11.13.17

Up 7. Left around 9:30 – though I found that I didn’t have my Metrocard and walked back from the train to look for it, to no avail. Coffee, looked at intro, therapy, quick lunch, worked at same coffee place from about 1:45 to 5. Came home earlier than I’d planned (skipped both a library trip and a pre-New Wave French movie at Film Forum that will not be playing when I get back from North Carolina) to call my dad; also checked in w/ my uncle Anthony. Discussed a few practicalities w/ Bree, helped her buy a bottle brush online, went back out for coffee at 9. Wrote emails to Mitch E., his studio manager, and a couple people I hope to see while I’m down there. Came back of started packing – located folders of chord charts (which I probably don’t need but like to have around) and lyrics (which I do, to sing from and make vocal comping notes on), at least. Read all but last 30 p. of Lesser (also on trains) – it’s an aesthete’s book that has moments but wanders off into unconnected essays about a visit to an opera house’s infirmary, a cat, and email resistance (circa 1999). It feels trivial in these times (and it’s art’s and criticism’s first job to convince you that they’re not).

I’m behind a few days on the poetry daybook, + haven’t been reading any.

11.12.17

Restless, up around 7. We checked out of the room by 9, found a (substandard) breakfast, went back to the venue from Friday (which is open for coffee in the daytime) and checked email, etc. Drove to Rodgers Book Barn in Hilldale, which had been recommended, then to a couple of places in Hudson. Spent more overall than I should have, to be honest – mostly nickles and dimes, but one record store just killed me on 3 obscure new wave LPs I couldn’t resist. Got something to eat for the car and started back to NYC just after 4. Listened to the 2nd Major Lance CD (slicker as it goes, unfortunately discovered that my used copy is missing the booklet), Act I of a contemporary recording of Rodgers & Hart’s Dearest Enemy (their first book show, w/ a colonial mise en scene, the hit “Here In My Arms,” and an amusing song w/ patter “trio” called “What Do All the Hermits Do In Springtime”) and Astor Piazzolla’s “tango-operita” Maria de Buenos Aires (sounded great, but I’ll have to sit down w/ the lyrics). Hit traffic before GW bridge, scrapped plan to go to IKEA in Brooklyn for CD shelves (since we have the car) – just too stressful while trying to get the car back on time. Made it to Jackson Heights maybe 8:30, took the car back and walked about a mile home (along the bus route, but w/out catching one). Fortunately, not that cold. Back by 9:30 – the trip’s finish line. Still need to record some expenses. Got in bed, read 50 p. of Wendy Lesser, The Amateur – unchallenging autobiography by the ed/founder of The Threepenny Review, which I picked up today b/c I’d liked her Shostakovich book. Lights out by 11.

11.11.17

Up 9-ish, met Dylan and Nina for breakfast at a diner in Saugerties, discussed TV themes and Woodstock. Walked into town, looked in a thrift store and a bookstore w/ an unusually good stock of jazz CDs until they had to split. Then Bree and I spent most of the day doing the same sort of thing, in Saugerties and a huge antique mall in Coxsackie, which really felt like the sticks. Bought a few things, but the real finds were a 1976 Bliss/Sankey collection of revival songs—for $4! – and an LP I have never seen in my life of Sidney Poitier reciting selections from Plato over music by Fred Katz! Can’t wait to hear it. Back to Saugerties to have dinner at Little Lucy’s Kitchen (Ted’s rec. last night). An out-of-town splurge, but excellent. Got a little lost coming back despite GPS. Glanced at a book on early Ellington I’d picked up, lights out before midnight. Nothing work-like today; a nice respite.

11.10.17

Not sure when I got up. Coffee, Otis. Came back, took bus to pick up rental car. Got back, found parking garage, played through some songs, packed. Dylan and Nina came by at 1, Dylan and I rehearsed the songs we’re doing together. They left for Catskill around 3, took Bree and I another 45 minutes to leave. Traffic out of town, past GW Bridge, was terrible, put us behind. Listened to Golden Gate Quartet (Document’s chronological series, v. 2), and CD 1 of the Major Lance retrospective – haven’t read the notes, but I believe these are mainly Curtis Mayfield songs/productions. Lots of nice touches in the arrangements, and the drummer and horn players are especially good, but neither Lance nor the backing group are especially reliable singers. Made a service area stop half way up, dealt w/ some calls from Nina and the motel about checking in early, but decided we needed to go to the club first. Found downtown Catskill, loaded in 7:10, met Liam (the booker), quick soundcheck. Two sets, 8:30-10:30. 6 songs then me; break; 4 me, 4 Dylan, 4 together. Nice to have a real piano for variety. Dylan played well, though there was again bar noise and his stage banter was less comfortable, by his own admission, than yesterday. I started singing some songs weakly – not enough practice – but got there by the end in most cases. For the record: Dying/S.G. Repeater (piano)/Postcards/Unionbusting/Guesthouse/Any Road Home; Lonesome Road/CA Baby/Monster (piano)/Cheap Sunglasses/Not Just…Kiss; Nick Cave/Weekend (w/ Dylan)/Subjunctive Mood/Asking for a Friend (Dylan’s songs, w/ me backing). Small but appreciative local crowd, inc. Ted Barron, who I hadn’t seen since he left NYC, Steve Levi from the Scene Is Now and his wife Georgia Christgau (Robert’s brother), Amy Rigby (very nice) and Wreckless Eric (who I didn’t talk to). Sold one CD and tape to a fellow named Mooney who compared my lyrics to good light verse. Never really had dinner – a sandwich on the turnpike and a pastry at the club; Bree got a couple empenadas. Left at 11:30 or so, found Peloke’s Motel a mile away. As sketchy a place I’ve stayed in years, maybe a decade. Lights out around midnight.

[Ivie Anderson, “All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm” to Joe Tex, “All I Could Do Was Cry”]

11.9.17

Up at 8. Read Otis on train to UES. Coffee, therapy (rescheduled b/c of recording). Lunch, worked on intro from about 1:30 to 5 at coffee place nearby. Bought decent looking but fairly inexpensive dress shoes, and socks, at Designer Shoe Warehouse on B’way/79th—my last pair, which I think were my dad’s that I had repaired, were past repair. To LES, met Dylan Hicks and his wife Nina at his show at Piano’s (upstairs). Solo piano set (they used to have a real one) – quite good w/ funny, self-deprecating banter to boot. Tough room for something quiet – you can hear the bar music bleeding from downstairs. Fortunately, more than a dozen people showed up, inc. Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell, whom I talked with afterwards. Left during the next act, a hip-hop duo w/ “Fuck the world, I take what I want” as their first chorus. Train back to JH, stopped in Starbucks to buy some gum and look at the MS again. Haven’t been listening to music for the last couple days b/c I’m mostly thinking about the songs I’ll play tomorrow. Came home, relearned “Nick Cave” on guitar.