I’m behind in my blogging but now is the time to catch up. You can read about me seeing Jean Rohe, James Shipp, and Taylor Ashton, a big scare I had, and an idiot story. Don’t touch that dial.
We pick the story up on Friday after therapy. I had to make it from Harrison, in Westchester, to the Owl Music Parlor in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. I had to eat dinner somewhere on my route. Let’s see how well you knew me. I wanted something special that would not take me far off my path and be near the subway. As I’m not there that often I chose someplace in Brooklyn. Where and what did I eat? This is not that difficult as I’ve written about the place before and the dish even more often. Yes you got it, poutine at the Mile End Deli.
When I got off the subway there was a message on my phone. I listened and heard something that punctured my happiness balloon; It was from my doctor’s office, my cataract surgery was rescheduled to April 14, two months later. I was disappointed and I was angry; how could they make me wait two extra months to be able to see? I handled it well. I put it in a compartment to be opened the next day when I’d call the doctor’s office. If they weren’t open on Saturday I’d call on Monday. I was able to enjoy my poutine and go to the show.
The Owl Music Parlor is one of my favorite venues. It’s a small listening room in the back room of a bar. What makes it great is that it is a room where people go to listen. That sounds self-evident but as anyone familiar with the bar music scene knows, that’s unusual. It is the only true listening room I know without a cover charge. They pay the artists by passing the tip bucket and there is no minimum. There is no pressure to buy drinks. The owner loves music and wanted to provide a place for music lovers.
It has a small intimate everybody knows your name feel but the only ones there that knew my name were Amy, Steph, and Melanie. I had just seen Amy and Melanie at the Jefferson Hamer show at City Winery. Brooklyn has a close-knit music scene, or perhaps I should say several interlocking close-knit music scenes. Amy and Melanie host house concerts, and Steph is a fiddler that has played with many others in the scene. The first person I saw when I arrived, Alec Spielgelman is a musician that has played with about half the others; last night he was playing with Taylor. I told him that I didn’t know that and he told me that he didn’t know till a few hours ago. That’s how the scene works. The first time I saw him was with his band Cuddle Magic opening and backing Anaïs Mitchell. I’ve seen him most often playing with Kristin Andreassen. In addition to his band he plays solo shows that are totally unlike the other music. Last night he played that every day combo of piano and bass clarinet.
I made a new friend and I’m now totally blanking on her name. I always make fun of my forgetting names but I’ve gotten so much better at it that now I’m disappointed. Her son was Jean’s music student since he was four. He’s now in high school. The way she talked about Jean and her son made me think of Carey and the young man she always describes as, “My favorite guitar student.” When a kid is creative and has a special teacher they form a bond. Hey Jean? What’s her name?
Taylor was up first. I love the way he describes himself on his website, songwriter / singer / banjo player / guitarist / illustrator / graphic designer / Canadian, like being Canadian was a profession or skill. He is multi-talented and can vouch for his skills in the first four. I haven’t seen his passport but I’ll take his word that he’s Canadian, eh? He doesn’t say, “eh.” I’ve seen him play in band and in a duo with Courtney Hartman, this might be the first time I saw him solo.
James Shipp plays vibes and synth in Jean’s band. He also has a duo with Stephanie Coleman, the Steph I mentioned before. I told you this is a close-knit community. The duo was the closest thing I’ve seen to what he did last night fronting his own band and playing his own compositions. He played the piano and synthesizer. Is in a Moog synthesizer? I always want to call it that but I’m not sure. James is a master of neuromusic, he creates his own esthetic as he goes along. In other words his songs are weird; weird lyrically and weird musically. They are also brilliant and funny. The audience laughed at all the right places, which is most of the time. Just to keep things interesting he plays the synth through a trombone.
Jean was on last, she was joined by James, Liam, Chris, and a drummer I didn’t know. See how it all comes together. It’s one big happy family. Last year Jean came out with my album of the year, Sisterly. She’s already working new songs into the show. Is there any need for me to say that they are brilliant? She said that one wasn’t fully baked. She’s not afraid of serving a song when it’s still soft out of the oven. She did that with Sisterly. When I first heard it, it was great, after being fully baked it was a masterpiece. I loved hearing the transformation.
I got home late and slept very late on Saturday. When I woke up I went to listen to the message from the doctor again to make sure I had the right number to call about the appointment. I was getting ready to fight to move the surgery up. I listened, I heard it right the first time that the appointment was moved to April 14, what I missed was that this wasn’t from my surgeon, it was from my gastroenterologist! My surgery was not rescheduled! I had gotten upset over nothing. If I had gotten the message at home this wouldn’t have happened but I was out and there was a lot going on around me so my fears heard what they were afraid of. I will be able to see after February 4! I can see Captain Marvel in a theater and actually see it! I’ll be able to read again! Yes I’m excited. I will call the doctor on GI on Monday as she wants to put me on meds and I don’t want to delay that for two months if I don’t have to. The phone call came from her office, not from her and I’m sure she’s not even aware that I was canceled. She just knows she had to cancel that day.
Since I didn’t go out yesterday I’m almost caught up. Tomorrow I’ll write about what I did today and you’ll find out what I posted this so late.
Wise Madness 