Cranky’s Winter Hiatus is in full swing. But lest you think that Cranky is presently lounging on a Florida beach, consider that his work ethic would rule out such indulgences.
Cranky’s idea of taking time off is to work on new material. A frequent ear out for songs in the circus jazz vein has the effect of dredging up lost tunes of yesteryear. And in the miasma of random solo jams Cranky finds the frameworks for new songs.
One such tune recently crossed Cranky’s path. Mister Magician by Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hillard. Yes, that Ozzie and Harriet, 50s icons of American mono-culture.
Before becoming the mythical American nuclear family they had a career in the 30s swing band circuit. The song Mister Magician, despite the vocal stiffness, actually has some excellent musical hooks. Will Cranky adopt this song? Too soon to tell, but he is at least finding some sort of inspiration from it.
Cranky the Clown School Dropout 