Friday, November 18, 2005

Mississipi Delta Blues

I love this city. Even more, I love this city in the winter. Something about the cold air typical of this time of the year seems to make everything a little bit clearer. The sun seems brighter, the sky is a beautiful cloudless blue on most days and even the music sounds better as I was reminded today by the Mississipi Delta Blues, one of the many "underground" bands that fill the subways at rush hour.

This band consisted of a feisty old Black man on a guitar singing the blues accompanied by a Chinese guy on bass guitar. I couldn't find a cooler "New York Melting Pot" poster than that if I tried. As it happens occassionally, I went out today without today for a meeting with a client sans camera and I couldn't capture the moment

But that's alright. As I was reminded by the "Alex Lo Dico Jazz Ensemble" one stop later, the good times keep rolling.

On a seperate note, Spark, Europe's premier flash festival begins today.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

When it rains..

I get these moments in once in a while where I feel.. empty and lost all at the same time. Its wierd. The best I can relate it too is that feeling of - Well, I've climbed Mt. Everest. Now what? I only wish I had an everest in my affliction to give it some meaning.

it is in one of these times that I end up reverting back to my familiar/favorites places - people watching in Union Square for one. I don't know what it is about Union Sq. that appeals to me so much. I think it's the perfect blend of apparently normal people going by their daily business intermingled with the artists both perfomance and visual, poets and the otherwise misguided wack jobs with some protest or opposition to share all lounging together around the same square in their own wierd little symphony.

So it is there I am sitting tonight, finally taking my mind of whatever it is that's bothering me that as yet I can't seem to figure out. Of course, 5 minutes after I sit down, I start to feel drops on my head. After verifying that it's not my drunken charlie stalking me I realize that it's starting to rain.

I'm a big fan of the movies mind you and in most movies the actors, especially the dramatic ones tend to find inspiration somewhere in the rain.

For my part, I found myself a subway entrance. I figure in November all the good inspirations are probably staying warm in the subway tunnels anyways.