The good old days
Today at the library (CPL Sulzer branch) there was a small seminar on Gershwin brothers. The speaker was a Purdue professor specialized in information, and apparently Gershwin's golden age was her hobby.
A few video clips were played, featuring Gershwin's music. One of them was a dancing piece of Rhapsody in Blue, where the stage looked like the Emerald City of Oz. Everything on stage was so cool and humid - the actors apparently tried to be funny.
I wanted to tell the speaker that Mr. Reggio also played similar pieces in his History of Tap programs. That annual event was fun to watch, tap is much more fun, and the history covered is longer - has to divide to two sessions and still cannot play them all. The black faced players were impressive, so are the variety shows, acrobatic shows, etc.
It is easy to bring up memory of the old times in Chicago. Or in New York. Or generally Jazz. Yesterday's news, Tony Bennett passed away, he was 96. I think most songs I heard was on PBS, he and Lady Gaga sang beautifully in that program. Unfortunately PBS only provides short previews for Great Performances S42E2 now. On Paramount+ there is "One Last Time", somehow not very satisfactory (after all he is that old.)
I kind of wonder how many songs were "original" sung by Tony Bennett. By singing Jazz, lots of vocal and band interactions are creations of the occasion. The author of the music or lyrics is as important or less than the interpretations. Is it? So the "Original" is in the sense that the song becomes famous by the first singer, because that interpretation gives the song its life. And such songs with every singers giving it a new life, it becomes so rich. Then which songs are like that?
After the tap class, at the old town school of folk music, I came across a classical guitar conversation between a guitar teacher and the familiar volunteer friend. In the hallway outside the Maurer hall, the teacher showed 5-6 Bach pieces; for one song, played lower and higher sounds separately, and combined, and said "every notes had a purpose"; and then showed some a simple motif that started a fugue. I appreciate the clear short introductions to the beauty of Bach. And I so much appreciate that I live in Chicago, a great city where you can find those beautiful music and history and feel the love to them easily.
So much for good old days.