Happy Labor Day!

Happy First-Monday-In-September, otherwise known as Labor Day!



It is a Federal Holiday today, and Wikipedia tells us;

The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes ("Nine-Hour Movement") first in Hamilton, then in Toronto, Canada in the 1870s, which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada. The parades held in support of the Nine-Hour Movement and the printers' strike led to an annual celebration in Canada. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto, he returned to New York and organized the first American "labor day" on September 5 of the same year.[citation needed]

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City.[1] In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US military and US Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.[2] Cleveland was also concerned that aligning a US labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair.[3] All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

Wow!

A President who makes something a "top political priority" and then gets it done - Imagine that!

Today is also, unofficially, the demarcation point, signaling the end of Summer (you can put away those white pants now).

So, for our contribution, we'll give you, what became, a Jazz standard, recorded by just about everybody (including Bobby Darin).

Work Song, written by Nat Adderley (HERE"S an interview with Nat), however, more associated with his brother, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (and, sometimes given the title "The Chain Gang Song").

At least one line of the lyrics is still, unfortunately, on-the-money for today;

Been workin' and workin', and still got so terribly far to go ...

Whatever you do today, however you celebrate it, Happy Labor Day!

Cannonball Adderley Sextet- Work Song (From Oscar Brown Jr's Jazz Scene, with Nat Adderley, Louis Hayes, Sam Jones, Joe Zawinul, Yusef Lateef)



Bonus Bonus

Here's another rendition from a killer, All-Star line-up of Sonny Rollins, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Freddie Hubbard, Bill Watrous, Hubert Laws, McCoy Tyner, George Benson, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, and Airto Moreira;

Down Beat 1975 poll-winners' show: 'Work Song'

Or, Oscar Brown Jr. hittin' it

Nina Simone

Grant Green

Monty Alexander Trio

Ray Barretto & New World Spirit

Eddie Harris

Lazy Afternoon ... Taking The Day Off

Yeah, I know, he hits the 3,000 mark in posts, and, it's all coasting the rest of the way.

No, no such swelling heads on this end.

More so, we had such a spectacular day, weather-wise, here in the Northeast, it was compelling, to get outside and enjoy it, as opposed to being anchored to the computer, reading and writing (and we do have, about, ten, partially-written posts in the chute).

So, sorry for waiting until this evening to post about our lazy afternoon.

This isn't nearly as good as the Bob Dorough version (in fact, it's, almost, rather campy), but it will do;

Marlene Dietrich, Lazy Afternoon



(Also, you can check out Grant Green riffing on it)

Down Here On The Ground

Yeah, when you listen to the tune below, it was that kind of day.

It started off, reading about the Oscar Grant shooting, out in Oakland.

Man, it is sick-to-the-stomach incomprehensible what went down there.

In one of the two video angles of the incident, you can see the BART Cop, with another pinning Grant down, knee-on-neck, pull out his gun and shoot him.

Unbelievable ...

That was followed by seeing the latest revelations of the Bush Grindhouse Torture Program.

And then, the other stuff took over.

Actually, it's been a carry-over, from the past few days.

Last month's troubles with the Aunt, produced a blood test where all was not right, and her primary Doc was a bit concerned about it.

So, last week, we followed up, and had another run, and the same aspect of the blood work is still showing something not quite right.

With remnants of the head cold stirring up, for the past two days, we have been playing phone tag with the Doc, detailed discussions and a call to get the Aunt in for a check, from, preferably a Rheumatologist, or, a neurologist, for possible (more to rule out) Temporal Arteritis.

Which will be tomorrow.

Naturally, such took up a big chunk of creative and writing time, and not sure how tomorrow will play out (assuming all goes well, you can bet-your-booties that Friday, I will be anchored, writing, with the temps down near zero)

So, for tonight, another gem.

Killer, monster rendition of the classic 'Down Here On The Ground' (coming from the movie 'Cool Hand Luke').

Of the bevy of people who have recorded this, Grant Green's is the favorite here

Kick back and groove with it!

Down Here on the Ground - Grant Green