By: Tommy Hawkins.          Poster by: Tim Townsley .

Growing up in Chicago my mom always taught me to have an open minded appreciation for all kinds of music – from Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians to Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.  She even bought me a used trumpet and enrolled me in the Carver Elementary School band.  My uncle, trumpeter Ulysses “Jeep” Smith led a dance band in Los Angeles and was head of the music department at Centennial High School. My estranged father, with his trusty bow, played the saw: I said the saw!

According to family lore, when I first started to walk, I’d pull myself up and try to reach the arm of our record player and put it on a record.  Yes, Virginia, I know I am dating myself, but what you see is what you get.

When I was 12 years old, I was a “Doo Whopper.”  I loved Rhythm and Blues and surrounded myself with the music of the vocal groups of the day: The Drifters, the Moonglows, the Dells, the Five Satins, the Del Vikings, the Crests, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.  I was engulfed in a world of harmony and dance.  My older brother, Clarence, told me that listening to that ‘syrupy stuff’ would eventually rot my teeth.  He strongly suggested that I start getting into Jazz: ‘put some Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Bud Powell and Dizzy Gillespie on the turntable and listen to some real music.’  From that day on I have been a Jazz devotee, tracing its roots back to Africa and those who participated in Kufumbanian chants to the avant-garde of today.  While keeping my eclectic appreciation of all music, I delve into Jazz on a daily basis, careful to give the proper respect to every phase of its growth and development.  Jazz is a true American art form with deep cultural and dynamic meaning.  It is a vital part of our Nation’s history and should never be locked away in some ancillary vault.

In my first published book, Life’s Reflections, Poetry for the People, I included two narratives on Jazz: “Now you Has Jazz” and “I Dig Jazz,” the latter I’d like to share with you:

I Dig Jazz

Perhaps you think me esoteric

or some “too hip” music cleric.

I’m not an avant-garde barbaric

but play me please those notes generic.

Now folks, before I’m mis-construed,

I’m not a far out bebop dude,

nor a narrow-minded prude,

jazz is my life-long interlude.

Jazz has the sounds of my soul’s essence,

which I feel is the quintessence,

with a sparkling effervescence,

I demand its constant presence.

So cast away your consternation

and process this information.

It’s a simple realization,

I need free form syncopation.

During my hectic life as a professional basketball player, television and radio broadcaster, and Vice President of Communications for the Los Angeles Dodgers, I have traveled millions of miles and have hung out with some great Jazz musicians.  The honor roll includes Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Art Blakey, Rashan Roland Kirk, Shorty Rogers, Duke Ellington, Horace Silver, Gabor Zabo, Les McCann, Shelley Manne, Oscar Brown, Jr., Carmen McRae and Herbie Hancock.  Jazz Program Director and stellar guitarist Kenny Burrell, who in April will celebrate his 35^th year at UCLA where he has taught a probing course on the life and music of Duke Ellington (Ellingtonia), is a treasured friend and confident.

My plea to you is to respect, revere and perpetuate Jazz by giving it a deserving place of honor in the annals of American history.  Don’t ignore it and don’t put it on the back-burner.

As an art form, the essence of Jazz is freedom of expression.  Its life line is improvisation.  It thrives in a world of open creativity.  Its history is vast and all encompassing.  Please don’t bury the men and women who have written, performed, and developed this mountain of music and just casually refer to them in a distant commemorative way. Always celebrate Jazz.  Jazz expression is at the core of what this Nation is all about.

So, as you sit back and gulp down your hamburgers and fries, give a listen to a bit of Monk, Diz and Bird.  Now’s the Time!

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Accept it

Reject it

Inspect or

Select

Other options

You’re not gonna

Change it

Arrange it or

Stay unaffected

For long

The changes may strain

Yet the pain that remains

Seems so strangely familiar

No other conclusion

Contains it

IT IS WHAT IT IS

How could it be otherwise

IT IS WHAT IT IS

I just have to realize

Resistance is

Such a pain

Relax your brain

And remain

Unchained

Believe it

Leave it 

Receive it or

Weave what you need to

You can try to 

Express it

Caress it but

Guess what

It leads til it 

Frees you

The choices are void

If employed

With the

Moistness

Of unvoiced

Emotions

No matter the noise

Or intensity

IT IS WHAT IT IS

How could it be otherwise

IT IS WHAT IT IS

I just have to realize

When existence

Becomes a pain

Relax your brain

And remain

Unchained.

Stop fighting

Against the flow

All your pushing

Won’t get you through

If the sign on the door reads

Pull

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Indie folk pop-rock artist Natalie Gelman performed  at Malibu Wines May 12th.

She performed her songs off new EP Streetlamp Musician.

Natalie Gelman is currently touring the west coast in support of her new sophomore EP Streetlamp Musician, which is set to release on May 14, 2013.  Natalie has toured in over two-thirds of the US and has been featured in major publications including The New York Times, New York Post, and Billboard Magazine.  Her vocal prowess has been compared to the likes of Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow and Jewel.

More about Natalie:
Raised in the West Village in New York City, Natalie borrowed a friend’s guitar at the age of 16 and began writing songs immediately.  She cut her teeth as a performer busking on the streets and subway platforms in Times Square after music venues turned her down for being under-aged.  Natalie wrote the title track for her new album about street performing and watching New York City change over time.

Often compared to Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Joni Mitchell, Natalie describes her music as a mix of folk/pop/rock with what she calls a “silver lining.”  She says, “There are a lot of heavy topics covered in my songs but always a bit of hope and vulnerable/childlike dreaming for some ideal.”

Natalie continues to play in major US cities, including LA (House of Blues and Hotel Café); Jacksonville, FL (Jacksonville Landing); Nashville (3rd and Lindsley), Philadelphia (Tin Angel) and New York City (Webster Hall, The Bitter End, and The Living Room).  She has also performed at a number of festivals including the Virgin Mobile Freefest, Comic Con, and the Sundance Film Festival.

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Mutter, das “Cupcake”

By JC

Mother’s day is around the corner, since 2006 I’ve stopped acknowledging this celebration.  I lost my Mother to ovarian cancer that year. Mother’s Day to me has been a reminder of her pain & my loss. On Mother’s day as a silent protest against the universe, I stay home.  I decline my boyfriends’ invitation to celebrate with his Mother.  I curl up on the couch with my favorite blanket accompanied by my dogs.

On this day I had made plans to do breakfast with a friend in Hollywood.  We agreed to try a new place, Kitchen24. I walked in and immediately I felt at home.  I loved the spacious 1950 style, the comfy booth I was sat in, I loved the bar, and the mirrors placed all along the wall added to its overall appeal.

After a careful look at the menu, my friend ordered the Wakey Wakey Eggs & Bakey Breakfast.  I of course chose to make my own; egg whites with mushrooms and spinach.  To drink I ordered fresh squeezed orange juice.  While waiting for breakfast, the dessert menu kept grabbing my attention.  I noticed they had cupcakes made fresh daily. My friend and I agreed after breakfast to maybe entertaining a dessert option.

Breakfast was delish, portions were large and beyond sufficient.  Done. I put my sunglasses on. I sat there with my Hollywood attitude, impatient, waiting for the check.  I didn’t understand why I kept gravitating to the dessert menu so I gave in and grabbed it for careful consideration.

“Das Cupcake”, stood out.  The waiter informed us we had to wait five minutes since the cupcakes had just come out of the oven and they needed to cool down. “Fresh out of the oven, sold!” I thought. Since we were both on a diet, we ordered one to share.

Anticipating dessert, I split it right down the middle. A half for me and the other for my friend.  I took my first bite into the most amazing cupcake I have ever had.  While my pallet marveled my mind agreed, “of course, it’s German cake.  I love German cake.”  I had another bite, and another, “yummy, the chocolate flavor, the coconut frosting”.  Finally the last wonderful morsel, I couldn’t get enough, “heavenly chocolate clouds of soft delicate flavor”.  Almost frantic I bit down on a last single pecan that adorned the cupcake; I was instantly reminded of meine Mutter (my Mother).  This cupcake had her spirit, her heavenly complexion, her soft delicate nature and her honest and giving attitude.

I was transported to a time when I was 9, my mother took my two sisters and I to this café, spacious, mirrors on the wall, we sat on a booth where we shared the biggest chocolate German cake three little girls had ever seen. This was a good memory, of a happy time. My mother was young and healthy and we were happy.

I now remember we would continue with this tradition from time to time.  Sometimes she would bring home German cake, I loved when she would take us to this café.  I love German cake. I loved it I thought because it was sweet.  But now years later I realized that I loved this German cake not only because a child loves sugary sweets but also because that was how my Mother expressed her love, with food. So many years of anger, so may years I didn’t think she understood me or thought she loved me. With this epiphany I felt like the most loved person in the entire universe. I never went hungry. My mother cooked for me everyday, fresh healthy delicious food. How I miss my mother, how I miss her cooking and her being.

As I write this story I cannot help but become overwhelm with emotion and today I remember, not the pain, not the hurt, not the loss, but I remember her love, I remember the joy.  Though she may not have said the words “I love you” before she left, the universe reminded me she loved me everyday in her own way. And in a way she told me she loved me this day with Das Cupcake. And I just want to say I love you too Mom!

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What draws people here, and what keeps them for years or even generations to come?  Not easy questions, and the answers are as varied and complex as the local residents themselves.

For some it’s the beaches – the beauty of the ocean, breaking waves, beautiful beaches and a front row seat to some of nature’s most incredible beauty.  While for others, it’s the mountains – with abundant scenic vistas, quiet secluded canyons, hiking, biking, horse trails and more.

And for some, it’s a sense of tight knit community, excellent public schools for the kids, or simply a much needed escape from the hustle and bustle of big City life.

But, no matter the reason, once you are here you can’t help but feel a good energy.  It washes over you like a breath of fresh air…. a deep, cleansing breath like in Meditation or Yoga.

Malibu, and its open spaces and natural beauty will enchant you, as much, if not more, than its million dollar mansions and celebrity citizens.  And that enchantment is what keeps us here…enjoying the lifestyle and fighting for its unique character.

Each day in the “Bu” offers up an exciting array of things to do…. like surf a great wave, paddle board across smooth seas, walk a secluded beach, horseback ride a coastal canyon, hike, mountain bike ride or just relax in a coffee shop or great restaurant.  The choices are endless.

Plus, the town is laid back, friendly and safe, with few if any of the hassles routinely experienced in the City with parking, traffic, crime, etc.  Don’t get me wrong, Malibu is not perfect but it’s a far cry from life most anywhere else in LA or for that matter the world.

It’s no wonder so many creative, intelligent, successful and athletic people live here.   It’s an eclectic group, mixing in a town that seems to hold something special for nearly everyone who lives here.

Those fortunate enough to call Malibu home are truly blessed to live in the lap of luxury and in a place of abundant natural beauty.

Whether one chooses to live in one of Malibu’s incredible mansions or in a more modest family home or condo, at the end of the day we all share the same glorious sunsets and can reflect upon how truly lucky we are to be here!

Mark Gruskin

Mark is a local realtor, attorney and Malibu resident and can reached at  310.317.8202 or at mark@malibumark.com

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Garden Tour

Saturday, May 18^th

10:30 am – 3:00 pm

The Malibu Garden Club is pleased to announce its 14^th Annual Garden Tour.  Enjoy the day touring multiple gardens around Malibu…. Sample foods… listen to music… browse through plant sales…. Learn about gardening techniques and plants…

Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door.  Advanced tickets may be purchased two ways:

Purchase Online:  www.malibugardenclub.org

Pay by Mail:     “Malibu Garden Club”, PO Box 4171, Malibu CA  90264

This is a self-driven tour.

Tickets, sign-in and maps will be provided on the morning of the tour from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at:

Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School

6955 Fernhill Drive, Malibu

Advertising opportunities:  we have great an incredible opportunity to advertise in our garden tour booklet.  This booklet is delivered to a large group of people with a wide range of interests.  To learn more and participate visit:   http://www.malibugardenclub.org/advertising.php

About the Malibu Garden Club:

We are a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation.  We were formed on August 25, 1959.  Our mission is to aid in the beautification of Malibu and surrounding areas, promote civic development and improvement, present scholarships to deserving students of horticulture, landscape architecture or related fields along with creating and promoting goodwill and friendship among local residents.

 We would love to have you join our group!  For more information visit our website www.malibugardenclub.org/membership.php

Please do not post comments with web links, it will go to spam.

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The MAHAJAN Designs featured in the fashion show on April 21st, 2013, was fabulous from beginning to end.  The pageant’s contestants where beautiful and talented.  Veera Mahajan walked on stage with her current title of Mrs. Asia California wearing a magnificent dress designed by her son Rahul Mahajan.

By popular vote the best designer was Rahul Mahajan showcasing his Spring Rosebud Collection.  The dresses fit magnificently on the models as they walked down the runway.  I fell in love instantly, I wanted to wear all the dresses, specially the silk white rose bud dress.  Clearly designer Rahul Mahajan is in touch with what makes a women feel and look feminine.

Designer Mahajan won over the room with his collection.  I spoke with him after the show and he mention he is currently finishing a ready to wear line.  I am now a fan of this talented and young designer.

http://themahajans.com/

For more pictures of the event please check facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therahulmahajan?fref=ts

Note: Comments with web links may not be posted.

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“FOCUS Is The KEY-word”

 By HERMINE HILTON

‘AMERICA’S MEMORY MOTIVATOR’

“What is the problem with my memory?”

That’s a question I am always asked. And the answer, (about 95% of the time) is “the biggest problem anyone can have with their memory is thinking they have a problem.”

And why do they think that?

Because they expected their memories to run without first putting the key in the ignition. And the ‘key’ is FOCUS.

That key word FOCUS is your memory’s best friend.

And speaking of keys, did you ever forget where you put yours…or forget where you parked your car…or forget what you came to the garage for…or forget why your head’s in the refrigerator?

Well, you’ll be happy to know you didn’t forget- you just never ‘got’ in the first place. That’s because you didn’t start up your mental motor by putting the key in the ignition. In other words you didn’t focus on that which you’d now like to recall. And without having first focused, you can’t get your memory in drive.

In order to surely recall something you first have to focus your attention on that info you’d care to collect. Then you have to follow through by knowing what to do with what you paid your attention to.

Not knowing what to do with what you paid your attention to is like having a gorgeous Mercedes, with a master motor, and a tank full of high octane gas all ready to go, but you don’t know how to drive. Even with a golden key in your hand, how far would you get?

And your memory is like the Mercedes. It can run just as smoothly but won’t go anywhere if you don’t know how to drive it.

And that takes FOCUS.

And What, exactly, Constitutes FOCUS?

I’m so glad you asked.

To focus entails knowing what you care to remember and giving it your attention. It’s like hitting the SAVE key on your mental computer. It involves observing the info both visually and auditorily and thereby collecting it. As an example:

You could have been sitting in someone’s living room all day long and not remember what color the carpet was if you never focused on it.

I often use the lesson of the Lincoln Penny (See last month’s ‘About Your Memory’ column “Getting Brain Friendly With Your Memory”) You’ve seen one a zillion times but probably wouldn’t know, if I asked you, which profile of Lincoln was showing. That’s because you never paid attention to the fact it was his ‘right’ profile.

The next step in focusing, after paying attention, is knowing how to connect the new info you just paid attention to, to known info, in order to save it for later recall.

You can do this with Facts, Figures, Names, and Faces, by asking yourself  “What does that make me think of?”. That’s the best way to connect the ‘new’ to the ‘known’. In the case of Lincoln’s ‘right’ profile, just connect with the fact you already knew that Lincoln did ‘right’ by the people.

In the case of the carpet (make it green), think of it as grass. And in case you want to remember the name of the hostess- (make it Mary Taylor)- if you ask yourself “What does that make me think of?”, you might come up with ‘she’s merry and sews a lot.’(Taylor becomes ‘tailor’… get it?)

That’s focusing!

It’s all in paying attention by observing and listening, and then saving the info by collecting and connecting.

Comprehension Is A Must

When you are focusing on facts be sure you understand cognitively what those facts mean before you commit them to memory. Filling your memory bank with information, which is meaningless to you, is a waste of effort.

It’s like children mindlessly repeating “The Pledge of Allegiance” by rote (mechanical repetition with no intelligence involved) and not having any idea of its meaning. What’s the good in that? (That occurrence bothers me so much I wrote a book about it- “Do You Know Richard Stans?”)

Just Remember To Focus

It’s the Key to your memory and it’s your memory’s best friend.

F- Focus…Pay attention, know what you want to remember and collect it.

O- Observe…Look and listen, see and hear the details both visually and auditorily.

C- Connect…Make a mental connection from the new collected info to your known info.

U- Understand…Be cognitive of the meaning of that which you are collecting.

S- Save… Lock it in by reviewing your connection.

Now… Put your key in the ignition-give it a quick twist-and GO!

HH

The Lady On The Mountain

www.hiltonmemory.com

[Hermine Hilton, one of America’s most popular speakers, is the author of several books on memory including “ The Executive Memory Guide” (Simon&Schuster), “50 Ways To A Better Memory”, and her latest book titled “Fuhhgeddaboutit!” (How To Stop Worrying About Your Memory). You may have heard her on Radio or seen her on Television with David Letterman; Charlie Rose; Matt Lauer; Bryant Gumbel or a host of others. She is the creator of Sonik Memory and the memory motivator for the Fortune 500 companies from Nordstrom to NASA, and is known internationally from the Netherlands to Nigeria, Turkey to Thailand, Italy to Israel, and almost all other points on the planet. (She is also known as ‘The Lady On The Mountain’ to those of you in Malibu who drive Corral Canyon.)]

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Spring Giveaway with the Malibu Chronicle.  Register today for the chance to win one of these great “Spring Must Have’s”.  The Malibu Chronicle is happy  to have teamed up with Itsaglamthing.com to offer you this opportunity to win some of the hottest products out there on the market, and all it takes is for you to register with your email, phone and first and last name. The 6 winners will be selected before our next issue comes out in the Summer and the product will be mailed to them.

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