this monday at the hideout
Out On A Limb With Scott Ligon. It started as a duo. The genius multi-instrumentalist of the Heatersons, the Terry Adams Quartet, Kelly Hogan and..., the Western Elstons, and the Flat Five would be my sidekick in a night of hetero-genial kookery. Then, as the date fast approached, a bassist was added. Cute tropes were toyed with and discarded. Individual titles were discussed, with bated breath and clenched jaws. Rehearsal began in earnest. Two days later, all agreed-upon titles were thrown decisively overboard. Next, deleting all conventional gestures of planning and adding a drummer were suggested. [Scott Ligon + suitable past-tense verb can be fairly substituted in all passive constructions.]
At present I have no idea where this stands. I am basically positive -- I devoutly believe -- that on Monday shortly past 7PM, Scott and I will step onto the grim Hideout proscenium, accompanied by -- don't quote me -- one or two or three other people who play instruments, perchance to create, if only via furtive glances and shared memories and reckless improvisation, a shaky illusion of musical order. Whether it happens to be good or bad, I can't say, but I can say with total assurance that it will happen only once. And, if you've ever seen Scotty play live, or paid attention to music performance over the last 100-odd years, you'll probably agree that focused visionaries working off the cuff (e.g., Louis Armstrong, Jonathan Richman) may trump diligently prepared acts working from a script (e.g., Verve Pipe).
1 comment
OMG! Robbie, I grew up near Jesup Iowa and would go to wedding dances at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo Iowa! In 1961 when I was a freshman in high school, it was THE place to go to smoke cigars and sneak a couple of sips from a beer glass!
Jerry Lee Lewis played there that year and I wondered who that crazy guy was dancing around while playing the piano!
You are performing in a building that is full of memories. The first buzz, first kiss and dancing with all those gals who looked real pretty as the night went on!
You will probably cruise in on Hwy#20. Tip yer hat as you pass the Jesup exit. Our farm was about a mile from the highway. If the wind is in the right direction, you get lucky and smell the hogs!
peace,
Jack Demuth