Completely agree with your thoughts about living here in Guanajuato.
About Abbey Road, Side 2: it always felt like a symphony to me. In 1980. I heard an amazing live cover by a Mexican band in a basement dive in Mexico City: note for note perfection you could have thought you were listening to Beatles themselves.
Absolutely fantastic to find you on Substack! 69 years young, talented and living as a jazz musician in Atlanta, teaching of course, that’s what jazz musicians do. Thank you. Happy days ahead in Mexico.
It is ridiculous, Bret, how much we have in common. Different trajectories but a common sensibility. In my teens I was learning drums and listening to Trane, Bird, Mingus, Dolphy. That was my sound track. And Roland Kirk before he became Rahsaan. Now I'm 78 and besotted with a digital keyboard.
Daily piano practice: the thumb-under move, twenty or thirty reps. Major and minor scales reps and reps. Harmony study 2-5-1 playing from study sheet. Maybe ten reps.
And more just improvising w/o structure. Blues scales especially vital. I may be good by the time I hit 90.
These are songs that Ive practiced and can play decentlly: Angel Eyes, You Don't Know What Love Is, What a Wonderful World, I Only Have Eyes For You. Then there are the songs I write. I have a CD on Youtube that I made thirty years ago. My voice is horrific but the musicians, oh mwah! They are so good!
A happy morning is reading this piece by Bret Primack whose insights on music and film and life, ring mindfulness bells all over my approaching 80 brain!
Completely agree with your thoughts about living here in Guanajuato.
About Abbey Road, Side 2: it always felt like a symphony to me. In 1980. I heard an amazing live cover by a Mexican band in a basement dive in Mexico City: note for note perfection you could have thought you were listening to Beatles themselves.
Absolutely fantastic to find you on Substack! 69 years young, talented and living as a jazz musician in Atlanta, teaching of course, that’s what jazz musicians do. Thank you. Happy days ahead in Mexico.
It is ridiculous, Bret, how much we have in common. Different trajectories but a common sensibility. In my teens I was learning drums and listening to Trane, Bird, Mingus, Dolphy. That was my sound track. And Roland Kirk before he became Rahsaan. Now I'm 78 and besotted with a digital keyboard.
Mi hermano!
Daily piano practice: the thumb-under move, twenty or thirty reps. Major and minor scales reps and reps. Harmony study 2-5-1 playing from study sheet. Maybe ten reps.
And more just improvising w/o structure. Blues scales especially vital. I may be good by the time I hit 90.
Dig the process!
These are songs that Ive practiced and can play decentlly: Angel Eyes, You Don't Know What Love Is, What a Wonderful World, I Only Have Eyes For You. Then there are the songs I write. I have a CD on Youtube that I made thirty years ago. My voice is horrific but the musicians, oh mwah! They are so good!
Wow! So much of what you wrote resonated with me.
A happy morning is reading this piece by Bret Primack whose insights on music and film and life, ring mindfulness bells all over my approaching 80 brain!
In 2017 we exchanged notes on Trump and Asia, my [then]home base.
You were mulling over exiting the US, presciently writing that:
“The US has become the Kingdom of Fear, and it's only going to get worse. Eight years of Trump will destroy any vestige of my America.”
Little did we truly know how reckless the country would become..
And how strong your writing has evolved, a voice of sanity and jazz, the best combo I can think of..
Mingus’s life began in Mexico and ended in Mexico.
Amazing memories and reflection. Plus I love your writing.
Thank you. I love your writing, as well.