Marriot Downtown West Street NYC
09.55
Marriot Downtown, 85, West Street, NYC.
Rising at 07.26.
A gentle beginning to the day. The lunchtime performance is too near for the player to be weighed down by a tasty buffet trough, so breakfast in the room…
A call from the Minx, already well into a busy day with much more to go.
Sistery is off to enjoy the city during the day, returning for this evening’s performance.
Lobby call with AQM Tom at 10.45.
14.03 Into the lobby 4 minutes ahead of time. For both of us, this is almost late.
Over the bridge to the WFC I…
II...
Pilgrims I…
II...
Into the atrium I…
II...
III...
Soundcheck at 11.00. Tuning at 12.00. The temperature changes are having effect.
John Schaefer announced, welcomed & introduced at 12.27.
Onstage at 12.30. That terrible moment - what shall I play? Drawing up a list of possible areas, I got as far as Cm - and nothing more. Tom’s advice: bells. So, the performance was something of a leap.
Personally & subjectively, this was strong & deeply moving for the player. Difficult to put into words the various rising-feelings, which, after all, is why a player picks up their instrument. A sense at times, and I type this lightly, of speaking for some without the voice to do so. Music speaks more directly to us than words, and at Ground Zero there is a wide spectrum of feeling present: witness, anger, reconciliation, healing, acceptance, peace. At times, I was close to tears. This former secular-cathedral to American financial power is now sacred ground.
Overall c. 50 minutes. Pix from FOH:
Beginning to Middle…
The Middle is the point of maximum vulnerability in any process. It is the point where anyone not committed to that process is most likely to leave. The Middle of this performance was defined by the departure of Mr. Photography-Guy in the burgundy jacket. He is standing with camera at the beginning, moves to the front row for closer shots before returning to his seat, stands & and leaves 25 minutes into the 50 minutes of music: precisely & exactly the middle point.
Middle to End:
AQM Tom approved. And so did Dorothy Fraser visiting with husband Dik, the first KC roadie & with Crim on the road between 1969-74. It was very good to see them both. Dik was in one of the towers on 9/11. AQM Tom was himself in the Kill Zone for 25 minutes. All part of the resonance of the place, persons and its larger moment.
Speaking in the dressing room afterwards to John Schaefer & the Power Person responsible for the programming here: this evening’s performance is the last for me in the conventional role of a professional player.
The life of the touring player ended for me in Santiago, Chile with G3 on
12th. December, 2004 although this Gigster has kept moving since. Now, conventional venues & conventional approaches to the conventional wisdom of the conventionally-professional musical life are at an end. Not retirement, as with Billy B., but continuing to play & practice with the work of the Guitar Circle & writing in the forefront.
The Orchestra Of Crafty Guitarists is a remarkable undertaking, although nearly invisible to the public. Live performances? Yes to churches & this particular venue, which is not the kind of venue typically available. So, one kind of life as a guitarist, aspirant musician & working player is, almost, completed.
15.03 A e-mail to Brother Bill…
… three performances done, final at 19.00. consensus seems to be increasing in power. this lunchtime was very powerful for me.
next performance is my final performance as a professional musician, as we would conventionally understand the term.
focus moves to writing & instruction, with most likely very very few performances. perhaps churches & even the WFC, which is now something of a sacred space.
so, writing, instruction & acts of worship.
15.14 A call to a Crafty of the early years.
Lobby call at 17.15.
20.39 While talking to AQM Tom as we were walking over to the WFC, I realized: this is not the final performance at the end of one particular stage of my musical life; this is part of a new stage already underway & which has been underway for a while.
The shift between two stages in this larger life-process has already taken place, and they have been side-by-side for a little while. The secular outings of Theo & Fripp were kinda anomalies; actually, they were mostly planned during the previous stage of continuing professional-musicianship. A good definite-date, if one is needed for a formal transition that took place over a period of perhaps 2-3 years, is
March 25th. 2010. This was the day that Guitar Craft ceased to exist & the focus of one particular creative current moved to the work of the
Guitar Circle & The OCG.
There are many professional guitarists who, today, can do what I can only aspire to; this in both their playing & professional capacity. Most are also much younger. Performances in churches & places outside the field mediated by commerce; areas free of the expectations, anticipations & assumptions of the pro musician; and those that might be characterized as acts of worship, in a wide sense; these all continue to attract my attention. Which probably explains why I don’t feel that anything has finished here at the WFC.
The site of pilgrimage…
The atrium I…
II...
III...
IV...
The characters I…
II...
III...
John Schaefer announced, welcomed & introduced at 18.57. “Set list” of possible areas was a blank sheet of paper.
The performance: a good beginning, a good end. In the middle, a technical problem required a re-beginning. This upset the overall flow. I hope the end recovered the whole. AQM Tom suggests yes.
FOH Views:
The Beginning to the Middle…
The Middle…
The End…
Coda…
This space, formerly a secular cathedral, has (unsurprisingly) changed from when we were last here in
November 2000. This is now sacred ground & the site of pilgrimage. Hopefully, a site of healing, reconciliation & redemption. Playing here is comparable to Coventry Cathedral with Theo Travis on
23rd. May 2008.
John Schaefer commented to AQM Tom & myself afterwards: this is like a spiritual practice.
RF: Well, this is my practice.
Biff & the Team are breaking-down the equipment. Biff will be setting off on the first stage of his return to Madison. Marcello is training to Washington en route to Argentina. Boxes & two guitars are going to Redmond World HQ. FQM Tony, Dev & Terry are dispersing.
Returning with Patricia to the hotel, AQM Tom protecting us.
23.05 First stage of packing done, reflecting on this visit continuing. More later.
Night views I…
II...
III....
