Honour Your Error As a Hidden Intention“. A kind advice of Brian Eno in his Oblique Strategies. Or did he write that note in „old English“? My first error was the wrong speaking („Aussprache“) of Sebastian Rochford’s band „Polar Bear“ (like it would be „beer“ from the Arctic circle.) My next small mistake was the one concerning Joachim Kühn’s lost masterpiece „This Way Out“ (from 1973) – Daniel Humair contributed to the music, but Jenny-Clark was not yet part of the production – instead Peter Warren and Gerd Dudek were playing with fire. This slightly uncorrect memory led (on the day after) to a very special phone call, and ended up with an invitation to Ibiza. More about this at the end of this week, for all the good reasons!
I mean: Ibiza! Leonard Cohen had been there a long time ago, charging up his batteries and spending time with his former girlfriend Marianne (and, to risk another mistake: wasn’t the photo on „Songs From A Room“ shot in his house on the island?). Or was it on Hydra? Anyway, there are still some great spirits living their quiet lifes on that Balearic island.
By the way, and for everyone not so familiar with German language: I was a bit sarcastic when speaking about the new work of Brad Mehldau – his „groovy record“. A missed opportunity in many ways, for sure, and a highly overrated album! But the fun is: I never would have thought that, within the thematic frames of the JazzFacts magazine from the Deutschlandfunk – and in the context of my „thumbs down“ review of Mehldau’s wrong-footed attempts of „Taming The Tiger“ (the title of his work) – the names of the wild Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh and „Easy Rider“ Dennis Hopper would ever come out of my mouth.
Besides, I want to thank Bert Noglik for his closer view on Joachim Kühn‘ forthcoming „Birthday Edition“, and Sven Töniges‘ special encounter with that „house-keeper“ from Baku (I could really imagine the big hall in which he was hitting the „drums“ of his piano. Ask Mr Hawkins: on the liner notes of his brilliant solo album „Song Singular“ he refers to the 88 „drums“ of his piano creating a kind of „orchestral approach“.)
So drink a glass of your favourite red wine – or ice cold beer from Reykjavik – and enjoy these 55 minutes that may, in the best sense, satisfy your appetite for time travelling including a short trip to the age of „space jazz“! Good night, and good luck! (m.e.)