nate-amazed

>> Tuesday, January 20, 2009

"He makes the rain to fall on both the just and unjust..."

to be sure i have no idea into which category any of the following musicians and composer fall, but i for one am glad for God's equal love and provision for all men. and today's inauguration put that thought squarely in my mind as i watched and listened to cellist Yo Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, clarinetist Anthony McGill, and pianist Gabriella Montero play "Air and Simple Gifts", arranged by John Williams.

i am not familiar with the works of John Williams beyond the numerous soundtrack works he's done, so perhaps he's already got volumes of similar works to this one finished specifically for the events of the day. if so, i must dig deeper into his catalog. i know him as someone who has mastered the orchestra...well, the orchestra and that infamous "da dah...da dah" line from Jaws. it's quite another thing to master a work for four individual instruments. i am not surprised at his ability to do this...i've just not heard it before. and no string quartet. no piano, guitar, bass, drums. violin, cello, clarinet, and piano. i also don't recall that grouping in a four piece before. it was an amazing combination, with a stunning sound specifically from Anthony McGill and his clarinet.

i'm well aware of the talents of Itzhak Perlman. my mother and father listened to classical music often in our home as i was growing up, and Itzhak Perlman was always one of the featured artists. in my teens i was unaware of how he was the perfect combination of technique and feel. i just thought he was really good. now, with many more years of being a musician under my belt, i know how rare the combination of both in one artist actually is. he was perfect today...with no frets...in sub-freezing temps...on a hollow wood stringed instrument.

Yo Yo Ma is every bit his equal, and showed it today. same issues of temp and instrument, and yet he flawlessly matched the violin note for note. not just matched, but blended. there were moments that seemed list one mind was playing the two instruments...as well it should have. still, in a world where "feat: ____" is added after the title of many songs, and getting full recognition is so important, these men choose to be equal, and excel together and for each other. granted, they can't get much more recognition than they currently have, but lots of other stars have done their best to outshine those with whom they share a stage.

Anthony McGill...we hardly knew you. but that's gonna change. my brother played clarinet growing up. i heard Benny Goodman, Acker Bilk, Jimmy Dorsey, Peewee Russell, Pete Fountain, and Bud Freeman growing up. clarinet was for jazz. i mean, it was present in the orchestras, too, but i never heard clarinet as a prominent classical solo instrument. maybe the lone exception was Tchaikovsky's Peter and the Wolf. but back to Anthony. i never heard a clarinet sound like Anthony made that one sound today. rest assured i'll be looking for more work by him.

Gabriella Montero was more in a support role today, backing this beautiful piece. i'm sure she's quite gifted, as well. i'll look for her, too.

it was a moving day today. the power of the written and spoken word held us captivated for much of it. and while Aretha Franklin should have her own piece written for her work on My Country 'Tis of Thee, i was once again struck by the strength of notes on paper, played by fingers destined for greatness. it does, in fact, drive home a point about Barack Obama and leadership. his faith is dismantled and debated by tens of thousands who doubt a man can bring about good without the words they would hear from the preacher of their choice. but just like the rain, and musical talents, leadership falls on the just and unjust. and if he will lead "justly", then at worst he counters the "just" who lead badly.

(sorry for the brief exit from the artistic bent of this blog) :-)

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nate-dining out/in

>> Friday, January 2, 2009

so...on the demerits of a much better, but bum ankle, and the weariness of the past 4 months of work, conference prep, family matters, holidays, and the actual conference, i decided to stay in on New Year's Eve. there were multiple great parties to choose from, and friends in from out of town that i missed seeing, but after another long night of sleep last night, my body, mind, and soul are grateful for the rest and relaxation.

i had a kitchen full of macaroni and cheese, soup, and other tidbits, but i thought i might treat myself to a nice dinner ordered in. i went to delivery.com, which is where i usually go for chinese food when i do order out. while perusing who might actually be delivering on NYE, i found La Gondola restaurant. i ride the bus past this place all the time...it's pretty unassuming. i mean, it looks like a place i'd like, but i didn't expect a culinary delight to come out of it.

here's what i ordered.

Calamari Ripieni Alla Griglia

whole calamari stuffed with our own italian breading, olive oil, chopped garlic ,butter mixture and baked to perfection, served with sautéed broccoli.

this was one of the more delicious seafood dinners i've ever had. the calamari was tender, with no rubbery feeling when cutting or chewing. the breading was almost like a stuffing or dressing you might find with turkey, but light and fluffy. and there was so much calamari in the dinner it could easily have been dinner for two. i ate half for my dinner, and the rest for lunch the next day.

i did a little research on this restaurant and found it to be the best rated italian restaurant in the city...better than Italian Village, Rosebud, and the rest of the Little Italy authentic places. i have no experience with their pasta, but this meal was excellent...one of those meals where one pauses after the first bite, and then slowly savors each following bite.

the meal was $15 but it was easily as much calamari as 2-3 calamari appetizers in any other restaurant, so the value was quite good.
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i can't speak to the ambiance of the actual restaurant, although it looks nice from the outside. however, if the food is any indication, i'd have to recommend La Gondola as an wonderful option for a date night, or celebration dinner, or even a night out with friends.

La Gondola is at 2914 N Ashland, between Diversey and Belmont, on the west side of the street in the Jewel shopping center strip mall. give it a shot...see what you think.

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