#ray carney

[metaphysicsinwater]

I think film is magic! With the tools we have at hand, we really try to convert people’s lives! The idea of making a film is to package a lifetime of emotion and ideas into a two-hour capsule form, two hours where some images flash across the screen and in that two hours the hope is that the audience will forget everything and that celluloid will change lives.

John Cassavetes on John Cassavetes

[booksofdelight]

Ray Carney Series Guide and Book Review

Ray Carney Series Guide and Book Review

Author Colson Whitehead has committed to writing a three-book series around protagonist Ray Carney in his Ray Carney series. We will be discussing all the books in the series, our reviews of the books, as well as what we think of this series. Keep reading to find out if this book series is for you! Ray Carney Series Guide Harlem Shuffle Crook Manifesto TBR Harlem Shuffle Harlem Shuffle book…

[olganmwriter]

#TuesdayBookBlog Crook Manifesto: A Novel by Colson Whitehead (@colsonwhitehead) (@LittleBrownUK)

Hi all: I bring you the second novel in a series by an author I discovered recently and added to my list of favourites. Oh, and because with my move to the old blog, many of my reviews are no longer available here, and everything I said about the first novel is quite relevant to his one as well, I have tagged that one on at the end of the post. Sorry! It’s even longer than usual! Crook…

[jamespotterismydaddy]

I keep going insane over one season obscure prime shows. Has anyone seen panic? I’m in love with ray hall im afraid😁 who wants a fic??

To me, it’s def giving Tom Glynn Carney vibes

[please-buckme]

This look is NOT 👏🏻 TALKED👏🏻 ABOUT 👏🏻 ENOUGH!!!

[jazzandother-blog]

Ellington in Sweden 1963 (feat. Alice Babs)

Duke Ellington and his Orchestra: Cootie Williams, Roy Burrowes, Cat Anderson (t); Ray Nance (t,vl,v); Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper (tb); Chuck Connors (btb); Jimmy Hamilton (cl,ts); Russell Procope (cl,as); Johnny Hodges (as); Paul Gonsalves (ts); Harry Carney (cl,bcl,as,bar); Duke Ellington (p); Ernie Shepherd (sb); Sam Woodyard (d); Alice Babs; Milt Grayson (v)

0:02 Take The A Train [feat. Alice Babs, Paul Gonsalves]

7:05 Do Nothin' Tilll You Hear From Me (New Concerto For Cootie) [feat. Lawrence Brown]

09:05 The Blues [feat. Milt Grayson]

12:43 The Eighth Veil [feat. Cat Anderson]

15:22 Star-Crossed Lovers [feat. Johnny Hodges]

19:21 Sophisticated Lady [feat. Harry Carney]

22:50 Honeysuckle Rose [feat. Jimmy Hamilton]

25:58 Take Love Easy [feat. Alice Babs]

28:58 Dancers In Love [feat. DE]

31:07 I Got It Bad [feat. Johnny Hodges]

33:56 Guitar Amour [feat. Ray Nance]

41:20 Tutti For Cootie [feat. Cootie Williams]

[thegraininessofitall]

"Have you guys ever regretted bein' dancers? I mean, ever, in all those years?" "Never." "Not once." "You sure?"

[pendragora]

My face every damn time I see them:

I swear they are the same person

[st-eve-barnes]

Easy on you

(Modern Aegon x Fem Reader)

Summary: Hiding from the party downstairs you and Aegon end up in the same room together, sharing some drinks and secrets, and feelings.

Warning: 18+ for smut. Teasing, dry humping, oral sex (female receiving), explicit language, the whole works. Also fluff, love confessions and Aegon being an insecure slut.

Word count: +5800

I've been a little obsessed with Tom Glynn-Carney lately so you guys get some more Modern Aegon ;) (As always please forget about his issues in canon, this is my version and consent is a big deal to this Aegon)

***

All my fics are also on AO3

***

The Targaryen villa was so immense one could easily get lost in its abundance of different rooms, stairways and halls. You were pretty sure you had walked this exact same hallway just a few minutes ago. They all looked alike and you’d been walking around for a while now without running into another living soul.

You hadn’t meant to go this far, you just wanted to flee the family gathering downstairs but once you’d started going up the stairs you had just kept going without looking back.

Anything to avoid seeing them.

You sighed in relief when you finally found some light at the end of the tunnel. Literally. The room at the end of the hallway had its door ajar and a ray of light came peaking through.

You knocked a few times and waited, when there was no answer you carefully pushed the door open, finding the room inside empty.

It seemed to be some kind of guest or entertainment room, there was a large made up bed and some sofas but you didn’t see any personal stuff anywhere. There was a fridge in the corner and a bar filled with drinks. The light was on which meant someone must have been here not so long ago and maybe you just missed them.

Just as you were about to leave again the other door in the room opened and you were no longer alone. You stood face to face with Aegon, who walked in with a drink in his hand and a surprised look on his face.

“Well, hello. How did you get up here?”

“I got lost,” you explained,”Is this your room?”

“It is tonight,” he smiled and let himself fall down onto the sofa, plopping his feet down on the coffee table,”This was meant to be a guest room but it’s so far up in the east wing I think the rest of the family forgot it exists.”

His eyes rested on yours for a minute, taking you in and trying to read your expression. You looked tense and more nervous than usual. “What are you doing all the way up here, Y/N?” he then asked again.

“I told you, I got lost,” you avoided answering his question.

”Must have been walking for a while then,” he remarked.

“Yeah,” you sighed.

“Want me to direct you back to the party?”

“Fuck no.”

The words left your mouth without even thinking and you bit your lip but Aegon just smiled.“You were trying to get out, weren’t you?”

“Not out, just…looking for a spot to hide out for a while,” you confessed.

“Well, you found it. You…um…wanna grab a beer or something?” he pointed towards the fridge and you gladly took him up on his offer.

If you had to run into anyone from the Targaryen family you were glad it was Aegon.

You and him had been friends for a while now, ever since your brother married Heleana and your family had started spending more time with the Targaryens. Heleana was a total sweetheart and Aegon had always been the most welcoming of the entire bunch.

To be honest those two were the only ones you could stand, the rest of that family scared the shit out of you.

For some reason you always felt at ease with Aegon. maybe it was because he never seemed to feel comfortable around his own family either. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that he was also fleeing the festivities tonight.

You let yourself sink down on the couch next to him and took a sip from your beer.”So who are you hiding from?”

He let out a laugh and shook his head,”Who am I not hiding from?”

You kept your eyes on him waiting for an answer but he didn’t elaborate.

“Okay, so you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine,” you teased.

He bumped your leg with his,“You first.”

You sighed but when your eyes met his you caved quickly. You’re not sure what it was about Aegon but he always had a way of making you feel you could tell him anything and he would never judge you for it.

“My mum,” you confessed,”And Viserys.”

“What’s Viserys done?”

“Nothing,” you sighed,”It’s just…my mum wants to set me up with someone from your family. Apparently she’s sooo happy with my brother’s new life she thinks it would be wonderful, for me, if I were to marry rich as well.”

Aegon rolled his eyes and took another sip from his beer, trying his best to sound casual with his next question,”So…who’s the lucky Targaryen?”

You sighed deeply,“Aemond.”

“Oh no, poor you.”

“Shut up,” you hit his leg, making him laugh.

“No but…I mean, Aemond’s not so bad,” he then tried to reassure you but you quickly shook your head.

“I don’t even know him, Aegon, it’s not…it’s just not how I imagined things.”

“Then say no, it’s your life, they don’t get to decide how you should live it.”

“I know,” you pulled your legs up underneath you on the couch and turned on your side, facing Aegon,”and my mum said it’s totally my choice and she’ll never push me into it but…I just…don’t know how to disappoint my family.”

Aegon snorted at that,”Want some tips? According to Viserys being the family disappointment is one of the only things I absolutely excel in.”

You smiled but gave him a more serious look then,”Viserys is an idiot. But I mean, it’s not like I don’t understand why my mum wants it, you know, financial security and all that.”

“Money doesn’t solve all your problems or buys you happiness.”

“Only someone who has it would say that.”

Aegon sighed and ran his hand through his hair,”Shit, you’re right. That was such a rich kid’s response, wasn’t it?”

You nodded,”I know what you mean though, having money comes with its own problems and responsibilities but it’s infinitely better than not having it.”

“But your family is doing okay now, yeah?”

“We’re okay, yes but I know where mum is coming from. I just didn’t feel like having that conversation about my future tonight.”

“Yeah, I totally get that.”

“So who are you really hiding from?”

He sighed and closed his eyes while he confessed,”Viserys. Of course, who else?”

“Why?”

“Because…he wants me to work in the family’s company and…I’d rather fucking die.”

“He can’t force you, can he?”

“He can disown me if he wants.”

“Would he do that?”

“I don’t know. And part of me wants to say I don’t give a fuck but…”

You smiled,“You’re used to your little life of luxury.”

“Yeah,” Aegon admitted,”Does that make me weak? It makes me weak, doesn’t it?”

“No, of course not. But, it’s like you said, money’s not gonna solve all your problems.”

He leaned back into the couch,”Yeah, maybe not.”

“What would you do? If you could have any job in the world?”

“Just get paid to play with my band.”

“Are you guys any good?”

His eyes lit up and he gave you a sweet smile,”You should come see us some time and judge for yourself.”

“Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”

“Okay,” he nodded and finished his beer,”Want another one?”

“Sure.”

“Think it’s safe to say neither of us wants to go back downstairs anytime soon.”

He took two more bottles from the fridge and gave you one before sitting down on the floor in front of the couch. You moved down to join him.

“What are we gonna do to pass the time up here?” you asked.

“Well, I could think of a few things we could do,” Aegon teased while giving you a flirty look and motioning towards the beds.

You hit him on his leg,”Don’t be gross.”

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself,” he avoided your eyes for a moment but couldn’t hide the smile on his face. 

It wasn’t the first time Aegon flirted with you. It seemed to come second nature to him, you never thought much of it. It was always playful and friendly and you knew it was just his way of communicating sometimes.

“Let me guess, there’s no Netflix up here or anything is there?” you asked.

“Nope,” he shook his head,”I doubt there’s even wifi up here. It’s just us. Sorry to disappoint.”

His eyes met yours again and you shook your head,”You don’t disappoint, Aegs, you’re the only Targaryen I’d ever want to be alone in a room with.”

“I still don’t know if that counts as a compliment,” his lips curled up into a smile and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“What about a drinking game?” he then suggested.

“You want to get me drunk, Aegon Targaryen?” you teased him.

“I want to get me drunk,” he joked,” but you can join if you want.”

That flirty look was back in his eyes but you chose to ignore it this time.

“I mean, we can also talk about our families and insecurities and struggles in life,” he then added.

“Drinking game it is,” you shut him up quickly, putting that satisfied grin back on his face.

He was up in an instant to grab a few glasses from the bar and something a little stronger than the beers you’d been drinking so far.

“Okay,” he settled back down on the floor in front of you, filling up the two glasses,”So, truth or dare?”

You laughed and shook your head,”Absolutely not.”

“What? Oh come on, why not?”

“Because every dare you will come up with is going to be something completely inappropriate.”

He stared at you in feigned shock but you just narrowed your eyes at him.

“I am offended you would think that,” he then reacted,”Also a little flattered that you know me so well.”

He gave you a big smile and you couldn’t help but join in, his laugh was so infectious you realized how easily he always made you feel better in his presence.

“Never have I ever?” you then suggested and you didn’t miss the sudden interest peaking in Aegon’s eyes.

“You sure about that one?” he asked carefully.

You suddenly felt exposed under his gaze and the game hadn’t even started yet.

”Not so much anymore now, no,” you confessed with a smile.

He laughed softly,”I’ll go easy on you, don’t worry.”

And he did, at least in the beginning of the game. It started off so innocent. 

Never have I ever cheated on an exam. Never have I ever skipped school and lied to my parents about it. Never have I ever binged an entire series in one day. Never have I ever been so drunk I blacked out.

It was only after a few laughs, drinks and harmless confessions that the game took another, more sexual, turn.

Both of you were pleasantly buzzed by then and without really paying attention to it you had both inched closer to each other, your knees almost touching now. 

“Never have I ever dated more than one person at the same time,” you stated.

Aegon snorted and took a sip while your mouth fell open.

“What?” he smiled,” I’m a slut, don’t act so shocked.”

You kept staring at him and just shook your head.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” you shrugged,”Your turn.”

“Never have I ever faked an orgasm,” he stated with a smug grin on his face.

You rolled our eyes and took a sip.

“Why do all women do that?” he asked with genuine interest.

“I don’t know, probably because we’re taught from a very young age that we’re supposed to be good and supportive and men can do no wrong so if we can’t reach our peak that’s still a reflection of our faults and not theirs.”

This time it was Aegon’s turn to stare at you with his mouth open.

“Sorry, was that too much?” you asked.

He shook his head,”No, not at all. That was…very fair. And quite sad.”

“But then sometimes,” you added with a smile,” Sometimes the sex just isn’t good and you just fake it to get it over with and get away from them quicker, and the idiots can never tell.”

”See but that’s still sad, I would never leave my girl unsatisfied and I’d hope she would feel safe enough with me to just tell me if I need to try harder.”

You’re not sure why his words made you blush but you had to avoid his eyes for a moment.

“Of course that never happens,” he then added with a smug grin, making you burst out in laughter.

“It doesn't!" he protested.

“I’m sure it’s happened to you as well, Aegs, all women do it.”

“Not with me,” he insisted.

“Up to 80 percent of women fake it sometimes, do your math.”

He was still firmly shaking his head,”Not with me.”

You sighed,“Fine, I’ll take your word for it, casanova, shall we move on?”

He opened his mouth to protest again but you were faster.

“Never have I ever been caught masturbating,” you blurted out.

Aegon just laughed and forgot about his protest to have a drink.

“Really?” you asked.

He just nodded,“My mum has seen things that will scar her for life.”

“Oh my god, Aegon, ew!” you covered your mouth with your hand as you laughed and he joined you.”Next, please.”

“Never have I ever...slept with someone I was actually in love with,” he confessed, and you both suddenly stopped laughing.

“Never?” you asked,”Not even a little bit? Like a crush?”

He shook his head,”Nope.”

“That’s sad, Aegon.”

"No, it's not, come on, sex is a great thing, whether you're in love or not," he shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's better if you are."

“You say that but I noticed you didn’t drink either,” he pointed out.

“No, I…I guess we’re both sad,” you smiled weakly and looked down until Aegon bumped his knee against yours and gave you a warm smile.

“Okay, next,” he said,”No more depressing ones now.”

You smiled and nodded,”Okay, um…never have I ever fantasized about a friend.”

Aegon’s smile was soft before he lifted his glass up to his lips and took a sip. He didn’t say anything but quickly moved onto the next one.

“Never have I ever cheated on someone,” he confessed. You looked at each other for a moment, neither of you drinking.

”So at least you’re an honest slut,” you then joked and he laughed while looking into your eyes.

“Gee, thanks.”

You smiled.“Never have I ever had a one night stand.”

HIs eyes stayed on yours as he slowly drank from his glass and then filled it up again.

“You know,” he sighed,”I’m beginning to notice this game isn’t really fair.”

“I can’t help it that you’ve done everything,” you pointed out.

“I have not done everything, you’re just very…”

You pointed your finger at him, warning him to choose his next words carefully.

“Less experienced than I am,” he then added,”which is perfectly fine.”

He placed his hand on your knee and gave it a soft squeeze.

“Yes, it is perfectly fine,” you repeated.

“So why no one night stand though?” he asked,”Is it a principle thing or you just haven’t felt like it?”

“I haven’t met anyone that made me feel like I wanted to,” you explained.

He nodded,”That’s fair. I bet you’ve had plenty of offers though.”

Your eyes met his,”Why? Why would you say that?”

“Because you’re really fucking hot,” he confessed with a small grin and then took a quick sip from his drink, trying to hide the blush on his face.

You wanted to ignore his flirty comment like you always did but you couldn’t help but feel the effect of his words this time, making you feel a little lightheaded.

“You wanna stop playing the game?” he asked.

“No,” you shook your head,”I think I have one more.”

Aegon moved a little closer to you and you were very aware of his hand still resting on your knee.”Go on then.”

You bit your lip and hesitated for a moment before speaking the next words softly,”Never have I ever kissed a friend.”

His stare was so intense it was making your head spin, both your drinks were untouched on the floor next to you, forgotten about now that Aegon seemed to only have eyes for you.

“Do you want to?” he then whispered.

Your eyes widened at his statement and he gave you a soft, sweet smile. Your mouth opened to speak but the words weren’t coming out.

His hand carefully moved up from your knee to your thigh, testing the waters, waiting for you to do something, anything, hit him again or yell at him and tell him to stop being gross. But you didn’t do any of those things, you just stared at him and he recognized that hunger in your eyes, it was a reflection of his own.

He pulled you a little closer to him until you were face to face and practically sitting in his lap. Then he moved his hand up to your face and gently cupped your neck, moving his thumb over your jaw and your cheek. 

You sighed into his touch.“We shouldn’t, Aegs.”

You could hear the words leaving your lips but your hands were clearly not on the same page, grabbing his shirt and pulling him towards you and Aegon was doing nothing to make things easier on you. He was licking his lips and looking at you with so much lust in his eyes you were sure your protest would crumble as soon as he touched you again.

When his gaze fell down to your lips you knew you lost the fight.

He gently nuzzled your cheek, his soft voice was like velvet against your skin,”If you don’t want this I’ll stop right now, just say the word and I’ll back off, okay?” 

Your mouth opened to speak but you had no words left for him, all you could feel and think was how badly you wanted him.

“Do you want to?” he asked again.

“Yes, I want to,” your answer finally came, putting a relieved smile on his face.

“Good girl,” he whispered, which did not help your situation at all.”I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Aegs,” you sighed and looked at him, letting yourself drown into his pretty blue eyes.

“Will you let me kiss you?” he asked, brushing your nose with his.

You nodded,”Please.”

He cupped your face with both hands, looking deep into your eyes before he slowly leaned in and pressed his lips to yours in the softest, sweetest lingering kiss. It was over too soon and only left you wanting more.

Aegon moved his hands down to your waist, pulling you further into his lap and then he was kissing you again. The kiss was still gentle but also filled with more purpose. He started out slowly, just moving his lips with yours. Then he carefully licked into your mouth, teasing your tongue with his, waiting for you to open up to him completely before deepening the kiss.

The room around you was spinning now, his lips were intoxicating and addictive and you never wanted them to leave your mouth ever again. His hands made their way underneath your shirt to caress your lower back, leaving a trail of goosebumps all over your skin. 

You pulled him closer to you, hands tangled in his hair while you kissed him back with the same fire, setting you both aflame. 

You had kissed a few guys in your short lifetime and some of them had been pretty good, but none of those kisses came even remotely close to the way Aegon Targaryen was kissing you right now. As if he was dying and you were breathing life into him.

When you softly whimpered into the kiss it encouraged him to pull you even closer, straddling his lap now and you both moaned quietly at the first contact of his cock against your center. Even through all the layers of clothing you could feel him.

You grinned into his kiss.

“What?” he whispered in between kisses.

“You’re hard.”

“Thanks for noticing, of course I’m hard,” he joked and then bit your lower lip, making you moan softly which made him bite a little harder,”You have any idea how long I’ve wanted you like this?”

You broke the kiss to look at him in surprise.

“You really had no idea, didn’t you?” he realized and he shook his head in disbelief,”And I thought I wasn’t being subtle at all, I flirt with you all the time.”

“You flirt with everyone all the time!” you pointed out.

He laughed softly,”Okay, yeah, fair point.”

“Do you wanna talk about this?” you asked.

He locked eyes with you again.”No, I don’t wanna talk,” he then spoke softly,”I want to make out with you some more.”

His hands moved up your back, pulling you closer again and taking your mouth in another needy, sloppy kiss. You didn’t hesitate to kiss him back and involuntarily your hips moved against his, making him hiss into your mouth. He rocked back against you, letting you feel just how turned on he was.

He was breathing heavily in between kissing you and his hands were now on your ass, holding you down on his lap while you rocked yourself on his erection. Both of you seeking out the friction and feeling the need to be even closer.

“Gods, you feel so fucking good,” he whispered against your lips and then started kissing your jaw and your neck, sucking on your skin and tracing patterns with his tongue. 

He was driving you insane. You had always found Aegon to be easy on the eyes but that’s as far as it went. You had never looked at him this way before tonight, and now it was all you could think about.

You needed him like you needed air.

You pulled at his shirt and he was quick to help you pull it over his head. He didn’t waste any time and quickly did the same with you, leaving you in just your bra. He couldn’t look away and the pleading look in his eyes put a smile on your face.

“Can I?” he asked eagerly,”Please?”

You just nodded and watched as he nervously unclipped your bra and then gently pulled it down your shoulders, revealing your breasts to him.

“Holy shit,” he breathed.

You couldn’t help but laugh,”They’re just tits, Aegs, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of them.”

“I haven’t seen yours,” he answered in a soft whisper and before you could say anything else he was kissing down your neck and collarbone. And further down until he was gently sucking on your nipple, making your eyes close in a heavy sigh. His cock was twitching against your inner thigh, making you want him even more. 

You knew your panties were completely soaked by now and your pussy was throbbing so hard it was becoming entirely distracting.

“Aegon,” you moaned quietly and grabbed at the waistband of his pants, pulling them down a little,”I need to feel you.”

“I know, baby,” he teased, kissing his way back up to your neck, his lips brushing the shell of your ear as he whispered,”You want me to fuck you? Is that what you want? You want me to fill you up, hmm?”

“Yes,” you breathed.

“You sure, baby?” he checked.

This time it was your turn to tease him and you looked into his eyes while you grabbed his hand and lowered it in between your legs,”Why don’t you put your hand down my panties and feel how sure I am?”

You watched him swallow hard, his fingers moving over your jeans, even through the thick fabric he could feel how soaked you were underneath.

“F-uck,” he breathed.

You moved out of his lap to push him down and pull down his pants and boxers, finally freeing his erection from its confined space. He let out a sigh of relief, quickly followed by the most obscene moan you had ever heard when you wrapped your hand around his length.

Your eyes locked with his while you leaned down.

“Wha…what are you doing?” his voice sounded wrecked all of a sudden and you'd barely even touched him.

The mischievous look in your eyes told him everything he needed to know and just before you were going to take him into your mouth he pushed you back.”No, no…you can’t do that…fuck, baby…please don’t…”

“You don’t want me to suck you off?” you asked surprised.

He was biting his lip and cursing himself. He had dreamt about this so many times, fantasized and jerked off to this so many times but he knew if you put your mouth on him right now this would all be over within seconds. 

And he didn’t want his first time with you to be in your mouth. He wanted to be buried so deep inside your tight heat with your entire body pressed up against him, swallowing your needy moans and watching your face as he made you cum.

”I want nothing more than for you to suck me off but…I,”he stuttered over his next words,”I’m so fucking close to blowing my load…I just…that’s not what I want right now…”

He was blushing, clearly embarrassed and you thought it was the cutest thing.

”Okay, so no sucking then,” you pouted at him for a second but then gave him a sweet smile and he couldn’t help but smile back at you. Then he grabbed you and pushed you back, off the floor and onto the couch. His fingers were making quick work of your jeans and you lifted yourself off the couch to help him take them off, your panties going along with them.

Aegon stayed on his knees on the floor, his eyes meeting yours while he settled between your legs.

“What are you doing?” you asked with a weak voice, knowing all too well what he was doing.

He didn’t say anything, just gave you a playful, flirty look before putting his mouth right above your knee. Soft open mouthed kisses trailed your inner thigh, each one making you squirm a little bit more as he kissed his way higher and higher. That first lap of his tongue over your folds made you want to cry out in pleasure and you bit your hand to stop yourself from screaming so loud the entire family downstairs would hear you.

Aegon’s hand reached for yours, giving you something to hold onto, his other hand was on your inner thigh, spreading you open for him while he nipped and sucked at your clit.

“Not…fair,” you breathed, fingers squeezing his hand painfully hard but you couldn’t feel a thing apart from his mouth, sending you to heaven one lick at a time.

When he started fucking you with his tongue, nose pushing up perfectly against your throbbing clit, you were done for. 

“Don’t stop,” you whimpered,”Please…oh god, Aegs, please…”

His thumb started circling your clit and the room around you seemed to fade away. You were falling deeper and deeper until there was nothing but bliss. Tears filled your eyes and your back arched off the couch in one of the most intense orgasms you ever experienced.

Aegon didn’t rush you afterwards, let you ride out every last wave of it, kissing your clit and licking every last drop you offered him. When you finally came down from your high you pulled him up on the couch with you and into your arms.

His lips found yours in a filthy, deep kiss that let you taste yourself all over his tongue. His hands moved up to your shoulders and he gently pushed you down on your back onto the couch, his mouth never leaving yours. His left hand moved down to your inner thigh, opening you up again while his lips latched onto your neck.

“Wanna fuck you so bad,” he whimpered into your ear,”Tell me you want me to.”

His cock was heavy against your dripping center, begging to be allowed in but waiting for your consent, his leaking tip teasing your entrance.

“I want you to, god please, I want you to,” you were practically begging.

That was all the consent he needed and he slowly pushed himself inside.

“Fuck, you’re so wet for me,” he breathed in a shaky voice.

“Yeah, no shit,” you teased.

His lips curled up into a cheeky grin and he pressed his forehead against yours,”Wrap your arms around me, hold onto me, baby.”

You did as he asked, pulling him to you and locking eyes with his. You could have drowned in the ocean of blue staring back at you, his gaze was so unexpectedly soft and loving it was making your heart flutter and you both seemed to halt for a moment, just looking at each other.

Aegon was nervously biting his lip trying to hold himself back. 

“It’s okay,” you whispered,”You can let go.”

He moved his hips with a grunt, slowly fucking you into the couch. It didn’t take long for you to moan with him and set a pace that left you both breathless, chasing that much needed release.

“God, you feel so good,” Aegon’s whispered in between ragged breaths,”It’s totally…fucking unfair…how good you make me feel.”

All you could do was nod while biting your lip, his eyes were on you the entire time, not breaking eye contact once and it made the whole thing feel much more intimate. 

You knew Aegon’s reputation better than anyone, biggest slut in the city who didn’t do relationships only quick fucks, yet nothing about the way he was looking at you and touching you right now felt like a quick fuck, it felt like a whole lot more. 

Something you would have to think about and analyze later when he wasn’t a few seconds away from giving you another mind blowing orgasm.

“Aegs,” you moaned desperately.

“You close, baby?”

“Hmmm,” you breathed,”So close.”

His hand moved down between your legs to find your clit, giving you that last push you needed to fall apart completely and when you clenched around him he followed suit. His face buried into your neck, muffling his loud moans before he pulled out and spilled all over your thighs.

Desperate little whimpers against your shoulder when he came down from his high, clinging to you with all he had and then his lips were on yours again, kissing you so deep and slow you felt like you were falling again. 

When you broke the kiss to look at each other you both let out a deep breath that ended with you giggling and Aegon biting his lip and being unable to take his eyes off you.

“You good?” he asked.

You nodded,”Yeah, you?”

He nodded and placed a soft kiss on your cheek,”Can we stay like this for a while or…?”

“Or?”

He sighed,”I don’t…this is usually the part where the girl leaves.”

“Where she leaves or where you kick her out?”

“A bit of both, I guess,” he confessed and traced your jaw with his thumb.

“Do you want me to leave?” you leaned into his touch and looked up at him from under your lashes.

He quickly and firmly shook his head,”No, I…I want you to stay with me. I mean…if you want, it’s your choice.”

You smiled softly and leaned into him,”I’d love to stay. But I would like to get off of this couch first and get cleaned up.”

“Yeah, okay,” he nodded and was quick to help you sit up before disappearing behind the bar to find a wet towel.

You spent the rest of that night in bed with him, doing nothing but talk and sleep, and kiss a little in between. 

When the sun came up the next morning Aegon was back between your legs, waking you up with his tongue and his lips and sending you into another toe curling orgasm.

“You better be careful, Targaryen,” you warned him afterwards,”I could get used to this.”

“Maybe that’s the point,” he smiled while resting his head on your chest and looking up into your eyes.

“To get me to stay with you?” you asked, caressing his hair until he hummed into your touch,”It’s okay, Aegs, I know you don’t do that stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“Date, have a relationship, that kind of stuff.”

“Oh,” he sighed and you watched his expression fall,”Right, of course, how could I forget? I'm the kind of guy you fuck, not the guy you date. Who in their right mind would want to end up with Aegon Targaryen anyway, huh?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you tried to soften the blow but he was already pulling away from you and grabbing his shirt. He put it on without looking at you. The sudden silence in the room was heavy.

“You should go,” he then whispered.

“Is that what you want?” you asked softly and you didn’t move from your spot in the bed, hoping he would grant you another look. It took a while but he eventually turned around and looked into your eyes.

“You know that’s not what I want, sweetheart,” he sighed quietly and your heart leaped.

“It’s not what I want either,” you confessed.

“It’s not?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

You reached out your hand to him and he took it eagerly, letting you pull him back into your arms. He cupped your neck and kissed your lips, soft but hungry, waking up an entire army of butterflies in your stomach.

“I want to do all that stuff, with you,” he then whispered in between kisses,"I want you so bad....I've never...never felt this way about anyone before. And I know I’m not boyfriend material and you can do so much better than me but…”

“I don’t want to do better, I want you,” you breathed against his lips.

“Wait, did you just insult me?” Aegon teased, making you both laugh but then his gaze turned soft and serious,”I know I’m not the Targaryen your mum had in mind but…will you give me a chance? Will you be my girl?”

You leaned into him and closed your eyes,”I'm already your girl, Aegs.”

He smiled and put a lingering kiss on your forehead.

”Fuck, our families will be so pissed over this.”

[thepromiscuousfinger]

Do you realize that the reason tumblr user "r4cs0" selected that user name is because it means "Oscar" backwards? It's a direct reference to infamous carney serial killer Oscar Ray Bolin Jr. Aside from the general creepiness of being a carney, the guy killed at least four people we know of and likely more. r4cs0 admires him because he maintained innocence in a very tounge-in-cheek way even when he was being executed, which is the same sort of low-key gaslighting that r4cs0 engages in when spreading homophobia on tumblr. I'm not asking you to make a call out against the guy, but the least you could do is stop idolizing him when he uses serial killers as a vehicle to promote fascism.

FELLAS. IS IT CONSIDERED IDOLIZATION FOR INTERACTING WITH YOUR FRIENDS?!

Anon, please make sure you're getting adequate rest and staying hydrated. You're acting like a cunt and you need to scrape the sand out of yours.

[anotheruserwithnoname]

A DVD release for The Jetty has already been announced for the UK! It will be released there on August 5 according to Amazon.

As for North America, no word yet. Unlike The Serpent, which got a UK DVD release but not one in North America due to it being tied to Netflix*, The Jetty is a straight BBC production/release, so the odds of it turning up on DVD over here (likely released by Acorn) are actually pretty good, though I wouldn't expect any announcement until an actual broadcast/stream is announced for this side of the pond.

* Netflix, which also aired Sandman Season 1, still put out a DVD/Blu-ray of that one, but The Serpent wasn't aimed at the same type of audience as Sandman and only a handful of Netflixes are deemed suitable for permanent media release.

[princesssarisa]

"Faerie Tale Theatre" Posthumous Reunion: The Stars' Final Resting Places

Some people might think I'm obsessed with death. A minor hobby of mine is to research celebrities' final resting places, via the website Find a Grave and the YouTube channel Hollywood Graveyard. And I like perusing themed guides to famous graves. For example, Hollywood Graveyard's videos themed to Christmas, Halloween, the cast and crew of The Wizard of Oz, cast and crew members of The Twilight Zone, etc., or Find A Grave's "Posthumous Reunion" pages for famous movie and TV show casts, sports teams, etc.

I decided to create a similar guide for the cast of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. Sadly, all too many stars of that cult classic series are no longer with us. Here's a guide (with links to Find a Grave pages) to the various places where those stars are buried, in case anyone here might like to visit a few someday.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex

Aughaval Cemetery – Westport, Ireland

*Joseph Maher (Narrator, Cinderella/Sultan, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

Blue Grass Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum – Nicholasville, Kentucky, USA

*Harry Dean Stanton (Rip van Winkle, Rip van Winkle)

Eternal Hills Memorial Park – Oceanside, California, USA

*Karen Black (The Sea Witch, The Little Mermaid)

Fairview Cemetery – Linden, Michigan, USA

*Max Wright (Prince Heinrick, The Dancing Princesses)

Fir Grove Cemetery – Ada, Oregon, USA

*Bridgette Andersen (Gretel, Hansel and Gretel)

Forest Cemetery – Circleville, Ohio, USA

*Conchata Ferrell (Mother, Thumbelina)

Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Carrie Fisher (Thumbelina, Thumbelina)

*Fred Willard (Paul Pig, The Three Little Pigs)

*Brock Peters (The Ogre, Puss in Boots)

*Pat McCormick (King Fredrico, The Princess and the Pea)

Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery – Houston, Texas, USA

*Shelley Duvall (series creator and hostess/The Miller's Daughter, Rumpelstiltskin/Rapunzel, Rapunzel/voice of the Nightingale, The Nightingale/Snow White's Mother, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Genola Rural Cemetery – Los Angeles, California, USA

John P. Ryan (Hendrick Hudson, Rip Van Winkle)

Green Hill Cemetery – Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA

*James Noble (King Rupert, Cinderella)

Hillside Memorial Park – Culver City, California, USA

*Leonard Nimoy (The Evil Magician, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

*Dick Shawn (The Emperor, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Paul Reubens (Pinocchio, Pinocchio)

Holy Cross Cemetery – Culver City, California, USA

*Chris Penn (Will Tussenbrook, Rip Van Winkle)

Lake Lawn Park Cemetery and Mausoleum – New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

*Severn Darden (Farmer Silas, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

Lincoln Cemetery – Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, USA

*Jean Stapleton (The Giantess, Jack and the Beanstalk/The Fairy Godmother, Cinderella)

Mount Shasta Memorial Park – Mount Shasta, California, USA

*Brandis Kemp (Mama Bear, Goldilocks and the Three Bears/voice of Nadine Wolf, The Three Little Pigs)

Mount Sinai Memorial Park – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Frances Bay (Granny, Little Red Riding Hood)

*Georgia Brown (Maggie, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Mountain View Cemetery – Oakland, California, USA

*Jack Fletcher (The Wizard, Rumpelstiltskin)

Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery – Hillside, Illinois, USA

*George Kirby (The King, Puss in Boots)

Polizzi Generosa Cemetery – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

*Vincent Sciavelli (The Priest, Pinocchio)

Riverside Cemetery – Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA

*Art Carney (Morty, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Riverview Cemetery – Hamilton, Montana, USA

*Hoyt Axton (The Ranger, Goldilocks and the Three Bears)

Rose Hills Memorial Park – Whittier, California, USA

*Keye Luke (Imperial Doctor, The Nightingale)

Saint Charles Cemetery – East Farmingdale, New York, USA

*Ray Sharkey (Grand Vizier, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

Saint Peter Churchyard – Blackland, Wiltshire, England

*David Hemmings (Narrator, Thumbelina/The Reindeer, The Snow Queen)

Saint Voldoldymyr Ukrainian Cemetery – Oakville, Ontario, Canada

*Gregory Hines (Edgar, Puss in Boots)

Valley Oaks Memorial Park – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Stephen Furst (Peter Pig, The Three Little Pigs)

Westwood Village Memorial Park – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Eve Arden (The Stepmother, Cinderella)

*James Coburn (The G**sy, Pinocchio)

*Doris Roberts (Mother Pig, The Three Little Pigs)

*Tim Conway (The Mayoral Candidate, Rip Van Winkle)

*Frank Zappa (Attila, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Lu Leonard (Mrs. Toad, Thumbelina)

*Gena Rowlands (The Witch, Rapunzel)

William Henry Lee Memorial Cemetery – Los Angeles, California, USA

*Beatrice Straight (Queen Veronica, The Princess and the Pea)

Cremated, Ashes Held Privately or Scattered

*Robin Williams (Prince Robin, The Tale of the Frog Prince)

*Hervé Villechaize (Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin)

*Christopher Reeve (The Prince, Sleeping Beauty)

*Treat Williams (Prince Andrew, The Little Mermaid)

*Brian Dennehy (King Neptune, The Little Mermaid)

*Klaus Kinski (The Beast, Beauty and the Beast)

*Roddy McDowell (Narrator, Rapunzel)

*Christopher Lee (King Vladimir, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Dana Hill (Princess Amanda, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Vincent Price (The Magic Mirror, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs/Narrator, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*David Warner (The Innkeeper, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Jeff Corey (Father, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Jack Riley (Sexton, The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers)

*Ned Beatty (The King, Rumpelstiltskin)

*Roy Dotrice (Peter Vanderdonk, Rip Van Winkle/The King, The Dancing Princesses)

*Zelda Rubinstein (Old Woman, The Dancing Princesses)

*Burgess Meredith (Mr. Mole, Thumbelina)

*Lee Remick (The Snow Queen, The Snow Queen)

*Lance Kerwin (Kai, The Snow Queen)

*Linda Manz (The Robber Girl, The Snow Queen)

*René Auberjonois (King Ulrich, The Tale of the Frog Prince/King Boris, Sleeping Beauty)

*Sally Kellerman (Queen Natasha, Sleeping Beauty)

*Barrie Ingham (Finance Minister, The Emperor’s New Clothes/Tutor, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

*Richard Libertini (King Murray, Sleeping Beauty)

*Alex Karras (Papa Bear, Goldilocks and the Three Bears)

*Katherine Helmond (Jack’s Mother, Jack and the Beanstalk)

*John Vernon (Father, Little Red Riding Hood)

*Mako (Gardener/Minister, The Nightingale)

*Billy Curtis (Barnaby, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

*Rae Allen (Aladdin’s Mother, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

*Howard Hesseman (The King, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

*Jackie Vernon (Phlegmatic Jack, The Princess Who Had Never Laughed)

*Albert Hague (Nicholas Vedder, Rip Van Winkle)

*James Earl Jones (Genies of the Lamp and the Ring, Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp)

Donated to Medical Science

*Ian Abercrombie (The Royal Cobbler, The Dancing Princesses)

Unknown (Not Publicly Revealed or No Information Online)

*Carl Reiner (Geppetto, Pinocchio)

*Alan Arkin (Bo, The Emperor’s New Clothes)

*Peter Risch (Bruno, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs/Herald, Puss in Boots)

*Lou Carry (Bertram, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

*Stephen Elliott (Father, Beauty and the Beast)

[lesbiancolumbo]

I apologize if you have talked about this before but: what are your thoughts on Ray Carney, especially his beef with Gena Rowlands? I enjoyed his written works on Cass, but am having a hard time understanding what went down there irl

i hate him with a burning passion, think he’s completely in the wrong, and he’s fucking delusional if he thinks he is somehow a better judge of john and his wishes than the woman who was his life partner for twenty five years. he met him in the last year of his life! but gena is the villain for not wanting films john didn’t want shown to the public shown to the public lol. he can bite me. also his website sucks and i don’t hate his books about john but there’s a smugness there that i find hard to swallow

[wearelondonhq]

(ray) welcome to london, VISERYS II TARGARYEN! did anyone ever tell you that you look just like TOBY REGBO? well, no matter, we hear that you are 27 and working as an AUTHOR. we also hear that you currently DON’T HAVE your memories from HOUSE OF THE DRAGON and have a tendency to be WELL-EDUCATED as well as CYNICAL. (( pls can i switch out brit stevenson ?? ))

(ray) welcome to london, DAERON TARGARYEN! did anyone ever tell you that you look just like AVAN JOGIA? well, no matter, we hear that you are 20 and working as a WAITER. we also hear that you currently HAVE SOME OF your memories from HOUSE OF THE DRAGON and have a tendency to be GENTLE as well as RECLUSIVE. (( pls can i switch out edith cushing ?? ))

(ray) welcome to london, ERIC NEWTON! did anyone ever tell you that you look just like TOM GLYNN-CARNEY? well, no matter, we hear that you are 30 and working as an ANIMAL SHELTER EMPLOYEE. we also hear that you currently HAVE your memories from A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE and have a tendency to be KIND-HEARTED as well as PANICKY. (( pls can i switch out donna sheridan ?? ))

(ray) welcome to london, BEN HARGREEVES! did anyone ever tell you that you look just like JUSTIN H MIN? well, no matter, we hear that you are 34 and working as a BOOKSTORE OWNER. we also hear that you currently HAVE your memories from THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY and have a tendency to be CONSIDERATE as well as INTROVERTED. (( pls can i switch out valkyrie ?? ))

(ray) welcome to london, JOEY / ANA LUCIA CRUZ! did anyone ever tell you that you look just like MELISSA BARRERA? well, no matter, we hear that you are 34 and working as a THIEF. we also hear that you currently HAVE your memories from ABIGAIL and have a tendency to be STRATEGIC as well as RECKLESS. (( pls can i switch out joyce dagen & quinn bailey ?? ))

— WELCOME TO LONDON, viserys iii targaryen, daeron 'targaryen’, eric newton, ben hargreeves & joey! you look very familiar, do we know you from somewhere? anyways, take your time settling in because whether you want to or not, it looks like you’re going to be living here for awhile! // welcome ray, please be sure to follow our checklist here! **brit stevenson & joyce dagen (saw), edith cushing (crimson peak), donna sheridan (mamma mia), valkyrie (marvel) and quinn bailey (scream) have been reopened!

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

SERGE CHALOFF, LA DESCENTE AUX ENFERTS D’UN SAXOPHONISTE VIRTUOSE

‘’When Serge was cleaned up, you know, straight, he could be a delight, really to be around, a lot of fun. He knew how to handle himself. He had that gift. He could get pretty raunchy when he was strung out, but he could also be charming.''

- Zoot Sims

Né le 24 novembre 1923 à Boston, au Massachusetts, Serge Chaloff était issu d’une famille musicale. Son père Julius Chaloff était compositeur et avait joué du piano avec le Boston Symphony Orchestra. Sa mère était  la professeure de piano émérite Margaret Chaloff. Mieux connue sous le surnom de ‘’Madame Chaloff’’, Margaret, qui était professeure au New England Conservatory, avait notamment enseigné à des grands noms comme Leonard Bernstein, George Shearing, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock, Steve Kuhn, Chick Corea et Dick Twardzik.

Chaloff, qui avait d’abord appris le piano à partir de l’âge de six ans, avait également suivi des cours de clarinette avec Manuel Valerio du Boston Symphony Orchestra. À l’âge de douze ans, après avoir entendu Harry Carney jouer avec l’orchestre de Duke Ellington, Chaloff avait dédidé d’apprendre à jouer du saxophone baryton en autodidacte. Comme Chaloff l’avait expliqué plus tard lors d’une entrevue accordée au critique Leonard Feather: ‘’Who could teach me? I couldn't chase [Harry] Carney around the country.''

Même s’il avait été influencé par Carney et par Jack Washington, le saxophoniste baryton de l’orchestre Count Basie, Chaloff n’avait pas tenté de les imiter. Comme l’avait déclaré son frère Richard Chaloff, Serge ‘’could play {baritone} like a tenor sax. The only time you knew it was a baritone was when he took it down low. He played it high.… He had finger dexterity, I used to watch him, you couldn't believe the speed he played. He was precise. He was a perfectionist. He would be up in his bedroom as a teenager. He would be up by the hour to one, two, three in the morning and I'm trying to sleep and he'd go over a phrase or a piece until it was perfect… I used to put the pillow over my head, we had battles.’’

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

À partir de l’âge de quatorze ans, Chaloff avait commencé à jouer au Izzy Ort's Bar & Grille, un célèbre club situé sur la rue Essex à Boston. Son frère Richard expliquait: ‘’He didn't have a permit to work but he was pretty tall and he went down to see Izzy Ort...and played for him and Izzy liked the sax...and he hired my brother to work nights… My mother used to pray on Sundays that that he'd make it outa there… My brother sat in with bandsmen that were in their thirties and forties… and here he was fourteen, fifteen years old and he played right along with them, and he did so well that they kept him.''

En 1939, à l’âge de seulement seize ans, Chaloff s’était joint au groupe de Tommy Reynolds comme saxophoniste ténor. Par la suite, Chaloff avait joué avec les groupes de Dick Rogers, Shep Fields et Ina Ray Hutton. En juillet 1944, Chaloff avait également fait partie de l’éphémère groupe de Boyd Raeburn aux côtés de Dizzy Gillespie et Al Cohn, avec qui il avait tissé une amitié qui avait duré toute sa vie. C’est d’ailleurs avec Raeburn que Chaloff avait fait ses débuts sur disque en janvier 1945, notamment dans le cadre de la pi��ce ‘’Interlude’’ de Dizzy Gillespie, qui s’était mieux fait connaître plus tard sous le titre de ‘’A Night in Tunisia.’’ Le son de Chaloff était particulièrement perceptible au début de l’enregistrement.

C’est durant son séjour avec le groupe de Raeburn que Chaloff avait entendu pour la première fois Charlie Parker, qui était devenu sa plus importante influence. Mais selon le critique Stuart Nicholson, plutôt que d’imiter Parker, Chaloff s’était inspiré du jeu très émotif de Parker pour bâtir son propre style. Richard Chaloff avait ajouté que son frère saisissait toutes les occasions pour jouer avec Parker à New York. Richard avait déclaré: ‘’Any time he had the chance he would pal with him. He would sit in with him at night… My brother used to say that he was up till 4,5,6, in the morning with the Bird… All the beboppers found each other out.’’

Mais les tournées avec le groupe de Raeburn étaient épuisantes. Chaloff se rappelait d’ailleurs avoir joué durant soixante soirs consécutifs et avoir parcouru jusqu’à 500 miles entre chaque contrat. C’est d’ailleurs au cours de son séjour avec le groupe que Chaloff avait commencé à consommer de l’héroïne et à ‘’marcher sur les nuages’’ comme il l’avait déclaré lui-même. Au milieu des années 1940, Chaloff avait également travaillé avec Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Harris, George Handy, Oscar Pettiford et Earl Swope. Le 21 septembre 1946, Chaloff avait enregistré sa propre version deu standard ‘’Cherokee’’ sous le titre de ‘’Blue Serge’’.

Après avoir travaillé en 1945-46 avec les big bands de Georgie Auld et Jimmy Dorsey, Chaloff avait enregistré avec de petits groupes de bebop de 1946 à 1947. Parmi ceux-ci, on remarquait le Sonny Berman's' Big Eight, le Bill Harris's Big Eight, le Ralph Burns Quintet et les Red Rodney's Be-Boppers qui comprenaient également Allen Eager au saxophone ténor. Au début de 1947, Chaloff avait d’ailleurs partagé un appartement avec Red Rodney, un autre grand consommateur d’héroïne. C’est ainsi que Chaloff était tombé dans un engrenage dont il avait pris des années à s’affranchir.

Commentant sa collaboration avec Chaloff, le saxophoniste Allen Eager avait déclaré: “Serge was a groovy guy to be around. The three of us were all pretty much in the same zone as far as musical leanings go.” En janvier 1947, Chaloff avait enregistré deux standards avec le groupe de Rodney: ‘’Elevation’’ de Gerry Mulligan et ‘’The Goof and I’’ d’Al Cohn. En 2003, les disques Uptown avaient publié du matériel inédit enregistré lors de cette session qui mettait en vedette  Eager, Chaloff, Jimmy Johnson et Buddy Rich. Toujours en janvier 1947, Chaloff s’était produit au club Three Deuces avec le sextet de Georgie Auld aux côtés de Rodney, Tiny Kahn et Lou Levy. “Wonderful band’’, avait déclaré Chaloff plus tard, même si sa collaboration avec le groupe n’avait pas été tellement lucrative. À la même époque, Chaloff avait également joué au Smalls Paradise de Harlem avec Leo Parker, un autre saxophoniste baryton qui était disparu avant de réaliser son plein potentiel.

Durant la même période, Chaloff avait enregistré deux 78-tours avec son propre sextet pour les disques Savoy. Trois des quatre pièces figurant sur ces 78-tours avaient été écrites et arrangées par Chaloff. La quatrième composition intitulée ‘’Gabardine and Serge’’, avait été écrite par Tiny Kahn. Le critique Marc Myers écrivait: ‘’All four tunes are daredevil cute and blisteringly fast. They showcase tight unison lines and standout solos by four of the six musicians, who are in superb form....(On 'Pumpernickel') Chaloff shows off his inexhaustible and leonine approach to the baritone sax.’’

Chaloff était devenu une grande vedette en 1947 lorsqu’il s’était joint au Second Herd de Woody Herman. Le groupe s’était mérité le surnom de Four Brothers Band après que la section de saxophones composée de Chaloff, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims et Herbie Steward (qui avait été remplacé plus tard par Al Cohn) ait enregistré la composition de Jimmy Giuffre du même nom. Chaloff avait également participé à plusieurs autres enregistrements du groupe, dont ‘’Keen and Peachy’’. Chaloff avait aussi joué en solo sur des pièces comme "The Goof and I" et "Man, Don't Be Ridiculous." Selon Nicholson, sur cette dernière pièce, Chaloff avait démontré ‘’an astonishing technical facility that was quite without precedent on the instrument.’’

En 1949, l’historien et critique Leonard Feather avait écrit dans son livre Inside Be-Bop que le jeu propre et le bon goût de Chaloff avaient fait de lui ‘’the No.1 bop exponent of the baritone.'' Chaloff était d’ailleurs surnommé le ‘’Charlie Parker blanc.’’

Malheureusement, Chaloff avait aussi imité Parker sur un aspect beaucoup moins enviable de sa personnalité: il avait développé une dépendance envers l’héroïne. Selon Gene Lees, à partir de 1947, Chaloff était même devenu non seulement le principal fournisseur du groupe de Woody Herman, mais son consommateur le plus important. Toujours selon Feather, Chaloff déposait une couverture au-dessus des sièges arrière des autobus dans lesquels il se transportait afin de pouvoir vendre sa marchandises plus discrètement. Le critique Whitney Balliett avait ajouté que Chaloff avait ''a satanic reputation as a drug addict whose proselytizing ways with drugs reportedly damaged more people than just himself.’’ Plusieurs musiciens avaient d’ailleurs blâmé Chaloff pour la mort du trompettiste de vingt et un ans Sonny Berman, qui était décédé à la suite d’une overdose le 16 janvier 1947.

Le trompettiste Rolf Ericson, qui s’était joint au groupe de Woody Herman en 1950, avait décrit ainsi l’impact de la consommation de drogues sur les performances de la formation: ‘’In the band Woody had started on the coast...late in 1947, which I heard many times, several of the guys were on narcotics and four were alcoholics. When the band started a night's work they sounded wonderful, but after the intermission, during which they used the needle or lushed, the good music was over. It was horrible to see them sitting on the stage like living dead, peering into little paper envelopes when they weren't playing.''

Commentant le séjour de Chaloff avec le groupe, le critique Gene Lees écrivait: ‘’Hiring him must be accounted one of Woody’s worst errors. Serge was a serious heroin addict and like so many of his kind, a dedicated proselytizer for the drug. He would hook a number of the Second Herd bandsmen.” À l’époque, on estimait qu’environ 50% des saxophonistes du groupe de Herman étaient des adeptes de l’héroïne. D’autres musiciens consommaient des amphétamines, ce qui avait incité Herman à conclure: “Everybody was on practically everything except roller-skates… I’ve chased ‘connections’ out of clubs from coast to coast”. Il y avait aussi quatre alcooliques dans la formation.

Lors d’une performance à Washington, D.C., Herman avait eu une violente discussion avec Chaloff au sujet de sa consommation de drogues. Comme Herman l’avait raconté plus tard au journaliste Gene Lees:

‘’He was getting farther and farther out there, and the farther out he got the more he was sounding like a fagalah. He kept saying, ‘Hey, Woody, baby, I’m straight, man, I’m clean.’ And I shouted, ‘Just play your goddamn part and shut up!'....I was so depressed after that gig. There was this after-hours joint in Washington called the Turf and Grid....I had to fight my way through to get a drink, man. All I wanted was to have a drink and forget it. And finally I get a couple of drinks, and it’s hot in there, and I’m sweating, and somebody’s got their hands on me, and I hear, ‘Hey, Woody, baby, whadya wanna talk to me like that for? I’m straight, baby, I’m straight.’ And it's Mr. Chaloff. And then I remember an old Joe Venuti bit. We were jammed in there, packed in, and… I peed down Serge's leg. You know, man, when you do that to someone, it takes a while before it sinks in what's happened to him. And when Serge realized, he let out a howl like a banshee.''

Mais Chaloff était parfaitement conscient de sa valeur pour le groupe. Lorsque Herman avait menacé de le congédier, Chaloff avait simplement répliqué: “That’s the baritone book. You can’t fire me because I’m the only one that knows it by heart.”

Un des partenaires de Chaloff dans l’orchestre de Woody Herman, le vibraphoniste Terry Gibbs, avait décrit ainsi  le comportement pour le moins erratique de Chaloff:

‘'He'd fall asleep with a cigarette all the time and always burn a hole in a mattress. Always! In about twelve hotels. When we'd go to check out, the hotel owner – Serge always had his hair slicked down even though he hadn't taken a bath for three years...the manager would say, 'Mr Chaloff, you burned a hole in your mattress and...' 'How dare you. I'm the winner of the down beat and Metronome polls. How dare you?'...the manager would always say, 'I'm sorry Mr Chaloff,'...Except one time when the band got off on an air-pistol kick....Serge put a telephone book against the door and was zonked out of his bird...he got three shots at the telephone book and made the biggest hole in the door you ever saw. So when he went to the check out, the guy said, 'Mr Chaloff, it'll cost you.'...He 'how-dared' him a few times. Couldn't get away with it. He said 'Well listen, if I'm gonna pay for the door I want the door.' It was twenty four dollars. So he paid for the door. I happen to be standing close by. 'Hey Terry,' he said. 'Grab this,' and all of a sudden I found myself checking out....We're walking out of the hotel with a door.''

Un autre collègue de Chaloff, le saxophoniste Al Cohn, se demandait même comment il avait pu éviter d’être assassiné. Cohn expliquait: ‘’I don't know how we kept from being killed. Serge would always be drunk. He was quite a drinker. Everything he did, he did too much. So one time we're driving, after work. It's four o'clock in the morning, and he makes a left turn, and we're wondering why the road is so bumpy. Turned out he made a left turn into the railroad tracks, and we're going over the ties.''

Pourtant, Chaloff pouvait être adorable quand il restait sobre. Comme l’avait déclaré Zoot Sims: ‘’When Serge was cleaned up, you know, straight, he could be a delight, really to be around, a lot of fun. He knew how to handle himself. He had that gift. He could get pretty raunchy when he was strung out, but he could also be charming.''

Curieusement, les problèmes de dépendance de Chaloff n’avaient pas semblé affecter outre-mesure ses performances sur scène. Comme Herman l’avait confirmé lui-même dans  le cadre d’une entrevue accordée à William D. Clancy: “Serge was probably the freshest, newest-sounding baritone that had come along in years.”

Finalement, n’en pouvant plus, Herman avait saisi le prétexte de la perte de popularité du swing (à l’époque, plusieurs big bands avaient été contraints de mettre fin à leurs activités pour des raisons économiques) pour mettre fin à l’existence de son groupe en décembre 1949. Il faut dire que l’orchestre avait perdu énormément d’argent: environ 180 000$, l’équivalent de deux millions de dollars au cours actuel.

Faisant référence de façon discrète au comportement de Chaloff au moment de démarrer les activités d’un groupe de plus petite taille à Chicago en 1950, Herman avait déclaré: ‘’'You can't imagine how good it feels to look at my present group and find them all awake. To play a set and not have someone conk out in the middle of a chorus.’’

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Après avoir quitté le groupe d’Herman, Chaloff avait passé une partie de l’année 1950 à jouer avec le All Star Octet de Count Basie, un groupe de taille plus modeste que le chef d’orchestre avait formé à la suite du déclin des big bands. À l’époque, le groupe, qui avait avait enregistré quelques pièces pour les disques Victor et Columbia, comprenait Basie, Chaloff, Wardell Gray, Buddy DeFranco, Clark Terry, Freddie Green, Jimmy Lewis et Gus Johnson. Plus tard la même année, Chaloff était retourné à Boston et avait joué avec de petits groupes dans des clubs comme le High Hat, le Petty Lounge et le Red Fox Cafe.

Après être retourné à New York, Chaloff avait formé son propre groupe avec des musiciens comme Earl Swope, Bud Powell, Joe Shulman et Don Lamond en vue d’une performance au club Birland en février 1950. Le critique Barry Ulanov avait commenté dans le magazine Metronome: “Serge Chaloff waved his big baritone horn at Birdland last month and inaugurated what will be a very interesting career as a leader.” Chaloff était alors retourné à Boston pour deux semaines et s’était produit avec une section rythmique avec qui il avait interprété du matériel associé au groupe de Herman.

Une performance de Chaloff au Celebrity Club de Providence, au Rhode Island, avait même été retransmise sur les ondes de la station radiophonique WRIV. L’enregistrement avait éventuellement été publié en 1994 par les disques Uptown dans le cadre d’un CD intitulée Boston 1950. Participaient également à l’enregistrement des musiciens comme Sonny Truitt, Milt Gold, Nat Pierce et Joe Shulman. Le CD comprenait aussi une entrevue de trois minutes avec Chaloff.

Le fait de jouer avec de petits groupes avait permis à Chaloff de retourner à la base et de développer un nouveau style de jeu. En 1951, Chaloff avait déclaré que le fait de se retirer du centre de l’action lui avait permis d’ajouter plus de couleur et de flexibilité à son jeu. Poursuivant dans le même sens, le saxophoniste Al Cohn avait ajouté que le jeu de Chaloff comme soliste ne s’était véritablement développé qu’à partir du moment où il avait décidé de cesser de se produire avec des big bands. En 1952, Chaloff était retourné à Boston et avait enregistré avec le pianiste Dick Twardzik, mais la session n’avait jamais été publiée. Il avait aussi fait des apparitions à la télévision et avait dirigé le groupe-maison d’un club local.

Devenu une grande vedette, Chaloff avait remporté les sondages des magazines Down Beat et Metronome comme meilleur saxophoniste baryton à chaque année de 1949 à 1953. Il avait aussi fait partie des Metronome All-Stars en janvier 1950 aux côtés de  grands noms du jazz comme Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Lee Konitz et Kai Winding.

Malheureusement, Chaloff avait continué de se droguer et de boire abondamment, ce qui l’avait empêché de décrocher des contrats sur une base régulière. Il avait même cessé complètement de jouer en 1952-53.

À la fin de 1953, Chaloff avait tenté de faire un retour sur scène après que le disc jockey de Boston, Bob 'The Robin' Martin lui ait proposé de devenir son gérant. Avec l’aide de Martin, Chaloff avait formé un nouveau groupe qui s’était produit dans des clubs de Boston comme le Jazzorama et le Storyville. Les partenaires musicaux de Chaloff à l’époque étaient Boots Mussulli ou Charlie Mariano au saxophone alto, Herb Pomeroy à la trompette et Dick Twardzik au piano.

Même si du propre aveu de Martin, Chaloff ne jouait pas beaucoup à l’époque en raison de ses antécédents liés à la consommation de narcotiques, il se donnait à fond lorsqu’on lui donnait  l’occasion de performer. Martin expliquait: ‘’You had to talk somebody to give him a chance to play. When you got him a gig in a club or a hotel, he would usually mess it up. But when he did show...and got playing...it was,'Stand back, Baby!’’ Le saxophoniste Jay Migliori, qui avait joué avec Chaloff au Storyville, se rappelait: ‘’Serge was a wild character. We were working at Storyville and, if he was feeling good, he used to let his trousers gradually fall down during the cadenza of his feature, 'Body and Soul.' At the end of the cadenza, his trousers would hit the ground.''

En juin et septembre 1954, Chaloff avait participé à deux sessions pour les disques Storyville de George Wein. Les enregistrements avaient été publiés sous la forme de deux microsillons dix pouces. La première session avait été présentée comme un album conjoint avec le saxophoniste Boots Mussulli, et mettait en vedette un groupe composé de Russ Freeman au piano, de Jimmy Woode à la contrebasse et de Buzzy Drootin à la batterie. Wein écrivait dans les notes de pochette: ‘’ 'An alternate title for this album could be 'Serge Returns'....Each selection in these six was chosen and arranged solely by Serge.'' L’album comprenait cinq standards ainsi qu’une composition de Chaloff intitulée ‘’Zdot’’. La conclusion de la pièce avait été écrite par la mère de Chaloff, Margaret. Sur le second album intitulé The Fable of Mabel, Chaloff s’était produit avec un groupe de neuf musiciens mettant en vedette Charlie Mariano, qui avait écrit trois des cinq compositions de l’album, et Herb Pomeroy, qui avait composé la pièce ‘’Salute to Tiny’’ en hommage au batteur et arrangeur Tiny Kahn. L’ambitieuse pièce-titre avait été écrite par le pianiste Dick Twardzik, qui avait déclaré dans les notes de pochette:

‘’'The Fable of Mabel was introduced to jazz circles in 1951-52 by the Serge Chaloff Quartet. Audiences found this satirical jazz legend a welcome respite from standard night club fare. In this legend, Mabel is depicted as a woman who loves men, music and her silver saxophone that played counterpoint (her own invention which proved impractical). The work is divided into three movements: first, New Orleans; second Classical; and third, Not Too Sad An Ending. The soulful baritone solo by Serge Chaloff traces Mabel's humble beginnings working railroad cars in New Orleans to her emergence as a practising crusader for the cause of Jazz. During her Paris days on the Jazz Houseboat, her struggle for self-expression is symbolized by an unusual saxophone duet Charlie Mariano and Varty Haritrounian. Mabel always said she wanted to go out blowing. She did. The sixth track, Al Killian's 'Lets Jump', was chosen by Chaloff, who said: 'Now that we've proven how advanced we are let's show the people that we can still swing.''

Un mois après avoir complété l’enregistrement, Chaloff était entré dans une profonde crise personnelle. En octobre 1954, sans argent et incapable de se procurer de l’héroïne, Chaloff s’était inscrit volontairement au programme de réhabilitation du Bridgewater State Hospital. Après avoir passé trois mois et demi à l’hôpital, Chaloff avait été libéré en février 1955.

La même année, le gérant Bob Martin avait convaincu les disques Capitol d’enregistrer un album avec Chaloff dans le cadre de la série ‘'Stan Kenton Presents Jazz.’’ Intitulé ‘’Boston Blow-Up!’’, l’album avait été enregistré à New York en avril 1955. Chaloff était accompagné sur l’album de Boots Mussulli au saxophone alto, de Herb Pomeroy à la trompette, de Ray Santisi au piano, d’Everett Evans à la contrebasse et de Jimmy Zitano à la batterie. À l’époque, Pomeroy, Santisi et Zitano avaient développé une très grande complicité, car ils se produisaient régulièrement au Boston's Stable Club, où ils avaient enregistré l’album live Jazz in a Stable pour les disques Transition en mars précédent. Quant à Mussulli, il avait fait partie de l’orchestre de Stan Kenton de 1944 à 1947 et de 1952 à 1954.

Malgré la mauvaise réputation de Chaloff, le critique  Richard Vacca avait écrit que la présence rassurante et stable de Mussilli, qui avait déjà participé à la série Kenton Presents en 1954, avait été d’un grand réconfort pour les disques Capitol. Dans le cadre de l’album, Mussilli avait composé et arrangé cinq nouvelles pièces, dont ‘’Bob the Robin’’, qu’il avait écrite en hommage au gérant de Chaloff, Bob Martin. C’est Pomeroy qui avait écrit les arrangements des standards qui figuraient sur l’album. Très satisfait du déroulement des sessions, Chaloff avait déclaré: ‘’When I came back on the music scene, just recently, I wanted a book of fresh sounding things. I got just what I wanted from Herb and Boots. I think their writing shows us a happy group trying to create new musical entertainment by swinging all the time. Jazz has got to swing; if it doesn't, it loses its feeling of expression. This group and these sides are about the happiest I've been involved with.'' Parmi les principaux faits saillants de l’album, on remarquait les ballades "What's New?" et "Body and Soul". Commentant cette dernière pièce dans le 1956 Metronome Yearbook, le critique Bill Coss avait qualifié l’interprétation de Chaloff de ‘’frightening example of Serge's form, moaning through a seemingly autobiographical portrayal of (his) Body and Soul', an enormously emotional jazz listening experience.'' Jack Tracy, qui avait attribué cinq étoiles à l’album dans sa critique publiée dans le magazine Down Beat, avait ajouté: ‘’'Serge, for years one of music's more chaotic personalities, has made an about face of late and is again flying right. It is evident in his playing, which has become a thing of real beauty… Chaloff offers the best display of his talents ever to be put on wax. It swings, it has heart, it has maturity—it is the long-awaited coalescence of a great talent.''

Le succès inespéré de l’album Boston Blow-Up! avait éventuellement permis à Chaloff de relancer sa carrière et de décrocher de nombreux contrats. La performance de Chaloff au Boston Arts Festival en juin 1955 avait inspiré le commentaire suivant à un critique du Boston Herald: ‘’The ingenuity of Chaloff as a soloist is enormous, and his use of dissonance always conveys a sense of purpose and of form. In 'Body and Soul', he exhibited his capabilities vigorously, taking a deliberate tempo and treating the music with a lyric, delicate, tonal standpoint....the harmonies of the group are tense and the melodies resourceful and they play with a kind of controlled abandon.''

En 1956, Chaloff avait continué de se produire un peu partout à travers les États-Unis, le plus souvent en compagnie d’un saxophoniste alto. Si Chicago, Chaloff était accompagné du saxophoniste Lou Donaldson, son partenaire à Los Angeles était Sonny Stitt. Le groupe comprenait également Leroy Vinnegar, qui était alors le contrebassiste le plus dominant de la Côte ouest.

Le succès de la performance de Chaloff à Los Angeles lui avait permis d’enregistrer un second album pour les disques Capitol en mars 1956. Avaient également participé à l’enregistrement le pianiste Sonny Clark et le contrebassiste Leroy Vinnegar. Comme batteur, on retrouvait Philly Joe Jones, qui était de passage à Los Angeles avec le quintet de Miles Davis. Décrivant l’enregistrement de l’album, Chaloff avait commenté:

‘’'My last record, Boston Blow-up! was one of those carefully planned things....But this time I was feeling a little more easy-going, and I decided to make a record just to blow. I picked out what I felt was the best rhythm section around and told them just to show up...no rehearsals...no tunes set...and trust to luck and musicianship....I'd never worked with these guys before except for jamming briefy with Joe Jones eight years ago, but I knew from hearing them what they could do....We were shooting for an impromptu feeling and we got it. It has more freedom and spark than anything I've recorded before. And I don't think there's a better recommendation than that when it comes to honest jazz.''

Vladimir Somosko écrivait dans sa biographie de Chaloff intitulée ‘’Serge Chaloff: A Musical Biography and Discography’’, publiée en 1998: ‘’'The rapport of the group was as moving as the music, and the net effect was of every note being in place, flawlessly executed, as if even the slightest nuance was carefully chosen for maximum aesthetic impact. This is a level of achievement beyond all but the masters, and from an ensemble that was not even a working group it takes on an aura of the miraculous.''

Analysant le jeu de Chaloff sur la pièce "A Handful of Stars", le critique Stuart Nicholson avait précisé: ‘’Paraphrase becomes central to his performance of 'A Handful of Stars' where he scrupulously avoids stating the melody as written. At one point he plumbs the baritone for a bumptious bass note and soars to the top of the instrument's range in one breath, effortlessly concealing the remarkable technical skill required for such seemingly throw-away trifles. This sheer joy at music making seems to give his playing a life-force of its own.'' Après avoir qualifié l’album de chef-d’oeuvre, Richard Cook et Brian Morton avaient écrit dans le Penguin Guide to Jazz: ‘’Thanks for the Memory" is overpoweringly beautiful as Chaloff creates a series of melodic variations which match the improviser's ideal of fashioning an entirely new song. 'Stairway to the Stars' is almost as fine, and the thoughtful 'The Goof and I' and 'Susie's Blues' show that Chaloff still had plenty of ideas about what could be done with a bebopper's basic materials. This important session has retained all its power.’'

Après la publication de l’album, Chaloff avait continué de travailler sur la Côte ouest, se produisant notamment au Starlite Club d’Hollywood en mai 1956. Durant le même mois, Chaloff avait été victime de douleurs au dos et à l’abdomen qui avaient entraîné une paralysie de ses deux jambes. Chaloff était retourné de toute urgence à Boston, où une opération exploratoire avait permis de découvrir qu’il était atteint d’un cancer de la moelle épinière. Le frère de Chaloff, Richard, expliquait: ‘’We took him down there [Massachusetts General Hospital] and they found he had lesions on his spine.....they operated and took most of the lesions away, and then he went on a series of X-ray treatments. Oh they were terrible. He must have had twenty or twenty-five in a row. And in those days they really gave you heavy doses of it. Then occasionally he got spots on the lungs''.

Malgré sa maladie et le traitement qui s’en était suivi, Chaloff avait continué de se produire en concert. Le 18 juin 1956, Chaloff avait dû se déplacer en chaise roulante pour enregistrer la composition "Billie's Bounce" de Charlie Parker avec les Metronome All Stars. Avaient également participé à l’enregistrement Zoot Sims, Art Blakey, Charles Mingus et Billy Taylor.

Chaloff avait fait son dernier enregistrement dans le cadre de l’album-réunion The Four Brothers... Together Again!. Le groupe était composé de Zoot Sims, d’Al Cohn, d’Herbie Steward et de Chaloff aux saxophones, d’Elliot Lawrence au piano, de Buddy Jones à la contrebasse et de Don Lamond à la batterie. Sur les dernières pièces de l’album, Charlie O'Kane avait remplacé Chaloff dans les parties collectives afin de lui permettre de conserver ses forces pour les solos. Décrivant l’enregistrement de l’album, Richard Chaloff avait commenté: ‘’He took a wheelchair down to make that recording, you know. They didn't think he was going to make it. I heard stories from people there. But when he stood up and played, you never knew he was a sick fellow. He played dynamic. If you listen to the record he sounds like the old Serge. He pulled himself together. I don't know how he did it. But he had tremendous drive, tremendous stamina.’’ Dans son compte rendu publié dans le magazine Down Beat, le critique Don Gold écrivait: ‘’'This last session before his death represents a fervent expression of a fatally ill man. It is a kind of significant farewell in the language he knew best.''

Chaloff avait présenté sa dernière performance au Stable Club de Boston en mai 1957. Lors d’une entrevue qu’il avait accordée en 1993, le pianiste Charlie ‘’the Whale’’ Johnson avait décrit les dernières performances de Chaloff de la façon suivante: ‘’'I remember pushing Chaloff's wheelchair into The Stable for his last appearances there. He was in bad shape but could still really play, standing leaning on a pillar. However, he didn't have much stamina. He couldn't really finish the gig. I also had to go get pot and booze for him. He was still using these steadily, even in the hospital at the end.''

Chaloff était à l’agonie lorsqu’il avait été admis au Massachusetts General Hospital le 15 juillet 1957. Selon son frère Richard, Chaloff avait apporté son saxophone ainsi que son singe miniature à l’hôpital. Richard expliquait:

‘'He still had the kinkajou monkey Mother got him to keep him company. And he had his horn. I was told they wheeled him into a vacant operating theatre so he could practise, and that was his last gig, his last public performance, solo baritone sax alone in an operating theatre. Nurses, doctors and even patients were standing outside and listening. He fought it to the end. Mother would visit him and urge him on, saying, 'You can beat it' and things. But that last day, they brought a priest to visit him, and the priest saw Serge in bed looking so wasted, and the priest thought he was supposed to perform the last rites. Serge woke up in the middle of it and really panicked, sliding away from him and yelling 'No! No! Get out!' But after that he seemed to give up. I think that's when he realized it was all over.''

Chaloff était mort le lendemain. Il avait seulement trente-trois ans. Chaloff a été inhumé au Forest Hills Cemetery, dans le comté de Suffolk, au Massachusetts.

Reconnu comme le premier saxophoniste baryton à avoir joué du bebop, Chaloff avait contribué à démontrer, à l’instar de ses pairs Leo Parker et Cecil Payne, que le saxophone baryton pouvait très bien s’adapter à l’évolution du jazz moderne.

©-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

JACK, Gordon. ‘’Serge Chaloff: the bebop lowdown.’’ Jazz Journal, 11 mai 2021.

‘’Serge Chaloff.’’ Wikipedia, 2024.

‘’Serge Chaloff.’’ All About Jazz, 2024.

[hedgehog-rehab-by-the-levee]

Hey everyone,

I'd like to introduce my new blog, where I will be sharing content on the hedgheog rehabilitation that I do.

Who am I?

I am a student, graduated with a B.Sc. in Biology and a M.Sc. in Marine biology in Germany.

Hedgehogs have been part of my life, my whole life. When I was little they were already diligently fed in the garden by my mother and we helped them through hibernation if they were too small to survive hibernation on their own.

When the pandemic hit in 2020 and university was pretty much put on hold, I, like many others, began to engage even more intensively with my environment (even more than a biology student already does). And so one evening I realised that one of my one-year-old hedgehogs that I had helped hibernate the year before (Biscuit) had a strange crust on his shoulder.

And so began the endless research into what Biscuit might have. I visited vets, who were unfortunately useless as they were not hedgehog experts, contacted animal shelters, hedgehog centres and associations until I finally got help from the latter and the diagnosis was clear: skin fungus.

With the help of hedgehog experts, I began to bathe and treat Biscuit and once the skin fungus had been combated, he could be released back into the wild, healthy and lively.

I started to take a closer look at my hedgehog guests in the garden and slowly slipped into hedgehog care (and with me, involuntarily, my parents as I live at home).

Over the years, with the help of hedgehog experts with decades of experience (from hedgehog networks, forums and scientists), I learned more and more, and word quickly got around to neighbours (both human and hedgehog) that I care for hedgehogs and so more and more hedgehogs ended up at my place until the guest loo became a mini hedgehog station (much to my parents' chagrin).

Medication (whether antibiotics, fungicides or infusions), visits to the doctor (x-rays, dental care), release enclosures including cat and rat-proof feeding and sleeping houses, or simply food have to be bought and that adds up quite a bit.

Over the last year (feeding starts around March to around December, when young hedgehogs born too late are still on the move) I have fed:

wet cat food (820€ Carney, high quality without sugar or added grains

plus mealworms and meal beetles (own breeding)

and dried soldier fly larvae for €117.56 (4x €29.39) = A total of 937€ for the food alone.

Plus visits to the doctor totalling €362.12

Food supplements (e.g. biotin or probiotics, lactase) €82.94

Medication 472,35€

Summing up to total costs for last year of = € 1,854.97

This does not even take into account the fact that some weakened hedgehogs need special rebuilding food (a/d Hills Diet for €3.20 per 200g tin) or rearing milk (Royal Canin Baby Cat/Dog 2x €23.90). As well as outdoor enclosures (5x Trixie 41,49) incl. sleeping (2x 35) + feeding houses (2x 60€) are needed for rehabilitation and reintroduction. Fortunately, my parents are covering the heating and water costs.

As a full-time student, this has been quite a hit to my savings, but I am happy to take it on myself for a good balance of rescued hedgehogs.

However, I need financial support so that I can continue to take in and rescue hedgehogs in the future. I am grateful for every small donation so that I can improve my deficit from last year and realise purchases that are necessary this year (such as new outdoor enclosures and sleeping houses).

Me and the hedgehogs thank you for everything you can make possible