What a concept!

That is my English teacher, Gary's favourite phrase.

The concept in question, in this case, is free time! It's a long weekend and my homework is all done. I have now plenty of time to practice the saxophone and re-work my guitar piece. I have also learned, just today, how to assemble a walking bassline - the most useful thing I've learned in months.

I have also retrieved my N64 from the Cosmic Cop, who has been borrowing it for about two years. I can't wait to play Kirby!

Fab and I played our first ever gig last night at Zach's thirteenth birthday party! Utilizing electric guitar, with all my usual effects, and a keyboard-via-PA, we rocked the joint with 'Equinox' and 'Little Sunflower.' Because of the PA, I had my amp much louder than usual, and this caused even more feedback than I employ on even my noisiest days. During one of my clean moments, I quoted The Smiths' "Still Ill," which I've been waiting to do in public for the last week. Though I didn't notice it until someone pointed it out to me, I had my back turned to the fairly sizable audience the entire time we played.
In any case, it was fun, we got plenty of positive feedback (from people, as opposed to amplifiers), and it sort of functioned as a trial run for the coffee house. We also made some sweet cash!

I borrowed John Coltrane's final official album, Interstellar Space from Neill the other day, and have been listening to it madly. I'm always on about 'Calming Mr. Coltrane,' but I had never heard this, his most calming album of all. When I say 'calming,' by the bye, I mean it the same way I say 'hard-partying.' I put it on and did science homework!! After smashing my way (calmly) through this album a couple of times (once on public transit[1]), I decided to get around to listening to all the free jazz-type stuff Neill burned for me a few months back; Eric Dolphy, The Albert Ayler trio and The David Murray trio. I was already familiar with Dolphy -- he's one of my favourite musicians -- but I hadn't yet experienced 'Out There,' which I listened to the other day. It's now one of my favourite albums. My track of preference is 'Serene,' but all of them are good. Turning now to Albert Ayler, I remember Neill advising me, "The first time you hear it, you might just think, 'the guy can't play,' but just try and give him a chance." I listened to Spiritual Unity all the way through today, and it really is unlike anything else I've heard, in a good way. He certainly can play, but his stylings would definitely turn many people off. I still haven't listened to all of David Murray's Live '93 Octfunk, but I've liked all that I've heard. One of the bass solos knocked my damn toupee right off!!

I've also been obsessed with George and Ira Gershwin's "Summertime" of late. I always thought the Zombies' version was amazing -- and it is -- but it's clown music compared to Happy Apple Green's version. (I don't remember where I got this strange disfigurement of Al Green's name, but I've been using it since I was a tiny child, and I'm not stopping now.) Bird's version is also mind-bending. He incorporates a huge volume of turns, and his vibrato is frikkin astounding.

1: Other great 'transit' music, I've found, would include anything by T. Rex, and Youth Group's Skeleton Jar. Your thoughts on transit music?