The 500 Hats of an Old Dinosaur

    The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins is a children's book, written by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). A reference I found in Wikipedia said that he collected hats and got the idea for this children's story while seated behind another passenger on a commuter train out of New York. That other passenger, a businessman, "was so stiff and formal that Geisel wondered what would happen if Geisel took his hat and threw it out the window. Geisel concluded that the man was so 'stuffy' he would just grow a new one."

    This story tells of Bartholomew Cubbins who abiding by the law of his land removed his hat only to discover another had mysteriously appeared. Each time he removed a hat, another magically appeared. He was in such violation of the "remove your hat" law that his life was in danger by punishment from the king. After each removal and subsequent appearance of a new hat it became evident that each hat was more ornate than the previous one. The 500th hat was so exquisite that the king gave him 500 gold coins for the 500th hat and granted him a reprieve.

    I only have seven hats so I'm not in any danger of being threatened with death or acquiring 500 gold coins. I was, however, aggressively approached by a man at a karaoke event who genuinely coveted the hat I was wearing. He offered to buy it he wanted it so desperately. My refusal of his offer was with enough aggressiveness to counteract his. I suspect he was nearing the end of a long session with John Barleycorn.

    I was amazed to find how many young women found my fedora such an attraction. Their covetousness was much gentler, though. One even asked if I would bequeath it to her. On several occasions I happily allowed them to wear my hat for a while. How attractive a fedora can be on a woman.

    My reentry to the world of hats after years of truck driver's baseball caps came about when I started singing some of Frank Sinatra's songs at karaoke. I was told by some they thought I sounded like Frank and taking their word for it, I considered a hat similar to ones that Frank wore would be a fitting prop or trademark. (I wore a hat during my teen years until John Fitzgerald Kennedy showed the world that it's okay for a gentleman to be hatless and only recently began wearing one again.)

    The day I bought my first new hat I walked in to the club and answered the curious eyes with the comment that for my second mid-life crisis I considered a new fedora to be much less expensive than a Lamborghini convertible. I've bought a few more since and have been given one by a gent who never leaves the house any more but I have no intention of amassing a hat collection. Even though I enjoy the new look and the reception I get that Lamborghini would be nice.

Or maybe a 'Vette.

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The Old Dinosaur; A Work In Progress

    As I explained in my very first blog entry in July 2010, I identify with dinosaurs because, as the last of my line of Mease’s, I too will become extinct. I’ve never married so there will be no little dinosaurs trotting around. It takes two to tango, they say, and I never met the right tango partner so childless I remain. When I’m gone, curtain closed, that’s all she wrote.

    However, I am not down and out. As in the song, Hey, Look Me Over, “The only way is up and I’ll be up like a rose bud…”  I am on the threshold of a brand new enterprise as an entertainer. My current card says only that I am a chanteur. (I was refreshing my memory of French when I decided to use chanteur instead of singer.)

    I have spoken several times about karaoke events I’ve enjoyed attending. The response to my singing has been so positive so frequently that I decided to strike out on my own and make myself available to sing at retirement residences, parties, receptions, lounges, company functions or wherever.

    To reflect my interests and abilities I designed a new card which will be a bit more informative than simply describing myself as a chanteur. On several occasions I have been called a “crooner”. That pleases me immensely since some of the great popular singers who have gone before me have also been called “crooners” — Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Bing Crosby and even Elvis Presley.

    These singers’ work is what I enjoy attempting to emulate. My current but continually growing play list includes:

Sinatra
    A Day In The Life Of A Fool
    All The Way
    As Time Goes By
    Drinking Again
    In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
    It Was A Very Good Year
    I’ve Got You Under My Skin
    Love’s Been Good To Me
    My Funny Valentine
    My Way
    New York, New York
    One For My Baby
    Send In The Clowns
    September Of My Years
    Summer Wind

Martin
    Arrivederci Roma
    Houston
    Little Ole Wine Drinker Me
    Somewhere There’s A Someone
    Sway
    Welcome To My World
    You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You

Bennett
    I Left My Heart In San Francisco

Como
    And I Love You So
    For The Good Times
    It’s Impossible

Presley
    Don’t
    Love Me Tender
    I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You

Armstrong
    We Have All The Time In The World
    What A Wonderful World

Whitley
    I’m No Stranger To The Rain

Show Tunes
    Razzle Dazzle (Chicago)
    Mister Cellophane (Chicago)
    Music of the Night (Phantom of the Opera)

     I can’t fail to mention Jimmy Buffett, The Grateful Dead, The Ink Spots, Johnny Mathis, Leon Redbone, Leon Russell, Jimmy Durante and others. At this writing there are nearly two hundred titles on my growing play list. I practice several hours per day trying to “absorb” the flavor injected by the original singer.

My Current Card

The "Perversity of Circumstance Trumps All" phrase is my variation on Robert Burns' 

observation in his "Ode to a Mouse" that

"The best-laid schemes o’ mice an' men Gang aft agley,"

Initially I said "Perversity of Circumstance is more powerful than well-laid plans" but it works just as well in the shortened version.
 

My New Card

[Poor quality screen shot. Actual cards not yet delivered]

The front of the card below

 The Old Dinosaur

says

Crooner ala Sinatra and others

and includes my phone number, Facebook name Curtis Mease, email address

and the location of this blog.

Acknowledgements

    I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the people in the business who have encouraged and advised me in this brand new endeavor. First and foremost is Mike from  T and S Entertainment from nearby Lebanon county. Mike has offered the use of equipment he has as back-ups he rarely needs or uses. He has also provided access to the software this kind of business could not survive without. Thank you, Mike.

    Among the early encouragers are Greg, Bob, Sid, Adam and Bill from Impressions Entertainment in Lancaster. Tim from the group “Party Bomb” offered studio assistance and Chris from the Guitar Center offers continuing hardware advice and help. Thanks also to Midnight Mike and Jammin' Joyce of High Impact Entertainment. Later encouragement and advice came from L-N-B (Luke and Brandon) and Dwayne LBK (Lancaster's Best Karaoke.)

    I am sincerely grateful to all of these guys (and Joyce - she's one of the guys, too, but she's the prettiest!). Without their help my enterprise would take a much longer time getting off the ground. Thanks, guys.

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When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be

    Thus begins a John Keats sonnet which, sadly, was not published until 30 years after he had “ceased to be”. As far as the “fearing” is concerned — why fear? It’s going to happen! So observes Millay in her Dirge Without Music, “I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground. So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind”.

    This unavoidable awareness is what fuels my resonance with Frank Sinatra’s songs. They are, without being maudlin, so much in touch with reality.

        “Ah, yes. Fifty. September. Father Time with a frost warning.
        My leaves are turning. How green they were.
        And how bright they are. And, Oh, how wonderful my love affair
        with life.”
                — spoken intro to September of my Years

        “But now the days are short
        I'm in the autumn of the year”
                — from It Was a Very Good Year

        “And now, the end is near
        And so I face the final curtain…”
        “I've lived a life that's full
        I traveled each and ev'ry highway”
                — from My Way

Ode To An Old Man

Even with awareness of inexorable age

And without casting doubts upon your ability,

A woman one half your age you’re pursuing?

Seems surely a sign you’ve reached the last page

Of a wishful thinking senility.

Are you sure you know what you’re doing?

In answer to the wag who wrote, Ode to an Old Man, Frank did it his way. I’m doing it my way. I may not know what I’m doing but the possibility thinking is exhilarating! Oh, how wonderful my love affair with life.

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Frank Sinatra, James Young and Me

    Ever since I began singing Sinatra songs at various karaoke venues, I’ve been told of a local singer who has become a celebrated Sinatra impersonator. Finally, I had the opportunity to meet this famous impersonator and he is everything I’d been told he was.

    Entertaining, affable and crowd friendly this man, James Young, does the “Chairman of the Board” proud. James in the piano bar atmosphere (sans piano) engaged his audience with pleasant banter only a small intimate setting can allow.

    James will tell you during the course of the evening about his former career as a police officer and that he is now free to enjoy his new career as “Frank Sinatra”. He was visited last evening by a former police Captain, now retired, who was once his supervisor.

    In the same manner of professional gentleman as Frank was, he offered me the mike to do one of the few songs I knew the words to without the crutch of a karaoke tele-prompter. I felt honored and I was pleased that I remembered most of the words. (He coached me on a couple of the lyrics like the gentleman he is.)

    In his new career he is sometimes joined by Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. impersonators for a glimpse back at the post-Bogart “Rat Pack” days. When not joined by the others, James will insert some Dean Martin of his own for his act.

    James website is at www.jyoungsinatra.com for information about his itinerary and event schedule. He is a frequent performer in the Columbia, Pa, restaurant, Prudhomme’s Lost Cajun Kitchen at the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Cherry street.

    Even if you are not a Sinatra fan, an evening at Prudhomme’s with their menu, pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff and James Young entertaining would be an evening well spent.

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