basement jukebox
Irma Thomas (1941-), “Time Is on My Side” (J. Ragovoy, J. Norman), 1964
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lagniappe
reading table
Wild night – Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild nights should be
Our luxury!—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), from 269 (Johnson)
another take
Rev. Paul Jones, “I Won’t Complain” (P. Jones), live, Texas (Texas City), 1989
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
passings
Lawrence Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919–February 22, 2021), poet, publisher, bookstore owner
“The World Is a Beautiful Place,” City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco
These tiny pieces I tire of never.
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), 24 Preludes (1835-1839); Vladimir Ashkenazy (1937-, piano), live, England (Essex), 1980
(Note: After posting this clip, I found that it cannot be viewed here; however, it can be at YouTube.)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Not much more than being,
Thoughts of isolate, beautiful—Louis Zukofsky (1904-1978), from “2”
sounds of New York
Ingrid Laubrock (tenor saxophone), Tom Rainey (drums), Brandon Lopez (bass), with artwork by Yuko Otomo, live (performance begins at 4:00), New York, 2/23/21
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
I can wade Grief –
Whole pools of it –
I’m used to that –
But the least push of Joy
Breaks up my feet –
And I tip – drunken –
Let no Pebble – smile –
‘Twas the New Liquor –
That was All!—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), from 312 (Franklin)
sounds of Paris
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996), And then I knew ’twas Wind (1992); Ensemble Intercontemporain, live, Paris, 2017
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lagniappe
random sights
this morning, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Like Rain it sounded till it curved
And then we knew “twas Wind –
It walked as wet as any Wave
But swept as dry as Sand –—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), from 276 (Franklin)
more
Blind Willie Johnson (1897-1945), “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed” (trad.), 1928
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago
*****
reading table
Mingling with the wind
the snow comes falling;
mingling with the snow
the wind comes blowing;
by banked coals
I stretch my legs,
idle, idle,
in this grass hut
a shut-in,
and counting, find
that the second month too
like a dream
has come and gone—Ryokan (1758-1831), translated from Japanese by Burton Watson
two takes
“Manhattan” (R. Rodgers, L. Hart)
Blossom Dearie (1924-2009, vocals, piano), 1959
*****
Sonny Rollins Trio (SR, tenor saxophone; Henry Grimes, bass; Charles Wright, drums), 1958
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
How did you wriggle
your way
into my dream path
through such deep snow
on the night mountain?—Ryokan (1758-1831), translated from Japanese by Kazuaki Tanahashi
Why not start the week with something small, quiet, beautiful?
Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), “Solar” (P. Brennan), live (studio), New York, 2018
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago
*****
reading table
Only thing
the thief left behind—
moon in my window.—Ryokan (1758-1831), translated from Japanese by Kazuaki Tanahashi
timeless
Blind Willie Johnson (1897-1945), “God Don’t Never Change” (W. Johnson), 1929
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Midnight frost—
I’d borrow
the scarecrow’s shirt.—Matsuo Basho, 1644-1694 (translated from Japanese by Robert Hass)
what’s new
Lous and the Yakuza, live, Paris, published 1/27/2021
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
The problem with being alone is that one never is: you’ve always got yourself to contend with.
—Alex Clark, Times Literary Supplement (“A singular traveller: Patricia Highsmith at 100”), 1/22/21
