Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This important event took place April 6, 1917, during Woodrow Wilson's presidency.

2) A terrible tragedy took place at 11:40 PM on April 14, 1912. What happened?

3) This measuring scale for tornadoes is analogous to the Richter scale for earthquakes. What is its name?

4) One of the most despised figures in human history was born April 20, 1889. Who was he?

Answers:

1) Congress declared war against Germany, leading to U.S. involvement in WWI.

2) The "unsinkable" Titanic struck an iceberg.

3) The Fujita scale.

4) Adolf Hitler.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This city's nickname is "Nashville West." What city is it?

2) This northern Alabama city is known as "Rocket City." What city is it?

3) U.S. Highway 101 is known by this on its stretch through California's sequoia country.

4) This city in New Mexico is named for a 1940's radio program. What's the town's name?

Answers:

1) Branson, MO

2) Huntsville

3) "The Redwood Highway"

4) Truth or Consequences

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) Today is the birthday of Poncé Kiah Marchelle Heloise Cruse Evans, a columnist known better as ____________?

2) By water content, how much snow is equal to one inch of rain?

3) Which state has the shortest ocean coastline?

4) Under what pseudonym did Agatha Christie write her romance novels?

Answers:

1) Heloise.

2) Ten inches.

3) New Hampshire.

4) Mary Westmacott

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What country drinks the most coffee per capita?

2) On April 14, 1910, William Howard Taft started the custom of a president doing what?

3) On April 14, 1775, the first organization for the abolition of slavery was organized. Can you name who organized it?

4) According to emergency room records, when are you most likely to crash into a glass door (what time of day)?

Answers:

1) The Swedes drink more coffee than anyone.

2) Throwing out the first ball of the baseball season.

3) Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush.

4) Late afternoon.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Why was The Muppet Show banned in Saudi Arabia?

2) Who was the first African-American to win an Oscar for best actor?

3) What U.S. state bears the nickname "Ocean State"?

4) On April 13, 1782, a town was incorporated and named after George Washington -- in which state?

Answers:

1) One of its stars was a pig.

2) Sidney Poitier.

3) Rhode Island, also lovingly known as "Little Rhody."

4) North Carolina.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was the first TV series with an African-American co-star?

2) What was the first racially integrated group of jazz musicians?

3) How many events are included in the modern Olympic decathlon?

4) Which president had the greatest electoral vote victory? For bragging rights, give the electoral vote tally.

Answers:

1) I Spy, which starred Bill Cosby and Robert Culp.

2) The Benny Goodman Quartet: Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, and Lionel Hampton.

3) There are 10 events in the Olympic decathlon.

4) In 1980, Ronald Reagan defeated Walter Mondale by an electoral vote count of 525 to 13.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which state, located on the U.S. eastern seaboard, has registered 16 earthquakes since 1974?

2) When naming aircrafts, what do the letters T, F and B stand for?

3) What jazz trumpet icon was heralded as the "Prince of Darkness" by media hounds and music critics, none of whom could seem to break the ice in their interviews with this master?

4) The ancient Romans called their symbol the "king of birds." What type of bird preceded each marching legion?

Answers:

1) Maine.

2) Trainer, Fighter, and Bomber, respectively.

3) Miles Davis. There is nothing dark about Davis' "Kind of Blue," one of the most popular albums in jazz history -- supposedly unrehearsed before its recording. His "dark" side came later in his career as he moved in a direction that most critics could not understand (and Mr. Davis refused to talk to media idiots).

4) A golden eagle preceded each marching Roman legion.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This woman may have had the most perfect set of pipes in history. She recorded her famous tune "Lullaby in Birdland" with trumpeter Clifford Brown in 1954. Who is she?

2) On April 8, 1993, the first African-American singer to appear at New York's Metropolitan Opera died at age 91. What was her name?

3) This lovely lady is a wonderful pianist in addition to being one of today's greatest female jazz vocalists. Who is she (she's married to singer Elvis Costello)?

Answers:

1) Sarah Vaughan. Sarah Vaughan's voice was truly divine. Her range and physical ability were staggering. The album she recorded with Brown, titled "Sarah Vaughan," is well worth getting. Brilliant!

2) Marian Anderson.

3) Diana Krall.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On average, which organ accounts for 12% of an adult's weight?

2) In ancient Egypt, this animal was fed wine and cakes. When it died, not only was it embalmed, it was decorated with gold rings and placed on scales. What animal was it?

3) Peasants were not permitted to hunt in medieval England. To get around these obstacles and indulge their yen to hunt, what did they do?

4) A call known as "Last Post" has been sounded over British army soldiers' graves since 1885. In the U.S., "Taps" is played for the same function, but what was the initial purpose of playing "Taps"?

Answers:

1) the skin (Yes - the skin is an organ!)

2) The Nile Crocodile

3) The peasants resorted to training pigs as pointers and retrievers.

4) "Taps" began as a signal to extinguish lights, sounded at the end of each day. The graveside use is a metaphorical exension of the original intent.

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) The first version of a Cinderella story appeared in what country?

2) On April 6, 1909, who was the first man to stand at the North Pole?

3) The U.S. Congress recently bestowed the highest civilian honor on WASP members. What does WASP stand for?

4) The first U.S. Congress met March 4, 1789, declaring the Constitution as being in effect. In what city did this historic event take place?

Answers:

1) China

2) Robert Peary

3) WASP stands for Women Airforce Service Pilots. These women flew noncombat military missions in World War II.

4) Federal Hall in New York City

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) Which U.S. president's son served in a presidential cabinet in 1881?

2) Which U.S. president's wife had the same maiden name as his family name?

3) Gerry Mulligan is famous for playing which type of saxophone?

4) What famed author created the fictional character Perry Mason?

Answers:

1) Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert T. Lincoln, served as Secretary of War under President James Garfield and President Chester Arthur.

2) Franklin Roosevelt married Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

3) The baritone sax, although he did play the other saxophones, including the soprano.

4) Erle Stanley Gardner (1889-1970).

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In ancient Egypt it was a capital offense to kill this animal.

2) Prior to forming the Mahavishnu Orchestra, this British guitarist grew up playing the violin, traveled around as a blues player and worked extensively with Miles Davis.

3) The slogan for the graduating class of this institution is as follows: "Shoot straight, ride hard, dance well, and so live that you can look any man straight in the eye and tell him to go to hell."

4) The ancient Greeks played a game similar to American football. What did they use for a ball?

Answers:

1) It was a capital offense to kill a cat.

2) John McLaughlin

3) West Point

4) an inflated cow's bladder

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was the first ready-made food sold commercially?

2) What does the "e" in "e-mail" signify?

3) Which computer company was the first to achieve $1 billion in annual sales?

4) On this date in 1778, New Orleans businessman Oliver Pollock created this symbol that remains in daily use. What is it?

Answers:

1) Aunt Jemima's pancake flour

2) "electronic" mail

3) Apple

4)The dollar symbol: $

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This boxer, born on this date in 1878, was the first African-American to hold the heavyweight title. who was he?

2) Before his success as a solo artist, he was a lead singer for the Commodores. Whao was he?

3) This member of the Singing Cowboys was a WW2 pilot. Who was he?

4) This European nation colonized Florida.

Answers:

1) Jack Johnson

2) Lionel Richie

3) Gene Autry

4) Spain

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was Amerigo Vespucci's vocation?

2) On this date in 1842, Dr. Crawford Long became the first surgeon to do what?

3) On this date in 1964, Jeopardy debuted on NBC. Who was the host?

4) On this date in 1867, Secretary of State, William H. Seward purchased something for $7.2 million, at the time the purchase was considered a boondoggle, nicknamed "Seward's Folly." What was purchased?

Answers:

1) Mapmaker

2) Use anesthesia, specifically, ether, to perform surgery

3) Art Fleming

4) Alaska was purchased from Russia for .02 per acre.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is the highest achievable rank in the U.S. military?

2) This former movie star served as a member of the U.N. delegation and as ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslavakia.

3) Who is the only person to have been named to the College Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach?

4) What WW2 fighter pilot was the first to break the sound barrier?

Answers:

1) General of the Armies of the United States - achieved only by George Washington and John J. Pershing.

2) Shirley Temple Black

3) John Wooden

4) Chuck Yeager

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which president purchased Alaska from Russia?

2) This North Carolina university was known as Trinity College up until 1925, when it changed its name. What do we know it as today?

3) How many varieties of apples are there?

4) Who was the only president to enter and complete his term as a bachelor?

Answers:

1) Andrew Johnson

2) Duke University

3) There are more than 7,000 varieties.

4) James Buchanan

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What are four gemstones belong to the "precious" category?

2) The Federal Communications Commission regulates cell phones, but another federal agency regulates cell phones as well. Which agency is it?

3) This act was instituted in the mid-1800s to encourage settlement on undeveloped western federal land.

Answers:

1) Diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

2) The Food and Drug Administration monitors cell phone usage to determine the health effects of cell phone use.

3) The Homestead Act

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke formed what influential group in 1952?

2) Who was the big man from Texas nicknamed "Big T"?

3) Who was the Belgian-born gypsy who made his reputation as a musician in France, cemented it by performing with Duke Ellington in America, and was regarded as one of the first jazz masters on his instrument?

Answers:

1) The Modern Jazz Quartet; with Lewis on piano, Jackson on vibraphone, Heath on bass, and Clarke on drums. Connie Kay replaced Clarke in 1955, and this newer form of the group remained together until 1974 when they disbanded. They reformed, however, only seven years later in 1981.

2) Jack Teagarden, who was the trombonist with the Louis Armstrong Allstars, Hot Fives and Hot Sevens.

3) Django Reinhardt, the co-leader of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. He and French violinist Stephane Grappelli led the group to international renown. This group was interrupted by World War II; but afterwards, the pair traveled to the United States together.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1985, a famous piano man married a famous supermodel. Who were they?

2) Amanda Plummer's father is Christopher Plummer. Who is her mother?

3) This state's name is Spanish for snow-covered.

4) On this date in 1965, these two astronauts took off on the Gemini 3. Who were they?

Answers:

1) Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley

2) Tammy Grimes

3) Nevada

4) Gus Grissom and John Young

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Dwight Eisenhower won both of his election campaigns handily - both over the same opponent. Who was he?

2) Which city is known as the "Second City of Jazz"?

3) This state's name is a combination of two French words, meaning green and mountain. What's the state's name?

4) Lester Young played in what big band?

Answers:

1) Adlai Stevenson

2) Chicago

3) Vermont

4) Count Basie's band

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) How is vitamin D different from other essential vitamins?

2) Which presidents had commanded troops during wartime?

3) FNMA was founded in 1938 as part of FDR's New Deal. What is the full name of the program?

4) This substance is found in a number of areas of the body, functioning as a lubricant - it even protects the stomach walls from erosion. What is it?

Answers:

1) Vitamin D can be synthesized in the body and also is the only vitamin that is a hormone.

2) George Washington and James Madison

3) Federal National Mortgage Association

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) According to old English tradition, which part of a chicken is called the "parson's nose"?

2) Which jazz pianist is best known to fusion fans for playing the organ with the group "Return to Forever"?

3) Who was the alto saxophonist behind the landmark 1959 release, "The Shape of Jazz to Come", quite possibly the most foward-looking album of its decade?

4) This incredible percussionist recruited such talents as Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, and Lee Morgan during his tenure as one of the Jazz Messengers. Who was he?

Answers:

1) The rump.

2) Chick Corea

3) Ornette Coleman

4) Art Blakey

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In what year was the hijacking of airplanes officially outlawed?

2) How many bees live in a hive?

3) Which branch of the U.S. military service has the motto Semper Paratus?

4) What is the 20-minute rule for wine?

Answers:

1) 1961.

2) An average bee hive has 30,000 to 60,000 bees living in it. This population is easily maintained by a queen laying 1,000 to 3,000 eggs per day.

3) Semper Paratus (Always Ready) is the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard.

4) To assure full flavor, chill wine appropriately, observing the 20-minute rule. Pull whites out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving; put reds in the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What bridge, when completed over The Hudson River in 1931, was the world's longest suspension bridge?

2) "After all, tomorrow is another day" is the last line of what phenomenally popular 1939 film?

Answers:

1) The Geroge Washington Bridge

2) Gone With The Wind

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Billy Crystal attended college thanks to what kind of scholarship?

2) This famous WWII general was known as "Old Blood and Guts." Who was he?

3) In wartime this military branch serves under the U.S. Navy.

4) This elected official is in charge of the National Guard in peacetime.

Answers:

1) Baseball

2) General George Patton

3) The Coast Guard

4) Each state's governor commands the National Guard stationed in their particular state.

Alan Rock's Trivia! (for 3/4/11)

Questions:

Many jazz players are better known by their nicknames. What were the nicknames of the following players?

a) Roland Berrigan

b) William Cole

c) Joseph Oliver

d) Julian Adderly

Answers:

a) Bunny

b) Cozy

c) King

d) Cannonball

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the only president to have been head of a labor union?

2) Which fictional character is the most frequently portrayed in film?

3) On this date in 1931, what record became the first jazz recording to sell a million copies?

4) Kellogg's is the largest cereal maker in terms of revenue. Which company is the second largest?

Answers:

1) Ronald Reagan

2) Sherlock Holmes

3) "Minnie the Moocher" by Cab Calloway

4) General Mills

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This great jazz vocalist got her start by winning a talent contest, which gained the attention of bandleader, Chick Webb. Who was she?

2) Who was the only person to have ever been elected governor of two states?

3) This state didn't ratify the U.S. Bill of Rights until March 2, 1939. Which state was it that was so late to the party?

Answers:

1) Ella Fitzgerald

2) Sam Houston - Texas and Tennessee

3) Massachusetts

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What city hosted the first session of the United Nations General Assembly?

2) Jeff Hunter and Jack Lord were the original choices for this iconic role. (see February 17)

3) There are no nations or principalities whose names begin with this letter.

4) This state is the only one without any caves.

Answers:

1) London - January 1946

2) Captain James T. Kirk

3) "X"

4) Delaware

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1977 comedian Eddie Anderson died at the age of 71. He was featured for almost 20 years on radio and 15 years on television, playing the same character./ What was his character's name?

2) What are the most common and the most uncommon symbols an a national flag?

3) In 1804, this republic was the world's first black republic to be established as such. What is it called?

4) This tenor saxophonist first came to fame in Basie's band. Who was he?

Answers:

1) Jack Benny's valet, Rochester

2) The star is the most commonly used symbol, while the Dominican Republic's image of the Bible is the rarest.

3) Haiti

4) Lester Young

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1793, George Washington convened the first Cabinet meeting. Where was it held?

2) What does "url" stand for?

3) Who was the youngest man to be sworn in as president?

Answers:

1) The first Cabinet meeting was held in Washington's home.

2) Universal Resource Locator

3) Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in at 42 years old, following the assassination of William McKinley. John F. Kennedy was the youngest man to have been elected president.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is the best-selling jazz record of all time?

2) There have been three famous jazz musicians named Bill Evans. The pianist and the sax player kept their names, but the third Bill Evans changed his name. What name does the third Bill go by?

3) What was Ben Webster's nickname?

4) Paul Desmond had an agreement with his quartet leader, Dave Brubeck, that for any solo albums Paul recorded he would not do what?

Answers:

1) Kind of Blue - it still sells 5,000 copies a week.

2) Yusef Lateef. There is some debate on Lateef's real name. It may have been Bill Huddleston, but he did for a time go by Bill Evans.

3) "The Brute" - apparently Webster was a bit short-tempered and was known to throw an occasional punch.

4) Desmond agreed not to record with another pianist.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Our solar system was recently reduced to eight planets from the long-standing nine. Which planet was reclassified?

2) This drummer first performed professionally at the age of 18 months on the vaudeville stage. By 13 he was the leader of his own band. He entered into the big band era by drumming for Tommy Dorsey and Harry James, among others. He traveled successfully with his own big band even after the genre declined in popularity. Who was this percussionist?

Answers:

1) For an object to be a planet, it needs to meet these three requirements defined by the IAU (International Astronomical Union):

■ It needs to be in orbit around the Sun – Yes, so maybe Pluto is a planet.
■ It needs to have enough gravity to pull itself into a spherical shape – Pluto…check
■ It needs to have “cleared the neighborhood” of its orbit – Uh oh. Here’s the rule breaker. According to this, Pluto is not a planet. What does “cleared its neighborhood” mean? As planets form, they become the dominant gravitational body in their orbit in the Solar System. As they interact with other, smaller objects, they either consume them, or sling them away with their gravity. Pluto is only 0.07 times the mass of the other objects in its orbit. The Earth, in comparison, has 1.7 million times the mass of the other objects in its orbit. Any object that doesn’t meet this 3rd criteria is considered a dwarf planet. And so, Pluto is a dwarf planet.

2) Buddy Rich

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which president was the tallest. The shortest?

2) Who was the only grandchild of a president who became a president?

3) Clint Eastwood created one of film's most iconic characters in Dirty Harry. The role only went to him after the intended star, then others, turned it down. Who else was offered the role?

4) Which president started the tradition of throwing out the first pitch of baseball season?

Answers:

1) Lincoln was 6'4" and James Madison was 5'4".

2) Benjamin Harrison

3) The role was originally intended for Frank Sinatra. Sinatra turned it down and it was offered to John Wayne. Then Paul Newman. They refused. Eastwood accepted the role. Guess he felt lucky.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1953, the first 3D movie opened at Loew's State Theater in New York. What was the name of the film?

2) Who was the first African-American athlete to win an individual gold medal in the Winter Olympics?

3) What was the name of the Soviet cosmonaut who was the first man in space?

Answers:

1) Bwana Devil

2) Shani Davis won a gold medal in speed skating in the 2006 games in Turin

3) Yuri Gagarin

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is the hardest natural substance in existence?

2) Which two stars were originally tapped to play Captain Kirk?

3) Rod Serling wrote the screenplay for this movie after The Twilight Zone. What was the movie?

Answers:

1) Diamond

2) Jeff Hunter and Jack Lord

3) Planet of the Apes

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was Count Basie's theme song?

2) What television show had Archie Bleyer for its musical director?

3) What instrument did Eubie Blake play?

Answers:

1) "One O'Clock Jump"

2) The Arthur Godfrey Show

3) piano

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first female lead to star in a TV crime series?

2) Which president gave his State of the Union address six times in person and the final two in written form?

3) What do Merv Griffin, Soupy Sales, Ted Knight, Adam West and Ernest Borgnine all have in common?

Answers:

1) Anne Francis starred in Honey West

2) Woodrow Wilson. His final two were in written form due to a debilitating stroke.

3) They all started out as local market children's show hosts.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1)Who was the first U.S. president to be photographed while in office?

2) Who was the Creole musician from New Orleans who was the self proclaimed "inventor" of jazz?

3) When Louis Armostrong moved from New Orleans to Chicago in 1922 he was going to play with who's band?

Answers:

1) Feb 14, 1849, James Polk became the first. The photographer was Mathew Brady, who is famous for his Civil War Pictures.

2) Jelly Roll Morton. Jelly Roll Morton was a pianist and composer, and was undoubtedly one of the most influential and original musicians in the beginnings of jazz music. His claim to being its inventor, however, is somewhat dubious.

3) King Oliver. Joe Oliver was nicknamed "King" because he was the King of jazz trumpet. That was until his protege, Louis Armstrong, came on the scene. Louis had got his start playing with King in New Orleans. King moved to Chicago and started his band there. This gave Louis the opportunity to develop his unique ability for improvisation. When Louis moved to Chicago to play with King's band, he was suddlent the better player and was eventually convinced of this by the band's pianist Lillian Hardin, whom Louis later married. She convined him to go solo.

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) How much were the Beatles paid for their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"?
Q: Which tv actors made headlines when they locked lips in the first interracial kiss on US network television?
Q: Which artist recorded "West End Blues," one of the most perfect jazz songs of all time?
Q: As a teenager, Miles Davis got his first big break playing gigs with which jazz giant?

A: By today's standards, The Beatles earned a mere $2,400 for their February 9, 1964 Ed Sullivan appearance that was watched by an estimated 74 million viewers -- over 40 percent of the American population.
A: William Shatner (as Captain James T. Kirk) and Nichelle Nichols (as Lt. Uhura) made television history on November 22, 1968 with their interracial kiss on the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren".
A: Louis Armstrong. Three perfect minutes.
A: Charlie Parker. Miles, in his youth, played faster than he ever would.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This female singer was a regular at the Cotton Club, singing with Duke Ellington's band. Who was she?

2) This bop artist with the bass voice was born and died in Pittsburgh. Who was this singer/ bandleader, known as Mr. B?

3) This hyphenate is an accomplished jazz pianist and vocalist. She also happens to be married to prolific songwriter, Elvis Costello.

Answers:

1) Ivie Anderson

2) Billy Eckstine

3) Diana Krall

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This U.S. president was born on this date in 1773 and served the shortest term of any president. Who was he?

2) On this date in 1971, this pitcher was the first African-American player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Who was he?

3) On this date in 1997, The Simpsons became the longest-running prime-time animated TV series. Which series held the record prior to The Simpsons?

Answers:

1) William Harrison. He caught a cold on his inauguration which escalated into pneumonia and pleurisy, ending his life, and his term, only one month later.

2) The previous record holder, The Flintstones, lasted six seasons.

3) Satchel Paige

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Nick Nolte was born on this date in 1941. What was the name of his 1999 movie which co-starred Bruce Willis?

2) According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, your risk of being in an automobile accident increases by 34% if you do what while driving?

3) Which U.S. president was the first to have a radio in the White House?

Answers:

1) Breakfast of Champions

2) Talk on the phone

3) President Warren G. Harding

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) The 1998 Winter Olympics began on this date in 1998 in what city?

2) The last bare-knuckle boxing championship was held on this date in 1882. Who Won?

3) Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, originally wanted another actor to play Spock, the iconic role played by Leonard Nimoy. Who was Roddenberry's original choice for the role?

Answers:

1) Nagano, Japan

2) John L. Sullivan

3) Martin Landau

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This bassist and his fretless style exhibited a complexity that won him many admirers. He played with Weather Report, collaborated with Joni Mitchell and released solo work, but unfortunately, he died at the young age of 36. Who was he?

2) This percussionist had a gift for scouting and recruiting other talented musicians to play in his Jazz Messengers ensemble. Who was he?

Answers:

1) Jaco Pastorius

2) Art Blakey

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is Louis Armstrong's nickname?

2) What's Charlie Parker's nickname?

Answers:

1) Satchmo

2) Bird

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) With the evidence overwhelmingly against him, which U.S. president was accused of listening in the other party's campaign strategies?

2) When rumors were swirling around that this British pop star had died, he responded by saying, "I'm alive and living in Scotland." Who was he?

3) What was the name of Charles Lindbergh's plane that was flown for his famous solo trip from New York to Paris?

4) This rare comet was visible on the day Mark Twain was born and on the day he died. What is the name of the comet?

Answers:

1) Richard Nixon

2) Paul McCartney

3) The Spirit of St. Louis

4) Halley's Comet

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was Duke Ellington's first drummer?

2) In whose swing band did Dizzy Gillespie play?

3) Who was Duke Ellington's most prolific collaborator?

Answers:

1) Sonny Greer

2) Cab Calloway

3) Billy Strayhorn

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In colonial America, people in this profession were the ones called upon to make flags. What profession was it?

2) This post WW2 era trombonist was renowned for his renditions of "Laura" and "Misterioso" as well as for his own composition, "Blue Trombone." Who was he?

3) A vexillologist is an expert on what?

Answers:

1) Upholsterers

2) J.J. Johnson

3) flags

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:
1) Which famous author once said of "Huckleberry Finn"; "All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since"?

2) How many presidents have been impeached?

Answers:

1) Ernest Hemingway
2) 23 Two U.S. presidents have been impeached: Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth chief executive, and WIlliam J. Clinton, the forty - second.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was Count Basie's best known hit?

2) Who was the girl singer for Gene Krupa's band?

3) What was the extent of Mark Twain's formal education?

Answers:

1) "April in Paris"

2) Anita O'Day

3) He never graduated from elementary school.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This bandleader was famous for always asking the audience, "Is everybody happy?". Who was he?

2) Who played the "sweetest music this side of heaven"?

3) Which Apollo space mission was the first manned mission to the moon?

4) Who was known as "the Waltz King"?

Answers:

1) Ted Lewis

2) Guy Lombardo

3) Apollo 11

4) Wayne King

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who is considered Brazil's George Gershwin?

2) On this date, during his administration, this president was the first to hold a live television and radio broadcast of the presidential news conference. When and who?

3) This Harlem nightclub was made famous by Duke Ellington. What was its name?

4) What instrument did Gerry Mulligan play?

5) Irving Berlin was a hugely prolific songwriter. In all, how many songs did he write?

Answers:

1) Antonio Carlos Jobim, who was born on this date in 1927.

2) 1/25/1961; JFK

3) The Cotton Club

4) baritone saxophone

5) more than 900 songs, 19 musicals and 18 movies

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This state both raises and consumes the most turkey. Which state is it?

2) Which U.S. founding father said, "beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy"?

3) Ancient Egyptians trained their highly revered cats to do what?

4) This novel was the first to have been written entirely on a typewriter.

Answers:

1) California

2) Benjamin Franklin

3) retrieve waterfowl

4) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This president said that historians would not be able to properly assess his presidency until 50 years had gone by. Who was he? (Note: Alan just did this question 1/18. See January 18th entry.)

2) The front of the Veterans Affairs Administration's headquarters displays this quote: "to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan." Who first said these words?


Answers:

1) Nixon

2) Lincoln

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This Disney movie was the first full-length animated feature. It was released in 1937. What was the movie's title?

2) Name the four presidents whose likenesses are carved on Mount Rushmore.

3) Lorenzo Lamas is the son of Lorenzo Lamas and what actress?

Answers:

1) Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

2) Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and T. Roosevelt

3) Arlene Dahl

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Duke Ellington's biggest hit was #1 for 5 weeks in a row in 1964. The song was so popular that Spike Jones's parody of it became a #4 hit in 1945. What was the song's name?

2) Benny Goodman had a hit with this 1936 song by Billy Hill that advised, "you've got to give a little, take a little, and let your poor heart break a little." What was the song?

3) This 1941 song was #1 for 10 weeks, making it the Jimmy Dorsey Band's biggest hit. What was the name of the tune that compared the singer's sweetheart to a "pretty little poppy"?

Answers:

1) "Cocktails for Two"

2) "Glory of Love"

3) "Amapola"

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Every president since FDR, except one, has had both an official memoir and a library. Who's the exception?

2) Born Ruth Lee Jones, this singer was comfortable in jazz, pop and R&B genres. Her breakout hit was "What a Difference a Day Makes." Who was she?

3) This president said that 50 years had to elapse after a presidency before a historian could write objectively about that administration. Who was he?

Answers:

1) John F. Kennedy has a presidential library, but never wrote a memoir.

2) Dinah Washington

3) Nixon

Alan Rock's Trivia!

(for 1/17/11)

Questions:

1) Where was Martin Luther King, Jr. born?

2) How old was MLK when he was assassinated?

3) What year was he assassinated?

4) Which Civil Rights protest was the first for Dr. King?

Answers:

1) Atlanta

2) 39

3) 1968

4) Montgomery, AL Bus Boycott

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) On this date in 1914, Henry Ford introduced the assembly line method of manufacturing cars, allowing completion of one Model-T Ford in what amount of time?

2) What was the original tile of NBC's The Today Show?

3) Who was the first host of The Today Show?

Answers:

1) One Model-T every 90 minutes

2) The Rise and Shine Revue

3) Dave Garroway

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was one of the first foreign wars for the U.S.?

2) Virtually all of us have been bothered by the Musca domestica. What is the common term for this creature?

3) What determines the starting date of Chinese New Year?

4) Which U.S. city contains the world's railway bridge?

Answers:

1) The conflict was the Tripolitan or Barbary Wars (1800 - 1815). It was precipitated by piracy.

2) Housefly

3) After the winter solstice, the second new moon decides the starting date.

4) New Orleans' Huey P. Long Bridge is the longest railway bridge.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Since 1907, the Times Square ball has dropped to signify the New Year every year with two exceptions. What years did the ceremony get skipped?

2) Where is the world's largest railway station?

Answers:

1) 1942 and 1943

2) New York's Grand Central Station is the largest railway staion.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Ella Fitzgerald is often referred to as the Queen of Scat (singing). Who was the "King"?

2) Translated into English, "Auld Lang Syne" means what?

3) On what day does the fiscal year for the U.S. federal government begin?

Answers:

1) Mel Torme

2) "old long ago"

3) October 1st

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which city hosts the first major New Year's Eve celebration each year?

2) What is the name of the calendar for the Chinese New Year?

3) On this day in 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations assembled in what city?

4) Who else played with Miles Davis on Kind of Blue?

Answers:

1) The city of Gisborne, New Zealand kicks things off with their three day "Rhythm and Vines Music Festival." Gisborne boasts that it is the first city in the world to greet each new day.

2) The Chinese adhere to the Lunar calendar. In the West, we observe the Gregorian calendar.

3) London

4) Cannonball Adderly on alto sax, John Coltrane on tenor, Paul Chambers on bass, and Bill Evans on piano.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This insect comes in 3,500 varieties, carries 100 different kinds of bacteria and can spread food poisoning. Which insect is it?

2) Which city boasts the world's longest railway bridge and what is its name?

Answers:

1) The cockroach

2) The Huey P. Long Bridge is the world's longest railway bridge. It's in New Orleans.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) As a teenager, Miles Davis got his first big break for this jazz giant. Who was he?

2) This famous sax player was once arrested for robbing a drug store. Who was he?

3) The long-shuttered jazz club, The Blackhawk, was located in what city?

4) Every Monday night in the 80s, this veteran player performed with the Monday Night Orchestra in New York's Sweet Basil. Who was he?

Answers:

1) Charlie Parker

2) Stan Getz

3) San Francisco

4) Gil Evans

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Big Band Wednesday Bonanza!

Questions:

1) "Sentimental Journey" was the theme song for which Big Band?

2) "Take the 'A'Train" was the theme song for whose Big Band?

3) Whose Big Band had "Bubbles in the Wine" as its theme?

4) Whose Big Band had "One O'Clock Jump" as its theme song?

Answers:

1) Les Brown

2) Duke Ellington

3) Lawrence Welk

4) Count Basie

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who said this regarding the difference between man and animals: "Man is the only animal who blushes -- or needs to."?

2) What was the name of the New York City political machine led by William "Boss" Tweed in the 1880s?

3) Jazz musicians are often associated with a particular style or school of jazz. Some are, like Mingus or Coltrane, genres unto themselves. There was one musician, however who was an essential figure in multiple styles. Who was he?

Answers:

1) Mark Twain

2) Tammany Hall

3) Miles Davis

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In 1963, this male singer recorded with John Coltrane. Who was he?

2) Which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical features a train called "Rusty"?

3) This female singer was one of the great vocalists of the Swing Era, singing for Duke Ellington and as a performer at the Cotton Club. Who Was she?

4) May 10, 1869 is known as National Train Day. Why so?

Answers:

1) Johnny Hartman

2) Starlight Express

3) Ivie Anderson

4) On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, the "golden spike" was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, transforming America by creating the nation's first transcontinental railroad.

Alan Rock's Trivia, December 21, 2010

Questions:

1) Jack Lord played a police officer in what TV series (which aired from 1968 to 1980)?

2) Adolf Hitler, Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte and King Henry III of England suffered from what phobia?

3) Insects breathe through spiracles. What are spiracles?

Answers:

1) Hawaii Five-O.

2) These famous leaders suffered from ailurophobia or a fear of cats.

3) Holes on each side of an insect's abdomen.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What was Stephen Spielberg's first directing job?

2) The ancient Chinese used what may have been the first insecticide. Name the compound and the insect it was intended to kill.

3) Born in Cleveland, this composer has been inextricably linked with the bop era. Writing for artists ranging from Count Basie to Dizzy Gillespie, this composer worked with Miles Davis in 1949 before sliding into drug worries and, ultimately, prison on 1959. Who was this man, composer of "If You Could See Me Now" and "On A Misty Night"?

Answers:

1) The TV pilot for Night Gallery in 1969. He directed the segment starring Joan Crawford.

2) They used powdered chrysanthemum as flea powder.

3) Tadd Dameron, who was born in Ohio in 1917, had a genius for jazz arrangements. He worked with some of the greatest jazz minds of all time, including: Miles Davis, Artie Shaw, Clifford Brown, Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Billy Eckstine. Though his life was curtailed at an early age by cancer in 1965, he is well remembered for his work with Miles Davis at the Paris Jazz Festival in 1949.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This specific title for a law enforcement officer has been in use since 992 AD and remains commonly used today. What is it?

2) Born this date in 1936, he was promoted as being England's answer to Elvis Presley. Who was he?

3) On this date in 1969, entertainer Herbert Khaury married his fiancee, Victoria Budinger, on The Tonight Show. What was his stage name?

Answers:

1) Sheriff

2) Tommy Steele

3) Tiny Tim. He referred to his bride as "Miss Vicky."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) In the original Wizard of Oz, what were Dorothy's slippers made of?

2) Who was the first running back in the NFL to rush 2,000 yards in a single season?

3) What city was the setting for the TV show, Car 54, Where Are You?

4) Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on this date in 1770. When composing, to excite his brain, what did he do?

Answers:

1) Silver

2) O.J. Simpson completed more than 2000 yards rushing on this date in 1973.

3) New York

4) He would pour ice water over his head.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first to put together a jazz trio of piano, guitar and bass?

2) What show holds the record for being the longest-running police-themed show?

3) Television's first mini-series premiered on ABC on this date in 1954. What was the name of the series?

Answers:

1) Nat King Cole

2) The "documentary" series, Cops. It is one of the longest running series of any genre.

3) Davy Crockett

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Robert May wrote a poem that was illustrated and published as a Montgomery Ward pamphlet in 1939. 8 years later, John Marks set it to music. What was the poem?

2) The U.S. Table Tennis Association wanted to call the sport "Ping-Pong" but ran into a snag. Why couldn't they use "Ping-Pong"?

3) What is Richard Starkey's stage name?

Answers:

1) "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

2) Parker Brothers already owned the rights to the name.

3) Ringo Starr

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This North Carolina native played tenor sax with some of the most influential jazz artists of his era. He's considered just as groundbreaking. Who was he?

2) This Philadelphia native cut his teeth playingwith the likes of Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey, and gained widespread recognition as part of Woody Herman's "Second Herd." He helped popularize the bossa nova craze in the 60s, along with Jao Gilberto and Jobim. Who was he?

3) This Fort Worth, Texas native was an avant garde "free jazz" trailblazer. Who was he?

Answers:

1) John Coltrane

2) Stan Getz

3) Ornette Coleman

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) British Airways passengers consume six tons of this per year.

2) This New Orleans Creole musician proclaimed himself to be the inventor of jazz. Who was he?

3) In the U.S., what is the average number of people airborne per hour?

Answers:

1) caviar

2) Jelly Roll Morton

3) 60,000

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is the biggest selling Christmas single of all time?

2) Who lost the $8,000 in It's a Wonderful Life?

3) On this day in 1992, this couple announced their separation. Who were they?

Answers:

1) "White Christmas"

2) Uncle Billy

3) Prince Charles and Lady Diana

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Sean Penn received best actor nominations for his portrayal of jazz guitar player in the 1999 film, Sweet and Lowdown. His character was actually based on a famed French guitarist who recorded during the 1930s and 40s. Who was this great French guitarist?

2) How did American Airlines cut their costs by nearly &40,000 in 1987?

3) What is the minimum number of electoral votes each state can have?

4) Architect James Hoban died on December 8, 1831. What famous national treasure did Hoban design?


Answers:

1) Django Reinhardt

2) Eliminating an olive from each salad served in-flight

3) Three electoral votes are based on representation at congress, which means two senators and at least on House member

4) He designed the White House.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) The late, great bass player Ray Brown was once married to which jazz singer?

2) What us the best-selling jazz album of all time?

3) What important battle in history did Osami Nagano command?

Answers:
1) Ella Fitzgerald

2) Kind of Blue. It still sells 5,000 copies a week!

3) Japanese Adm. Nagano plotted and commanded the assault on Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into World War II

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) How many U.S. presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize?

2) This violinist was known for his jazz prowess and was the first to play jazz?

3) a) When was the Republican Party first organized, and b) who was the first Republican president?

4) This Billie Holiday hit was covered by a jazz/rock group in the late 60s. What was the song and who had the hit doing the cover?

Answers:

1) 4: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

2) Stuff Smith

3) 1854 and Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president.

4) The song was "God Bless the Child." The band was Blood, Sweat and Tears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v96P_AXzto&feature=related

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Britney Spears was born December 2, 1981. She competed in her home state of Louisiana at age nine as an athlete in what sport?

2) Which sport has a "sin bin"?

3) Henry Ford unveiled the Model A December 2, 1927. It was the first model to be available in a choice of colors. What was the price of a Model A?

4) What animal was on board the Mayflower?

5) On December 3, 1967 Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first successful surgery of its type - a surgery that is very commonplace today. What procedure was it?

6) From 1941 - 1950, M&Ms candies included violet in their mix of colors. What color replaced violet in 1950?

7) Who played the lead in the 1952 musical fantasy about Hans Christian Andersen?

8) What was Arthur Conan Doyle's profession before he quit to write Sherlock Holmes novels full-time?

Answers:

1) Gymnastics

2) A 'sin bin" is another name for hockey's penalty box.

3) $385

4) It has been recorded that there was at least one cat on the Mayflower.

5) He performed the world's first successful transplant.

6) Violet was replaced by tan

7) Danny Kaye

8) He worked as an optometrist

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Bette Midler was born on this day in 1945. She won an Emmy in 1992 for her appearance on what show?

2) The first telephone to be installed in the White HOuse was put in on this date in 1878. The first received call was from a storm window salesman. Who was President at the time?

3) Where is the world's only roller skating museum located?

Answers:

1) She was awarded the Emmy for her appearance on the last night of Johnny Carson's stint as host for The Tonight Show.

2) Rutherford B. Hayes

3) Lincoln, Nebraska

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What is the longest river in Africa?

2) Which animal image is on the Canadian nickel?

3) In 1778, this European was the first to go to Hawaii?

4) Ottawa is the capital of Canada. Who was responsible for determining this and when?

Answers:

1) The Nile

2) The beaver

3) Captain James Cook

4) Queen Victoria pronounced Ottawa as the capital in 1867. Prior to that time, Kingston was the capital.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was Duke Ellington's first and long-time drummer?

2) What popular tourist attraction and natural wonder, formed as a result of receding glaciers, is located on Canada's border with the United States?

3) In whose swing band did Dizzy Gillespie play?

Answers:

1) Sonny Greer

2) Niagara Falls

3) Cab Calloway

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) It's now an annual White House tradition; what year was the first to see a presidential pardon of a turkey?

2) On this date in 1969, Apollo 12 astronauts landed on the moon, making the mission the second to have men on the moon. Who were the astronauts?

Answers:

1) 1947

2) Charles Conrad and Alan Bean

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Marlon Brando patented two items to modify a musical instrument. What instrument was it?

2) He wanted to designate the turkey as the national bird instead of the bald eagle. Who was he?

Answers:

1) The drum

2) Benjamin Franklin

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which president established the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day?

2) Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first took place as a commercial event in 1924 to spur shoppers to start buying gifts for Christmas (a consumer tradition that is still in full swing). Which cartoon character was the first to become a balloon in the parade?

3) Julian Adderley is better known by his nickname. What is it?

4) Which domestic animal is more closely related to the hyena, cats or dogs?

Answers:

1) Franklin D. Roosevelt

2) Felix the Cat

3) Cannonball Adderley

4) Neither, hyenas have their own family, called Hyaenidae. Although they appear to be similar to dogs, they are closer to being related to cats.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Which president helped to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday?

2) Who held the original patent for promotional stand up cards for tables at restaurants?

3) Which Hollywood actress patented a missile guidance system?

Answers:

1) Abraham Lincoln

2) Lawrence Welk

3) Hedy Lamarr

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Cats are one of only three animals that walk by moving their front and hind legs, first on one side and then the other.

2) The average dog makes about 10 different vocal sounds. How many can a cat make?

3) This hit musical, composed in the early 80s by Andrew Lloyd Webber, features feline festivities. What is the musical's name and what was the source for its book?

4) The world's first streetcar began operation in 1832, in what city?

Answers:

1) Camels and giraffes share the same gait as cats.

2) A cat makes about 100 different vocal sounds.

3) Cats was based on T.S. EWliot's book, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

4) New York City.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Who was the first NFL head coach to win 100 regular season games in 10 seasons?

2) A baby dog is called a puppy and a baby cat is called a kitten. What is a baby eel called?

3) Which famous sax player was arrested for robbing a drug store?

4) Controversial figure skater Tonya Harding was born on November 12, 1970. She appeared in a Fox TV Celebrity Boxing event in 2002. Who did she fight?

Answers:

1) On November 12, 1972, Don Shula, coach of the Miami Dolphins, won this distinction.

2) An elver

3) Stan Getz

4) Paula Jones

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) One of the most unique devices in the 1964 presidential campaign was an image used to project a candidate's name using a chemical element to project the name. What was it?

2) What is the city that is known as the "birthplace of the American Baseball League?"

3) What U.S. president is credited with the establishment of a national park system?

Answers:

1) Au and H2O were often seen on bumper stickers. Au is the scientific designation for gold, followed by H2O, the designation for water. Thus, AuH2O referred to presidential candidate Goldwater.

2) The Republican House, a hotel in Milwaukee, became the birthplace of the American League on March 5, 1900.

3) Though Ulysses S. Grant established Yellowstone National Park, Theodore Roosevelt is credited with this accomplishment.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) This branch of the military was formed on this day on 1175.

2) Don McLean's song "American Pie" made reference to "the day that music died." What event is he referring to?

3) This vegetable's name means "large pearl." What is it?

Answers:

1) The U.S. Marine Corps

2) The day was February 3, 1959 when a small plane crash in Iowa took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper.

3) The onion

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) How many songs did Elvis Presley write?

2) Founded by Dr. Ethel Percy-Andrus in 1958, this organization has grown to be one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the world.

3) Engraved at the front of the Veterans Affairs Headquarters in Washington, D.C. are these words: "to care for him [any veteran] who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.." What is the origin of this quote?

Answers:

1) None. Elvis recorded covers of other people's songs, which became a sort of Achille's heel for him as the era of the singer-songwriter overtook the music industry.

2) AARP

3) This is a partial quote from Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address, given just weeks prior to the end of the Civil War. The quote begins by saying, "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.."

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) Of the two WWII axis powers, which country, Germany or Japan, were the first to surrender to the Allied Forces?

2) In 1937, the Count Basie Band featured one male and one female singer. The male was Jimmy Rushing. Who was the female?

3) Who was often introduced on the radio as "his mama's harmful little armful"?

4) This medal, signifying gallantry, is a highly coveted British decoration.

Answers:

1) Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. Japan followed September 2.

2) Billie Holiday

3) Thomas "Fats" Waller. Waller also played the pipe organ.

4) The Victoria Cross

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers, was born on this date in 1911. His famous horse was called Trigger. What was his dog's name?

2) Who was the guitarist backing Ella Fitzgerald on her 1956 album, The Cole Porter Songbook?

Answers:

1) Bullet

2) Barney Kessel

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) What item did Thelonious Monk forfeit in 1951 that made his life very difficult for a number of years?

2) What year did women gain the right to vote?

3) This big Texan trombone player was nicknamed "Big T." Who was he?

4) On this day in 1922, a big discovery was made in Egypt. What was it?

Answers:

1) He lost his cabaret card as a result of having been arrested for drug possession.

2) 1920

3) Jack Teagarden

4) King Tutankhamen's tomb was found.

Alan Rock's Trivia!

Questions:

1) The world's longest suspension bridge was completed in 1998. Where is it?

2) What's the semantic difference between a "nook" and a "cranny"?

3) Which letter is the oldest in the Phoenician alphabet?

4) This tenor sax player was key to moving the bop sound forward. He's perhaps best known for his "A Night at the Village Vanguard" recordings.


Answers:

1) Traversing the city of Honshu on Awaji Island and Kobe, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan has a total length of 3,911 meters.

2) A "nook" is a corner and a "cranny" is a crack.

3) The letter "O" is the oldest letter. It has not changed in shape since its adoption in the Phoenician alphabet, c. 1300 B.C.

4) Sonny Rollins

Alan Rock's Trivia

Questions:

1) Set to the tune of a popular British drinking song, this song was originally derived from a poem written in 1814. For bragging rights, name the poem too.

2) This alto sax man played for Billy Joel, soloing on "Just the Way You Are." Who is he?

3) Who are the three best-selling musical performers?

Answers:

1) The drinking song became our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The poem was "Defence of Fort McHenry."

2) Phil Woods

3) The Beatles, Elvis and Michael Jackson, in that order. Following them, are Abba, Madonna, Led Zeppelin and Queen.