I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
May 12, 2015 - 12:53 p.m.
I know what I'm going to write about, the question is do I edit pics and the video first? OK I will edit pics but not the video. I'll be right back. Go read yesterday's post while you wait. I bet you missed it.
Peter is curating the music at a new place, Tir Na Nog's on West 39th Street. He invited me over to check the place out. When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was also showing it to Efrat. It's a really nice place. I'll soon be telling you to go to shows there. The only problem was that it was too much fun talking to Peter and Efrat and left later than I wanted to and was five minutes late for therapy.
Did I tell you I'm back in therapy? I just missed one week. Yesterday was not a good session. It was uncomfortable but not in the good way. I have to change therapists to one that takes my insurance. The funny part is that's the kind of thing I have trouble doing and I can't really ask her to help with it.
After therapy I did my usual, I bought bagels. They are half-priced on Monday after 4:00. I think I have to find a new therapist that takes my insurance, is in that neighborhood and has a 3:30 opening. I think that's asking for too much but it's hard to give up half-priced bagels.
When I got home I collapsed. I don't know why. I must have had a worse night sleep than I realized. I am pretty much always in my bed if I'm in my room .There's no place else that’s comfortable. I opened some webpages and before I could read them I was asleep. I woke up 45 minutes later not exactly sure what had happened. Maybe it's because I went the day without coffee. My cold brew wasn't finished by the time I left so I couldn't make any before I left the house.
I soon headed out again. This time to see Snehasish Mozumder at the Bitter End. Warning, his website has autoplay that I can't find a way to turn off. Now you want to hear his music, but it would be nicer if you could control it. Autoplay is a mortal sin for websites. Now that I warned you I can now tell you what's important. Snehasish is not good, he's great. I will no use any qualifiers, He is the best mandolin player I've heard. He takes the music to places you haven't imagined. Everyone in his band SOM is exceptional too. I just discovered that SOM is an acronym or Sounds of Mandolin. I always thought it was an Indian word. You might have guessed from his name that he's Indian. Here he is with his band.
Snehasish
Brass and Percussion Section
Many, perhaps most of his songs are based on Ragas. To my ears they are a blend of Indian classical music, western classical music, and jazz. Somehow that comes out rocking. If he had played at Woodstock the crowd would have gone wild. I'm not sure if today's crowd would be as accepting to something outside of their experience but I'd like to think the same thing would happen at Falcon Ridge. I wish somebody would give him the chance.
The pieces all build. There is a theme that is developed, They go from A to B. Each song is a story. While they appeal to the Bach part of my brain they also appeal at a visceral level. One of them would have made a great theme for a James Bond film. I hesitate to call them songs as they are all instrumentals.
There is nobody I would compare him to. I'm sure other people do it but nobody that I've ever seen. The music is unlike anything in my musical world but I think it belongs in my musical world. I was thinking who would I pair him with on a bill. The best fits would be Guy Mendilow, Harpeth Rising, Emily Elbert, Haas Kowert Tice, and Tomoko Omura. Their audiences would definitely get it. He does instrumentals but I got excited thinking about a collaboration with Emily. I bet she could find a way to sing to it. Actually all those bands would have a ball collaborating with him.
My video isn't ready yet but here's an old one of his, from 2009.
He is playing at Rockwood Music Hall Sunday night at 10:30. I know that's late but you should go. Have your musical horizons expanded. He lives in Calcutta so it's not often you get a chance to see him.
Can you tell I'm enthused?
My plan was to walk to Rockwood tonight for John Platt's On Your Radar. Will I stick to that? It's a long walk. I'll see how hot it is when I plan on leaving. You should of course join me. Tonight's performers are Meg Braun, Gillen and Turk, and Sleeping Bee.
I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.
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Horvendile May 12, 2015
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