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“Der Fuehrer’s Face” – The Best of Spike Jones And His City Slickers

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 “ When der Führer says we is de master race/We heil (*fart noise*) heil (*fart noise*) right in der Fuehrer's face/Not to love der Führer is a great disgrace/So we heil (*fart noise*) heil (*fart noise*) right in der Fuehrer's face ” The Best of Spike Jones And His City Slickers There’s a well-worn joke that by the age of 40 American men must start accumulating books about either the Civil War or World War Two. Grandpa might have been the poster boy for that. He was born in 1928, graduating high school in 1946 just after the war ended; he joined the Navy in the Korean War but was only at sea 1 day (on Lake Michigan) and spent the war in Kansas. His older brother went to Europe as a USAAF ground crewman in 1945 but saw no combat. Nonetheless, everyone in his small Iowa town knew someone who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
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"He Knew How To Keep Christmas Well" - Now Is The Caroling Season by Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians

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"And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.” -Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Now Is The Caroling Season – Fred Waring And The Pennsylvanians I’ve felt aimless this season; I’m sure I’m not alone. It’s a common end-of-year problem, exacerbated by the world around us. “Doomerism” has become a societal theme…everything is bad, it’s going to get worse, you should feel bad about it, nothing can be done. I’m not a doomer but even for me it’s tough to avoid, so I find outlets where I can. I love Christmas music, I listen to it nonstop from Thanksgiving through the New Year, so in 2024 I doubled down. And in doing so, I not only found distraction and reflection, but I found a little bit of hope too.
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"One Of The Great Livers of Our Time" - Two of a Mind by Paul Desmond & Gerry Mulligan

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“Pristine, perfect. One of the great livers of our time. Awash in Dewar’s and full of health.” -Paul Desmond Two of a Mind - Paul Desmond & Gerry Mulligan The 1989 LP reprint cover, complete with incorrect hand location on the saxophones Sometimes, we all just need to relax. It’s hard to do for most people, and I've got a n anxiety disorder so I find it nearly impossible in the best of times. Add the holiday season, travel, hosting, buying, the politics of everything, t he rush to the end of the work year, meeting targets, racing against the clock and vacation schedules,  and a WASP-y guilt complex...w ho has time to relax?
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"How Did All These People Get In My Room?" - Sinatra at the Sands

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I begin my journey through grandpa's record collection with a classic of the big band genre. Recorded and released in 1966, my grandpa was within a couple years of the same age I am now when he bought this copy.  Si natra at the Sands With Count Basie & the Orchestra, Arranged & Conducted by Quincy Jones Since early humans first put stick to stone, generations have argued over whose music is "better". Mom and dad's modest collection was dominated by the pop country and rock artists of the 70's, grandpa's with big band, swing, and jazz. Not much crossover or common ground...except for one. It was symbolic that an album mixing Frank Sinatra , Count Basie , and Quincy Jones .
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