Ike Turner, Rocket 88 and the Invention of Rock and Roll (1951)

It was March 3, 1951 when Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats; featuring Ike Turner on lead guitar; recorded what many believe to be the first real “rock and roll” record; “Rocket 88”. But, that’s like saying Chuck Berry invented the guitar break when he did his bit on “Maybelline.”

So many people had a hand in developing rock and roll; each one taking a little piece from here and there; that it would be just about impossible to credit any one individual with the feat of creating the genre. I think that’s true of all art. Shakespeare refined it; but the play had been around previous to his efforts. He just took it in a new direction.

But it would be hard to ignore the influence that this one record had; and continues to have; on music fans all over the world. It ranks alongside of “Rock Island Line” by Lonnie Donnegan as one of the rare records which influenced many future rock and rollers to buy that first guitar and learn to play.

I saw Ike Turner with Tina in Central Park back in the early 1970’s. It was one of the Schaefer Beer Festival concerts. They were always lively affairs. Between the excitement of the concert itself, along with the people trading acid and weed; which sometimes included me; plus the actual beer vendors, the crowd was; to put it mildly; very loose.

And the police were always on hand to guard “the rock” which overlooked the Wolman Skating Rink and offered a very clear; and free; view of the concert form the side of the stage. So, there was always kind of a friction between the police; who were trying their best to get the people off the rock in a civilized manner. But sometimes; depending on the combination of beer, acid and weed; this did not go smoothly. But it was all part of the attraction for these concerts.

 

Then there was the night I saw Ike and Tina Turner and someone tried to get up on stage to get to the Ikettes; the scantily clad New Orleans looking backing group known for their modest way of dressing. Ike saw the guy get past the security and climb up the stage front; then, between chords he managed to get his Stratocaster off and using the neck just bashed this guy in the head. The guy went down and Ike missed nary a note.

I think Keith Richards learned some of his moves from Ike. He had the same problem at a concert in Europe and did the same thing. By the way, Ike Turner was one of the opening acts for the Stones at the Garden in 1969. In his book, “Life”, Richards describes Ike pulling him into his dressing room at knife point; demanding to be shown “That 5 string open tuning shit.” Richards says it took him 45 minutes to get it down. The next Ike and Tina Turner album was done all in 5 string open tuning.

Anyway, whether or not you consider this recording to be the first actual rock and roll recording; or not; it’s one fine record and definitely a step ahead of all that followed.

Hugette Clark - A Real Life Mystery

I have always maintained that truth is stranger than fiction; witness the Collyer Brothers. Now comes the story of Hugette Clark, the youngest daughter of Senator William A. Clark ,who is 104, if she is alive at all. It appears that nobody has seen her in something like 22 years. Her fortune was made by her father in the copper mines out West. This photo was taken in 1922 when Ms. Clark was 15 years old. Her father was 83 years of age at that time.

Her three residences, including the $100 million dollar one in Santa Barbara, California, as well as the largest apartment overlooking Central Park in New York, are all carefully dusted and cleaned, almost as if someone were living there. Fresh flowers are delivered regularly to all three homes. Supposedly she is in a nursing home, but no one will say where. Her lawyer and accountant are both alledged to be, or have been, convicted criminals. This is beginning to look a lot like the Howard Hughe's story.

A group of lawyers and business people, who have control of a victims assests, can imprison their clients in seclusion, as was believed to be the case in the Howard Hughes affair. They can then continue to manipulate and invest the fortune of the client, while at the same time reaping all of the profits. Is that what is happening to Ms. Clark? Or is she already deceased? With no heirs, her lawyers and accountants may have decided to keep her alive on paper for their own purposes.

Don't take my word for it. Take a look at the link below and decide for yourself. Make sure you watch the video that goes with it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38719231/ns/business-small_business/

Jones Wood Garden - The Almost Central Park

My Dad and I used to eat our lunch in this park. It is located between East 65th and East 66th Streets, and Lexington and Third Avenues, on the Upper East Side. We'd get rare roast beef sandwiches from one of the delis around the corner and then head for the park. He had almost all of the apartment buildings on those Avenues as clients in his air pollution control business, and we spent a lot of time in the area. But we were always too filthy to eat in a restaurant, so we would get sandwiches to go. This picture is courtesy of Suzy at http://mendogardens.blogspot.com/

Jones Wood was the original location touted for Central Park. Owned by two familes, the Joneses and the Schermerhorns, the land originally extended from the East River to 3rd Avenue, and from East 66th to East 75th Streets. It totaled 150 acres. Although the area was sorely in need of a park, the Joneses and Schemerhorns had more grand ideas for their land, namely commercial and industrial uses. This was about 1848.

In 1851, James Beekman (as in Beekman Place) and Senator Hamilton Fish, had begun working towards building a "Central" Park to serve as "the lungs" of the city. By 1857 a committee had been established to determine the boundaries of the park and they hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead to design the layout.

Meantime the Jones Wood location was increasingly being used as a kind of "speakers square", where people would go to vent their political frustrations. In May of 1865 the Workingmans Union had over 50,000 workers attend a picnic/rally in the park for support of the 8 hour work day. They had a great time, but they wouldn't get the 8 hour day for another 60 years or so.

Jones Wood was becoming "the place to go" for political rallies in the tears following the Civil War. The split amongst the Protestant and Catholic Irish was a source of concern when it came to holding onto political power, and Jones Wood played a part in this as well. In 1866 a wealthy New York merchant named William Roberts, (now there's a coincidence for you!) lead a demonstartion of 100,000 in Jones Wood. His plan was to take Canada and hold it hostage until Britian freed Ireland. It wasn't a bad idea, but it never came to fruition.

Central Park was open and doing well by now, with the gentrified portion of the city, but at first the working class did not use it that much, the rules were too strict and the place was not "user friendly" to them. For instance, singing in German was not allowed. This is just one of the ridiculous rules which were first imposed in the park. So people were still going to Jones Wood to gather as late as the 1880's. The Scottish Caledonian Society held their field and track meets there. The Germans used it as a beer garden for parties, as did the Irish.

Eventually the stores and factories along the East River gave way to the luxury high rises and brownstones that populate the area today. But in the midst of all of this there still stands one square block of Manhattan, undeveloped save for some benches and a fountain. Thanks to the stubborn greed of the Jonses and Schemerhorns, who would not sell the land for a park, as it wouldn't pay enough, we still have it, as a park, today.

The Olmsted Family - An American Legacy

If you live in the United States your life has been touched upon, as well as improved, by the works of Frederick Law Olmsted and his family. Born in Connecticutt in 1822 Mr. Olmsted arrived at his calling rather late. He was 35 when he designed Central Park in New York City. It was the first of many such projects to come, including Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. It was also the beginning of a life devoted to making all of our lives more enjoyable.

Often noted as the Founder of Landscape Architecture in America, his vision was to create livable communities for the emerging middle class at the turn of the 20th Century. When he passsed away in 1903 his son and step son went on to form Olmsted Brothers.

Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. along with his cousin, John Charles Olmsted would create some of these Landscape Communities across the United Sates. They would also leave their mark in the form of the many National Parks and monuments which we take for granted today.

Two of the residential communities that I have seen or worked in include Roland Park in Baltimore, Md. as well as the Dilworth Community in Charlotte, N.C. The winding streets with their abundance of trees are the hallmarks of these developments. The houses are set back a good distance from the roadways and the topography is used to create fabulous vistas in what would today be flat,urban sprawl.

Some of the projects which were designed by the Olmsteds' include the National Mall in Washington and the Jefferson Memorial. The system of parks in Buffalo, New York are the work of the Olmsteds. Their designs and influence even created the beautiful parks in Montreal, Canada as well as the extensive parks system in Los Angeles, California.

With the death of Frederick, Jr. in 1949 the firm continued to design and build many public projects. After closing in 1980 the firm became an historic landmark in Brookline, Massachusetts. Known as the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historical Site and located on 7 acres of landscaped grounds, this museum offers the visitor a look at the original plans for, and photos of, the parks and communities that were created by the Olmsteds.

No matter where you live in America, your life has been touched, and made better by the visions and creations of this remarkable family.