Mark Blackburn

The guy "who laughed at those blue diamond rings" (live)

Barbra & “Chris Pine” – my new 'favorite duet'

Left my favorite musicologist Mark Steyn a note about his friend Carol Welsman (above) and found he had shared THE SLOW TRAIN by Flanders & Swann -- a most obscure, most beautiful favorite of mine from a black vinyl English LP of 60 years ago. Left Mark a note in return: Michael Flanders & Donald Swann -- two of my heroes with songs so memorable I can recite all their lyrics verbatim. Such as THE ENGLISH ARE BEST ("and clever, and modest, and misunderstood" and my favorite line: "A German's a German, a Russian's a Red, and the Greeks and Italians eat garlic in bed." But I've never admired you more, Mr. Steyn than for your selection that most beautiful ballad -- a gorgeous melody by pianist Donald Swan: SLOW TRAIN ("they've all passed out of our lives on the slow train") Naturally I smiled with joy as a kindred spirit BART NIELSEN recalled: "Mark, this was great fun. I really enjoyed your take on how railroad songs help familiarize foreigners with American geography, since this insular Midwesterner married a lovely Cheshire lass and I used the Slow Train song to enrich my grasp on the geography of the Land of Hope and Glory. "In our travels about England, Scotland and Wales we have had to "get off at Edge Hill" as it were and so have not visited most of them, still it is fun to namecheck them with the locals when you find yourself in the vicinity of any of them. "One of my favorite stations was Troublehouse Halt, the only British Railway station in a pub. St. Erth and St. Ives survived Dr. Beeching, although the line is isolated from any other railway. "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch was not in Beeching's sights, but still I wish Flanders and Swann had tried to work that one into the song." Anyway, I really enjoyed this. Cheers!

I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT YOU -- Canada's Carol Welsman

Frank Sinatra Junior -- my favorite version of CRY ME A RIVER

I GOT THE SONG RIGHT HERE! (my favorite musical commercial 'evva')

Favorite 'live' TV performance of WHERE OR WHEN

My favorite Sinatra concert -- yours too?

And the winner is . . . HERE'S TO THE LOSERS

SINCE I FELL FOR YOU - Ronnie Milsap

Four minutes of musical Joy (when we need it most)

HOLLY FOSTER-WELLS with Charles Pignone (Peggy's 100th)

That girl in CAST AWAY: We'll remember you, Lari White

So happy in my blue heaven!

ON CABLE THIS NIGHT: Just re- watched a favorite movie scene: the closing moments of CAST AWAY – one several favorite films “produced and directed by Robert Zemeckis” – each and every one of which features haunting (Oscar-nominated) theme music from my favorite living composer Alan Silvestri. The scenes preceding this one were all at night, in the darkness of suburban Memphis – in drenching rain as Tom Hanks' and Helen Hunt's characters embrace one last time before saying goodbye for good. And suddenly we're in brilliant sunshine, a clean-shaven, suddenly younger looking Tom Hanks is driving down the straightest of highways in his black Jeep Cherokee through flatlands we in western Canada call “Big Sky Country” – where you just find it easier to breathe. (Love it that the word "Canada" is actually referenced in the final dialogue!) "Jack" has just delivered the battered FED EX parcel, with its distinctive angel wings to its final destination – a deserted farmhouse (everywhere decorated with those same stylized angels' wings) and leaves it leaning up against a screen door, with the note: “This saved my life – Charles Nolan.” Back at the crossroads, as he looks at a map, we see an old (mid-fifties) Ford pickup truck approaching. It pull ups next to him; a beautiful young woman, dark red shoulder-length hair blowing in the breeze, climbs down – and graces him a breathtaking smile and says . . . SHE: You look lost! HE: I do? SHE: Where ya headed? HE: [obviously taken aback by her beauty] Well, I was trying to figure that out. SHE: [points] Well, that's 83-South. And this road HERE will hook you up with I-40 East [moving closer – they're now a “socially distant” 12 feet apart ] SHE: And . . . if you turn RIGHT . . . that'll take you to Amarillo, Flagstaff and . . . California! [Pointing back behind her, down her own road] SHE: And if you head back in THAT direction . . . you'll find a whole lot of nuthin' – all the way to Canada. [She hasn't relaxed her radiant smile for a moment, as if taking a liking to him, while they 'consider' each other in silence] HE: [moving his head quickly in all directions] I got it! SHE: Alright then! [climbing back into her dusty truck] Good luck, Cowboy! She drives away slowly -- a female hound dog, sitting in the back with some equipment, stares back at him; he spots those same angel wings to the right of the FORD logo. He'd been leaning against his Jeep and suddenly stands up straight, in recognition of who she must be: The Wings Lady. He stares for a time, his silent expression conveying so much – as it's dawning on him that this intersection really is now the crossroads of his life. He moves to stand in the middle of the highway, looks in all four directions with a peaceful smile. And 'Fade to black' Is this, “my favorite scene” at YouTube? I had long felt the need to finally transcribe it (I type fast) and hope some other kindred spirit appreciates!

THEY SAY IT'S WONDERFUL -- and it was!

HE'S ALIVE! - Dolly's Hallelujah! to Facebook fans

Best Good Friday message (when words are music)

Concerts cancelled or postponed: what we miss most about 'live' shows

Lena Horne - studio version MY FUNNY VALENTINE (Who arranged?)

“Back a long, long time ago . . . a million years B.C.”

WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE - Norah & Willie making it their own!

A Note of thanks this day to JAMES TAYLOR (copy to Father Sam)

My favorite version of STAYIN' ALIVE (feeling down? Listen to this)

James Taylor's EASY AS ROLLING OFF A LOG