Squid Ink?

Evidently the Sunday magazine of America's paper of record is concerned about losing readers who want to see more body modification coverage. Who doesn't, really? In any case, the feature on chef tattoos has the Cod jazzed. It stands to reason, given a tendency towards obsessiveness, and as Anthony Bourdain tells us,  a high threshold of pain. These factors, however, do not entirely explain a decision to festoon your arm permanently with Alice Waters rocking a cloche. Make no mistake. The Cod is a fan. Hopes to eat at Chez Panisse someday. Has 10 lb of her pancetta recipe curing in the fridge right now. This tattoo is further than I would go,  but Nino Mancari, I salute you: "'I wanted to do a tribute to American food,' said the chef at Fish On! in Lewes, Del. Eventually I'll get James and Julia, and with Alice it'll be the holy trinity." I would like to be at Chez Panisse when Mr. Mancari eats there--I hope this warrants a free app, at least. Hard to tell though--when the cinetrix and Cod were married, we dined a deux here  after the reception, still in our finery and none of the flinty rockabilly servers batted an eyelash, or comped us so much as a draft Bud.

Elsewhere in the same feature, the awesomeness of the ink of Jill Barron sweeps all before it. It is hard not to have a crush on a lady who tattoos the words "Duck Fat" on her arm: "'I love duck fat,' said Jill Barron, the executive chef at De Cero, a Mexican restaurant in Chicago  'I love cooking with it; I love rendering it. It's my favorite fat.' Barron originally wanted ''duck fat'' tattooed in ornate English letters, but decided the words needed a feminine feel." Word. Elsewhere, Barron rocks a corncob and a Landjaeger sausage. Will someone please go  to  De  Cero and tell me how it is? 

The odd radish out is from the arm of  Hugh Acheson, who presides at the excellent  Five and Ten in Athens, GA, to whence the cinetrix and I hope to return soon.  But I am eager for intelligence on DeCero--especially in light of this  final bit of adornment Ms. Barron sports at right. In light of the Waters/Beard/Child triumvirate, the Cod wants to know what triumvirate you would have tattooed, or have had tattooed. Feel free to comment below.  In his younger days, the Cod threatened a Cape Fear-sized backpiece of Jonathan Edwards, but luckily never got around to it. Finally, this song, one of many treasures from  Optimo's mix CD, How to Kill the DJ, Part II has been played by me to the distraction of my nearest and dearest. Andre Williams is a personal favorite of America's #1 Jazz Audio Documentarian, who may offer more info on this track, but for now, I would like to send it out as a long distance dedication to Jill Barron. Also, I am eager for any information on any actual dance that could be performed to this song. 

Andre Williams, "Bacon Fat"From How to Kill the DJ, Part 2, 2004 (Original 7" release, Fortune, 1957)

Comments

[#1 Jazz Audio Documentarian]

Funny, I saw Andre (He's still the Black Godfather) a couple weeks ago. I should have asked him about it again. I'll take a look in the millions of hours of interview tape I have with him and see what that says. Somewhere around the Net is an 11 minute medley of Andre in Europe with the Countdowns where he does a little bit of Bacon Fat as well as Sweet Little Pussy Cat, Pass the Biscuits, and others.

Thanks for the compliment.

Would you pass the biscuits please?

[#1 Jazz Audio Documentarian]

More on Bacon Fat from All Music. I'm still looking for the Andre interview.

Doing his Fortune stint, Williams kept busying playing the popular clubs in Detroit and other locales, including the Flamingo Club in Memphis, TN. His biggest solo hit, "Bacon Fat," occurred during a drive to Memphis' Flamingo Club. When he got back to Detroit he persuaded Devora Brown to book a session. Fortune's recording studio was in the back room of a record shop the Browns owned. "Bacon Fat" was Williams' third single for Fortune; he didn't even have the lyrics written, but hurried and did so on a napkin while Ms. Brown busied herself setting up the studio mics. Thank God for DJ Frantic Eddie Durham, who observed the session. He was the only one down with what was going on. Everyone else, including Joe Weaver, thought Williams was wasting time and money with this talk-singing. Williams and Durham proved them wrong when "Bacon Fat" took off, becoming, with "The Wind" by Nolan Strong & the Diablos, Fortune's most popular record. Williams starting talking instead of singing because he knew he couldn't compete vocally with the Nolan Strong, Clyde McPhatter, Little Willie John, Jackie Wilson, and others. He created a new style that was later adapted by Harvey Fuqua ("Any Way You Wanna"), Jerry-O, Shorty Long, Bootsy Collins, and others.

[Jill Barron]

HI! Thanks for all the nice things said, please come in and eat, we are supercasual, and Cod, if you come in , give me a little notice & I will do a cod taco in your honor!

[James Burney]

A great blog with some fantastic information. This is a real inspiration and has helped me loads. I myself have just got into writing blogs and would appreciate any advice in terms of content and blog layout etc. Any feedback would be good so don't pull back on the punches as feedback is the breakfast of champs so they say. Cheers James