Author Archives: Chris Wiley

Chicago, June 2013

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Recently visited Chicago, the City of the Big Shoulders. One of the days was foggy. How did that fog come in? On little cat feet, maybe? It was gone the next day. Click a photo for a larger version.

High Flight

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Back when I was in high school in the late 70s, television stations actually ended broadcast for the day. What often directly preceded the impending
TV “snow” was the poem heard in the video below, High Flight, by aviator John Gillespie. The short film depicted an airplane doing all kinds of tricky maneuvers as the poem’s words were intoned. Yeah. If you were going to “Slip the Surly Bonds of Earth,” this was how you did it, in a shiny, American, cold-war airplane. It’s still unclear to me what any of it had to do with signing off, but what it actually meant was, “Look — the broadcast day is over. This station has done all it can for you today. No more Petticoat Junction reruns. Nothing more to see here until 6 am. Get some sleep. Goodnight.”

Larry McCabe: Irish American

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Out of musicians I get to perform with on a regular basis, one of the most special is fellow trombonist Larry McCabe. He probably wouldn’t object to being called, first and foremost, a wailer of the blues on the slide instrument. But, it’s important to note that while the blues informs almost everything he plays, there’s a lot more to Larry’s musical sensibilities than the blues alone. Just one of those sensibilities involves a love for the music of his Irish ancestors. So, it isn’t too surprising that his latest set of recordings is titled Irish American. The other influences? Well, I’d just check the music out. Also, see here!

Also, see here!

Ye Old Website

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If you visit this website regularly, and not too many do, you’ll notice things are looking a little different. This will probably continue: a new design is in the works, and its pieces will be added bit by bit. Fortunately, things should still work: all the mind-numbingly brilliant content is still available. Plus, I know you’re probably grateful that you don’t have to look at an “Under Construction” animated gif that made 90s websites fantastic.