Following on from the last post*, I am indeed moving beyond my pandemic-induced ritual of solo (in both senses of the word) concerts 6 days a week. Having received the “refresher” booster of last fall’s vaccine**, I’ve scheduled and will be scheduling private sessions with colleagues who had, over the course of the pandemic, expressed interest in doing so when I felt comfortable. I also accepted a second invitation for a gig (with UV air purifier in tow!) from one of the curators previously mentioned. I am, however, still holding off on presenting concerts at my home-based Studio. After 3 or so years of improvising alone with a necessary focus on endurance, interfacing with others will provide “evidence” as to what (if anything [smile]) has transpired/evolved during that time.
*Noting that while not ever bothering to check website traffic, I am nonetheless cognizant of the fact that almost no one reads them. As past and present valued collaborator Curtis Wenzel so rightfully intoned nearly half a century ago after one of my soapbox rants during a rehearsal, “Oh Milo, nobody cares”. (Naturally, this begs the question as to why I bother with posts, or even a website for that matter. Essentially because I opted out of having a social media presence, and, pragmatically, still present my work in public and have documents for sale. Additional motivational factors can be found in Aesthetics.)
**While some, including medical professionals, have dismissively termed said booster as a “nothing burger”, and it could, in part, be a ploy for big pharma to deplete their current reserves, the rise of two new variants (nicknamed “FLiRT”) would certainly seem to warrant it; particularly for those of us in statistical endgame and/or are immunocompromised.
hopefully curtis meant ‘nobody’ in a general rather than literal sense, otherwise i’d be obliged to raise an eyebrow. i’m glad you bother with posts and a website; i don’t check in frequently but i’m glad to find something new when i do. also hopeful that the stars align in such a way as to result in my presence at a gig some day.
I very much appreciate you taking the time to comment, to say nothing of your ongoing friendship & support over the decades, Joe. Though Curt doesn’t remember making that comment, my impression was that he meant it in a general sense. And, while perhaps inadvertently, it served as a sobering reminder as to the nature/reality of insignificance; particularly when such rants are fueled by a certain self-righteous indignation. From another angle, action (how one carries oneself in the world) is generally of greater import than espousing viewpoints however insightful they may be; “may” being the operative word. [smile] On the other hand, that shouldn’t stop one from espousing. It certainly hasn’t stopped me, though, perhaps predictably with age, said viewpoints have become more measured/tempered with a deeper understanding of and (with notable exceptions) compassion for people and their individual struggles. And, particularly as we’ve never met in person, your presence at a gig would be most welcome!
I read your comments. Are you planning any upcoming public concerts this summer.
Nice to hear from you, Scott(ish:-). As noted in recent posts, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, I played my first gig facilitated by JC Sanford on 5/15/24 at Jazz Central, which included old friend/comrade (dating back to the early 70s) Anthony Cox. Though nothing is on the books, I will, going forward, and given the specific circumstances, consider other opportunities should they arise. (Those gigs will be listed on the home page of my website, and, of course, on the Concerts page.) To that end, I suppose I should note that I am done with hauling all manner of equipment to gigs. So, unless the venue has a piano and/or drum set — as does Jazz Central — I’ll be sticking to the horns. Additionally, with possible exceptions, winter gigs are a thing of the past. As it has been for just over a decade, the primary venue for my collaborative work will continue to be my home-based Studio Toile d’Angles, where all my instruments, are, for the first time in my life, in a single space. Erring on the side of caution concerning the ongoing fluid situation re: Covid, and barring life’s other vagaries, I am planning to start up concerts here in the spring of ’25. (For Studio concerts, I do send out a monthly e-mail. Let me know if you’d like to be on the list.)
Spring of ’25. Something to look forward to.
Wishing you well, Milo.
Tom
Thanks for reaching out, Tom! As for spring of ’25, reworking an old adage: “Man makes plans? Nothing makes the gods laugh harder.” Nonetheless, as I am wont to intone, barring life’s vagaries…Likewise wishing you (and Carolynne) well!