April 30, 2006

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  "I'll go to the drumwall with you," said Bird
  

  Last night was that rarity, Bird and Lil on the telephone.  I peppered him with questions about drums and drumming.  All were patiently answered, none too basic or simple for a gracious, informative and sometimes amusing reply.  

  Then I said I should be trying to figure out how to rewrite and publish the old dissertation, still as valid as it was 30 years ago when I started it and  had to put it by, and remarked again that I didn't want to return to the violin, that it never truly made my heart sing.  

  "Your voice has changed," said Bird.  "When you talked about drums you had light and air in your voice.  Now it sounds old, tired, even a little bit defeated..  May I posit something here?"

  "Of course."

  "For the first time since I've known you, you have happiness in your voice, pure and clean, when you talk of drums and what you are learning about them.  I've never true heard that before.  I wonder if it represents freedom for you, if it is not the Bliss part of a dichotomy between Bliss and Duty."   

  "If you want to learn, I'll go to the drumwall with you," said my muse, "just give me the word."

  And so I did.  Early this week, Lil will be the proud owner of some 7a wood-tipped drumsticks and a Pearl practice pad, enough to work on rudiments and see where I can and can't go from here.  I'll tell you this - the way one holds a violin bow?  change the angle of the stick, and it's a standard right hand on a drumstick, already trained for years to deal with fulcrums and adjusting weight on the stick.  Granny playing the glass table with two fountain pens can tell that much already...

  (rudiments - what are rudiments?  - for that and the history of the changes in the drumkit and how its played?  stay tuned)

  and for a little experience of joy, click here and watch the first three Bernard Purdie video clips.  Then if you want to hear the classic, mile-wide Purdie shuffle groove, scroll down and click on Babylon Sisters.  

   

  Bird and Lil -

  Three nights ago, as Bird comments that Lil is almost always at her Dell when he appears on IM.

   lil: always here, really?

   lil: not always

   bird: virtually

   lil: not

   lil: am in the evenings

   bird: right

  lil: friends fly at evening light

  bird: season of nightfriends,

  lil: time of the moon,

  (bird: (ah) perceiving an unintended invitation to write )

  more faithful than suns,

  arcing heavens

  with light spears,

  star tears crumble

  into faint rumbles,

  we stumble upon

  crystals

  fizzling

  into points of light,

  scattering

  pieces of me

  to arrange

  in unknown configurations,

  a dark sculpture

  settling for moons,

  yearning for sons

  and fields to gleen

  with daughters,

  their arms

  holding up

  always embracing

  linements traced in

  one thousand shelters

  standing bold

  and yielding sun

  in shadows of rain,

  evaporating

  like years

  in the mirror image,

  i see

  my face

   

   

  I've an awful cold and sore throat, worst I've had in years.  So, cough, cough, I shall  exit stage right for now....,  

   

   

  pearlbamboo

  copyright e.p. hodges

  • 3:15 pm
  • 6 Comments