Get on your "Mark's"...Heaven on Earth...Baseball and Rock & Roll...
- Thomas Tittmann
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
"Peace on Earth...Goodwill to all..."
This story began last week as I was watching a video from one of my favorite children's choirs: The Barton Hill Children's Choir from Austin, Texas (song is near the end).
Listening to their refrain of the Grateful Dead's "He's Gone..." and seeing the baseball park venues in their video immediately reminded me of a departed friend and fellow Sunday School teacher, Mark Tarantino. And as I re-watched the first video that follows, I remembered another "Mark"...musician Mark Phillips...
SCORECARD
PART I - Is There Baseball in Heaven?
Eileen and I spent many wonderful years with the folks at this Malverne, NY church. In 2010, the choir got to perform at Citi Field. Seems we had someone on the "inside" - as one of our parishioners also named Mark worked for the Mets...
His tale continues in Part II.
As I see all the faces...I'm filled with emotions every time I watch this video : )))
Here's Paul Ammendola taking the lead...You'll hear more from him in Part II...
Grateful Cubs
[from the creator] "Today the Dancing Bears remind us of the unity and celebration music brings to our lives echoing the legacy of Owsley and the Grateful Dead..."
Grateful Giants
"Gone...but not forgotten..."
PART II: Is there Rock & Roll in heaven? Why wait to find out...
Exhibit A: Mark Phillips and the Broken Arrow Band...
Below...Mark's on the right...layin' it on the line...
That story mentions this collaboration between Broken Arrow and another Long Island band: Red Words that featured Mark.
Exhibit B: Mark Phillips, Paul Ammendola and the Red Words Band...
Mark, Paul and the rest of the band...
Mark defies gravity as he "lays it down..."
Exhibit C: Combo...Mark Phillips, Paul Ammendola and the Red Words Band...
Here's a shot of Mark and his mate Mary C.M. Phillips on keyboard. She's also pens poetry...some of it found its way onto buses in PA...Check out this post.
Exhibit D: Extra Sets...Grammy Award Winning Producer/ Engineer Larry Mitchell and Mark Phillips
Rock & Roll Heaven
In case you're still wondering if there's Rock & Roll in heaven...
"There's a Grateful Dead song for every occasion..."
So says friend and former fellow surfer, Steve B...and he's right...
Before continuing these reflections, P A U S E...and remember friends, family and other loved ones who have passed over to the other side...
We miss you, Phil (RIP 2025)...
[from the description] "This is a rare near-contemporary hit the Grateful Dead covered, joining Hey Jude from 1969 and Werewolves Of London in 1978. Robbie Robertson wrote the song and included it on his 1987 solo debut album. In 1991, Pop superstar Rod Stewart covered the song, and less than two years after its release, the Grateful Dead started covering it, sung by Phil Lesh. A very welcome addition to the setlist." - David Lemieux
Postscript: Teach Your Children...to be GRATEFUL...
Deuteronomy 6:7 SFV (1) Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
(1) What version is this?
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