Great Flightless Birds &c

The moa, a large extinct bird from New Zealand, apparently had a decade-long adolescence – which may help explain how early hunters were able to wipe out the giant bird.

[The] moa may have had the luxury of growing up at a leisurely pace, as they had few natural predators besides the giant Haast’s eagle.

That all changed, however, when the first humans – the Maori – arrived in New Zealand about 700 years ago and began hunting the birds extensively – often only eating the best bits, like the 'drumsticks,' and leaving the rest.

Slackerdom proved fatal for the moa.

Of course, I welcome any excuse to post the pic (above) of 19th-century anatomist Richard Owen and a skeleton of the giant extinct bird.

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Listen to a clip of "Ostrich Walk" done by Bix Beiderbecke with Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra.

Len Weinstock writes in an essay at Red Hot Jazz, "The Birth of the Cool 1927":

Who was the father of Cool Jazz? Miles Davis? Lester Young? Stan Getz? Gerry Mulligan? The answer, is none of the above. Cool Jazz has its roots as early as 1927 in the wonderful collaborations of cornetist Bix Beiderbecke and C-melody saxman Frank (Tram) Trumbauer! Bix and Tram were closely associated as early as 1925 and developed a tight musical rapport. They both used a linear, relaxed and lyrical style and were the first to offer an alternative to the searing, passionate and extroverted music that characterized the Jazz Age. They were inspired not only by Louis Armstrong but also by the modern classical composers like Debussey, Ravel and Stravinsky and as a result were the first to use intriguing harmonies and intervals based on whole tone scales in their improvisations.

Also at Red Hot Jazz: another essay on Bix and Tram and an outstanding selection of their music.

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My apologies for the near extinction of posts of late: A new job has left little time for blogging. Hope to be posting more soon!