Gaugin's haircut. Marilyn Monroe impersonators. What is Jazz?

 Random items for 15 JUNE 2026:

My favorite Vincent Van Gogh selfie.

CLICK HERE for the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. No, I haven't been, but who knows? I'm not dead yet. I have seen a few Van Gogh paintings at various museums in the USA, and I caught a traveling Van Gogh exhibit a couple of decades ago in San Francisco. They're even more incredible up close; you can see he used MOUNDS of paint, they look like colorful little mountains.

Speaking of Vince, I found this photograph of his pal, Paul Gauguin. As you can see, he was enough of a Beatles fan to have an early Beatle haircut. That sweater under his jacket is pretty hip, too.

The Thelonious Monk Quartet playing his lovely Ruby My Dear.
That's Charlie Rouse on saxophone.

What is jazz?

"Man, if you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." — Louis Armstrong

"I don't have a definition of jazz. You're just supposed to know it when you hear it."
— Thelonious Monk

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." — Miles Davis

“Jazz is the only unhampered, unhindered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country.” ― Duke Ellington

My favorite accordian album of all time.

"What is given in humiliation will be retrieved in disgrace."

— Sumerian saying.

Real impersonator.



Until next time, go random.
James

Marilyn Monroe impersonators break world record in California. CLICK HERE.