LOU JACOBI---A Rememberance

I have to preface this by saying that in hosting two programs there are, sadly, myriad artists from different genres that need to be remembered. Folk, Yiddish, and more.

Those of you who listen to SUNDAY SIMCHA know that Lou Jacobi has, many times, been a mainstay of the COMEDY CORNER segment. He will still remain the same mainstay since that is the beauty of radio and recordings---no one ever really leaves us.

Lou Jacobi who's given name was Louis Harold Jacobovitch was born in 1913 and left us on October 23 this year residing, I believe, in an assisted living facility in The Bronx. In the span of 95 years he was featured in Film, Stage, Television, Recordings and, I would suppose, Radio was in there somewhere.

Those of you who listen to SUNDAY SIMCHA will mostly recall him from the comedy recordings. They were many in addition to the You Don't Have to Be Jewish series. There was also Al Tijuana and His Jewish Brass on Capitol Records. But, and more importantly, he was a first rate dramatic actor who appeared in such films as Irma La Douce, Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (etc;), and, to me, his great performance in AVALON.

His stage performances started in his birthplace---Canada at a very tender age and later appeared in such wonderful plays as, Come Blow Your Horn, Don't Drink The Water, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Tenth Man, and much much more.

The golden age of Television showed us his talents in some of the landmark programs of the time---Playhouse 90, The Man From U N C L E , and, I don't know if it is considered a landmark--probably not---The Dean Martin Show.

Since the commercials were myriad they won't be mentioned here. Suffice it to say---you never forgot that great face and the unique voice.

Lou Jacobi was pre-deceased by his wife by some 5 years and one has to believe that his demise at this time was a blessing to him.

For those of you who want to see some of Lou Jacobi in performance click over to THE ALMOST DAILY ROOSTER. Seems the reception to comedy there has been good so I shall post them there since Google has a bit of a bug in my putting them up on the side as has been done before. SO---to see Lou Jacobi in action---scoot on over and remember a great talent.

Some Other Things You Might Find On This "Blog".

This site is predominantly for the 2 programs I host---TRADITIONS & SUNDAY SIMCHA . More about them in a moment. Right now I would like you to click over to the link on the right side for The Almost Daily Rooster---or better yet just click HERE. The subject is comedy which is something dear to my heart when it makes a point and what you will see there does. Read more about it there and if you want more commentary on that subject let me know on that site.

NOW--TRADITIONS --You have heard Richard Berman many times on the program and we shall finally have him live in the studio---in just a very few weeks. Stay tuned to find out when. Other great guets coming---including Elaine Newport of The Capitol Steps---after all does folk not spoof and report current events. She and her group are brilliant.
SUNDAY SIMCHA -- Cannot be left out in the cold since we have some wonderful new CDs that arrived and also, shortly, and honest review of Theo Bikel's latest presentation.

NOW---back to comedy---you know where.

Some Other Things You Might Find On This "Blog".

OK---Thursdays we do the Nobody Asked Me But... piece which, hopefully, opens up some thoughts that you might agree with or not agree with. Predominantly it is focused on the radiio programs---TRADITIONS & SUNDAY SIMCHA. More on that in a moment.

Right now the subject is comedy and, basically, comedy that makes a point or is just damned good. So, check the right side of the page and click on the link---or, better yet, just click www.thealmostdailyrooster.blogspot.com.

THURSDAY--Another Edition of:

And the weekly flip of the fedora to Jimmy Cannon

Nobody Asked Me But:

1) One has to wonder why people run for public office and yet people try to avoid Jury Duty.

2) There was a time when you had a problem with a company you contacted them but now Google just tells you to contact their forums to communicate with other people with problems. Gives new meaning to “blind leading blind”.

3) If the nation has grown to where it is with unity and team spirit it is strange how segmented it has become on issues like Medical Insurance and abortion that could, possibly, tear it asunder and that would certainly delight certain groups.

4) Henry Ford, not a nice guy, started the first auto manufacturing company and it is still there while the others have come and gone and---golly, after the stockholders got screwed (GM)—come again. Almost a sexual experience.

5) Al Gore is doing nothing different than Bill Clinton. Speeches make money and so do good ideas ala Al Gore. Chris Smither was right---Harry Truman where are you now (when we need you again)? We do have the budget bargain blowhard---GWB giving bargain basement lectures on “motivation”.

6) Mary Travis will have a tribute on Nov. 9 at Riverside Church. It’s always sad the recipient of the tribute cannot be there to participate---my daughter is right in her hopes for me---why not have a Funeral Rehearsal. Hell, they have Wedding Rehearsals.

7) I surely do hope that people recall when Jimmy Cannon was with the NY Post it was a “good” newspaper---a tabloid version of the NY Times. Now to get my caught fish ready for wrapping for shipment in the latest incarnation of Alexander Hamilton’s newspaper.

8) The series is finally over and the newest shopping mall in the Bronx—aka Yankee Stadium—is now closed for business (except for rentals) and I wonder why people root for “home” teams that are just big businesses. How about rooting for GE, Ford, Goldman Sachs---the real winners.

9) The cleverest lines on TV are delivered on shows like Family Guy and Married With Children (which lives on in re-runs) but should not be viewed by impressionable kids.

10) People enthuse after every election and the “pundits” read great meaning into it all---from all sides. Next year they do it all over, and incorrectly, again.

11) It is still the best system in the world---and we don’t have to color our fingers purple. Who thought up that nonsense?

12) Most new technologies are great improvements and then you find there are also downsides. Take Cell Phones. Perfect example.

Folk Music and Campaigning

Sort of a misleading title in fact. More about what is Politics and whatever does it have to do with Folk--meaning People. People, after all, are the heart of folk music. That probably means we have to consider everything popular "folk"music; and that is probably correct to a great extent. Some people expect the twanging guitar or banjo for Folk and Piano and crooning for Pop and who knows what for Rap---and so on. I don't want to mislead you---this is not about music. It is about people--Folk if you will. It probably should be on The Almost Daily Rooster but, honestly, more people visit here than there so I say---why not here.







The band Chicago had a song a while back about Harry Truman and Christ Smither had So Long Harry Truman . By now you must realize that I have been thinking about him at this election time of year and how he relates to "folk" not music--just "folk"--"people".







Unfortunately I cannot post either song here due to copyrights but why not view the real thing:









You know what---he was the real thing. Even though at the time no one did imagine how strong and effective he would be. I include myself in that group.

I am surely not equipped to give you a full bio but just a few thoughts at this time of year and at a time when we so desperately yearn for leadership, honesty, and the common or human touch. It is possible for me to give you some brief insights into him, his humanity, and mostly his honesty. They will be brief and, hopefully, you can read more about him in a wonderful book by Merle Miller--"Plain Speaking".


In recent yesterdays and, even, today's we have seen "dithering", "lying", "potential votes counted", and so much more that would have never been done by HST---Harry S. Truman.



Think about these few interesting items---after seeing the picture of an honest man relishing an unexpected victory---well, unexpected by the polls:

Those of a certain age will recall the Chicago newspaper headline of DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN that printed before the results were in and that was what was fully expected. A NY D.A. was going to beat HST. Wow!. Think of it---a digression---can you think of Giuliani as Pres.?

Back to HST now. We spoke earlier of his honesty, determination, humanity, and lack of dithering.

As to the lack of dithering you must think only of Hiroshima and, while he surely had sleepless nights, he made a decision. No dithering there to explain his hope for the saving of many U S Military lives. You must also think of his determination in recognizing the state of Israel against the advice of his consultants because he felt it the "right" thing to do. Determination also in de-segregating the Armed Services. Hell, you cannot do everything at one time. The rest had to come later but groundwork was laid.

Another thing that has to be recalled is his involvement in the Korean Conflict (not war---technical thing) and his shutting down of a recalcitrant general. Recalcitrant is a mild term for the potential disaster he might have caused. Again--Merle Miller's writings will fill in the details much better I am doing.

When he left office he drove back to his home in Missouri with his wife, Bess (never a happy White House occupant), without any Secret Service escorts at that time and stopped at local eateries on the way.

True, it was a different time. The point, however, is he never wanted or received the pomp and panoply that later Presidents either expect or receive--or both. It is sad that now Presidents do have to travel in a "bubble" that seems like they are "pressing the flesh" but, in truth, cannot. JFK has changed all that. Sadly.

Digressing aside now. One other thing which one might find in his brilliant bio by Merle Miller; HST's belief that the Presidency should not be demeaned by commercialization. He refused speaking engagements for monetary reimbursement---OK ---paid speeches (you have to appreciate my trying to raise the level of writing)--with the explicit comment that the Presidency is not to be used for profitable gain for a President. Shades of ---pretty much all of our latter day Sainted Presidents---well, GWB does sell seats for only 5.00 or so---what a bargain. The point is---not 5.00 or 1,000,000,000 it is the sanctity of the Presidency. HST realized that.

We end with a humorous thought. The man was able to live with his wife who despised being a 1st lady, move back to his home in Independence (after that long drive with his wife) and live with his mother in law there who never did appreciate his presidency.

So--as Chris Smither wrote---Farewell Harry Truman. Where are you when we need you?

THURSDAY--Another Edition of:

The weekly flip of the fedora to JIMMY CANNON

Nobody Asked Me But:


1) Do people really feel like insiders when they pay exorbitant prices at Yankee Stadium for food and “chachkes” that they could get at local establishments for a fraction? Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig sure missed out on some good shopping as their memories from the Park fade.

2) Aside from the promised replacement of the playing fields for the local community and promise of a business bonanza for the neighboring businesses what else did not come to be after all the interest free bonding that the city allowed for this big private business? Oh—right—the City’s luxury box with 12 seats---it won’t seat the population---it will seat I wonder who.

3) Gilbert & Sullivan –well, Gilbert—were correct with their song from The Mikado---Things Are Seldom What They Seem.

4) I am finally thinking Hillary and not Bill when the headlines speak of “Clinton in so and so and says such and such”. Old habits die hard.

5) Instead of giving GMAC a second bail-out all that money could go to pay off the mortgages of many potential home foreclosures and seems like a good idea since GMAC produces nothing except for problems.

6) Soccer seems a lot more exciting than what is called Football in the U S. Broken legs are better than brain damage in the comparison as well.

7) Is it possible that many well qualified people are overlooked for employment for lack of the paper trail of education?

8) What a wonder how no one ever dies on You Tube. They are always there to entertain and delight us from whatever place they are now in---thanks to people who post the videos/spinning discs/etc; and one has to wonder why they post them one also has to thank them for—as Bob Hope said—“.....the memories”.

9) It’s probably a good idea that people are tuned mainly to the commercial stations when they are at work since they don’t have to concentrate on mindless musical mishmash since the station on the left side of the dial (with the exception of 93.9) require comprehensive listening.

10) Sad to see that Bill Cosby got the Mark Twain American Humor Award that he has twice turned down because Richard Pryor received one earlier and Cosby disliked his profanity. The bible does say something about judging lest you be judged. Pryor was a classic wit and used profanity for a purpose and did not use profanity when there was a different purpose. Blandness does have its place and so it is probably proper to see that Bill Cosby getting his award after all. Is there a Nobel Prize for Blandness?

11) It is called The World Series; so, are Philadelphia and New York the World?

12) Does anyone remember when kids hit each other with socks filled with chalk for Halloween and didn’t trick or treat (you know before commercialism and fixed rules of decorum)?

13) Today is the day the Internet came into being---well, in embryonic form.

14) I wonder if people vote “for” candidates or “against” other candidates.

15) What would be wrong with Medicare for everyone since we all have found out the hard way how large corporations are dealt with by the government. Don’t call it Socialism---call it Self Preservation for the Citizenry that the government, allegedly, represents.