Real Music & Real Estate . . .

Yiddishe Cup’s bandleader, Bert Stratton, is Klezmer Guy.
 

He knows about the band biz and – check this out – the real estate biz, too.
 

You may not care about the real estate biz. Hey, you may not care about the band biz. (See you.)
 

This is a blog with a gamy twist. It features tenants with snakes and skunks, and musicians with smoked fish in their pockets.
 

Stratton has written op-eds for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post.


 
 

MY WHITE LINEN SPORTS COAT

by Bert Stratton

 
I bought a white linen sports coat in Colombia that has a very 1950s Cuban look to it. I needed it for my daughter’s destination wedding in Colombia. I got a Panama hat, too. Made in Colombia, not China. I have the Meyer Lansky-in-Cuba look down.

I’m not a shopper. So buying the white jacket at a fancy shop in Cartagena, Colombia, was memorable. There were a lot of pastels. Photo, please . . .

I didn’t think I’d get much use out of the jacket after the wedding, but I’ve worn it a couple times since. I wore it to a friend’s wedding this month. I was the only person in a white jacket, which was cool. At least I thought so. The coat is not a polyester Cleveland Pops rag. It’s a nice-looking piece of cloth. Then I wore it to a gig. As bandleader I can wear whatever I want.

Tonight [June 24] I’m going to the summer solstice bash at the Cleveland Museum of Art. I just bought the ticket. I’m going solo. And if I don’t go, the money goes to the art museum. All good. Three Latin bands will play outside the museum. I’m thinking of wearing the white linen jacket. Why not?

. . . I went. Two friends came along, as it turned out. My outfit was a hit. I am officially a fashionista. A random partygoer complimented me on my “linen.” Another said I looked like I was in Jurassic Park. A Colombian musician dug my hat.

I’m looking for more opportunities for my white linen sports coat.

Yo, at the summer solstice party, Cleveland Museo de Arte, June 24, 2023

8 comments

1 Ken Goldberg { 06.28.23 at 9:29 am }

You look almost decent in the hat; perhaps because it’s so blurry. If you actually got a Columbia-made “Panama hat” I’m thinking it might have been el-cheapo because the authentic ones are made in Ecuador.. Lucky you; my Borsalino hats never seemed to draw much attention in Little Italy….

2 Ari Davidow { 06.28.23 at 9:55 am }

Lookin’ good, Bert!

3 Dan Kirschner { 06.28.23 at 10:12 am }

A very cool look, dude! But what’s with the baggy slacks? or is that why they’re called “slacks”??

4 Bert Stratton { 06.28.23 at 11:19 am }

To Dan Kirschner: The baggy slacks are a problem. My wife and daughters have pointed this out, as well.

5 Judy Labensohn { 06.28.23 at 11:25 am }

Bert, You look great. I’d go back and buy two of the colorful ones, now that you know you can handle success.

6 Bert Stratton { 06.28.23 at 6:15 pm }

To Judy Labensohn: I”m going to catch a flight tonight to Colombia to pick up the pink jacket! Four-hour layover in Miami, but worth it.

7 Mark Schilling { 06.29.23 at 1:26 am }

Too bad this blog doesn’t allow attachments. Otherwise I would have sent a photo of Hyman Roth (the Meyer Lansky character in “Godfather II”) rocking the white-jammies-top-and-barechested look.

8 Barbara Stern Meluch { 07.19.23 at 2:27 pm }

Looking good – – a stylin guy.
Agree that thin men need not wear pleated pants.

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