Music isn't always a whistling-like experience... apparently "difficult" names come to my mind: Evan Parker... I saw him twice, last time two years ago in my town with Von Schlippenbach and Lovens... SUPERB music from Saturn...
I chatted with mr. Parker for some minutes and when I asked to him about the late Derek Bailey... oooops... it was like a cloud covered the sun, suddenly... they've been friends/foes all their life... anyway, both walked or are still walking on the same steep paths.
More than Evan Parker - thus I own many of his Incus, ECM and Ogun discs, I deeply enjoyed re-meeting last year, after... let me count... 'twas 1971 in Padua... 36 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... the great, humble, strong, deep, gentle Anthony Braxton... we chatted about two special topics of both - math, as we both recently read a book: "Music of the Primes" written by Marcus du Sautoy... a book which changed my life (!?!) and which Mr. Braxton, too, appreciated and loved - and... chess, which he also quitted playing it for a long time, but always remaining very fond of the discipline involved in such a noble art!
His straightforwarded, honest approach was... IS a great lesson for me and my music, as well... he brought with him on stage a big, one-hour sandglass clock... when the last sand grain was over he stopped improvising... WOW... what a Zen exercise, i.e. -... folks, I can't play all the night, but as I like so much playing, only the Time is noble and strong and great enough to stop the Music flowing... Q.- What's the time?, as I can't see it... A.- Here it is: it's "sand" for you, right now... voilà: here is Music, here is Time, here is my humbleness and my unwilling, true human being, my essence as a Man. Chapeau... what a master-stroke, Maestro Braxton!
I loved chatting with mr. Braxton immensely... he was all sweat, still with his bass-flute and alto sax in his arms (not a light load...) and he chatted like he was smoking his pipe, relaxed on a couch.
A gentleman and, as all genius, a very "normal - head in the clouds, feet on the ground" humanly warm persona.
I own dozens of his discs and twice or so per year I take a deep breathe and, grateful, explore his infinitely various, awesome musical landscapes.
pensa che son passati così tanti anni da quella volta che padova si chiamava ancora padua!!!!
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ps.: scusa ma me l'hai tirata per i capelli....oops...
Quella era Patavium, Ivan;-)))
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