Nola's gigs no less.

Nola's gigs no less. "Working" at Nola's. It's like an imaginary place but, it's for real enough for jazz et al. People just hang around after supper and love to talk over/under the live bands that play there. I think they like the idea of being able to talk through the music — it's like a party and the musicians are in the background having fun and playing their hearts out. So there's a potential scene there. The folks who are there don't strike as being Yardbird Suiters but seem to dig the music anyways and it's not Rock and Roll all the time. Dixie type jazz, bebop, jazz fusion, folk fusion. Musicians need some place to play so long may it continue. I played with Dino D. (his gig) Tenor and Greg D. on bass. Basically "real" booking it. It seemed to come off OK and was fun and challenging (no drums) but it went pretty steady all through the night.... some person came on to the stage at the end and gave us all a congratulatory hug and said that her 2 boys were playing the piano.... it's only a little club (on the edge' of town) but here we were being pleased enough with ourselves. Will it last?... We live well—for the moment. It was fun even if it was a trifle loud (whazhatusay). I will be wearing earplugs for a time to try to recoup the expected hearing loss. We did an unexpected duo today Sunday for which we had a devoted audience of about 8-9 people. They loved us bless their hearts. We played softer today and the musical rewards were increased up in the quantum leap area. It was a good way to end the weekend. It's all very inspiring—whenever I play 2-3 gigs in a row it feels like being a real musician with confidence and skill/solos that emerge that didn't seem to be there before.... Maybe its due to the fact that my little yamaha P85 is just a tad light in the key weight department. With the addition of dynamics there is a whole other world of expression, lines, confidence, fun and a little more involvement with self esteem (ah steam !) Yey !

Reincarnation:

To change the subject: the topic of reincarnation has been brought to my attention via Yogananda of the Biography of a Yogi (a recommended read for anyone—especially anyone involved with the arts and that can be literally anyone). A little passage here brings to light the potential for erroneous thinking in that this life has to be used up in the pursuit of physical pursuits etc. This may suffice for now.

" The early Christian church accepted the doctrine of reincarnation, which was expounded by the Gnostics and by numerous church fathers, ..... The (this) doctrine was first declared a heresy in A.D. 533 by the Second Council of Constantinople—in order to encourage man to strive for immediate salvation (point well taken enough). But truths suppressed lead disconcertingly to a host of errors. The millions have Not utilized their "one lifetime" to (not so much) seek God, but to enjoy this world — so uniquely won, and so shortly to be forever lost! The truth is that man reincarnates on earth until he has consciously regained his status as a son of God.

It just gives me food for thought and to be more earnest (hopefully Not "inept") in the quest for realization. Duty done will reap rewards of perhaps some other kind of good chance. Otherwise who knows? The magic is in preparation and willingness to look inward. Sorry for preaching to the choir but it's really self directed.

Face book issues: on MOX TV... privatization of jails (what a thought)—incarceration for profit— supposed to save the state money... according to the records of the fact: it indeed does Not save the state money...It's reminiscent of Chris Hedge's (The death of the Liberal Class pp 51) observation of the privatization of the Afghan war. There's nothing for the troops to do.... this "privatization" is still bottom-lined by the US state !! War is hell !! Prison is from Hell !!

In lighter news: The Oilers redeemed via an 8 point brilliant play by Sam Gagner ... Wee were there: G. and I. It almost felt like the Gretzy years there for a brilliant moment of play. The game did generate some much needed esteem amongst the jubilant fans. I was happy too.

Fell off the diet a little: all about nursing my split 4th fingertip don't y'know. I think I need the occasional relief from the extreme speed of losing weight: 25 pounds in a month and a half. Now I have to get back to it split fingertip and all... it's a little sore even through the bandaids.

Gotta transcribe Jambalaya for EKOS then listen to those tracks, then practise, then start editing and working on Book 2... I hope I don't have to have another 30 years of experience to write it. Geeeeeee this IS Fun after all..

Keep up the good fight All.... I will remember to remember to do the same.

Keeping track (s)

The tracks are: the more I listen to them, played quite spontaneously and really swing in spite of the rubato playing— it all makes sense to me (a couple of grey areas in certain tracks not with standing). It's actually for the most part quite gentle but complexity is always subtly just a moment away and it gets built in quite quickly when I'm trying to save myself and the wave of feel and thought continues and crests away. There's a couple of tracks that get kind of gospelly and I'm hoping that they don't take over the CD as it's really only a portion of what's happening in the "CD".

The piano sound is quite gorgeous at least on through my new headset. I'm going to let D. O. hear them through this headset and see what he thinks. It's kind of the ideal for me.

So I'm getting happy with a lot of this recorded material. Hopefully more than just myself and my Mom will hear it.

Of course I had an epiphany today or over the last couple of days. The word and the global meaning of the word "Ephemeral" as contrasting with Thee word: "Eternal". So much of my life is and has been lived on the former level—there have been times I confess that I have thought that the ephemeral was all there was (not deep down though). Ephemeral perhaps is taking something for granted when it is actually transient: short lived, temporary—maybe it's an attitude or an (here's a word for you) "ignoritude". Life in this lane has proved folly time and time again and it's something that many good good people are very serious about: going and acting beyond the seemingly obvious. Think Eternally my friend (to misquote Bruce Lee, who wisely said: "Be water my friend" (put it in context :) that way is the way (as all of you know, as I preach to the choir) to wisdom and peace, and ALL Good !!— Amen !! I will again confess that I received this email message via my Guru conection (Autobiography of A Yogi —Paramahansa Yogananda/Hariharanda) from Shri Lahiri Mahasay: Ephemeral love is not real love, eternal love is NECESSARY (how about another "Amen"). This is helpful to me.

Other topics in this vein:

Attachment is an obstacle. If there is no attachment, then there is no obstacle - Shri Lahiri Mahasay.

I haven't got back to Chris Hedges but when I see a glimpse of the Repuplican debate on TV I know that he is a worthy read and a worthy heed !!

tracking the tracks

I've finally got to sit down and start listening to my tracks. The first day of recording yielded some promising results. I've been listening carefully to the tracks of the 2nd day and in spite of Hector, D.O.'s dog/guy, I seemed at times to be wandering off into little harmonic cubby holes that sometimes appear relevant but often are a little annoying excursions into the dreamland of wanderings getting away from the matter at hand. They seem to be not as much fun in places.. Other times I'm wondering what I did there because it sounds even miraculous. I guess I'll just keep going and learn some of the tunes better and try to get inside them. It takes quite a while for me to really deeply know a song.

"Minimally" was the word Bill Evans used when he was asked about practising—that is working extensively on just a few ideas (and knowing it to be right under any playing conditions). My friend L.V. says that Bill has practised all day for weeks and months earlier on in his life.

So I'd like to try that a little bit too.... I have been playing these tunes for the best part of a life- time and still find ways to paint myself into a corner. Of course playing in up tempos was and is a challenge but with a little work at that I seemed to be able to play up without getting a stiff neck. "1/2 TIME THEY TELL ME." So that reminds me of the time I was in NYC (1983) and listening to the great Johnny Griffin tearing it up in this club with a very young Mulgrew Miller (who "played" —like he demolished the piano, very very awesome). Well, speaking of half time feel in a 4/4 up up UP tempo: I couldn't even tap my foot to it, it was so fast—I tried tapping my foot in half time meanwhile I was checking this fabulous bass player with the group and caught his eye: he noticed that I was tapping in 1/2 time and he looked at me without contempt but gave me a nod in the Negative direction (Not up and down) which told me that 1/2 time is not the way to go—I've never forgotten that. So the secret to playing fast up up 4 is not 1/2 time per say, but to somehow relax and feel (practise, listen, keep track of changes and form) the fast 4 in not such a square way (as I had been doing).... It's a challenge even to find players that want to play fast because to get good at it you have to go for it often.

These tracks I've just done are kind of the opposite of all that. My time is good (stretched here and there) but the impulse is more like a bar-long wave or more. Gotta watch those cubby holes.

Random news:

We went to Hugo.... very nice..

EKOS choir has a wonderful ambitious show coming up in May and I know I'm going to be attentive and hard working just to keep up with P. the director: lots of plans—it's going to be fun and entertaining.

Slowly reading Chris Hedges: He's got the take on our times !!

Reading Autobiography of a Yogi.... There's nothing like it out there. I've read it several times but now concentrate on the intake and study and living with the principles and revelations found there.

I'm going to practise—and remind myself what a great thing it is to be able to play even if tribulations do arise — it's the one thing that keeps going forward in some particular way.

Cheers, Everyone.