When I was a boy growing up in the Bible belt, I couldn’t wait to get home from church and power up the hand me down black and white 26 inch RCA T.V. If the outside roof antenna was adjusted properly, we could easily pick up three Nashville channels, four if the public channel was broadcasting that day. My NFL idol was, who else, QB19, Johnny Unitas. He once said, “talk is cheap,” let’s play. May the legacy of Johnny U never diminish.
He closed his eyes and listened intently. The sounds of the sweet sad refrain snaked their way from the record into the center of his brain. His skin erupted with goose bumps and an indescribable emotion overtook his being.
It was Gershwin’s “Summertime”. The Charlie Parker instrumental version, accompanied by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, was playing. It’s beauty overwhelmed and paralyzed him, momentarily at least.
“Summertime,
And the living is easy,
Fish are jumping
And the cotton is high.”
He was moved to capture the moment in words and so he did here.
But also high is the grass in his yard, very high due to the recent rains, so it’s off to cut it before a Tuesday flight to the Maine coast.
QB19
7/21/2012
Ella, Louis, and Charley P. in Summertime.
Is anything profound ever posted in a blog? I would imagine it is rare. But is that the purpose of a blog? This is my first blog and first post, so I will probably look back on this and smile at my naivete’. Notice my user name is qb19-reference to one of the great qb’s of all time. Have been an NFL fanatic my whole life. Interestingly, as I age, great music attracts and moves me in a similar fashion as sports. So, along the way, I am likely to share links to music that moves me, and maybe you too. And I might have a thing or two to say about the NFL. Titan Up!
Dan Fogelberg, master singer/songwriter passed away on 12-17-2007, at far too young an age. If you haven’t sampled his music, this is a tune that is a wonderfully beautiful wake up song.
Sad for Mike, who is a great coach and competitor. My thoughts are with Mike and his family
via ProFootballTalk
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