after bathing at baxters

on this day in 1968 i saw jefferson airplane, live, in california. this was probably the first concert i saw, other than the symphony. there was a great light show. and while i dont recall the song listing there is no doubt it was a great show, being the airplane afterall. drag out that copy of baxters folks, still one of the greatest records ever, and what a cover!

not so long ago

several months ago someone asked me to tell them about the time i went over to see a j weberman in new york city to purchase some dylan tapes, in fact in august of '77. i said ok, but before i go into that i should preface the story with how i came to be in new york in the first place. well...35 years ago next week i left for my first trip to europe. ostensibly to buy records, and to visit morocco. both of which happened. left out of frisko...to new york...to iceland to change planes...landed in luxembourg....spent the next 6 weeks or so in germany, france, england - - with a delightful trip down to cornwall - - amsterdam, et al. eventually i went down to the south of france to see where the stones recorded 'exile'. in the delightful village of villefrance sur mer. i also saw nice for the first time. then it was train travel down the coast of spain, with a nite in valencia near the bull ring, and a night in marbella. then the ferry from algeciras to tangier. i wanted to talk to paul bowles about moroccan music. and i did. every day for 3 weeks. came back with 6 or 7 hours of cassette tapes. well, i missed a day. 'where were you yesterday' he asked. i dont remember! then, it was back to france for the flight to new york city for 5 days or so before returning to california...

ege bamyasi

its not that i havent wanted to speak with you, but there obviously have to have been some distractions these past few months. / not that i can mention them coherently right now, so you're going to have to trust me. but these past few weeks have been rather rainy, after a somewhat dry spring. we were gifted a dragon, so we should be able to put forth some transcriptions of what we affectionately refer to as kitchen table ramblings, maybe even prior to the solstice. finishing up 'always in trouble: the oral history of ESP Disk', a book recommended to all. the latest bernie krause title is also over here on the table. am also trying to make some sense of a manuscript i've been working on for years, ostensibly a memoir entitled 'tropical delusion'. most of it is written, we just have to shuffle some paragraphs around. wear white if you're on your bike, and do check back soon now, eh?

saffron gone astray

next day was a saturday and i was supposed to attend a zinfandel wine show in frisco sometime after lunch. this didnt happen however, for various reasons. the day began innocently enough with nathan and myself hitting the shoppes for both breakfast and lunch foodstuffs, which would be prepared & served at the unmarked west oakland warehouse. no doubt we acquired some jug wine, probably carlo rossi. the sun was out. there may have been a hike in the hills or was that the day before. i was due in the hills near redwood city for dinner, preferably well in advance for the wine and appetizers. much to my surprise, nathan agreed to wisk me over in his own motor car, with oliver the dog. no problem!! (i have never cared much for the transportation system in the 'bay area' that tries to pass itself off as a subway). we arrived emerald hills sometime before 5, and it was a very warm day. we were lucky to get out of oakland however, as the occupiers were somehow engaged in some more foolishness and the roads were temporarily backed up. and arrival at the home of longtime friend and comrad riley the irishman, and his longtime paramour kathleen. hot damn. the wine begins to flow. we get a tour of the grounds. oliver the dog is free to roam and run!! some stellar dead on the box (kings beach feb 1968). a neighbour, s the anarchist, was also invited. a moroccan chicken was being prepared. but there was a small problem: the hippies at the market neglected to put the saffron into the bag!! holy shit!! how can there be a moroccan chicken without the saffron!?! well....the meal presented us some hours later was impeccable. 'no saffron required'. more wine. side dishes?? cous cous? vegetables? odd, but i dont really recall. we were all having a good time. a tour of the grounds next door. nathan saw a boat he wanted. (and may still want). the warm afternoon was evening & then nite. but the madness would continue tomorrow...

signspotting out west

the arrangements had been made some weeks previously but i was definitely not in the mood to travel when jan 24 came around. balmy providence had not yet allowed winter thru the gates (in fact it really hasnt arrived). but there were several appointments (& meals) i just didnt want to miss, and off i went. i knew pirate could take care of 'all & everything' here at the citadel while i was away (& she did). i didnt see much of oakland, but my mainman there drove me hither and yon to mendocino and marin, & on evening 3 or was it 4 my attorney got loud and said how bout dinner at his place, in north berkeley (he's a damn good cook folks!). naturally we began with some red wine around 2, toured the garden, listened to some fabulous music (usually vinyl), most of which i cant remember cause i'd never heard of some of the bands. maybe when he reads this he can gently remind me! were there appetizers? had to have been. no doubt some superb cheeses from the board etc. the main course was to be guineau hen, which i had never had. another bottle of red. my oakland road manager was due back for dinner at 6 and he may have been in touch via mobile. eventually my attorney's wife arrives, but on finding out dinner was still some time away, she split quick for the safety of an upstairs sleeping room. ho ho....(she missed a damn good dinner folks!!) N finally arrived and the three of us ate.....some sizzling grateful dead on the box.....the au jus and cabbage with the hen out of this world! more red!! ho ho....but this was just the start of this little west coast venture, ostensibly to remind folks of all i do and continue to do......(stay tuned!)

those london chimes from yesteryear

it was probably in january, 1965 that the rolling stones became important to me. certainly i had heard of them in 1964, and maybe even seen them on tv. but they hadnt sunk in. fortunately, there was good radio where i was living then, a 9 year old out on the delta. and the station dug the stones. maybe 'the rolling stones now' had just been released. i knew this was my music and i hadnt even seen a picture of the boys yet. and because all things british were big that year we even got the news from london. this may have been my first time hearing about winston churchill. cause he checked out on 24 jan '65 at the age of 90! and after the news, the station had a show known as the 'gear hour' and it was all things british and my boys, the stones, were often featured. there was even a full hour of the stones one saturday nite!! transistor radio under the pillow! tho as a rule, i dont really like janurary tho it is the month of my birth. (i later found out the stone themselves were down under that month, stopping off in L.A. to record 'the last time' after the aussie tour.
might still be their best single! (b/w 'play with fire').

between the buttons

it was a festive wknd for reasons aplenty (& some of you may even know why) but it may have begun thursday with the rain and a viewing of tinker tailor soldier spy, which, while not as good as the alec guiness 4 hour interpretation was still enjoyable and gary oldman was indeed superb as smiley/ alas, the rain split quick and the cold arrived (rain due back tonite folks). and those le carre books usually put me in the mood for pink floyd's meddle which will spin some nite soon/ saturday was another excursion, this one to 'loie fuller' restaurant on the west side (one of our favourite providence eateries). sunday and we never left the citadel but for an electric evening at the big house : potato raclette and chili with a superb california cabernet/ everyone in good form/lazy monday with simon wells' book on the '67 redlands bust as the clouds are welcomed back! the circus will resume soon, do be patient...