Barbra Streisand

OK, I admit to being a really big Barbra Streisand fan back in the 60s and 70s. I was bowled over by her talent. I'd never heard anyone sing with that sort of passion and take-no-prisoners attitude. At university, my friend Eleanor and I spent hours listening to the Broadway version of Funny Girl and those other early albums.

But as her career progressed, I found myself less and less taken with what she was doing in movies and in her music making. Her singing seemed to calculated and self-conscious. At least to me.

A few weeks ago I was in a record store (one of the few that still exists, I guess) and came across her latest disc. It's a whole disc of songs with lyrics by her old pals Alan and Marilyn Bergmann. And I find myself liking it. First of all, it's got gorgeous, sumptuous arrangements of some pretty fine tunes. (Who can afford to pay all those violinists anymore?) And Streisand's singing seems to have lost that affectation and self-consciousness that has bothered me sometimes over the years. There's a wonderful version of "So Many Stars" a bossa nova tune by Jobim that's just lovely and I really liked "Nice n Easy". Who can resist that lush string orchestra? There's even a harp.

Olympic Mountains

Olympic Mountains, originally uploaded by canoe too.

One of the many pleasures of living in Victoria, British Columbia is the views of Washington State and the Olympic Mountains to the south. Often, especially during the winter, the views are obscurred by fog and heavy, low lying cloud. But around the this time of year, a walk to the Dallas Road area is rewarded with views like this.

Bikes and the Blue Bridge

The city of Victoria has a beautiful natural harbour. At a narrow gap, there are two bridges crossing the harbour to Vic West and the city of Esquimalt. (You'd never know you were in a separate city but that's a story for another post.)

These two bridges are side by side. One is for vehicles and pedestrians and the other is a rail bridge that also has a path for bicycles and pedestrians. A short while ago the city decided that the rail bridge was unsafe for the single car passenger train that used the bridge a couple of times a day. At the same time they decided it was no longer safe for bicycles and pedestrians.

I find it fascinating that within a few days a bridge can go from being able to support a many ton train to being unsafe for a few pounds of pedestrians and cyclists. But that's what's happened. I'm sure the bridge IS unsafe. However, it seems a bit over the top to restrict commuter use by cyclists and folk on foot. Couldn't city engineers have checked the bridge every few days to make certain it wasn't about to fall into the harbour suddenly?

And so the rail bridge sits in its fully raised position until it's torn down sometime in 2012 to make way for a new bridge that won't include rail.

Joaquin (Joaco) Teran - Slow Down

A video from the talented guy noted below.

Busker from Argenina

Busker from Argenina, originally uploaded by canoe too.

Accordion and Piano, you say

A whole album of music for accordion and piano. A bit of a tough sell I suppose. And I wasn't sure that it could be taken all in one sitting. But this collection of pieces by the comtemporary Italian composer Nicola Campogrande is a delight. There's plenty of variety among the pieces—various dance like pieces often with a latin feel—that it never becomes tiresome. The two performers play with great musicality. Another great find (for me) at emusic.

Dog Goggles

dog goggles, originally uploaded by fuffer.

This couldn't be more true. I meet many people when I'm out with the dog who know HIS name but I'm sure don't know mine.

 

Earlier this week I watched the 80th birthday celebration for Stephen Sonheim. It was a concert with the New York Philharmonic and a who's who of broadway stars that took place last March and was broadcast earlier this month.

There were some marvellous performances. Perhaps the highlight of the concert was the set with Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, Audra MacDonald, Marin Mazzi, Donna Murphy and Elaine Stritch. All six sat on stage while the others performed classic Sondheim songs. It was interesting to watch their apparent enjoyment of their colleagues' work.

I have not always been a great fan of Patti Lupone but her performance of The Ladies Who Lunch was stunning. And Donna Murphy aced Leave You starting quietly still seated and gradually increasing the intensity until the last word when a single strand of hair came loose and fell over her face. Every time I see her perform I wonder how Audra MacDonald can bear acting on that insipid soap opera of a TV show The Practice (I suppose it pays very well). She is a marvel and sang the complicated The Glamourous Life from A Little Night Music flawlessly. When I first saw 85 year old Elaine Stritch I was a bit alarmed at how frail she looked (we're all getting older). But when she sang I'm Still Here she seemed to summon reserves of strength and it was clear that her ability to put a song across, even if mostly spoken, was still there.

But one of the great pleasures for me was discovering baritone Nathan Gunn. Having googled him I see that he has a long list of opera credits. He has a beautiful voice with perfect enunciation. It doesn't hurt that he's quite handsome.

All this Sondheim brought back a swath of memories of 1970's Toronto where I discovered this music for the first time. My friends and I were mad about these scores eagerly awaiting each new Sondheim recording and buying the music scores for singing around the piano.

November Snow (2010)

November Snow (2010), originally uploaded by canoe too.

Last winter we barely had so much as a snow flurry. Certainly there was never any snow gathered on the ground. Not so this year. Frigid temperatures and snow in the air this morning. Of course, nothing compared to the very frigid temperatures and snowbanks in other parts of the country.

The 'Blue' Bridge

The 'Blue' Bridge, originally uploaded by canoe too.

This Saturday the citizens of Victoria vote on whether or not the city should borrow almost $50 million to replace this bridge. It's in need of repair or replacement as it has been neglected and the current bridge will likely fall into the harbour if there is a serious earthquake.

However, a lot of people think the bridge has historic value and should be refurbished for what would likely be considerably less cost. Frankly, I think the bridge is a bit of an eyesore. Not everything old is worth saving no matter how much affection you may have for the old thing. It's the bridge renovation supporters who are likely to be the ones to get out the 'no' vote on Saturday.

I would like to vote 'no' but not because I'd like to see the old bridge retained. This part of Vancouver Island has the most bizarre municipal govenment structure. There are over a dozen small communities in the area each with their own mayor and council. But since this bridge is in Victoria, it's assumed that it's Victoria's problem. Victoria, population-wise, is really just a big town. Why it alone is responsible for an infrastructure project that will cost clost to $100 million is a question I've yet to see answered.

I'm sure that if this bridge were to be closed because it becomes unsafe that more non-Victorians than not are going to be inconvenienced. I would like to hear what the other communities would say if the idea of putting tolls on the bridge was considered ... at least until it's paid for. It's fairly easy to do from a technological point these days. Citizens of Victoria would, of course, use the bridge without paying a toll.

It will be very interesting to see how the vote goes on Saturday.

Rough Waters

Wild wind last night. Still breezy this morning. Confused waters down by Dallas Road.

What Every Sofa Needs

, originally uploaded by willem7^2.

Back in the 70s, I spent a lot of time in love with the music of Broadway. This was in the heydays of Stephen Sondheim musicals like Follies and Company. Then Broadway musicals (at least the kind with music I like) got replaced by the mega-musicals. And gradually my interest lagged.

Then along comes this album with Michael Feinstein and Cheyenne Jackson and these songs seem fresh again.

I'd always liked Michael Feinstein but found his singing somewhat precious at times. Maybe it's because he's now 'out' or maybe it's the influence of his collaborator, Mr. Jackson, but I've never enjoyed his singing more. And Cheyenne Jackson (lately featured on 30 Rock) can match him note for note.

Their duets are terrific and they each get some great solo songs. I think my favourite is Michael Jackson singing "Old Friend". It's a song from an off-Broadway show from the 70s called "I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road" by Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer. I loved this show and now all these many years later this song has a special resonance for me.

And there's something happening here that I couldn't have imagined in my early coming out days back in the mid-70s ... two men singing together about their love for one another. There's no fudging the lyrics here. When Cheyenne Jackson sings Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me", he sings "... won't you tell him please to put on some speed".

Spring - Vivaldi's Four Seasons

This would be great fun to play.

Windy Days

The wind just keeps blowing and blowing. It's pretty much been windy since I returned with my new canoe (see below). The wind is exhausting to be out in ... I came close to getting an 'ice cream headache' when I walked the dog this morning even though I was wearing a hat.

I'm sure that the windy weather has nothing to do with me getting this canoe but since I brought it home I've only had a chance to get it on the water twice because of the wind. (Lack of wind is good in a canoe.)

New Canoe

Last week the dog and I traveled to southern Washington State to pick up the canoe shown atop Helmut, our trusty (mostly) Westfalia campervan.

I'd discovered the canoe for sale on craigslist (in Portland) and a short roadtrip seemed like a good idea to pick up a canoe that appeared to be in such great condition.

I'd been looking for a new, lighter canoe and had found a couple made by companies in Ontario that looked as if they might fit the bill. However, shipping added on to the cost of the canoe meant I was looking at $3,000 to get the canoe to Victoria. This canoe (Prism) by Wenonah had all the specification I was looking for at a third of the price. The canoe is in very good condition and my first two paddles have been quite satisfying.

Simply Sublime

Impressions of Chopin

A wonderful piano album that I recently downloaded from Emusic ... not jazz, not classical. Still respectful takes on over a dozen piano pieces by Chopin. Inventive and witty and he gets some amazing sounds from his piano. The pianist's website is at:

Here

The music is great but I hope they didn't pay too much for that terrible album cover.

Grouchy ...

grouchy, originally uploaded by flyzipper.

Ok, sometimes I can be a bit cranky. Friends have teased me about it but I've only just come to realize that some people take it quite seriously and find it off-putting. Sometimes I just can't help myself. Some of my pet peeves can send me off into a rant without much provocation.

On the other hand, last week a columnist in the Globe and Mail wrote about a study that had been done that said that grouchy people are often smarter than those who see the world through rose coloured glasses. They question more ... want to know the why of things ... and, unfortunately, I guess, those qualities can make them a bit more cantankerous.

More Matt Alber

Another song from the talented (and adorable) Matt Alber.