Category Archives: Beauty

October 27, 2014 · 9:57 pm

A Musical Tribute to Memphis.

Memphis, Tennessee is the birthplace of rock and roll. It’s where the King of Rock & Roll lived and died. It’s where the Delta blues stopped for a drink on Beale Street before heading up to Chicago. And it’s where my late brother Peter managed the city’s finest luxury hotel, The Peabody. So, let’s celebrate Memphis in song…

1. Long Way from Memphis (The Automatics)

This cut is by a band of English ex-pats living in Los Angeles. The drummer (Paul Crowder) is friend of mine. He’s also a great video editor. I met him while working on “Behind The Music”. Saw him and the band play live at a club in Los Angeles and they opened with this fine rock & roll tune – which includes an Elvis sighting in Kalamazoo.

2. All the Way to Memphis (Mott the Hoople)

For years I loved this song – but I had no idea what Ian Hunter was singing about. The song was my favorite on the 1973 album “Mott”, which was the follow-up to “All The Young Dudes.” Listening to the song over and over, I can now tell that it’s about Hunter losing a guitar and having a hard time getting it returned to him. Never knew there was an Oriole, Kentucky – but it’s lucky for Ian, because Oriole rhymes with Rock & Roll if you pronounce it that way. The song’s best line? “It’s a mighty long way down rock ‘n’ roll, from the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood Bowl.”

3. I’ve Been to Memphis (Lyle Lovett)

Of course Lyle Lovett’s been to Memphis. This song, like so many songs with a Memphis connection, mentions a lot of other towns – and women – along the way. I love the honky-tonk feel of this one.

4. Memphis In the Meantime (John Hiatt)

John Hiatt ditches Nashville so he and his lady can “get good and greasy” in Memphis. The band on this track is an all-star group: Hiatt (acoustic guitar), Ry Cooder (electric guitar), Nick Lowe (bass) and Jim Keltner (drums). Nice company, huh? Ronnie Milsap, it’s your loss.

5. Graceland (Paul Simon)

While John Hiatt goes to Memphis to enjoy the down and dirty rhythm and blues with some boozy babe, Paul Simon is traveling on a pilgrimage seeking benediction and redemption. The title track of one of Simon’s greatest albums, it has some of his finest lyrics – and Simon nails the allure and power of Memphis and The King’s mansion. I have just one quibble with Simon. The Mississippi delta can surely shine like a National guitar – but it’s not “the cradle of the Civil War.” That infamy belongs to South Carolina. Just ask General Sherman’s troops.

6. I’m Going to Memphis (Johnny Cash)

The Man in Black got his start in Memphis with Sam Phillips and Sun Records: part of the Million Dollar Quartet of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. In this song, credited to Alan Lomax and associated with Memphis Slim, Johnny is journeying to Memphis to see and do a lot of strange things. I don’t think Johnny’s on the same holy pilgrimage that Paul Simon is going on.

7. Going Back to Memphis (The Levon Helm Band)

Levon Helm and his band are having a great time on this rollicking, rocking track.

The whole thing is a party, led by Levon at his gravelly best.

One of rock and roll’s best examples of a guy who can lead a band from behind his drum kit, Levon takes another journey through song to the great musical Mecca on the Mississippi.

8. Memphis (Chuck Berry)

“Long-distance information, get me Memphis, Tennessee.” Thus, Chuck Berry begins one of the most oft-covered tunes ever written about Memphis. Chuck says he recorded this one at his office in St. Louis on an $80 Sears Roebuck reel-to-reel. (Although $80 was a lot of money in those days.) With its surprise ending, in which we learn that “Marie is only 6-years old,” this is one of those perfect rock and roll songs that Chuck Berry churned out so magically in the 1950’s. It’s another reason we’re all Chuck’s children.

9. Guitar Man (Elvis Presley)

This is a great comeback Elvis track, proving that the King of Rock & Roll had survived Hollywood and emerged with his voice and flawless sense of rhythm and dynamics intact. Jerry Reed, who wrote the song (and could also play guitar like a-ringin’ a bell) had a minor hit with the tune in 1967 — but Elvis’ cover (with Reed on guitar) became a chart topper. Recorded in Nashville in the late 1960’s, it was re-remixed and re-released four years after The King’s death, scoring him a posthumous #1 hit on the country charts in 1981.

Here’s a clip from the ’68 Comeback Special. There’s some fun stuff at the top, then Elvis tears into a bit of “Guitar Man”, proving he’s still the King of Rock & Roll.

10. Johnny Bye-Bye (Bruce Springsteen)

In this short, dark and complex song, Bruce ties Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry together. The Boss starts out with the opening lyrics of Chuck’s “Bye Bye Johnny,” (“She drew out all her money from the Southern Trust, and put her little boy aboard a Greyhound bus”) then pivots to a meditation on the death of Elvis, from his rise to stardom (“Leaving Memphis with a guitar in his hand, a one-way ticket to the promised land”) to his death at Graceland (“They found him slumped up against the drain, a whole lot of trouble running through his veins”).

11. King’s Call (Phil Lynott)

Another musical meditation on the death of Elvis Presley: this one’s a deeply personal tribute by Thin Lizzy’s lead singer, Phil Lynott – who also died tragically young, passing away at the age of 36 in 1986. “King’s Call” is a track from Lynott’s first solo album – and if the guitar playing sounds familiar, that’s because Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler sat in on guitar and backing vocals. I love this tune.

12. Memphis Monday Morning (Bobby “Blue” Bland)

As Phil Lynott sang in the previous track, “It was a rainy night, the night The King went down.” So perhaps Mr. Bobby Blue Bland is singing about that very night, as he takes us through this jazzy, bluesy walk through the late night/early morning streets of Memphis. Along the way, he name checks my brother’s hotel and several other Memphis locations. The musicianship on this track is awesome: a little cool jazz mixed with the blues for all you classy cats.

13. Big Train (From Memphis) (John Fogerty)

The great John Fogerty’s tribute to Sam Phillips and Sun records is dominated by the train imagery evoked in so many songs from and about Memphis. (By the way, I had the honor of meeting Sam Phillips in the late 1990’s when I interviewed him for Rick Nelson: Behind The Music. We sat at the same Formica kitchen table in Sam’s Memphis house where he sat with Elvis when he told the future King of Rock & Roll that he was selling his contract to RCA. No brag, just fact.) This song was on Fogerty’s hit 1985 “comeback album” Centerfield, and was covered the next year by the living Sun Records legends: Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison. Alas, only The Killer is still with us at the age of 79.

14. Night Train To Memphis (Dean Martin)

Dino gets into some pre-rock & roll, country swing on this song, written by Beasley Smith, Marvin Hughes and Owen Bradley.

Somehow, Dean Martin makes everything he does sound groovy and utterly cool.

Given that Dean was one of Elvis’ biggest heroes – and that Elvis tried to emulate Dino’s sound – it’s only fitting that the King of Cool have his spot in this Memphis themed lineup.

15. Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (Bob Dylan)

In this fabulous track from Blonde on Blonde, Dylan puts together perhaps the greatest word collage in the history of rock & roll. And among all those words, he keeps referring to “the Memphis blues”, which he obviously has again – though he (and Jerry Reed’s guitar man) are stuck in Mobile, Alabama at the time. If this song had been sung by Ian Hunter it would be completely incomprehensible, but Dylan makes the words quite clear even if the meaning is elusive. Who cares? It’s great. It rocks. And it’s the last tune on this tribute to Memphis, Tennessee – the birthplace of rock & roll.

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Filed under Art, Beauty, History, Music, Truth

Tagged as Bob Dylan, Bobby Blue Bland, Chuck Berry, Dean Martin, Elvis, Elvis Presley, Graceland, Guitar Man, John Fogerty, John Hiatt, Johnny Cash, King of Rock & Roll, Levon Helm, Lyle Lovett, Memphis, Mott the Hoople, Paul Simon, Phil Lynott, rock & roll, Springsteen, Tennessee, The Automatics

September 6, 2014 · 1:34 pm

A “Lazy Saturday” with Ms. Maura!

Here’s a bit of delightful musical merriment from Ms. Maura — my sweet, talented daughter!

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Filed under Art, Beauty, Comedy, Music

Tagged as acoustic music, Harry Potter, Maura Murphy-Barrosse, Ms. Maura, rock & roll

June 7, 2014 · 3:23 pm

Maura’s in a Musical! (And Other News)

My daughter Maura will be appearing in the musical, Miz Bonnie’s Band, on June 15, 2014 at 5:00 PM in Hollywood, CA .

After a decade spent rocking and singing the blues in bands and in the recording studio, Maura is excited to return to the stage with the wonderful cast of Miz Bonnie’s Band — an original musical stage play about a little band with big issues.

ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY.

Bring your dads and make a Father’s Day event of it! Meet the Team.   Click HERE to purchase tickets. $15 in advance — $20 at the door.

And that’s not all…

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 @ 8 PM

Maura will be singing with Mitchell Storkington’s Funktastic Voyage at the C.I.A. in NoHo. Join Maura and the band for a night of music, macabre and mayhem! Click HERE for more info.

Ms. Maura’s been working on some new tunes and videos! More info coming on that soon. In the meantime, be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on all her fabulous adventures!

Ms. Maura’s music is available for streaming and purchase on Bandcamp, and iTunes, and your other favorite music services.

Spread the word!

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Filed under Art, Beauty, Music

Tagged as Maura Murphy-Barrosse, Miz Bonnie's Band, Ms. Maura, musical, musical theater, theatre

May 14, 2014 · 11:22 am

Eva & David at Molly Malone’s

GET YOUR TIX FOR THE GIG THIS FRIDAY!

My daughter Eva Barrosse and her guitar-playing partner David Miller are playing their coolest gig yet at Molly Malone’s this Friday May 16 at 8:00 PM. Molly Malone’s has a 25-year tradition of showcasing the finest musical talent in the Los Angeles area – and the beat goes on…

If you haven’t seen Eva & David yet, don’t miss this chance to enjoy their hip, jazzy, bluesy mix of original songs and tunes from the Great American Songbook. It’s a 21+ venue, so leave the kids at home – and come for an evening of adult fun.

Tickets are $15 – and can be purchased via Email at: evadavidmusic@gmail.com

(If clicking on the above link doesn’t work, just copy the Email address into your mailbox.) Email with the number of guests – and your tickets will be waiting for you at door.

Victoria and I will be waiting to join you inside Molly Malone’s.

For directions to Molly Malone’s  at 575 South Fairfax Ave , click here.

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Tagged as David MIller, Eva, Eva Barrosse, Molly Malone, Molly Malone's

May 2, 2014 · 10:57 pm

Available Adventure: Big Santa Anita Canyon

I’ve said it in this space before, but one of the great advantages of life in Southern California – and there are many – is the opportunity to embark on a myriad variety of grand adventures within an hour or two of your home.

From where we live in Woodland Hills, nestled in the southwest edge of the San Fernando Valley, my wife and I can arrive on a Pacific Ocean beach within 20 minutes, begin an ascent into the Santa Monica Mountains in less than 15 minutes, visit the high desert in a half-hour – and drive less than an hour into a world as rough-hewn and glorious as Big Santa Anita Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains.

It’s hard to imagine that Victoria and I have lived in Southern California since 1991 and it took us 22 years to discover Big Santa Anita Canyon. We’ve often hiked Malibu Creek State Park, Topanga State Park and many of the wonderful trails winding through the valleys and along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountains. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2013 that we trekked eastward above the town of Arcadia into the fascinating valley at the foot of Mt. Wilson, below Chantry Flat in the San Gabriels.

Victoria at the trailhead, ready for adventure.

Victoria and I first descended into Big Santa Anita Canyon on a day hike. And it’s a steep descent. The walk down from the Chantry Flat trailhead to the valley floor begins at the parking lot and plunges 400 feet over 8 tenths of a mile. As relaxing as it is to start a hike with a long downhill stroll, veteran hikers know it only means a tortuous uphill slog on the finish.

Once on the valley floor, we followed the wide, shady trail along Santa Anita Creek leading to the popular 50-foot Sturtevant Falls.

We hiked about 7 miles that day, enjoying the canyon’s unique, rocky, riparian landscape and the midsummer trickle that dripped down the otherwise impressive Sturtevant Falls.

Sturtevant Falls, Photo by Andy Serrano

We especially enjoyed the sight of all the funky old creekside cabins, built back in the 1920’s and 30’s, when the U.S. Forest Service promoted recreational residence in the canyon. There are over 80 of these privately owned cabins, which have no electricity or running water — and they’re not available for rental. But they look cool. The whole scene reminded me of a So Cal version of Middle Earth. (Indeed one of the cabins was dubbed Bombadil’s Castle: a clear J.R.R. Tolkien reference.)

After surviving that last, brutally hot, 8^th of a mile, uphill endurance test to climb back to the trailhead — Victoria and I decided to return as soon as possible for an overnight stay at valley’s historic Sturtevant’s Camp.

Sturtevant’s Camp is the oldest resort in the San Gabriel Mountains, built in 1892 by Wilbur M. Sturtevant during the “Great Hiking Era”(1880’s through the early 1930’s) when thousands of tourists hiked into the local mountains, covering long distances over crude trails to encounter the natural beauty of their Southern California home.

Today, it’s hard to imagine many So Cal families abandoning their SUVs, highways and fast food stops to hike with a pack mule train along the strenuous 4.5 mile trail from Chantry Flat to Sturtevant’s Camp, climbing about 1,800 feet along the way. But it was a challenge Victoria and I eagerly embraced.

Incredibly, those pack mule trains still operate today. One of the coolest things about Chantry Flat is that it’s home to the last pack station in Southern California: the last operation where they actually use pack mules to haul supplies into the valley. Alas, Vic and I were too late to use the mule team service, so we had to carry two day’s worth of supplies on our own backs.

On our return visit to Big Santa Anita we blew off another look at Sturtevant Falls. After all, it hadn’t rained during the intervening two weeks. Instead, we took the trail leading up the valley to Sturtevant’s Camp. This trail wound along the rising cliffs above Sturtevant Falls, providing us with a new perspective on the falls — and some dramatic photo ops.

We made good time climbing up the trail and arrived at Sturtevant’s Camp much earlier than we expected — and too early to rendezvous with our camp host.

We needed our host. He was the guy who would open our cabin and turn the gas on. Without him, all we could do was peek in our cabin window and look around at the dowdy yet charming remains of what was once considered a resort destination.

There was a time when Sturtevant’s Camp one of five resorts in the canyon back in the 1930s. That’s not the case today. Now, it’s the only “resort” left – and its chief characteristics are a rundown, historic appeal and a basic utility. It’s a comfortable and clean enough place to rest your head (and feet) after a hard day of hiking.

But there was no rest for us yet. An enthusiastic (and annoyingly unexhausted) group of 20-somethings arrived at the camp: a matched set of three boys and three girls. We were pleased to know that we wouldn’t be alone at the camp – but we weren’t ready to get social yet. And since our camp host had yet to arrive, we made a bold decision: to climb 5,710-foot Mt. Wilson.

Since the camp sits at about 3,500 feet above sea level, our ascent of Mt. Wilson covered three miles and 2,200 feet of elevation. That’s a lot of “up”.

It’s a good thing that Victoria and I had been hiking regularly for several months before we attempted the summit of Mt. Wilson. And thank goodness we brought just enough water. The late afternoon sun was merciless, and there were several treeless stretches with little or no cover along the winding, narrow, rocky, dusty trail up to the famous observatory.

Even before we gained the summit our hard work was well rewarded by stunning views of the L.A. basin spreading out before us to the south. It was a clear day – and even Catalina Island was in view.

Okay, so you can’t see Catalina. Blame my damn iPhone camera!

At the summit, we still weren’t finished hiking. The concrete roads wound past the white domes of the observatory and a series of other telescopes. Finally, we arrived at the Cosmic Café, which is open from April to October.

The Cosmic Café is not fine dining, but we were happy to indulge in a hot dog, Diet Coke and more water as we rested before our descent back to the camp.

When we got back to the camp our host was waiting for us. He opened our cabin – and, exhausted but feeling victorious, we moved in for a rustic but comfortable night’s stay. The next day, we’d be hiking for another 7 rugged miles on our way back to Chantry Flat. But first, it was a delightful evening of sipping Chardonnay and enjoying the quaint, spare luxuries of Sturtevant’s Camp.

What follows are some photos of our cabin – and scenes from our hike back to Chantry Flat.

Our cabin.

Inside our cabin.

The kitchen in which we cooked chicken breasts for dinner.

Our somewhat comfortable bed: more than serviceable after our trek up Mt. Wilson

The pleasant sylvan view from our window.

A view from the upper trail back to Chantry Flat.

It’s scenes like these that keep us coming back to the mountains of Southern California.

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Filed under Adventure, Beauty, History, Travel

Tagged as Arcadia, Big Santa Anita Canyon, Chantry Flat, hike, hiking, Mt. Wilson, Mt. Wilson Observatory, pack station, San Gabriel Mountains, San Gabriels, Santa Monica Mountains, Southern California, Sturtevant Falls, Sturtevant's Camp

April 30, 2014 · 2:52 pm

A Funny Girl @ Grauman’s on Friday!

My daughter Emilia’s rising standup comedy career continues this Friday, May 2 at the Inside Jokes Comedy Club on the third floor of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre at 8:00 pm.

The show is called “Women Who Kill.”

That’s “kill” in the “knock ‘em dead” sense of the word.

Please note, in a bit of unintended comedy, Emilia’s last name is misspelled as “Barrossetta” – which may be the all-time record for misspelling and mispronunciation of our somewhat complicated, unique surname.

I’m told that you can get on the guest list (a free ticket) by Emailing lisa@prettyfunnywomen.com and letting her know you’re a friend of Emilia.

Otherwise, if you’d like to support the arts, $15 tickets can be ordered here:

Indoor parking is just $2 with validation.

According to the Inside Jokes website, “at Inside Jokes you get a hip and contemporary comedy club experience. A theater styled seating plan, a custom built stage directly in front a state of the art screen that serves as an artistic backdrop. We’re not your ordinary comedy club! When you come to Inside Jokes you’re experiencing a night on the town.

After the show guests of the club are invited to exit the theater and head for the Inside Jokes Lounge where you can mingle, meet the performers, grab a cocktail and enjoy some good music without having to leave the building.”

I say, “Come for the comedy. Stay for the footprints.”

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Filed under Art, Beauty, Comedy, Truth

Tagged as comedy club, Emilia Barrosse, Grauman's Chinese, Grauman's Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, Inside Jokes, Inside Jokes Comedy Club, Lisa Sundstedt, standup comedy, standup comedy career, Women Who Kill

April 23, 2014 · 6:13 pm

Eva & David Perform this Friday at the House of Blues!

My sweet-singing daughter Eva Barrosse and guitarist extraordinaire David Miller are playing The House of Blues again this Friday, April 25 at 8:00 in the Voodoo Lounge. Their first appearance at the House of Blues was a big hit – and this show will be better than ever.

More info on the gig can be found by clicking here.

Eva and David will be playing a 45 minute set – and here’s a taste of what you’ll enjoy if you head down to 8430 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood and plunk down your $10 for a ticket.

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Tagged as blues, David MIller, Eva Barrosse, Gershwin, Hollywood, House of Blues, jazz, Voodoo Lounge

April 16, 2014 · 12:26 am

Farewell to Ray Shepardson, the Visionary Who Saved the Theatres

I honestly had no idea how to headline this tribute to the great Ray Shepardson, who died suddenly and shockingly in Aurora, Illinois late last night.

It sounds like a cliché to say that Ray was full of life and larger than life – but if you knew him as his friends and associates knew him, terms like “dynamo” and “whirlwind” and “passionate” and, yes, “madman” were all frequently employed in the fruitless struggle to capture Ray in mere words.

The man who saved dozens of great old theatres and movie palaces from the wrecking ball was a man of prodigious energy, drive, and “can do” creativity.

I was a teenager in Cleveland, Ohio when I first felt the vibration from the human shockwave that was Raymond K. Shepardson. And I wouldn’t have any idea who he was for another thirteen years.

In 1973, my mother took me to see a production of “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” that was staged in the lobby of the State Theatre in Cleveland’s downtrodden, downtown Playhouse Square district.

I was just 15 years old, but I knew that this long-running version of “Jacques Brel” was something special – and that there was a lot of excitement in my proud hometown about a surprisingly successful effort to save this group of old movie palaces and Broadway road houses in a city that had been on a long losing streak.

Inspirational young Ray waging the good fight at Playhouse Square.

At that time, I had no idea who Ray Shepardson was, or that he was the person behind the movement to preserve the theatrical and cultural glory of downtown Cleveland.

Tonight, four decades after I experienced “Jacques Brel” in the State Theatre lobby, the lights went out in Playhouse Square. The theatres that Ray saved dimmed their marquees in memory of the educator-turned-preservationist who inspired and orchestrated their revitalization.

“The thing that always baffled me,” said Ray, “is how anyone could walk into those buildings and think they weren’t worth saving.”

I met Ray thirteen years after “Jacques Brel”. Neither of us was living in Cleveland anymore. I had come to Chicago in 1976 to attend Northwestern, graduated in 1980, and in 1986, was performing with my future wife, Victoria Zielinski, in a comedy revue for my own theatrical enterprise, The Practical Theatre Company.

Our friend and fellow Northwestern alum, Drew McCoy had come to Chicago to work on the grand reopening of The Chicago Theatre: one of the finest old movie palaces on State Street in the Loop. Drew helped Victoria get a job selling seats in the luxury box level. And that brought us into orbit around the force of nature called Ray Shepardson.

He was a restless, relentless bear of man, hustling through the bowels of The Chicago Theatre with a towel around his neck, quick-witted and brimming with bravado. I’d played Professor Harold Hill in high school and I recognized “The Music Man” in Ray: the persuasive, undeterred, incorrigible charm and salesmanship.

But Ray’s accomplishments were far more legitimate than Harold Hills bogus “think system”. In the years after saving Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, Ray had wrought his restorative magic on The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis (built in 1929) – where our friend Drew first worked with the great man.

Ray had also supervised the 1983 restoration and programming of The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles (built in 1931).

Now, Ray was getting The Chicago Theatre (built in 1921) ready for a grand reopening featuring Frank Sinatra in concert. And, thanks to my girlfriend Victoria and my buddy Drew, I had a ringside seat.

When Ray and I finally made the Cleveland-“Jaques Brel”-Playhouse Square connection, we became fast friends. It was a friendship that, for the next 28 years, I could always pick up right where we had left off. Until yesterday.

But I’d rather go back to that glorious day when The Chicago Theatre reopened on September 10, 1986. My fellow Practical Theatre cast members and I were on the red carpet — opening the main doors wearing white gloves and tuxes. My future wife was prowling the luxury box level. My friend Drew was wearing a path from backstage to the box office. Frank Sinatra sang “My Kind of Town” – and Ray Shepardson was at the height of his powers.

In the years that followed, Ray was involved in more than 30 restoration projects across the country. He was the irrepressible, uncontrollable and iconoclastic savior of historic vaudeville and movie theatres across the country – taking dowdy old pleasure palaces and returning them to their original, gilded luster.

In a promotional video for Ray’s Majestic Theatre restoration project in San Antonio in 1989, the great songstress Rosemary Clooney said that, “Ray is the one who always comes through. He has wonderful taste. He has the dedication that can make it happen, and I’m a big fan of his.”

More than two decades later, Ray helped make it happen for Victoria and me when we wanted to take our comedy revue, “The Vic & Paul Show” on the road. Not only did Ray help us beat the drum and get the press to our 2011 run at Mayne Stage in Chicago – he was instrumental in helping us make a theatrical return to my hometown in the summer of 2012. With Ray in our corner, our booking at the 14^th Street Theatre in Playhouse Square was a great success.

And why not? Ray Shepardson, success and Playhouse Square will always be synonymous.

Sadly, today, the same Playhouse Square marquees that heralded our show in lights…

…marked Ray’s tragic passing.

Kathleen Crowther of the Cleveland Restoration Society said that Ray “had the courage to go against the grain. I’m not sure he’s ever been properly recognized.”

How do you properly recognize a force of nature?

I’ve tried to do that, to some paltry degree, with this post.

But mostly I want to say thank you, Ray. I dearly wish I had a chance to do as much for you as you’ve done for me.

I’ll close with the words Victoria wrote today (quoting the English language’s greatest poet who, like Ray, loved the theatre)…

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, dear Ray Shepardson. We miss you.

Rest in peace, friend.

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Filed under Art, Beauty, History, Truth

Tagged as 14th Street Theatre, Chicago, Chicago Theatre, Cleveland, Cleveland Playhouse Square, Playhouse Square, Ray, Ray Shepardson, Raymond K. Shepardson, The Chicago Theater, The Fabulous Fox Theatre, The Practical Theatre, The Wiltern Theater, Vic & Paul Show

March 13, 2014 · 9:10 pm

Daughter Eva Rocks UCLA TV…

There’s not much I can say, folks. Just check these videos out — and tell me what you think…

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Filed under Art, Beauty, Music, Uncategorized

Tagged as David MIller, Eva Barrosse, jazz, original songs, pop music, romantic music, singer-songwriter, UCLA, UCLA TV, YouTube

February 20, 2014 · 12:19 am

A Dry Season: Malibu Creek State Park & Sycamore Canyon

Last month, as California experienced its driest year on record, Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency in our glorious Golden State. (Which is currently more burnt umber than gold.)

At a news conference held to make his case for the severity of the drought, Governor Brown used charts to show that this drought is historic — and that it’s time for Californians to conserve our precious water.

But most of us Californians didn’t need Jerry Brown’s earnest show and tell to inform us that we’re going through a shockingly dry season.

We have the clear evidence of our own experience.

My wife and I took two hikes in the Los Angeles area this past weekend – and our state’s dire drought conditions were dramatically evident on both hikes.

On Saturday we went, as we often do, to nearby Malibu Creek State Park. However, right now there’s no creek.

Here’s a photo of the creek from one of our hikes in the spring of last year.

Here’s a photo of the creek as it appears now. All that’s missing is the creek.

On Sunday, we took our second trip to The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Rancho Sierra Vista – Satwiwa — just south of the 101 Freeway on the eastern edge of Ventura County.

This wonderful park encompasses the area where the old Chumash Indian village Satwiwa once stood, as well as 8 miles of winding trail through Sycamore Canyon that the Chumash used as a path to the Pacific Ocean shore.

Victoria explores a traditional Chumash dwelling at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center.

Victoria explores a Chumash dwelling at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center.

Last year, in May 2013, a wildfire raged across much of this parkland – and the devastation from that conflagration is evident in the charred, blackened landscape.

Wildfires can happen in any season, in any year in Southern California, but drought conditions increase the danger of fire exponentially.

Fire is a natural part of the cycle of life in the Santa Monica Mountains. For ages, coastal Southern California chaparral land like that in the Santa Monicas has experienced infrequent but intense wild fires. These fires usually blaze in the fall, driven by dry conditions and hot Santa Ana winds. Unfortunately, the frequency of fires has increased due to human activity. And the drought doesn’t help.

But, while the ravages of the fire can seem almost apocalyptic as you gaze in awe at the darkened, denuded hillsides – you can also see signs of bright green life creeping back into view.

Within a few years, these hills surrounding Sycamore Canyon will be covered in greenery once again. Of course, a little rain would help that process of regeneration along.

Here we are at the fire line: the place where the fire stopped. On one side, you can see Victoria walking under a canopy of live oaks: a sylvan heaven.

But when you turn around 180 degrees – there’s no canopy of trees anymore: just a charred hillside.

Victoria and I hiked the trail that leads to what, in a normal, rainy winter, is a dramatic waterfall. But our hike along the waterfall trail brought home the deadly dry nature of this year’s drought. What follows are shots of the small pools of water that linger below the tiny trickle that, at this time of year, should be a dramatic cascade.