Laura from Somewhere in NJ wrote a post called Kitchen Dancing that got me thinking about the music I grew up listening to. My parents always had a stereo/hi-fi and there was always a stack of records playing. Louis Armstrong was a particular favorite of my Dad. I happened across this CD- "The Essential Louis Armstrong" at Costco last week and grabbed it. I've been playing it almost non-stop in my free time ever since. Music is such a strong memory trigger for me. One track in the CD, "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" takes me back to a sunny afternoon with my Dad sitting in a swivel rocker listening to this same song. I can see his fingers folded across his chest, his head back and eyes closed, swinging that chair back and forth, all the while tapping his toes to the jazzy rhythm, a sweet smile on his face. My Mom still has a vast CD collection of music that she and Dad loved listening to together. I plan to dip in to her music library and copy some of it onto my iPod. I think I'll share some of the gems that I find and maybe some of the memories that are connected to them.
18 comments:
Lynne,
Where are you in northern Minnesota and where did you find a Costco? Like your blog.
Cindy
in southern Minnesota
Cindy-
I live in New Hope, a Twin Cities suburb. Hasty Brook is our land up north about 40 miles SW of Duluth. We call it Hasty Brook because Hasty Brook runs through it. I shop the Costco in Maple Grove here in the Cities. Thanks for visiting!
Lynne - This is so cool how music triggers memories in your brain for you about your Dad. They do the same for me. Certain songs take me right back to the place in my memory - way back to when I first remember listening to music. I hope you continue to enjoy the music!
So you're in New Hope? I grew up in Robbinsdale, and graduated from Cooper in '85! Small world.
I like Louis Armstrong. I don't remember my parents listening to music much, so me and my brother kind of dictated what was played on the stereo. We wore out the LP of Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits.
Pam- It really is amazing how memories are triggered by our senses.
Deb- Small world is right! I grew up in Crystal until 4th grade when we moved to New Brighton. My husband Art and I actually grew up a block apart. We met on a blind date when we were 32, go married and bought a house about a mile from where we started! He and his siblings all went to Cooper.
I was just listening to Louis last night. I'm in to a lot of the music of the past.-I also read his autobiography a few years back.-I like some of his laid back songs like -Sleepy Time Down South-It makes you feel like your sitting out in the backyard sipping lemonade (or whatever) on a warm, sunny day. I also like some of his trumpet solos-like the short one he does on-"A kiss to build a dream on".-good stuff!
OH, Lynne. I know what you mean about the "music and memories". My daughter is only 24 and loves Louis' "It's a Wonderful World". What a soulful man with great melody, he was.
There are so many songs that evoke the fondest memories for me when my parents were younger.
Enjoy loading that iPod and drift back...
Music and memories - yours sounds like a nice one, Lynne!
I don't know that my parents liked him, although my dad did play the trumpet. Will have to try and remember more on that.
;-)
Larry- You're right. Louis Armstrong is good stuff!
Mary- I have been enjoying the iPod! I like to put it on shuffle and let it go!
Laura- Memories can be so vivid. When I flashed back on this one of my Dad, I could recall the smell of his shirt too.
What a sweet, sweet memory Lynne!
Jayne- I really miss him.
That you can recall the smell of his shirt is something I understand. I still remember the smell of the inside of Dad's car when he took me to the store with him... This was truly a bittersweet post. Meeting you will be wonderful.
Cool! Memory music is so wonderful and powerful!
liza lee- very powerful!
Lynne- have you heard about Mike Hendrickson's Duluth Harbor birding trips? Here's his link: I am thinking about the May 19th trip. Aww, I just want to go out on a boat in that area and see it all from the water! Anyway, it would be really fun if you could be there!
It looks like the link didn't work. :( email me if you're interested!
Lynne,
With you being in New Hope and me being in Crystal, we're really close to Uptown. We need to conspire to kidnap Birdchick and hit the parks once the weather warms up!
~Other Sharon a.k.a. HellZiggy
hellziggy- I'm game!
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