Friday, February 6, 2009

Gerald Stern Sings Jimmy Durante on His Porch in Lambertville, NJ





It's not every day you get a chance to hear a formidable American poet sing a Jimmy Durante song, if with an occasional off key note and in promotion of the release of a new issue of a magazine.

A Jimmy who now?

Well, more like a Jimmy who then. The best way to explain (as is often the case, Mrs. Calabash) is to simply show. Her's a beaut, with Jimmy serenading and dueting with ol' wasshisname.





A free 6 issue subscription to Lilliput Review, or a 6 issue extension of a current subscription, for the first person to identify the picture appended to the end of the video.

Happy Friday.




at my gate
the crow laughs
at the branch I grafted
Issa translated by David Lanoue



best,
Don


PS Ok, it's Friday and the Stern rendition has got a few people thinking about a little more "recent" version than Jimmy Durante. So here ya go:



5 comments:

  1. I so love Issa's humor, although I can't produce it myself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. and, "good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."



    I seem to recall that when JD was 'gigging' some where in the south
    (I think N.C.
    and wasn't allowed into most restaurants this Mrs Calabash fed him at here diner..

    wellllll

    hers to you, old Schnozz:
    Inka-uh-dink-uh-do

    and

    thanks for the memories!

    and

    I loved YOU a n d your humor... more than Issa's!

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh my!

    in the grocery store my grandmother always wore one of her 4 old dresseses..

    she called them" "My schmatas"
    AND AND

    "Try a ittle Tenderness"

    was her favorite...she frequently from behind the counter would just sing that song...

    OH MY...

    and, I got pictures of her in The Dress somewhere from the very early 50's even before then!

    I got choked up listening to Gerald sing just as he did singing it!



    who he? will 'check' ot the link to his mag. Maybe send him 2,522 "new" poems.... and som drawings.... un-announced!

    thanks Don (where's the Kleenex!

    Ed

    ReplyDelete
  4. Charles and Ed, seems all the right notes were hit after all ... Don

    ReplyDelete