Take-Off (Bk & CD): American All-Girl Bands During World War II

The 1940's was a time when society thought it improper for women to make a sax wail or let loose hot licks on skins, but with the advent of World War II and many men away fighting the war, women finally got their chance to strut their stuff on the bandstand. These all-girl bands kept morale high on the homefront and on USO tours of miltary bases across the globe while also helping to establish America's legacy in jazz music.

"Take-off?" Oh, yeah. Several all-girl bands did.

This book includes a hip swing CD.

I've always loved the classic simplicity and understated, casual elegance of a beautiful pendant suspended from a pretty necklace chain. This handcrafted sterling charm necklace effortlessly captures this graceful style beautifully. The gorgeous banded fluorite gemstone pendant starts with a deep mint green color at the top, and then begins to change with some inner swirls of blue-green midway, finally shifting to rich purple with flashes of raspberry red. The stone has an absolutely captivating inner glow that's even more fascinating due to the inherent mineral inclusions that cloud its transparency. Scalloped sterling silver bead caps on the top and bottom give this naturally bi-colored stone a lovely finish. An easily hidden hairline fracture on one side of the six-sided stone attests to its organic nature and does not detract from its beauty in any way. Beautiful and unique, this one-of-a-kind pendant is destined to become a signature piece and will surely enhance anything it's worn with. About Fluorite ???????°?©©?°??????? Fluorite is known as the "most colorful mineral in the world" due its natural appearance in a range of soft, beautiful colors. In fact, banded, or multi-color fluorite, is often known as rainbow fluorite. Some fluorite gives off a magnificent fluorescent color display under an ultra-violet (UV) light. I don't have a black light to know if this is one of those stones, but I think it would be fun to test. Many fluorite specimens are also thermo-luminescent, meaning they will glow when heated. Healing Properties of Fluorite ?????????????????°?©©?°??????????????? As with all natural gemstones, fluorite (aka fluorspar) has been believed to have metaphysical & healing properties since ancient times. Join me in a little fun as I share with you fluorite's lore and metaphysical properties... According to folklore, fluorite was once thought to be the "home of the rainbow" due to the crystal's wide range of colors which many times grow intermingled or side by side. Throughout ancient history, it's been carved into statues, decorative art, amulets and talismans throughout the world. The early Egyptians were known to carve scarabs from the stone along with using colorful specimens in many of their deity statues. Likened to amethyst, the ancient Romans believed that a drinking vessel made of fluorite would prevent a person from getting drunk. In the 18th century, a mixture of water and powdered fluorite was used to alleviate symptoms of kidney disease. (Please don't try this at home!) Today it is most often used metaphysically to enhance and clarify thought processes, and is also thought to be a protection stone. Fluorite is believed to have very gentle energies, making it an ideal stone for healing work. It's said to encourage orderliness on mental, spiritual & physical levels, as well as level-headedness & discernment. Fluorite has often been used by those who require clarity of mind & an unbiased viewpoint. Many believe it carries an energy that can bring a calming and order to chaos. •Green fluorite is said to be ideal for healing infections and deep emotional hurt by absorbing the negative and accessing the subconscious. It's also believed to act as an energy shield, absorbing and discharging negative energies. •Purple fluorite has been used to increase intuition and as an aid for meditation and spiritual work. Measurements ??????°?©©?°????? This fluorite gemstone is 3/4" tall (22mm) x 1/2" wide (12.7mm). The entire pendant hangs about 1 3/8" (36mm) on an 18" sterling silver chain.

In Victorian times these pins were made to be worn during periods of mourning and bereavement. Mourning pins and other ornaments became the height of fashion in the Victorian era, and many women actually went to great lengths to look stylish while in mourning. This piece is made with a beveled piece of jet-black glass, wrapped in a band of gold. The gold band has ornate ribbing along the edges. The center of the piece features a raised leaf design in gold with a seed pearl inlayed in the middle. The pin appears to be solid Sterling silver, and operates on a hinge, which still works smoothly. On the reverse side of the brooch there are two very minor chips in the glass along the outside edge (They are not noticeable, not deep, and hardly worth mentioning) – Otherwise this piece is in excellent vintage condition. This brooch measures 1 3/8” tall by 7/8" wide

A visit to Brazil prompted Horace Silver's interest in his Portuguese roots and led to the magnificent "Song For My Father," his most enduring composition. This album also introduced his new band with Joe Henderson and Carmell Jones and features the classic band with Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook.

Since its title track provided the inspiration for Steely Dan's "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number," Song for My Father has become known as the jazz recording that launched a thousand bad rock records. Yet whatever pretensions Steely Dan and their legion of desperately hip imitators had shouldn't be laid at pianist Horace Silver's door: this is one of Blue Note's warmest and most satisfying collections--and that's saying something. A pioneer of the hard-bop style, which combined gospel and R&B with jazz, Silver authored many outstanding compositions, including not just "Song for My Father," but "Opus de Funk," "Nica's Dream," "Senor Blues," and "The Preacher." His quintets, which featured tenor sax and trumpet, spotlighted such up-and-coming talents as trumpeters Woody Shaw, Art Farmer, and Donald Byrd. On Song for My Father, the band features tenorman Joe Henderson, who contributed one of his own signature tunes, "The Kicker." Along with the strong quintet work, the album includes a fine trio feature for the pianist in "Lonely Woman." --Fred Goodman

Since its title track provided the inspiration for Steely Dan's "Rikki, Don't Lose That Number," Song for My Father has become known as the jazz recording that launched a thousand bad rock records. Yet whatever pretensions Steely Dan and their legion of desperately hip imitators had shouldn't be laid at pianist Horace Silver's door: this is one of Blue Note's warmest and most satisfying collections--and that's saying something. A pioneer of the hard bop style, which combined gospel and R&B with jazz, Silver authored many outstanding compositions, including not just "Song for My Father," but "Opus de Funk," "Nica's Dream," "Senor Blues," and "The Preacher." His quintets, which featured tenor sax and trumpet, spotlighted such up-and-coming talents as trumpeters Woody Shaw, Art Farmer, and Donald Byrd. On Song for My Father, the band features tenorman Joe Henderson, who contributed one of his own signature tunes, "The Kicker." Along with the strong quintet work, the album includes a fine trio feature for the pianist in "Lonely Woman." --Fred Goodman