Sunday, February 23, 2014

Ukranians Stop Fighting Long Enough To Read This Blog

United States
47
Indonesia
18
Ukraine
11
United Kingdom
6
Netherlands
3 Saturday began with me sneaking out from under the wharf in broad daylight, as usual.
The trumpet player whom I have been hearing every morning was playing about 100 yards down the Riverwalk.
I sat on a bench and tuned to his key of E-flat and had soon learned about 3 of his songs by playing along.
Some day soon, especially if I get and amp, I will jam with him.
I then walked to the library only to discover that it had closed at 2 p.m. because of the Mardi Gras parade schedule which has commenced.
I went to the Lilly Spot, where I found out that the other 3 of Lillys pets (a black guy who dresses flamboyantly and plays a ukelee, along with a girl who sings; usually in a sun dress, and another guy who sings and is a Rainbow Child) were not there.

Germany
2
Canada
1
Mexico
1
Poland
1
30 Dollar Saturday
5 Sets Of Music
I gradually unfolded my stuff; but had only unpacked half way; no signs or piggy banks or tiposauruses; when I started to play and actually was getting into it.
A girl accelerated toward me starting from a distance of about 20 yards and plopped a 10 dollar bill on my lap when I was playing "Golden Slumbers," by The Beatles.
I wound up leaving, and then returning, about 5 times throughout the course of the night, eventually knocking off at about 1 a.m. with 33 bucks in my pocket and headed towards Rouses Market.
Driftwood Fire
I found fresh chicken, along with the types of slabs of meat which are the byproducts of butchers who hack away at a side of beef, but are not so fastidious as to carve the fillet mignon right to the bone. In order to avoid fat, they err on the side of caution.
And, of course the rest of the homeless pass that whole bag over in their search for things which can be scarfed down immediately.
I seriously considered spending 8 bucks on a bag of Kingsford Instant-Light briquets; and then whimped out...I'll walk the embankment and pick up enough driftwood for a good fire and will just build it gradually and keep the smoke down....
I had a very good meal, having added fresh tabbouleh, olive oil, garlic and some hot salsa which I needed to use up. I still have turkey bacon and some uncooked meat up on the girders, keeping in the 55-65 degree range.
I awoke to the sound of heavy rain pelting the river in the early hours of the morning.
I decided to lay there and read after the Natchez left and stopped blocking so much light.
I read and wrote and did some house(less)-keeping, until the boat came back in.
It was still pouring and now a fog had drifted in. I could hardly see them; and so....
Then, I discovered something which might be a good thing for me.
The on board jazz band, The Dukes of Dixieland began playing.
They began playing "New Orleans Style Jazz."
Since I was already tuned to the "horn" key of E flat, I was able to play along with them for more than an hour and discover a lot of interesting things about how that kind of music is put together.
I thought that this might be a good thing for me to do each afternoon. Soon, I would know pieces of their repertoire; since, like the trumpet player, they too are unable to escape doing the same certain songs which a shallow audience will inevitably request.
"Wonderful World," by Louis Armstrong and "When The Saints Go Marching In," are no-brainers.
Soon, I will have the former worked out in the key of E-flat and then can play along, trying to catch the extended harmonies and work them into my arrangement and move one step closer to being able to play authentic, big-time, professional New Orleans Style Jazz..
Cool....
Sunday
It is Sunday and the rain finally stopped falling at about 4 p.m.
It is 6 p.m. now.
I need a case for my guitar and the 33 dollars are burning a hole in my pocket....

3 comments:

  1. Actually the trumpet would be in Bb, but I think Eb is related somehow, because in saxophones, the sizes are tuned alternately in Bb, Eb, Bb, etc. Alto's Eb for instance, and tenor's Bb, then baritone's Eb and so on.

    I've been practicing daily now, this thing with the guy I work for not being able to pay me is both spooking me and pissing me off. Time to shit or get off the pot, I say. I'm working through Herbert L. Clarke's Elementary Studies, and working on higher notes. It takes tensing up my stomach like I'm preparing to take a punch, but I'm sure it will become something I don't even think about soon.

    "Saints" is pretty darned corny, but "Wonderful World" isn't that bad a song.

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  2. He plays that song that Pee Wee Herman danced to on the table in his Great Adventure movie; really simple...

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  3. Oh man I'd have to watch that movie again to see what song that is.

    You know, high-tech is moving backwards I'm convinced. I'm trying to build up a CD collection for when music is just about unobtainable, for instance, a CD of Louis Armstrong songs with say, 25 of 'em on there, would cost me $25 at least on itunes. But the CD is $5, and if my computer dies I still have the songs. Honestly I'd go back to vinyl if I had a turntable.

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