June 2018 reading

Elena Rivera, Scaffolding

Joy Metta, Was the Buddha a Shaman?

Kevin Young, The Grey Album

L.P. Hartley, Mrs. Carteret Receives & Other Stories

Scalapino, Day Ocean State of Stars' Nights: Poems and Writings 1989 & 1999-2006

Charles Johnson, Turning the Wheel

Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Russell Sanjek, American Popular Music and Its Business, v. 2 (2nd half only, covering 1865-1909)

Betsy Fagin, All Is Not Lost

John Stammers, Panoramic Lounge-Bar

The Singer-Songwriter Handbook, ed. Justin A. Williams and Katherine Williams

Eileen Myles, Snowflake/Different Streets

Doris Willens, Lonesome Traveler: The Life of Lee Hays

6.30.18

Up 7.

Read more of Daily Rituals and a ch. of Trollope.
Some household tasks for Bree. I have a list.
Meditated 20 min. 30 min. b-w.
To 53rd St. library, worked on bridge article 1:20-4:20. I think I came to end of this draft - 4700 total, long but not crazy. Will polish a day or 2 at most and send (still have to do references).Went across the street to see Hitchkock’s Rebecca.
Had a bite, headed downtown to see Overlord at Piano’s. Despite what should have been plenty of time, the F train reamed me, and I got there after they’d played. Hung out anyway, had a drink, saw a Toronto band called the Tallies - jangly, somewhere between the Sundays and Altered Imagines, solid playing, singer had a curiously ‘90s black lipstick/Hot Topic thing going on — and left during the next one.
Finished the Hays, read a few poems in Drew Gardner’s Defender.
Home; lights out 1 am.

Was not able to keep up with going to the gym this month, but lost 2.5 pounds.

Decided that I have to go back to see my parents’ in CA; leaving July 7. I think it’s time to drop this log again for a while.

6.29.18

Up 9.
Meditated 20 min.
Read Hays bio on train to Communitea. Worked 1-5 on bridge article — revised James Brown graf, added 3. 750-1000 words, pretty solid! Best work day in a while, tbh.
Later, after coming home, went with Bree to La Terraza to hear Los Gaitas de San Jacinto. Trad. cambia - just drums, flutes, accordion. Lead guy looks like he’s in his 70s - Bree loved him. Quite a scene.
Also read a ch. of Trollope, practiced b-w. 30 min. Reread some entries in Daily Rituals for amusement.
 

Haven’t been reading poetry. Occasionally try to work on a few lines of a song called “Our Hearts Do,” but the holes stay holes.

6.28.18

Woke up around 8. Listened to the rest of the DeJohnette/Murray album. Into “Pastoral Rhapsody,” w/ the drummer on piano - would like to know those voicing.
Shared Bruce Pross’s video of “I If Had a Hammer.”
Went to coffee at 9:30, read 2 ch. TWWLN.
Wrote to Mark and Annie nailing down a date for vocal session.
Came home, meditated 20 min.
Worked on “I Invented Rock & Roll,” this time on gtr, wrote out the chords as they stand - think I worked out the bridge into the solo, not sure how to come back into the last verse.
Left around 1. Found the Public Enemy 33 1/3 at Strand, David Stubbs’ Fear of Music, + James Davies’ Stack.
Comedy shorts at Quad Cinema at 3. Program below. The 2nd Crosby short featured “Snuggled on Your Shoulder,” which Dylan nicked for “Floater.”
Had a snack at a nearby Pret a Manger, read Hays bio — spent longer than planned b/c of downpours.
Listened to some of Jaki Byard, To Them To Us. 1992 solo piano record. Some crazy 2-handed bi-tonalism on “BL + WH = 88,” then a blues.
Bought tix to Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto for tomorrow at La Terraza.
Home 7-ish, just as Bree was coming back from her appt.
Dinner. 30 min. b-w. later. Got laundry from downstairs. Not much else. Lights out midnight.

6.27.18

Up at 8.
Read 2 ch. TWWLN (1 yesterday) and early chapters of Lee Hays’ biography at coffee.
Got my charts together for the show tonight. Didn’t take as long as I thought.
Meditated 20 min.
Called my bank.
Hoped to get myself ready to leave in time to see some comedy shorts at Quad Theater near Union Square; not to be.
Played through “I Invented R&R” a couple times - still working on the modulations.
Left about 4. Had a bite at the Carribean/African buffet near Sid Gold’s, went and had coffee, read 1/2 of the Lee Hays bio.
Met the band at Sid’s, played the Arkansas States of Country set w/ Laura, Mark, Kenny, and Jeremy.

(Laura’s originals to start):

Starry Skies
Push the Swing (no relation to NPB’s ancient “Push My Swing”!)
World She Sees
Someday Sparrow
Arkansas Traveler (Kenny’s fiddle feature)
Battle of New Orleans
Folsom Prison Blues
This Train (Dahni Clermont)
If I Had a Hammer (me)
Long Black Veil (Cliff Westfall)
Big River (Cliff)
Is This My Happy Home? (Mark - Dan Hicks tune)
I Still Miss Someone (Lianne Smith)
Ring of Fire (Dahni)
Feel Like Going Home
Up Above My Head (Laura, Dahni, me)

Hung out for a while afterwards, saw Pete G., Yumeko Jenkins, Jack Silbert, a couple people I know only from Facebook.
Rode home w/ Laura. Lights out midnight - fell asleep to Jack DeJohnette/David Murray - In Our Style.