Checking out Jazz in July at Salisbury House

Every July, the Metro Arts Alliance puts together the Jazz In July program. Every day in July, somewhere around Des Moines, you can find a free jazz performance. This year, Linda and I made it up to the Salisbury House to see Susie Miget and Janey Hooper perform. We'd seen Janey Hooper at the Des Moines Botanical Center and enjoyed her music so we expected a nice evening at a nice venue. We weren't disappointed.

Enjoying Saturday In The Park

In 1972, the band Chicago released a song titled Saturday In The Park. I found a video on YouTube that may be from 1972 that opens with the following lyric:

Saturday in the park
I think it was the fourth of july
Saturday in the park
I think it was the fourth of july
People talking, people laughing
A man selling ice cream
Singing italian songs
(fake italian lyric)
Can you dig it (yes, I can)
And I've been waiting such a long time
For saturday

That song apparently had an impact. Each year, on a saturday around the Fourth of July, Sioux City puts those words to action with their free all day festival named for the song, Saturday In The Park, in their Grandview Park.

This shot was pretty late but does show the setting and a sense of the crowd. It was a sunny afternoon of an interestingly varied collection of performers that moved smoothly from one to the next. During the breaks, people visited the vendors, got hydrated, and back to their seats for the next band. It really was an excellent afternoon in a classic park.

Exploring the 2008 Des Moines Arts Festival

The Des Moines Arts Festival has become one of the major events of summer in Des Moines. Live music, painting, sculpture, street performance, and film are only some of the offerings of this festival. The numbers of artists and festival goers have swelled in response to one another. Linda has enjoyed conversations with the artists over the last few years and they appear to truly enjoy coming to Des Moines. Evidently, the people who go to the festival tend to be well versed in the arts and engage in intelligent discussions of approach and technique with the artists.

Browsing the Des Moines Farmer's Market

One of the great things about summer in Des Moines is the Downtown Farmer's Market saturday mornings on Court Avenue. Each year, it continues to grow in number and variety of offerings. There are the traditional vegetables and potted plants seen in images in the upper left and right. In the upper center, a belly dance group has moved down the street to dance to the music of the band in the lower frame. The singer in the teal (?) skirt had a voice and style that really reminded me of Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane. Linda and I hung out listening to the band play for a while this day.

Looking for Seventy Six Trombones

Each year, Mason City, home of Meredith Willson, hosts the North Iowa Band Festival. Linda and I went up to meet some of her relatives at the parade. Of course, there are an uncommonly high number of bands in the parade but also several area dignitaries. In the upper left, former Iowa State University men's basketball coach, Johnny Orr. I was surprised to see the nationally recognized Kool-Aid Man.

Checking out the Drake Relays Parade

Caught up in the Relays spirit, Linda and I went up to see the parade. The route is basically a trip around the campus and that's enough room to put on a pretty nice parade. We found a spot along University Avenue across from Old Main. One of the parade route security people stopped by and chatted with us as we waited. "Ready to get some Tootsie Rolls?" she asked. "They're the best value so you'll see a lot of them today." Our area was soon scattered with viewers. There were several kids to clean up the Tootsie Rolls so we wouldn't feel guilty if we let some fall from time to time.

Right on time, the parade made the turn off Twenty-Fifth and down University. Various community dignitaries were chauferred down the street in wonderful old cars and were celebrated by their fans. There weren't a great number of fans so we had to be demonstrative or it would have been a drive around campus. Of course, cheering produced amazing numbers of tootsie rolls of various flavors. Clearly, security had their finger on the pulse of the candy aspect of the parade.

Before it was over, one of our favorite parade and sporting event groups came thundering around the bend: the Isiserettes Drill and Drum Corps. These kids can fill up any room! Drums hammered out the beat as the dancers put on quite a show. It's always a treat to see them perform.

Checking out Barr's Fiddle Shop

Southwest Virginia has a rich and deep history of old-time mountain music and in recent years celebrated that history by establishing The Crooked Road, Virginia's Heritage Music Trail. You can't very well have the music without a fine fiddle; you can find one at a fiddle shop on main street in Galax, Virginia.

Of course, they have a nice selection of nice looking fiddles; I'm sure they sound every bit as good as they look too. They also carry guitars, banjos, and mandolins as well; something of a full service bluegrass band stop.

As Linda and I wove our way among the instruments, we overheard conversations about various gigs and techniques; it gave a nice flavor to the place even for a non-player. At the back of the store, a young father was trying to eat a quick sandwich while keeping his young son out of the instruments. It all had a very homey, comfortable feel about it.

Bear fans, your turn!

The Chicago Tribune posted the picture at right showing at least three buildings with Bear themed lighting patterns in the windows. I especially like the building furthest to the left; Go Bears on the side most facing us and a nice Bears logo on the side facing to the left. If you click on the picture, you should end up at the Tribune article telling how they made that happen.

Chicago has it's musical fans as well. An Elvis impersonator submitted video of his version of the King singing Bear Down, Chicago Bears! The Chicago Symphony even released an MP3 version. If you'd like to sing along, (and who wouldn't!)

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Make every play clear the way to victory!
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation,
With your T formation.

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
And let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy,
of all Illinois.

Chicago Bears, Bear Down!

The lions of the Chicago Art Institute had a little difficulty getting proper fitting helmets this year; the original helmets were a bit small and broke while being installed. Fortunately, another pair of helmets now adorn the cats. Click the picture to see the Sun-Times story about the difficulties. Remember the helmets the lions wore to honor the 1985 Super Bowl team? They were Weber grills!

Botanical Blues

Remember the post from the Des Moines Botanical Center last week? We returned this weekend to hear local legend Rob Lumbard sing and play. Okay, legend may be a wee bit strong but he's a well established figure in the area and his name is readily recognized by those who've been here a while. The setup was not optimal and the sound system was probably intended for communicating emergency directions for visitors to the botanical center but it was a generally pleasing setting with music that went on beyond. The series will continue for seven more weeks with new performers each week; a nice program to highlight a nice feature of the community.