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omgellendean · 5 months ago

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The text of the letter and names of the celebrities that signed it under the cut.

"October 23, 2023

Dear President Biden,

We are heartened by Friday’s release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan and by today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity.

But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death. They were taken by Hamas in the savage massacre of October 7, where over 1,400 Israelis were slaughtered - women raped, families burned alive, and infants beheaded.

Thank you for your unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group’s founding over 35 years ago, and for the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years that the group has been governing Gaza.

We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages.

We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind. Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise, we need to bring them home.

Sincerely,

Aaron Bay-Schuck Aaron Sorkin Adam Berkowitz Adam Goodman Adam Levine Adam & Jackie Sandler Adee Drexler Alan Grubman Alex Aja Alex Edelman Alexandra Shiva Ali Wentworth Alison Statter Allan Loeb Alona Tal Amy Chozick Amy Pascal Amy Schumer Amy Sherman Palladino Andrew Singer Andy Cohen Angela Robinson Ant Hines Anthony Russo Antonio Campos Ari Dayan Ari Greenburg Ariel Martin Arik Kneller Aron Coleite Ashley Levinson Asif Satchu Aubrey Plaza Barbara Hershey Barry Diller Barry Josephson Barry Levinson Barry Rosenstein Beau Flynn Behati Prinsloo Bella Thorne Ben Stiller Ben Turner Ben Winston Ben Younger Billy Crystal Blair Kohan Bob Odenkirk Bobbi Brown Bobby Kotick Brad Falchuk Brad Slater Bradley Cooper Bradley Fischer Brett Gelman Brian Grazer Bridget Everett Brooke Shields Bruna Papandrea Cameron Curtis

Carin Sage Casey Neistat Cazzie David Charles Randolph Charles Roven Chelsea Handler Chloe Fineman Chris Fischer Chris Jericho Chris Pine Chris Rock Christian Carino Cindi Berger Claire Coffee Colleen Camp Constance Wu Cory Litwin Courteney Cox Craig Silverstein Dame Maureen Lipman Dan Aloni Dan Mazer Dan Rosenweig Dan Swimer Dana Goldberg Dana Klein Daniel Glass

Daniel Palladino

Danielle Bernstein

Danny A. Abeckaser

Danny Cohen

Danny Strong

Daphne Kastner

David Alan Grier

David Baddiel

David Bernad

David Chang

David Ellison

David Geffen

David Gilmour &

Polly Sampson

David Goodman

David Joseph

David Kohan

David Lowery

David Oyelowo

David Schwimmer

Dawn Porter

Dean Cain Deborah Lee Furness Deborah Snyder Debra Messing Diane Von Furstenberg Donny Deutsch Doug Liman Douglas Chabbott Eddy Kitsis Edgar Ramirez Eli Roth Elisabeth Shue Elizabeth Himelstein Embeth Davidtz Emmanuelle Chriqui Eric Andre Erik Feig Erin Foster Eugene Levy Evan Jonigkeit Evan Winiker Ewan McGregor Francis Benhamou Francis Lawrence Fred Raskin Gabe Turner Gail Berman Gal Gadot Gary Barber Gene Stupinski Genevieve Angelson Gideon Raff Gina Gershon Ginnifer Goodwin Grant Singer Greg Berlanti Guy Nattiv Guy Oseary Gwyneth Paltrow Hannah Fidell Hannah Graf Harlan Coben Harold Brown Harvey Keitel Helen Mirren Henrietta Conrad Henry Winkler

Heidi Jo Markel Holland Taylor Howard Gordon Iain Morris Imran Ahmed Inbar Lavi Isla Fisher JD Lifshitz Jack Black Jackie Sandler Jake Graf Jake Kasdan James Brolin James Corden Jamie Ray Newman Jaron Varsano Jason Blum Jason Fuchs Jason Reitman Jason Segel Jason Sudeikis

Jason Biggs &

Jenny Mollen Biggs

Jeanne Newman

Jeff Goldblum

Jeff Levin

Jeff Rake

Jeffrey Best

Jen Joel

Jennifer Morrison

Jeremy Piven

Jerry Seinfeld

Jesse Itzler

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Sisgold

Jessica Biel

Jessica Elbaum

Jessica Seinfeld

Jill Littman

Jimmy Carr

Jody Gerson

Joe Hipps

Joe Quinn

Joe Russo

Joe Tippett

Joel Fields

Joey King

John Landgraf

John Slattery

Jon Bernthal

Jon Glickman Jon Hamm Jon Harmon Feldman Jon Liebman Jon Watts Jon Weinbach Jonathan Baruch Jonathan Groff Jonathan Marc Sherman Jonathan Ross Jonathan Steinberg Jonathan Tisch Jonathan Tropper Jordan Peele Josh Brolin Josh Charles Josh Dallas Josh Goldstine Josh Greenstein Josh Grode Josh Singer Judd Apatow Judge Judy Sheindlin Julia Fox Julia Garner Julia Lester Julianna Margulies Julie Greenwald Julie Rudd Julie Singer Juliette Lewis Jullian Morris Justin Theroux Justin Timberlake KJ Steinberg Karen Pollock Karlie Kloss Katy Perry Kelley Lynch Kevin Kane Kevin Zegers Kirsten Dunst Kitao Sakurai Kristen Schaal Kristin Chenoweth Lana Del Rey Laura Benanti Laura Dern Laura Pradelska Lauren Schuker Blum Laurence Mark Laurie David Lea Michele Lee Eisenberg Leo Pearlman Leslie Siebert Liev Schreiber Limor Gott Lina Esco Liz Garbus Lizanne Rosenstein Lizzie Tisch Lorraine Schwartz Lynn Harris Lyor Cohen Madonna Mandana Dayani Mara Buxbaum

Marc Webb

Marco Perego

Maria Dizzia

Mark Feuerstein

Mark Foster

Mark Scheinberg

Mark Shedletsky

Martin Short

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Mary McCormack

Mathew Rosengart

Matt Geller

Matt Lucas

Matt Miller

Matthew Bronfman

Matthew Hiltzik

Matthew Weiner

Matti Leshem

Max Mutchnik

Maya Lasry

Meaghan Oppenheimer

Melissa Zukerman

Melissa rudderman

Michael Aloni Michael Ellenberg Michael Green Michael Rapino Neil Blair Neil Druckmann Neil Paris Nicola Peltz Nicole Avant Nina Jacobson Noa Kirel Noa Tishby Noah Oppenheim Noah Schnapp Noreena Hertz Octavia Spencer Odeya Rush Olivia Wilde Oran Zegman Orlando Bloom Pasha Kovalev Pattie LuPone Patty Jenkins Paul Haas Paul Pflug Paul & Julie Rudd Peter Baynham Peter Traugott Rachel Douglas Rachel Riley Rafi Marmor Ram Bergman Raphael Margulies Rebecca Angelo Rebecca Mall Regina Spektor Reinaldo Marcus Green Rich Statter Richard Jenkins Richard Kind Rick Hoffman Rick Rosen Rita Ora Rob Rinder Robert Newman Roger Birnbaum Roger Green Rosie O’Donnell Ross Duffer Ryan Feldman Sacha Baron Cohen Sam Levinson Sam Trammell Sara Berman Sara Foster Sarah Baker Sarah Bremner Sarah Cooper Sarah Paulson Sarah Treem Scott Braun Scott Braun Scott Neustadter Scott Tenley Sean Combs Sean Levy Seth Meyers Seth Oster Shannon Watts Shari Redstone Sharon Jackson Sharon Stone Shauna Perlman Shawn Levy Sheila Nevins Shira Haas Simon Sebag Montefiore Simon Tikhman Skylar Astin Stacey Snider Stephen Fry Steve Agee Steve Rifkind Sting & Trudie Styler Susanna Felleman Susie Arons Taika Waititi Thomas Kail Tiffany Haddish Todd Lieberman Todd Moscowitz Todd Waldman Tom Freston Tom Werner Tomer Capone Tracy Ann Oberman Trudie Styler Tyler Henry Tyler James Williams Tyler Perry Vanessa Bayer Veronica Grazer Veronica Smiley Whitney Wolfe Herd Will Ferrell Will Graham Yamanieka Saunders Yariv Milchan Ynon Kreiz Zack Snyder Zoe Saldana Zoey Deutch Zosia Mamet

#my post #palestine #celebrities #genocide joe

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jo-harrington · 1 year ago

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Jo, love of my life, star that lights up my skies, can I get Werewolf for your blurb game?

Ashley my sun and stars. I have a thought you may or may not like. Keep an open mind here.

In terms of werewolf...I think lets keep an open mind for this one. What even is a werewolf? This might be relevant to some kind of plot in some kind of story later...idk...

TW: Billy Hargrove (he is a trigger warning in and of itself), minor aggression, violence, threats, allusions to difficult family life, foreshadowing(?)

Thoughts of Eddie's looks in this chapter are inspired by this and this by my beloved friend @hearsegrrl. You can buy her prints here.

Find other Hymns of Heaven here.

And find the Master List for As Above, So Below here.

Halloween 1984

Halloween was Eddie's favorite holiday.

A momentous occasion filled with ghouls and frights and candy.

This year, he'd done everything to make it a special one. For himself, his friends, and for you.

The Halloween one-shot on Friday had gone off without a hitch. Jeff, Gareth, and Dave were about to shit their pants when the boss was revealed five hours into their game, right at the stroke of midnight.

You, of course, had joined just like you promised Eddie you would; a little hesitant with the roleplaying, but you tried, and it made him proud.

Then last night, he and the guys planned a special Halloween show at the Hideout. To fit the Corroded Coffin name, Eddie insisted they all dress up as vampires, complete with costumes, fake blood and fangs, black nails that you helped paint, and a fog machine that he borrowed from the theater department at school.

It was no different than any other Tuesday; the same five drunks showed up at the bar plus you and a handful of your coworkers from Bradleys that you convinced to come. They were certainly not the typical audience for the music they played but they enjoyed it nonetheless.

And Eddie showed how grateful he was when he drove you home, fangs still glued on as he nibbled love bites all over your neck. Your squeals were music to his ears.

Tonight, Halloween itself, Tina's "epic" party raged on. The music was bad, the food was worse. The booze was acceptable--someone had picked the lock of Tina's parents liquor cabinet--but the company made it all some big headache.

You and Eddie were huddled in a couple of lawn chairs, solo cups in hand. Jeff and Dave had tagged along, finally upperclassman and eager to be invited, but they had disappeared a while ago, only to be found once it was time to leave. Eddie's lunch box that was filled with pre-rolled joints and tiny plastic bags was slowly emptied and refilled with handfuls of candy and a growing roll of cash, and it was safely trapped between his feet until people decided to approach while you "enjoyed" the party.

The music at these things was always bad but Eddie enjoyed people watching. At the homecoming afterparty, he'd cracked joke after joke about what couples would break up by the end of the night, and which ones would hook up. Tonight the two of you were trying to figure out what everyone's costumes were.

"I think they're supposed to be a horse..." You tilted your head to the side. "Half of a horse."

"A horse's ass," Eddie chuckled.

"Wait! A centaur!" you gasped and grabbed Eddie's shoulder to shake him. "Oh my god."

"That's a really shitty costume for a party," he grinned and sipped at his drink.

Not that either of you were really dressed up.

Eddie had considered reusing his vampire getup from the show but it was a little chilly, so party be damned he was bundled up in a hooded sweatshirt and his battle vest. You had tried to put in some effort and had shown up at his place in a belted white dress with a basket and mannequin's head from some display at work.

"Judith," you grinned. "And the severed head of Holofernes."

You'd dressed the part of some vampiric acolyte for the show the night before and he thought it had been hot but this? He was speechless.

"You look...I...weh...it's pretty badass baby," he agreed as he gave you a once-over.

Parts of the dress and your fingertips were stained red with leftover fake blood and there was a knife on your belt. Where had you gotten that?

"I...uh...don't think anyone's gonna know what that is though. Knife's pretty cool; use it to keep the creeps away."

"But that's what I have you for."

You had gotten cold about a half-hour in and had gone to the van to get your jacket and ditch the basket.

Eddie scanned the crowd for another ridiculous costume but he was simply annoyed by all of the Madonnas and people in their Star Wars bed sheet togas and--

"31...32...33..." the crowd over by the keg started chanting louder and louder, and party goers abandoned their conversation to see what all the hubbub was.

Eddie got to his feet to try and get a good look at which douchebag was marking their territory and immediately fell back into his seat when he recognized them.

"Not this fucking guy," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"Who is it?" you asked. "That Harrington guy you told me about?"

"No it's this other guy," Eddie shook his head. "Just started at Hawkins High. Been here a grand total of 3 days and already acts like everyone's scum."

"34...35...36..."

"Maybe he's scared, looks like he's trying to show off," you offered. Eddie knew you were too nice, too good...you gave people the benefit of the doubt.

"No, he's a real piece of work," he explained. "Parked next to me on Monday. Slammed his door into the side of the van and when I tried to say 'hey pal,' he slammed it again, told me it was a piece of shit anyway, and then flipped me off."

You pursed your lips and looked over at the crowd.

"37...38...39..."

"I think he almost ran a bunch of kids off the road earlier too. Saw it as I was driving home."

"What the fuck?"

"40...41...42..." The crowd started cheering and a spray of beer soared over heads and rained down on the concrete of the patio. "Billy! Billy! Billy!"

He howled, hands curled into triumphant claws at his sides, head turning up to the sky. He called out to the stars and the moon as the remnants of beer foamed at the corners of his mouth.

"That's how you do it Hawkins," Billy Hargrove then roared amidst cheers of his name. "That's how you do it."

He and his entourage passed the two of you as they made their way into the house, and Eddie felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end when Billy's eyes stopped on you for the briefest of seconds.

And it truly was only a second. Hell, he might not have even looked at you, there were plenty of people there. Eddie already didn't like this guy, already made his mind up about him, but it was though he could sense something inside of Billy, and it ignited something inside of him.

Danger. Protect. Hide. Fight. Run.

He wanted to ask if you felt the same way, but your attention had already drifted away from the commotion as you scanned the crowd for another silly costume. So he just pushed it down.

After a few more hours, sales started drying up and Eddie announced it was time to go. You agreed; it was a school night for Eddie and the guys and you had work in the morning. Eddie tossed you his keys and the lunchbox and told you to get the van started while he found Jeff and Dave.

Jeff had been easy to find. Tina's parents had a great home theater in the rec room in the basement and Cinephile that Jeff was had made his way down there once he saw that the party life wasn't really for him. It was a cozy little spot with sodas and a bowl of candy, and Jeff was settled on a cozy couch to watch The Wizard of Oz with a girl actually dressed as Dorothy, sparkly shoes and all.

"Alright, time to go," Eddie announced and he flipped the light switch. "There's no place like home."

"Come on Ed," Jeff whined. "Just a few more minutes. They're about to melt the Witch!"

Eddie sighed; these kids were lucky that he liked them so much.

"You have 10 minutes while I find Dave," he grumbled. "Then you better be in the van or you can walk home."

Dave took a little longer to find. Eddie checked the makeshift dance floor, he checked all of the bathrooms, and then he got to a corridor of bedrooms and walked in on several scenes he wished he would rather not until he came to the last door in the hall. Pretty and pink and carved with the name "Tina" on the front of it.

It was the only place left...and Eddie didn't know whether he should be a dick to his friend or proud of him. Especially for possibly bagging the popular party host herself.

He banged his fist on the door.

"Dave, stop your smooching," he hollered. "Jeff's mom said curfew was midnight." A wet smacking sound of lips separating emanated through the wood and then Dave's soft "oh shit" and Eddie had to hold back his laughter.

When the door opened, both Dave and Tina looked a little drunk and a little embarrassed as they straightened out their clothes. Eddie slapped a hand on Dave's shoulder and let him back through the house.

"Call me Davey," she called after them.

"Don't worry, he will," Eddie laughed. "Thanks for the party."

The crowd had already died down but there were still some stragglers. People milled about in the yard, bodies gyrated on the dance floor, Tommy Hagan and his girlfriend were horizontal on the couch and it was getting pretty heated.

"Get a room," he hissed at them. "Tina's is free now."

But as he and Dave passed the kitchen on the way toward the door, Eddie caught sight of a familiar white dress splattered with fake blood, crouched on the floor helping someone.

He had told you to wait in the van, but of course he took too long...hopefully whoever it was that you were with wasn't hurt or anything. Damn it.

But it wasn't until he noticed who you were leaning over that the uneasy feeling that had been ignited in Eddie earlier flared up again and his throat clenched.

Danger. Hide. Run.

The leather jacket, the sticky shirtless chest, the hand gripped tightly around your wrist that you kept tugging and tugging to get out of his grasp.

"I don't want to be here, they t-took me away from the only home I've ever known and it's not my fault," Billy whined to you, heaved. "And now I'm here and I can't go. I'm stuck."

"I know," you said sympathetically.

"I just wanna see the beach again," his grip on your wrist tightened. "The water and the clouds and the sun. And there's this diner where she works and I'd always go to get a burger and a malt."

"Yeah?"

"And she'd call me Silly Billy."

His eyes wrenched shut and he tugged you closer, enough that you lost your balance and had to steady a hand against his chest, right over his heart.

You froze and gasped in pain and Eddie saw red.

Fight. Protect.

Eddie shoved Dave towards the door with a quick "waitinthedamnvan" and then stormed into the kitchen.

"I think she was one and I'll never--"

"Get your filthy fucking hands off my girlfriend Hargrove!"

Eddie reached over and pried Billy's hand from your wrist, and then tugged you to your feet and into his arms. You were shaking.

"Are you ok?" he asked frantically, looking over every inch of you. "What did he do? Tell me. What did he do?"

"N-Nothing, I just saw him there on the floor," you stammered, eyes distant. "I didn't know...I didn't know..."

Eddie ran his hands over you, cradled your face for a second to make sure you were alright, and then once he was sure, he turned his sights on Billy.

He crouched beside him on the ground and grabbed the lapels of Billy's jacket. He hoisted him up enough so he could slam him back down onto the floor again.

"You don't get to look at her," he warned through gritted teeth.

"E-Eddie," you called softly. He ignored you and did it again. Up the slightest bit, and then forced back down again until he could hear the breath wheeze through Billy's mouth.

"You don't get to touch her," he growled.

"Eddie stop, he didn't do anything, he's just drunk. He's empt--" you reasoned but Eddie ignored you. He listed Billy one last time, up and up and up, until both of their noses were touching and glassy, vacant blue eyes had nowhere to look but murderous brown ones.

"And if you ever get near her again, I'll kill you."

"EDDIE!" Eddie dropped Billy onto the floor and straightened himself up. He turned back to you and faltered at the sight of your wide, fear-filled eyes. He looked down at Billy again, who was on the ground again but curled in on himself.

Eddie looked at his hands and then back up at you.

"Please, let's go," you shuddered and held out your hand to take his, and then you tugged him through the house and out the door.

Jeff and Dave noticed the tension between the two of you but didn't say anything, instead just silently sat in the back until they were dropped off. Eddie vacantly drove through Hawkins all the while caught up in his own thoughts.

He was only trying to protect you, he wasn't trying to hurt Billy, Billy was hurting you, you were scared, you were hurt...

But you were still scared and hurt. Your breathing hadn't returned to it's usual evenness and when he looked over your hands were shaking. You kept pressing into the palm of the hand that had touched Billy's chest and Eddie wondered...

What did he wonder? He had so many questions. Questions he knew you weren't going to answer. But he couldn't just let it go.

At the end of the night, after Jeff and Dave were dropped off at home, and Eddie had parked the van outside your apartment, he clenched his hands on the steering wheel and gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized softly.

"You didn't scare me," you replied and relief washed over him. "You didn't do anything wrong. You thought I was in danger...and I'm grateful that you stepped in Eddie. I'm just...I'm...I don't know...shaken. He felt...wrong."

"Felt?" he cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. You had said something like that before about people. How they felt. He just thought it was...what you thought of them.

"There's a lot of anger but also a lot of pain..." you started and then your eyes got distant again. "And then...a great, wide void..."

What did it mean? A void?

Eddie felt the panic build inside him again and your eyes immediately darted to his. The smile that suddenly appeared on your face was soothing but Eddie could tell it was forced.

"I think I had too much punch," you explained. "I need to sleep it off."

You leaned over to kiss him goodnight and mutter a soft "I love you" but before you could get out of the van, Eddie stopped you.

"Listen," he began. "I know...I know I took it too far tonight. And I'm sorry again. But...but if you ever see Billy Hargrove again...you put as much distance between the two of you as possible. Something's...wrong with that guy. He's bad news."

"Eddie, that's...you know how that feels when someone says that about you, I don't think--"

"No, I'm serious. You keep your distance from him," Eddie warned. "Not because of me, but for your own safety. Hargrove...he's dangerous.

"He's a beast."

#aasb #hymns of heaven #Eddie munson x reader #tw violence #tw angst

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kwebtv · 9 months ago

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TV Guide - February 8 - 14, 1964

Beatrice Benaderet (/ˌbɛnəˈdɛrət/ ben-ə-DERR-ət; April 4, 1906 – October 13, 1968) Actress and comedienne.

Benaderet was a prominent figure on television in situation comedies, first with The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show from 1950 to 1958, for which she earned two Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In the 1960s, she had regular roles in four series until her death from lung cancer in 1968, including the commercial successes The Beverly Hillbillies, The Flintstones, and her best-known role as Kate Bradley in Petticoat Junction. (Wikipedia)

Linda Kaye Henning (born September 16, 1944) Actress and singer most notable for starring in the 1960s sitcom Petticoat Junction. (Wikipedia)

Patricia Joy “Pat” Woodell (July 12, 1944 – September 29, 2015) Actress and singer, best known for her television role as Bobbie Jo Bradley from 1963 to 1965 on Petticoat Junction. (Wikipedia)

Jeannine Brooke Riley (born October 1, 1940) Film and television actress.

Winning the role over 300 competitors, Riley portrayed Billie Jo Bradley on the first two seasons of the CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction (1963–1965). Riley left the series in 1965 to pursue movies. She also had a regular cast member role on the comedy variety series Hee Haw (1969–1971). She played Lulu McQueen (a take-off on Ginger Grant, played by Tina Louise, from Gilligan's Island) on the western sitcom Dusty's Trail, which aired in 1973–74. (Wikipedia)

#TV Guide #TV #1964 #Bea Benaderet #Linda Kaye Henning #Jeanning Riley #Petticoat Junction

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singeratlarge · 10 months ago

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to The 1998 Khmer Rouge apology, Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers’s first movie FLYING DOWN TO RIO (1932), Gali Atari, Baltimore artist Eric Block, Mayor Tom Bradley, singer-songwriter Ed Bruce, Pablo Casals, Bernard Cribbins, Rick Danko, Ted Danson, Yvonne Elliman, Marianne Faithfull, Neil "Spyder" Giraldo, New Orleans clarinetist Willie Humphrey, Scott Joplin’s 1902 song “The Entertainer,” Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna, Jude Law, Franz Liszt’s 1857 symphonic poem "Die Hunnenschlacht,” jazz-Celtic singer Laurel Massé, Clyde McCoy, Dina Merrill, Mary Tyler Moore, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, cellist-composer Kiyoshi Nobutoki, Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Paula Poundstone, Cozy Powell, rockabilly DJ/singer-songwriter Glenn Reeves, Jim Reid, The San Francisco Symphony, Marco Antonio Solís, Barbara Steele, The Supremes’s 1965 single “My World is Empty Without You,” Ray Thomas (Moody Blues), “Billy” Tipton, Jo Van Fleet, Jon Voight, Roger Voudouris, and my friend and musical compadre “Easy” Mark Tomeo. I lack photos of Mark and I together, so I grabbed pivotal images from Mark’s fascinating career as a champion of pedal steel, resonator, and twang guitar + singer-songwriter. He was in the Grammy-nominated “New Wave cowboy” band Rubber Rodeo (shown here)—in the 80s RR played at Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco while I just happened to be lurking nearby. The world got smaller when Mark and I met in Pennsylvania, performing and recording with Ben Kaplan, some Badlees-spinoff projects, and extensively with the band Neon Cactus. Circa 2000 I was working with Davy Jones (Monkees) on his JUSTME series of original recordings. Davy wanted a pedal steel guitarist, and I summoned Mark. Here’s “Hold Me Tight,” a Tex-Mex samba we did; the Mike Nesmith-ian arrangement was Davy’s idea:

Meanwhile HB EMT. By the time I get to Phoenix anything can happen…

#MarkTomeo #Easy #pedal #steel #guitar #resonatorguitar #DavyJones #Monkees #Neon #Cactus #Badlees #BenKaplan #RubberRodeo #pennsylvania #phoenix #arizona #Tex-Mex #samba #Mike #Nesmith #johnnyjblair #performing #recording

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mumbojumbo84317 · 2 years ago

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Portrait of Edgar Buchanan (1903 - 1979) (center, front), as Joseph P. 'Uncle Joe' Carson, surrounded by fellow cast members, from left, Jeannine Riley (as Billie Jo Bradley), Pat Woodell (as Bobbie Jo Bradley), and Linda Henning (as Betty Jo Bradley Elliott on the set of an episode of the television series 'Petticoat Junction' entitled 'Spur Line to Shady Rest,' Los Angeles, California, June 25, 1963. The episode originally aired on September 24, 1963.

(Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

#petticoat junction #edgar buchanan #jeannine riley #pat woodell #linda henning #classic television

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choppersconfirmedkills · 2 years ago

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Concise List of Who I Write For

Star Wars

The Clone Wars:

All Clones

All Jedi

Anakin Skywalker (Platonic Only)

Padme Amidala

Boba Fett

Cad Bane

(Basically everyone)

Original Trilogy:

Han Solo

Leia Organa

Luke Skywalker

Lando Calrissian

Din Djarin

Fennec Shand

Rebels:

Everyone

Sequels:

Poe Dameron

Rey Skywalker

Finn

Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

Rose Tico

Bad Batch:

Everyone. Omega Platonic Only

Jurassic Park

Ian Malcolm

Alan Grant (Platonic Only)

Ellie Sattler

Nick Van Owen

Billy Brennan

Owen Grady

Barry Sambené

Zia Rodriguez

Franklin Webb

The Originals

Klaus Mikaelson

Elijah Mikaelson

Rebekah Mikaelson

Hayley Marshall

Marcel Gerard

Sophie Devereaux

Jackson Kenner

Davina Claire (Platonic Only)

Camille O’Connel

Vincent Griffith

Bones

Seeley Booth (Platonic Only)

Lance Sweets (Platonic Only)

Everyone Else

Supernatural

Dean + Sam Winchester (Platonic Only)

Bobby Singer

Castiel

Crowley

Jo Harvelle

Ash

Meg Masters

Benny

Gabriel

(Anybody Else just ask!)

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Anyone Phase 1-3

Top Gun: Maverick

All of Dagger Squad Except Rooster and Maverick

Who I’ll Write but Won’t Take Requests For

Transformers Prime

Turner&Hooch (Reboot)

Trevor Anderson (Journey to the Center of the Earth)

How I Met Your Mother

House M.D

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Top Gun: Maverick)

Maybe “Lost” in the future

#star wars imagines #star wars fanfic #jurassic park imagines #jurassic park fanfic #the originals imagine #the originals fanfiction #bones imagines #bones fanfiction #supernatural imagines #supernatural fanfiction #mcu imagines #mcu fanfic #top gun maverick imagine #tog gun maverick fanfiction

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annieandro · 2 days ago

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Executive Producer: Cassie Kitchen

Story Editor: Doug Tennapel

Line Producer:Joshua Slice

Production Coordinators: Craig McCracken, Noah Z Jones

Production Assistants: Butch Hartman, Eric Coleman

Script Coordinator: Jose Chavez

Executive Assistant: Maddie Manges Character Designer: Lankybox

Layout Designers: Speekygeeky, Riffcoms Prop Designers: Eric Robles, Colors 358

Background Painter: Nikki Karlsson

Color Key Stylist: Dre Higbee

Final Checker: Nickcheezy Clean-up Artist: Carl Jung, Henry Miller, Sir Francis Bacon

Storyboard Revisions: John Erwin, Nancy Priddy, Michael Bell

Starring: Annieandro: Cassie Kitchen

Maisy: Gracie Jones

Little Miss Cassie: Phoebe Fortney

Zapper: Tom Kenny

Tetro: Doug Lawrence

Prowler: Bill Hader

Pouncer: Wizardzwiz

Predator: Gooseworx

Mailman Pelswick: Rob Paulsen

Umberta: Jocelyn Clark

Tyler: Darrell Stern

Chatters: Tara Strong

Jumper: Allan Trautman

Giggle: Leslie Carrara Rudolph

Bumper-oo: Kevin Clash

Nizzie: Stacy Gordon

Lotta: Grey Desleslie

Crossbone: David Kaye

Nimble: Kevin MacDonald

Zap-Zap: Frank Oz

Cozy: Lizzie Freeman

Puddles: Michael Kovach

Buckthorn: Robert Tinkler

Tutu: Sonya Leite

Katie: Cindi Milo

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jpbjazz · 5 months ago

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LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

LOUIS BELLSON OU LES SECRETS DE LA FONTAINE DE JOUVENCE

“One thing I learned from my mentors years ago was, ‘Know where you came from and know where you’re going.’ Which means, know where you got this—who the innovators were—and also pick up on what’s going on now. That’s what I tell the youngsters. I learned from my father and Duke Ellington that music is music. I don’t categorize it. If you want to talk about fusion, or country & western, or whatever, it’s still music. And all the great players had that same attitude.”

- Louis Bellson

Né le 6 juillet 1924 à Rock Falls, dans les Illinois, Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, dit Louie Bellson, était issu d’une famille de huit enfants. Originaire de Naples, en Italie, le père de Bellson était propriétaire d’un magasin de musique et avait insisté pour que tous ses enfants apprennent à jouer d’un instrument. Le père de Bellson l’avait également obligé à apprendre le piano contre son gré, ce qui, comme il l’avait reconnu plus tard, avait grandement contribué à son développement comme musicien. Bellson avait également appris à jouer d’autres instruments comme les cuivres et les cordes.

Bellson avait commencé à jouer de la batterie à l’âge de trois ans et demi. Bellson était encore enfant lorsque son père avait installé sa famille et son magasin à Moline, dans les Illinois. Évoquant ses débuts dans la musique, Bellson avait commenté:

"My father owned a music store when I was growing up in Rock Falls, Illinois. He could play all the instruments, which you had to do when you owned a music store back then. One day, when I was three years old, he took me to a parade. When the drums passed by, I got so excited I told him wanted to learn to play them. By high school, I was crazy about the drums. I was using a drum kit with two bass drums —one for my left foot and one for my right, which no one was doing at the time.’’

Au début de l’adolescence, Bellson était devenu tellement doué qu’il avait commencé à enseigner la musique dans le magasin de son père.

À l’âge de quinze ans, Bellson avait innové en utilisant deux ‘’bass drums’’ simultanément, une technique qu’il avait perfectionnée dans une classe d’arts plastiques au high school. En réalité, c’était plutôt Ray Mckinlay qui était à l’origine de cette innovation. Comme Bellson l’avait reconnu plus tard:

“They credit me with being the first one to play two bass drums, but I can remember when Ray McKinley was with Will Bradley, and he did a thing with two bass drums only. They used to do the boogie-woogie things with the eighth-note shuffle, and that’s where he would do the two bass drum thing. Then I came out shortly after that using two bass drums with a complete set. But he was actually the first to play two bass drums in public, and I think he deserves a lot of credit.”

L’innovation avait rapidement fait des petits et avait été plus tard reprise par des batteurs comme Eric Delaney et Billy Cobham.

Également danseur de claquettes, une habileté qu’il partageait avec plusieurs batteurs de l’époque comme Buddy Rich, Jo Jones et J.C. Heard, Bellson avait fait ses débuts tant comme danseur que comme batteur au club Rendezvous de Moline. C’est en se produisant à cet endroit que Bellson avait rencontré le pianiste de blues itinérant Speckled Red qui l’avait invité à le rejoindre sur scène.

Après avoir pris des cours avec Roy Knapp, un professeur de percussions réputé de Chicago, Bellson s’était inscrit au concours national de batterie Gene Krupa qu’il avait remporté devant 40 000 autres batteurs. Décrivant sa réaction après avoir remporté le concours, Bellson avait expliqué des années plus tard; ‘’In 1941, when I was 17 years old, I entered the Singerland National Gene Krupa Drum Contest along with 40,000 other young drummers. After several rounds, at the finals in New York, Gene picked me as the winner. I was knocked out. When Gene gave me the award, he said, “You have a brilliant career ahead of you.” He was a funny guy."

Lors d’une entrevue accordée au magazine Jazz Connection en 2005, Bellson avait mentionné comme principales influences les batteurs Jo Jones, Sid Catlett et Chick Webb. Il expliquait: "I have to give just dues to two guys who really got me off on the drums – Big Sid Catlett and Jo Jones. They were my influences. All three of us realized what Jo Jones did and it influenced a lot of us. We all three looked to Jo as the 'Papa' who really did it. Gene helped bring the drums to the foreground as a solo instrument. Buddy was a great natural player. But we also have to look back at Chick Webb's contributions, too." Dans une autre entrevue accordée au magazine Modern Drummer en 1991, Bellson avait précisé:

“My mentors were Jo Jones, Chick Webb, Big Sid Catlett, Baby Dodds, Davey Tough, and Gene Krupa. Those early players were the innovators; they were the ones who started it. Max [Roach] always said that he learned so much from Jo Jones, and then after Max, here comes Tony Williams. Each guy picks up on what went before and then takes it a little further. But those early guys were the ones who really laid down the rules. I listen to records now by Baby Dodds, and I hear shades of Buddy Rich, of Gene Krupa, of Joe Morello. Even when I hear some of the early records by Chick Webb, I hear Buddy.”

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Bellson était encore adolescent lorsqu’il avait été courtisé par le chef d’orchestre Ted Fio Rito, mais ses parents avaient exigé qu’il termine d’abord ses études au Moline High School. Après avoir décroché son diplôme, Bellson s’était finalement joint au groupe Fio Rito à Hollywood à l’été 1941 dans le cadre d’un engagement au Florentine Gardens club de Los Angeles. Le groupe partageait la scène avec les Mills Brothers. Bellson explique comment il s’était joint au groupe:

‘’My first big break was with the Ted Fio Rito band. Fio Rito had a bunch of record hits in the 1930s and did a lot of radio work back then. When he came to my home town in early 1942, I sat in with the band. Ted liked me and offered me a job. But I had three months left of high school and my parents wouldn’t let me leave. Ted said to call him when I finished and he’d give me a job. I thought he was just talking, but after I graduated, I called Ted and he paid for me to come out to California to join the band. My first paying job for the Fio Rito band was at the Florentine Gardens club in Los Angeles. I remember we shared the bill with the Mills Brothers and I got to hear them every night, which was great. Man, they sounded even better live than on record.’’

Par la suite, Bellson s’était joint à l’orchestre de Benny Goodman à New York. Bellson explique comment il était devenu membre du groupe de Goodman:

‘’I soon joined Benny’s band in 1942 and again in 1946, after the war. Benny always knew what he wanted to hear and got the band to deliver. I never had any problems with him. I did what he wanted me to do. Benny was a master at rehearsing. He would rehearse each section of the band individually. First he’d rehearse the saxes. Then the trombones. Then the trumpets. Then he’d rehearse two sections together. It went on for hours—and without the bass, drums or piano. Benny wanted the sections playing in tempo on their own. He needed them to keep time without relying on the rhythm section. We'd have to sit through the entire rehearsal until Benny would finally add the bass, drums and piano. When he'd rehearse the other sections, he’d look over at us and say, “Now don’t pull a magazine out on me. Listen to what’s going on.”

Dans une autre entrevue, Bellson avait précisé: "Benny wanted the sections playing in tempo on their own. He needed them to keep time without relying on the rhythm section. We'd have to sit through the entire rehearsal until Benny would finally add the bass, drums and piano. When he'd rehearse the other sections, he’d look over at us and say, 'Now don’t pull a magazine out on me. Listen to what’s going on.' ”

Commentant sa collaboration avec Goodman, Bellson avait ajouté: “He taught me how to listen, how to play in a big band, and how to swing. He wanted the sections playing in tempo on their own. He needed them to keep time without relying on the rhythm section. We’d have to sit through the entire rehearsal until Benny added the bass, drums and piano.”

Après avoir fait un bref séjour dans l’armée comme musicien, Bellson avait de nouveau fait partie du groupe de Goodman à partir de 1946. Par la suite, Bellson avait fait partie des orchestres de Tommy Dorsey (1947-49) et d’Harry James (1950-51). Bellson n’avait pas trouvé très facile de jouer avec le groupe de Dorsey. Il expliquait: "Now that band was one tough group. Most of the charts were by Bill Finegan and were written tight. Sections came in and out, and the beats had to be there and sharp." Bellson avait enregistré un de ses premiers solos dans le cadre de la pièce ‘’Drumology’’, qu’il avait personnellement arrangée avec l’aide de Sid Cooper, un des saxophonistes alto du groupe. Bellson était demeuré dans le groupe de Dorsey durant trois ans, à une époque souvent marquée par des tournées interminables qui lui avaient laissé peu de temps pour reprendre son souffle. Bellson précisait: "We played all the RKO theaters, which meant I played for tap dancers and jugglers who warmed up audiences and needed the beat to be dead on.’’

Lors de son séjour dans le groupe de James, Bellson s’était lié d’amitié avec le tromboniste Juan Tizol, un ancien membre de l’orchestre de Duke Ellington. Lorsque le groupe se rendait à New York, Bellson habitait même dans l’appartement de Tizol. Bellson expliquait: “We would play before 3,000 at the Hollywood Palladium, but I remember some of those navy and air force bases where we played to 14 or 15 thousand people.”

En mai 1951, était survenu ce qu’on avait appelé le “Great James Raid”, une razzia qui avait permis à Tizol de regagner le giron de l’orchestre d’Ellington, emportant avec lui non seulement Bellson, mais également le saxophoniste alto vedette de James, Willie Smith. À l’époque, l’orchestre d’Ellington jouait pratiquement sans partition, ce qui obligeait les musiciens à apprendre les arrangements par coeur. Commentant son arrivée avec l’orchestre, Bellson avait précisé: "Duke took a big risk hiring me. I was the only white musician in his band. During our first 1951 tour, just before we headed south for Birmingham, Alabama, he said ‘We’re going down South so we’re going to make you a Haitian.’ That’s how they described me so we wouldn’t wind up in trouble." Bellson s’était joint à l’orchestre comme remplaçant de Sonny Greer, qui avait quitté la formation pour se joindre au groupe du saxophoniste Johnny Hodges en compagnie du tromboniste Lawrence Brown.

Seul musicien blanc de l’orchestre d’Ellington, Bellson avait également réussi à persuader le manufacturier de batterie Gretsch de fabriquer son ensemble de batterie à deux bass drums en 1940. Cette innovation, ajoutée à l’intensité de Bellson sur scène, avait donné un nouvel élan à l’orchestre d’Ellington, plus particulièrement dans le cadre de ses compositions ‘’Skin Deep’’ (sans doute son oeuvre la plus célèbre), “Ting-a-Ling” et ‘’The Hawk Talks’’ (dont le titre faisait référence au surnom d’Harry James) dans lequel son jeu était particulièrement mis en évidence. Ellington, qui admirait grandement Bellson, l’avait non seulement qualifié de meilleur batteur au monde, mais de meilleur musicien de toute la planète. En fait, Bellson était tellement réputé pour se fondre dans le décor qu’Ellington avait déclaré qu’il aurait pu le faire passer pour un Haïtien durant ses tournées dans le sud s’il avait voulu...

Dans les années 1940, Bellson avait également fait des apparitions dans quelques films, dont ‘’The Power Girl’’ (1942), ’’Stage Door Canteen’’, ‘’The Gang's All Here’’ (aux côtés de Carmen Miranda en 1943) et A Song is Born (1948). Ce dernier film mettait en vedette de grands noms du jazz comme Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnett, Benny Carter, Kenny Dorham, Harry Babasin, Al Hendrickson, Buck Washington, Mel Powell et Benny Goodman.

En 1950, Bellson avait co-dirigé un septet avec le trompettiste Charlie Shavers. Le groupe comprenait aussi le vibraphoniste Terry Gibbs.

Dès le début, Bellson avait été caractérisé par des solos particulièrement longs qui pouvaient parfois durer jusqu’à quinze minutes sans perdre un seul instant l’intérêt des spectacteurs.

Bellson se produisait avec l’orchestre de Benny Goodman dans le film ‘’The Power Girl’’ en 1942 lorsqu’il avait rencontré la chanteuse de couleur Peggy Lee. Le couple s’était finalement épousé à Londres le 19 novembre 1952. En effet, Bellson était convaincu qu’un mariage à Caxton Hall susciterait moins de commentaires racistes qu’aux États-Unis. Le père de Bellson l’avait d’ailleurs renié publiquement en déclarant qu’il ne voulait plus rien avoir à faire ‘’with them if they go through with this". Bellson et Bailey étaient restés mariés jusqu’à la mort de la chanteuse en 1990. Bailey avait éventuellement décrit la personnalité de Bellson comme un mélange de force et de bonté. Le couple avait d’abord adopté un fils, Tony, au milieu des années 1950, puis une fille, Dee Dee J. Bellson.

Même si Bellson avait qualifié son séjour dans l’orchestre d’Ellington comme une expérience extraordinaire, il avait quitté le groupe au bout de deux ans pour travailler comme directeur musical de sa nouvelle épouse, avec qui il avait voyagé à travers le monde. Considéré comme un des derniers ‘’Ellingtoniens’’, malgré sa collaboration plutôt brève avec l’orchestre d’Ellington, Bellson avait continué de travailler de façon épisodique avec le chef d’orchestre par la suite.

Bellson avait continué de travailler avec Bailey au milieu des années 1970 lorsque le président Gerald Ford avait nommé la chanteuse conseillère spéciale aux Nations-Unies. Dans les années 1980, Bailey et Bellson avaient fait une apparition au club Talk of the Town de Londres. Parallèlement à sa collaboration avec Bailey, Bellson avait également fait des tournées internationales avec son propre groupe. Il avait aussi fait des apparitions dans la version britannique de la tournée Jazz at the Philharmonic de Norman Granz. Bellson avait également travaillé et enregistré avec plusieurs grands noms du jazz au cours de cette période.

En 1955-56, Bellson avait fait partie du groupe des frères Dorsey. Bellson faisait d’ailleurs partie de l’émission des frères Dorsey lorsque Elvis Presley avait fait une de ses premières apparitions à la télévision. En 1962, Bellson avait remplacé Sonny Payne dans l’orchestre de Count Basie. Le chef d’orchestre avait déclaré au sujet de Bellson: "He plays so clean, till it sounds to me like he is reading it out of a book. And he can swing."

Durant cette période, Bellson avait aussi continué de collaborer à l’occasion avec Benny Goodman.

Très ouvert aux nouvelles musiques contrairement à certains musiciens de swing qui avaient souvent perçu ce nouveau style de jazz plutôt négativement, Bellson s’était montré très favorable à l’émergence du bebop dans les années 1940. Il expliquait:

“I was with Tommy Dorsey from 1947 through ’50, and during that time bop was really at its strong point in New York. I tried to do a couple of things in Tommy’s band that I saw Kenny Clarke do, and the old man turned around and gave me one of those looks: ‘What the hell was that?’ I said, ‘Well, I went down and heard Bird [Charlie Parker] and Diz[zy Gillespie]…,’ and he said, ‘Oh no. No bebop here.’ Of course, later on he got tuned into it, but in the early days a lot of the bandleaders didn’t understand what was going on. But the minute I heard it, I figured that was the direction we were going to go. I could hear the wonderful relationship between the rhythm section and the rest of the band, and I enjoyed the complexity of the melodies that Bird was coming up with. They were really intricate patterns that demanded to be played by good players. But I knew that in order to have bebop happen in a big band, you would have to have all the players feel the same way. It would be kind of rough to have a bebop drummer and a bebop rhythm section playing with a hard swinging big band. That wouldn’t make it.”

Bellson avait également maintenu cette attitude d’ouverture face aux d’autres styles musicaux comme le rock n’ roll, la musique cubaine et la bossa nova. Il avait précisé:

“When rock ’n’ roll came in, a lot of guys from my era said, ‘These guys don’t know what they’re doing.’ But I said, ‘Wait a minute. They’re laying down something new.’ So I always listen to a lot of the younger guys to pick up on what they’re doing. I’ve always tried to listen to different kinds of records: rock, Latin…. I took some lessons from Humberto Morales years ago, because back then nobody really played the Latin rhythms. We played cha-chas and rumbas, but not the way they should have been played. Buddy Rich and I used to wonder why some of the jazz drummers didn’t get into the real sambas and things. So I started taking some lessons from Humberto, and after that Dizzy Gillespie showed me a lot of the Afro-Cuban things. Then Stan Getz brought some people up from Brazil, and they started playing the bossa nova. Shelly Manne was the one who really hipped me to the bossa nova. So you have to keep abreast. All the guys that I was brought up on—like Big Sid Catlett—used to say, ‘Keep your eyes and ears open. Keep learning.’ And I feel the same way.”

En 1962, Bellson avait également fait une tournée en Scandinavie avec Count Basie. Il avait aussi formé ses propres groupes et recommencé à travailler avec Ellington dans le cadre de certains spéciaux comme Drum is a Woman (1956) et le premier Concert of Sacred Music (1965). Bellson avait aussi collaboré à la revue ‘’My People’’ qui avait été présentée dans le cadre du centenaire de la Proclamation d’émancipation d’Abraham Lincoln en 1963. Ellington avait plus tard qualifié ces concerts de "the most important thing I have ever done." Bellson avait également contribué à la bande sonore du film Assault on A Queen (1966). Comme l’avait déclaré la seconde épouse de Bellson, Francine, qui était également sa gérante, "When (Ellington) did his sacred concert back in 1965 with Louie on drums, he told Louie that the sacred concerts were based on 'in-the-beginning,' the first three words of the bible." Ellington, qui était très croyant à l’instar de Bellson, avait d’ailleurs comparé son jeu aux éclairs et au tonnerre de la Genèse.

Après avoir joué avec l’orchestre d’Ellington en 1965-66, Bellson avait retrouvé sa place dans le groupe d’Harry James en 1966.

À partir de 1967, Bellson avait dirigé son propre groupe, le Louie Bellson Explosion, qui comprenait de grands noms du jazz comme Cat Anderson, Conte Candoli, Bobby Shew, Don Menza et Pete Christlieb. Bellson avait aussi souvent enregistré pour les disques Pablo et Concord avec son big band, ainsi qu’avec des sommités du jazz comme Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Eldridge, Benny Carter, Louie Armstrong, Stan Getz, Joe Pass et plusieurs autres. En 1967, Bellson avait enregistré l’album Repercussion avec son grand ami, le batteur et percussionniste britanniqueEric Delaney.

Toujours dans les années 1960, Bellson avait fait de nombreuses apparitions au célèbre club de Ronnie Scott à Londre. Il avait aussi accompagné le chanteur James Brown sur son album de 1969 Soul on Top. Le 5 décembre 1971, Bellson avait participé à un concert à la mémoire du batteur Frank King. Le concert était présenté au Queen Elizabeth Hall de Londres. Le concert mettait également en vedette Buddy Rich et le batteur britannique Kenny Clare. L’orchestre était dirigé par le tromboniste irlandais Bobby Lamb et le tromboniste américain Raymond Premru. Le concert, qui avait été publié sur vinyle en 1972, a été réédité sur CD en 2011 par les disques Vocalion.

Quelques années après le concert, Rich, qui s’était blessé au dos, avait retourné la politesse à Bellson en lui demandant de diriger son groupe en tournée.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Bellson, qui était également vice-président de la compagnie de batterie Remo dont il avait contribué à améliorer les produits, avait présenté de nombreuses cliniques et classes de maîtres dans les high schools, les collèges, les clubs, les salles de concert et les magasins de musique d’un peu partout à travers le monde. En plus d’avoir prononcé plusieurs conférences dans les conventions de la Percussive Arts Society, Bellson était aussi l’auteur d’une douzaine de manuels de batterie. Il avait aussi collaboré à plusieurs DVD de nature didactique.

Dans les années 1980 et 1990, Bellson avait aussi travaillé avec des groupes locaux comme le Unifour Jazz Ensemble.

En 1994, Bellson avait enregistré un album avec son big band intitulé Louie Bellson And His Big Band: Live From New York, qui avait été publié en juin de la même année par les disques Telarc.

Continuant de demeurer très actif avec l’âge, Bellson se rendait en juillet de chaque année dans sa ville natale de Rock Falls, dans les Illinois, afin de participer aux Louie Bellson Heritage Days, un weekend créé en son honneur dans lequel il présentait des cliniques et des performances. En 2004, dans le cadre de son 80e anniversaire de naissance, Bellson avait plaisanté avec son âge en déclarant: "I'm not that old; I'm 40 in this leg, and 40 in the other leg." Bellson célébrait son anniversaire à chaque année dans le cadre de la River Music Experience à Davenport, en Iowa.

Après avoir été victime d’une attaque à la fin des années 1990, Bellson avait dû ralentir considérablement le rythme de ses activités, même s’il avait continué de jouer à l’occasion. En 2006, Bellson avait publié un CD intitulé The Sacred Music of Louie Bellson and the Jazz Ballet, qui documentait à la fois son travail de batteur et de compositeur. Le projet était une suggestion de Duke Ellington qui avait déclaré à Bellson après la publication de son concert sacré en 1965: ‘’'You ought to do a sacred concert of your own.’’

En mai 2007, en collaboration avec le trompettiste Clark Terry, Bellson avait enregistré l’album ‘’Louie & Clark Expedition 2’’, en référence à la célèbre expédition des explorateurs Lewis et Clark. L’album, qui mettait aussi en vedette Kenny Washington et Sylvia Cuenca à la batterie, avait été produit par l’épouse et gérante de Bellson, Francine.

Louis Bellson est mort le 14 février 2009 à la suite de complications liées à la maladie de Parkinson. Bellson était hospitalisé depuis décembre 2008 après avoir été victime d’une blessure à la hanche. Il était âgé de quatre-vingt-quatre ans. Bellson a été inhumé aux côtés de son père au Riverside Cemetery, de Moline, dans les Illinois. Il laissait dans le deuil son épouse Francine, qui était également sa gérante, ses belles-filles Dee Dee et Debra Hughes et plusieurs petits-enfants. Bellson avait également adopté un garçon, Tony, mais celui était mort en 2004. Dee Dee est morte cinq mois après son beau-père le 4 juillet 2009. Elle avait seulement quarante-neuf ans.

Bellson avait épousé Francine en septembre 1992, deux ans après le décès de sa première épouse Pearl Bailey. Née sous le nom de Francine Wright, cette dernière, qui avait étudié en physique et en ingéniérie au Massachusetts Intitute of Technology (MIT), était également très appréciée par les amateurs de jazz, qui l’avaient surnommée "The Indomitable Mrs. B". Bellson vivait avec Francine à San Jose, en Californie, mais il avait aussi une résidence à Sherman Oaks, également en Californie.

Décrivant sa relation avec Francine, Bellson avait commenté: “Francine has been a blessing to me. I’m a man who got two blessings–with Pearl 38 years and I thought that was the end but–here comes Francine. She’s been so great. When Pearl passed away, the first two years I was OK during the day, but at nighttime when I wasn’t performing, I was lonesome. All of sudden Francine came, and I thought I was hallucinating. But she brought me back to reality again.”

Compositeur prolifique, Bellson avait écrit des centaines de compositions et d’arrangements dans des styles aussi diversifiés que le jazz, le jazz-fusion, les suites orchestrales romantiques et les oeuvres symphoniques. En 1962, Bellson avait aussi écrit un ballet intitulé The Marriage Vows. Il était également poète et parolier. La seule incursion de Bellson dans le théâtre de Broadway, Portofino (1958), avait été un échec et avait été retirée de l’affiche après seulement trois représentations.

Décrivant la batterie comme l’amour de sa vie, Bellson avait également composé des oeuvres de longue durée comme le "Concerto for Jazz Drummer and Full Orchestra", qui avait été présenté en 1987 à une convention de la Percussive Arts Society à Washington, D.C. L’oeuvre constituait la première pièce de l’histoire à avoir été expressément composée pour un batteur de jazz avec un orchestre symphonique complet. La pièce avait éventuellement été enregistrée en Angleterre par le Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra et avait été publiée par la compagnie de disques suédoise BIS. Bellson avait également écrit une autre oeuvre de longue durée intitulée "The London Suite". La pièce, qui avait été enregistrée sur l’album Louie in London, avait été interprétée au Hollywood Pilgrimage Bowl devant une assistance record. La composition en trois parties comprenait un choeur de douze voix qui interprétait les chansons de Bellson.

Au moment de sa mort, Bellson travaillait sur une autobiographie intitulée "Skin Deep’’ d’après le titre d’une de ses compositions. Au cours de sa carrière, Bellson avait enregistré plus de 200 albums, dont une soixantaine sous son nom. Il était également l’auteur de plus de 1000 compositions.

Lauréat de nombreux prix, Bellson avait été intronisé au sein du Percussion Arts Society Hall of Fame en 1978. Il avait aussi été admis au Modern Drummer magazine Hall of Fame en 1985. En janvier 1994, la National Endowment of the Arts avait également accordé à Bellson le titre de ‘’Jazz Master’’, la plus importante distinction pouvant être remise à un musicien de jazz aux États-Unis. La présidente de la NEA, Jane Alexander, avait présenté les lauréats du prix de cette année-là en déclarant: "These colossal talents have helped write the history of jazz in America." Les autres récipiendaires de 1994 étaient le pianiste Ahmad Jamal et la chanteuse Carmen McRae.

En 1998, Bellson avait également fait partie des premiers batteurs à remporter le American Drummers Achievement Award décerné par la compagnie de cymbales Zildjian. Les autres récipiendaires du prix cette année-là étaient Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones et Max Roach. En 1977, Bellson avait aussi été un des premiers musiciens à être nommé compagnon de Duke Ellington à l’Université Yale.

Titulaire de quatre doctorats honorifiques, de Northern Illinois University (en ‘’Humane Letters’’, 1985), de Denison University, d’Augustana College et de DePaul University (2001), Bellson avait également été honoré par une plaque qui avait été installée devant sa maison natale de Rock Falls en 2003. En mars 2007, le Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts de Washington, D.C., avait décerné à Bellson un Living Jazz Legends Award aux côtés de trente-cinq autres sommités du jazz. En juin de la même année, Bellson avait également été reconnu comme ‘’Living Legend’’ par l’American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

En mars 2009, quelques mois après sa mort, le représentant de l’État de l’Illinois, Mike Boland, avait fait adopter une résolution afin d’honorer la mémoire de Bellson à la Chambre des représentants de l’État. En octobre 2009, la représentante au Congrès, Diane Watson, avait présenté une résolution analogue. En mai 2010, un momument de pierre avait également été érigé à la mémoire de Bellson dans la ville de Moline, dans les Illinois.

Bellson avait aussi obtenu neuf nominations aux prix Grammy au cours de sa carrière.

Même s’il n’avait jamais été considéré comme innovateur, le jeu discret et peu flamboyant de Bellson lui avait permis d’entreprendre une brillante carrière d’accompagnateur auprès de grands noms du jazz comme Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Art Tatum et Oscar Peterson. Considéré comme un des plus grands ambassadeurs de l’histoire du jazz, Bellson avait aussi donné gracieusement de son temps à plusieurs programmes de jazz dans les high schools et collèges. Il s’était également produit régulièrement comme artiste invité avec plusieurs groupes universitaires comme celui de la Northern Illinois University.

Reconnu pour son charme et sa technique impeccacle, Bellson ne s’était jamais reposé sur ses lauriers et avait toujours cherché à s’améliorer. Il expliquait: “One thing I learned from my mentors years ago was, ‘Know where you came from and know where you’re going.’ Which means, know where you got this—who the innovators were—and also pick up on what’s going on now. That’s what I tell the youngsters. I learned from my father and Duke Ellington that music is music. I don’t categorize it. If you want to talk about fusion, or country & western, or whatever, it’s still music. And all the great players had that same attitude.” Mais contrairement à des batteurs extravertis comme Buddy Rich, Bellson préférait faire profil bas et mettre en valeur les autres musiciens.

Bellson était aussi très apprécié des autres musiciens. Au cours de sa carrière, Bellson s’est produit avec plusieurs grands noms du jazz, d’Art Tatum à Oscar Peterson, en passant par Clark Terry, les frères Jimmy et Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Harry James, Blue Mitchell, Don Menza, Larry Novak, John Heard, Benny Goodman, Pearl Bailey, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Shavers, Cat Anderson, Pete et Conte Candoli, Snooky Young, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Eldridge, Benny Carter, Ray Brown, Chuck Findley, John Heard, Roger Ingram, Don Menza, Blue Mitchell, Larry Novak, Nat Pierce, Frank Rosolino, Bobby Shew, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Charlie Barnett, Mel Powell, Stan Getz, James Brown, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman et Joe Pass.

Décrivant Bellson comme un gentilhomme, le batteur Steve Gadd avait rendu hommage à Bellson en ces termes:

‘’Louie was a class act and a gentleman. When I was young, the first guys I listened to were him, Gene and Buddy. And then I got to meet him when I was a kid and it meant a lot to me. I always looked forward to seeing him. It was a real honor to know him and I was thrilled that he got to know me. Throughout his career, he raised the bar and kept it there the whole time. He was always at the top of his game.

Another thing that impressed me was his commitment to education. And that Louie never lost his love for playing and for sharing. Louie was special and someone like him…you just don’t come across every day. I am going to miss him a lot and I know many other people will too.’’

Se prononçant dans le même sens, le batteur Steve Smith avait commenté:

‘’Louie Bellson’s passing has left me with a pain in my heart. Louie had become a friend and mentor and I loved being able to call him on the phone and have an inspiring talk. It seems strange that I will no longer be able to do that. I miss the fact that Louie no longer inhabits this planet. I met Louie Bellson for the first time in 1984 when I did a drum clinic with him and Billy Cobham. We all played together during that clinic and it was quite an intimidating experience for me. Louie was very gracious and did his best to put me at ease. Over the years, I did a number of Zildjian Weekend Workshops with Louie and I got to know him quite well. We stayed in touch over the phone and saw each other frequently at gigs, clinics, and trade shows.

Louie was the nicest man I have ever met, always complimentary and very open-minded. Of course I asked him to show me some of his moves on the drumset and he was very forthcoming and generous with his lessons. I learned a lot from him on how to truly listen to, and appreciate, the younger generations. He would ask me many questions about what I was playing and how I did it, and gave me the kind of encouraging feedback that was inspirational and helped me build confidence. I came to realize after awhile that he was modeling for me an approach to mentoring the next generation that was positive and encouraging. His influence on me has helped me to look for the positive and be open-minded with the younger generations, when sometimes as an older musician, it is not always obvious. Louie Bellson was one of the greatest drummers who ever lived and he was one of the greatest human beings that ever lived.’’

Quant au batteur Peter Erskine, il avait ajouté:

‘’What words to say when an immortal one leaves us? Louie Bellson had been “there” for my entire life, always legendary, elegant and exemplar. There was Louie in the Ellington band, serving as role model that drummers can be composers. There was Louie, married to Pearl ~ and later to Francine ~ serving as pioneering role model that harmony could be found on the bandstand as well as between races, in marriage and in music. There was Louie, consummate gentleman, serving as role model that graciousness is hip as well as possible in jazz and in this modern world. Louie, the quintessential timekeeper who always had time for everyone. It’s hard to imagine a kinder and more giving man than Louie, all the more extraordinary because of his sky-high talents and abilities.’’

Saluant la grande écoute et la grande disponibilité de Bellson, le critique Bruce H. Klauber avait précisé:

‘’Louie Bellson, master drummer, composer, arranger, educator and the last of the certifiable swing era percussion stars, passed away on Februrary 14 at the age of 84.

As a player and as a human being, there will never, ever be another like him. Whether at a clinic, a master class, recording session, or after a performance, he took the time to answer every question, sign every autograph, and fulfill every request. He spoke ill of no one. His playing was just like he was. Beyond category, eras or labels. Stylistically, his was an “all-purpose” way of playing that fit with everything and everyone. Though grounded in swing, and indeed, his first major job was with Benny Goodman, this was an artist who played with everyone from Louis Armstrong and Harry James to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Technically, most percussion experts agree that he was the only one to equal Buddy Rich’s speed and dexterity. And via his ground-breaking use of two bass drums, he took Buddy’s technique a step beyond. But whatever he played, and no matter what the setting, he never let his technique get in the way of taste. He played for the situation, and in his long and varied career, “the situation” included a lot of session work, backing the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr. and Tony Bennett, subbing for “The Tonight Show” orchestra, or acting as musical director for his first wife, entertainer Pearl Bailey.’’

Commentant les qualités de Bellson comme être humain, le pianiste Bob Weiner avait précisé:

‘’Louie has given his life to this great music, Jazz. Without knowing him personally, he feels like the true gentleman, a “gentle man,” who brought people together, even beyond the music, as an ambassador of good will, of universal culture, of a love of humanity. His combination of raw, explosive energy and steady discipline and focus are what every drummer dreams about, that rare marriage of pure passion and clear action that brings us to our feet every time.’’

#jazz

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