This is going to be difficult to write. I’m having an outbreak of annoyance with people and I’ve been expressing this annoyance. I’m not being overcritical, my critiques are right on as far as I can see, even in retrospect. The problem is that I’ve been too free to express them. Saying something stupid is not enough justification for calling them out for saying something stupid. Though I have a reputation as a curmudgeon, I also have one for being nice. As Elwood P. Down said in Harvey;
Years ago my mother used to say to me, she’d say, “In this world, Elwood, you must be” – she always called me Elwood – “In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.” Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me
I want to be oh so smart AND oh so pleasant. It’s smart to be pleasant. Growing up I was unpopular, now people like me. I don’t think I’ve changed that much, it’s more about the people around me maturing. On the other hand, kids love me now. It is a puzzlement.
You know what else is a puzzlement, what am I going to write? I can talk about Bloomberg. He’s been on my mind a lot. I disagree with everyone on him. He’s neither the monster nor savior that people make him out to be. He ran for mayor of New York three times. I voted against him three times. On the other hand, he did a pretty good job at running the City. It functioned; he was willing to take risks. He cared a lot about environmental issues. He was not cruel or authoritarian like Giuliani. The problem was being Giuliani light. Stop and Frisk was terrible. I protested against it. Giuliani loved to be the tough guy and enjoyed showing his power like that. Bloomberg’s problem was the inability to empathize with the Blacks and Hispanics that were being singled out for oppression. He wasn’t doing it to put them in their place, but he could not see that’s how it appeared. Why do I say it was a matter of blindness, not cruelty? The first thing he did when he took office was reverse Giuliani’s mistreatment of the homeless. He called it out as cruel. As president he wouldn’t show the total contempt of rule of law like Trump. He wouldn’t put children in cages. He won’t attack social spending like any Republican president would do. He didn’t gut social programs when he was mayor. On the other hand, I don’t see him fighting the outsized influence of large corporations or regulating them as much as he should. He’s not going to fight for the big structural changes we need. Of course, I have my doubts on how much Warren, my candidate, could accomplish. The president is not a dictator. There are political realities beyond a president’s control. Thank god, or Trump would be a much bigger disaster than he already is.
Everyone else seems to have very strong opinions on Bloomberg, either for or against, savior or devil. Unlike almost every other politician, he does many things I like and many things I dislike. I’m neutral towards him. That makes him a huge improvement over Trump. That’s a low bar to clear. I have no passions about him, one way or another.
Now for something I have a strong passion about, Mari (marr-ee) Black. I should have just started with her. She sent me her new album, Unscripted, a collaboration with accordionist Cory Pesaturo. Mari is a champion Scottish fiddler. Mari doesn’t let people put her in a box, unless it’s a really big box. While she always fiddles, her musical world is a lot larger than Scotland. Just looking at the titles is a musical trip around the world.
1. Migliavacca
2. Crankin’
3. Corazon De Oro
4. Sicilian Tarantella
5. But Not for Me
6. Kitchen Party Tunes: Air
7. Kitchen Party Tunes: Dance
8. Klezmer Po’puri
9. Benny Was a Good Man
10. Halisah
11. Schön Rosmarin
12. Emil’s Hora
13. Oblivion
14. The Celtic Rockers
I’m listening as I write this and not looking at what songs are being played, Corazon De Oro sound Klezmer. I think it’s a tango. The one constant in Mari’s music is dance. I’d give it a ten; it has a good beat you can dance to it. Music and dance are universal. Though countries and cultures develop their own music, musicians have always been free to play the adopt the music of others. Sure, I can hear Villa Palagonia play a Tarantella, but I can also hear them played by Mari or Rhiannon Giddens. Neither Mari nor Rhiannon is Celtic, but they both play Celtic music. It’s the folk process. I’m up to But Not For Me, you can’t tell from the title but it’s jazz. Mari is in a very very large box. Her talent is music, not a type of music. She’s a brilliant fiddler. I’ve never seen him, but Cory Pesaturo is a brilliant accordionist. This album is right in my sweet spot, good music.
I’m now listening to Kitchen Party Tunes: Dance. It could be played by another favorite of mine, Natalie MacMaster. I have such a weakness for great fiddlers/violinists. I pretty much have a crush on every woman with a fiddle in her hand that can really play. Did I just scare way all my women fiddler friends?
I’m going to make breakfast and finish listening to Unscripted for the second time. Its February but I’m pretty sure this will make my top albums of the year. Music is a lot better for my soul than politics. Mari’s is especially good at soothing the savage breast.
Wise Madness 