How much food can you eat right before talking about George Antheil? That was the challenge I faced this afternoon, while setting up for my talk about Trenton’s greatest musical son. Thank you so much to the Rotary Club of Trenton, New Jersey for inviting of me. I’ve written a lot about the composer, both here and in actual print, and played more than my share of his music on the radio. I’d never been to a Rotary Club meeting before, and it was pure Americana. With a lot of food!

Here’s something I forgot I had in my own collection. I came across it yesterday in the course of my preparations (having also reread Antheil’s flamboyant autobiography, “Bad Boy of Music”). “Two Odes of John Keats” is just about perfect for October, especially as the spoken part is taken by Vincent Price! Antheil himself is at the keyboard.

Believe it or not, I also drove across the bridge at Washington’s Crossing yesterday while listening to Antheil’s overture “McKonkey’s Ferry” – a piece actually inspired by Washington’s crossing! No doubt, my crossing was infinitely more pleasurable than Washington’s.

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