Sammy Davis, Jr. - Entertainer.

You need only one word to describe the essence of Sammy Davis, Jr; that word is Entertainer; with a capital E and a period at the end. Fluent in the arts of singing, dancing, impressionism, and everything in between, Mr. Davis is one of those who came out of the last days of vaudeville; touring with his Uncle in the Will Maston Trio at the age of 3. The man was literally born on stage. And then dominated it, in spite of racial and physical difficulties which would make it hard even in today's enlightened era.

After serving in the army during the 2nd World War Mr. Davis took to the stage and from there went on to Hollywood and Las Vegas. It was during that period when he made the acquaintance of Frank Sinatra, beginning a friendship which would last until the two men died. Sinatra was the one who brought Mr. Davis into the fabled Las Vegas "Rat Pack", making him part of a legend even while they were still performing.

His solo career soared after the release of his first #1 single "Hey There" in the early 1950's. With his signature voice and suave style of performance it was not too long before he was headlining on that new medium, television.

This film is from one of the literally hundreds of TV appearances he made during the late 1950's and 1960's. I don't know which show it's from; if you recognize it please let me know. What really makes this a great clip to watch is that it's longer than the average 3 minutes, and Mr. Davis gets to show off his unique range of talents.

To really hear Mr. Davis at his best; using his fantastic vocal power and range; then listen to this song which is usually associated with Robert Goulet; the heckler is Frank Sinatra. The recording was made in Chicago in October 1963. And, for a really good book on Mr. Davis' life, I'd recommend his autobiography, "Yes, I Can."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhJkEMapV_0

Sammy Davis, Jr. as "The Music Man"

This is an undated clip from You Tube highlighting the uncanny ability of Sammy Davis, Jr. to lyp-sync. In addition to his many other talents, Mr. Davis was one of the world's greatest mimes, on the level of Charlie Chaplin and Marcel Marceau. The first 4 minutes here actually relate to Monday's post reviewing "The Music Man" with Robert Preston. I was unable to embed the code for the signature song from that film, “Trouble in River City”, during which Mr. Preston excoriates the townsfolk into ridding themselves of the potential menace of a pool table. In this video, Mr. Davis clearly has the patter down pat,  with his mouth perfectly forming every word  sung by Robert Preston.  This was a real surprise that I wanted to share.  

Mr. Davis' formidable dancing skills are also on display here, as he goes through the entire 4 minute number. He actually could have stood in for Robert Preston if the need arose.  It’s no great wonder that he was billed as one of the world’s greatest entertainers. Good things come in small packages, and Sammy Davis, Jr. is proof positive of that old adage.   
 

"In the Garden" - Pixels and Impressionist Art

Just because the picture didn't come out right doesn't mean it's wrong. Claude Monet's "Artist Garden at Giverny" comes to mind when I look at this photo. Now, I'm no Monet, and I certainly can't do this with a brush - but for an accident it's not that bad...


Here is a link to good ol' Wikipedia's article on Monet. There is a gallery at the bottom which highlights almost all of his work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet

"Impressionism" by Karin H. Grimme

This is a wonderful book. Beginning with Frederic Bazilles' "Family Reunion" and ending with Frederico Zandomeneghi's "Place d'Anvers in Paris", this book offers up 40 of the greatest Impressionists of all time. That's Georges Seurat's "The Bathers at Asnieres" (detail) on the cover.

The book is arranged alphabetically and the pages alternate with a narrative facing each reproduction. In this way you can enjoy the paintings on your own and then explore what the narratives say. This format allows you to gain some new insights as well as to reinforce the things you already know. It's kind of like a paperback museum.

My preference in art has long run to the Impressionists, so when this one popped up in the Mooresville Library today I was more than happy to take it home. With a forecast of up to 6" of snow this evening I thought I might gather some warmth from the works of these masters.

When I look at the "Boats on the Seine (near Asnieres)" by Renoir the sunshine of a French summers day warms me. The same is true of DeNittis' "Flirt", I can feel the heat of the Parisian streets in the summer. I wander through the "Artist's Garden at Vetheuil" courtesy of Claude Monet and his mastery of light.

I can't pronounce most of the names of these paintings. My tongue gets twisted and I clam up. But my love of them goes beyond the spoken. The use of light and color draw me in more than any other works of art.

The pleasure of these paintings comes from something very simple and innocent. The desire to rest the eyes and soul, drinking in the beauty of a summers day would be explanation enough, but it goes beyond that. It is like sitting in the sun and gathering warmth - deep inside - where I'll really need it on a winters eve when the snow is piling up outside the window as I write.