I was just watching a video clip from a recent Arkestra concert that contained a beautiful comment from a brief interview (30 seconds!) with alto saxophonist and Arkestra conductor, Marshall Allen.
“The audience is part of the band
So, if you get them going with you
Then the music will flow
and glow…”
Griffiths, Pat. “A Space Warning from Sun Ra to the Planet Earth.” Friends (London), February 2, 1971, p.2.
to read this article, you can view a large scan at the following link:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Qijk7alSIJw/R7xLodEVHmI/AAAAAAAAAJA/EWLyj_1r-Wg/s1600-h/sunra.jpg
Sun Ra says, “the earth is tuned to G!”
I’m in Ferrara to play a concert last night on the ocean in Lido di Scacchi where we had the most wonderful plate of grilled fish you could ever dream of… so imagine my surprise when tonight’s meal in Ferrara was equally sumptuous – no moonlight, no ocean, no beautiful girls on the beach, but right across the rotondo from the famous Ferrara Jazz Club, my friend Luca tells me he is going to get us some of the best fried fish I ever ate.
It’s called Fritto Imperiale – available only at Wally’s where apparently Luca invented the dish by convincing the owner (Ricki) that he should combine the regular mixed fired fish with the fried vegatables (it tastes like wonderful Japanese tempura) and throw in a few really BIG shrimp (Gamberone) and Voila! (or, Eccola! in Italian).
Anyway, along with the wine from Soave (Roncolato) and a few choice grappas for desert, Fritto Imperiale goes down in my menu book (read: blog!) as a new favorite, to be sought after by those who appreciate the freshest fried assorted fish you can find.
To locate Wally’s in Ferrara: Piazzale San Giovanni, across the street from Torrione where you’ll also find the jazz club there in the tower.
Or go to: www.wallys.it/
good night,
Garrison
Nice concert at the Zeitgeist in Cambridge, Inman Sq. on Wed. evening with a smaller version of the “Variable Density Sound Orchestra.” Did I say I’m the featured artist this month on the website? http://zeitgeist-outpost.org/
The gig was to celebrate our drummer Miki getting her artist visa and being allowed to come back from Japan to play “free music” in an variable free society with three letters – you know the one! And I say “variable” with a small “v” because I guess it depends if you consider “free jazz” a form of terrorism or an invaluable expression of art that contributes to positive human growth.
That’s what we were doing, contributing to positive growth, even tho the band was less dense by 4 members (the new recording features a 9-piece with Roy Campbell and Steve Swell added on trombone) there was Eric Hofbauer and myself on guitars, John Voigt on bass and Kelly Roberge on tenor… and Miki Matsuki on drums.
Eric and I always seem to experience those musical moments where you hear sounds but can’t tell from what instrument they are coming from – it all bleds in together to form a universal sound and so we keep playing but the voices are one… and many at the same time. I often experience a transcendent mode where I see my fingers moving, the violin bow moving back and forth, the pick wailing, the slide slipping back and forth – only the sound isn’t that which I “see” but that which I hear.
Cool… small venue, large universe. WE filled the space accordingly.
garrison
The following story is true, only the names have been censured to protect the very, very guilty…
I just returned from an impromptu date in Bolzano at a very old beer bar – the main room we played in was a former tower built around 1,100 years ago. They make their own beer, really good stuff as I found out. Because of typical Italian traffic and a roadblock, we took to the back roads up the Alto Adige valley along the river and arrived just at the start time, but too late to get a bite to eat according to the owner who insisted we start immediately, play for two hours, then order some food. That’s when I figured beer has some nutritional ingredients in it so I better make a quick deal w/ the bartender.
One beer and a few tunes later, we could hardly hear ourselves for the racket in the bar and the table in front of us talking loudly (in German – and you know that’s a loud language when beer is involved*) so my friend, in disguise as a flute player until then, pulled out his Digeridoo, crammed a microphone inside the hole at the end and we let out with a version of Derek Bailey plays popular theme songs from Hitler Youth (**) accompanied by an Italian Aborigine (***).
The effect was immediate: it cleared the front table out. They payed the check and were out the door before you could say, “Umferschnitzermeisterfrau!”
The rest of the set was enjoyable as we settled into my friends original ballad that roamed freely among the alps before settling into the warmer lowlands where food might be more readily available. The 5,000 year old “Ice Man” would have been proud.
And that’s exactly what I did – during the break I had a real nice plate of lamb ribs with thyme sauce and potatoes and a few more beers whie the owner came over and told us his customers were complaining our music was “too soft and jazzy” and we needed to “turn up” and play some more “popular” styles, you know, “pick it up a bit” in the next set.
Lesson one: never ask a guitarist to turn up, especially when beer is involved. We accepted the criticism graciously, asked for another beer and then went to it. Luckily a blues singing friend offered to help us out. He didn’t care what we played, which key, or any chords whatsoever while he improvised lyrics and we played a 45 minute version of “Girl From Ipanema”, Muddy Watters “Mannish Boy” (from his Hard Again lp), Sun Ra’s “Angels and Demons”, The Doors “Light My Fire”, Jimi Hendrix “Foxy Lady”, Miles “So What” and ereything in between (****). I played guitar with a Brazilian percussion stick, violin bow, glass slide , metal box and anything else that made noise. At one point I had the guitar on controlled feedback and with the Digeridoo, the windows were shaking and making a loud vibrating noise that was very useful to the overall musical direction we were going in: Miles Smiles Meets Sun Ra, Hendrix and Jim Morrison!
The crowd loved it, two 14 year old kids drinikng 24 ounce beers looked confused but happy, folks at the bar had to cover their ears while ordering drinks, the owner was perplexed perhaps, but happy with the outcome, and we got through the gig in a most creative fashion.
Morale of the story: careful what you ask for, especially when it’s a full moon in Bolzano.
We enjoyed the long ride back to Verona, just coming off the full moon, the mountains lining the Adige river on both sides standing massively tall yet lean, the sheer cliffs reflecting the moonlight brightly against the darker, sparsely pine-covered patches, the upper ridges of the mountain range gleaming white with snow, like islands floating in the sky, a few planets and stars throbbing against the clear night, ancient castles clinging to the sides of hills and cliffs, lit up like a Disney fantasy.
cosmic regards,
Garrison
* just joking of course, I love German: Wagner makes Debussey seem like a wimp with an overly protective mother… I’m just joking, I love Debussey… (etc)
** “Eins, Zwei, a Wurstel in Your Eye” – tunes like that.
*** I have no excuse – the Aborigines have taken enough abuse not to compare them to Italians. I apologize!! And they make great Digeridoos.
**** ok, there wasn’t really anything “in between” – it’s just a literary device used to describe total chaos.
As a composer, it is a constant challenge for me to reach into the depths of my life to find new melodies, new tunes, ones that can perhaps inspire emotion or thought. As a performer playing mostly improvised and creative music, it is also a challenge to overcome any obstacle that might inhibit the creative spirit from flowing freely. There are many of these, from simply being too tired from lack of sleep, long rides to reach the venue, poor sound, lack of concentration, inattentive audiences, or numerous other variables.
It helps knowing that there is a wellspring of creativity at hand that can be employed in any moment. Confidence, patience, experience and anticipation of the moment when creativity is let loose and we step out of the way to allow the dance to take place. A balance between transient and eternal, between mistakes and beauty. The process is engaging and when the music stimulating, there is always the feeling that the search itself is most enjoyable. I delight in the successful moments, having quickly adjusted from the previous instant where beauty was perhaps not the first quality to rise to the surface.
There are those points in time where past, present and future become one and we are carried along by the creative spirit into a new realm where we can instantly make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas. Last week, the last tune on the set in a trio with saxophonist Charlie Kohlhase and bassist John Voigt, the intensity reached a level where all our sounds became one and I could no longer tell which notes were coming from my instrument or someone else’s, where the totality of the music was greater than the parts, the individual roles overlappingto produce a new, ethereal experience, observing what is happening more than making it happen. The tune was Long Distance Unity and before playing it, all I called for was to reach for the peak of chaos, leaving no holes unfilled.
The lines of separation were brilliantly blurred for a short time, but long enough to remember for a while.
… garrison
Here is a quote by Daisaku Ikeda about art that I find very inspiring:
“Art is the expression of human spirituality. The soul of an artist seeks to be united with the ultimate reality: cosmic life. Art purifies the inner self and has the power to unite people with each other. Our art also enables others to experience the universal spirit in their own life and so it works to unite us as human beings.”
— Daisaku Ikeda
“Philosophy is what powers our struggle to be victorious in life.”
From the beginning of “Lectures on The Opening of the Eyes” by Daisauku Ikeda on the writings of Nichiren Daishonin, this sentence contains both the wisdom and encouragement to develop a comprehensive understanding of life and the universe and a stronger, more knowledgeable sense of inner self that can transform suffering into joy while contributing to a more peaceful society.
Ikeda further encourages readers to become eternal “doctors of philosophy”, and “illuminate the deepening darkness of modern society with brilliant light.”
The next to last paragraph in the book is equally motivating:
“The fighting spirit of one person who takes up the challenge to battle negative forces can inspire a stand-alone spirit in the heart of another and then another in an unending chain reaction. As the number of such courageous individuals steadily spreads, people throughout the land will come to ‘open their eyes’. There is no greater act of compassion than conveying this spirit of unceasing challenge to others.”
… and the last sentence:
“The time for us to challenge ourselves is now.”
I think this can be applied to any discipline – music, art, science, religion, or the pursuit of happiness for oneself and others. As Charlie Parker put it, “Now’s The Time”.
… Garrison
[excerpts from "Lectures on The Opening of the Eyes" by Daisauku Ikeda. First Edition published 2007 by Soka Gakkai Malaysia. email: publication@sgm.org.my]
Listening to the Henry Threadgill Sextet: I bought an lp copy of Henry’s Novus recording, “You Know the Number” with Henry on bass flute, alto and tenor sax, Rasul Sadik on trumpet, Frank lacy on trombone, Diedre Murray on cello, Fred Hopkins and Pheeroan Aklaff on basses, and Reggie Nicholson on percussion.
After listening twice all the way through last night, I re-played the first track on side 1, “Bermuda Blues” and the last track on side 2, “Those who Eat Cookies”.
This is one of my favorite Threadgill recordings so far. Besides having some of my most favorite players on this lp, the compositions are great and Henry always has the best use of pre-composed and improvised music to be found anywhere. He uses employs enough varied rhythmic grooves in the ensemble to make for interesting listening no matter what styles of music you prefer.
Bermuda Blues starts off almost as if the band members are showing up one at a time, slowly sauntering in as if to bely the importance of recording, until it all begins to connect and the proceedings take off. Not a typical blues, it’s still all about the blues.
I especially enjoy the texture of two basses and cello. And the Frank Lacy solos are a real treat.
I’m into all the versions of Henry’s groups I’ve heard. While on tour in Italy last October w/ guitarist Eric Hofbauer, we were invited by my photographer friend Luciano Rossetti to go to the Cormons, “Jazz and Wine” festival. We were staying in the same hotel with Henry and enjoyed a pice of apple pie together before the show. That night, I loved guiarist Liberty Ellman’s work and when we went to dinner after the show (I had to translate the Italian menu for the band) I asked Liberty how the group moves from one section to another so liberally, playing sections against each other simultaneously and improvising at the same time in different places and suddenly the whole band lands on the melody going out of the tune to the surprise of even the most attentive listener.
He explained that Henry allows members to choose sections on their own, to stay on one or move forward as they like, but he has little melodic cues – like Miles davis use din his electric bands – to signal a place where everyone knows what’s happening.
It must be some positive connection from the universe that I would buy this lp at this moment, as I just got finished recording my nine piece band with two basses and 4 horns – Steve Swell on trombone and Roy Campbell Jr., on trumpet. You can listen to our latest recording, released in February on Creative Nation Music and titles, “The Variable Density Sound Orchestra.”
No Two Songs Tell the Same Story
Sun Ra, in the film a Joyful Noise, talks about history in the Egyptian museum at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. As a kid growing up in Philly, I used to often visit the museum and would ask my parents “can we go see the mummies?!” I was both scared and fascinated at the same time. I loved the Egyptian temple which includes a real Sphinx – the only one I saw until I went to Egypt many years later.
Speaking in front of the Sphinx surrounded by the Egyptian temple, Sun Ra says:
No two songs tell the same story…
They say that history repeats itself …
But history is only HIS story… you haven’t heard MY story YET …
MY story is DIFFERENT from HIS story… my story is not part of history…
Because history repeats itself…
But MY story is endless, it never repeats itself
Why should it?
… A sunset does not repeat ITself, neither does a sunrise….
Nature never repeats itself
Why should I repeat myself?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ApScX0yvtyE
An excellent history lesson that musicians or any artist might consider, especially at the point where we have to choose between creation and re-creation. It’s not all that easy; what worked really well yesterday or last night could be very tempting to repeat tonight. In a different town in front of a different audience, who would know the difference? Only you could miss the chance to discover another world and the connection to the inner imagination that is strengthened when improvising with the creative spirit. The unexpected offers opportunity for invention, and awareness is heightened where tension occurs.
Thoughtful regards,
Garrison
