Pete C

Thanks, Steve.

Last night’s musical memorial for Peter Cox at Roulette was more than a tribute to one man, it was a celebration of an artistic ecosystem. But first, for those who didn’t know him, who was Peter Cox? Peter was the jazz fan and supporter extraordinaire. He moved to New York from London about 20 years ago to be in the thick of the music he loved. And boy did he ever take advantage of the thick, going out 3 or 4 times a week to shows. In a certain jazz subculture, the downtown side, or, to use a somewhat antiquated term, the avant-garde side, he was ubiquitous, a legendary fan. For his email handle, this transplanted Brit chose BigAppleJazzMan. I probably saw him at shows for a year or two before we were introduced. I rarely saw Peter at more mainstream, “uptown” jazz gigs, but if I were going to an event at (first) The Knitting Factory, (then) Tonic, (and finally) The Stone, odds are I’d see Peter Cox there. And if my namesake and I were chatting before a show and someone called out, “Peter” or “Pete” I didn’t have to turn around—I knew it was for him. And most of the musicians knew him. Because we’re talking about a very particular musical subculture, where the music could be any or all these things: challenging, intense, risky, raw, engaging, but definitely not commercial. We’re talking about music making that has a relatively small in size, but huge in loyalty, audience. We’re talking about a form where communion with the audience (oh how this atheist wishes he could find a better word) is paramount. In a music that’s based on musicians’ deep listening to each other, the deep listeners in the audience are an important part of the equation. Peter was one of the deepest listeners. And dozens of musicians and friends came out to Roulette last night to honor him. Many musicians played, some I knew, some I didn’t, and a few writers read, I among them. I feared that the loose nature of the evening, no set program, could spell possible chaos, but remarkably the opposite happened, and a lot of credit has to go to Mat Maneri, who acted as a sort of music director, but I use the term director rather loosely, perhaps catalyst says it better. So musicians formed ad hoc groups, everyone respected time limitations, and some fabulous music happened, from the freest of improvisation to a wonderful rendition of “All the Things You Are” by a quartet featuring pianist Connie Crothers, and the touching surprise, toward the end, of a rendition of “For All We Know” by Stephanie Stone, the 92-year-old reigning queen of the scene, and a former cabaret chanteuse herself. Stephanie and her late husband Irving were such ardent supporters of the music that John Zorn named his alternative music space The Stone. Sure, ideally all arts are a dialogue between the artist and the audience, the “producer” and the “consumer,” but it’s really at the core of the live jazz experience. The eagerness of all these musicians Peter supported all those years to play in his honor really says a lot--about Peter and about those particular musicians, but also about the music and its audience more generally. It was especially touching to see Peter’s three sons speaking and being part of this audience. Peter saw little of them over the last two decades of his life, separated by an ocean. Of course they knew of his passion for the music, but I don’t think they were prepared for the magnitude of love and gratitude for their father from his adopted community. I can’t imagine a better way for them to say goodbye to their father or a better bunch of people to say it with.

Better the story than the condom.

Brian Donlevy J.P. Donleavy Ginger Baker

Publishers Weekly review out today. http://publishersweekly.com/978-1-938349-02-7

Thanks, everyone. I'm really happy that my publisher and I found each other. I think I'll do better with this from a small and very hands-on publisher than getting lost in the list of a bigger house that would probably have no idea how to market the thing. I have readings coming up in other cities: http://liftyourrightarm.wordpress.com/events-and-readings/

New Yorkers: Please join me to celebrate the publication of Lift Your Right Arm, my first new collection of short fiction in 25 years. The event will be held at The Bowery Poetry Club at Duane Park on Sunday, March 17, from 6-8PM. Admission is free and there will be a full bar (not free). I’ll be reading from the book and other recent work starting at about 6:30; the reading will run about 45 minutes and will feature guest appearances from Holly Anderson and Peter Wortsman. After that there’ll be plenty of time to purchase books, get them signed, and drink some more. Bowery Poetry Club at Duane Park, 308 Bowery (Between Houston and Bleecker) [F to 2nd Ave., 6 to Bleecker, or any train that will take you to Broadway-Lafayette]

Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Lift-Your-Right-Peter-Cherches/dp/1938349024/ Official web page: http://liftyourrightarm.com/ Blog with supporting materials: http://liftyourrightarm.wordpress.com/ Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/PeterCherchesWriter

Vaughan Meader John Byner David Frye

C.P. Snow C.S. Lewis Louis C.K.

Franchot Tone Maurice Blanchot Blanche Dubois

Simeon Stylites Russell Thompkins Jr. Nipsey Russell

Wonderful story, and I'm not at all surprised.

My remembrance of Butch. http://petercherches.blogspot.com/2013/01/butch-morris-superconductor-1947-2013.html

IIRC, Polygram existed only as a corportate entity, not a label, while Polydor started as a label, and I suppose survived as one into the Polygram era.

Ann shares a birthday with my mother and Max Roach.

The first of the two sets is on Spotify.

I get the band and I love the band. I've seen the quartet maybe 4 times over the past 10 years, and this September in Detroit was the most amazing. The title describes the group perfectly.

Me, in multiple senses of the word.

Check out gospel saxophonist Vernhard Johnson. Imagine a cross between Junior Walker and Albert Ayler.

Ralph Lauren Lauren Hutton J.B. Hutto

Seeline, you can find some tracks from this album on YouTube. http://www.discosdobrasil.com.br/discosdobrasil/consulta/detalhe.php?Id_Disco=DI04108

E. Howard Hunt F. Murray Abraham G. Gordon Liddy

J.C. Moses Charleton Heston Hester Prynne

J.C. Higginbotham Jesus Christ Judith Crist