Plas Johnson #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music! I also apologize for the assortment of font sizes.  I don't know why this is happening but, not knowing html, I can't seem to fix it.  Anyway...

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "You Pick".  So, sadly, it is time for another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.  Today we celebrate jazz musician Plas Johnson, who passed away July 15 at the age of 94, six days before his 95th birthday.  This talented musician played flute, clarinet , tuba, and saxophone.  He started out, as a youngster, singing with his father's family music group and, when given a soprano saxophone as a gift from his father (a professional saxophone player) taught himself to play it. 

You can find out more about his career, and listen to some of his jazz pieces at this site. 

He was perhaps known for his sax sol in 1963's Pink Panther Theme.  He performed on several other movie soundtracks and a number of rock songs (some of which I feature below).

Johnson was a session musician for over 20 years.  Here are some of the songs you can hear him on.

Help Me Rhonda - Beach Boys, from 1963, with Johnson on tenor saxophone.

1966's Wouldn't It Be Nice - Beach Boys, from the iconic album Pet Sounds. Johnson also played tenor sax here.

The Platters - The Great Pretender, 1955, with Johnson on tenor sax.

Lowdown - Boz Scaggs from 1976.  Johnson on tenor sax and contributed to the horn section.

Aja - Steely Dan from 1977, with Johnson on flute and tenor sax.

And that's a wrap! But first a bonus track:  The Pink Panther Theme. Note, you will have to go to You Tube (following link within the video) to play this. 

 

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

 

 

 

 

More Lily Time #ShadowshotSunday

Some lily shadows from the past week today for your pleasure.

Two of my daylilies, July 19. 

A neighborhood lily, July 24. 

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog for her #ShadowshotSunday. 

Puddle Before and After #SkywatchFriday

 It's been a while since I've posted puddle pictures, maybe because it's been a while since I've seen a puddle.

But these aren't just any puddles.

Last week, we, along with a lot of the United States, were dealing with bad air from wildfires.  But help was on the way July 18, in the form of a powerful cold front that brought rain, wind, and a possible F1 tornado to our area.  My neighborhood wasn't that impacted (except for small branches down) and s we were a lot more fortunate than many.  So, here are two puddles, one rain apart.

After rain number one, during which the bad air was still greatly impacting us, I was mystified to see a puddle with strange white bubbles.  Here is a picture.  You can barely see the sky, over to the left, as it is still so clogged with the bad air.

What is that white stuff?  Its residues from the wildfire smoke, brought down by the rain. When the rainwater hits the ground (so I've read), the water combines with oil from the road, breaking surface tension and resulting in that white stuff.

After the second rainfall, with better air behind it, I went out and took this picture.  Finally, we could see clouds again.

So much better!

I don't think I've ever had a puddle before and after.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers today for #SkywatchFriday.  You'll note the URL for the linkup is different - Yogi had to use a different website and hopefully, the linky will work.

Have a good week ahead. 

Mystery Ghost Sign #WordlessWednesday

Ghost signs (signs of long ago businesses no longer in business that were painted on the sides of buildings back in the day) have always fascinated me. 

Here is one of them, on the edge of the Court Street historic district of Binghamton, New York.  The district consists of some 87 buildings, most of which were commercial buildings built between 1840 and 1939. 

It's sad to see history fade away like this.  I can't make out enough of this building to know what business it was advertising.  I know there is another ghost sign not far from this building, which is in much better condition.  Strangely, I didn't remember seeing this one until I saw it in late June of 2026.  

I wonder if that sign has something to do with storage.  Perhaps I'll never know.

Joining up with Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday. 

Hot Summer Music And Another Induction #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us?  Our theme this week is "In ancient times, “Dog Days of Summer” was connected with bad luck, mad dog attacks, unexpected thunderstorms, heat, and drought.  These days gained the “Dog Days” name because they are connected with a star in the Canis Major (Greater Dog) star system known as Sirius. Nowadays, “Dog Days of Summer” is associated for summer’s long hot days. Based on these interesting tidbits use your imagination to find music that’ll make us howl on the dance floor!"

Summer always makes me think of several songs dating back from my New York City Childhood.  I've had them on my blog before but I hope you enjoy them as reruns.  But before I do, it's time for another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.

Freddie "Boom Boom? Cannon died July 17 at the age of 89.   

I best knew him for his 1962 hit Palisades Park.  Palisades Amusement Park was a now-closed amusement park in New Jersey, which I went to several times growing up in New York City. They were famous for a huge salt water pool and their musical entertainment, which included famous Big Bands, and, in the rock era, the Four Seasons, Bill Haley & the Comets, the Jackson Five, Diana Ross & the Supremes and yes, Freddie Cannon .  The property is now occupied by high-rise condominiums but New Yorkers of my age fondly remember it. 

Nothing says "summer" like amusement parks for many people. 

N

His first hit was Tallahassee Lassie". 

And now, to our theme.

Summer in the City - a 1966 hit for The Lovin' Spoonful. 

Dancing in the Street - a 1964 hit for Martha and the Vandellas.

Two more, from the 1970s:

 Hot Summer Nights - Walter Egan, best known here for his 1978 hit Magnet and Steel. 

I almost didn't include this, as I'll bet others include it, but here's a song from the movie Grease, Summer Nights, sung by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.  This was a big hit in the summer of 1978.

Tell me more?  No, I'm fresh out of words. 

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me. 

Still More Day Lilies and their Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

Here are some day lilies in my garden for your Sunday enjoyment. 

This was taken July 14.  This photo is actually on its side because I liked how the shadow looked.

The next three were taken July 8.

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog for #ShadowshotSunday. 

Here We Go Again #SkywatchFriday

Like so much of the United States, our skies for the last two days have been blanketed by wildfire smoke.

 I missed photographing the sunrises and sunsets.  Wednesday, especially, I didn't even want to go out there.  The sky looked yellow (at least it didn't look red) and it smelled like a campfire.  Someone told me the Thursday sunrise was nice and red.  I was sleeping at the time.

Thursday, around 8pm, I took this picture.   I'm thankful that it wasn't bright orange like it was for so many people in the Northeast.

I hope we can return to this kind of sky soon. 

Joining Yogi and other sky watching bloggers for #SkywatchFriday.