#Lu hopkins

[skyward-floored]

IT’S HOPKINS BIRTHDAY 🎉🎉🎉

[minty-mumbles]

Frog Showdown!

Btw this is a joke. I am not really wondering which is better and I am not trying to make commentary of Jojo’s art or it’s quality. Also sorry the picture quality is bad, I’m on mobile

[starlight-banisher]

THE RETURN OF THE KING

IS THAT HOPKINS??

[zolanort]

stop wait no not those ones

[firestorm09890]

stray canto vii part 1 thoughts (warning: long)

so many cool new designs!! it made me realize how few of interest we got in Canto VI. Then almost everything was pretty standard (classic maid and butler outfits, lots of suits, Cathy had a fancy dress at least? and everything was brown. yes I know, T Corp color drain, but still. and Öufi came before season 3 ended so that didn’t count), but this time we have Camille, the P Corp guys, Fanghunt Office, Hugo I guess, Hong Lu’s sister, the firefist guy? if he counts? he barely appeared, Sansón, and all the fancy dressed up bloodfiends. woo babey!!

speaking of Jia Xichun, I like her! She’s cute! I didn’t expect to see anyone related to Hong Lu, but in retrospect I probably should’ve, since his turn is next and his family is massive. I hope nothing bad happens to her. I've never read Dream of the Red Chamber

also speaking of Hugo, lol. lmao. when he was talking about pressing the button to get the reward I was like “oh hopkins 2, got it” and then Ryōshū sliced off his hands so I guess… not hopkins 2

ALSO the blonde Fanghunt guy is named Romero, which is apparently the name of a character in Vampire: The Masquerade. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was an intentional reference

Sinclair cursing that one guy out was so awesome. I remember when Canto V part 2 came out and he censored himself saying “Bitch Brother” people were worried that the new translators were making him softer than he actually was, but, nah, he tries his best to be a polite boy but when he’s actually genuinely pissed off he does not hold back. Ryōshū correcting him BUT THEN SAYING HIS INTERPRETATION WAS GOOD absolutely killed me. my son demands respect

it’s a good day to be a Leviathan fan

The scripted loss encounter was so cool. They set you to level 45 no matter what level your LCB Don is, and take away all your EGO except the base (which you can’t even use), and I don’t know how far you can actually get in this fight because I flipped tails every single time and lost every clash

let’s talk about the Barber! leave it to Project Moon to look at the character who didn’t have very much of a personality who stuck around with the priest and attempted multiple plans to bring Don Quixote back home so he could become sane again (and burned a bunch of Quixote’s chivalry books, also with the priest), and turned him into an insane vampire woman with big scissors and a shrill cackle who stitches masks onto people’s faces.

interesting choice to have Sancho and Dulcinea both named in a single line and then not acknowledged or mentioned again

Sansón! so based on his story log portrait background being bisexual, the blue name, and him resembling someone in Demian’s group in the Limbus Company PV, I feel confident saying he’s part of Demian’s Group. The spot where his Sign would be is covered by his mask, though, so no one in-universe knows

I think this is why Sinclair was cast in the role of the Knight of the White Moon: he also has the sign, which Sansón (who is the Knight of the White Moon) would be able to see, and even if other sinners have it too, they’re not Demian’s special guy. everyone else, though, seemed to be cast in the most humiliating role possible: horse to be ridden for Gregor, wild animal for Heathcliff, random peasant for Rodya, presumably homeless old person for Outis

ok Sansón. in the book, he’s a young college student who read the first part of Don Quixote and, in part 2, approaches Quixote saying he’s a big fan and encouraging him to go back out and do more knight stuff. However, he actually just thinks Don Quixote’s antics are very amusing and isn’t actually an earnest supporter, and is conspiring with the barber and priest to get Quixote back home to stay. the way they (priest and barber try to bring him home in part 1 is by tricking him with an adventure that’s conveniently in the same direction as their home village, but then they get sidetracked in an inn for a long time so they just put him in a cage and drive him home. in part 2, they want to play on Quixote’s terms for a more effective result. near the beginning of the second part, they have Sansón dress as a knight (called the Knight of Mirrors/Knight of the Forest. these titles have no significance in the book but apparently the mirror thing forces Quixote to see himself as the frail old man he is in Man of La Mancha), say his lady is fairer than Dulcinea to get Don Quixote to duel him, and then make Quixote promise to stay home for a year when he loses. however, Sansón is the one who loses, because he wasn’t expecting Quixote to actually be good at jousting. Later, near the very end, which iirc is 3 months after the first encounter, another knight called the Knight of the White Moon issues the exact same challenge to Don Quixote (it’s just Sansón again, and "White Moon" has no significance in the original book either), but this time Sansón wins, so Don Quixote goes home, dejected, and then becomes “sane” again and dies.

Since this Sansón is part of Demian’s group, I don’t think his intentions will be the same- the Barber was a bloodfiend, and he sees beyond the ambitions of the bloodfiends now- but it’s fun to know how he is in the source nonetheless

I really like how he didn’t show up after the Barber’s defeat to say something cryptic and then leave, he told us quite a bit, and though his methods were… questionable, he DID force the sinners to actually finally pay attention to Don Quixote

speaking of the stage play, I like the juxtaposition between Sansón’s play and the Barber’s. in a different context, what Sansón did might’ve been framed as horrifying, and we’d be talking about how uncanny and unreal this is, but I don’t think that’s the intention here. the sinners might be playing roles, and all the enemies are cardboard cutouts, but it’s better than putting targets on real people (though I guess they’re not “people”, they’re bad, bad, bloodfiends). the cheerful music in La Manchaland is distorted and out of place, while the stage play is nice in comparison. the music for the talking sections is a bit too upbeat for the situation, but the music during the battles really immerses you. guitar! trumpet! maraca! this music is clearly composed to emulate spanish music, and it’s very earnest, which I think is important, with how easily music sets tone in media.

in both cases, Don Quixote is in a delusion. nothing in the stage play of her adventures is real, but she’s also completely wrapped up in the narrative of evil bloodfiends without the knowledge that she is one. a violent nightmare and a peaceful dream, both of which she needs to wake up from.

they both do this thing with black-and-white thinking, too. there’s a difference between the “good” bloodfiends, which you should get along with, and the “bad” ones, which you need to kill (though Don sees them both as bad), and then the bandits in the stage play are cartoonishly evil and love to bully the weak. except it seems the first is the narrative the Barber wanted to sell, while the second is Don Quixote’s reality… I mean, the play is definitely inaccurate, but we’ve seen how Don behaves

if you follow me for kingdom hearts and are for some reason reading this you know how much I love Nobodies in kh. people who used to be human, but aren’t anymore, who look close enough but are different on an intrinsic and physiological level, that everyone automatically treats as unreasonable monsters that need to die when they’re more complicated than that… I love it so much, I’m cheering and clapping whenever bloodfiend morality is brought up. Moses said that Larierre was cordial and offered her a place to sit and talk, but then also said bloodfiends are insatiably hungry and you shouldn’t underestimate them. agh I love it

also THE MUSIIIIIC every fight theme so far has been a banger. songs that were already good but with typical carnival instruments, big brass swing, the aforementioned nice spanish music, and the fucked up and evil sequel to dubstep electroswing featuring evil laughter

and finally, the helm of mambrino. in early part 1 of Don Quixote, he sees a barber (COMPLETELY unrelated barber to the other barber btw) carrying a basin on his head, and thinks it’s the amazing mystical Helm of Mambrino, so he attacks the barber and steals the basin. Don Quixote wears it as a helmet a few times and everyone thinks it looks really stupid. they did not fight a bear for it, nor did they go into a cave. idk what this might actually be in the City. either we’ll see or we won’t

[thomas-querqy]

Limonov, la ballade réalisé par Kirill Serebrennikov, coécrit avec Pawel Pawlikowski, Ben Hopkins, avec Ben Whishaw, Viktoria Miroshnichenko

Comme beaucoup, j'ai découvert Édouard Limonov avec le livre d'Emmanuel Carrère (2011). Dans la foulée, j'avais lu Le petit salaud (1986) qui raconte son enfance à Kharkiv et Le poète russe préfère les grands nègres (1979), sa vie new-yorkaise.

L'adaptation de Serebrennikov campe un Limonov encore plus punk dans son nihilisme et sa méchanceté. La forme du film très travaillée est en adéquation parfaite avec le personnage, si ce n'est ce choix calamiteux, sans doute imposé par les producteurs très nombreux, de faire parler tous les personnages en anglais, y compris ses vieux parents, avec une pseudo accent russe. Un crève-cœur pour nos oreilles qui vont toujours voir un film russe pour le plaisir d'entendre cette langue magnifique dans une bouche qui ne soit pas celle de Poutine ou de sa clique.

[artemistorm]

WAHHH IS THAT HOPKINS??? (Or some other frog item?)

Mr. Hopper lives

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

We Three Kings

We three kings of orient are Bearing gifts we traverse afar Field and fountain Moor and mountain Following yonder star

O star of wonder, star of night Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy perfect light

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain Gold I bring to crown Him again King for ever, ceasing never Over us all to reign

Frankincense to offer have I Incense owns a Deity nigh Prayer and praising All men raising Worship Him, God most high

O star of wonder, star of night Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy perfect light

Myrrh is mine It's bitter perfume breathes A life of gathering gloom Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying Sealed in the stone cold tomb

Glorious now behold Him arise King and God and Sacrifice Al-le-lu-ia, al-le-lu-ia Heaven to earth replies

O star of wonder, star of night Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy perfect light

Songwriters: Bob Baldwin / John Henry Hopkins Jr. We Three Kings of Orient Are lyrics © Bosworth Gmbh, Novello & Co. Ltd., Chester Music, Funky Onion Publishing

[emiliosandozsequence]

i stole this lol but it seemed fun so <3

What was your first ever story idea? What happened to it? it was a fantasy novel about an elf girl. i've never read a book where the main character is an elf, so i decided to write one myself. i did actually end up writing it; it was the first novel i ever wrote and i was 14 when i did it (still proud of that; it was 230 pgs in a word document btw). anyway, i ended up losing access to the manuscript, so rip, but i'm fully intending to rewrite it someday and make it a lot better than it was when i was writing it at 14.

What’s your writing routine? usually i'll put on music and just start writing whatever comes to mind for whatever scene i'm trying to write at the time. whenever i can't figure out what to do next, i'll go on tumblr and scroll for a bit until it comes to me. it's pretty effective, though my editor literally thinks i'm doing nothing all day bc of this even tho i Promise him i'm Working On It 😭😭😭

Are you a plotter, a pantser, or something in between? in between for sure. i plan things as i go. i start with an overall idea and then just...start writing and plan for the next chapters as they come to me. with the novel i'm currently writing, i've only planned up through chapter 8 and i'm currently writing chapter 4. i used to plan everything, but for some reason that made it so much harder for me to actually write the novels, so i don't do that anymore.

Do you try to tell moral stories throughout your work, or any other life lessons? What are they? there was a time where i did that, but the older i've gotten, the more i've realized a solid plot is a lot more important than telling any moral story. whether you like it or not, people are going to remember your book for the story you tell, not the reason you're telling it, and as a reader, i tend to go for stories with more solid plots than morals anyway.

What do you prefer, character development or worldbuilding? Why? both?? idk they both come very easily to me. to the point that there's been times where i think i haven't done enough of either and people have read my work and told me the opposite. i guess worldbuilding is more fun, but it's harder, which i think is probably why i like it more than character development bc that comes even easier to me than worldbuilding.

Do you have any tips for budding writers? i'll tell you exactly what my editor told me in the first class of his i took when i was 12: write like a shark. whatever you're writing, write it until it's done. go back and edit later. i've learned you can do a little bit of editing as you go once you've finished a few novels because then you know you can do it (speaking from experience; i've finished 7 and self-published 2 and am working on my 8th), but if you're new to writing and you haven't finished a book yet, don't do it. you will get caught up in it otherwise. especially if you have adhd (like i do).

Who inspires you to write the most? at the moment?? probably tamsyn muir. we have a shocking amount in common (our birthday's are literally a single day apart, though she's older than me by several years) and her books are exactly the kind of books i want to write. but also mary doria russell (duh) because we have very similar writing styles; ellen hopkins because she really was who really taught me (through me reading her books) how to write emotional stuff really well; brandon sanderson bc nothing is ever going to beat how i felt at the ending of the mistborn trilogy; and marie lu because her characters from the legend trilogy live in my mind rent free still and i can't help thinking of day every time i create a new boy.

tagging @thinking-in-broken-scenes @naysaltysalmon @the-lisechen and anyone else that wants to!! i just tagged people i know are also writers <3

[enchantedchocolatebars]

Do you have any favorite ships with characters from The Owl House?

OOO, I DO, ANON! ❤️ 👀 📦 💟

LU//MITY 💖 🧡 🤍 💗 💜 💙 (it's cute and canon and i love it), Caleb x Evelyn / Wittewife [some call it Witte//claw I think?] (we didn't get to see much of their relationship in canon, but the fanarts and fanfics of them are SO CUTE + I love the ship between Caleb and my Wittewife oc Clara), Will//luz [Willow x Luz] is AAA ADORABLE 💖💖💖, maybe this one is weird and I don't know if this counts as a ship but I love the idea of Kikimora having a huge crush on Belos and her fangirling over him and him being so occupied with his own thing that he doesn't even notice XD, Philip x Jesus Christ, Philip x Matthew Hopkins, Philip x Cecilia (thanking @azure-blaze92 for this ship), and Beardo Philip x Camila (I've written and answered some cute au stuff about them on here and @livvychoclate seems to really like the ship as well so I'm not alone in liking this rarepair lol).

[skyward-floored]

Honestly I think it’s pretty funny the name Hopkins stuck for the frog, I literally just picked a punny name and people still call him that even though it’s been like two years

[ava-monstrum]

LCB CH01 [6]

spoilers below

Had to pause a bit to get dinner. It was good if you were wondering. Though I think I ate too much cause my stomach hurts. Good thing I’m not squeamish.

…That’s why…

Yep, I'm pretty sure that isn't Yuri, Gregor stay away.

Ah...

It talks

Yeah this thing is gonna guilt trip him

OH CRAP

HE SOUNDS SO HURT!!!!

THAT HURT MY SOUL

OH CRAP WHAT!?

FLASHBACK!?

His arm is moving on it's own...oh boy

He had to have it cut it to save her

Wow, the officers are still polite to him despite that weird thing.

WAIT I JUST REALIZED That's the kind citizen that was checking on him before Rodion interrupts Gregor's flashback!

Oh...we're back

Hey Yuri

Oh someone else is talking, sounds like that young fella during the time loop. I think his name was like Thomfor? Thomas? Can't remember.

Gregor: "Just live on please...It's not like we got ourselves into this mess voluntarily."

:(

He sounds so desperate

Who's chatting?

Oh someone killed the abno

Someone new is here

Ah.. that woman in the front is Hermann. Yikes...

YI SANG!? WHOS GUBO? YOU KNOW THEM!?

Oh it's the dude with red glasses

BROTHER!?

HONG LU'S BROTHER IS ALSO A PART OF THAT GROUP!?

Outis you probably know them too...

Hermann you jerk, don't call Gregor's arm a gift

Hermann: "That little arm isn't all there is to it."

...I see where this might be going

Now we're back to Vergilius...not looking forward to hearing what he has to say.

Vergilius, don't be mad, you expect the group to do everything for you, but don't give them all the info?

Now he saying that WE should have know, shut up

Those, well not Aya and Yuri but HOPKINS was stupid and didn't help

Outis: "Failure is a common thing on the battlefield. If an objective wasn't met, you devise another plan and redeploy."

Wow thanks Outis, I didn't expect you to be patient about this.

Outis be careful, he can still kill everyone

Oh shoot, Vergilius concedes. a little.

Looks like everyone isn't doing so hot

…sorry Gregor

Oh, what did he hang up?

.....uhhhhhh....Grete? Is this really happening?

Awwww, everyones doing really bad....

Man I wonder how Charon feels...

Yeah, I knew it was the gas mask

Aww man, song time

Gonna listen in...

Thoughts during the music:

Wow, they're really not gonna change their clothes

Also, Yuri was a literal red shirt huh?

Don really doesn't seem to be thinking about this

Dante's really going through it

Hong Lu seems to be ignoring this too

....Is that the HamHamPangPang logo

IT WAS SUNG BY GREGOR!?

Welp, that was something....

Also Faust is the Most Valued Employee for this fight, good for her.

Wow, that was depressing

I was gonna try the gacha but it looks like a weird bug is going on with the extraction. So sorry about that.

Well, I'm gonna bounce. That was a ton of fun and I hope you enjoyed!

[asianartsblog]

Asia in Maryland 2024 showcases the voices and stories of Maryland’s Asian and AAPI artists. Through diverse artistic media, this exhibition fosters dialogue on identity, connection, and resilience.

.

On view through December 7 (closed October 25 and November 27-30)

Monday – Saturday 11 am – 4 pm

Location: Asian Arts Gallery, Center for the Arts, Towson University. 1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson, MD 21204

.

Linling Lu

A Baltimore-based artist, Linling Lu holds a BFA and MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Her works are included in the collections of The Phillips Collection, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Johns Hopkins University.

“Agitated Meditation, No. 21"

This piece, created from found fabrics and objects from Southwestern China and the US, reflects Lu’s exploration of memory and place. Drawing inspiration from crazy quilting, the work weaves together fragments of time and geography, offering a meditative journey through textiles.

For more about Linling Lu:

www.lulinling.net | IG: @linlinglu

Sookkyung Park

Born in South Korea and now living in Maryland, Sookkyung Park specializes in paper-based artworks. After founding an Arts & Crafts studio in 1982 and later moving to the US, she earned an MFA from Towson University. Her works have been recognized in regional and international exhibitions.

“Wave V”

In this sculpture, Park folds thousands of small paper pieces to create a unified structure, symbolizing the strength found in human connection. The wave motif, representing resilience and hope, reflects the idea that society’s greatest strength lies in its unity.

For more about Sookkyung Park:

www.sookkyungart.com | IG: @sookkyung_arts | FB: @sookkyung.park.731

[jobrxiv]

Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular and Cell Biology Johns Hopkins University Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University: Those with experience in molecular and cell biology and phamacology are encouraged to apply. See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/johns-hopkins-university-27778-postdoctoral-fellow-in-molecular-and-cell-biology-at-johns-hopkins-universi/?feed_id=80839 #molecular_cell_biology #pharmacology #ScienceJobs #hiring #research

[archie-blog]

Norty Blues 20240630 Episode 71

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-w79m2-16569a3 Welcome to this week’s Norty Blues.I’m Archie Archive and the entertainment this week is from Hambone Willie Newbern, Gertrude ‘Ma’ Rainey, Skip James, Lucille Bogan, Blue Lu Barker, The Teskey Brothers, Minnie Marks, Charlie Parker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Roy Bookbinder, Lead Belly and Larkin Poe

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

JAY McSHANN, KANSAS CITY STYLE

"You'd hear some cat play, and somebody would say, 'This cat, he sounds like he's from Kansas City.' It was Kansas City Style. They knew it on the East Coast. They knew it on the West Coast. They knew it up North, and they knew it down South."

- Jay McShann

Né le 12 janvier 1916 à Muskogee, en Oklahoma, James Columbus McShann était le plus jeune fils d’une famille de quatre enfants. Élevé dans une famille très religieuse, McShann avait appris à jouer du piano en assistant aux leçons de sa soeur et en mémorisant les pièces qu’il entendait à la radio. C’est dans le magasin de son père, qui était également vendeur de disques, que McShann avait entendu pour la première fois Bessie Smith et James P. Johnson. McShann avait commencé à jouer du blues malgré la désapprobation de sa famille.

Très influencé par les émissions de fin de soirée du pianiste Fats Waller au Grand Terrace Cafe de Chicago, McShann avait déclaré: "When 'Fatha' (Hines) went off the air, I went to bed". Même s’il avait étudié au Tuskegee Institute, McShann avait surtout appris à jouer du piano en autodidacte.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Surnommé ‘’Hootie’’, McShann a amorcé sa carrière professionnelle en 1931 à l’âge de seulement quinze ans, en accompagnant le saxophoniste ténor Don Byas dans les environs de Tulsa, en Oklahoma, et en Arkansas. Selon McShann, un de ses amis de Tulsa, le contrebassiste Bill Hadnot, lui avait déclaré lors d’un voyage en autobus en direction d’Omaha, au Nebraska: ‘’Man, this is where you want to stay. This is where the music is. You don’t want to be going to Omaha." McShann aurait alors rebroussé chemin pour se diriger vers Kansas City, au Missouri.

Après s’être installé à Kansas City en 1936, McShann s’était produit avec un trio composé du contrebassiste Oliver Todd et du batteur Elmer Hopkins. Au cours des mois suivants, McShann avait travaillé avec le saxophoniste alto Buster Smith et le trompettiste Dee Stewart. McShann avait  formé son propre sextet en 1937. À la fin de l’année 1939, McShann avait fondé son propre big band qui fut bientôt reconnu comme des groupes les plus progressistes de l’ère swing. L’orchestre s’était produit au Pla-Mor Ballroom, au Century Room et au Fairyland Park de Kansas City.

McShann, qui s’était vite imposé auprès de la communauté musicale de Kansas City (plus particulièrement dans le quartier délimité par les 12e et 18e rues), se produisait régulièrement au Monroe Inn, un club situé sur Independence Avenue. C’est alors que McShann avait découvert Charlie Parker. McShann avait entendu Parker jouer pour la première fois après s’être arrêté par hasard au Bar Lu-Duc situé au coin de la 12e rue et de Charlotte Street. La façon de jouer de Parker avait tellement été une révélation pour McShann qu’il avait décidé de lui donner sa chance. Le groupe, qui se produisait au Plaza de Kansas City, un célèbre club de jazz, avait été une des premières formations à briser la barrière raciale. Comme l’avait expliqué McShann, "At the time the Plaza didn't use black bands. We were the first black band to play the plaza." Bientôt augmenté à une douzaine de membres, le groupe de McShann s’était produit dans certaines des plus importantes salles de danse de Kansas City, comme le Pla-Mor Ballroom.

En 1940, accompagné de sept des membres de son orchestre, McShann avait fait les premiers enregistrements de sa carrière dans le cadre d’une session organisée par une station de radio de Wichita, au Kansas. Cette session, qui ne fut finalement publiée que dans les années 1970, comprenait certains des premiers enregistrements de Parker, dont ‘’Lady Be Good’’ et ‘’Honeysuckle Rose." Participaient également à la session Gene Ramey à la contrebasse et Gus Johnson à la batterie.

Conteur né, McShann adorait raconter comment Charlie Parker s’était mérité son surnom de ‘’Bird.’’ Le groupe se rendait jouer à Lincoln au Nebraska lorsque le conducteur de l’automobile avait heurté un poulet par inadvertance. Aux dires de McShann, après avoir demandé au chauffeur de faire un virage pour qu’il puisse attraper le poulet, Parker s’était assis avec le volatile sur le siège arrière du véhicule. À son arrivée à Lincoln, Parker avait fait cuire le poulet et l’avait servi à dîner...

McShann avait fait ses débuts sur disque en 1941 sur étiquette Decca. La session, qui avait lieu à Dallas, au Texas, devait comprendre à l’origine une composition de Parker intitulée ‘’What Price Is Love’’, qui devint éventuellement connue sous le titre de ‘’Yardbird Suite.’’ Le producteur Dave Kapp s’intéressant davantage au répertoire de blues du groupe, McShann lui avait proposé plusieurs pièces de blues et de boogie woogie. La session avait éventuellement donné naissance au plus grand succès de la carrière de McShann, "Confessin' the Blues", qui mettait en vedette le chanteur Walter Brown. La chanson, qui s’était écoulée à plus de 150 000 copies, avait remporté tellement de succès que Decca avait immédiatement planifié d’autres sessions avec le groupe de McShann. Même si la formation avait enregistré plusieurs pièces qui avaient fait le pont entre le swing et le bebop (y compris le premier témoignage enregistré du génie de Parker, ‘’Hootie’s Blues’’), le succès rencontré par les premières enregistrements du groupe avait eu l’effet pervers de confiner McShann dans une réputation de pianiste de blues. Parmi les autres pièces enregistrées par Parker avec l’orchestre de McShann, on remarquait notamment ‘’Jumpin The Blues,” “Sepian Bounce” et “Swingmatism.”

Associé au style de Kansas City qui avait été popularisé par des musiciens de jazz comme Pete Johnson, Mary Lou Williams, Big Joe Turner, Hot Lips Page, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Walter Page, Andy Kirk, Benny Moten et Count Basie, McShann avait déclaré à l’Associated Press en 2003: "You'd hear some cat play, and somebody would say, 'This cat, he sounds like he's from Kansas City.' It was Kansas City Style. They knew it on the East Coast. They knew it on the West Coast. They knew it up North, and they knew it down South."

McShann s’était produit pour la première fois à New York dans le cadre d’un concert au Savoy Ballroom en février 1942. Retransmis à la radio, le concert avait permis à l’orchestre de McShann d’atteindre une renommée nationale.

Concurrent direct de Count Basie, l’orchestre de McShann mettait en vedette de grands noms du jazz comme les saxophonistes Charlie Parker (1937-42), Ben Webster, Paul Quinichette (1943), Jimmy Coe et Jimmy Forrest, le trompettiste Bernard Anderson, le contrebassiste Gene Ramey (1940-44), les batteurs Gus Johnson (1940–42) et Harold "Doc" West, et les chanteurs Walter Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon,  Al Hibbler et Earl Coleman. Même si McShann faisait énormément de tournées, il était de plus en plus difficile pour les groupes de jazz de se faire connaître, en raison de la grève de l’Union des Musiciens qui limitait les possibilités d’enregistrer avec les grands studios. À l’automne 1942, le pianiste Earl Hines avait encore compliqué la situation en recrutant cinq membres du groupe de McShann, dont Charlie Parker. Le changement de décor n’avait cependant rien amélioré pour Parker, dont les problèmes de dépendance avaient rendu le comportement de plus en plus erratique.

Même si l’orchestre de McShann jouait du swing, du boogie woogie et du blues en spectacle, la plupart de ses disques étaient orientés vers le blues. McShann avait démantelé son groupe après avoir été mobilisé par l’armée en mai 1944. Le groupe avait participé à une dernière session d’enregistrement en décembre 1943, mais sans Charlie Parker, qui avait déjà rejoint l’orchestre de Hines.

Après sa démobilisation, McShann avait formé de petits groupes de Rhythm n’ blues qui s’étaient d’abord produits dans des clubs de New York et qui avaient enregistré des succès comme “Money’s Getting’ Cheaper”, “Shipyard Woman Blues’’ et surtout “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”. À l’époque, avec l’émergence du bebop et des chanteurs de charme, l’ère des big bands tirait à sa fin. Au cours d’une entrevue, McShann avait expliqué à quel point les choses avaient changé durant son séjour dans l’armée: "During that little while I was in the army, everything changed. It was a different thing because a lot of the dance halls were turned into bowling alleys." L’époque des grands orchestres étant révolue, McShann avait décidé de quitter New York pour s’installer à Los Angeles. Il précisait: "By the time I got to California, I decided that I was through with trying to have a big band because it was too expensive, so I formed a small blues combo."

C’est à Los Angeles que McShann avait inauguré une longue collaboration avec le chanteur de blues Jimmy Witherspoon, avec lequel il avait enregistré plusieurs pièces pour les maisons de disques Mercury et Aladdin.

Quatre ans après avoir commencé à enregistrer avec McShann, Witherspoon avait connu un premier grand succès en 1949 avec la chanson "Ain't Nobody's Business". Tout en collaborant à l’écriture de certaines pièces, Witherspoon avait continué d’enregistrer avec le groupe de McShann, qui comprenait à l’époque de grands noms du jazz comme Ben Webster.

Au début des années 1950, McShann  était retourné à Kansas City, où il avait opéré une entreprise de cueillette d’ordures ainsi que service de limousine, tout en poursuivant ses études au Conservatoire.

Tout en s’occupant de sa famille, McShann faisait régulièrement des tournées avec son trio et d’autres petits groupes. Durant les deux décennies suivantes, McShann avait travaillé principalement dans le Midwest.

En 1955, McShann avait remporté un grand succès avec la chanson "Hands Off", interprétée par la chanteuse Priscilla Bowman. En décembre 1957, McShann avait de nouveau fait équipe avec Jimmy Witherspoon dans le cadre d’une session pour les disques RCA Victor.

À la fin des années 1960, McShann se produisait souvent autant comme chanteur que comme pianiste. Sur les conseils de Duke Ellington, il avait fait une tournée en Europe en 1969, où il avait développé une clientèle de fervents admirateurs. Durant les trente années suivantes, McShann faisait régulièrement la navette entre l’Europe et les États-Unis, en plus de se produire dans plusieurs festivals de jazz à travers le monde.

Tombé dans une relative obscurité, McShann avait vécu une sorte de renaissance au cours des années 1970 et 1980. Il avait recommencé à enregistrer régulièrement et à donner de nombreux concerts, notamment avec le violoniste de Kansas City, Claude ‘’Fiddler’’ Williams.

Après avoir fait l’objet d’un documentaire biographique intitulé ‘’Hootie’s Blues’’ en 1978, McShann avait fait une apparition remarquée en 1979 dans le film ‘’The Last of the Blue Devils’’, un documentaire sur le jazz de Kansas City.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Durant les années 1990, McShann avait continué de se produire sur scène et de faire des tournées. Même à plus de quatre-vingt ans, McShann continuait de donner des concerts à l’occasion, plus particulièrement dans la région de Kansas City. McShann avait donné son dernier concert à Toronto, en Ontario, en février 2001.

Jay McShann est décédé au  St. Luke’s Hospital de Kansas City le 7 décembre 2006 à l’âge de quatre-vingt-dix ans.

Jay McShann  s’est mérité plusieurs prix au cours de sa longue carrière. Élu ‘’Jazz Master’’ par la National Endowment for the Arts en 1986, il fut également intronisé au sein du Kansas City Hall of Fame (1971), du Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame (1998) et du Blues Hall of Fame (1989). En 1982, l’Afro-American Museum de Philadelphie lui a aussi décerné un Jazz Master Award. McShann a également remporté un Pioneer Award décerné par la Rhythm and Blues Foundation en 1996. McShann est aussi lauréat du Kansas City Jazz Heritage Award et du Jazz Era Pioneer Award décerné par la National Association of Jazz Educators. En 1979, le 3 mars a été déclaré la journée officielle Jay McShann par une proclamation du gouverneur du Missouri.

En 2003, McShann avait aussi fait une apparition dans un documentaire de Clint Eastwood, intitulé ‘’Piano Blues.’’

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