Jumpin' Punkins.

For at least a few days, my posts are going to be identified by song titles. These will not necessarily have anything to do with the content of the post. However, this one does.

This version of "Jumpin' Punkins" is included in a 3-disc compilation, "The Blanton-Webster Band", which was released in 1990. Of course, it's digitized now. I've owned these CDs since around 1995, listening to them literally hundreds of times (again last week), and still I hear new bits. The period was Duke Ellington's creative zenith, almost every song is essential, and I'll always look to music, art and literature for inspiration in whatever business I'm pursuing.

Other people read spread sheets. Fuck that.

Mercer Ellington wrote Jumpin’ Punkins (1941) after being asked by his father, Duke, to join the band as a writer. It is believed that even though Mercer composed several compositions during this two-year period, Duke actually arranged this chart for the Ellington Orchestra himself. This accounts for the near perfect adherence to many stylistic concepts of harmony and voicing used by Duke during this period. This composition also contains the swing feel and style of many other Ellington Orchestra recordings of this time. The parallel voicing of the chromatic clarinet and baritone sax melodies are very refarm-near-me/">miniscent of many Duke Ellington compositions. The 32 bar form with a 20 bar interlude has blues and dance feel as its major focus. Still, the main emphasis of this composition is to showcase the greatness of the individual performers in the Ellington Orchestra including Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Barney Bigard on clarinet, and Sonny Greer on drums. It seems obvious that this composition was specifically written for the dance era because of the traditional dance swing rhythms employed throughout, yet it is also a great vehicle for soloists.

Finally, some good news: "Tattooed composer polling strongly in the Czech elections."

Amid worries about propriety voiced primarily by professional politicians, it should be self-evident that Vladimir Franz, an artist and composer, would be a far worthier successor to the spirit of former dissident, playwright and president Vaclav Havel than any number of party hacks.

The post is largely ceremonial, anyway. Just imagine the symbolic properties of Franz's state visits with Angela Merkel, Hugo Chavez and Mitch McConnell.

Excerpts and photo courtesy of the Associated Press, via The Guardian.

Vladimir Franz: tattooed composer polling strongly in the Czech elections ... University professor's pro-education, apolitical stance wins significant popularity in presidential campaign – although he has spent little and is also distracted by the premiere of his new opera

Vladimir Franz, an opera composer and painter, is tattooed from head to toe, his face a warrior-like mix of blue, green and red. He's also running in a surprising third place ahead of this week's Czech presidential elections ...

 ... He is tipped to win around 11% in the first round on Friday and Saturday – not enough to make the runoffs. But he may end up a kingmaker, as the leading candidates – former prime ministers Jan Fischer and Milos Zeman – would be eager to pick up his supporters if the vote goes to a second round ...

 ... Franz says his tattoos are simply body art and that the election is not a beauty contest. "A tattoo is a sign of a free will and that does not harm the freedom of anyone else," he said ...

 ... As the campaign approached its end on Tuesday, eight candidates were busy on the stump. The ninth – Franz – had other matters to deal with: a final rehearsal of his work War with the Newts at the State Opera. Torn between art and politics, Franz cut short his appearance at an election debate to return to the opera house that is part of Prague's national theatre.