Saturday, September 27, 2014

Marsalis and Coltrane

i heard Branson Marsalis give a talk with Ashley Cohen on John Coltrane.  I'm now a huge enthusiast of both Coltrane and Marsalis.

I'm picking up a few facts myself.  Coltrane debuted in 1955 as a side man.  As a child he suffered several losses -- father, grandparents, uncle

Grd. h.s.  hamlet NC, 1943 & moved to Philly -------------    1951   --- he started using heroin


[[  see notes in Moleskin notebook ]]

His son is also a jazz artist  (Ravi or Raja)

where did coletrane go to high school???

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Song for Christiana (unfinished)

The lake was still and shining bright,
when I heard a song that touched my touched my soul.
A simple song, with a lilting air,
Come listen while I sing it for you.

"Your love is extravagant."
It's purely heaven sent.
Come sit with me and be my love,
for a moment so content.

His love is extravagant
to provide this holy place
where canoers are paddling and waves are lapping
in a  peaceful_____ and _gentle_____ space.

Our love is extravagant,
So vast it knows no bounds.
A love that vanished and once was lost
Re-enters and now is found.

Voices sing as quiet as rain.
And we stand in a circle before
 Pine with screech owls and fireflies
and waves lapping by the shore.



Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Monday, September 8, 2014

A King, a Prime Minister, and a General

I had a friend who served in the Second World War.

John got to see a King, a Prime Minister, 
and a General,
all on the same day.
"Mighty nice station you have here," said Churchill.
Rumor had it that he smoked seventeen cigars
    and drank a fifth of bourbon everyday.
"They say Eisenhower just wanted everyone to get along.
He shook hands with everyone of us.
That was pretty impressive for a nineteen year old,"
John once told me.   
"I'm not easily impressed these days," he would tell me.

But John, he was impressive.  I'd see him out walking
all over Tarboro,
from Bojangles
over to the hospital. 
He looked dashing in his
Greek fisherman's cap,
with his pipe and cane.

He recalled that during the war,
he carried a good luck piece,
a locket that belonged to
his girlfriend, Gloria,
just nineteen then.
Same age as Lauren Bacall,
who died recently at the age
of 89.
John and Gloria
were together sixty three years.

  

Friday, September 5, 2014

John Coltrane

Duke Performances scored big last night with an informal lecture by Bradford Marsalis and Ashley Kahn on John Coltrane's seminal work, "A Love Supreme."  Kahn wrote a book on Coltrane titled "A Love Supreme."

Included in the talk was rare film footage of Coltrane and his band playing the piece.  Piano, McCoy Tyner;  Tenor Sax, John Coltrane; Bass, Jimmy Garrison; Drums, Elvin Jones.

Marsalis recalled a comment by Jones about playing for Coltrane:  "you have to be willing to die for the mother fucker."  I've never seen anyone play drums like Jones.  He carried the group along at a perfect tempo and volume.

Also attending the concert were the Campbell Brothers, masters of the slide guitar and pedal steel.  I got to meet lead singer Phil and his son, Chuck, drummer.  The group performs A Love Supreme tonight at Hayti.

John Coltrane



Duke Performances scored big with a lecture by Bradford Marsalis and Ashley Kahn on Coltrane's A Love Supreme, to be performed tonight at the Hayti by the Campbell Brothers.

The Brothers attended last night's lecture, which included rare footage of Coltrane and his band playing the seminal work.  Piano, MCoy Tyner; Tenor Sax, John Coltrane; Drums, Elvin Jones; Bass, Jimmy Garrison.