ENNIO MORRICONE ~

E N N I O      M O R R I C O N E

1928 ~ 2020

M O R E

VISIT TO THE CINEMA ~

COWBOY ~

Gene Autry

"Canadian-born Robert Nobles spent part of his childhood in the Arizona desert, for which all lovers of Western music may be thankful. As "Bob Nolan", a founding member of the legendary Sons of the Pioneers, he gave us some of the finest poetry and most satisfying melodies in the history of the genre. The words to one of his early compositions, concerning the tumbling leaves of autumn, were misunderstood by 1933 radio fans of the Pioneer Trio, many of whom wrote in to request the song about the "tumbling weeds." Nolan did a quick rewrite and thus was born a cowboy classic. The Sons of the Pioneers recorded the song for Decca in 1934 as one side of their very first release, but it was Gene Autry's 1935 cover — with his slightly different arrangement — that earned the gold disc and brought Nolan's work to prominence. Later that same year it also served as the title for Gene's first starring feature film for Republic Pictures."

~ Jon Guyot Smith
from Gene Autry, Sing Cowboy Sing
(Rhino Records)



No offense, but we prefer Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers version :

The Sons of the Pioneers

Emmylou Harris

Billy the Kid

Billy Joe Shaver
© Matt Lankes

Cowboy Jack Clement

Mary McCaslin

It doesn't matter where you were born when it comes to the west — scholars have Billy the Kid born in an Irish neighborhood of New York City, as was Walter Brennan born of Irish immigrants in eastern Massachusetts; and Cisco Houston born on the east coast but raised in California ditto the Sierra Nevada climber Clarence King came out of posh Newport, Rhode Island (what's he doing here? Well, when I hear western songs I see mountains). Emmylou Harris is a southern belle; and Mary McCaslin, with a melody sure of the west, was born in Indianapolis. Patsy Montana's real name was Ruby Rose Blevins, pure Arkansas. Likewise the other Arkansas wonder Johnny Cash. Chicago's Frankie Laine was born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio, enough said. Of course both Bob Wills and Billy Joe Shaver are T-is-for-Texas; as Cowboy Jack Clement is Memphis, Peter La Farge all Southwest. June Carter Cash was born in Virginia and country music via the Carter Family at the age of ten. Marty Robbins was born outside of Phoenix, though I believe he was born with a golden voice.

FAREWELL ~

While working at setting down tile today, I heard the news Norris Church Mailer had passed away. She was an author, mother, former model, and Norman Mailer's last wife. She was only 61. A few years ago, one very early spring, Sweetheart and I jumped into the truck and took a drive down to Cape Cod and went to where we always go, Provincetown. It was still very sleepy in tourist town and the weather was wet and ragged when we arrived. As she does, Sweetheart went to read the community bulletin board at the Grand Union to see what was going on. Dark was coming on. We hadn't eaten. She saw that Norris Church Mailer was reading that evening in the town library. I said, "Let's go."

Nice big white library at the center of town, run and used by all sorts of book lovers. We know the place and went through a side door and could hear the reading had already begun.

Norris Church Mailer was what she might term a southern belle — attractive, great eyes and lots of spunk. She was reading to maybe 30 local folks in a parlor setting, circled with books and the walls decorated nicely in wood craftsmanship. Norman Mailer was in the front row, now nearing the end of his life, sitting with crutches that would help move him like a human crab when it was time to leave. We snuck some chocolate chip cookies early from the reception table and called that supper (life on the road) and went in to enjoy the reading.

Norris Church Mailer once said she reached to read People Magazine before The New York Review of Books. Yes, she was enjoying herself at this reading. So were we. We were but strangers, but I got the feeling everyone seemed to know and like the author when she was done.
She knew she would never write War & Peace. Or The Naked and the Dead.
She had something else to offer.

It was southern hospitality. It gets me every time.

I was playing this piece of music when I heard of her passing.

Photo courtesy the LA Times

ENNIO MORRICONE

From one of his more than 500 film & television scores ~ here's a lullaby

http://media.photobucket.com/image/ennio%20morricone/djeltoro/EnnioMorricone10.jpg