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Feb. 14th, 2009
The President on science:
Thursday evening I went to a program sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Branch Library (my local branch). We went to Special Collections at the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library to see three exhibits they have up: "Our Lincoln: Bicentennial Icons from the Barton Collection of Lincolniana", "Integrating the Life of the Mind: African-Americans at the University of Chicago, 1870-1940", and "East European Jews in the German-Jewish Imagination from the Ludwig Rosenberger Library of Judaica". I think Special Collections librarians must be among my favorite people. They have such interesting stuff under their control, and they just love to share it!
Last night, there was a fantastic jazz concert at Symphony Center. The first half was Maggie Brown and some of Chicago's top jazz musicians doing a program Songs of My Father: A Tribute to Oscar Brown, Jr.. He, of course, was one of Chicago's most famous jazz musicians, composers, educators. His children follow in his footsteps, though, sadly, Oscar Brown III was killed in an auto accident some years ago.
After the intermission, We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite (for which Oscar Brown, Jr., wrote the lyrics). Originally recorded in 1960, with Abbey Lincoln on vocals and a host of other greats, it was banned in South Africa (such an honor!). DeeDee Bridgewater sang for us, and two of the original recording artists, Julian Priester on trombone and Raymond Mantilla on percussion, were part of the group. Max's daughter, Maxine, was in the audience, and participated in a pre-concert discussion of the piece.
When I was driving home from work, I noticed that the police were at the every ramp to Lake Shore Drive, getting ready to shut it down for the President's motorcade. I didn't want to get stuck on the bus, so I grabbed the train.
Thursday evening I went to a program sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Branch Library (my local branch). We went to Special Collections at the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library to see three exhibits they have up: "Our Lincoln: Bicentennial Icons from the Barton Collection of Lincolniana", "Integrating the Life of the Mind: African-Americans at the University of Chicago, 1870-1940", and "East European Jews in the German-Jewish Imagination from the Ludwig Rosenberger Library of Judaica". I think Special Collections librarians must be among my favorite people. They have such interesting stuff under their control, and they just love to share it!
Last night, there was a fantastic jazz concert at Symphony Center. The first half was Maggie Brown and some of Chicago's top jazz musicians doing a program Songs of My Father: A Tribute to Oscar Brown, Jr.. He, of course, was one of Chicago's most famous jazz musicians, composers, educators. His children follow in his footsteps, though, sadly, Oscar Brown III was killed in an auto accident some years ago.
After the intermission, We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite (for which Oscar Brown, Jr., wrote the lyrics). Originally recorded in 1960, with Abbey Lincoln on vocals and a host of other greats, it was banned in South Africa (such an honor!). DeeDee Bridgewater sang for us, and two of the original recording artists, Julian Priester on trombone and Raymond Mantilla on percussion, were part of the group. Max's daughter, Maxine, was in the audience, and participated in a pre-concert discussion of the piece.
When I was driving home from work, I noticed that the police were at the every ramp to Lake Shore Drive, getting ready to shut it down for the President's motorcade. I didn't want to get stuck on the bus, so I grabbed the train.