PRESENTS

Welcome to the Grapevine News. This section of the Mathis Chronicles contains my views about anything I find or am sent about Johnny Mathis on the Internet and elsewhere, that had been overlooked by the "official" sites. Occasionally, I report on things not directly related to Mathis but have a connection, may even make up a question to ask myself and try to answer. Readers are welcome to share their experiences here also. So enjoy and thanks for coming.

VOL. 2 NO. 6 - APRIL 4, 2003

A TIME FOR HOPE: It's encouraging to see the middle-aged generation of singers come into their own, yet pay homage to the ones who came before. Singer Dianne Reeves is a fabulous singer who had a fantastic Grammy-winning tribute album to Sarah Vaughan called The Calling which I'm proud to own.

I was sure that Mathis favorite Patti Austin had a Grammy winner with her tribute, For Ella which was released in 2002. She sings like I've never heard her sing before - none of that "Baby Come To Me" stuff. Interestingly, it's produced by Patrick Williams, who also worked on the fabulous Vince Gill Christmas album from 1998, and the arrangements, done by Monica Mancini's husband Gregg Fields, are simply delicious. Stylistically, the singing is polished but not to the point of blandness, but more like a marble slab that's smooth and smoky with a little roughness around the edges.

And it seems Natalie Cole is very much her own woman now. She has truly transcended her father's legacy and is able to take the music of the past and make it all her own as the true heir-apparent. Her latest album, called Ask a Woman Who Knows, is her best in years, in my opinion. Once upon a time her voice really grated on my nerves, so it's extremely gratifying to hear how it has matured.

So, as long as there are people like Ms. Austin, Ms. Reeves, and Ms. Cole to keep good music alive, there is strong reason to hope! It's great to be able to feel this good about current music again.

NO MORE CLUB: Word on the street is the Johnny Mathis International Fan Club was forced to cease operations by the Rojon folk! From what I understand, a few of the more regional ones will still operate. Apparently there's quite a bit of attrition among the older and more important members.

ONCE UPON A DREAM: It was thirty-five years ago today when it seemed the dream had died along with the messenger. Now it's my opinion that the dream is wounded and bleeding, but still fighting to live, all these years later. As we speak, tears are flowing on both sides of the ocean like the Cimarron River in the springtime. Divisions deep and raw like a gash in tender skin are slow to heal, while old scars reopen and fester. The lust for revenge shatters our sense of security like a brick through a plate glass window. All for what?

All those years ago, the dream was simple. All that was wanted was to matter, to be respected, to be a man, to be a woman. Unbelievable that a woman or man could be addressed by her/his first name by children. It's still an issue for me now, as it was so many years ago for others, illustrated in movies such as To Sir, With Love or They Call Me Mr. Tibbs. Young people today scoff at this -- they don't even call their parents "Sir" or "Ma'am" anymore. Thirty-five years later, familiarity runs rampant, and people will address you by your first name as if they've known you all your life, and find nothing wrong with doing so.

Thirty-five years later, all of God's children still don't get along. Leaders of big countries still bully the leaders of little countries. And the little countries fight back the only way they know how. And isn't it sad that thirty-five years later people are still being hung on fenceposts, or dragged behind trucks, or preyed upon by those they trusted, all for the lack of respect, for the thought that they don't matter.

The dream has definitely been deferred. We the people are still not free. Thirty-five years after the death of the messenger, there remains at least the hopeful message, "one day".

The Messenger's Dream

TOUR BUS: The bus stops next in Dallas, Texas. Visit See Mathis Live! for details. New dates for 2004 added! Yay!

©2003 Iris Gross Georg. All rights reserved.

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