Chill Time

It has been a lovely hot sunny day -and thus -one for chilling out and sunbathing. That is exactly what i did here in the grounds of the Quays.A couple of hours in the morning and a bit more in the afternoon.

I also had chats with a number of the other residents here at the benches at the far end of the garden, and we were drinking canned beer and having spliffs of weed. The guys think i am so cool, smoking my pipe,and that i love drum n'bass music.

Hence this late evening is the first time i have been on the net since yesterday.

My tan looks really good now.

Ah, but back to the visits tomorrow after our free morning breakfast.

Skies of America

Not may jazzmen have done orchestral suites and ventured into the classical genre. Ornette Coleman was one of those who did and was influenced by the music of Charles Ives. Here is his Skies of America - my belated tribute to the 4th of July.

Ornette Coleman - Skies Of America

1. Skies Of America - 2:49
2. Native Americans - 1:10
3. The Good Life 1:33
4. Birthdays And Funerals 3:13
5. Dreams 0:51
6. Sounds Of Sculpture 1:20
7. Holiday For Heroes 1:10
8. All Of My Life 3:08
9. Dancers 1:17
10. The Soul Within Woman 0:47
11. The Artist In America 3:54
Part Two
12. The New Anthem 0:31
13. Place In Space 2:44
14. Foreigner In A Free Land 1:19
15. Silver Screen 1:10
16. Poetry 1:15
17. The Men Who Live In The White House 2:48
18. Love Life 4:34
19. The Military 0:32
20. Jam Session 0:39
21. Sunday In America 4:29
Alto Saxophone – Ornette Coleman (tracks: 11, 14 to 18, 20)
Orchestra – The London Symphony Orchestra
Orchestrated By, Written By, Composed By – Ornette Coleman
Conductor [The London Symphony Orchestra] – David Measham

It says something about the status of the artist in America that Ornette's US label at the time, who had several major American orchestras under contract, compelled him to travel to England to record this work, without his quartet as he had wanted. His music was met with derision and condescension from the LSO. He wasn't the first to encounter that kind of reaction to his work and he will not be the last. That says something about the status of the artist in the world.

Poems Of The Week

A couple of poems that i loved recently -


The Shadow Voice

by Margaret Atwood



My shadow said to me:
what is the matter


Isn't the moon warm
enough for you
why do you need
the blanket of another body


Whose kiss is moss


Around the picnic tables
The bright pink hands held sandwiches
crumbled by distance. Flies crawl
over the sweet instant


You know what is in these blankets


The trees outside are bending with
children shooting guns. Leave
them alone. They are playing
games of their own.


I give water, I give clean crusts

Aren't there enough words
flowing in your veins
to keep you going.

The New Regime

Poem by Wendy Cope


Yes, I agree. We'll pull ourselves together.
We eat too much. We're always getting pissed.
It's not a bad idea to find out whether
We like each other sober. Let's resist.
I've got the Perrier and the carrot-grater,
I'll look on a Scotch or a pudding as a crime.
We all have to be sensible sooner or later
But don't let's be sensible all the time.

No more thinking about a second bottle
And saying "What the hell?" and giving in.
Tomorrow I'll be jogging at full throttle
To make myself successful, rich and thin.
A healthy life's a great rejuvenator
But, God, it's going to be an uphill climb.
We all have to be sensible sooner or later
But don't let's be sensible all the time.

The conversation won't be half as trivial—
You'll hold forth on the issues of the day—
And, when our evenings aren't quite so convivial,
You'll start remembering the things I say.
Oh, see if you can catch the eye of the waiter
And order me a double vodka and lime.
We all have to be sensible sooner or later
But I refuse to be sensible all the time.