I you have got such a nice cousin like I have got, you can praise yourself lucky! He sent me the most valuable item I can think of, the family violin af my Albracht-family. Don't resent me the name, dear cousin, I used it in the originally German version.
Dr. Kenneth Albrecht from Erie
Kenneth and his sister Grace
Erie Highschool Orchestra
Kenneth plays the sax; picture taken in the Todd Studios, St. Louis
The violin is from Kenneth Albrecht (in the center with sax). Kenneth and his sister Grace were grandchildren of Louis Albracht about whom I just posted on my blog. His father was Frederick Albracht, who was a master plumber in Erie. The family went to St. Louis in the 1920ies, were the family owned a music studio. He later came back to Erie. Dr. Kenneth Albrecht, his son, played in several orchestras of the roaring St. Louis during the 20ies and 30ies. He also played on several records and made some film music for Hollywood. His sister Grace wa a singer in New York City.
These are early recordings of 1928, where Dr. Kenneth Albrecht plays the clarinette in Wylie's orchestra.
Ken Albrecht with band on a show boat, St. Louis
Kenneth died young at the age of 46. He had a car accident in Michigan, Ann Arbor. This was in 1950. The newspapers reported about this tragic accident.
His grave at Calvary Cemetery, Erie
He is not forgotten. I left a virtual bunch of flowers at his grave a few days ago, because I found a memorial of him in the internet. And once I will be able to lay real flowers down on his grave, I'm sure.
RIP, Kenneth.
Yesterday was the big day I held his violin in my hands for the very first timeand couldn't believe this. After I fetched it from Kassel, where it arrived, I put it reverential on the drawer in our present living room and I was very, very touched. Here it is, a present of unmeasurable affection value. I am speechless about the fact that I was found worthy to own it. Thank you, dearest cousin, simply thank you, that you gave me such heirloom of your father.
Let me hug you, dear cousin. I don't know how I can ever thank you for a present like this.
I'm just home from work. It's late afternoon, but the beginning of two wonderful weeks of holidays. I threw my bag into the next corner, decided not to paint a door in the house or something like that. I prepared a wonderful cup of coffee and now I am sitting at my desk, looking outside, where the cold sun shines brightly, and listen to my favorite Blues guitarrist John Campbell how he is doing the Grievance Blues, a Lightnin' Hopkins tune.
The next days I am going to write more about John Campbell, because I am afraid that most of you don't know this awesome musician.
His music accompanies me day after day when I am on my way to work. It comforted me during the darkest times in my life. It dried my tears when I was in desparation. It always gave me deep peace, comfort and confidence. I must confess that I "got the Blues" since I once listened to Mahalia Jackson when I was six years old. I didn't understand the words and their meaning, but I understood the feelings the music expressed. From that time on I was mesmerized by Gospel, Blues and Jazz, but most of all I love the Blues. And most of all Bluesmen I love John Campbell with his unique and deep voice.
Sit down, have a cup of coffee, too. And relish the music!
Amy Winehouse. - I love her voice and her autobiographical songs. She is blessed with a voice which is totally unique and she is blessed with a talent which can’t be bigger.
This is Amy with "Love is a losing Game" at the Mercury Prize...simply awesome!
...and this 2 days ago, drugged up. And this was not one of her worst concerts. Portugal was much worse than this.
It is so sad to see how she takes drugs. We may forget that she’s only 24, much too young for all the pressure in this cruel music business with media only waiting for opportunities showing her how she struggles, how the has taken drugs, how..., how... And she might be a bit naive, because her house doesn’t have any cameras or security guards or is simply fenced in. Paparazzi are always waiting at her house. She often comes out giving autographs or serving some coffee or ice pops to her fans. And the paparazzi take pictures which show her in a compromising way. You can be sure, that they choose among all pictures this one, where she looked weird on it, not these who show her just normal. Of course she has crashes in the public, she sings drugged up or drunken and sings with a slur or she is staggering, seems to be without orientation. But the media doesn’t see the woman but only the way making quick money and getting high rates. A picture of Amy, which shows her drugged up, is sold for about 150000 Euros. They hunt her like game not hesitating to bag her. So the media are also working on her destruction.
She is so talented. Her songs are all written by herself and all autobiographical. Just read the lyrics and you know why she takes drugs, why she can’t cope with her life, why she is destroying herself: She is always deeply longing for love, a woman, who is deeply insure of herself, who has lost her confidence because she was disappointed so many times, a woman who loves excessively, deeply and loves the wrong man and has the wrong friends, who only use her trust and put compromising videos on Youtube. Look what her hubby blake has done to her. He seems to have an extremely bad influence on Amy. Please Amy, turn out Blake!
I badly hope that she will wake up and turn out all her false friends like Pete Doherty, that she will have the strong wish to live and that this amazing voice will not become silent. If she does not change her life she will die before she is 30.
Watch this documentation about the story of her life:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDZH-J7YjJg&feature=related
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E68x60hV7lI&feature=related
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXg8ZZSaQtc&feature=related
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmtt1stQ7R4&feature=related
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyLjD4wHoxA
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Pictures: Creative Commons License; found out the little joke?
Yesterday the postman brought a new CD I bought a few days ago: “Diary of a Bad Housewife” by Galea, produced by Popa Chubby. My suggestion for you! Perhaps I will find a little time this evening to listen to Marie Galea’s music.
When I looked at the envelope in which the CD was sent to me, I was amused, because the stamp on it shows Brooklyn Bridge. The German stamp shows the famous bridge, because it was constructed by Johann August Roebling, an engineer of German origin. I already posted about him a few months ago. I smiled, because Popa and Galea are living in Brooklyn. Which other stamp would have matched better to the content of the envelope than this one!?
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Pictures: Taken by Georgia; all rights reserved
He is already 63 and when you see him he reminds you a bit to perhaps a friendly grandfather, but when he opens his mouth to sing, his voice easily fills a complete hall and you stand simply there listening to his music being fascinated more and more every minute. Every tune is worth to be heard: Mitch Ryder!
If you are fed up with all this plastic-pop, beautiful Barbie-people and aerobic on the stage: Mitch Ryder!
If you want to listen to a real artist and musician who beyond that entertains his audience with a lot of really wise, sometimes a bit cynical, but always kind statements of his life-experience: Mitch Ryder!
Also his German band Engerling is worth to hear. They play a very powerful Rock and Blues. Simply Wonderful!
Yes, I'm a big fan! Mitch is like old wine: He is growing better and better over the years. Listen and watch yourself:
And this one is one of my absolutely favorite, favorite songs:
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