june 12

Up 9. Coffee, Fukayama, picked up a package for Bree at p.o. Came home, read 2 Greene stories, got myself together. Called a car a little before 12:30 to take me to Main Drag Music in Wmsbg. Traded in my Fender Deluxe for decent credit (could have sold it for more cash via Craigslist or something, but didn’t want the hassle), and left my old Princeton for a repair estimate. Tried out a Korg D1 digital piano - the current model of what I have, which has sticky keys and a dodgy power supply; this one has virtually identical sounds, key response, etc., but is a little lighter and slimmer. That’s probably what I’ll use my credit on (though I also covet a Nord w/ a bigger variety of organ/synth sounds). Cafe I’d mapped out to go to was way too crowded, found another. Ate a salad, worked about an hr. on F&C arrangement (now I’m to the breakdown, where I’m less sure of the horns’ role - need to work it out at the piano), and 90 min. on a section of the TPA chapter that I hadn’t looked at for a while. Headed back to Manhattan, listened to Maucha Adnet, Songs I Learned from Jobim, a solid and well-sung and -performed if uninnovative bossa collection from 2105, w/ a few U.S. standards (“I Concentrate On You”) and more and less known Brazilian material. Taken with “So Danco Samba,” and its “Take the ‘A’ Train” quote. Met Drew Boston for ‘60s African shorts (Sembene, Mambety, Alassane), all having to do with Westernization in some way. Surprised to see a poster for the Golden Gate Quartet, touring in Dakar, c. 1968-9! Fascinating films, a little daunting to say something meaningful, briefly. Disappointed to realize I missed the screenings of Memories of Underdevelopment, as well as some Yiddish-(ish) films: stay on the lookout for Her Second Mother and American Matchmaker. Had a bite and chat w/ drew later. Headed to Threes Brewing to hear Annie Nero, Ray Rizzo and band do a Talking Heads cover set, heavy on Speaking in Tongues. Didn’t know a soul except for some of the band, but a lot of fun - great keyboardist, getting pretty damn close to all those Bernie Worrell parts. Started at 11, went past 12:30. Cab home, lights out 1:30.