Friday, March 13th
sounds of Havana
Omara Portuondo (1930-), “Sábanas Blancas,” 2019
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Books are manuals for being in the world.
—writer Aleksandar Hemon (1964-)
music clip of the day
jazz/blues/rock/classical/gospel/more
Category: reading table
2020
2020
Tuesday, March 10th
more
John Coltrane Quartet (JC, 1926-1967, tenor saxophone; McCoy Tyner, 1938-2020, piano; Jimmy Garrison, 1934-1976, bass; Elvin Jones, 1927-2004, drums), live (“Vigil,” Naima,” “My Favorite Things”), Belgium (Comblain-la-Tour), 1965
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, New York
*****
radio
Today WKCR (Columbia University) celebrates the birthday of cornetist Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931)—all Bix, all day.
*****
reading table
In the dark we disappear, pure being.
—Stanley Plumly (1939-2019), from”Wight”
2020
Friday, March 6th
sounds of Chicago
Junior Wells (1934-1998, vocals, harmonica), Buddy Guy (1936-, guitar), et al., “Cryin’ Shame” (AKA “Country Girl”), live, Chicago, c. 1970
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
All day long, singing,
yet the day’s not long enough
for the skylark’s song—Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), translated from Japanese by Sam Hamill
2020
Thursday, March 5th
never enough
Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major; Alfred Cortot (1877-1962, piano), 1929
**********
langiappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
Error is boundless.
Nor hope nor doubt,
Though both be groundless,
Will average out.—J. V. Cunningham (1911-1985), from “Meditation on Statistical Method”
2020
Sunday, February 23rd
basement jukebox
The Mellotones, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” (J.B. Scaife), 1963
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday morning, Chicago (Columbus Park)
*****
reading table
Two dangers never cease threatening the world: order and disorder.
—Paul Valéry (1871-1945), Analects (quoted in Lyn Hejinian, “The Rejection of Closure”)
2020
Sunday, February 9th
back to church
“I Have Crossed That Separating Line,” Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Chester, S.C., 2001
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
I shall keep singing!
—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), from 270 (Franklin)
2020
Saturday, February 8th
passings
Peter Serkin, pianist, January 24, 1947-February 1, 2020
Live, Tokyo, 2003: Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996), Rain Tree Sketch (1982)
***
Live, New Jersey (Ridgewood), 2017: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Adagio in B minor, K. 540
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago, Ill.
*****
lagniappe
reading table
Even in Kyoto—
hearing the cuckoo’s cry—
I long for Kyoto.—Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), translated from Japanese by Robert Hass
2020
Friday, February 7th
only rock ‘n’ roll
Bo Diddley (AKA Ellas McDaniel, Ellas Otha Bates, 1928-2008), “Hey! Bo Diddley,” “Bo Diddley,” live, Los Angeles, 1965
**********
lagniappe
random sights
this morning, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
There is still something I’d like to explain,
yet can’t be sure I’m ready yet.
Beside, we’ve done pretty well with the non-sequiturs,
and they by us, don’t you think?—John Ashbery (1927-2017), from “Hierarchy of the Unexpected”
2020
Tuesday, February 4th
alone
Sigurd Hole (bass), “Eg veit I himmelrik ei borg” (“I Know a Castle in Heaven” [Norwegian folk song]), live (studio), New York, 1/31/20
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
In a Station of the Metro
by Ezra Pound (1885-1972)The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
petals on a wet, black bough.
2020
Tuesday, January 28th
tonight in Chicago
They’re playing at Elastic Arts.
Dave Rempis (alto saxophone), Brandon Lopez (bass), Ryan Packard (drums, electronics), live, New York, 2019
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago
*****
reading table
How many traits
must a thing have
in order to be singular?—Rae Armantrout (1947-), from “Two, Three”
