Up 8. Spend an hr+ typing up what I wrote yesterday. Helped Bree w/ laundry and a couple other things. Had intended to get a car to go into Manhattan, to avoid some walking for Bree’s sake, but was reminded by one of the Schramms that today was Pride, a particularly huge NYC-hosted global edition, w/ attendant crowds and street closures; so we took the bus/train, got a cab from 23rd st. Started reading Dora Malech, Stet on the train - curious book of anagram poems. Didn’t care for the prose proglomena poem, but began to be won over by p. 16 or so. “Must we fail in one form to find another.” Met Kio Stark to see Say Something Bunny - a one woman performance piece based on documentary research into the family that made two wire recordings in 1952-4; put me in mind of my “Milchadich”/My Fairfax Lady article - and my own family. Tried to help Bree get a car home, finally had to leave her to her own devices. (We failed to get her Uber acct set up.) Had to walk about a mile out of my way to get around the parade on the way to Euphoria - on foot for at least an hr. Finally made it to rehearsal at 6:20, went ’til 9. Feels pretty solid, a lot of progress on, e.g., “Faith Is a Dusty Word,” will work on some details at home tomorrow (particularly the songs w/ some space for impressionistic piano, “Spent,” “Honestly Now,” and “New England.”) Had bought tix for The Bad Plus’s 9:30 set at Jazz Standard (since I have a feeling I won’t be going out for a week after Monday), theoretically very close, but more rerouting. Got seated during the first tune. Dug the dynamics, new pianist Orrin Evans, and a few of the tunes (esp. the last, of which they didn’t announce the title), not a lot to say - just pleasant to listen to music. Had a burger and 2 beers. Got up to date, finally, on the post-solstice poem/page-a-day notebook during the set. Started reading Vernon Lee, The Psychology of an Art Writer — translation of an essay and “gallery notes” by an apparently prolific 19th-c. aesthete, travel-writer, &c., real name Violet Paget, now so obscure she might as well be made up. Also wrote ghost stories. Phenomenology w/ touches of Gestalt psychology, all very refined, dated, but readable. Home 11:30, lights out 12:30. Listened to a little Hank Jones, but fell asleep by the 2nd cut.
jun 29
Was up for a while around 2-3 am, listened to a 5049 podcast w/ David Grubbs. Got back up at 8:30. Read a chunk of Kelley, to about p. 400, continued over coffee. Got out around 1, w/ intent to go to Spacious, but changed my mind and went to Communitea in LIC, partly b/c I wanted lunch; but it turns out they now have no-laptop weekends. (And I would have gone elsewhere had I only wanted lunch.) So I used the time to finish Kelley. He is emphatic on pushing back against the mad genius/naive child myths about Monk; whether or his manic depression had any creative advantages, it was mainly a cause of inconvenience and suffering to him and his family. But I suspect Kelley says less than he might want to about racist interpretations of his music, and jazz in general; he lets a number of critics say their piece, but doesn’t comment at length. Drafted a couple grafs of next section in notebook, caught partway up on post-solstice poetry. Came back at 5, rested for an hr, helped Bree w/ organization until 7:30. Made myself some pasta and broccoli rabe, w/ anchovies and sausage. Worked on Schramms piano parts for an hr. or more, got through a little more than 1/2 the set, should do more tomorrow. Read the last few poems in Martí. I like a poem called “Prison Recollections,” which is not as clear as you’d expect something called that to be. Lights out midnight.
jun 28
Up 8. Still congested, but energy is coming back. Read 25 p. Kelley. Can’t recall the later morning. Left about 12:30, worked at Lincoln Center from 1:40. Stupidly left my hand-edits from yesterday at home, but re-did the work, and sent 2500 words to Holbo just before 6. Checked out a recent critical book on Bert Williams, which happened to be on the circulating shelves, though I should also look at the biographies, which aren’t. Went downtown to see Gordon Dahlquist’s play Veil Widow Conspiracy at New York Theater Workshop. Finished the Cook biography on the train. Engrossing, nested narrative about the contemporary production of a film about China in the ‘30s, with which the contemporary Chinese government interferes, framed by scenes of a couple discussing the film in a seemingly dystopian Brooklyn in the near future. Had a bite at Mighty Quinn’s, listened to some of the Schramm songs on the way home, back by 10:30, didn’t stay up long. Put on a Morton Feldman string quartet.
jun 27
Up 7, but didn’t try to do much for a while. Listened to most of the 2nd disc of Robert Wyatt, Different Every Time. Various collaborations, from the well-intentioned “Venceremos” with Working Week (and Tracey Thorn) to duets with Monica Vasconcelos and Cristina Dona (both voices I’d like to hear more). Envy his freedom. Read 50 p. Kelley. Tried to read Marti, but couldn’t concentrate on the longer free verse poems. Ordered in - hot Nepalese soup and momos. Refreshed my memory on most of the Schramms set for rehearsal, practiced “Good Youth” but not much else. Left at 4, finally finished Shepard and Wick on the train. Marked passages and references of interest, but overall too abstractly high-post-structuralist to apply readily. Interestingly, I wouldn’t say they’re “materialists.” Had printed out current book section so I didn’t have to schlep laptop, wrote/edited by hand for about 90 min. at a coffee place near Euphoria. Rehearsed 6-8 with Dave Schramm and band, inc. Kevin Salem. Still have a ways to go on some of these songs - I can make the changes, sure, but I don’t have the forms and dynamics locked in, and there are touches in the recorded arrangements I’d like to get closer to. Home at 9:30, got a slice on the way, read 25 p. of the Will Marion Cook bio. Exhausted by 10:30. Listened to a recording of Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque that I particularly like (Takahir Yoshikawa), went to sleep.
jun 26
Up 7:30. Feel marginally better. Bought some DayQuil and cough syrup. Read some Kelley, listened to Alhambra Love Songs, an odd (b/c straight) John Zorn piano trio record (he wrote the tunes, doesn’t play; Rob Burger is the pianist). Made some zucchini. Read the rest of John Holbo’s paper, sent him a comment. Practiced “When the Roses Bloom Again” (both versions) and took notes for the show. Left about 4, read Shepard & Wick on the way in, worked on the “goo-goo eyes” section after skipping a couple of days at 7 Grains coffee near Sid’s, had a bite at the Ethiopian cabbie joint (sinus-clearing jerk chicken), and went to soundcheck at 6:30. Pretty solid set - I got through my chorus; Boo underplayed compared to Mark Spencer; Doni, the fiddler subbing for Kenny, was quite good (liked the schmaltzy intros on “Miss the Mississippi” and “Someday You’ll Want Me To Want You.” A couple mis-called tempos and sloppy endings as usual w/ the amount of rehearsal we have. Stuck around for piano karaoke since I’d told a few people it was my half-birthday — Andrew H., Drew and Katie, Chris N., Alex M. and a couple of her friends who got up to sing and seemed to enjoy themselves independently. I sang “The Ladies to Lunch,” Laura committed to “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” 1 hot toddy, 1 cider, 1 shot of Four Roses - not advisable while sick, but I’ll live through it. Came back around 11:30. Just enough birthday. Lights out 12:30.