Leeway

Mary Magdalene Magda Mayas Maya Angelou

Pat Metheny and I wish you a Happy Birthday!

I'm sure Midori is a nice person and a fine musician but is her stature such that it commands a dedicatory composition like this, no matter how ingenious? Strikes me as a bit too clubby and maybe even sycophantic (surely commercial too). It certainly led Ross to some fawning. Anyway, that kind of bothers me.

Nice show to celebrate you birthday! I always enjoy watching Jason A. Steamy venues are fairly common in jazz/avant music, most notably The Stone. The problem is if you run the air, you can't hear the music properly; if you don't run the air, every one starts melting. Bring hankies, I suppose. Anyway, Happy Birthday!

Marcus Agrippa Marcus Aurelius Freddy Delius

Allan Quartermain Tony Buck Dollar Brand

I feel I approached her with an open mind and seriously disliked the two books I read. I'll probably still give Middlemarch a shot. Middlemarch" is superb, and I expect that "Daniel Deronda" is in the same class. Other George Eliot novels I've tried (e.g. "Romola") were absorbing up to a point but eventually off-putting in their stern and IMO somewhat external, finger-wagging moralism. My favorite 19th Century English novelist is Trollope, though I came to him fairly late in life and almost certainly would have had no taste for him before that. Well, she was a Victorian, for better and worse, and "high seriousness" was part of her cultural milieu, but I love the scope of her intellect and her generosity of spirit. I had my Trollope period and still enjoy dipping into his work occasionally, but mostly the Palliser novels. A lot of the rest of it was the product of a pen that wrote too much too fast, and who seemed to want to bank his intellect and his sympathy against the peril of going too deep. He's never really bad, but he's never really great. But I do enjoy him nervertheless. Just finished: THE UNICORN - Iris Murdoch -1963 One of Iris' stranger novels, although it has many of the usual Murdochian elements. Marion (Maid Marion as one character calls her significantly ) responds to an advertisement to serve as a tutor or lady's companion to Hannah (a Murdoch grace name, same forwards or backwards). Hannah is either a prisoner in remote Gaze Castle, held there against her will by her absent husband's unscrupulous retainers, or La Belle Dame Sans Merci, a potent force who keeps the other occupants of Gaze in her thrall. The novel shifts between these two perspectives until the final drastic resolution. I think this is less a novel than an intricate, often murky, but nevertheless deep allegory of the spiritual life, where the forces of Good and Evil struggle in the depths of the spiritual life. The occupants of Gaze Castle are caught outside the everyday life, in some mad or magnificent effort to come to terms with the Good or Sublime, or the Bad and Profane. Or something like that.... The novel is also highly sexualized (has there been a more sexual writer than Murdoch since D.H. Lawrence?) and at times I felt it was Murdoch's attempt to create a framework for her own sexual proclivities and perspectives. To put it another way, Hannah and Marian struggle to find a way to explore their sexual desires in a world that wants to keep them contained (look, or Gaze, but don't touch). Read this last year. What has stuck in my mind is the western Irish landscape of cliffs and bog. After reading your comment, I don't think I'm on Murdoch's wavelength where character and plot are concerned. Yes, a fantastic landscape, and Iris takes a lot of care in describing it. This is one of only two novels Iris set in Ireland. She was always ambivalent, or even in denial, about her Irish background. I think most, if not all, of her novels have a philosophical dimension, but usually these do not take over the story the way they do in The Unicorn.

I feel I approached her with an open mind and seriously disliked the two books I read. I'll probably still give Middlemarch a shot. Middlemarch" is superb, and I expect that "Daniel Deronda" is in the same class. Other George Eliot novels I've tried (e.g. "Romola") were absorbing up to a point but eventually off-putting in their stern and IMO somewhat external, finger-wagging moralism. My favorite 19th Century English novelist is Trollope, though I came to him fairly late in life and almost certainly would have had no taste for him before that. Well, she was a Victorian, for better and worse, and "high seriousness" was part of her cultural milieu, but I love the scope of her intellect and her generosity of spirit. I had my Trollope period and still enjoy dipping into his work occasionally, but mostly the Palliser novels. A lot of the rest of it was the product of a pen that wrote too much too fast, and who seemed to want to bank his intellect and his sympathy against the peril of going too deep. He's never really bad, but he's never really great. But I do enjoy him nervertheless. Just finished: THE UNICORN - Iris Murdoch -1963 One of Iris' stranger novels, although it has many of the usual Murdochian elements. Marion (Maid Marion as one character calls her significantly ) responds to an advertisement to serve as a tutor or lady's companion to Hannah (a Murdoch grace name, same forwards or backwards). Hannah is either a prisoner in remote Gaze Castle, held there against her will by her absent husband's unscrupulous retainers, or La Belle Dame Sans Merci, a potent force who keeps the other occupants of Gaze in her thrall. The novel shifts between these two perspectives until the final drastic resolution. I think this is less a novel than an intricate, often murky, but nevertheless deep allegory of the spiritual life, where the forces of Good and Evil struggle in the depths of the spiritual life. The occupants of Gaze Castle are caught outside the everyday life, in some mad or magnificent effort to come to terms with the Good or Sublime, or the Bad and Profane. Or something like that.... The novel is also highly sexualized (has there been a more sexual writer than Murdoch since D.H. Lawrence?) and at times I felt it was Murdoch's attempt to create a framework for her own sexual proclivities and perspectives. To put it another way, Hannah and Marian struggle to find a way to explore their sexual desires in a world that wants to keep them contained (look, or Gaze, but don't touch).

Tame Impala Pal Joey Joey Buttefucco

I always thought the Stones "Satanic Majesties Request" was the coolest cover with the 3D effect: Just listened to: WAVES - Sam Rivers, Dave Holland, Joe Daley, Thurman Barker - Tomato LP (with the red tomato).

Bread "Manna"? Listening to: FIRE! (WITHOUT NOTICE) - Gustafsson, Berthling, Werliin - Rune Grammofon The Thing meets Iron Butterfly?

Looks like serious literature. Does it come with a pack of razor blades? I really enjoyed that one. Lots of Spark's sly humor, some good social satire, and enough weirdness to keep it interesting. No razor blades.

I'm surprised by all the brickbats thrown in the direction of George Eliot. One of the great authors and minds of the Victoria era. The only real clinker is, I think, Felix Holt. Her greatest book? At one time I would unhesitatingly say Middlemarch, and I would still recommend that to the general reader, but I now think her greatest work is Daniel Deronda. What an incredible book! The novel forms one of the greatest spiritual quest books in English literature.

Rupert Murdoch Murder Inc Incas

Garry Winogrand Winona Ryder Ryan Wynott

Mama Cass Chaz Bono Brandi Chastain

Thanks for the correction. I don't know either trumpeter, so relied on the program. Maybe Maki would have been better? hard to tell your spouse (from the other side of the stage no less) to knock it off. In my Braxton Nonet write-up, I wrote about Fay Victor's ensemble performance. Marvelous voice and style. I wanted to hear Breedlove and Swell. When I heard Moondoc in 2012 in a quartet with Matt Lavelle as his front line partner, the alto saxophonist's delivery was fairly weak and uninspired especially compared to the very bright and energetic (overly?) playing of the trumpeter. Maybe it is the different night or maybe Leeway hears the musicians differently although we seem to agree on quite a bit. Next year, we will be sure to overlap on at least a night or two. Usually I've been able to get there 2 or 3 nights. That wasn't possible this year. I'm very glad I chose last night. Commentary on the closing set later..... I'm not a Lavelle fan, so I would be inclined to say that the presence of old partners like Breedlove and Swell, plus the occasion of Roy's passing, produced an inspired performance by Moondoc, who himself recognized the passing from the scene of his generation in a direct and honest way: "See You On The Other Side."

Here's my last write-up on the Vision Festival. I really enjoyed relyles write-up of Saturday evening. Thank you for that! I wish I could have stayed for Sunday, but a body can only stand so much. Steve's write-up does very well in place of being there. One of my fondest memories of VF was the Kidd Jordan honoree night, in 2008, played IIRC, in an incredibly steamy, boiling hot, Clemente Soto Velez Center. Kidd, drenched in sweat, blew ferociously through several sets, including one with Fred Anderson. Incredible! Vision Festival – Saturday – June 14, 2014 – Satoko Fujii New Trio + 1: Fuji (p), Todd Nicholson (b), Yoshi Shutto (d), Kappa Maki (tp). At one time I was hearing some tremendously good things about Satoko Fuji, and this was my first chance to see her. The set began with a fairly dramatic piece, with lots of tension and conflict, but it seemed to me that these elements were more a given than earned. Then trumpeter Kappa Maki came out; his role in the set seemed outsized, practically eclipsing Fujii at times. I thought Maki was an interesting player. Wonder what he would be like in a solo setting? Drummer Shutto provided some active and sharp drumming. Nicholson’s bass playing was fine if unexceptional. Unfortunately, the set headed south when Maki and Shutto engaged in some silly games involving kids’ squeak toys and small percussion instruments; they were eventually joined by Nicholson. Whatever momentum the set had was lost; the game-playing added nothing to the music. A very disappointing performance. The Matthew Shipp Trio – Shipp (p), Michael Bisio (b), and White Dickey (d). Think of Shipp as the Godard of the piano; the same elements are there, but the expression is always somehow alive and full of energy, both physical and mental. We’ve seen it before, we’ve heard it before, but nevertheless, he pulls us into his world for the space of 50 minutes or so. Let’s call this set “The Sorrows of Young Werther,” in which Shipp takes us through the ups and downs of the cerebrated life, finding at the end a celebration of life. Bisio and Dickey both took their solos, the former romantic, the latter utilitarian. After the Fujii performance, it seemed utterly brilliant. But I think Matt needs to dance with some more new partners, if Werther is not to grow solipsistic, or worse, dull. TarBaby – Orrin Evans (p), Eric Revis (b), Nasheet Waits (d). How did these guys get here? I think that was a pretty common thought in the audience, both before and after the set. I thought the performance was a fairly conventional piano trio set, maybe, perhaps, nudging the envelope just a bit. Mostly it sounded like a Brad Mehldau gig, ecept Evans is not as good as Mehldau. Waits was good on drums (he usually is), but Evans and Revis really showed nothing much. This seemed to be the night for silly pranks: during one piece, at set times, all the members of the trio yelled out, “Oh!” in unison (more or less). Was this to create excitement? Don’t know; seemed rather silly. I would like to see them with Oliver Lake and Marc Ducret, who appear on the groups most recent album; might have made it more interesting. To be fair, TarBaby had some fans in the audience who seemed to have enjoyed the set. Sonic Projections – “The Secret Escapades of Fred Anderson” – Nicole Mitchell (fl), David Boykin (ts), Craig Taborn (p), Chad Taylor (d). Dedicated to the life and memory of Fred Anderson. The set started with a high-energy duo of piano and drums. Taborn was electric the whole set. Boykins played like a young David Murray, alternating a big tenor sound, with lots of “out” squiggles, skronks, and screams. I had been looking forward to Boykins, whom I had not seen before, and he did not disappoint. Mitchell, utterly charming as usual, had some incredible flute solos with plenty of muscle. She also played a bit on the tranverse flute, which I have not seen before. Taylor’s drumming was snappy and versatile; he and Taborn really seemed to cook together. Obviously, this was a truly fine set, and helped to redeem some of the evening’s low moments. Best of the Festival (Thurs-Sat): Brotzmann-Parker-Drake Jemeel Moondoc Quintet Sonic Projections- Nicole Mitchell Worst of the Festival (Thurs-Sat) TarBaby Alcorn-Halvorson Most Disappointing (Thurs-Sat) Charles Gayle Trio + Dance Charles Gayle Quartet Satoko Fujii Another Vision Festival is in the books: the great, the good, the bad and the boring. Next year is #20. I hope it is a memorable one.

I was unable to post my Friday and Saturday updates due to a couple of really late nights and hectic following days. I drove down on Sunday, so I did not see the Sunday performances. Instead, I had breakfast with my daughter in Brooklyn (where she lives) and barbecue with the rest of my family in Northern Virginia later in the day (Fathers Day you know), sandwiched around the always baleful New Jersey Turnpike and I-95. Needless to say a very long day. Thanks for keeping the thread going. I am posting my Friday comments now, hope to post Saturday's later today. Vision Festival – Day 3- Friday – June 13, 2014: Whit Dickey Quartet – “Particle Flow” – Dickey (d), Mat Maneri (vn), Rob Brown (as), Michael Bisio (b), Whit Dickey (d). I’ll confess another peccadillo of mine: I’m a Rob Brown fan. Like some migratory species from Lapland, this is a creature not very often seen. Brown was the first sax player I heard on the free jazz side that made sense to me, that opened up the language of free jazz, so that I could explore it further. So I enjoyed his performance in this group. I liked the sound of the group with Maneri on violin and Bisio on bass, and it looked like the two of them wanted to engage in some cross-cutting improv, but it never really took flight. Dickey provided his usual threshing machine drumming, heavy on stick work. In the end, this was the Dickey-Brown alliance, although I think this group has a big potential if it stays together. “Women With an Axe to Grind”- Connie Crothers (p) (Kris Davis was listed in the program, did not appear, no explanation given), Shayna Dulberger (b), Mazz Swift (vn, voice), Patricia Nicholson (dance). Lots of heavy, staccato, rhythmic music intended to support the dance performance. Since this really seemed more of a dance recital, I won’t say much more about it, except I wonder what it would have been like if Kris Davis had the piano bench. Jemeel Moondoc Quintet – “See You on the Other Side- Moondoc (as), Steve Swell (tb), Nathan Breedlove (tp), Hilliard Green (b), Newman Taylor Baker (d). Moondoc dedicated his set to Roy Campbell Jr. Moondoc played one of his own songs inspired by Campbell, “Campbell Soup,” then Roy’s “Charmaine,” and an expansive and really inspired performance of Campbell’s “Thanks to the Creator,” which Moondoc began with a long alto solo, a lesson from the Master. The band presented a superb front line in Swell, Breedlove and Moondoc, often trading solos that served to further the interests of the music rather than individual priorities, and each intimately attuned to the compositions and their musical partners. I could go on in this vein, but will simply say this is what one hopes to find when attending a festival like this. The memory shall linger long. James “Blood” Ulmer: “Music Revelation Ensemble Revisited” – Ulmer (electric guitar), Calvin “The Truth” Jones (b), and Cornell Rochester (d). I’ve heard Ulmer’s records but have never seen him perform before. His style seems to be a combination of Ornette-ian harmolodics and some blues licks, with maybe a touch of rock power chording thrown in. The “truth” about Calvin Jones is that he was a rock solid bassist whose seemingly sole mission in this set was to support, absolutely, whatever Ulmer did, with a laser-like focus. Rochester’s drumming, on the other hand, was of the crash and burn variety; he could make Hamid Drake look like Paul Motian. This was exciting at times, boring at others, and one-dimensional. A more complex and multi-dimensional background would have better served Ulmer by creating a wider palette. I dug Ulmer’s soundscape, and am glad to have seen him, but there seemed about 30 really solid minutes in this 60 minute set.

Belated happy birthday from Vision Festival. May your vinyl be flat and quiet.

I've always wanted to go to Suoni! IIRC one year they had Globe Unity, which I would have loved to have seen. I've just not been able to get it together to do it. But I still hope to some day.

Great book. Let me second that. First thing I thought of when I started reading about Bowe Bergdahl. There's also a kinship, I think, between this book and "Red Badge of Courage." I have to admit that, Bergdahl or no, I haven't thought of Tim O'Brien in quite some time, but I did admire his earlier books (it looks like he really has slowed down since 2002). I actually saw him give a reading at U Michigan, most likely from The Things They Carried. Incidentally, I'm making a list of books I ought to reread one day, and I think this one and The Things They Carried both belong. In my "war novel" pantheon, it's right up there with Matterhorn. "The Things They Carried" is such a fine book. Perhaps THE book of the Vietnam experience, although Herr's "Dispatches" might also have a strong claim.

I think Keir uses it as a sort of "palate-cleanser," to create little spaces in the performance, and provide different textures. But he uses them seriously. What I like about Keir is his "driven-ness," he's got his own vision, and I think he's uncompromising in going for that. Thanks, mjazzg, the first two rows are for the "VIP section" so closest I can get is Row 3 and then if I'm lucky . Vision Festival- Day 2- June 12, 2014 In the interests of brevity, I’ll skip the non-musical events of last night, and start in with the Wimberly Harlem Ensemble, “Signs and Rituals,” which the program guide describes as incorporating “songs, melodies, and dance from Africa and the Americas…as a muse to launch into spontaneous improvisation.” And that is what they did, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for the remarkable visual display the ensemble created. The four musicians and two dancers wore face paint and native dress, a la the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and transformed the ambience of the auditorium for the duration of their set. I was rather reminded of Roy Campbell’s full dress performance of the “Akhenaten Suite” some years before. The ensemble consisted of Wimberly on drums, Larry Roland (bass), Nioka Workman (electric cello), Sabir Mateen on reeds (apparently replacing Antoine Roney), and Dyane Harvey-Salaam and Souleymane Bodolo, dancers. The music and dance was at a high level. I was especially impressed with the driving rhythms created by Roland and Workman, and it’s hard to beat Sabir (fresh from his current home in Italy) for high-energy improv. Next was the Mary Halorson (electric guitar)+ Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar) duo. According to Halvorson, this was the first public appearance of this duo. I first started seeing Alcorn several years ago, as she is a Baltimore area resident, and would often appear on sets that I would attend. I will put my cards on the table: I’m just not a fan of the pedal steel guitar. I’ve tried but it doesn’t work for me. I was hoping that this duo set would change my mind. Unfortunately it did not. It seemed to take Alcorn quite some time to get into gear with Halvorson. Halvorson is just such a fluid and nimble improviser that it can be daunting to play with, or against, her. The long, loping notes of the pedal steel seemed to always be several paces behind the guitar. In theory, this could serve as an effective contrast to the guitar, but I didn’t hear it that way. When I hear the pedal steel guitar, it feels as if I’m always hearing “Lonesome Cowboy,” although Alcorn did sometimes wring Sun Ra synth type sounds that made my ears perk up. There was a short second piece, and I think Alcorn got into the duo more effectively, although not enough to make a convert out of me. A lot of people whose opinions I respect are huge Alcorn fans, so YMMV. It seems every year there is an East Meets West group at Vision Festival, and this year it was Ned Rothenberg’s Cardinal Points, consisting of Rothenberg (as, cl, bcl, shakuhachi), Gamin (piri, taepyeongso, and saenghwang), Samita Sinha (vocals), Satoshi Takeishi (d, perc). The piri is a small, thin Korean double reed instrument seemingly hardly bigger than a kids straw, from which Piri drew out a wide range of sonorities, some reaching almost into the soprano sax range. I’ve never seen a Korean taepyeongso, but it looks a little like a bugle. The most unusual instrument was the saenghwang, or mouth organ, and indeed, it looked and sounded like a miniature, portable, pipe organ. I appreciated the fact that Gamin was more than willing to push beyond tradition melodies and structures and improvise authoritatively with Rothenberg. Sinha’s vocals found the space between Irene Aebi and Philip Glass’s operatic singing (it worked for me). Takeishi provided astute support, and when the performance threatened to become too static, drove it along with some strong percussion. Rothenberg has long experience in this type of music, and his playing was, as one would expect, impeccable. In this type of hybrid performance, this group was as good as it gets. It might not capture my heart and soul, but it earned my respect and admiration. As they say, last and best of all was the Peter Brotzmann + Hamid Drake + William Parker group. I happened to fall into conversation with Parker, then later with Brotzmann, earlier in the evening, and they were both in great good spirits. The tour had gone very well, with full houses all along the trail, and they were looking fresh and relaxed, so good things seemed likely. The set opened not with the expected Brotzmann yawp but with a dirge sung by Drake, accompanied by trap drum, for Roy Campbell and Amiri Baraka, which Parker and Brotzmann later joined. I won’t go into the blow-by-blow of the set, but it was similar to my write-up of the Baltimore show, with Brotzmann moving from clarinet to alto to tenor. What really grabbed me this time was an extended improvisation by Brotzmann on the metal clarinet, which built from the elegiac (echoing the opening statements) to the feirce---magnificent. Just a wonderful performance all around, ending fittingly on the stroke of midnight.

Great book. Let me second that. First thing I thought of when I started reading about Bowe Bergdahl. There's also a kinship, I think, between this book and "Red Badge of Courage."

Vision Festival 19-Day 1 I am now effectively in Vision Festival mode: busy days, late nights, and bleary mornings. Bear with me. Last night was Opening Night at Vision Festival 19. The Festival Honoree was Charles Gayle. The opening set was supposed to be Charles Gayle on bass and piano, Daniel Carter on reeds, Michael T.A. Thompson on drums, and Patricia Nicholson and “guest” (in fact, her daughter, Miriam Parker) performing a dance. Thompson took his seat at the drums, and Nicholson introduced Gayle. Enter stage left…..”Streets”…..the hobo-clown persona that Gayle adopts from time to time, replete with make-up, big red clown nose and long blue vinyl clown shoes, tattered clothing and a battered derby. Gayle is not just in the clothing, he is fully invested in the meek, slightly bewildered persona. Gayle proceeded to pick up the bass and play 3 or 4 numbers in duo with Thompson. I’m glad Thompson was there. He’s such a punchy, energetic, driving drummer, and he gave Gayle’s bass playing more life than it otherwise would have had. Gayle eventually took up the bow and began playing arco, which I found more interesting that his plucking, especially when he began vigorously sawing the strings with singular intensity. It looked like “Streets” was intent on sawing the bass in half. I usually prefer frenzy to flat, so I was OK with that, but it wasn’t in the top 10 moments in bass playing. Gayle moved to the piano, a step up from the bass, and one or two of his duos with Thompson had a nice variety and intensity. Gayle finally let Carter and the dancers come up on stage. Carter remains elusive for me and his profile seems to have diminished over the last 10 years. He usually brings a store load of instruments with him, and last night was no exception. He went through trumpet, tenor sax, soprano sax and alto sax in the space of less than 20 minutes. In these dance performances it’s really hard to say much about the group performance so I will simply move on. Next was the Charles Gayle Quartet, with Gayle on tenor sax, Dave Burrell at piano, William Parker on bass, and Michael Wimberly on drums. Gayle was still in his “Streets” persona, and would be all night. Gayle can be awesome on tenor, but last night he was only very good. Not from lack of trying, or maybe trying too hard. During the award “ceremony” later, Gayle indicated he had been “tight,” and that may have been it. The group worked hard for that “ecstatic moment,” but alas, they did not get there. An intermezzo of sorts was offered by author Quincy Troupe, who was supposed to read from the work of Amiri Baraka and his own. I saw Baraka several times over the years, and his public performances were compelling. Troupe read one work from Baraka, and quite a few of his own; he seemed to have cleaned out his desk. But that one work from Baraka was enough to sink Troupe’s oeuvre, because once you handle gold (or at least silver), you can tell tin. It didn’t help that Troupe’s delivery was loud, fast and overly-dramatic. IIRC, most Vision Festivals have a big group ensemble at some point (or several points). Last night it was Charles Gayle & the Vision Artist Orchestra. In the orchestra were: Gayle (p, conduction), Kidd Jordan (ts), Hamiett Bluiett (bari), Ingrid Laubrock (ts), Ted Daniel (tp, flug), Steve Swell (tb), Jason Kao Hwang (vn, va), Mazz Swift (vn), Nioka Workman (cell—I believe this is Reggie Workman’s daughter), Shayne Dulberger (b), and Andrew Cyrille (d). This is a fantastic group, really, but I’ve seen equally talent-laden ensembles stagger around like a drunken elephant. This time it really worked. But it started in the most peculiar fashion. For reasons unknown, it was decided to have each musicians come up individually, and do a 15-30 second solo. Pure Vegas baby! It’s easy to get away with a quartet or quintet but with ten musicians it just got silly. Kidd Jordan saw that right away; he came up and sang a little limerick, rather than act like a trained seal. But once the start was overcome, the group played smartly and with brio. The action within the ensemble shifted from reeds to brass to strings, from solos to duos to small sections, etc. , so it wasn’t just the often-encountered mass blast (although there were some good full ensemble moments too). Kidd Jordan can create excitement in the space of 5or 6 notes; he really jumped up the excitement level. And since I’m a Laubrock fanboy, her contributions were smart and hip. But this was a talent-laden group, and Gayle gets much credit for his conduction. The Ensemble ended the night on a high note. One last thought about “Street.” I’ve read that Gayle uses that persona to get outside himself when he plays. But I wonder. It didn’t seem to work for him last night. I thought he was much better playing with Milford Graves last year, when he looked like an accountant on casual Friday. The sad, meek “Streets” persona seemed to contain Gayle, not release him. What I’ve not seen discussed is the effect on the audience. It seemed to get in the way between the audience and Gayle. It’s a weird thing when you see a clown-hobo cradling a bass or hunched over a piano. It’s like a theater piece rather than a concert. You get used to it, but it seems less than necessary. (Mods, thank you! for straightening out the threads!)