a recent trip to California

Saturday, January 27, 2007 — upright locked position

I am
a concept
like rain
in reality
it doesn’t exist
instead
a million water drops

thought like a clock
connecting ticks

what you see &
what you say

out the window
through thin
clouds 4 billion
years of rock
& blue reflecting
centuries
while we move
in the porous world

the sun moved
too before you
a desire
to become one
—the buffalo long gone

[Written on a plane flying SLC→Oakland with Flavia while reading Bob Perelman’s a.k.a. Venus and Chiara picked us up at the airport. We drove to 24th Street in SF. I hung out at Phoenix Books while they walked and shopped the street. Later that night we went to Pearl’s and heard drummer Babatunde Lea’s band with Richard Howell (sax & vocal), Glen Pearson (piano) and Geoff Brennan (bass). Mr. Brenan did some triplets in thumb position that were very striking—I think with three fingers on his right hand—I’ve got to figure it out. Afterwards we walked across the street to City Lights where I picked up Cole Swensen’s Noon and other books. Then we drove “home” to Sonoma.]

id: 28-poem-morning-bed

Sunday, January 28, 2007 — morning

         in bed

     drift

         &

     list

(& forget)

[At Venus and Chiara’s in Sonoma.]

id: 28-poem-coal-sound

Sunday, January 28, 2007 — coal

white light
behind the cave(s)
like five
blind
bats alive
evolving alone along the border

(turn to the sky)

[Written in response to the sounds of words in Cole Swensen’s “The Landscape Around Viarmes number 3.]

id: 28-poem-photo

Sunday, January 28, 2007 — photo

facing a forest
birds in the sky
a well (or wall) behind
somewhere a sea
a sound
child blurred turning
image

[A condensing of Swensen’s “The Landscape Around Viarmes” sequence in Noon. I’d love to use the line “mile after mile sea after child” too, but I can’t—too blantant (perhaps as a title?).]

id: 28-note-swensen-noon

Sunday, January 28, 2007 — sounds from cole

bare where stare there air

sun one once done
blind nine line a lake

when awake was world woke what want

id: 28-poem-white-relativity

Sunday, January 28, 2007 — white

train on its rail smoothly
inside its own world
traveling to the sea
a field on fire out the windown fading
curving across the world
the face looking back your own

walking on a moving train
green blends with the blind equation
field after field
all we see is light

[A condensing of Cole’s “Thought Experiment” sequence in Noon.]

id: 28-note-bass-seller

Sunday, January 28, 2007 — bass seller

From Wilhelm:

Michael Olivola (and his wife).

id: 28-note-music-andrew

Sunday, January 28, 2007 — music at Andrew’s

Sunday morning lying around reading while Flavia and Venus laugh in the front room and Chiara makes a great breakfast. We drive to Napa and tour Copia. Then we have a light dinner at a deli in downtown Napa before splitting up—me to Andrew’s in Oakland to play music—them back to Sonoma to have dinner with Venus’ family (Flavia’s ex).

I arrive in Oakland after an hour drive. Andrew and I hug and head upstairs to his studio where I get out my bass that is stored at his house. I was planning on selling it, but the minute I took it out of its case I changed my mind—the wood is too beautiful.

I warm up while Andrew sets up his recording gear and saxophones and flutes. A bit later Debra Craig (drums) and Terry Rolerie (guitar) arrive. We improvise then take a dark chocolate, blood orange and cake break. Then improvise again. Terry is a very quiet electric guitar player (and avid bike rider) and Debra is a sensitive drummer. Lucky for me—I played without an amp.

Driving home I found a station with some great solo piano—kind of an update minimilist Eric Satie. The show was Heart of Space playing Hans Otte’s The Book of Sounds. I just caught the tailend at 10:50pm. PT. At that time it was just single piano notes, one after another, no chords. But the choice of intervals and sequence were beautiful. I’ve gotta get that work.

id: 29-poem-body

Monday, January 29, 2007 — her body

where she lives
she fills it completely
(let me touch your lip
it is is your & it is)
where & to watch
inseperable from her
silent & private country
sleep in my cupped hands
where you can see clear
to the bottom words carved
into the body falling
her arm as if
it lived her life too

[A condensing of Cole’s “Signature” sequence in Noon.]

id: 29-note-embassey

Monday, January 29, 2007 — Chilean Embassey San Francisco

We said goodbye to Venus and Chiara and drove to San Francisco. Flavia had an appointment at the Chilean Embassey to get her passport renewed. While she took care of her business I went to Rasputin Music and picked up some CDs. In particular, one I’ve been looking for: Thelonius’ Monk’s Greatest Hits. The exact versions of the tunes on this CD made me realize just how much Monk was a percussionist (in a different way from McCoy Tyner). I want to transcribe some of his approaches to his melodies and solos and arrange them for bass.

Then I went a block away to Cody’s (the San Francisco branch - unfortunately the Berkeley branch closed down recently) and picked up Craig Dworkin’s Strand (I figured I should learn a little about the author’s work who lives and works so close by).

Flavia and I then hooked up and drove to Berkeley and had lunch at La Note on Shattuck. After lunch we walked a few doors down to Pegasus Books where I picked up Bob Perelman’s iflife.

We drove to the airport (several hours early for a change) and enjoyed reading all our new books waiting for the plane and flying back to Salt Lake.

Harold Carr 01 2007

a recent trip to California