kick up your heels

Last night we popped in the 8th Annual Music CD put out by the Oxford American. We were quite excited to hear several of our favorite songs. For me, “Three is a Magic Number” a la School House Rock. And for Henry, “You You You You You” by The 6ths. Uncannily the night before, I had read back through some of my blog entries to find “tobacco memories” from where I watched the intro to “Thank You For Smoking,” which features Tex William’s “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette).” Yes, you’ll find it on the OA CD. Skip to Track 5.

The CD also brought back some great memories for me. I believe that I have all of the most of the cds from previous music issues. During my stint at DoubleTake, I would go out to represent the magazine at festivals. At the Southern Book Festival in Nashville, I meet Marc Smirnoff, the publisher, who said that DoubleTake was their sister publication as one of his employees unloaded back issues on me. (You always want your load to be lighter on the way home.) I brought up this comparison at Lauren and Dave’s wedding. We were sitting at the DoubleTake table with Kyle, one of Lauren’s colleagues from OA. I am not sure how amusing he found our shared stories about working together in Durham and then beyond, when Kyle and Caroline moved with the magazine to Boston.

Once the music started, he managed to escape though. People were really cutting a rug to the Fircracker Jazz Band from Asheville. I love the pictures of Lauren’s immediate family dancing with one another. I know that they are blurry and awful, but it still expresses how much fun they were having. The videos are fabulous. I will post them soon.

I do have one final request to any of those still in contact with the Oxford American. In the next Music Issue, please include “Heaven’s Just a Sin Away” by the Kendalls. I spent many a nights dancing to that 45 in my playroom.