More of the late Otis Clay.
“That’s How It Is (When You’re In Love),” 1967
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“Trying to Live My Life Without You,” 1972
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“Precious, Precious,” 1972
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“The Woman Don’t Live Here No More,” 1974
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“I Can’t Take It,” 1977
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. . . life, that storm before the calm.
—Wislawa Szymborska (1923-2012, MCOTD Hall of Fame), “Negative” (translated from Polish by Clare Cavanagh)
More of Otis Clay, who died the other day.
The Gospel Songbirds (Otis Clay [right]; Maurice Dollison, aka Cash McCall [left], 1941-), “I Believe,” live (Jubilee Showcase), 1964, Chicago
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There was very little time for small talk, so I said, ‘Does God exist?’
—James Tate (1943-2015), “The Wrong Wedding” (Dome of the Hidden Pavilion, 2015)
sounds of New York
More from the drummer on the new David Bowie album.
Mark Guiliana Beat Music (MG, drums; Stu Brooks, bass; Yuki Hirano, keyboards; with guests Steve Wall [tape recorder], Jeff Taylor [vocals]), live, New York, 2014
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Unknown –
—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), #778 (Franklin), last line
what’s new
David Bowie, “Lazarus,” 2016
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The World – feels Dusty
When We stop to Die –
We want the Dew – then –—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), #491 (Franklin), beginning
passings
Paul Bley, pianist, November 10, 1932-January 3, 2016
Live, 1970s?
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With Charlie Haden (bass), live, New York, 2000
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With John Gilmore (tenor saxophone), Gary Peacock (bass), Paul Motian (drums; or Billy Elgart, side 2, tracks 2-3), Turning Point, rec. 1964/1968
Side 1
Side 2
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Live, Norway (Oslo), 2008
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I held a Jewel in my fingers –
And went to sleep –
The day was warm, and winds were prosy—
I said ”Twill keep” –I woke – and chid my honest fingers,
The Gem was gone –
And now, an Amethyst remembrance
Is all I own –—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), #261 (Franklin)
sounds of Cameroon
Jovi, “Zélé,” 2015
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Maybe you go looking for one thing and find another.
—Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), Don Quixote (translated from Spanish by Edith Grossman; internal quotation marks omitted)
Aretha’s daddy
One of these days, the cloud will be lifted . . .
—Rev. C. L. Franklin
Rev. C. L. Franklin, live, Detroit
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The sea is not less beautiful in our eyes because we know that ships are sometimes wrecked.
—Simone Weil (1909-1943), “The Love of God and Affliction” (translated from French by Richard Rees)
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random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
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the beat goes on
2,200 posts—and counting.
What better way to start the new year?
Aretha Franklin, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (G. Goffin, C. King, J. Wexler), live, Washington, D.C., 2015
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New Year’s Day—
everything is in blossom!
I feel about average.—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), translated from Japanese by Robert Hass
more
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Goldberg Variations
Andras Schiff (piano), live
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radio
WKCR‘s Bach Festival concludes at midnight.
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Nobody does letters to the editor like the Brits. Here, for instance, is how one begins in the December 17th issue of the London Review of Books:
I hesitate to disagree with my brother, David Matthews, about the order of the middle movements of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, but we have long held opposing views, mine being that the scherzo should come third (Letters, 3 December). . . .
Colin Matthews
London SW 11
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random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
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To all who’ve dropped by this year (from, I’m told, 120 countries): May you have a happy and peaceful new year.
Close your eyes . . .
John Luther Adams (1953-), . . . and bells remembered . . . (2005)
Callithumpian Consort, 2011
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aware of the sun
setting, the butterfly
flits away—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue
music clip of the day 