I Love L.A.
Born Standing Up, Cali Crawl, The Monkees, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Slanted Sidewalk
Fave Five 23: I Love L.A. Stand-up Steve (Born Standing Up), Cali Crawl (Roberta’s, Lokal, SHOOP’S), Mickey’s Monkees (The Monkees), Lakers Legend (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and a Slanted Sidewalk.
I had a lovely weekend in Los Angeles visiting my daughter Kathy, my brother David, and my Clayton High School classmate Tom Marcus and his wife Susan. Kathy lives in Marina del Rey, David lives in Valley Glen, and Tom and Susan live in South Pasadena.
On Saturday Kathy and I had lunch at two great spots, Roberta’s and Lokal. We then met friends at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato Grill, Jazz, etc. to hear my brother perform with his great jazz band. David played the piano and keyboard, along with Robbie Wyckoff (vocals), Grant Geissman (guitar), Hussain Jiffry (bass and vocals), Jeff Olson (drums and percussion), Brandon Fields (sax), and Walt Fowler (trumpet).
They played two sold-out shows, and the audience loved them. A highlight was when the band left the stage and David performed a solo piano version of “Stardust.”
I got to catch up with Tom before and after the show. During the second set, Tom, Susan, and I stood outside the club for another hour, reminiscing and laughing. It was a magical evening.
On Sunday I walked around Kathy’s neighborhood during a light rain and snapped the photo for this week’s Picture Pun. We met David for brunch and the sun came out. The three of us strolled Santa Monica Beach and peeked in at Shutters on the Beach Hotel. After hanging out with David the rest of the afternoon, I drove back to Santa Barbara. After a weekend of family, friends, and food, along with joyous jazz and waterfront walking, I left, loving L.A. lots.
Book Best Bet
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
Steve was raised in Inglewood, California and wrote and starred in the movie L.A. Story. I am a fan of him as a comedian, actor, author, producer, and musician. Years ago, when our family was driving to a midwinter vacation in Hilton Head, I was listening to Pure Drivel on audiobook. I nearly drove off the highway I was laughing so hard at “Side Effects.” I have seen him perform several times with The Steep Canyon Rangers and with Martin Short. I love the movies Parenthood, Roxanne, and L.A. Story, the TV series Only Murders in the Building, and his frequent appearances on Saturday Night Live.
I found this book both informative and entertaining. I recommend it to other fans of Steve’s work. Here is a summary by James Clear.
From Amazon: The riveting, mega-bestselling, beloved and highly acclaimed memoir of a man, a vocation, and an era named one of the ten best nonfiction titles of the year by Time and Entertainment Weekly.
In the mid-seventies, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. This book is, in his own words, the story of “why I did stand-up and why I walked away.”
Emmy and Grammy Award–winner, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company, and a regular contributor to The New Yorker, Martin has always been a writer. His memoir of his years in stand-up is candid, spectacularly amusing, and beautifully written.
At age ten Martin started his career at Disneyland, selling guidebooks in the newly opened theme park. In the decade that followed, he worked in the Disney magic shop and the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott’s Berry Farm, performing his first magic/comedy act a dozen times a week. The story of these years, during which he practiced and honed his craft, is moving and revelatory. The dedication to excellence and innovation is formed at an astonishingly early age and never wavers or wanes.
Martin illuminates the sacrifice, discipline, and originality that made him an icon and informs his work to this day. To be this good, to perform so frequently, was isolating and lonely. It took Martin decades to reconnect with his parents and sister, and he tells that story with great tenderness. Martin also paints a portrait of his times—the era of free love and protests against the war in Vietnam, the heady irreverence of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late sixties, and the transformative new voice of Saturday Night Live in the seventies.
Throughout the text, Martin has placed photographs, many never seen before. Born Standing Up is a superb testament to the sheer tenacity, focus, and daring of one of the greatest and most iconoclastic comedians of all time.
Restaurant Recommendations
Cali Crawl
Kathy came up with three recommendations for dining near her during my visit. I’m very pleased that we share a love of good food — all three choices were excellent.
Roberta’s Pizza 8810 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Kathy raved about this place, and after dining there, I certainly agreed with her. We started with the tasty Green Lettuces salad (market herbs, with sea lettuce and anchovy vinaigrette, pecarino fiore sardo, and caper breadcrumbs). Then we were delighted with the Bee Sting pizza (tomato, soppressata, mozzarella, chili, honey, and basil).
We were tempted to try one of their unusual-looking bread dishes, but we resisted and instead moved on to our second stop.
Lokal Sandwich and Burger Bar 701 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Kathy introduced me to Bành Mi sandwiches in New York ten years ago, and I have loved them ever since. Lokal claims to have the best Bành Mi sandwiches in Los Angeles, and Kathy suggested we split one here. I am a big fan of tacos and tortas al pastor but had never had this on a Bành Mi before. It was mighty good and went well with Thai iced tea.
From the restaurant’s site: Lokal Sandwich Shop is a neighborhood fast-casual restaurant serving dishes made with only quality ingredients paired with friendly service. We specialize in Bành Mi sandwiches along with other creatively crafted dishes. We care about our food and take pride in serving our customers only the best. From artisan hand-shaped bread to locally roasted coffee, every item is served with love. We are passionate about sharing our culinary journey one neighborhood at a time.
SHOOP’S European Deli & Cafe 2400 Main St, Santa Monica, CA
David met us here for Sunday brunch. We sat outside in the sunshine and had a fine meal together. David ordered the Salmon Scramble: scrambled eggs with spinach, onion, and cream cheese, topped with our house smoked salmon and dill. Kathy had the Gravlax open-faced sandwich (cured salmon): house cured gravlax, cucumber, tomato, dill, lemon, and mustard-dill sauce, served on multigrain.
In honor of my sister Ann and her husband David, I picked The Clevelander: grilled corned beef with Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, sauerkraut, mustard, and horseradish, served on ciabatta with the optional fried egg. This was a truly outstanding combination. We shared two of their famous bacon pancakes: buttermilk pancakes filled with crumbled bacon. As advertised in the menu, they were sooo good with maple syrup.
From the restaurant’s site: SHOOP'S specializes in innovative breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, & soups in the European tradition of quality and freshness. Our cafe & market is a neighborhood favorite, and our customers are like family.
SHOOP'S is a family owned and operated business since 2000. We have been a neighborhood establishment in Santa Monica for over 14 years. We started with an ideal to provide fresh, quality food and European grocery to those with a discerning palate. Our focus is our neighborhood, striving to provide quality and service to the locals as well as those visiting our community. Many customers feel like coming to SHOOP’S is like a good home cooked meal. People really feel at home here, and we love that!
SHOOP'S is not only a great spot for your favorite sandwich, salad, soup, or breakfast, but we stock a wide range of German, Dutch, and Scandinavian imported foods. We have the best and most extensive selection of European candy in town.
Marvelous Musicians
Today is Micky Dolenz’s 78th birthday. He was born in Los Angeles and is the last surviving member of The Monkees.
I became a fan of the band in 1967 when "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" (written by Neil Diamond) made it to Number 2. I was not a fan of the TV show and didn't think they were as good as their contemporaries, but I did like them and bought their albums. There were rumors back then that The Monkees didn't play their own instruments on their records, which hurt their reputation. This turned out to be true, but also for other more-respected bands, including The Beach Boys and The Byrds, who also used The Wrecking Crew for many of their recordings.
Quite a few of their songs have held up well. I particularly like "She," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)," "Sometime in the Morning," "I'm a Believer," "You Just May Be The One," "Shades of Gray," "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round," "Daydream Believer," "Valleri," and "Listen to the Band."
On July 8,1967, The Monkees began a 29-date tour with Jimi Hendrix as the supporting act. He was dropped after six shows after being told his act was not suitable for their teenybopper audience.
From Wikipedia: The Monkees are an American rock and pop band originally active between 1966 and 1971, with reunion albums and tours in the decades that followed. Their original lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork with English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conceived in 1965 by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider specifically for the situation comedy series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968. The band's music was initially supervised by record producer Don Kirshner, backed by the songwriting duo of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.
The four actor/musicians were initially allowed only limited roles in the recording studio for the first few months of their five-year career This was due in part to the amount of time required to film the television series. Nonetheless, Nesmith composed and produced some songs from the beginning, and Tork contributed limited guitar work on the sessions produced by Nesmith. All four contributed lead vocals to various tracks. They eventually fought for the right to collectively supervise all musical output under the band's name, acting as actors, musicians, singers, songwriters, and producers.
Spurred by the success of the show, the Monkees were one of the most successful bands of the 1960s. The band sold more than 75 million records worldwide making them one of the biggest-selling groups of all time.
George Michael Dolenz Jr. (born March 8, 1945 in Los Angeles)
Robert Michael Nesmith (born December 30, 1942 in Houston; died December 10, 2021 in Carmel Valley, California)
Peter Halsten Thorkelson (born February 13, 1942 in Washington, DC; died February 21, 2019 in Mansfield, Connecticut)
David Thomas Jones (born December 30, 1945 in Manchester, England; died February 29, 2012 in Stuart, Florida)
I'm A Believer
Daydream Believer
Shades of Gray
What Am I Doing Hangin' Round
My Playlist
Sports Star
Not to be outdone by Steve Martin’s diverse accomplishments, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did more than change the game of basketball. After his stellar NBA career, he went on to become a bestselling author, actor, filmmaker, ambassador of education, Time Magazine columnist, newsletter producer, and community activist. On Saturday he appeared on Chris Rock’s live Netflix performance and wrote about it in his newsletter.
As Lew Alcindor, he won three championships with UCLA and one with the Milwaukee Bucks. He and Bill Walton were the two greatest UCLA players of all time, but Lew gets the edge due to his three titles as compared to Bill’s two. As Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Among many great L.A. Lakers, including Jerry West and Magic Johnson, he was the greatest.
I think he was the greatest basketball player of all time. He won 71 straight games in high school. He won 88 of 90 games in college, including national titles in all three years in which he was eligible. Until LeBron James recently passed him on the NBA career scoring list, he had been the leader. This despite entering the league at an age four years older than LeBron and making only one three-point shot in his career.
The rules of the game were changed for both college and high school basketball as a direct result of his dominance, when dunking was outlawed for ten years. This fact, coupled with his 88-2 record in college, his NBA career totals, and all of his championships, seals the deal for me.
But on top of all that, he is a wonderful person. He loves humor, music, reading, writing, and watching movies, TV shows, and sentimental YouTube videos. I recommend subscribing to and reading Kareem’s weekly Substack newsletter.
From Wikipedia: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr on April 16, 1947 in Harlem, New York) is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was a 19-time NBA All-Star—tied for the most ever—a 15-time All-NBA Team member, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. He was a member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach and was twice voted the NBA Finals MVP. He was named to three NBA anniversary teams (35th, 50th, and 75th).[1] Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he was called the greatest basketball player of all time by Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, and Julius Erving. Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA's career scoring leader from 1984 to 2023.
Abdul-Jabbar was known as Lew Alcindor when he played at parochial high school Power Memorial in New York City, where he led their team to 71 consecutive wins. He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins, winning three consecutive national championships under head coach John Wooden. Alcindor was a record three-time most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament. Drafted with the first overall pick by the one-season-old Bucks franchise in the 1969 NBA draft, he spent six seasons in Milwaukee. After leading the Bucks to its first NBA championship at age 24 in 1971, he took the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Using his trademark skyhook shot, he established himself as one of the league's top scorers. In 1975, he was traded to the Lakers, with whom he played the final 14 seasons of his career in which they won five additional NBA championships. Abdul-Jabbar's contributions were a key component in the Showtime era of Lakers basketball. Over his 20-year NBA career, his teams succeeded in making the playoffs 18 times and got past the first round 14 times; his teams reached the NBA Finals on ten occasions.
At the time of his retirement at age 42 in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA's all-time leader in points (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goal attempts (28,307), blocked shots (3,189), defensive rebounds (9,394), and personal fouls (4,657). He remains the all-time leader in field goals made and field goal attempts. He is ranked third all-time in both rebounds and blocked shots. ESPN named him the greatest center of all time in 2007, the greatest player in college basketball history in 2008, and the second-best player in NBA history (behind Michael Jordan) in 2016. Abdul-Jabbar has also been an actor, a basketball coach, a best-selling author, and a martial artist, having trained in Jeet Kune Do under Bruce Lee and appeared in his film Game of Death (1972). In 2012, Abdul-Jabbar was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U.S. global cultural ambassador. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Alcindor made his varsity debut as a sophomore in 1966 and received national coverage. Sports Illustrated described him as "The New Superstar" after he scored 56 points in his first game, which broke the UCLA single-game record held by Gail Goodrich. He averaged 29 points per game during the season and led UCLA to an undefeated 30–0 record and a national championship, their third title in four years. After the season, the dunk was banned in college basketball in an attempt to curtail his dominance; critics subbed it the "Alcindor Rule". It was not rescinded until the 1976–77 season. Alcindor was the main contributor to the team's three-year record of 88 wins and only two losses: one to the University of Houston in which Alcindor had an eye injury, and the other to crosstown rival USC who played a "stall game"; there was no shot clock in that era, allowing the Trojans to hold the ball as long as it wanted before attempting to score. They limited Alcindor to only four shots and 10 points.
Trivia: Kareem was 1 for 18 on 3-point shots during his career for an average of .056%. This was the only aspect of basketball in which he did not excel.
Lew Alcindor, Michigan, and the mystery of the big what-if?
Abdul-Jabbar says he nearly ended up at Michigan, not once, but twice. This may feel like folklore torn from the half-truths of history, but, indeed, the second-highest scorer in NBA history was nearly a Wolverine. “At one time,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in an e-mail to The Athletic. “Michigan had been in serious contention for me to attend.”
Abdul-Jabbar said that when considering transferring after his 1966-67 sophomore season, he remembered back to Elmo Morales and Cazzie Russell: “These two exceptional athletes made a pretty compelling case for me to attend Michigan, which I hadn’t forgotten two years later when I was considering jumping from UCLA.” He also remembered the campus, the trees, the buildings. “All this went through my mind during those days of frustration,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in the e-mail.
There was also another possible midwest landing spot. For the 2014 book, Wooden: A Coach’s Life, Lucius Allen told author Seth Davis that he and Alcindor considered going to Michigan State as a package deal. Allen claimed they had an agreement with MSU boosters and “it was a done deal.”
Picture Pun
I’m tilting toward this tree as the root of the problem as to why I fell off the sidewalk.
