Playlist Date & Time: 11/23/2008 12:00AM - 3:00AM

Program: Blues in the Night with Jamie Dell'Apa

Audio for this show is archived at:

www.virb.com/submariner

 (look for the picture of the escaped mule after Katrina)  

The Statistician Versus My Record Library 

 Who run statistics on their record library?  Any chance that you are going to be interested in this as tonight's musical topic?  As the "Disaster from Alasker" would say, "You betcha."  Here goes:

I've had a decades-long conversation about the differences between a pony, colt, horse, burro, mule, etc.  I still stubbornly believe all horses go through the growth phases of foul (fowl, foal?) to pony to colt to full grown horse to Clydesdale just like humans go from infant to child to teenager to drunkard.  To mask my ignorance, I call all equines "doggies" in a corny singing cowboy accent.

Float One - What kind of name is "Fanny?"

I've heard someone referred to as "an ass" at least once a week but I have never heard of anyone named "Fanny."  So how come there are seven good songs about someone named, "Fanny" and I can't find a single song about an ass? Seven of 42 equine songs or 16% of all the equine songs in my music library are about someone named "Fanny."  Does anyone out there know someone named, "Fanny?" 

 Float Two - Speaking of Mules

I don't have a single song with the word "ass" but nineteen songs about mules.  Why do mules inspire the musical muses?  I don't recall teenage girls swooning over mules and singing cowboys don't ride their trusty mules into the sunset.  Even the common derivation mule ("ass") cinches that mules are neither glamorous or inspirational.  So what is the muse that inspires so many mule songs?   I have nineteen mule songs so we'll just play the top seven and match the number of Fanny songs.  (There is a pun in here somewhere about turning the other cheek or a butt-load of songs or...)

Nineteen total mule songs versus sixteen various equine songs (pony, stallion, horse) means most equine songs are about mules.  

 Float Three - Ride Your Pony

From the window of WWOZ's studio, I look out on the Joan of Arc statue at the 1000 block of Decatur Street.  Joanie on a Pony.  In the finest historical tradition, Joan has been partially melted by the intense heat of not one, but two lightning strikes.

As a control group for tonight's show, you would think there would be many more songs about the glamourous equines of, "horses, ponies, yearlings, stallions" but no, there are only eleven of these songs or just over 25% of the total.  There is something is off-kilter in the equine muse department.   

 Float Four - That Spot Between Soul, Jump Blues, and Swing 

A handful of songs that share that transcendent roots music commonality.  You know if we've hit the spot if you can't exactly tell how to categorize these songs.  My favorites are when you can't tell the race or nationality of the performers - these are really transcendent.  Think of Bobby Charles going to Chicago to meet the Chess brothers...   

 Final Float - Dreams Sans Pants

Krewe of Saturn ends its parades with the Fat Lady float but we're ending tonight's audio parade with a set of music about Mr. Sandman and dreams.  Four songs riffing off "Mr. Sandman" that lead to a handful of dream songs.  

 Last night I dreamed I missed out on my Krewe du Vieux meeting today.  This is a familiar public embarrassment dream that takes many forms unique to each individual.  For instance, court room lawyers often have dreams of showing up in court without their pants.  For these listeners who have dared to fall asleep pondering their love lives while listening to the show, here is a musical set about courtrooms that I hope subliminally induces a dreamland embarrassment.  

Playlist Tracks