The National Holiday Continues

I need something driving for these morning calisthenics.  I’ve had some garage psychedelic mix from the 60s I found on Youtube, accompanying my early morning push-ups for the last few days.  Some old cuts rediscovered, some new bits to make me smile.  And yes, many worth passing over, as well.   But I can’t listen to any of them when I write. 

If there are lyrics, I can’t help but follow what they’re saying.  And the narrative interferes with whatever I’m trying to write about.  If its bop, conversely, I can ride with a solo but not let it interrupt my train of thought.   Jazz is my work default.

I’ve picked up again where I left off yesterday with a Coltrane collection entitled, “Side Steps” which has him appearing on dozens of tracks recorded on other people’s dates.  At the moment is a 1957 date of the pianist Mal Waldron, called “Mal2” and the slow, deliberate cut is “One By One.”   The second sax solo could only be Trane.  Ed Thigpen who recorded an album on the day of my birth, not far down the road from all the drama, is drumming so tastefully, on the second listen through. 

The National Holiday continues.  It’s the weekend but with the kids home and a quarter’s worth of work done two days back, it feels like we’ve just been through a weekend.  This will mean we’ll have vacation through most of next week and then most people will be compelled to work through the following weekend, to make up for it.    In the mean time I have no plans.