Belltown Bent

Many colored White Rock

The Bent bopped up to The City of White Rock, B.C. for a large portion of beach promenading, and a side of business north of Surrey. I did most of the promenading.

While the white rock really is white (they paint it now - much nicer than the guano which earned the glacial erratic its name), the town is quite colorful. Literally and figuratively.

Sitting on the north shore of Semiahmoo Bay, the town basks in the moderate comfort of southern exposure, making it a combination retirement/resort destination for our northern neighbors. These contrasting dynamics blend quite naturally, much like the purple flowers and yellow blooming trees along the promenade. At least for a day-tripper from Belltown.

Swing this

Sunday evening the Bent made it over to Jazz Alley for an old-school evening with John Pizzarelli and the Great American Songbook.  This guy is a delightful song stylist, prodigious guitarist, and thoroughly engaging entertainer who happens to swing like a clean-up hitter.

Pizzarelli is the first-born son of the legendary guitar player "Bucky" Pizzarelli. He grew up hanging out and playing with his dad's buddies, guys like Joe Pass, Les Paul and Zoot Simms. He dreamed of being a baseball player but, "I couldn't hit a curve-ball," and the family and friend oriented musician's life he grew up with became his path. He still plays and records with Bucky, and his kid brother Martin plays bass in his working band.

Watch for John, and his beautiful custom signature model 7-string arch-top made by luthier Bill Moll in his home workshop, when he returns with his trio to play with the Seattle Symphony in December. Also, check out a complete bio, more pictures from the Jazz Alley gig, and read Paul de Barros' review of Tuesday's show.

Rotating exhibit

Actually, make that a rolling exhibit. While more permanent, sited sculpture is still months away, Belltown's own Olympic Sculpture Park puts on an fascinating display of aeronautic sculpture almost every week.

After being assembled in Boeing's Wichita, KS plant, jet fuselages are wrapped in turquoise protective material and strapped to special railroad cars for a 2,175 mile "low-flying" roll across the country.

Not long before they arrive in Renton for final assembly, they roll along the BNSF rails through the emerging park. This morning the Bent spotted one sneaking through the Quaking Aspen Grove before crossing Broad St. and heading down the waterfront. All in all, probably the longest assembly line, and longest rotating exhibit, you're likely to see in one place.

Learn more about what's going on in the Olympic Sculpture Park this week.

Take time for the timeless

He played Carnegie Hall in 1949, was named Down Beat’s “Best Jazz Pianist of the Year,” in 1950 (the first of several times), and has gone on to earn seven Grammies, thirteen honorary degrees, a Laureate award by The Praemium Imperiale in 1999, and even had a Canadian commemorative stamp released in his honor.

More importantly, Oscar Peterson would tell you, he has taken his music to all corners of the world, playing with the best players in jazz, capturing the hearts and souls of millions with his passionate, melodically inventive, technically masterful, and soulful music.

Oscar will be back at Jazz Alley Aug 29 - Sep 3, but now is the time to book your opportunity to see him. The shows are sure to be sold out soon. And, take a moment to check out more pictures from the Oscar Peterson Quartet's June 2004 stand, featuring the late Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen.

These webbed feet are made for walking

The typical boot-wearing adult stride is about 3 feet long. From birth, it takes us about 16 years to achieve that potential. These new-born ducklings are lucky to step about 3 inches, and the last-to-hatch had to get striding about 16 minutes after leaving its shell.

These boots belong to a construction worker at Seattle's forthcoming Olympic Sculpture Park. The webbed feet belong to eleven newborn ducklings and their Mallard mom, which had built her nest in the middle of the construction site.

Work, trucks, traffic and trains all stopped while an escort of workers and Seattle Art Museum staff guided the duck and ducklings about 300 yards over the tracks, through the site, to the water's edge. That's about 3,600 little web-footed strides - a pretty long walk for your first day.

Learn more about their journey and see more pictures here.