losing and finding center

last night aaron and i met up at Maia Meyhane, the Turkish bar on Ave. B. Romashka (gypsy band) was playing and i'd never seen them. the place filled up pretty quick and soon felt like we'd been teleported to Turkey, hookahs everywhere, people dancing and jostling the belly dancer, music blasting and beautiful. afterward aaron and i played some of that old timey music out front and made a pile of money, which we immediately spent on beer. back at the apartment, harry smoked us up and chatted briefly, my mind was dominated by an interaction/conversation between aaron and i, one of many where he is clearly holding back his thoughts. this one was about my socially awkard nature.

after the pot i was wide awake, my head racing with thoughts and reactions--i really wanted to engage with aaron, but he was just not there. i couldn't calm my mind down lying next to him, since much of the agitation was about him and us. at some point out of sheer desperation, i started talking out loud to him and to myself, just vocalizing what i was feeling. really, i just wanted him to reach out, to say or do something that showed how he felt. alas.

this morning we went out busking and then spent all the money on food at zabar's, a giant gourmet/jewish market broadway.  its just exhausting to try and keep up the stream of meaningless jokes and punny commentary.

music and more music!

yesterday i drove out to long island with bruno, an old-time fiddler who's converted to arabic music.  he plays in david's andalusian band, which is how i met him.  he's an italian from brookln, very sweet and down to earth.  its a long drive and i spent the whole time picking his brain about being a musician and living in new york. Some highlights: he advised getting totally immersed in whatever style you are trying to learn, (when he was learning to play bluegrass and western swing, he moved
 to nashville for a year!) and to learn the language of that style. then to push yourself to start performing as soon as possible.

afterward i met the aarons in brooklyn to see stephane wrembel (the modern day django) again, and aaron (lewis) borrowed a fiddle to fulfill his year-long dream of sitting in with him.  he (aaron) is so talented, its both inspiring and intimidating.  we got drunk on guiness and i and stayed the night in brooklyn. in the morning, after tacos and tamales, we went to St. Joe's for the soup line and gave them a little old timey concert after the soup line closed.

my mind is whirling with all of the different musical styles that i want to learn: old-time, bluegrass, western swing, jazz, arabic, turkish, moroccan.........it really is endless. i told bruno and david that my secret life goal is to learn every different kind of music and dance style that exists, from every country and culture.

looking forward to going to the country, but this visit has been great. coming around with aaron, too, remembering why i love him. he's just so solid and steady. it's a relief to me.

Pharoah's daughter and Capoeira

i felt very emotionally low today, and went to see the band pharoah's daughter tonight, on my own. from their website:

Blending a psychedelic sensibility and a pan-Mediterranean sensuality, Basya Schechter leads her band, Pharaoh's Daughter, through swirling Hasidic chants, Mizrachi and Sephardi folk-rock, and spiritual stylings filtered through percussion, flute, strings and electronica.

it was at Joe's Pub again, but this time i arrived early and got a choice spot of one of the plush velvety red couches, front and center. i nursed a beer and let go into the swirling wash of beautiful sounds. dancing felt good too. it was very inspiring to see folks playing slow, meditative and very deep music. music that heals the musician and the listener. i want to create more of that in my musical life.

after the show, i was heading home and saw a guy on the street with a berimbau and asked him where i could find a capoeira class.

from Wikipedia:
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art developed initially by African slaves in Brazil, starting in the colonial period. Some people believe that capoeira was created in Africa. They say that capoeira originated in Nigerian tribes where they fought with music and the winner won a partner, usually female. Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the centre of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Technique and strategy are the key elements to playing a good game. Capoeira has two main styles, known as "regional" and "Angola."

he said there was one right now, upstairs, and i should come watch. he wouldn't take no for an answer, and once i got up there another dude took over in getting my onto the floor. that was all it took, and i was fully in, throwing crazy kicks and pushing myself to keep up. it was amazing and intense and felt so good to surrender body and mind to this dance/martial art form.

stating to feel ready to go "home" to twin oaks, good friends, organic food, and quiet nights.

nest interrupted

today was a loooooooooong ass day! last night i stayed over at aaron's friend aaron's house (how do these things happen!??!) in outer flatbush/mangolia...then it was a long morning of meeting other aaron's high school friend at the H&H bagel factory on the water front: long train ride, long walk etc. i took my bagel stick to the waterfront for some much needed peace and quiet, and it was quiet lovely, in a Manhattan sorta way. the water was comforting and the air cool and breezy.

afterward, we bussed and trained to union square and played for while as a banjo/fiddle/mandolin trio, making shit for money. finally i took off for home, put in a solid 45 minutes of UWS busquing, and then wearily made my home home to recuperate from 24 hrs out and about.

tonight we saw borat, which was disturbing and hilarious, then indulged in mass quantities of amazing sushi and saki. i bid aaron farewell for the night and came home to the nest. sometimes, i wonder if he even likes me at all--i don't have the same fast paced sense of irreverant humor that all his friends cultivate.