All God's Creatures Great & Small

 

Photo by Paul Everett Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Wow! New year, new season, new vibe! It's been about four months since I last posted. Cincinnati weather is very bipolar this time of year, but thankfully, yesterday was in the low 50s and mostly cloudy, and I had been staying home for most weekends as of late, so I had to make myself get out of the house at least one day this weekend. 

I have been walking better since my knee injury in 2020, and I need to do more walking on weekends. I could not think of a better way to spend the afternoon than visiting the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

The second oldest zoo in the United States, the zoo was founded in 1873 and officially opened in 1875 and houses about 500 animals & about 3,000 plant species.

For about three years, USA Today has ranked the zoo the top zoo in the country. 

The entrance alone was all welcoming with flora and fauna from around the world, and the zoo itself was decorated with a plethora of flora & fauna. With all the grayness & negativity we all have had in the past two years, this was a more than welcome sight. 

Now, to the animals! I immediately made a B Line to Cat Canyon

The undisputed champion of the animal kingdom, the cheetah

Snow leopard

Now, my pick of the zoo....

Green-leaf cockroach-who said that all roaches had to be brown & ugly?

Domino roach

Peppered roach

Despite popular belief, of the 4,000 breeds of cockroaches in the world, only 20 are considered human pests.
                                               
Boss..

Antilles Treespider

My weight in insects-not telling ya how much I weigh IRL :)

Big Boss...

Brazilian White Knee Tarantula

Thorny Devil

A pint-sized predator...

Fire bellied newt

Emerald Beetle-Take me to China already!

Next, it was off to the Reptile House, the boldest zoo building in the United States!

Quince Monitor

Emerald Tree Boa

There's a very special surprise coming, but first, the rich African American history with this zoo.

In 1920, the Cincinnati Zoo unveiled a groundbreaking new attraction.  Along with the Zoo's many animal species, it also featured human species, one that can truly sing: the Cincinnati Zoo Opera was born. Among the many performers who performed there was American operatic soprano Martina Arroyo.

Born to a Puerto Rican father and an African American mother, Arroyo made here Cincinnati debut on June 24 & 27 1964 at the Zoo as Aida, becoming the first African American, and perhaps, the first Latine, to sing a major role with the Cincinnati Opera.

Arroyo recalled, in an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, as she sang, a hyena laughed at the end of her Aria!

Now, back to the critters....

                                                   

  

More flora & fauna...

There are also a plethora of eateries to choose from, but I stuck to a Cincinnati classic...

                                          

Zoo shop

                                        

Of course, I had to add something to my wardrobe...

The awesome thing about this is purchases made at the shop goes right back to the Zoo.

                                     

Now, I wouldn't dare finish this post without a little something special...

                                   

The Royal Family, Tucker, Bibi, & Fiona!

                                                   

                                       

     

        

The princess herself, Fiona!

It's been decades since I have been to the Zoo. Things have really evolved, especially in the past two years. With all that's been happening, it's refreshing to take time out to appreciate God's amazing creatures! 

This has really put into perspective for me personally and for us as humans. If we don't learn anything else, we can learn from the animals the power of unconditional love. It's what we have to have now.

Sources:

Sampson, Carol & Tjepkema, Thea "The Presence of Latine and Hispanic Performers on the Cincinnati Music Hall Stage". the Friends of Music Hall, 17 Sept 2021

"The Zoo Opera Days". The Cincinnati Opera 9 April 2021

                                                  

Happy Holidays with the Mighty Wurlitzer

 

This season has been like no other. We're still in a pandemic, but slowly and surely, we are getting back to normal. For the most part, arts organizations have welcome back live audiences in near to full capacity, and the sounds and action of the holidays have come back to life.

This past Friday, I personally kicked off the holiday season by enjoying the annual Happy Holidays with the Mighty Wurlitzer concert at the Music Hall ballroom.

Before performances kicked off, I enjoyed a VIP experience with a small reception that featured an awesome appetizer spread from The Rhined (gotta go to this place in person as part of my unofficial "Un-Bucket List").

Performances kicked off with the featured organist of the night, Jelani Eddington, with "Winter Wonderland" One of the most sought after performers in the concert organ circuit, he won the American Theatre organ Society's Young Theatre Organist Competition and remains the youngest competitor ever to win that title.

During another performance, he synched the Steinway piano to play with the Wurlitzer. So revolutionary and mesmerizing!

Next, he gave a stirring rendition of "Thank You Very Much" from the musical "Scrooge"

Another great highlight was the Cincinnati Ballet Otto M Budig Academy Dancers' performance of Duke Ellington's jazz version of the Nutcracker. P.S. & BTW, Ellington made his Music Hall debut in the Greystone Ballroom in Music Hall on  Sept 9, 1931 with vocalist Ivie (Ivy) Anderson.

Husband and wife soloists Victor Okafor & Avery Bargasse gave stunning performances. Among the performances, Okafor gave her rendition of Bing Crosby's "Count Your Blessings" from the movie "White Christmas"

For me, the most exciting part of the night was that for the first time ever, Kenny Smith's Peace and Serenity Choir performed in the program, the first ever gospel performance with the Mighty Wurlitzer in the ballroom. The choir gave a shaking and stirring performance of "Go Tell it on the Mountain" & the finale, "Joy to the World" in true Kenny Smith style. Another tidbit: Smith graduated from the University of Cincinnati's College of Music, which was the site next door to Music Hall. The building then housed a Pipe Fitter's Union.

Another exciting portion of the the program was the unveiling of Annie Ruth's "Sisters of Legacy" artwork, showcasing some the the early African American female performers at Music Hall, such as Mamie Smith, Marian Anderson, & Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She also had scarves for sale, which I purchased at the August Classical Roots 20th Anniversary Concert, also held at Music Hall. These scarves add a classic and global pop of color to virtually any timeless wardrobe, so if any thing, purchase one or two.

That night, I left and went home with a new song and a new fervor for this holiday season and beyond. Music Hall has come a long way since its founding in 1878 by Reuben Springer. If you missed this concert this year, add it to your to do Christmas list for next year! This really adds spice, happiness, and well deserved relief to the busy season!

Let's Talk Kindred Souls

 

Halloween! All Souls' Weekend! Some look at it as a pagan holiday, while others let loose, break out whatever pop culture costume the can don, and wreck havoc in the 'hood, all for just a night full of sugar rushes. 

Yesterday was drizzling and overcast, which was the perfect setting for a field trip, along with my fellow Friends of Music Hall board members & volunteers, to the Union Baptist Cemetery. All the Halloween fun without the quintessential craziness that comes along with it.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, it is the second oldest African-American Baptist cemetery in Cincinnati, founded in 1864 by members of the Union Baptist Church.

Led by architect and historian Chris Hanlin, the tour of the cemetery integrated stories of our African American history as many civil rights leaders, ministers educators, athletes, musicians, and others are interred here.

Here are snapshots for you to either get spooked or enjoy! Happy All Souls' Weekend!

This building once housed a receiving vault. In the winter months, remains were housed in the vault until the spring thaw where they were ultimately transferred to regular plots.

Wallace "Bud" Smith. World Lightweight Boxing Champion who competed in the 1948 London Olympics. In November of that year, he turned pro with a first round knockout of Torpedo Tinsley at Cincinnati Music Hall.

Norval C. Vaughan. Invented personal armor to be worn under clothing. Also the first African American doctor to treat a patient at City Hospital (now UC Medical Center)

Beaty family plot. Powhatan Beaty, who fought in the Black Brigade, his wife, and son, A. Lee Beaty, district attorney of Southwest Ohio.

Myron "Tiny" Bradshaw. Jazz musician and composer.

Mushrooms

Dr. Darwin Turner. At age 16, he was the youngest person to receive a degree at the University of Cincinnati.

Porter family plot. Jennie D. Porter was the first African American woman to serve as a public school principal. Hays-Porter School, located in the West End, is named after her.,

Mother Magnolia Wyatt. First woman to be ordained in Georgia. She came to Cincinnati to serve as pastor of the Church of the Living God.

Wilbur Allen Page, WWI veteran and pastor of Union Baptist Church, 1919-1985. Around the corner from the church is Page Tower, senior building named after the pastor.

Charles E Hunt. Civil rights activist and Pullman Porter instructor

More mushrooms

Fountain Lewis. Barber to the elite. HIs clients included Kentucky Senator Henry Clay and Richard Mentor Johnson, U.S. Vice President under Martin van Buren. Lewis was also a major contributor to the construction of Music Hall and was on the board of trustees at Union Baptist Church. Read more about Lewis in this blog.

Classical Roots 20th Anniversary

This has been an action packed season for me. Not that I'm complaining, but I have been working on exciting personal and board projects for Music Hall-that's right, I am now a board member of the Friends of Music Hall! 

In the past year, Music Hall has suffered some trials and tribulations as with any arts organization. Reduced capacity with both attendees and orchestra members have forced us all to get creative. We satisfied our appetites with live stream and limited capacity in person performances at Music Hall.

I was feeling under the weather for much of this past week, but finally, I mustered up the strength to attend the Classical Roots 20th Anniversary Concert at Music Hall yesterday for the first time in over a year, and my second Classical Roots performance in twenty years!

Classical Roots was founded in 2001 at a time of civil and racial unrest. John Morris Russell, CSO Associate Conductor at the time and CSO staff members Kathy Jorgensen-Finley to put on the very first Classical Roots Spiritual Heights Concert at Lincoln Height Baptist Church in the neighborhood of Lincoln Heights (There is a cool connect between this community and one of the songs performed in the concert that I will mention later).

Classical Roots is a melting pot of rhythms, incorporating classical, spiritual, gospel, funk, R&B, and soul in each performance.

What sets this tradition apart from other symphony performances that it takes the symphony to various African-American churches throughout Cincinnati for all to worship and enjoy! 

Typically, the Classical Roots Community Mass Choir features 150 choir members, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, only the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pianist Michelle Cann, Classical Roots Community Mass Choir members Robert Lomax, Ciara Harper, Noel Walton, Kimberly Stewart, and Tia Toles, and narrator William Henry Caldwell, resident conductor of the Classical Roots Community Mass Choir, performed for the ninety minute presentation, which for me, was special.

The afternoon kicked off of the National Negro Anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing" with the audience. Next, the Symphony Orchestra really got things started with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Danse negre, Op. 35 No. 4

Next, members of the Nouveau Program took us back to our childhood with "Kumbaya".

One highlight of this performance is Harper's delivery of Mamie Smith's "Crazy Blues" Born just  blocks south of  Music Hall on Perry Street, Smith, the "Queen of the Blues" was the first Black female artist to do an authentic blues recording with "Crazy Blues" and made her Music Hall debut on April 14, 1921.

Fast forward to the second half of the presentation, John Morris Russell and the Symphony Orchestra kicked it up three notches with "It's Your Thing" by none other than Cincinnati's own the Isley Brother's-that's right, The Isley Brothers grew up here in Cincinnati in the suburb of Lincoln Heights! 

The tune that really resounded with me was Duke Ellington's "Caravan". On September 9,1931, Ellington and his orchestra, along with Ivie Anderson, debuted at the Greystone Ballroom at Music Hall. P.S. and BTW, "El Rey de Timbal", Tito Puente would record a version of this tune.

The only non musician represented in Sunday's performance was World Heavyweight Champion, "The Cincinnati Cobra" Ezzard Charles with the Theme from Rocky ("Gonna Fly Now") with members of the Cincinnati Youth Boxing Program front and center. This is so special as this past July marked the 100th anniversary of Charles' birth-learn more about Charles here!

Finally, JMR showed his love for the Godfather of Soul James Brown with I Got You (I Feel Good) in a style only JMR can pull off! Sound familiar? This tune was also featured in American Originals: The Cincinnati Sound, concert series previously presented at Music Hall.

This performance has really made my weekend, and now, I feel more empowered to take on the week! This was the perfect blend of tradition and innovation that can never be topped!

Happy Birthday, Cincy Cobra!

Happy Hump Day! Wednesday is a day that some of us dread, but others look at it as being the halfway mark to the weekend. Either way, it's a day that doesn't get a lot of love, but today is no ordinary Wednesday. We're going to show our love and pay homage to a Cincinnati icon and favorite son--it's the 100th birthday of the Ezzard "The Cincinnati Cobra" Charles! 

Ezzard Mack Charles was born July 7, 1921 in a three room house on 109 Church Street in Lawrenceville, Georgia. As an eight year old, he was known as "Snooky" Charles. A very interesting experience occurred to him when he went after Billy Montgomery, who was white and six year old son of Lawrenceville Mayor Grover Montgomery. No one knows exactly who won that first fight, but the people in the northern Georgia town did remember "Snooky" as the best fighter in that town as well as an equally good sandlot football player. At the time, Mayor Montgomery convinced his son that he should challenge someone his own age & size, as Charles was larger than Billy. Billy told his dad "I wouldn't hurt him, Daddy". The two boys would fight regularly over the next couple of years, and with other boys and in 1931, Charles' parents Alberta Johnson Charles and William Charles and his grandmother moved to the  Queen City in the West End neighborhood.. A few years later, Charles' great-grandmother, 90 year old former slave Bell Russell, joined them (Cincinnati Enquirer, 6-26-49).

He graduated Woodward High School, where Ted Berry, Cincinnati's first African American mayor, also graduated. Berry would become Charles' manager and legal guardian while Charles was still in high school.

On June 5, 1940, Charles had one of his first major face off against Akron, Ohio native Frankie Williams and knocked him out in seven of the scheduled eight rounds. Charles was paid $25 for that match.

Charles was the world heavyweight champion from 1949-1951, winning 95 bouts, losing 25, and one draw. In 1939, he was named National Golden Glove Champion in 160 weight class (List of US National Golden Gloves Champions | List National Golden Gloves Champions (liquisearch.com).

Financial difficulty meant that Charles felt that he had to continue boxing for much longer than what would be recommended these days, and as a result, he lost 13 of his final 23 bouts. During his career, Charles had a strong taste for expensive clothing, and he even wanted a new car every year, which made it difficult for him to hold on to his assets.

The final five years of his life, with the exception of hospital visits from his wife and three children, was spent isolated at a Chicago hospital due to Lou Gehrig's disease. His best friend and assistant, Robert Christmas, hid behind another friend and snuck in to the hospital while a nurse was wheeling Charles down the hall. Though he was incapacitated, Charles wanted to be informed about his friends.

Christmas would recall that Charles would fight Joe Lewis to defend his friend's honor. Charles met Louis while he was in the army. "Ezz knew that he could beat Louis then, but he always avoided him  because of the admiration he had" (Cincinnati Enquirer, May 29, 1975).

Sadly, Charles passed away from the disease on May 28, 1975 in Chicago and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. The following year, Lincoln Park Drive was renamed Ezzard Charles Drive.

As of May this year, BoxRec ranks Charles as the second greatest boxer of all time, behind Floyd Mayweather. 

Now, for sites significant to Charles:

Ezzard Charles Drive. Faintly in the background is Union Terminal, 

West facade of Music Hsll, where Charles fought over 20 bouts in Music Hall Sports Arena.

The future home of Alcove. Charles trained & fought here. A photo and punching bag remain.

The Emanuel Center, where Charles trained and boxed.

Artworks mural

Laurel Park, the future site of the world's first interactive sculpture of Charles.

Charles was both a fighter and a giver. A nursery center in Chicago was named in his honor as he was looked upon as a role model and mentor for the youth.

Charles has left an impact on both athletes and non athletes everywhere. Throughout his life and even in death, he has taught us that no matter the trials and tribulations, we can all knock out the stumbling blocks of life and rise above the ignorance and hate in our lives. For that, I am forever grateful.

Happy Birthday, Cincinnati Cobra!