This was a day of medical delirium after three+ days of trying to get connected with the hospital to take care of scheduling, etc and nothing was happening despite frequent tries. The day was bearing onward and I was thinking, geez, how do I play behind this. I'd just be thinking thinking wtf is happening. I can handle it when things suck ... I don't handle it so well when I need a Lunar Excursion Module just to figure out where I am.
This is a diary and not a whine. If I'm of a mood to whine, I will try to be clear about it.
The north Dallas VA contacted me a few hours before the show. I did not get a date but it's confirmation things are in-motion. That kind of de-orbited me but still there were many things flying through my head. Part of the thinking is treating croakage with respect. If I'm croaked then damn sure bring all you have got as there is no second act. This is not exactly musical thinking.
The set started out with "Ice Cream Blues" as it does state the situation well. Life certainly is like an ice cream and it certainly will just melt in your hand if you only look at it. The song was out of reach. I was chasing and chasing it but right away it was clear this was a greased pig contest so pull it together, mister. There are people here.
"The Death March Digression" is a big deal but not out of any personal morbidity as it's specific to two hundred million guns in the country. It's deeply important to me and delivering it on the piano is the way it has to come. It is not well-suited to looping, tho. The digression goes six chords starting with F minor and down to F minor an octave lower ... and it's way the hell too long at well over twenty-bars at eighty beats per minute. This one was driving people out of there and maybe some of that is from the sentiment but mostly it's because the loop is too damn long and I was making mistakes. The same thing happened last week when I tried it a different way but I know it can be very beautiful so I will look for yet another way to do it.
Something that should work with "The Death March Digression" is to record the loops ahead of time. For this what I need is a loop of the whole thing but with only piano and maybe bass. Another loop has the same chords, same timing, but with heavy guitar and this is for when they all shoot each other. Optionally there's a third loop for screwing around in some demented way but the exit is to return to the original piano loop and do angel voices to sing for the spirits. This brings it back down and goes to a gentle exit. Next week.
I guess if you have those twenty-something reflexes then you can do fighter pilot stuff like catching a fly while it is flying. This gig was like trying to do that ... but missing every time (laughs).
It's funny now as I process it and always learn, learn, learn. My feelings can't be hurt by it as what should I do. There is only one answer: play it better next time.
The lesson from it is a lot the same that comes from anywhere: focus.
It was suggested that maybe I can 'vent' anything on the twistedness of the current trip by playing those blues and specifically some medical blues:
"The Blues for NO, You Are NOT Going to Stick that in my Ass, Doctor"
I probably won't do it ... but ... it's the MusikCircus ... anything can happen ... except proctology, definitely no proctology.
I will play this weekend for Mania in SUF on Saturday. This does not mean I will increase the gig schedule although I will do one relatively soon at Sister Julie the Poet's place. Loyalty is more important now than ever and playing for Cat, Sister Julie and some other old cranky guy means very much to me.
This is a diary and not a whine. If I'm of a mood to whine, I will try to be clear about it.
The north Dallas VA contacted me a few hours before the show. I did not get a date but it's confirmation things are in-motion. That kind of de-orbited me but still there were many things flying through my head. Part of the thinking is treating croakage with respect. If I'm croaked then damn sure bring all you have got as there is no second act. This is not exactly musical thinking.
The set started out with "Ice Cream Blues" as it does state the situation well. Life certainly is like an ice cream and it certainly will just melt in your hand if you only look at it. The song was out of reach. I was chasing and chasing it but right away it was clear this was a greased pig contest so pull it together, mister. There are people here.
"The Death March Digression" is a big deal but not out of any personal morbidity as it's specific to two hundred million guns in the country. It's deeply important to me and delivering it on the piano is the way it has to come. It is not well-suited to looping, tho. The digression goes six chords starting with F minor and down to F minor an octave lower ... and it's way the hell too long at well over twenty-bars at eighty beats per minute. This one was driving people out of there and maybe some of that is from the sentiment but mostly it's because the loop is too damn long and I was making mistakes. The same thing happened last week when I tried it a different way but I know it can be very beautiful so I will look for yet another way to do it.
Something that should work with "The Death March Digression" is to record the loops ahead of time. For this what I need is a loop of the whole thing but with only piano and maybe bass. Another loop has the same chords, same timing, but with heavy guitar and this is for when they all shoot each other. Optionally there's a third loop for screwing around in some demented way but the exit is to return to the original piano loop and do angel voices to sing for the spirits. This brings it back down and goes to a gentle exit. Next week.
I guess if you have those twenty-something reflexes then you can do fighter pilot stuff like catching a fly while it is flying. This gig was like trying to do that ... but missing every time (laughs).
It's funny now as I process it and always learn, learn, learn. My feelings can't be hurt by it as what should I do. There is only one answer: play it better next time.
The lesson from it is a lot the same that comes from anywhere: focus.
It was suggested that maybe I can 'vent' anything on the twistedness of the current trip by playing those blues and specifically some medical blues:
"The Blues for NO, You Are NOT Going to Stick that in my Ass, Doctor"
I probably won't do it ... but ... it's the MusikCircus ... anything can happen ... except proctology, definitely no proctology.
I will play this weekend for Mania in SUF on Saturday. This does not mean I will increase the gig schedule although I will do one relatively soon at Sister Julie the Poet's place. Loyalty is more important now than ever and playing for Cat, Sister Julie and some other old cranky guy means very much to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment