In Memory of Days Past - Grand Central Market Music

Before the time of the pestilence, people use to gather to listen to music. Sometimes it just so happened to be in places where people were eating.

 

I found this on one of my old hard drives. I think I didn't upload it before because I couldn't make it perfect. 

I was busy. Or wrestling with doubt about the value of posting music for the sake of music.

This is a time of book banning. Art being shamed for being dirty. 

It won't be long until they will come for the music. 

Anybody's music that isn't their music.

So I'm posting this in defiance, just in case. 

Walking Down Union Into A Wider World

Things are going on, I'm spending so much time on computers that the last thing I want to do is write for myself. This is why I need to take walks. When you walk you see things that are only glints in eyes as you drive.




There was a painted Chevy van in the in the USC Pacific Asian Museum parking lot. From a distance it look like someone got happy with a spray can. I move closer to it and find out there is a story and meaning behind the art work.

No spray can was involved. This was an installation created by artist Haider Ali for the exhibition From the Grand Trunk Road to Route 66: Visiting Truck Artist Haider Ali.

I guess it is a fusion of traditional Pakistani truck art with some of the icons of California and the U.S. painted added. It is vibrant and colorful. Step a bit closer and there is meaning on top of meaning.

The few people that stopped for a moment looked at it; did not see it and walked on. There was an information sign that gave background about the work but most people glanced and walked on.

When I cam home I did some research about Pakistani truck art and that is how I moved just a bit into a wider world.

Not Making Art or Sense of It All

I keep hearing the lyrics to letting the days go by. I'm getting better at it but then some tomfoolery just begs to be notated for future archives.

If you would jump over to the Washington Post article about the artist who hit a trifecta on identity, gender, and cultural appropration you'll have a better understanding of my collage down below.

There is a Tumblr page that is interesting in trying to demonstrate others doing the same thing. I wanted to post it there but it wouldn't let me upload my image. Not from censorship, I was doing something wrong in the uploading. So I took a chance and posted it on Facebook and here.

So, this is a work created by an African American woman pretending to be a European American who is pretending to be a black man.

A chance? What chance?

Long after the discussion about artist Joe Scalon has died down this collage will remain. As people come to check me out for jobs, gigs or social activities they will see my name and the word cock.

If they do not know me or take the time to ask questions I will be dismissed from consideration.
Because of a word. Not an image. Just the word.  I'm okay with that at the moment.

June Gloom 2011

It is the middle of June Gloom. It happens every year. It is depressing for those of us that need sunlight.


People that revel in the overcast clouds and morning drizzle are happy. You can tell. They are the ones not complaining about the lack of sun.

Me? I'm miserable. Ok, maybe sun deprived. Same thing. When I am walking around I try to look at the surroundings. What has changed? Is it their any more?

The above photo is the Pasadena Museum of Art. The outside of the museum may have something to do with the current exhibition of California Graffiti art on display until September 4, 2011. The museum also has jazz performances on the roof during the summer so it is a great place to check out.

If you have issues with sunlight and heat, go now. Those that like it toasty, give it another three weeks.

Charles Stepney on the Finally Friday Freakout

I loved Earth, Wind and Fire, no doubt about it. But I was also an album reader. I would see the name Charles Stepney and not understand how important his contributions was to the music of the late 1970s and 80s.



This is a short video biography about Mr. Stepney so we all can get an idea of the richness of the much and the people that made it so.

Lady Teena Marie Has Made Her Transition

I don't want to believe it. I just don't. But CNN, People and other media sources are saying that Teena Marie passed in her sleep.

This is Teena in a classic music video, Lovergirl.



Mercy. I'm not happy but if her spirit is at peace and pain free then so be it. This is Teena performing a rendition of His Eyes Is On the Sparrow.



Not ready to let my musical icons go but it seems I have no choice. Much peace and respect to her family and her extended musical family of fans who are hurting something awful tonight.

Margaret Fabrizio and Turning 80

This is video by artist/vlogger Margaret Fabrizio. I guess the main take away from the video that I got was to go ahead and live your life to the best of your abilities.



I'm trying to strip away the filters that bind me to in-action. I need reminders like this to keep on moving forward.

Margaret has her website where you can view more videos, check out her art work, quilts, her collages absolutely rock; I love collage art so I am extremely biased but this is good stuff.

She has music for listening or downloading.

Margaret is starting to making me feel like a first class lazy bone couch potato. Definately give the site and her YouTube channel a visit.

Health Insurance Workshop for Artists At The Armory

For those in the Pasadena, CA area and are of the artistic persuasion you might want to consider attending a free workshop called Health Insurance 101. I don't know much more about it than the post card I picked up at the Armory.

From the Health Insurance For Artists website:

This workshop provides unbiased information to help you navigate the tangled web of our health insurance options. Topics include:

• How to compare benefit designs.
• Individual & family plans.
• Guaranteed-issue group plans for the self-employed.
• Association plans for artists.
• What you need to know about health insurance reform.

Folks, I don't know if this is truly informational, a sales pitch or a two for one deal. If you go have a pound of questions ready and don't sign anything until you check it out.

On the other hand I do know that artists shouldn't have to depend on the fundraiser skills of friends and well wishers to pay for emergency health care or long term health care needs.

There next session of the workshop is September 11, 2010 at the Armory Center for the Arts 145 North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103

Seems like you to have to RSVP at http://armory.eventbrite.com.

Poetry In Plain Sight - Armando Flores Jr.

Men are human beings. Women are human beings. When you separate the cruff and the extreme forms of base nature people there are some good folks who go through bad things. Some of them involve love.

If you are wise you write a poem about it. It was a hot Saturday afternoon but thank goodness the air conditioner in the library was working. This is Armando Flores, Jr. with his poem about the passing of love, Eulogy.



For more info on Armando or his work visit his blog at http://charactersoftheplay.blogspot.com

Poetry In Plain Sight - CaLokie

I have always loved poetry. I use to participate in a poetry group. I wrote ok but not great poetry. I stopped because the pain of living grew to be greater that the pain of creating.

We need poetry. One of the things I want to see change is the visibility of poetry in our society. Not just by the anointed; it needs to be spoken by those of us on the front lines of life radio back to those to come we lived as best we can and here is what we found on the journey.

This is a touch-up of humanity in these times. This is my small contribution, long delayed.

CaLokie has seen a thing or two and works hard at crafting poems as a reminder that 140 characters does not always cut it - we need to soak up feelings, meaning and intent.

This is CaLokie with a poem about the six month anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti.



The Back Story

I have a memory, me, Alice Dayton, Don, CaLokie and a few others were sitting in a restaurant. We were trying to figure out how to advance and move poetry out of the niche or closed society it was in the early 1990s.

We didn't have an answer. We didn't have the full blown Internet that we have today.

A few weeks back I was curled up in the bed remembering what a crummy excuse for a human I was when I looked at the cover of To Kill A Mockingbird. One book, one creative act can change a heart, soul or way of life.

You don't have to write a book. A poem will do. Poems are really good at getting to the essence of our being. You don't have to be perfect.

You just have to write it down.

Or say the words.

Or listen.

Anyway, for how ever long it last I will try to post a poet reading his or her work or interview a poet. The video will be homespun, not fancy and gently edited. All poetry belongs to the creators; they maintain their copyright.

All I'm doing is recording what I experienced on that day. Poetry in plain sight.

Don't Play That Song on the Finally Friday Freakout

There comes a point when a song isn't just a song. It is a combined lesson in storytelling, musicianship and all the elements coming together to draw your attention to a different level.

At the time Aretha was the only singer that I cared about. I was 10 years old so I could be excused for my musical one track mind. I did like other women singers but Aretha was my queen, my only queen of soul.



This song just made me want to listen to it over and over again. The piano, her voice and something about how it was constructed was astounding. It was like unlocking a puzzle, a musical puzzle. It would be a long time before I understood the true meaning of the song but musically I kept asking "How did she do that?"

If I could create something so tight and perfect that lasted three minutes I'd be a happy girl.

Still striving.

Ahead of the Curve on the Finally Friday Freakout

I tell you, this day felt like 17 hours long. Everybody was twitchy trying to make it to closing time. Crossing the street was a death defying adventure.

I have one of two theories.

1. There are more color blind drivers that cannot see the color green as in "Dufus I'm crossing at a green light, why are you honking at me during your rolling stop?"

or

2. The loss of civility is the next sign of a dying culture.

I can't make up my mind.



Well, I hope to snag some goodies at the two, count 'em, two festivals in Pasadena this weekend. Pasadena Chalk Festival and the Make Music Pasadena Festival.

There will be art. There will be music from people I have never heard of and that is wonderful.



I never heard of Matt and Kim. I like the percussive energy in this video. I like even better free music on multiple stages around the city AND inside of the Pasadena ARTS shuttles.

This idea is so cool. Acoustic musicians will play for passengers. This is gonna confuse the hell out of the regulars but shaking up the system is good for the soul. Unless somebody tries to play "Feelings" on the Fair Oaks shuttle.

So not a good idea.

I spent all day wishing it was over so I could get on to Saturday. I need to just be and see the rest of the world without filters. Without obligations. Roam if I want to.

As a public service reminder, Pasadena Traffic enforcement is no joke. If they could slap a ticket on the Metro Gold Line they would.

Park where you know you can get to the meter just before time runs out.

If the meter seems to be broke, do not park in that spot. It is a ticket trap. The city says that if the meter is broken you are not supposed to park in that spot. There is no sign. There is no warning. Bupkis. You are expected to know that obscure city code.

The city will slap a ticket on your car for parking at a busted meter. And then you will want to go upside someone's head like Kim does on the drums.

Don't do it though. Positive vibes. Park in San Gabriel and take Foothill Transit. Or take the Metro Gold Line and hop on and off the shuttles. You could also walk. It is a concept that will come into its own someday in Southern California.

Other than that, have a enjoyable weekend.

Hollywood Fring Festival - Get Outside This Weekend

There is a lot of stuff happening this weekend. The Hollywood Fringe Festival is one of the events.



I have a special love of busting out of office L7 videos. This is one of them that is a keeper long after the event. This weekend you could attend a Hollywood Fringe event.

After this weekend, hit up on this video to remind you to get out more.

Ross Anthony - A Video Moment in Time

Good things can happen in Pasadena. Walking into Beany’s for a croissant is one of them. Support your independent vendors I say. Yep. I put it to you this way; across the street at Starbucks people sit at tables and glare into their cell phones; even the couples. Spooky.

At Beany’s real people talk at tables without the aid of electronic devices. I’m not saying don’t walk into a chain store. I’m saying consider places that make you feel comfortable enough that you don’t need the freaking phone to make you feel secure.

I am secure that Beany’s has better pastries than Starbucks. This is relevant because I don’t drink coffee.



Anyway, before I could go get my croissant I saw this guy at the table. The guy said “Hi” and sounded like he meant it. I said “Hi” back as I checked out the table to determine if this was animal, vegetable or psycho-political.

Usually the psycho-political don’t talk to me but mistakes happen.

I am buying my croissant and I hear him outside give his pitch about traveling the world, writing books and raising money for a writing project for his students. Getting students to voluntarily read and write?

What can I do to help?

I got my stuff and had a conversation with Ross. Not only do I support independent vendors I have an obligation to help support independent and self-publishing authors. Someday I could be one of them which is why I’m fixating on the iPad/tablet publishing opportunities but that is another topic.

Where was I?

Oh yeah. Writers and artists who sell at tables fall in one of two camps. Camp No. 1 is “Please buy my book or art but don’t talk to me.”

Or Camp No. 2 “I’m open, I really do like people. Please buy my book or art and come talk to me, for a bit.”

From what I could see Ross was doing ok for a June gloom Saturday morning. Colorado and Los Robles is not an easy corner to pitch literary and artistic woo. I bought the book Circle Earth and the passage I like so far is:

Jan 14

Travel is a high like falling in love, like finding God. It teaches one to smile with the light from one’s eyes. It reminds “Hey, you can do anything.”

Page 98 Circle Earth, A Sketchbook, A Journal
Ross Anthony

The Other Prescott Mural - There Is Diversity in Prescott, Arizona

Despite what certain members of the Prescott community would have you believe there are diverse populations in the area. This is another mural project that took place at Mile High Middle School.



In the video it explains the process of how the coordinator and the students got together, connected with nature and created the mural. The students also spoke with the Yavapai people to learn of their culture.

This is an example of helping students make the connection between what they learn in the class room and applying it to their environment.

Thinking About Meat Loaf and Passionate Singing

I was in the store the other day and a cashier was sharing with a customer about how good the Rocky Horror Picture Show really is and that she would enjoy it.

I smiled because I certainly did and the other person waiting in line was nodding his head. The person, who appeared in her early twenties, was not necessarily convinced but she bought it anyway.

It won't be the same experience for her. That is ok. There is no way to replicate what it was like to be in the theater and have no idea of what was about to happen. The Bic lighters being flicked. Huge chunks of the audience doing the Time Warp. Tim Curry in a corset and that blond beefy guy in those plastic, vinyl shorts. Ah yes, I remember it well.

Before the movie was a musical short feature. We didn't call them music videos because there was no MTV. Or cable as we now it now. We had VHF, UHF and if you were prosperous a VHS player.

I laid eyes on Meat Loaf ripping the hell out of Paradise By the Dashboard Light. I'm sure that I had popcorn suspended between the bucket and my mouth. Keep in mind that I was raised as and shall always be a Funkateer.

Yet his Meatness was working his way into my being; rattling what I thought I knew.

So after I got home from the store I was wondering if the video holds up for me. I checked it out. It did. In the side bar there was a photo of how Meat Loaf looks now. I click on over.

No need to worry, he is doing just fine:

The dude is looking kinda good! Not that he was bad looking just that I never got to see his face without his hair plastered on it. Beef-a-licious you might say. Like you know there is somebody in the bed and you don't need that extra blanket.

I digress. Still kicking it hard and passionate. Look here, can't somebody make a television/cable theatrical movie musical with him in the lead? Come on, put this man in a music structured long form video. He could do it.

I don't know if he can act. I do know he can perform. I'd write it myself if I knew how to create that kind of musical narrative video. I'll put that on the bucket list for later.

Word is that he is finishing up a new album and going on tour. I hope he is going to pacing himself. I don't understand how he can sing like that night after night. Sitting or standing, I don't care but take care of those vocal cords baby.

Oh, Mr. Loaf doesn't need a woman to sing with him. Check out Cry Over Me. Amazing work. The video, not so much but the song and the vocals. Powerful.

Seriously put him in a movie musical somebody.

T.A.M.I. and Smokey on the Finally Friday Freakout

Let me set the scene for you. You are in a movie theater on a Saturday afternoon. After a couple of cartoons and a movie short feature and just before the main attraction you get to watch a recording of The T.A.M.I. Show.

It just so happens that every time I couldn't scrounge up fifty cents was the very time the movie house would show the flick.

Yeah, I've never seen it. I had to listen to people tell me about second hand. No VHS of it that I know of, not even bootleg.

Not that I condone that kinda thing. I don't. Really.

Just saying. No bootleg action. The real reason it took so long was to work out the rights and ownership issues. Um, this translates into who was gonna get paid and how much if anything at all. Not just the on-screen performers but the producers, backers and anybody else that had a piece of paper saying "pay me."

It took them 40+ years but they finally worked it out. This is a glorious time. The DVD is out and if you have any affection for James Brown singing Night Train or Please, Please, Please you might want to check it out.

If your bones find themselves twitching to Chuck Berry's Maybellene or even some dudes from across the creek singing Time is On My Side then you might want to pick-up on this until now impossible recording of the T.A.M.I. Show.

If you check out the Wikipedia page you can get the full line up of pop, rock, R&B and Soul acts. One of those is performers is Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.



In this particular clip folks get a chance to see Claudette Robinson match the fellas step by step in heels. It is a great example of what these performers did on the road and in theaters across the country. (Update: This clip is not from The T.A.M.I Show but an example of what people experienced when they went to places like The Apollo.)

The photo links to the Turner Movie Classics store but Amazon has it as well. On the Amazon page there is a video clip of the Beach Boys, for those of that persuasion. I don't judge, live and let live I say.

I don't get a flat nickle for plugging it either way. This is more of a public service announcement that this is a memory we want to pass along.

TGIF and pass the popcorn.

California African American Museum Free Workshop March 27, 2010

The California African American Museum is having a free workshop on March 27, 2010 for kids, parents, childless people, individuals, frustrated cubical bunnies and those that need to do something creative and don't know where to start.

The photo on the left is an example of the style of Mr. Scott and what folks could do at the workshop which is free and open to the public. The California African American Museum is located at 600 State Drive, Exposition Park in Los Angeles, CA 90037. Let them know you are coming by RSVP at (213) 744-2024.

(If you are using Firefox the phone number is disappearing. I don't know why. It seems to be OK in Chrome and Opera. The phone number is two one three seven four four two zero two four.)

Admission to the museum is free but the parking is $8 at 39th and Figueroa. You could also go Metro but depending on where you live that might not be an option for you.

According to an information sheet that I have in my hand: "Inspired by the work of New Orleans artist John T. Scot, participants will create a sculpture based on architectonic forms used by him. Artist Wanda Clarke will lead the workshop."

You don't have to bring anything except your body and an open mind. And $8 for parking.

California African America Museum Events

You don't have to be African American to visit the California African American Museum. In fact, if you are not African American I definitely think you should go for a visit. If you are African American and haven't been what the heck are you waiting for, an invitation?

Ok. I invite you to visit the museum. It is free, by the way.

There are a bunch of events that folks should know about so here is a quick run down:

• Harlem of the West - Jazz, Bebop and Beatnik
• An Idea Called Tomorrow - 1 , a collaboration with the Skirball Museum - according to the web site it is "intended to inspire visitors to reflect upon the active role we must all play in bringing about a more just, equitable, and peaceful future."
• Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts - Costumes and history of one of America's premier dance institution.

In addition to the exhibits there are art workshops. As soon as my secret inside source mails me the flyer (um, she is retro old school) I'll post the freebie art event.

So if you home school or looking for something to do with the kids on your weekend and, you don't have cash for Disneyland, this might be an option for you and the little darlings/devils.

The address of the California African American Museum is 600 State Drive, Exposition Park Los Angeles, CA 90037. The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday. They are closed on Mondays.

My Baby Just Cares for Me on the Finally Friday Freakout

I needed Friday to happen around Monday morning. Egad, it was a long day at the Salt Mine. To tell the truth, I have been looking for my Valentine's present.

Yes, I am gifting myself. The only thing is I can't buy a camera or camcorder. I have to go beyond the usual desires. It is one of those conceptual gifts that once I get it I can pass it around.

I know it exist but finding it has been a challenged. Might have to improvise.



So this is a bit of fun from the great folks at Aardman Animation. The vocal is Nina Simone's My Baby Just Cares for Me.