The keyboard is the stage on which the fingers dance.
Sviatoslav Richter, piano
TV performance (CBC, Toronto),* 1964
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lagniappe
reading table
even grass and vines
don’t part willingly . . .
lantern for the dead—Kobayashi Issa, 1822 (translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue)
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*Johannes Brahms, Intermezzo in E Minor, Op. 116, No. 5
Sergei Prokofiev, Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 14
Maurice Ravel, Jeux d’eau, Alborada del gracioso
career plans for the next life
If none of the other things I’ve mentioned pan out (tap dancer, rubboard player, reggae bassist), I might take a stab at playing guitar in a Malian band.
Salif Keita & Band, live, Germany (Leverkusener), 2010
Part 1
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Part 2
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Part 3
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lagniappe
reading table
a glimpse of moon
over my home village . . .
then clouds—Kobayashi Issa, 1807 (translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue)
*****
taking a break
I’m going to take a little break—back soon.
how to cast a spell
Tip #1: Be under one yourself.
Gretchen Parlato (with Taylor Eigsti, piano; Alan Hampton, bass; Mark Guiliana, drums), “Better Than,” live, Germany (Stuttgart), 2010
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lagniappe
reading table
thin wall—
with the moonlight
comes the cold—Kobayashi Issa, 1824 (translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue)
Melody?
Just little fragments now and then.
Harmony?
None in the usual sense.
Rhythm?
Ditto.
What is there?
A sonic space you inhabit the way you would a dream.
Olivia Block, composer, sound artist, performer; “field recordings on damaged cassette tapes,” “controlled feedback from small speakers/contact mic,” “amplified autoharp” (YouTube post); Chicago (Saki Records), 2010
Vodpod videos no longer available.You’ve got to be bold, or nuts, or both to do what these Saki folks did last year in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood—open a new record store.
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lagniappe
reading table
summer moon—
there is no such thing
as a flawless night—Kobayashi Issa, 1812 (trans. David G. Lanoue)
Miles Davis Quintet (MD, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, tenor saxophone; Herbie Hancock, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Tony Williams, drums), “Footprints” (W. Shorter), live, Sweden, 1967
Vodpod videos no longer available.Time for just one note? 3:34. (Shorter’s entire solo is a marvel [1:54-3:54]: it’s as intimate and delicate as a dream.)
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lagniappe
reading table
just the other day
we said goodbye . . .
dewy grave—Kobayashi Issa, 1790s (trans. David G. Lanoue)
only rock ’n roll
The Dirtbombs, live, New York (Other Music), 2009
Vodpod videos no longer available.Note: If this doesn’t play properly, make sure the “HD” option is turned on (lower righthand corner).
More? Here.
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reading table
to the west
is Buddha’s paradise . . .
withered fields—Kobayashi Issa (trans. David G. Lanoue), 1819
only rock ’n roll
(an occasional series)
Coldplay, “Rehab” (Amy Winehouse)/“Fix You”
Live, Chicago (Lollapalooza), 8/5/11
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lagniappe
reading table
when I’m dead
who’ll wear it next?
new summer robe—Kobayashi Issa, 1817 (trans. David G. Lanoue)
You’re never too young to die.
Amy Winehouse, September 14, 1983-July 23, 2011
“Tears Dry On Their Own”
Take 1: original recording and video (2006)
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Take 2: remix by Organized Noize Dungeon Family (Big Boi)
(released 7/24/11)
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lagniappe
reading table
heat shimmers—
someone listening to
a snail shell—Kobayashi Issa, 1808 (trans. David G. Lanoue)
only rock ’n roll
(an occasional series)
The Dirtbombs, “Stop,” New Jersey (Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park), c. 2007
Vodpod videos no longer available.Anybody can play in tune.
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lagniappe
reading table
welcoming in loads
of new year’s rain . . .
trashy house—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), trans. David G. Lanoue
music clip of the day 