Randy Twizzle

Today's NY Times has a heartfelt tribute to Artie Shaw from his son Jonathan:

To finally realize that loud cell phone users have won. No amount of evil eyes, head shakes and/or sotto voce cursing will ever stop them. It's their world now, the bastards.

There's a 1999 interview with Shaw from the L.A. Weekly at http://www.laweekly.com/ink/99/51/music-mckenna.php A sample: Did you think Sinatra was talented?

I remember hearing a radio interview Shaw did with NY DJ Jonathan Schwartz about 15 years ago. Among other things, they argued about Mick Jagger's singing and the benefits of gun ownership. Shaw hated the former (he did a hilarious immitation of Jagger) and loved the latter. He was a card carrying NRA member and quite proud of it.

If you like Weather Bird you might also want to check out Giddins' biography of Norm Crosby, which takes us up to season two of The Dean Martin Roasts.

I've never posted before because I'm afraid of the possibility that Chuck Nessa will deliver a sarcastic reply, Clementine will call me a "square" or Chris Albertson will write about the time I pushed an old lady down the stairs.