Happy Birthday, Cab Calloway! youtube/playlist?list=PLYOKh8NDNBVqn2gInHA4nIVWGTc-lojqz Im also reposting a little poem that my friend Erik shared with me. Twas the dim before Calloween, when all through the joint Alligators were struttin and gammin flamboyant; Red stockings were hung from their garters with care In hopes that old Smokey Joe soon would be there. The cokies were laying round, nodding and dreaming Opening gifts from the good king of Sweden. My main queen and I, we had just hit the floor, We were cutting a rug and still ready for more. When out in the alley arose such a noise The band-leader called out intermission, boys. Then out through the back way I flew like a flash And hid behind behind cans loaded brimful with trash. Streetlights on pavement cast a cold, hard-edged glow And lit upon flurries of winters first snow. When, what to my wondering glims did arrive, But a righteous old hep cat, trickerating in jive. He dressed like a striver down from Strivers Row. And I knew in a moment it must be Smokey Joe. Slowly, like lizards, the cokies they came, And he whistled and shouted and called them by name: Now Dora, now Ethel, now Milquetoast and Rummy! Come Rip Van, come Dutchess, come Chuba and Mezzy! He strode past the door as he shouted his call Then he turned on his heel and walked right through the wall. As charts quickly tossed from a music stand fly, Blow round and gather in piles nearby, So up stairs all the cokies they stumbled And followed the sound of the doghouses rumble. And then from the band stand, I heard in a tick Some Gabriel growling a fantastic lick. I ducked back in the joint and was turning around When onto the floor Smokey leapt with a bound. He was togged to the bricks in a brand new zoot suit, With shining ground grippers and sharp hat to boot. From his belt to his kick ran a fine silken rope At the end of which hung a small bundle of dope. A long ivory pipe he held up to his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; His eyes burned with fire, cheeks hollow and skinny. As he danced through the crowd, calling have you seen Minnie? We all stood aside and we gave him the floor, As he called out his question again, then once more. Finally, defeated, he gave up on his frail, He looked sad as a map as he told us his tale. How hed kicked the bucket, so many years ago. In his zillion dollar mansion up on Strivers Row. And now he was cursed, until Minnie he found To haunt Calloween, kicking the gong around. He spoke no more words, but he circled again, Handing out freebys to all with a yen. He laid down some iron while the band beat it out, Then he leapt through the wall and the crowd gave a shout. We cut out the back way and into the alley. Everyone gathered to watch Smokey trilly. We heard him exclaim as he danced through the snow, Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi! Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho!
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 15:48:08 +0000
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