{"id":12399,"date":"2018-04-25T18:39:06","date_gmt":"2018-04-25T18:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgethomasclark.com\/?p=12399"},"modified":"2018-04-25T19:54:06","modified_gmt":"2018-04-25T19:54:06","slug":"mama-can-sing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgethomasclark.com\/mama-can-sing\/","title":{"rendered":"Mama Can Sing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey, I like that poster. It didn\u2019t actually start that way, the original\u2019s acrylic on canvas bordered by pieced cloth called Mama Can Sing, Papa Can Blow; Somebody Stole My Broken Heart. Faith Ringgold\u2019s the artist. I don\u2019t know anything about her but I like that hot lady she painted thick-haired, red-lipped, big-busted, arms-spread, round-hipped, and ready. I know she can swing and I\u2019m going to see her in the club tonight. <\/p>\n

\tI tip the guy at the door and slide a twenty into the hand of a cocktail waitress and say please get me close. She pulls a chair to a table where two couples aren\u2019t happy to see me. I\u2019m not pleased with them either: four squares who don\u2019t really have to do anything but listen. I\u2019ve got to figure Papa out. This cold beer should help. I don\u2019t kid myself. He\u2019s a good looking man who can blow his saxophone but he\u2019s no Coleman Hawkins. <\/p>\n

\tI smile at Mama and feel psychedelic looking at that yellow and orange dress wrap around her boogying brown body. Meanwhile, Papa doesn\u2019t move much and seems kind of square, like an accountant who just plays Saturday nights. No way I\u2019m waiting till the end of the show. It\u2019s break time. I stand, walk to the microphone, and say, Ma\u2019am, you\u2019re a wonderful singer.<\/p>\n

\tThank you, she says.<\/p>\n

\tMay I buy you a drink?<\/p>\n

\tCan\u2019t be drinking during the show.<\/p>\n

\tOkay, how about afterward?<\/p>\n

\tShe narrows her eyes. I wouldn\u2019t say she\u2019s frowning but she sure isn\u2019t smiling.<\/p>\n

\tOkay, I say as she turns and walks behind the curtain. <\/p>\n

\tThat\u2019s a downer and I consider leaving. Not for long. I order another beer. What the hell\u2019s behind those curtains anyway? I wish those two couples would quit ignoring me. Who the hell are they? I wouldn\u2019t want either woman and if I were a woman I wouldn\u2019t want either man. Just because you\u2019ve got someone doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re somebody. <\/p>\n

\tI\u2019m ready for my third beer by the time the quartet returns. They\u2019ve got a drummer and bass player, too, and are all pretty tight. Damn, I love that Mama. I know I could. I would if I knew her. Is that guy really her husband? I try to convince myself he isn\u2019t. But he\u2019s standing close so everyone knows he gets her every night. Male musicians aren\u2019t cool as they think. And maybe Mama isn\u2019t either. Maybe she\u2019s an alcoholic or hot tempered. More likely, she\u2019s good as she looks. I have one more beer and leave at the next break. I\u2019m not going to any other clubs tonight. I\u2019m heading home to bed and tomorrow morning will see what\u2019s going on at church. <\/p>\n

\u201cJazz Stories #1: Mama Can Sing, Papa Can Blow; Somebody Stole My Broken Heart\u201d by Faith Ringgold<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPaint it Blue\u201d by George Thomas Clark<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hey, I like that poster. It didn\u2019t actually start that way, the original\u2019s acrylic on canvas bordered by pieced cloth called Mama Can Sing, Papa Can Blow; Somebody Stole My Broken Heart. Faith Ringgold\u2019s the artist. I don\u2019t know anything about her but I like that hot lady she painted thick-haired, red-lipped, big-busted, arms-spread, round-hipped,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[990,1739,92,119],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nMama Can Sing - George Thomas Clark<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/georgethomasclark.com\/mama-can-sing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mama Can Sing - George Thomas Clark\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hey, I like that poster. 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