december 6 birthdays

Happy birthday to Johann Christoph Bach.  Yup, he was one of those Bachs. It's pretty confusing, but he was an older relative of Johann Sebastian, and we'll leave it at that.  Oh, he was born in 1642, and was of course a composer. 

Also born on this date was John S. Mosby, Confederate partisan leader.  He drove the Northerners crazy in the northern part of Virginia, aka "Mosby's Confederacy".  He didn't really do much, I suppose, except cheese them off to the point where in the end, they pretty much burned the entire Shenandoah Valley, so I suppose it all ended in a draw (at best).  After the War, he lived for a long time, and supported the Republicans, especially US Grant.  He also was a family friend of another Confederate officer, George S. Patton.  Alas, that Patton died in the War, but his family lived on, and Mosby was a friend of George's grandson, also named George.  As in George S. Patton Jr., or "General Patton" to those who haven't yet figured that out. 

Have you ever seen anything as lovely as a tree?  If not, then thank birthday boy Joyce Kilmer for telling you about them.  In 1942, in Iceland, the US naval personnel there disagreed with their commander, Daniel Gallery, and felt that they, like God, could make trees too.  So they did.  They constructed and fabricated some metal palm trees, complete with coconuts, which they "planted" around the base.  They were quite famous around the Navy at the time.  Which has nothing to do with Kilmer, except that Gallery said he told the sailor who approached him with the idea that "only God can make a tree", which is the last line of Kilmer's most famous poem.  By the way, this paragraph is a lot longer than Kilmer's entire poem "Trees". 

Remember George Gershwin?  Well his brother Ira was born on this date in 1896.  He was a lyricist, which was convenient for his brother, who composed music.  Together they wrote "Porgy and Bess"and also the song "I got Rhythm".  He still had some success after his brother died, but not really as much as before. 

Hey, remember when Baby Face Nelson died last month?  Well he was born this month.  So there. 

Hello, Everyone!  A truly entertaining man was born on this date, the famous DOCTOR Karl Haas.  He for many years had a radio show called "Adventures in Good Music", which I wish I had appreciated long years before I actually did.  It began on WJR in Detroit, so I can say that I listened to it before it was ever syndicated.  Alas, I was too young to understand what a treasure it was, and then later it was hard to find and fit into my life.  Wish it were still around today. 

Speaking of music, you might want to "take five" with birthday boy Dave Brubeck.  Good stuff there!  While it's his biggest hit (and arguably the biggest jazz hit ever); Brubeck didn't write "Take Five" but it is darned cool, and was the centerpiece of his album "Time Out".  Give it a listen if you haven't already. 

Here's an interesting, albeit indirect music connection:  Happy birthday to Tom Hulce, born on this date in 1953 in Detroit!  My homeboy!  Anyhow, the music connection comes from his brilliant performance as Mozart in the movie "Amadeus".  He was nominated for an Oscar, but lost out to the incredible performance by his even more brilliant costar, F. Murray Abraham.  Should he be disappointed?  Perhaps, but to lose out to such a performance...  Not an ounce of shame there.  I have to find my dvd copy of that movie and watch it again, though without a large screen and a stereo, it's kind of pointless.  I've loved it ever since I saw it in Columbus Georgia as a young soldier.  They just don't make movies like that anymore.  More's the pity. 

Ooh, ooh, ooh!  Happy birthday to Steven Wright, at one point the funniest damn standup comic you'd ever seen.  God his stuff was hilarious.  Very strange, but brilliant.  His deadpan style made the weird stuff coming out of his mouth even funnier, if that's possible!

Time for a hottie!  And look who's here- it's Janine Turner!  Loved her in Northern Exposure.  Wish she did more stuff now, or that I knew more about what she does.  She is an unabashed conservative, which makes it surprising that she's actually able to still work in Hollywood. 

And that's a good place to end.  Happy birthday to them all!