11.25.17

Up in the middle of the night for a while, listened to an Open Culture podcast on AI/Big Data (not really the same thing, as I’ve understood the former…) and some of A-Z playlist before dozing off again. Got up at 7:30, went to Café Benne, read Simak. Daybook. Walked to Langston Hughes Library – following my recent pattern of walking along a bus route but not catching a bus. Worked from just after 10 to 2:30 – pretty good pass at 1,100-word chunk of intro, some writing some revision/editing. Listened to some of Mitch’s rough mixes from last week – I don’t want to get tied to them, and definitely have some non-technical ideas about how the final mixes should go (bring out Pete’s gtr in some places, edit out some overdubs on some sections, etc.), but there’s potential. Walked home w/ headphones: Mistook a Grizzly Bear song for Van Dyke Parks – might have to turn in my card. Came home, rested, read more Simak, listened to a couple of podcasts, made myself unpack/organize/regroup from the weekend. Rented a car for next weekend. Went out again to E77 at 8, had 1 beer, read a few poems in Lauterbach, tried to work on “Viable” lyric while listening to an OK country duo. Back around 10, went to bed shortly after.

[Aretha Franklin, “All The Kings Horses” to Billy Bragg & Wilco “All You Fascists”]

11.24.17

Got up around 9:30, basically just hung around the house with J&B. More Amy Sedaris + some of the bizarre Tim and Eric courtroom-drama miniseries about a disastrous music festival in San Bernardino, with Greg Turkington. Kyle needs to see this. Played a couple of the rough mixes, which made me anxious, had lunch, and took the train home, chatted w/ Bree. Got back about 5, went to E77 from 6-8 to do email, etc. Daybook, read first few poems in Ann Lauterbach, Under the Sign. Travel exhaustion hit me pretty quickly once I got home – did some minimal tidying and unpacking, got into bed around 9:30 and read a chunk of Clifford D. Simak, Project Pope. Asleep around 10.

11.23.17

Woke up at 6:30 – missed flight. Saw that I had hit snooze…it happens. Don’t really need to recount a complicated airport day, but I got a later flight out of Greenpoint. Finished the EMP proposal ratings and sent them to Eric W. while waiting to board, and the Ellington book during the flight. Landed at Newark at 2:30, found a livery car, made it to Jenny’s brother’s place in Larchmont for Thanksgiving by 4. This is where Bree and I have gone for the last several years, and they’re kind to invite us. Played some piano for sing-alongs after dinner. “A Spoonful of Sugar” is a perennial. Went home to Jenny and Brian’s around 9, watched an episode of At Home with Amy Sedaris, went to bed.

[The Shop Assistants, “All That Ever Mattered” to Howard Crockett, “All of the Good Times are Gone”]

11.22.17

In and out of bed all night. Got up for good around 7, listened to some of Mal Waldron’s Meditations. Left about 9, went to a breakfast/coffee place in Winston-Salem, only stayed about 30 min. Checked out the other branch of McKay Books, picked up Peter Doggett’s Electric Shock, a Leslie Scalapino collection, and O’Jays and Aretha CDs. Listened to Mary Timony’s Ex Hex (her last solo album before forming the band of same name, very good and ignored at the time) and some of a Latin jazz CD I’d bought from the artists at Le Terraza a while back. Got back around 1, finished lyrics to “Sad and Afraid” (which I’d been thinking about off and on while out), went in to the studio, practiced it while Mitch comped, recorded it in 2 piano/vocal takes around 3 pm. Edited those into an acceptable comp, talked for a while and let him get back to work. Went to dinner at the nearby Mexican place around 7, came back, looked back in at 9, played piano aimlessly for an hr., paid Mitch, made arrangements to pick up the drive tomorrow, went to bed at 10 or 11.

11.21.17

Up 7:30. Mitch is comping vocals, so I’m not needed (even wanted) in the studio for most of the day. Watched part of a YouTube lecture about category theory. Left house before 11, found the only coffee place in the world w/o pastries, stopped in an antique mall I’d noticed – on the trashy/cute side, but picked up a Cab Calloway 78 and two pieces of Floyd Tillman sheet music. Drove to Greensboro, got a few books/records/CDs apiece McKay’s Books and Hippo Records, had a too-heavy bbq lunch, read to 170 in Ellington, found nothing at a Goodwill. Listened to Mingus Epitaph (a live record that maybe isn’t a good entry point) and Secret Ellington (a 2002 disc of some unheard songs from an unfinished 1958 musical – contemporary performances, just ok) while driving around. Back at cabin at 3. Rec’d expenses, called Dad for his birthday. Went down to the stuidio and played the new song I don’t know if I’ll finish. Mitch came in and worked on comping “A Different City,” I hung out for a while. Came back to the cabin around 8, called Bree. Not in the mood to read – listened to last Boris Karloff episode of YMRT, tried to sleep.