Chronicles Continued

Never intended this to be a political column.  Never intended it to have a discussion forum.  But this article can not be ignored.  We are a nation drowning in debt and with a warped sense of accountability.  This New York Times article on what it takes to stay above the poverty line.  And juxtaposition-ed to this article in the past week,  the children of the 1% flying in their private jets to arrive at college interviews. Are we ever going to get it right?  Are we ever going to understand inequality?

The sun shone today.  And yesterday.  It is as if the cafe tables and chairs rise from the sidewalk, filled immediately by sun seeking persons. The chatter, the clinking of cups on saucers, the dogs tied by leash to the leg of the chair, the visual of food on plates.  Makes the City feel small and intimate.  A perfect weekend.

 

Have been meaning to post this… and kept forgetting.. which is rather ‘funny’ given the message.

When one sees a fire escape over the main front door, on an old building, more than likely in it’s early history the building was a tenement.  The example above is a typical one: 4 windows across and an exterior fire escape.  These were put in place as a second way out in the event that the open interior stairways were inaccessible due to fire.  1860 the law requiring these were put into place.

*inspired by an article in the Westview News

Was walking down a small street and suddenly this appeared on my right.  The entrance is no larger than it appears.  And there they were, buried for time and eternity.  The City has grown up all around them.  They could well be turning over… at the changes.

This is so Spring!  Right across the street!  And this morning I saw the proprietor dusting off the sunglasses so they shine in the reflected sunlight.  Happy Passover, Easter, Spring Day to each of you.

Audition today required my being the wife of a husband who is in the grips of Alzheimer’s disease.  The discussion with the playwright progressed as to what this felt like for the wife – as this play was based on a real person.  And he said “You lose your best friend.  You have no access to the person anymore with whom you share so many memories.  The sharing possibilities are taken away.  You are dealing with someone you don’t know.” I looked at him startled.  And was quiet.  I then said, you have described what a divorce is.  In a divorce you lose your best friend, you no longer have that memory bank of shared memories upon which to call, and the new person that is most likely in combat with you, you don’t know at all.  We sat there together in a silent mutual awareness.

Another missive from Spike.  As usual… wise.

Dear Friends:

I’m often asked to speak on the “business of music” – most recently at a prominent conservatory. I really think I’m the wrong guy to ask because I’m not a businessman – I’m a jazz musician. People always want to know what’s the best way to get a gig at Smalls or Mezzrow or the best way to approach club owners (a term that I detest being called – I don’t feel as if I ‘own’ anything. I prefer ‘manager’ or ‘organizer’… I don’t know). For me, the jazz scene is an organic thing onto itself. It is self-sustaining and honestly, everyone that plays this music knows what’s up. You can’t fool a jazz musician. So, no matter how slick your PR package is or your “presentation”, it doesn’t really mean anything unless you can really play and that the Cats regard you with respect.

I love seeing young guys and gals come up through the ranks. I love seeing a young musician begin to hang in ernest at the sessions and to sit in. If they play well, those crusty old m-fkers at the bar may cock an ear, raise an eyebrow or even crack a smile. Eventually this kid starts to become a fixture on the scene. What happens next is that some senior musician will hire him for a gig with their band. That’s the turning point. “Yo man, who’s that young cat on piano? He sounds good…” – that’s the beginning. Next thing you know he’s playing a lot and with other older and seasoned musicians. If the young cat hangs tough, show humility, humor, tenacity and originality then there a very good chance that we’ll invite him to host a date as a leader at Smalls. Next step for them might be tours or record dates or whatever. It’s the filter system that jazz has always used and is still in practice today, particularly at Smalls. No managers. No agents. No EPK’s. No nothing. Just be able to play your ass-off and be a nice person. That’s what it takes.

At this conservatory, I looked out into the audience of young eager grad students who wanted to know about the music “business”. I said; “go to the bar and have drink, hang out late, sit in, practice really hard for many years, and then – you might have a gig, or, perhaps not. There’s no guarantee.” It elicited some laughs and some glares from the professors. I wasn’t being facetious. Hang out, practice hard and pay your dues in the way that all of the great ones did. This is not a game and not for the faint of heart. Jazz is for Wizards and Mystics and ones driven hard enough to not have any other options but to play with passion because that’s WHAT YOU ARE…

Great things this month at Mezzrow and Smalls – check the schedule for April. Highlights include a Greg Hutchinson Masterclass at Mezzrow (and three nights at Smalls), Nick Payton at both Smalls and Mezzrow and many other really great artists coming in.

My best wishes to you and your loved ones and I hope to see you at the clubs.

Spike

 

I like the ad from them that reads ” trying to raise a child in the City is like trying to grow an oak tree in a thimble”.  However recently the ads have been… not so clever.  The clever author must have moved on to greener pastures.