Category Archives: Music
Picturing the day Rudy Vallee came home to Maine
The train pulled into Portland’s Union Station at 11:45 a.m. while police held back a throng of over 2,000 people trying to get a glimpse of Maine’s brightest star, Rudy Vallee. After a moment, the 28-year-old stepped off the train and into his mother’s arms while a local band blared his hit song “Vagabond Lover.” […]
Watch this Irish-born Mainer sing of the 1916 uprising
This week marks 100 years since the Easter proclamation of the Irish Republic by a ragtag group of teachers, poets, labor leaders and regular folks in Dublin in 1916. Their rebellion at the General Post Office, and a few other locations in the city, was put down within the week. The leaders, who survived the […]
Here’s a place in Portland where it’s OK to touch a stranger in the dark
The plate glass window separating the hoofers from the Congress Street sidewalk kept fogging up Friday night. Folks walking by slowed down, craning their necks to see through the thin spots. A few rubbed their palms in disappointed circles, realizing the condensation was on the inside. Hot string jazz leaked out when the door was propped open to cool the room […]
Happy birthday Maine: This should be the official state song
On this date, back in 1820, Maine became the 23rd state. To commemorate this 196-year-old historic event, I propose that the legislature take up an emergency bill to name this song the official tune of the great State of Maine. “State O’ Maine” was written by Bill Schulz of the Wicked Good Band, which claims to […]
Kris Day: ‘Good luck getting him. He’s probably booked.’
Keep your hands off my Gazetteer
Mine is wrinkled, stained with grease and the corners are all curled up. There’s even a chunk missing from the back cover where I tore off a piece to start my Coleman stove while motorcycle camping last summer. I’d never leave home without it. It’s my go-to map. It’s my DeLorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer. The news last week that […]
VIDEO: The Fat Tuesdays set to heat up a cold Mardi Gras in Maine
For something like half a decade, this group of Portland musicians has come together at Mardi Gras, heating up the cold Maine winter, just before lent. Formed from a dozen or so local bands like Sly Chi, Model Airplane, The Fogcutters and Micromasse, they represent the best players in Maine. They cover a wide range of Crescent […]
Maine jazz great Brad Terry says farewell to Don Doane
Maine jazz clarinet magician Brad Terry sent me an email today regarding the passing of his peer Don Doane. Brad asked if, by way of tribute, I’d share this passage from his book “I Feel More Like I Do Now Than I Did Yesterday.” It’s all about Doane. The unmistakable, instantly recognizable gruff voice sounded angry. “Hey Brad. It’s […]
As word of his passing spreads, Mainers pay tribute to jazzman Don Doane
As I noted in my post yesterday, celebrated Maine musician and teacher Don Doane has passed away. Though he’s gone, he won’t be forgotten anytime soon. (Just listen to him play with Maynard Ferguson in the video above!) As predicted, the tributes are starting to appear. His official obituary at the Conroy-Tully Crawford funeral home […]