It is imperative that I update my blog

That should do it.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers-"Pick Yourself Up"

Here's yet another version of "Pick Yourself Up", this time by Fred and Ginger.

Fred pretending to be clumsy is not only hilarious, but may well represent the greatest acting job of all time.


UPDATE- I know that here I'm testing the Black and White Rule, in which people under a certain age automatically look away when they see something in B & W.

If you're my age (51) and you do this, you're a certified philistine.

Donna Lee, Clifford Brown, and some French dude

The immortal Clifford Brown's amazing "Donna Lee" solo played on recorder by some dude named Benoit Soave'. Not a gimmick-it actually works musically.


H/t-Trumpet Kings

The circus is in town, with all its wonders

Being just an inch taller than Aloysius, I too am a medical marvel. Stolen from the always clever Dr. Boli.


Wonder if Aloysius knows Mr. Kite?

Nat King Cole/George Shearing-"Pick Yourself Up"

A few days ago I posted the Sinatra and Diana Krall treatments of this classic song.

I always enjoy hearing great artists' different ways of attacking standards, so let's give a listen to Nat Cole's version, here with George Shearing, from their wonderful early sixties collaboration.

Corrinne May-"In the Bleak Midwinter"

A lovely treatment of In the Bleak Midwinter by Catholic singer Corrinne May.


H-t: Crossed the Tiber.

Father Brown and the cross

Rene's Apple's "patron saint" (see the URL) GK Chesterton's unforgettable Father Brown, as played perfectly by Alec Guinness in the 1954 flick of the same name. Great stuff.

H/t-Terry Teachout.

UPDATE: Guinness and his wife Merula converted to Catholicism in 1956.

'Twas the night before Kwanzaa, and Whitey was supposed to be nervous

Turns out its origins aren't so innocent-read Kathy Shaidle on same.

Google loves this blog

Type "John Salmon" into your handy Google box, and this blog comes up first. Still.

God knows why, since it's long been known that this site is remarkably unpopular world-wide, and it's not like I update it with any great regularity.

Just as I suspected...

Have a Merry Christmas anyway.

Frank Sinatra/Diana Krall-"Pick Yourself Up"

Unfortunately, not Frank and Diana together. I like the little Shearing bit in the Krall version.

Diana does an awful lot with a small voice and not what you'd call huge piano chops.

Jeff Beck & Imelda May conjure Les Paul and Mary Ford-"How High the Moon"

Never heard of Imelda May, but she certainly does a creditable Mary Ford. Clearly Jeff Beck has no problem aping the legendary Les Paul.

Not exactly how Charlie Parker did "How High the Moon", but great stuff nonetheless.


Stolen from Chaz at Dustbury, who, just as clearly, has impeccable taste.

Holly Cole, Basia-"The Waters of March"

One of the finest songs ever written-Jobim's "The Waters of March"-as done by Rene's Apple fav Holly Cole. Great art work compilation, by whoever the hell it is who posted this on Youtube. I could use some March right now.

And also Basia with the same song:

Frank Sinatra-"You've Brought a New Kind of Love of Love to Me"

More Frank, from his Capitol (i.e., peak) years.

UPDATE: We had this record when I was a kid, and every time I hear it, I still anticipate the skip the record had just when the string section kicks in.

Tine Thing Helseth-"In the Bleak Midwinter"

Kind of breaking a rule here-I've posted this before. But Helseth's treatment of this lovely Christmas piece is worth another listen. She is a phenomenal Norwegian trumpeter in her early 20's.

Leslie Nielsen, home plate ump

Leslie Nielsen, aka Frank Drebin the cop, pretending to be an umpire to find out who was trying to kill the Queen (it was Reggie Jackson, of course). Accompanying music by another Rene's Apple fav, Randy Newman, with his "I Love LA". Enjoy.

UPDATE: Here are the best moments from Neilsen's "Naked Gun" flicks, several of which feature the immortal OJ Simpson as Nordberg. This might be the best collection of sight gags in the history of man: