American Airlines greets you with Mewer Till Dawn

Mewer tonight at the hospital. See him larger with narrative here.

If you'll pardon the possibly obscure reference, I'll try to explain it. Or you may just chalk it up to a significant lightening of spirit upon seeing how well my handsome little trooper was getting along tonight at SouthPaws ;-)

You'll notice - no more ga ga eyeballs, as he's requiring less happy juice after his surgery.

Anyhow, if you know me you're probably aware of the sometimes bizarrely arcane synapses that can start firing off when photos and music are brought within sparking distance.

Like fr'instance...

I'd planned to go to the Kennedy Center tonight to hear the NSO play my favorite Brahms Symphony (No. 2).

Of course that was before it became obvious from Mewer's last potassium emergency that surgery needed to happen sooner, not later.

So, after a happy visit with my little guy, I figured a good stout shot of Brahms No. 2 on the audio system while I edited my photos of Mewer, Dr. Keil, and Nurse Maka would be the next best thing.

And as Maestro Bruno Walter and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra launched into the Academic Festival Overture (it precedes the Symphony on this favorite CD, such that I always think of it as THE prelude to the magnificence of good ol' Number Two), I flash back to American Airlines once-upon-a-time overnight program of classical music and light classics/lush orchestral selections. "Music Till Dawn" was hosted by a select group of the finest broadcasters to grace a microphone and it covered the country via CBS Radio owned-and-operated stations. It was on AM radio, but I suppose that added to the night-time mystique...who could mind the occasional fade when considering such magnificent music was covering boundless distances under starry skies...kind of like those silver 707 Flagships or the remarkable Electra-IIs, their powerful Allison 501 turboprop engines making their own unique music.

Back then, car makers actually cared about the quality of their AM radios, and I still vividly remember driving at night in my '63 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible and being able to tune in WBBM in Chicago, sounding almost local if the atmospherics were good, to hear Jay Andres hosting Music Till Dawn. He became my favorite of the high class stable of American Airlines hosts. Rich baritone with easy-going style (unlike some unnamed tyros who poison classical music with precious and effete affectations on certain other forms of radio).

I'd make sure that juicy sounding AM radio in the Galaxie was tuned to WBBM at 12:30 AM (11:30 PM Chicago time) and enjoy that splendid arrangement of "That's All," the program's signature,which would swell and fade under Jay's rich baritone...

"American Airlines greets you with Music Till Dawn." 

Ahhhh...

Whether Jay Andres was introducing the Academic Festival Overture or suggesting how your local travel agent could arrange for a jet powered magic carpet to whisk you off to delightful destinations...well, he just had you in a very special space while cruising past the lighted monuments along the Potomac with the Galaxie's top open to the stars.

I don't know if Jay was a cat person, but as I looked at this photo of Mewer...and Bruno Walter conducted Brahms No. 2...I had to think if he were to come back as a cat...he'd be Mewer. Maybe that has to do with Mewer's rich baritone purr-r-r-r.

No, I've not been imbibing...though I shall raise a glass shortly and maybe hit "repeat" on the CD player for another sublime shot of Brahms.

Oh, Mewer? If you haven't already guessed, my little boy's doing fine. Thank you, SouthPaws.

©2017 Steve Ember