09.32
A snowy morning at Chateau Belewboible. Snow has cast its forgiving whiteness over much of the garden, transforming the unrelenting greyness of the past week.
At the bottom of the garden I noticed, for the first time this visit, the gentle cascade of the rivulet that snakes along the edge of the property. This was being what it is and doing what it does. And there it is. It has been waiting patiently for me to notice it, and re-acquaint myself with what it is offering. This morning, a metaphor.
Driving back from Nashville yesterday evening, the roads were already bad for driving. Arriving at the back door to The Basement, Graham Elvis looked out, in pursuit of a guilty pleasure - his puffery inhalable. A party was underway at the Belews, a surprise to me! My dribbling condition did not quite equip me for partygoing, so I dribbled a little in company, but mostly quietly over a salad. May I comment en passant that I am not, myself, a person that I would invite to any party that I were giving.
The rehearsals are completed at Thunderbirdz. If asked, we would be able to play a show tonight. But if asked to play on Wednesday night, the set order would be sharper. And so, we are having a dress rehearsal on Wednesday night for guests.
One of the benefits of leaving a repertoire, and returning to it, is to have forgotten many of its details. So, I have dropped several of my parts, rewritten programmes in the Lunar Module & abandoned several pieces of equipment. We are discovering which songs are coming back in their cycle. And, a joy, I am reminded how good my Band Buddies are. They keep getting better.
The reviewer in Rolling Stone (Germany) who suggests that this band is "definitely an anachronism" is suggesting that maturity, and the qualities of focus, discrimination & acceptingness that this confers, are not of value to him. Applying the dictum the reviewer reviews themself I note that the reviewer is declaring these to be qualities of which he is unaware. And why should he know them? Youth has its own power, qualities & capacities, and these strengths accompany the arrogance that permits witless judgement & dopey commentary. As older men know well.
19.38
A full day of practicalities & preparation for touring. This includes addressing a large backlog of e-mail.
There are times when I should be with my Wife. This weekend is one of those times. Several reviewers have also suggested that this would be a good idea. Those reviewers who have never had to bow their head in the presence of the Intelligence that informs & prompts music, could not know of the necessity that calls on aspirant musicians to give it voice, despite what this entails.
For my part, I have no ambition. I wish to act rightly, and play rightly. This is qualitatively different. Ambition is a drive that has its seat below the navel. The wish to "get it right" lies between the navel & the throat. What I want is something different from what I wish. I want to be at home with my Wife, but my life is not quite at my own disposal. So, for those who would encourage me to go home, no encouragement is needed.
"Assume the virtue."
