Up at 6. Read a bit of AEC in bed. Went to coffee, wrote 2 poems (one a collage of phrases from The Trial and a coffee-table book on shabby chic decor, both sitting on the cafe shelves), read Natalie Stephens section in Canadian anthology. Not taken w/ the work. Came back and read a bit of AEC book. Found someone online to take my extra ticket for tonight. Listened to Sparrow Spectacular. Left around noon, worked on intro revision 1-5, sent some Frankenstein version of the ch. to Holbo. David Nagler texted proposing we try to get a show together at the Owl, which would be great. Straight from there to Joe’s Pub, had enough time to call my dad. Saw the Mighty Sparrow — he’s around 80, used a cane to get on stage, and performs sitting down, but he was totally commanding, singing strongly and playfully (occasionally throwing in a Louis Armstrong imitation) interacting w/ band and audience. Band itself, w/ 3-pc. horn section, was mostly white session guys, except for the excellent pianist, led by Lane Steinberg on unobtrusive electric guitar, w/ several players I know: Tom Shad on bass, Dave Foster on acoustic, Jeff Hudgins on alto. I’ve probably met the drummer but couldn’t see him. I didn’t know much of the material (Sparrow has written 700 songs) and would like to learn, but the songs were more variegated, esp. harmonically, than what one might naively expect of calypso as a genre. Highlights: “Who Killed the Sparrow?” (Basically a decades-old diss track against Lord Kichener and Lord Melody, both dead), and the cannibalistically signifying “Congo Man.” Great show. Got back around 10, made myself do a couple measures of the horn chart, lights out not long after 11. Also made it through 2 chapters of the Canadian anthology - Gail Scott and Margaret Christikos.
jul 5
Up around 8. Slow morning, but worked on horns for an hr. around 11-noon. Tried to scare up someone for my extra ticket to see the Mighty Sparrow tomorrow. Went to the store for Bree. To Lincoln Center by 3, worked ’til 6. Did, in fact, listen to A Jackson in Your House. Mitchell’s vocal contributions (on the title track, about his cat, and a “crick crack” section give off a very different vibe than his present-day demeanor). Took some time to find a file w/ excised sections of introduction. Checked out two of Jasen’s facsimile collections of 1910s sheet music. Bought a new phone charging cord, got an ice cream, came home. Started reading Prismatic Publics, ed. Kate Eichhorn and Heather Milne, an anthology of interviews and selected work by Canadian innovative/experimental women poets - picked it up at a bookstall on Union Square a couple months ago. Finished that at home — sections on Nicole Brossard and Susan Holbrook (new to me - interestingly playful writer, has a N+7-ish piece based on tampon instructions). Read another chapter of AEC book, covering their ‘70s activities. Not up to much after 10 - fooled around on some standards on piano, read 15 p. or so of Herman Rappaport, The Theory Mess: Deconstruction in Eclipse, which looks to be a defense against d’s (and D’s) American reception. Pub’d 2001, things have moved on, esp. politically, not sure why I want to read this now. Put on the New World Records CD of Joe Jordan’s music (reconstructed by the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra) - fell asleep after a couple of instrumental rags, should listen w/ concentration.
jul 4
Up at 6, felt restless, went out for coffee early and read through intro chapter, made some edits, need to find some excised sections and reintegrate. Back at 10, read to p. 120 of Art Ensemble book, off and on. (Extended analysis of A Jackson In Your House, which I should now dig out and listen to.) Still winnowing email - giving myself 1 week to get to inbox zero. Read 2nd 1/2 of John Holbo’s paper and replied (to his comments on my drafts as well). Left at 6, went to hear Lonnie Liston Smith Trio at Jazz Standard, 7 pm set. Fascinating command of Hammond registration and dynamics, and funky moments throughout, esp. on “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” of all things, but I imagine he was once a fleeter linear improvisor - he’s 79, after all. Solid younger drummer, guitarist a bit on the loud/pedal-happy side - most of his solos started interestingly but ended in showy arpeggiation and near-tapping. Back in JH, stopped off to see the Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet at La Terraza. Piazzola and originals by the bassist-leader, who’s also a beautiful player. All very composed, even-quasi classical — I thought, oh, yeah, I could hold down those piano parts, but then there would be these ridiculous runs. Great stuff. Back at home about 11, bed soon after. Read the rest of Johnston on trains over the course of day. Well-crafted and pointedly reticent but to me uneven - it’s still “quietist,” as Bernstein used to say and probably still does, even if knowingly so. I wonder if he gets along w/ Ange? I did end up liking the Ovid, and a poem about “Frankie and Albert” and the murder behind it held my interest. Johnson mentions the possibility that the bones of the song predate the case, and St. Louis street singer Bill Dooley, but I think that kind of speculation (by Leonard Feather, e.g.) doesn’t hold up.
jun 3
Up for a while around 3:30 - found a pdf of “I Ain’t Got Nobody” and looked up the other version on Google Books, though printing it from there is useless, ordered the Eileen Southern festschrift on interlibrary loan. Back to bed, up at 10:30. Bree is tired, residual sore throat from anesthesia tube, but basically ok. Read the last bit of Lee in bed. Went to coffee, finished Malech and wrote page/poem. Home at about noon. Concentrated effort to shrink email inbox; also changed my flight to CA, which took a long time on the phone. Some thought of going to library, but never quite got it together - by 2 or 3 it seemed like too much effort. Went to E77 about 4, kept at the current section. Got back at 6 to wait for grocery delivery. Read to p. 60 of Paul Steinbeck’s Art Ensemble of Chicago book; background chapters, some overlap w/ Lewis’ AACM tome, but much of interest — several members were in Army bands, most had reasonably serious mainstream chops (and gigs) before coming into the Abrams/Experimental Band orbit; had not realized how pro Lester Bowie and Fontella Bass were (she had other R&B hits besides “Rescue Me,” and did soda pop jingles). More email, trying to schedule picking up my Korg piano and repaired Princeton amp. Started Devin Johnson, Mosses and Lichens - well-wrought and not as slight as I’d imagined. A poem involving a Somali neighbor comes off badly (or at least would be ammunition for detractors). Stopped at a longer poem “from Ovid,” which I don’t have the stomach for tonight.Touched on horn chart. Watched the rest of Che (the first half, that is). Lights out 11.
jul 2
Bree and I got up at 4:15. Car came on time, we were at Mt. Sinai on Union Square by 5 - 1/2 hr. early. Waited, filled out forms, waited more until Bree got called for pre-op. (Made a joke: “I love my wife, but oh you kidney.”) Stayed w/ her to talk to anastheseologist and doctor. They took her in around 7:40. Went down the street to Think Coffee for breakfast, looked at the “I Ain’t Got Nobody” section for a bit, and started reading over an older chapter I want to send to someone to read. Hospital called as I was walking back. Bree was out of surgery by 9 or so; they were able to do the less invasive procedure, thank God, with no incision or drainage back, which simplifies recovery and will be a lot less stressful for both of us. Saw her briefly, still groggy (+ w/ sore throat) from anesthesia. Went back to waiting room, spoke to doctor briefly, went in to take her home after about 45 min. (Read Lee, to p. 97, in various waiting periods.) She drank a bunch of apple juice and was able to dress herself; held on to my arm walking out, but not too bad. Got her some tea and Starbucks, then cab, called dad en route. I did a couple of chores immediately, but she was able to make her own eggs. Went for a few groceries and picked up her antibiotic. Then was able to lie down. Put on the Mann/Leo podcast w/ Ian Mackaye; it annoyed me on a couple counts, but why get into it? Napped a bit, not long, considering when we got up. Actually managed to work 30-40 min. on the horn charts (the trick key change in the bridge) after exactly a week off for my illness, rehearsal/show, preparing for the surgery. (Only completely missed 2 writing days.) Watched an Ed Wynn short and 1/2 of Oh, You Beautiful Doll (John L. Stahl, 1947) w/ Bree at her request; a quasi-biopic of Fred Fisher, who wrote e.g. “Come Josephine in My Flying Machine,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” &c. In the late-‘40s period-musical vein, almost entirely an excuse for exploiting old catalogs. Read more Lee, scrawled a poem, lights out. Put on Hank Jones - cool blues-w-bridge called “An’ Then Some.”