The WFUV member drive is over and I’m back to writing. It was a tough week for me; I was always on the verge of falling sleep, right now I’m on the verge of falling asleep. The only time I wasn’t in danger of falling asleep was when I was in bed trying to go to sleep for the night. I just fell asleep, now before the previous sentence; that’s after two full mugs of coffee.
Yesterday I had therapy; my therapist had to cancel the previous week. She had something very similar to me, a cold and she couldn’t stay awake. Maybe it’s an alien mind control thing. Usually volunteering at WFUV works as well as therapy, this week it didn’t I blame the sleepiness. People commented that I wasn’t as lively as usual. It made the drive more stressful. I had less patience and less infectious enthusiasm; those are problems for a supervisor.
I had no trouble getting to therapy. I fell asleep on the train but did my usual waking up the stop before my own. The session went a little odd. We got some politics and even Twilight Zone in there but mainly I talked about things that made me unhappy that I don’t feel free to write about here as I don’t want you to think of me as a whiner.
My plan for after therapy was to take the train back to Fordham Rd, stop at the supermarket for milk and eggs, then stay home for an hour and a half before heading out for the evening. That was a great plan, unfortunately it depended on something I couldn’t depend on; waking up before the train got to my stop. I woke up as we were pulling out of Fordham Rd Station. That meant staying on until Harlem 125th street. I considered just continuing on into the City but I really needed the milk and eggs and I didn’t want to be carrying around my winter coat. I needed it when leaving the house at 5:20 in the morning. I crossed over to the other platform and took the next train back to Fordham. Fortunately it was only a four-minute wait. After taking the scenic route I had only half an hour at home.
You’d think at that point I’d give up and stay home. I couldn’t stay awake, why bother going out. How could I enjoy myself? The thought did cross my mind but was immediately rejected; Emily Elbert was making a rare New York appearance and an even rarer full band show. As if that was not enough she had her first new album in six years. Her music has gone in completely different direction since then and she’s only about 30-years-old. I just checked, she’ll be 30 in two months and one day.
The fact that I went to see Emily when the only thing my body wanted to do was sleep speaks volumes. She did more than get me to the show. While I was there she drove away the cobwebs of my mind. She inspired me to write. She made my eyes glow; I am now in full prophet mode.
Emily started as barefoot folky hippie girl sitting cross-legged on the floor with an acoustic guitar. She’s now an electric-jazz, politically woke, dynamo; backed by drums, electric bass, electric guitar, saxophone, and two harmony singers. You shouldn’t miss her doing a solo show with just her on electric guitar, but you should be willing to cross jungles and mountain ranges to see her with the band.
She performed all songs off the new album, we who believe in freedom. The title is from Ella’s Song by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagan who got the words from the civil rights leader Ella Baker. The complete quote is “We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest Until it Comes.” This idea forms the corps of the album. Emily said the songs were all about peace and justice and how to achieve them. That’s a noble purpose. It brought to mind the words of another Jazz musician, John Coltrane;
I want to be a force for real good. In other words. I know that there are bad forces, forces that bring suffering to others and misery to the world, but I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force which is truly for good.
That’s something we should all aspire to and it’s the constructive way of dealing with the ills of the world. It also brought to mind the goal of another great American, Superman who fights for “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” Superheroes don’t have to be heavily muscled men in tights and a cape; they can be an ordinary looking man with inner demons and a saxophone or a petite young woman with an electric guitar and talented friends.
All the good intentions in the world would not make my eyes glow if the musical genius was not there. I just finished ripping the album and I’m listening to the first song, Healing. If I didn’t speak English I’d love the song for music. This is not someone strumming a guitar and sounding sincere, this is jazz with swing and an edge. Your body can’t help but move when you listen. You don’t have to listen to me, listen to the single version of the song.
Emily’s entire band is great but I have to single out Hailey Niswanger on alto and tenor sax. I’m never confident when identifying saxophones by voice. When Emily through her the lead she took it to the music to new places. I got smart and just signed Hailey’s mailing list.
I’m now listening to True Power, Emily’s discordant response to Donald Trump, it’s powerful and hopeful. I need to make a playlist of songs inspired by the 45th president
I would like to write even more but it’s 2 AM and I haven’t eaten. Make my life easy and your life better by seeing Emily and buying the new album. I’m going to end by quoting Shakespeare again, because this quote bears quoting often. It will help keep you not just sane but happy.
O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
That has such people in’t!
Wise Madness 