Saturday, May 2, 2009

Bud Shank R.I.P.

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I just became aware of Bud Shank’s passing on April 2nd.

From The New York Times:
Bud Shank, an alto saxophonist and flutist who helped propel cool-school West Coast jazz to prominence in the 1950s and fostered the melding of American and Brazilian music that created the bossa nova, died on Thursday (April 2) in Tucson, Ariz. He was 82.
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Happy Birthday Al “Grandpa” Lewis 4-30-1910

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Al Lewis, who is best remembered for his role as Grandpa Munster, was born on April 30, 1910.

Roots Of The Cramps-Hasil Adkins



I just found this incredible documentary on Hasil Adkins, the crazy Rockabilly wild man who was a seminal influence on The Cramps. If you dig Rockin' White Trash Americana, this is a definite must see!

Vintage Space Toy # 5

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1950's Japan Bandai CO's Super Scarce Space Patrol Super Cycle with Equally Scarce Original Box & Pilot ! Just a stunning space toy with Incredibly Original Style that has spawned countless copy cat toys mimicking the "deco"-futurstic vision of a space motorcycle. Beautiful colors & lithographed space details . Friction drive with sparking effect behind the red gels at the tail & side fins. Because of the fragile nature of the driver it is believed only a handful of examples in the world survived with the pilot intact & perhaps only 3 or 4 Original boxes exist for this toy ! This example has his original Antenna & Both inside nubs to his ankles which could quite possibly be the only one in existence with this feature ! A pinnacle of any serious space toy collection .

From Ozzie’s Robots Toys & Collectibles

1959 Scimitar Station Wagon

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Famed auto designer Brooks Stevens created three Scimitar models for dispay at the 1959 Geneva Auto. The other two models were a hard-top convertible and a Town Car Phaeton. All three cars were built on a 1959 Chrysler New Yorker Chassis. The cars received great attention and acclaim.

The cars were financed by Olin Aluminum and extensive use of the lightweight metal was used to construct the car. The silver-appearing areas are anodized, brushed aluminum. The car’s name is derived from the Scimitar shape, clearly evident in the upward sweep from the lower front fender to the top of the rear fender.

The cars were never produced or offered for sale. This car is on display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV.

Via jaylenosgarage.com

Frankie “Musclehead” Manning R.I.P.

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Frankie "Musclehead" Manning, a Harlem dancer and Tony Award-winning choreographer widely celebrated as one of the pioneers of the Lindy Hop, a breathlessly acrobatic swing dance style of the 1930s and '40s, died April 27 at New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital of pneumonia. He was 94.

The effortlessly nimble Manning was a star attraction of Harlem's Savoy ballroom and brought to swing dance a flair for the theatrical that helped catapult the Lindy Hop from ballrooms to stage and screen (Adam Bernstein-L.A. Times).
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Monday, April 27, 2009

Happy Birthday Carolyn Jones 4-28-1930

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Carolyn Jones, who is probably best remembered for her role as Morticia Addams, was born on April 28,1930.

Happy Birthday Anouk Aimee 4-27-1932

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French actress Anouk Aimee (Fellini's 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, A Man & A Woman)
was born on April 27, 1932.

Japan-tyhose

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Future Fiction # 2

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(February, 1959)

From coverbrowser.com

1955 Alfa Romeo BAT 9 Concept Car

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The famed Alfa Romeo BAT series cars were concepts created through a collaboration between Alfa, Italdesign, and Bertone. BAT stands for "Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica", and these vehicles were far more than just stylistic exercises. They were intended to explore the aerodynamic effects of fins on automobiles, and one of the advantages that emerged was enhanced stability at high speed. The drag coefficient is a still remarkable 0.19 Cd, which is impressive by any standard. Although powered by a modest 90 hp motor, the BATs could do over 125 mph thanks to the advanced aerodynamics. The exciting finned design reflected the world's growing obsession with outer space and speed.
(via corbis.com)