There are few things more delightful than the Pince Nez at Rock Town Hall. What’s great about this moment goes beyond the brazen display of rock nerd one-upmanship: those who don the Pince Nez in the Halls of Rock almost always educate us in the most unexpected way! In October, The Great 48 whipped out a motherload of education on us in response to a Townsman’s claim that Ian Whitcomb “vanished into obscurity.” The Great One wrote:
Er…Ian Whitcomb hardly disappeared into obscurity. He’s probably the leading living expert on the early days of popular music, from Stephen Foster to the 1920s. He’s written books on the subject (I have an autographed copy of his AFTER THE BALL, which my friend Janet Klein gave me in exchange for writing her official bio a few years ago; he’s something of a mentor to her), and compiled and annotated several excellent collections of said music. Plus he did a terrific album a few years ago as Ian Whitcomb and the White Star Orchestra, which was a recreation of the sort of music that would have been played on the ocean liners of the Titanic era.
Not rawk, tis true, but Ian Whitcomb is a bit of a legend in musicological circles.
Only in the Comments section of Rock Town Hall! You rock.
Again, you’re far too kind. I shall endeavor to continue my streak, and I hope to incorporate the word “fucktard” into my next winner.