#rollin 60s

[toseefarardenagain]

“The Doors achieved something more than just music. Morrison’s furious. The song “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” blew my mind. It was fast, and the singer yelled. There was a lyric that grabbed me: “I found an island in your arms/Country in your eyes/Arms that chain/Eyes that lie/Break on through to the other side.” That’s heavy, and the way he’s screaming, for a little kid it’s kind of terrifying. Then when I got older, as a young late teenager, early 20-something guy, you hear The Doors in a totally different way. You hear the poetry, you hear the power of the lyric and then you find out he read Arthur Rimbaud, so you got to go get Arthur Rimbaud’s writing, and that’s monumental. That he was into Antonin Artaud, you read that stuff which is really far out and you become even more inspired. The story of the band is steeped in myth-tinged legend, but the facts of their brief history are as compelling as they are at times tragic. Jim Morrison was a true wild man of rock & roll.” — Henry Rollins

[dollyluvme]

charlie watts, 1965

[fereldanwench]

i think it's fuckin reshade that's been giving me issues

just reinstalled it and sure enough, got a flatline

[selamat-linting]

i still stood by opinion that seth's fashion expression is on the level of like, the most gnc man tiktok can handle before they start getting scared... And by that i mean hes not all that. hes barely above h*rry styles when it comes to fashion. but dear god turns out it STILL scares online wrestling fans and they hide that uncomfortableness of seeing a dude dress weird by saying "he cant be taken seriously because of the dresses" while also saying "hes better off playing a villain because of the dresses" So okay, hes ridiculous but hes also better off as an evil bastard... im smelling something rancid lol

[thecoparoom]

Woah. That's a pretty kickass NYE plan.

The Village Voice - Dec 21, 1961

[popatochisssp]

I heard there are playlists of the boys but I cant find them anywhere 😭

If it wouldnt be much of a bother, could you give us the links? For the 10 first boys?

Who told you, who's talking about me? Are they saying nice things? 🤔

Well anyway, I'll do you one better, and drop all the links, for everybody!

Consider these a work-in-progress, some are definitely less filled out than others (because it is apparently not the Right Moment for me to accept new music into my brain), but nearly every playlist has a minimum of 30 songs, and the majority are more in the 60-70 range, so there's something to work with!

Here's the links, and as bonus, a personal favorite pick for a song on each playlist that I think suits them most:

Sans (Undertale): Ok by Madeon

Papyrus (Undertale): The Walker by Fitz & The Tantrums

Sky (Underswap Sans): More (RedOne Jimmy Joker Remix) by Usher

Paps (Underswap Papyrus): Stars by Switchfoot

Jasper (Underfell Sans): Way Down We Go by KALEO

Pyre (Underfell Papyrus): Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons

Mal (Swapfell Sans): Oh No! by Marina and The Diamonds

Rus (Swapfell Papyrus): Have You Ever by The Offspring

Slate (Horrortale Sans): Footsteps (Go Higher) by Pop Evil

Papy (Horrortale Papyrus): Drive by Incubus

Ash (Undergloom Sans): 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago

Yrus (Undergloom Papyrus): Fly by Hilary Duff

Brick (Horrorfell Sans): Becoming the Bull by Atreyu

King (Horrorfell Papyrus): I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin

Merc (Horrorswap Sans): arrow by half•alive

Ell (Horrorswap Papyrus): Count Your Last Blessings by Sum 41

Pitch (Horrorswapfell Sans): Back From the Dead by Skillet

Nemo (Horrorswapfell Papyrus): All That's Left by Thrice

Sunny (Gastertale Sans): All My Friends by Madeon

Aster (Gastertale Papyrus): Moonshine by Caravan Palace

Spectr (Transcendtale Sans): Magnum Bullets by Night Runner

PapAIrus (Transcendtale Papyrus): The Growl by Conway

Xanth (Ascendswap Sans): Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence + The Machine

Piper (Ascendswap Papyrus): Feeling Good by Michael Bublé

Carmine (Underfell Fruition Sans): Rollin' by Limp Bizkit

Tank (Underfell Fruition Papyrus): Remember by Disturbed

Vi (Swapfell Fruition Sans): Shadow by Livingston

Hunter (Swapfell Fruition Papyrus): Do You Call My Name by Ra

Kohl (Descendtale Sans): Screaming Bloody Murder by Sum 41

Bram (Descendtale Papyrus): Cry Baby by Melanie Martinez

[codchrist]

Imagine getting suspended cause you voiced your disapproval cause of the being 60 minutes long but not the guy who came barging into the women's locker room and punched the wall cause he got butt hurt?!?

I'm on Britt side of this sorry

@theworldofotps @axelwolf8109 @flawlessglamazon @mini-rollins

[charl0ttan]

im finally #reading again

[a-halo-for-you]

Grishaverse Tribute

I'm pissed. I'm vengeful. I'm going to march on Netflix.

The cancellation is uncalled for, now all we will see in return for the snubbing of one of the best series on Netflix, with one of the best fandoms, cast and creators another stupid documentary glorifying a serial killer, another shitty teen show with no plot but plenty of sex (because sexualizing children will be something they always get away with), and another over-marketed pointless action film with some former boxer or wrestler leading it who can't really act more than one type of nice-buff guy.

In my mournful and restless vengeful spirit, I have come up with another playlist dedicated to the Grishaverse, the fans, the cast and Leigh Bardugo. This breaks their hearts so much because we know how excited and passionate they were about telling this story, and to think now so many won't be able to go on and live their beloved characters through to the end. I can't stand it.

"None of this had been fated; none of it foretold. There had been no prophecies of a demon king or a dragon queen, a one-eyed Tailor, Heartrender twins. They were just the people who had shown up and managed to survive. But maybe that was the trick of it: to survive, to dare to stay alive, to forge your own hope when all hope had run out. For the survivors then, Zoya whispered to herself as the people before her knelt and chanted her name. And for the lost." - Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

I got to dream through them, Shadow and Bone saved my Covid years, when I was alone in a dorm learning online, unable to be with anyone else, with no friends and no family. I had little to no confidence and was stuck in a place that scared me. But then I had Shadow and Bone, I had these amazing characters and when I dove into the books, I found so much more. (A found family is my favourite literary trope for a reason.)

“Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?" "Knife to the throat?" asked Inej. "Gun to the back?" said Jesper. "Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina. "You're all horrible," said Matthias." - Leigh Barugo, Six of Crows

This is a playlist for all of us who are mourning and for all of us willing to fight on. I've seen petitions already posted on change.org, lets sign them all, share them all and try our best to change this while we can. Warrior Nun got their season 3. Who says we can't? Who says we shouldn't? Brick by Brick we will build our season 3, or we'll go down trying.

“Have any of you wondered what I did with all the cash Pekka Rollins gave us?" "Guns?" asked Jesper. "Ships?" queried Inej. "Bombs?" suggested Wylan. "Political bribes?" offered Nina. They all looked at Matthias. "This is where you tell us how awful we are," she whispered.” - Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

Pardon the ecclectic taste of this long playlist, but there are so many types of song that I feel fit the plot, the charcaters and themes as well as their relationships to each other. This has sparked inspiration in me to create more playlists catering to the Grishaverse and I'll do that alongside my usual playlist posts.

I would also like to say that this playlist isn't just mine, it's for everyone and I would love for any fans of the show or books to let me know if they have any songs that they love to be added to the playlist and I will do so.

There are over 60 songs on this playlist, so I'm not going to write them all here for obvious reasons, I hope none of you mind that.

For our founding mother Leigh Bardugo. For the Six of Crows; Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar. For our S+B crew; Alina Starkov, Malyen Oretsev, The Darkling, Baghra Morotzova, Nikolai Lantsov, Zoya Nazyalensky, Genya Safin, David Kostyk, Tolya Yul-Bataar, Tamar Kir- Bataar, Nadia and Adrik Zhabin.

Let the revival of Season 3 be our final grand mission.

Lets stream the show, post more art, more fanfics, more posts, more petitions. Let's fight for what we can.

No Mourners, No Funerals.

'Yuyey sesh'

'Ni weh sesh'

[yourreddancer]

Today in Politics, Bulletin 73. 2/17/25

Today in Politics, Bulletin 73. 2/17/25 Ron Filipkowski Feb 18 ∙ … The President of the NYU Young Republicans was forced to resign after calling Barron Trump “an oddity on campus.” The College Republicans: “We have been made aware of a statement made by the NYU chapter president that does not align with the values and principles of our organization. Though Vanity Fair unfairly framed what was said, we still found it to be inappropriate.”

… The CRs then invited Barron to have a social life: “Barron Trump represents the future of the conservative movement, and we would be honored to have him join College Republicans of America. Strong leadership is built on resilience, courage, and the humility to rise above petty hostility - qualities that Barron has demonstrated.”

… None of these people have ever even heard Barron speak, or seen him accomplish anything at all, but they already have him as the next George Washington. A weird cult. … Musk reposted a random account today that showed a picture purporting to show migrants storming a hospital with axes and knives. The photo turned out to a screen shot from the movie The Dark Knight Rises.

… Musk also reposted a QAnon account today that said Tom Hanks is a pedophile.

… Free Speech Absolutist Musk was upset about the 60 Minutes segment about him wiping out USAID: “60 Minutes are the biggest liars in the world! They deserve a long prison sentence.” … Maybe he was upset about this line in the 60 Minutes segment: “The world’s richest man cut off aid for the world’s poorest people.”

… Rep. Mike Haridopolos on Fox: “I really applaud the president for creating the DOGE and using a mastermind like Elon Musk, who understands computers and technology to root out this corruption.”

… AP reports that criminal charges have been filed by attorneys against Trump-loving Argentine President Javier Melei, who is now being investigated by a judge for a crypto scam. Melei promoted a crypto coin on his good friend Elon Musk’s platform, which caused many investors to go in big. Then he withdrew his support hours later in a classic “rug pull”, which caused the coin to plummet in value with investors losing $4 billion in just hours.

… Breitbart’s editor reports that the Trump admin is now ready to work on lowering egg prices: “USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins told me regarding record high egg prices that she and Trump and other top White House officials have spoken about it. ROLLINS: “We’re on it.’”

… After every disaster - whether it was a train derailment or storm - Trump and right-wing media immediately hammered Joe Biden on why he didn’t immediately rush into the scene and “do something” or showed how much he cared. Then Trump would typically visit the site a week later and soak up all the optics while continuing to denounce Biden and lie that FEMA wasn’t helping.

… With the major storm hitting TN, KY and other states this weekend resulting in at least 9 fatalities with thousands of homes and businesses devastated, Trump attended the Daytona 500 on Sunday and played golf in Florida on Monday. He also made dozens of posts on Truth Social about himself. He did not say a single word about the disaster. … But with a few stray exceptions, Democrats didn’t say anything about Trump ignoring it because they choose not to play the game that way, or maybe they were busy or something. I kept checking and waiting. It was crickets.

As Joe Walsh once sang, “Lucky I’m sane after all I’ve been through … I can’t complain but sometimes I still do.

… Trump arrived early before the race started, then did his little ride around the track, while his photo op stunt ended up delaying the start of the race, which then pushed the race into a storm causing it to be stopped until it blew over, and he left before the race started and didn’t watch any of it.

… Commerce Secretary Doug Burgum on Fox & Friends: "Watching President Trump in the Beast, leading the pace car, leading the field of the most talented drivers in the world, kicking off the entire NASCAR season for America, when he was doing that it reminded me of how he's actually leading the world right now. He was courageous during his first term, but this time he's fearless. He's operating at a next level. He's at a different gear. His ideas are brilliant, and they're powerful, and they're simple."

… It’s a cult.

… Rep. Clay Higgins had a meltdown last night, posting a deranged video where he was fuming at the Postal Service. MailboxGate started because Clay’s custom mailbox that looks like a brick pizza oven didn’t have a door: “They’re not gonna deliver my mail anymore because my box don’t have a door. I grew up in the country. This is the nicest mailbox I’ve ever had. If they’re not gonna deliver mail to this mailbox, what are they gonna do to country folk!”

… Rand Paul told Fox he would like to “audit” the gold in Ft Knox: “I've been trying to go down and see the gold and make sure it's all there for about 10 years. During the first Trump admin, I got permission. You have to get permission all the way up to the Sec of Treasury. And then he said, ‘well, I want to go down there, too. I want to go down there when the eclipse is coming through KY, too, so I can see the eclipse and the gold at the same time.’ But they came when I wasn't there, so I didn't get to go down, but the Sec of the Treasury and McConnell did go down and attest that they believe they saw the gold down there.”

… This, of course, got the right-wing conspiracy theorists cranked up into high gear. Elon Musk: “Who is confirming that gold wasn’t stolen from Ft. Knox? Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s not. That gold is owned by the American public! We want to know if it’s still there. It would be cool to do a live video walkthrough of Fort Knox!”

… Then the big storm hit Kentucky, which them got the “Dems control the weather” people going. One right-winger posted: “All this talk of auditing Fort Knox and all of a sudden that area is completely FLOODED. IF only I were a conspiracy theorist …”

… Georgia GOP elected official and flat-earther Kandiss Taylor said the Deep Staters who tried to cover up the Fort Knox gold audit who caused this storm are responsible for the deaths: “Whoever did this has the blood of a 7 year old child on their hands.”

… The FAA has fired hundreds of employees that help with the installation, maintenance, and inspection of air traffic control communications and computer systems in the US. … Pete Buttigieg: “The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?”

… Trump lawyer Alina Habba claimed on Fox that the conservative Republican federal prosecutors handing the Eric Adams public corruption case were only going after him because Adams opposed sanctuary cities: “This man was prosecuted because he was anti-sanctuary city policies. He wanted NY to be safe. And then all of the sudden, ‘Wow, he’s prosecuted!’”

… Not the bribes Adams solicited from foreign entities. It was sanctuary cities thing.

… Habba, who said on a podcast during the campaign, “I’d rather be pretty than smart,” also posted photos of herself on IG getting prepped backstage for her big Fox appearance.

… Trump nominated crazy ‘Stop The Steal’ leader Ed Martin, who also represented multiple J6 defendants, to serve as DC US Attorney. Martin was appointed on an interim basis when Trump took office, but obviously his threats to prosecute anyone who bothers Musk’s DOGE team members got him the gig full-time.

… Rep. Claudia Tenney has introduced a bill to make Trump’s birthday a national holiday: “No modern president has been more pivotal for our country than Donald J. Trump. Today, I introduced legislation to designate Trump's Birthday as a federal holiday, ensuring President Trump's contributions to American greatness are forever enshrined into law.”

IT'S A CULT!!!!

… WaPo’s Josh Rogin reports that JD Vance’s support of the far-right AfD during his visit to Germany may have actually hurt the party a week before their election: “In Munich, a minority of officials and experts posited that anti-Americanism in Germany was high enough that Vance’s endorsement might hurt AfD more than help them. Early data seems to support this theory. Let’s see where the numbers end up.”

… A bizarre report from Financial Times that Trump Special Envoy Ric Grenell met with and pressured Romania’s foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu to ease travel restrictions on Andrew Tate, who is charged with human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, and money laundering.

… If there’s really weird stuff going on behind the scene in Trump World, there’s a pretty good chance Grenell is involved somehow.

Today was a RELATIVELY quiet day because of the holiday. Trump spent the day playing golf (shocking), Congress wasn’t in session, and Dems didn’t have much going on. I expect that will change tomorrow, though. See you tomorrow night!

… Trump was asked about the deadline he gave for noon on Saturday for Hamas to return all the hostages or else “all hell” will rain down on them, which they ignored: “I told him, Bibi, you do whatever you want.” Student protestors might be missing ...

[selamat-linting]

maybe because im in the cm punk fandom so i dont see a lot of alternate analysis or opinions of the promo that are more appreciative to seth's work (to be fair, the other side is absolutely hijacked by ppl who are only there to say punk is a cancer but never watch wwe in years) but also :

1. Punk takes a shot of seth that management loves him, even though hes literally besties with triple h, management's finest soldier.

2. His entire promos in wwe canon was all about not getting opportunities he feels like he deserved to have, which is fair, but it doesnt escape the whiny allegations.

3. Still doesnt excuse the medical issues though, which punk is completely on the right for and seth was an asshole for sidestepping and ignoring it. Others have explained this better than me so im not gonna be redundant and just move on

4. But lets draw a comparison to mjf's entire reason of hating punk is because he left wrestling. Its just as nonsensical and entitled, yet fans reacted differently. Which is understandable, since rollins is considered babyface while MJF is a heel. You explicitly know mjf is the bad guy. But rollins being babyface doesnt mean punk is explicitly a heel. On screen, this is still a face vs face feud that might not be executed perfectly at times. Unless punk explicitly does a heel turn in the future (which im not ruling as impossible), ppl are being dumb for assuming wwe has punk haters in the writing staff. Who knows, maybe theyre keeping it ambiguous because it will drawn more attention online? Maybe we need to wait and see before casting judgement?

5. Also back to point one punk brought up becky first before he got hit with the no children insult lol. Who wanted to take a break to be a mom as a cheap shot to seth. Yeah we should probably examine why it was becky, who feel like she should be the one taking a break and the no kids insult from seth has sexist implications, but again... Punk insulted seth's wife as if shes an extension of seth's ideals and standards, and its still cheered by people online and offline. Even if its been okayed, which im sure it is, you'd be hypocritical to say seth's no children insult to be offensive but doesnt bristle when punk implied seth is a hypocrite because becky didnt follow his career choices no matter the reason

6. Punk is a beast who absolutely won that promo battle and cooked seth as the kids say, but people are hyperbolic when they say seth cant talk at all. Worst part is, its not even a bit. If he wasnt decent on a level above at least 60% of all american wrestlers, he wouldnt be in the wwe especially without family relations to help him. He wouldnt be main eventing wrestlemania and be pushed so heavily. Look at the crowd reactions! Punk cooked him but the crowds were still screaming for him. WWE can be shit sometimes but every company that depends on the show drawing money tries to have standards.

(there is a problem with online fans getting worked and trying to cover up their preferences with, so called objective observation that A or B is shit in the ring or on the mic instead of just saying I dont Like Him or I Just Think He's Neat and im not saying im above that shit, but this aspect mixed with people being hyperbolic and doing grand sweeping declarations is terribly annoying)

7. I still think this feud should be over before mania. I'm sorry but i want my boy holding the title FAST and his biological clock is running out! Also ehhh, we had two obsessive fan turned hater feuds, the third one at least feels different lately, but i want variety. It was only this week that im convinced this wont be a rehash of punk's previous feuds. I want him to use different material other than "oh i crush all my haters" or "im getting so much money". I really miss that variety punk had during his first run, the ses and nexus and best in the world gimmicks are all still very punk but its all different sides of him amplified. Also, i like when punk is an underdog facing someone much much stronger than him both physically and mentally. i want him to show that side more. Sometimes i feel like im the only one here who prefer babyface punk more than his heel self.

8. This is more of a reddit, smarky youtube thing but why do guys kept needling the outfits? like i have my criticism on seth (monday night messiah is the worst ripoff gimmick ever, and one of his main problem is he like mimicking others when his best work comes from him being himself, also his clothes isnt that good if youre a legit fashion enthusiast) but good god the 30 minute outfit rant made me realize most of these men just dislikes him because of the "femme" clothes and would use anything and everything to hide that discomfort under constructive critique. Hes not even trans or gnc, hes just a wrestler 😭

[gimmeshelter]

you could never make me hate late 60s-70s sleaze look at how those vampires are dressed in this jean rollin movie i'm watching

[ath3nasgard3n]

Know What I Want - Johnson x Fem!OC (Part 1)

Summary: None of the pinups Johnson loved ever loved him back. So when the bombastic and unapologetically cocky lead singer of the Bang-A-Rang's most popular jazz troupe, whose stage act is just as raunchy and ten times more explosive than that of the pinups, relentlessly pursues him, he has his reasons to be cautious. Little does he know that genuine love and a touch of insecurity lies beneath the singer's tantalizing surface.

Overview: Fem jazz singer OC, slight angst, mainly just worldbuilding in this first part, shameless self-insert, OC has a gay best friend, etc etc.

Word count: 1876

Notes: HIIIII I haven't published any fanfics since I was like 11 so I apologise if this is shite. I really wanted to flesh out the world that this character lives in so this first part is just a lot of that - I'm currently working on a part 2 that explores the depths of her relationship with Johnson a bit more. Hope you lot enjoy this!! xx

Diana Porter walked into the stuffy and crowded Bang-A-Rang, the Brawlers’ unofficial headquarters, at 5 o’clock sharp on a chilly Saturday evening. The biting cold of the winter’s nights was still clearly lingering, despite the sprouting roses and sudden cases of hay fever, as Diana rushed to get into the front door and shield herself from the cold. The loud music and abrasive wall of assorted voices and beer glasses slamming down on tables filled the air as her eyes adjusted to the usual harsh, bright-coloured lighting of the Bang-A-Rang. Smoothing her black mini dress down, she made a beeline to the front bar, the heels of her black Mary Janes hitting the hardwood floors with conviction.

“A Cosmopolitan, please.” She pulled a $10 bill out of her gold clutch, drumming her long crimson nails on the mahogany countertop. All she knew about tonight was that Moonlight Serenade were on at 7, the Bang-A-Rang’s booker had pulled some rocker outfit who were expected to be on at 8:30, and the Reveries were on at 10. Must be closing early for whatever reason, Diana thought to herself as the bartender handed her the pink glass filled to the brim with her favourite vice. Maybe they also secretly hate us for sandwiching some explosive rock gig between two jazz groups, she then thought. She held her glass up to her berry-stained lips before she heard a slick Cockney accent from behind her.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Lady Di herself,” Diana turned her head to reveal a scruffy black cat brandishing a fedora, a black tuxedo vest, and a uniquely thick pair of hipster frames that belonged to none other than Sonny Gordon, the Reveries’ double bassist. “When’d you get here?”

“Just now, Mr. Rollins,” they both chuckled as she gave his hand a firm shake, “How have you been?”

“Not too bad, just trying to make sure everyone’s sorted for tonight, you know?” He said gruffly to her as she nodded at him in understanding, remembering last week’s gig when their drummer, after drinking several double whiskeys two hours before the band’s set, decided to join a couple of the Phoenixes up the river without telling anyone. Sonny took a sip of his beer, his eyes briefly scanning the Bang-A-Rang to see if any of the other guys turned up before looking back at her, silently wishing for a change of subject.

“Well, give us a twirl, then!” he quipped as he took her hand and held it above her head. She threw her head back and laughed, doing a quick spin. “Going for a proper 60s mod look tonight, eh?”

“I was thinking Sabrina the Teenage Witch crossed with Carmella Soprano.” She responded.

“Yeah, no, that explains the tights. And the coat.”

The two turned back to face the bar and sip their drinks in a brief moment of silence, admiring the red backlights and assorted bottles of liquor. Checking her manicure for any chips before once again observing tonight’s Bang-A-Rang crowd, Diana piped back up. 

“Gawd, how are there so many Brawlers here already? Moonlight’s barely even set up yet.” The redhead gestured towards the sparse-looking centre stage, littered with a few amps and cords that were yet to be plugged into anything. Sonny turned back to Diana, looking scorned and a bit sheepish as he pulled a packet of Newports and a Zippo lighter out from his back pocket.

“Cop night.”

“Fark, now?” Diana whipped her head back around to him, gritting her teeth slightly, “Wasn’t that meant to be months ago?”

“‘Problems with funding’, Joel called it. As in, Matty fucked up because that puppy-eyed boy of his started freezing right up when some new copper pulled them over and a couple blokes from the state force got involved.”

“No way!”

“Yup. Had to wait for whatever legal bullshit to blow over before the Brawlers could host their little shindig,” Sonny explained as he brought a cigarette up to his lips and lit it.

“Wow, when’d all that happen? Johnson never said anything to me about all that…”

“Maybe a couple months ago?” Sonny took a drag from his cigarette. “You gotta stop hangin’ round with that one, you know.”

“You only say that because he scares you.”

“Hey, just because the man’s a doberman personified doesn’t mean I can’t criticise him otherwise.” Sonny frowned, his voice hushed. “He’s always away, Di. It’d kill ya.”

“Sound observation, Mum.” Diana joked and took the cigarette from Sonny’s fingers, flashing him a cheeky smile before bringing it up to her lips. She blew the smoke towards the front door. “What’s it to you anyway? It’s not like I got my panties all in a twist when the Les Paul guy left you behind exactly like I told you he would.”

Sonny finished his pint. “I suppose you’re right. It’s always those fucking guitarists, I tell you.”

“Ay, not Louis! He’s alright.”

“Yeah, righto. A gentleman and a scholar, Louis.” Sonny looked off somewhere behind Diana, with her eyes following his tracks to find the Reveries’ guitarist stood by the other end of the bar, toying with a pinup’s tassels and leering like nothing she had ever seen. She scoffed before the two Reveries broke out into giggles and facepalms. The fervour died down slightly. Diana let out a momentous sigh, looking off into nowhere in particular.

“Ah, fuck, I’m really gonna have to play it up for these cops tonight, huh?”

“I dunno? Just do what you usually do and then get the hell out of here.” Sonny caught the bartender’s attention, tapping his thick silver rings on the side of the pint glass with a quick ‘thanks, mate’ before getting a refill. “Unless, of course, you plan on seeing Johnson again.” His flowery emphasis on Johnson’s name earned an eye-roll from Diana before she spotted Louis once again from across the bar, gesturing for her and Sonny to come backstage. She nodded to him before grabbing her drink and turning back to Sonny.

“That’s enough from you, you East End prick. Grab your pint, from the looks of it we’re having a band meeting.”

“Yessir, Major Larrikin!” Sonny stiffened himself up like a soldier, to which the redhead scoffed at him and grabbed his arm to lead him to the back of the Bang-A-Rang.

Wafting through hordes of broad men in denim Brawlers’ jackets and tiny pinups done up to the nines, Diana held her Cosmopolitan up high and her head up higher, tossing her hair back and pulling her leopard-print fur coat further over her shoulder. She and Sonny eventually made their way through the rest of the crowd towards the back door, before Diana spotted Johnson at the Phoenix’s usual corner table, alone. His tall frame was laid out across the booth, a glass of whiskey in one hand and his usual cigarette in the other. Typically being the quiet, stoic backbone of the Phoenixes, there had been a recent shift in the tall brunette’s demeanour. Something almost imperceptible unless one knew what to look for, which Diana always did with him. 

Diana tapped Sonny on his shoulder and nodded over to Johnson with a quick ‘I’ll be there in five’, receiving an eye roll and a disgruntled ‘alright, then’ before he and Louis swung the back doors open. As they disappeared through the corridor, she smoothed her dress down and flicked some of her maroon locks back to the front of her head, turning back around and making her way towards Johnson’s table. When Johnson spotted Diana, she smiled at him sweetly before she sauntered over, retaining her confidence and usual brazenness as she sat down next to him in his booth, crossing one firetruck-red leg over the other.

“Hey there, doe eyes.”

Johnson took a slow sip of his whiskey, his eyes locked onto Diana’s with a newfound intensity. He leaned back, placing his glass down onto the table and nodding towards her, the corners of his mouth twitching up slightly.

“Diana.”

Johnson's gaze flickered to hers, then to the floor, a slight flush creeping up his neck. He does not return her smile, nor does he comment on her overt flirtation. Instead, he dragged on his cigarette, the ember glowing as he inhaled deeply. His eyes darted back at her before his hand moved, gesturing to the chair across from him.

Diana looked back at Johnson, her expression clouded with confusion before she realised he was gesturing for her to sit across from him, not next to him. She closed her eyes and scoffed at him, clearly offended as she stood up and turned on a black heel to face him.

“The boys and I go on at 10.” Diana’s eyes shot daggers through Johnson’s. His gaze was languid, but not wholly uninterested. “Will you still be around by then?”

“Should be.” Johnson kept his cigarette pursed in between his lips as he spoke, inhaling deeply before taking it in between his fingers. “Matty’ll come around later.”

Diana hummed at his response. Her gaze was thick with bitterness and, ultimately, confusion, boring into Johnson’s unyielding expression. She let out another sigh, turning back around and making her way to the back doors, not wanting to expose herself to Johnson’s callousness again that night.

She had a show to put on, and if ignoring her second favourite vice would demonstrate her showmanship and dedication to her craft, then so be it.

-

By the time the clock hit 10, the Bang-A-Rang was teeming with deep blue uniforms and glittery dancers. The stench of booze and sweat clung to the hot air in the room as the Reveries took to the stage, warming up with a slow, bluesy rendition of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”. Diana shed her leopard-print coat after the band’s first number, earning a few cheers and whistles from the crowd. Around half an hour into the set, somewhere in between “Too Darn Hot” and “I Wanna Be Loved By You”, she lowered herself down onto the edge of the stage in front of a table full of cops. Microphone in hand and four drinks deep, she slid a red polyester-clad leg right across the lap of a cop, taking his hat off the top of his head and placing it on her own before standing back up and flinging the hat over at him. As she brought herself back up onto the centre of the stage, she could’ve sworn she saw a pair of dark eyes piercing through its smokey sweat-soaked surrounds; piercing right through the singer’s sultry and impersonal demeanour. While she kept her image up for the rest of the Reveries’ set, she wondered how a man could act so cold to her and then, upon looking at her do her usual stage-act, immediately exude such intensity, such brooding… passion? Jealousy?

As she wrapped up a boisterous performance of “Blue Skies”, the band’s routine closing number, she pondered as she took her final bows with Sonny by her side. She wondered what Sonny would say to her if she told him all she had been thinking during the second half of their set. “Don’t be daft, Di.”

That’s right. Don’t be daft.

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia di Musica #334 - Jackie Mclean, It's Time!, 1965

È stata la vista di un poster del disco di oggi che mi ha inspirato la scelta del punto esclamativo, come trait d’union dei dischi del mese di Luglio. Il suo autore è poco conosciuto ai più, ma è uno di quelle “divinità minori” della Storia del Jazz che hanno passato gli stili, suonato con i più grandi, indirizzato anche le scelte musicali, ma appena un gradino dietro le Divinità Maggiori. John Lenwood McLean, per tutti Jackie, nasce nel 1931 in una famiglia di musicisti, a New York. Sfortuna vuole che nel 1939 suo padre muoia, ma ha la piccola fortuna di poter continuare a studiare musica grazie al padrino e al nuovo compagno di sua madre, che possedeva un negozio di dischi. Ma più che altro, quando è adolescente, Jackie ha la fortuna di vivere vicino ad alcuni di quelle Divinità Maggiori: passa infatti spesso a casa di Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker e soprattutto Bud Powell, che quando Jackie ha 13-14 anni intravede del talento. Inizia a suonare in un’orchestra il sassofono, insieme a Sonny Rollins, si innamora dello stile di Parker e quando a 20 anni è chiamato da Miles Davis per delle registrazioni. Davis raccontò che per le registrazioni di Dig (del 1951, il disco uscirà solo nel 1956) in studio si presentò Charlie Parker, rendendo nervosissimo McLean, terrorizzato di suonare davanti al suo idolo: “Continuava ad andare da lui a chiedergli cosa ci faceva lì, e Bird (il soprannome di Parker, ndr) a rispondergli che si stava solo facendo un giro. Gliel'avrà chiesto un milione di volte. Jackie voleva che Bird se ne andasse perché così sarebbe stato più rilassato. Ma Bird continuava a dirgli come suonava bene e a incoraggiarlo, e questo alla fine rese la prova di Jackie davvero fantastica”. Con Davis suonerà anche in molti altri dischi tra il 1952 e il 1952 e parteciperà allo storico Pithecanthropus Erectus di Charles Mingus: leggenda vuole che Mingus lo picchioò, McLean tentò di pugnalarlo e per ripicca se ne andò a suonare con i Jazz Messenger di Art Blakey.

La sua carriera sembra avvia al massimo successo, ma come moltissimi jazzisti di quegli anni, McLean divenne schiavo delle droghe: per questo motivo gli fu ritirato il permesso di tenere concerti in pubblico a New York e questo lo obbligò a un intenso lavoro in studio, che si rifletté nel gran numero di registrazioni a suo nome negli anni 1950 e anni 1960. Dopo aver registrato per la Prestige Records, egli firmò un contratto con la Blue Note Records per cui incise dal 1959 al 1967. Il suo stile hard bop diviene riconoscibile per il particolare modo di suonare il suo sax contralto, e tra la fine degli anni ’50 e gli inizi degli anni ’60 scrive i suoi dischi capolavoro: prove grandiose sono Quadrangle, da Jackie’s Bag del 1959, e il disco Let Freedom Ring, del 1962, meraviglioso lavoro dove aggiunge elementi distintivi della rivoluzione che Ornette Coleman aveva iniziato pochi anni prima, il free jazz, alla sua comunque ancora solida struttura hard bop.

Il disco di oggi è registrato nel 1964 con una band composta da il trombettista Charles Tolliver, il pianista Herbie Hancock, in uno dei suoi primi lavori di una carriera sconfinata, il bassista Cecil McBee e il batterista Roy Haynes. It’s Time! ha oltre 200 punti esclamativi in copertina quasi a sottolineare una vitalità creativa fiorente e incontenibile, in un periodo alquanto particolare della Storia del jazz: in questo disco è decisivo l’intervento di Tolliver che scrive con Mclean tutti i pezzi, continuando questo fruttuoso percorso al confine tra post-bop modale e free jazz. L'improvvisazione accordale gioca ancora un ruolo importante nella musica di questo bel disco. L'assolo di Hancock nell'apertura di Cancellation è un gioco di spigolature, scandite da un tempo semplicemente mozzafiato. Il funky di McLean Das' Dat ha sicuramente un debito con Horace Silver, ma l'elemento blues, che rimarrà per sempre uno degli amori del nostro, è puro Jackie McLean. Il modo di suonare di McLean non è particolarmente avventuroso, anche se a volte spinge il suo sassofono oltre i limiti. It’s Time! è micidiale - con Tolliver e McLean che si scontrano in un duello spettacolare- così come il ritorno del blues in Snuff. Tolliver, che ha fatto il suo debutto alla Blue Note con It's Time!, ha registrato tre album con McLean e diventerà noto per la sua voce di tromba fluida e lirica. Revillot di Tolliver (il suo nome al contrario) è un altro trampolino di lancio per grandi improvvisazioni. Il bassista Cecil McBee fa un breve assolo nella title track, il suo unico assolo in questa registrazione, anche se aiuta a guidare l'intera sessione.

Nel 1964 McLean passò sei mesi in prigione per questioni di droga, che segnerà sia la via privata sia la sua musica (che si sposterà con forza verso i primi esperimenti di acid jazz e alla sperimentazione più estrema. Tanto che nel 1967 la Blue Note, a seguito del cambiamento di gestione, pose fine al suo contratto, come fece in quegli anni con molti altri artisti d'avanguardia. Le prospettive di registrazione erano talmente poche e malpagate che egli preferì dedicarsi interamente ai concerti e all'insegnamento, che iniziò nel 1968 alla The Hartt School della prestigiosa University of Hartford del Connecticut. Negli anni successivi, egli avrebbe creato il Dipartimento di Musica Afroamericana (ora chiamato "Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz") e l'intero programma di studi jazz. Nel 1970, con la moglie Dollie, fondò a Hartford il gruppo Artists' Collective, Inc. dedicato alla conservazione delle tradizioni africane negli Stati Uniti, promuovendo e realizzando programmi di istruzione nella danza tradizionale, il teatro, la musica e le arti visuali. È stato sempre, come molti jazzisti, artista decisamente impegnato sul fronte sociale, culturale e politico, sin dai tempi delle contestazioni contro la guerra del Vietnam. Uno dei bellisismi documentari di Ken Burns sui grandi del Jazz è dedicato a lui. Morirà dopo una lunga malattia nel 2006, e nello stesso anno fu nominato nella Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. Un musicista da riscoprire.