Sunday Music in Paris

We’re finishing up our Mothers’ Day in Laguna with a rotisserie chicken, ribs and a large box of See’s Candy.  Mom wondered if this was her day or his day as Dad proceeded to jump into the candy first then the food, ahead of her, but there was plenty to go around.  We watched a Lawrence Welk rerun, the current favorite, then I played them some music clips from  Paris.  My parents have discovered YouTube!

I’m just a sucker for the old-style music anywhere in France, but especially the variety that you see in Paris.  In the Latin Quarter, a man with a very French red kerchief at his neck rolls this piano around on a little cart and plays without any sheet music.  The piano is less than full size, I think it’s called a console piano, but it makes a nice sound and is perfect for a little show tune on a Sunday in Paris.  I also like the fact that he has an espresso from one of the adjacent cafes next to the tip basket and his array of CD’s….we can only be in France~

A short distance away, at one of the entrances to the Luxembourg Gardens, was this man and his street organ.  These were also called the Barbary organ, roller organ or barrel organ for the mechanism.  While you see these elsewhere in Europe, I am particularly fond of hearing this 19thC relic in Paris.  The organ pipes are in the V shape in front, and his cart is full of dozens of other perforated song cards.  When you see the video, you will understand why the operator is called an Organ Grinder.  Monkey not required.  Actually, it’s much better without a monkey.

And in the Jardin de Luxembourg you find a very nice bandshell.  There was an American high school group playing this day, and as you can see and hear, while it was still cool, everyone was definitely In the Mood~

Hope you are enjoying your Mothers’ Day, and a little bit of some kind of music today~