Amos Carter is the first one of our artists to submit a Christmas holiday themed song, and we find out Santa wears Airpods as he does his work leaving gifts, and boogies to the beat he's hearing in his Airpods as he goes. This is a big production for Carter, who usually plays with only his double bass, a guitar or two, and a piano. Boogie-Woogie Santa Claus was tried out in Amos' gigs, and the audience gave it a lot of applause. Amos does this with most of his songs, and this practice has given him some good songs to record, such as Slew Foot Stu Boogie.
Carter had some problems a while back getting a piano player that fit in with his small group. He kept pestering his mother, a talented pianist, to join the band. Mams Carter is a recording artist in her own right, as she's recorded for Big And Tall Records before, with The Blues Done Got Me So Bad as a good example. Mams doesn't like playing gigs all that much, but she usually plays when the group records, as she does in this recording.
We put out some feelers with our other artists, and there will most likely be more Christmas themes recording coming soon, as the season is upon us!
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
One Christmas Eve I stayed awake To catch that jolly ol' elf As he slid down the chimney To fill stockings hung on the shelf
I was fightin' sleep really bad When out the corner of my eye A big fat guy in a red suit! Santa Claus! It's true! Ain't no lie! He had Airpods in his ears..
He was too fat for the chimney Don't know how he got in the house The way he was movin' his feet Weren't tip toeing like a mouse!
Was boogying to the tree Wigglin' and shakin' his ass The Boogie Woogie Santa Claus Was havin' himself a gas!
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
He got in his big gunny sack Laid bunch of gifts under the tree The he saw the treats and the milk Sprawled on the couch ate the cookies
He was enjoyin' his work Laid on the couch for a while Then he jumped up with a start Wasn't gonna cramp his style
Boogying next to the tree Dancin' like he weren't a senior The Boogie Woogie Santa Claus Usin' a broom as a partner
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
Kept watchin' through the banister He boogied his way with the broom Jivin' and shuckin' with his feet He made his way across the room
Then he got close to the door Jiggled his big butt for a while Then looked me straight in the eye And disappeared with a smile!
Visions of Santa in my head I sat up in bed full awake! The Boogie Woogie Santa Claus All a dream for heaven's sake!
(Boogie woogie Santa Boogie woogie Santa)
As we all opened our gifts On the frosty Christmas morn I told the gang about my dream What they said made me forlorn
But what could I say to all that Already knew it wasn't true And that fact was kind a sad It made me feel a little blue
Then I came to a gift for me Among Christmas paper wads Tag said it was from Santa... It was a pair of Airpods!
Luigi and his brother Antonio have opened a barbershop in Paducah,
Kentucky and offer lots more services than just hair cuts and shaves. There is no overture to open the opera, but the orchestra plays a very small introduction to Luigi the barber's first aria that welcomes new patrons to the shop.
Luigi's aria - Come On Into My Shop
This area shows right away that this opera won't be the rarefied language or atmosphere of a classical opera. It is McGonigle's version of a patter song, although the tempo is not excessive, the words come forth fast and close together. All their services tells why they can only stay in a town for a certain amount of time. The law usually catches up to the sooner or later, and the husband's that figure out what's going on threaten real harm.
Soon their barbershop has a large growing clientele
that enjoy all the amenities the brothers provide. A group of the march to the barbershop after work to relax. A short march in a traditional style.
March of the patrons
When they arrive, they all engage in singing their praises of Luigi and the shop
Chorus - The barbershop, our safe haven
Illegally sold alcohol, illegal gambling, and illegal prostitution is praised by the patrons of the barbershop in this section for men's chorus. It also alludes to Luigi's aid in convincing the wives to let the men stay at the shop. When the wives call, many times Luigi will go to their house to explain, sometimes he's gone for over an hour. Either these guys are dumb or don't care what's going on. This is one area where this opera is like any opera; a certain amount of suspension of reality is needed.
Three months goes by since the opening of the barbershop, and the two brothers are making lots of money. This is portrayed by a waltz.
Luigi's Waltz
A waltz in mixed minor and major keys that leads to Luigi's second aria
Luigi Aria - How Much Better Is It Gonna Get?
Luigi counts the money earned for the day and is amazed at how much they're making, and at the expense of some very 'stupid hilly billies'. This give a further glimpse into the lecherous and deceitful heart that Luigi has.
While Luigi gloats over the money and calls his patrons stupid, his brother Antonio has been mopping up to finish the day before they close the shop. Antonio is a big, lumbering man unlike his brother who is of average stature. McGonigle portrays Antonio mopping the floor with what he calls
Antonio - Mop The Floor Interlude
Horns, trombones, and a tuba portray the rather clumsy Antonio. They lead into an aria by Antonio
Aria - That's all well and good
Antonio is more even tempered and practical, and warns Luigi about his philandering, a warning that has been given many times and to deaf ears.
Scene 2
In The Flowershop
Set
in Louisa's flower shop on the other side of town. As she starts her
workday on a bright spring morning, she sings to help pass the time. We
hear the first of another barber across town, Vic, that has feelings
for her, but her interest is beginning to be taken up with Luigi, whose
shop is just a ways up the street from her shop.
Louisa's aria
She hears a commotion outsideof the shop and notices a group of older ladies having a heated discussion.
Gossiping women outside the shop- Interlude
Among
them is her Aunt Cora, who enters the shop and tells Louisa about the
scuttlebutt concerning Luigi's barbershop. Aunt Cora has noticed Louisa
and Luigi getting close, and wants to warn her of him.
Aunt Cora's aria
Louisa's
aunt tells Louisa what she's heard about Luigi, and she expresses her
distrust of the Italian barber, and tells her she ought to give Vic a
try, ashe's a nice guy and not a 'foreigner'. Finally, Aunt Cora
asks her if she has to be hit with a brick in the head to get the
message! An example of McGonigle's plain language use, along with
ethnic slur of 'dago', that portrays the common language of the time
Louisa's answer to Aunt Cora -
Louisa
shows patience and understanding towards her aunt, whose husband has
left her. The aria shows the affection Louisa has for her aunt, who has
been like a mother to her.
SCENE 3
IN THE BEAUTY SALON
JILL'S ARIA -
As scene 1 took place in the barbershop, scene 3 takes place in the female version of it, the beauty salon. A
short tango intro begins and leads to the main aria of the scene, Jill'
aria which is also a tango-like section. Jill is the wife of one of the
men who frequent Luigi's shop, and she knows about all of what goes on
there, including her husband Sammy (who appears later in the opera)
paying out money meant for household expenses on gambling and
prostitutes. But she also reveals what happens with her when Luigi shows
up at her house when Sammy wants to stay at the shop and gamble. Luigi
ostensibly goes to their house to tell Jill that Sammy's just shooting
the breeze with his pals, but his actual motive is to have sex with her!
She figures that out, and welcomes him! Evidently Luigi shows up often
when Sammy's not there, and if it isn't at Jill's house, it's at another
of the wives' houses! Jill knows it all, doesn't care, she loves how
Luigi treats her and tells all the other ladies in the shop about it.
With the chorus joining in, other women admit to the same thing.
McGonigle told us that very little of his original libretto for this
entire act has been changed. No wonder no one wanted to take a chance on
this opera, as he wrote the first version in 1952. It was somewhat
graphic for the time, even for the opera house, that traditionally has
dealt with all kinds of societies' evils.
TANGO OF THE HAIR DRYERS - Instrumental
Now
we don't have a clue what in hell the title means, but this short
instrument is indeed a tango that again is highlighted by a solo for
accordion. This leads directly into the section for female chorus.
MEN ARE PIGS!
The
women sing of their disgust with their husbands and men in general
after hearing all the shenanigans going on. Jill has a solo, and the
women respond. Some of the sections are repeated, the music quickens and
then slows down for ashort coda that recalls the lead-in to
Jill's opening aria. McGonigle has said that this short choral piece is
one of his favorite parts of the opera. He agrees with the women, as a
group men ARE pigs! The female choir at the recording session really got
into this, and McGonigle was smiling and laughing after they got it
down!
