I went to the library and picked-up my copy of the Ken Burns documentary, Jazz. I had been on the waiting list for several months. Like many of his recent works, this is a time commitment, approximately 19 hours on 10 DVD’s. I was reluctant to get started, knowing that I will not be able to stop watching. As indicated in Post #430, I made it a retirement goal to watch all of his productions. They are each very educational and help balance all the frivolous video that I watch. I particularly enjoyed Central Park Five since I was not familiar with that story, and was intrigued with the engineering of the Brooklyn Bridge. Maybe I’ll run across it the next time I visit NYC? I struggled through Not For Ourselves Alone, the “trials, tribulations, and triumphs” of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Burns burnout was beginning to effect my judgement, as the voices of the narrators and background music made several of his works seem redundant. I guess this is bound to happen after watching more than 25 of his productions. However, Jazz, has quickly resuscitated my interest.

I was pleased to find out that Xfinity/Comcast has apparently not yet dropped the Big Ten Network from its lineup here in Portland. It had been temporarily removed for some reason, and caused me to search-out other options, with I.U. basketball about to start. Believe it or not, this channel was one of the reasons that I selected Comcast in the first place. You can’t take the Hoosier out of me, even if I live several thousand miles away! I will also soon be able to get Amazon Prime, so I’ll wait to watch Goliath on the big screen, rather than on my lap-top. Honestly, if it weren’t for sports, I would drop cable and go to OTT, as many consumers are doing to save money. With internet, home security, phone, and premium channels including sports, my monthly bill approaches $300 or $10 a day. When we’re traveling, those are wasted dollars. However, when I’m home, the computer and TV are on all the time, and I’m often in a multi-tasking mode.

Learning about Louie Armstrong, Bessie Smith, and the history of “Jass” or “Jazz” will keep me entertained over the next few weeks, but I’ll probably have to wait to finish it when we get back from Indiana. The Wynton Marsalis segments are outstanding. Yesterday, I watched it on one computer, while using my lap-top for genealogy and memorabilia searches. The TV was on the Cubs game, and I used my phone to stream the Cardinals game against the Pirates. I think I got my $10’s worth out of Comcast for the day! Plus, the Cubs won and the Cards lost. I also bought a 1970 Fillmore West handbill through Ebay promoting a Led Zeppelin concert that I saw at the Oakland Coliseum. My traveling companion and I saw a similar poster on the door of the legendary Bill Graham establishment in Haight-Ashbury and were able to watch them play “Blueberry Hill” as an encore to their unforgettable performance. (See Post #295). As yet, I have been unable to find a ticket stub for my collection. I never got to see Louie Armstrong, or Bessie Smith, but I have seen Wynton Marsalis perform live. I’m also looking forward to the Ken Burns documentary on Country Music that will debut next year. Rock, Jazz, or Country – “I’ve got the Music in Me.”