Up 8. Got out a little after 9:30, took an annoyingly long time to get a bagel at a bakery en route to subway. Worked maybe 90 min. at Spacious (trying to cut down section overall, but fit in discussion of “You’re Not the Only Pebble On the Beach.”) before knocking off and calling my dad for Father’s Day. Bree met me at MoMa across the street, so I could show her the Lincoln Kirsten show - she was taken, as I expected, w/ the ballet designs, which I looked at longer this time. Good thing we went - last day open before renovations until November. Civilized early dinner at Le Bonne Soupe - about as much as I mean to spend for the next couple weeks. Home at 7 or so, put in some time on the horn chart — might just be a day or two of adjusting/editing before I can (a) send it off to The Scene Is Now horns to check over, and (b) turn to “Untimely Beggar.” Went out and finished reading, or whatever you call it, Space. I don’t know if the order is chronological, but the book’s movement seems to be from 2 sections fairly dense-sounding and -looking poems to a breakdown into “elements” (lots of articles and particles, + the sequence w/ “ounce code orange” and the like), and finally an attempt to build something back up from same — though the last long poem, “AD,” doesn’t quite sustain itself, and ends by falling back on devices from earlier in the book (inc. partial words, which aren’t precisely nonsense; presumably, the intended effect is for the omissions to focus attention on the phonic and graphemic qualities of the remainder). All necessary steps in the larger arc of CC’s work. Had no stomach for Shepard and Wick today - they’re on Lacan.
june 15
Up 6, again at 9:30. Watched an episode of The Dick Van Dyke, and a Barney Miller wherein the precinct arrests a Weather Undergroundish “radical” (who the FBI no longer cares about, well into the 70s). Put in some time on the horn chart - more or less got the shout-chorus ending down. Can’t remember quite when I got out of the house, but spent about 90 min. on the book at Spacious (longer if they didn’t close at 5 on weekends), and headed to Brooklyn. Bought a few things at Record City in Flatbush: 7” of The Neighborhoods’ “Prettiest Girl”; Mel Powell 10”; split LP reissue of King Pleasure and Annie Ross (vocalese, inc. Ross’s orig. version of “Twisted”); LP of 1944 recordings by Cootie Williams w/ Bud Powell, Pearl Bailey, and others, inc. his recording of “‘Round Midnight” and some lesser known Arlen-Koehler tunes; a Mighty Sparrow album; Brian Auger Genesis (w/ Julie Driscoll, inc. their hit version of “Season of the Witch”); a Pilgrim Travelers reissue on Specialty; and (the most expensive item), a bizarre 1971 LP called Sing Me a Song of Songmy, ft. Freddie Hubbard but composed by one Ilhan Mimaroglu, apparently including settings of texts by Arabic poets, Kierkegaard, and Che! If that’s not enough: Kenny Barron on piano and Arif Mardin on Hammond! Walked over to the Owl to hear Wendy Eisenberg. Solo gtr/vocal set - delicate but technical songs, w/ occasional references to bossa/jazz harmony but also a lot of thoughtfully dissonant voicings; she called the lyrics “vulnerable,” which is fair. Pretty taken with the material and presentation — a lot to chew on musically, but little pretense: Don’t want to make facile comparisons. Introduced myself and talked briefly later in the evening; we’ve corresponded a bit. Stayed for a set by a electric piano/bass/drums trio calling itself Resort Music; original jazz-I-guess? compositions, sensitive drummer but something music-department about it all. After another break, some of the same musicians and others came back, w/ vocalist/lyricist, for a set of songs that had moments but felt even more collegiate - reminded me of an absurdist Pomona band called Mendicant Sauciers, though these folks were more accomplished. Ben Goldberg, who I assume was some of the members’ teacher, sat in on clarinet on the last song. Another long train ride home; lights out after 1 am.
june 14
Up briefly at 6, again at 9, Bree already out. Found a couple of quotations/citations I’d been looking for, re the McLennan interview. When Bree came back, helped send photos to marble company re replacing step for the building. Worked on the horn chart for about 30 min. Left at 2, called my dad before 3-5 rehearsal at Euphoria w/ Dave Schramm and band. I have a better grip on some songs than others, but good progress at all - didn’t embarrass myself. Lunch at Hill Country. Worked at Birch Coffee ‘till they closed at 8. Read Shepard and Wick on the way back. At home, watched a Doris Day movie (Tea For Two, David Butler 1950), read two of the more cryptic Greene stories. Lights out midnight.
june 13
Slow one. Up around 9:30 (at least I slept through the night). Got coffee, finished Fukuyama (breezy) and read a longish Greene story, “In the Basement,” which was the basis for the screenplay for The Fallen Idol. Came back, listened to the rest of that Forster interview. Printed Schramms charts, added to folder for previous shows. Put in 30 min. on the F&C charts. Tried to tidy up. Took a corner bookcase, an ugly leftover from the apt.’s previous owner, out for pick-up. Listened to a lesser-known Billy Strayhorn LP, Cue for Saxophone (1959). Pleasing Ellingtonia, w/ Hodges, clarinetist Russell Procope, others, but not a vehicle for Strayhorn’s deepest original music - ends with “Rose Room.” Left around 5:30, listened to 2nd disc of Coltrane Bethlehem set, mainly outtakes, worked on Cook/Dunbar grafs in think for an hr. and change. Went to the Stone to see Myra Melford/Tomeka Reid/Mary Halvorson, but it was sold out (only about 10 min. before show), so I looked around in the Strand for a bit, bought an urban theory journal and a book of poems from the dollar racks, went back to Think for another 30 min. - they closed at 10. Read a chapter of John Shepard and Peter Wick, Music and Cultural Theory. They like structuralism. Lights out around 12:30.
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.