OK you can delete this if it’s too tangential or self referential or if I am just persona non grata on these pages: [Palo Alto Weekly, column about dinosaur exhibit at Palo Alto Children’s Museum, by Diana Diamond; in fact they did delete my post] It’s a typo: we the people paid consultant Peter Kageyama $5000 to spitball a bunch of ways to show how much we love our city, in 2015 not 2005.
The big Takeaway was we gave $500 to a citizen to procure and then trot around a stuffed animal that looked like the Bol park donkeys Perry and Miner.
My idea was to hire the musician Ralph Carney for the same $500 to go down to the park and play clarinet and see how the donkeys would react. Carney had played on a Tom Waits record called “the mule variations” and was from Akron the same hometown as Peter. Also it would have honored the late Malcolm Smith a music professor who lived in barren park and loved the donkeys.
It never happened although I did leave a voicemail to Ralph who unfortunately died in an accident soon around that time.
But my point is that if you have a lot of local knowledge you can spend money better than just what I unfortunately think our leadership is doing where maybe they have not researched either the need for the dinosaurs or who can make them better and cheaper.
[original post: Couple related points: 1) in 2005, the City paid a consultant Peter Kageyama to lead a workshop that included giving a resident $500 to make a replica of the Bol Park donkey; 2) Rufus the bobcat a former actual feature at the old Palo Alto Zoo, was stuffed and on display at the Mid Pen Open Space District headquarters, last I looked (don’t know if he survived the move)
I’d rather spend the money on music in the parks.]
Select list of 2023 Grammy nominees: aka I’ve met your brother and your mother, but someday I’d like to see your grammy….
Molly Tuttle, best new artist —one of ten finalists —
Molly Tuttle, best bluegrass album—Molly Tuttle band played an Earthwise show at The Mitch, November, 2019, same weekend as the Gryphon 40th anniversary party.
Pascal LeBoeuf, something jazz Snapshots Pascal Le Boeuf, composer (Tasha Warren & Dave Eggar) composer arranger
Remy LeBoeuf, something jazz —Have never worked with these guys but have been following them since they were in high school, in nearby Santa Cruz.
Spoon, best rock something Lucifer On The Sofa— played my Cubberley Sessions their first time out here, on tour.
Charlie Musselwhite, blues something (not by Kid A)— played Earthwise show at the JCC December, 2019 but I also met Charlie when he toured with Henry Butler, my then-client, 2002.
Danilo Perez, Latin jazz
Danilo Perez: Fronteras (Borders) Suite: Al-Musafir Blues Danilo Pérez, composer (Danilo Pérez Featuring The Global Messengers) — played The Cub in fall, 2000 and did an amazing workshop for middle-schoolers in Redwood City.
Christopher Tin, instrumental or video game something; grew up in Palo Alto.
Greg Kurstin with an asterisk I don’t even know how to read this but it mentions Greg three times:
30 Adele Shawn Everett, Ludwig Göransson, Inflo, Tobias Jesso, Jr., Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, Joey Pecoraro & Shellback, producers; Julian Burg, Steve Churchyard, Tom Elmhirst, Shawn Everett, Serban Ghenea, Sam Holland, Michael Ilbert, Inflo, Greg Kurstin, Riley Mackin & Lasse Mårtén, engineers/mixers; Adele Adkins, Ludwig Göransson, Dean Josiah Cover, Tobias Jesso, Jr., Greg Kurstin, Max Martin & Shellback, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer (Beyonce’s song lists 123 people in the credits— only that an early bandmate and mentor was Tommy Jordan, Paly ‘81)
Steve Lacy with an asterisk —only that it reminds me of the soprano sax player with the same name;
Samara Joy with an asterisk— bought a ticket to her show at the Freight, but missed the show;
Norah Jones —#7 — old story— saw her before it was common knowledge that she was Ravi Shankar’s daughter.
Robert Glasper best r and b Black Radio III — met him, in NYC in 2003 winter.
31. Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album
For albums containing greater than 50% playing time of new vocal or instrumental new age recordings.
Positano Songs Will Ackerman— see also, The New Varsity, circa 1985.
14. 32. Best Improvised Jazz Solo
For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter’s name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)
Rounds (Live) Ambrose Akinmusire, soloist
#35 best large jazz ensemble:
Architecture Of Storms Remy Le Boeuf’s Assembly Of Shadows
Best Latin jazz:
Crisálida Danilo Pérez Featuring The Global Messengers
Blind Boys and Black Violin The Message
Best music for a video game Christopher Tin: Old World
70. Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
An Arranger’s Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.
Never Gonna Be Alone Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier Featuring Lizzy McAlpine & John Mayer)
Best historical album:
Life’s Work: A Retrospective Scott Billington, Ted Olson & Mason Williams, compilation producers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Doc Watson)
88 best classical compendium:
88. Best Classical Compendium
Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s) and Engineer(s) of over 50% playing time of the album, and to the Composer and Librettist (if applicable) with over 50% playing time of a world premiere recording only.
The Lost Birds Voces8; Barnaby Smith & Christopher Tin, conductors; Sean Patrick Flahaven & Christopher Tin, producers
Note: I also sent a note to the agent for Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, plus the manager of Blind Boys of Alabama.
Maybe I will award these people the first Eartie-Artie-Hearty — an amalgam of “earthwise” — you can spell “heart” or “art” or “ear” or “hear” with “earth”.
Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss 