was given to workers at Trump Tower’s posh hotel and apartments — where Loretto’s chief operating officer, Dr. Anosh Ahmed, owns a unit.
People wait outside to receive COVID-19 vaccinations last month at Roberto Clemente Community Academy, 1147 N. Western Ave. About 13.6% of the Illinois population has been vaccinated. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
City officials announced 1 million shots have now been given out at Chicago sites. About 1.7 million residents have been fully vaccinated statewide so far, about 13.6% of the population.
Public health officials on Saturday reported another six-figure vaccination day for Illinois, but 1,962 more people tested positive for COVID-19 to raise the statewide infection rate to its highest point in almost a month.
The new cases were diagnosed among 77,661 tests, raising the average positivity rate over the past week to 2.6%. Experts use that number to gauge how rapidly the virus is spreading.
It hit an all-time low of 2.1% last weekend but has now increased for four consecutive days. As infections have declined dramatically statewide since the start of the year, the positivity rate hadn’t hit 2.6% since Feb. 25.
New COVID-19 cases by day
Graphic by Jesse Howe and Caroline Hurley | Sun-Times
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported 25 more coronavirus deaths, including that of a Cook County woman in her 30s.
The number of hospitalized patients increased slightly as well to 1,179, but that’s still near a record low.
Over the past year, more than 1.2 million Illinoisans have contracted COVID-19, including 21,059 who have died.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week “the end seems truly to be in sight,” but warned that residents need to be vigilant with the virus still cycling through communities as a massive vaccination campaign continues.
COVID-19 vaccine doses administered by day
Graphic by Jesse Howe and Caroline Hurley | Sun-Times
A total of 120,426 shots went into arms statewide Friday, marking the state’s sixth-best vaccination day yet. On average, 98,165 residents have been inoculated each day over the past week.
City officials on Saturday announced more than 1 million shots have now administered at sites across Chicago. About 4.6 million shots have been doled out in all of Illinois, with 1.7 million residents considered fully vaccinated — just 13.6% of the population.
Providers in suburban Cook County will begin vaccinating people 16 and up with chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes on Monday. City officials will expand eligibility in Chicago March 29.
Pritzker has said he’ll open eligibility to anyone over 16 on April 12, while the state could begin gradually loosening more business restrictions by May.
In a recent column, John Kass of the Tribune asks a question that is very much on the minds of lots of people these days including some cops themselves. “WHO WOULD WANT TO BE A COP IN CHICAGO.” What type of individual runs toward gunfire when everyone else is fleeing for their lives, what type of person wants to constantly deal with suffering, injustice, and cruelty, and who wants to hear the sobbing and grieving of victims and loved ones, and who wants to be around gangsters, killers and sociopaths, and have to make split-second life and death decisions that sometimes take investigative agencies weeks and even months to decide if it was the right one.
What type of individual wants to be judged by incidents perpetrated by others in the profession that are sometimes hundreds of miles away, across America. Indeed these are some of the questions that almost all of us who work or have worked in law enforcement ask ourselves over the course of one’s career.
In America today there are an estimated 800,000 law enforcement officers in some 18,000 states, county, city, and federal agencies. So my answer to John is lots of folks want to be cops. For 99% of the profession, it is a call to service. I’m not just speaking of my 33-year career in the Chicago Police Department. It was what I observed in my fellow brother and sisters over the years. That dedicated service costs countless lives and horrific injuries while serving and protecting their fellow man. Nothing is more despicable to good cops than a bad cop, whether it be corruption, brutality, or unprofessional behavior, it hurts all of us.
The last few years no doubt have been an exasperating time for many law enforcement officers, most especially in Chicago. This year alone 15 officers have come under gunfire with 3 wounded in the last 7 days, and 11 officers have committed suicide since 2018. Sometimes it’s not the visible wounds that are a cop’s enemy. It’s the day after day of dealing with the stress and strain of poverty, neglect, and violence that slowly takes its toll on the human psyche. Since the advent of body cameras in my opinion the number of times that cops get it right is probably 98% of the time. However, from time to time since cops come from the human race there will always be some failure, corruption, and unacceptable behavior. Good cops have to live with that and that is how it should be — a constant drive to get better.
At times I get to thinking that police reform is human reform — better cops mean better service to the community. Criticism of cops in America today is not a war on cops as some people have suggested we do get that. It is a demand that we do it better and with the best people possible. We understand scrutiny, we understand the criticism, we even sometimes understand the political motives of people who use our flaws to pass judgment on an entire profession.
The answer to John Kass’s question, “WHO WANTS TO BE A COP” is the same as it’s always been which is that inner drive to serve and protect by good, well-meaning, and decent people who are thrust into an arena that sometimes is overwhelming. If we think about our lives and why we do things, I think one of the best sayings that fit Cops and others who dedicate their lives to service is this simple saying lost to history.”ONE OF THE GREATEST EVILS IN THE WORLD IS NON INVOLVEMENT.” POLICE WORK MAKES DEMANDS BEYOND THE ORDINARY, CERTAIN COMMITMENTS HAVE TO BE ACCEPTED, ALONG WITH THE REWARDS.” WHAT IS NOT LOST TO HISTORY IS EDMUNDS BURKS WORDS–: “HE THAT WRESTLES WITH US STRENGTHENS OUR NERVES AND SHARPENS OUR SKILL. OUR ANTOGNIST IS OUR HELPER.”
Bob Angone is a Marine VETERAN and a retired Chicago Police Lieutenant. He worked his entire Career covering the streets of Chicago as a Tactical Officer, Tactical Sergeant, and Tactical Lieutenant. His last assignments were in special Functions, he was the C/O of the CPD Swat teams his last five years and was an HBT (Hostage Barricade Terrorist) Sergeant for 10 years.
The Middle Kids dropped their long-awaited sophomore album this week, Today We’re The Greatest and, because of all the EP’s released in between, there’s been no slump. Hannah Joy and Company offer another batch of pop-and-rock-goodness, just in time for Spring.
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A nice little surprise in this week’s Release Radar is the return of De Lux and their new single, “On and On (Till The End of Us).” It’s one part New Order and one part LCD Soundsystem.
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The biggest surprise this week though belongs to Cypress Hill and their new single “Champion Sound.” They sound incredible like they never lost a step on this new gem that gamers might recognize from MLB ’21.
Another cool announcement by the Cypress crew is a pre-order for the 30th Anniversary of their legendary self-titled release on green vinyl with a graphic novel. Take a look at this pic below and tell me you wouldn’t buy it if you had an extra $100 lying around?
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it looks like Sting is releasing a Duets album, and this week he tweaks an original, turning it into an “Englishmen/African In New York.” Adding a slight reggae vibe behind artist Shirazee, it’s interesting, to say the least. I still like the original more, but the refresh is fun.
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I’ve mentioned how much Teenage Fanclub has changed over the years, sounding grown, and for good reason. These days they are more The Byrds, than the rockers who wrote “Starsign.” “The Sun Won’t Shine On Me” is a breezy slice of Spring.
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One of the most original tracks this week comes from Sir Sly. it feels a bit hiphop at first, before turning on its heels into an angry rocker. This is the Kid’s Playlist pick of the week.
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Finally, your Jazz Cut Of The Week is by Throttle Elevator Music, called “Ice Windows.” Featuring Kamasi Washington, this group blurs the lines of punk and jazz and can be at times, more of a challenging jazz listen. But nevertheless, one you should check out.
Grammys are overrated! If you don’t believe me, check out Henry Mancini. Seventy-two Grammy nominations with twenty wins. Nothing against Hank but if you’ve won more awards than The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin and every other rock legend, then either the awards or way overrated or I’m missing something….probably both.
However, when we look at the Grammy category Album of the Year, overrated is far from a word I would use to call the winners. Until last Sunday, there have been only three artists to win this award three times…..Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. They’re all legends in the world of music. So when Taylor Swift joined them with her third Album of the Year award, I thought maybe I should dig a little deeper into her musical catalog.
What’s a better place to start than her latest winning album, “Folklore.”
The Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t play favorites; so like the rest of us, Taylor put her plans for 2020 on hold. Her plans for last year were a little more intense than the rest of us. She had planned a concert tour to support her latest album, “Lover.” But since playing live shows became impossible, she put her time into doing what a lot of musicians did last year, make an unplanned new album. Hence, “Folklore.”
Man, she did it big-time. “Folklore” is sixteen songs that has a running time of more than one hour. Yes, it’s an investment of your time, but it’s worth it. I’ve seen reviews where the music is described as grunge, folk or alternative and it may be some of all of them, but the best description is it’s an hour of lovely songs.
It’s a very sparse album, you’ll hear a lot of tunes with only piano and guitar. The lyrics are said not be autobiographical, but knowing her history of songwriting, c’mon. If that’s true, that’s quite an imagination that girl has going on!
“Folklore” is an album that you can picture Taylor Swift playing in its entirety in a small venue. Maybe that will happen in a decade a two, when she’s done filling huge arenas and stadiums. I know I would certainly pay money to hear that. You should too.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
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