Operation 365 2... Blog 140

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay – Covers - 140 “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin

Had a little fun today at work playing as San Diego classic for the folks. “Top Gun” is a San Diego movie and folks here like it a lot. Like New Yorkers like Billy Joel a lot.

So it is with mild reservation that I say Top Gun is extremely overrated. Then again, we always have to ask ourselves, “How did I arrive at this point?”

I suddenly recall Senior Year of high school. I was chosen to go to theRYLA conference. Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Hooray. It was fun. I became instantly bonded with a guy whose gone on to do a lot of amazing things, Conor Grennan. I miss him. Conor, myself and a lot of other people who were really cool, Debbie (Forgot her last name), Amy Janosky, Marcus Seiler, others... It’s been decades and I still remember those days. We drank a beverage called “Liquid Schwartz” It’s a long story, but it involved sugar and water, I recall. We watched “Top Gun” to analyze leadership styles in a seminar. It was bored to tears. Perhaps that is the hidden reason why I think "Top Gun" is overrated. That, or it just is. Maybe. Who am I to say? No one. I take it back. "Top Gun" is fine. It’s all completely subjective. I don’t plan to criticize any more major motion pictures in this 365. Ha.

Operation  365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 140 “The Tony Gwynn Blues” by Jefferson Jay

I’ve been meaning to get to this one. A few days ago would have been San Diego icon Tony Gwynn’s birthday. He passed away a few years back. He was from here, starred in football and baseball at San Diego State. Then Tony was the best thing ever about the San Diego Padres by a lot for 20 years. He was a first ballot Hall of Famer and then coached the San Diego State Aztecs baseball team, which played in Tony Gwynn Stadium, until his tragic death of mouth cancer a couple years back. Damn tobacco.

I had love for Tony even as a boy back in New Jersey. I remember he first came up in 1982 and his 1983 Topps rookie card was a personal favorite. So, I wrote this blues tune the day Tony Gwynn died and he is still hugely missed in San Diego. Peace Tony.

Incidentally, this version was recorded on a clay pot in 1910. Hail Sepia…

Well, change of plans, due to an audio malfunction and my sepia color scheme unfortunately making it appear that I’m in blackface, I’ll have to try this one again another time.

Operation  365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 140 “Born to Be Alive” by Jefferson Jay

Instead this tune gets to live. Hooray. It may not have survived otherwise. I ripped it out of my mind a few days ago. Here, we’ll give it wings and see if it can fly.

Shoutout to Shinehead, who I quoted in the middle of this tune. Raggamuffin Roughneck Shinehead.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 140 “Rusty Kuntz"

Was watching Yanks-Royals a tad during Open Mic at Winston's last night. They must have been talking a bunch about first base coach Rusty Kuntz, 'cause he was on the screen a long time. This led to a chat with my man Travis Oliver about Rusty Kuntz and that led to a Facebook thread today starring not only Mr. Kuntz, but former Beavers pitcher Dick Pole and late NASCAR driver Dick Trickle. 

Here, I review what I just told you and add another name to long line line of dignitary sports superstars. Hail to those guys. They deserve it.