Archive for January, 2009

Funny. I want to just say it. Life is funny.

I received an out of ordinary phone call from a restricted number. I picked it up, which was unusual. On the other side was a sound of a young woman, obviously struggling to find words, combining Thai and English – “This is May, I’m calling about our father…”

And the story started from there. Father was in the hospital, and just in case I was curious or inclined – information was being given to me to do whatever I wish to it. Within 20 minutes, I left the house. The hospital was near Hollywood where my father and his family had been living in for the past 5 years, It’s about less than 7 miles from my place. This was the first time I heard about him in years, before I told him I was no longer interested in talking to him. 

It took me awhile to convince the staff that I was a relative. No big deal. Once I got inside, I stood there in a hospital mask for about a half an hour. I still didn’t have any words. He wasn’t conscious. So it was perfect. No one knew exactly what was wrong with him – to be expected from the Kaiser hospital. All they knew was that he was in a coma, in a serious condition.

The next morning, about 10 hours after my visit he was done. May, my half sister called later in the morning. They (May and her mother), decided against resuscitating. That was that. But the finalization of things I knew was yet to come.

Oh, right, the funny part : Father died on January 30, my mother’s birthday. 

last day

last time

hospital wall

John Abercrombie

By a lucky chance I came across the Jazz Bakery’s January calendar. I haven’t kept up much on who’s playing where and when other than a handful of familiar friend. The calendar caught my eyes because the name Gary Versace. I met Gary last year in New Orleans when he played with my friend John Ellis and his Double Wide quartet. We fast befriended because he didn’t mind my being obnoxious towards him. I was interested to get to see him play again with another group — with John Abercrombie no less.

I finally got a hold of him then headed out to their Friday show of Wed-Sun run. I, of course, showed up minutes before they stepped on stage. I got a quick introduction and was assured that all were in that good touring spirit… the kind that is light-hearted and on the silly side. From what I saw, Nussbaum was the king of it, cracking jokes, making endless teases and funnies. 

The show soon started. I’d never heard them before, and was open fully to hear. During the breaks, there was a guy coming up to me and offered his opinion on Abercrombie’s playing, how he didn’t play as much as he used to. I inquired about this later to find that he was just one of many who came with an expectation for some fusion, of which Abercrombie was known for from an era passed.

I couldn’t believe Gary, of his playing… fucking amazing this guy. Actually I was so floored by the whole quartet that I later insisted Nels to come with me on the last day of their Jazz Bakery run. Nels knows Abercrombie from long ago… the 70s or so? He also knows Nussbaum relating to his drummer brother Alex. Nels and I barely got back from a trip to SF (Sat>Sun) but managed to get to the venue in time for the show. This was a “palette cleansing” music. The soft and delicate crafted sound was the most enriching since I can remember. I was floored. We were floored. I love it when my puny mind aligns itself and able to receive something amazing as this. 

Jerry Bergonzi

Gary Versace

Abercrombie and Nussbaum

Bergonzi before show

Abercrombie Organ Quartet

Mike Watt brings in the new year

 Mike came by to do another radio show on new year’s eve. It was an interesting evening, to say the least. He brought with him a bottle of Jim Beam, plus a six pack of beer. Only just a few days back from Japan, Mike was running on some kind of an exhaustion high. He downed bottles of beer impressively while nursing the Jim Beam. The recording was a little rough because the microphone he brought was … shitty. We had to retake some stuff. By 1 am, after ring in the new year, Mike was pretty much done and out. Still he woke up at the crack of dawn fully ready to go to his Polar Bear annual jumping in the ice water event in Pedro.

Mike Watt with Cat 1 New Years Eve 2008>2009