Started a couple of new sketches. These were ‘inspired’ by some jazzical album covers. Starting out with a very basic nod to Albert’s House, by Chet Baker, I’ve then layered in some other trumpet related ideas.
These aren’t working as well, yet, as a lot of other recent efforts. But hey, you can’t win ‘em all! After a disappointing spell, I’ve gone in for a bit of wavy line abstractifying. And I think. That’s improved them.
Earlier on…
I really didn’t like these two, in their earlier stages. Some of which remains, above. But I’ve worked on them a fair bit, and they now look more like this:
Coming along…
Definitely improved. Poss ok, now? Certainly there’s stuff happening in them now I’m much happier about.
Started two more…
All four have started out similar to these new two, above. That’s the Albert’s House component. After that, I go to the Jazzical Moods book, for ideas…
I’ve been getting into Sun Ra and his Arkestra quite seriously recently. For someone like me, working with very limited means, sets like this are an absolute godsend.
What we get here is a collection of four early Sun Ra/Arkestra albums, plus a CD full of early singles, from Ra’s prolific Saturn Records output,
The albums are: Jazz by Sun Ra (1956), Supersonic Jazz (1956), and Jazz In Silhouette (1959), and The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra (1961). These four albums are spread over discs one to three. And then on disc four we have 18 tracks issued as singles.
These latter range from blues, rock n’ roll to doo-wop, novelty tunes (Christmas themed, etc.) and Arkestral jazz! Quite a range. This stuff is where they get closest – in my view – to what one critic described as being or sounding like an ‘intergalactic ice cream van’!
It’s 5:50 am, and I’m eating porridge for breakfast, sat downstairs. Getting ready for an early shift.
My gum/jaw still hurt, from the tooth extraction, performed last Thursday. I’ve been gargling/rinsing with salty water. I do hope it’s not become infected?
I’ll hit my weekly baseline target for earnings with this morning’s shift. But I need and want to do several more. That will bring in enough money for me to buy one or two things I want.
I was reading about the origins of terms such as pussy and beaver, when I (ahem) came across the above.
‘I’m not fond of either term but have always been interested in entomology.’ Love it! Is she perhaps studying the crabs, mentioned in the preceding paragraph?
The anaesthetic wore off after about 2-3 hours. After that I was reliant on co-codamol to dull any pain. Truth be told, it hasn’t been too bad.
My beautiful lover girl ❤️
Teresa looks a million dollars. Unlike me, and my double- or triple-chin!
(A lot later…) Mind the gap.
I didn’t do any paid delivery work today. Couldn’t book a goddamn shift! It’s getting to be preposterous. But in a way that’s ok. As I was recovering from rotten tooth removal.
We also took a car boot full of crap to the dump. Mostly from in the greenhouse. That felt good. Starting the Spring Clean purge.
I also helped Teresa set herself up for a tax refund. What a long-winded palaver that was! All rounded off with curry at ’Spoons, snooker at home (Trump whitewashed Murphy), and bed.
The above is a quote from Count Arthur Strong, I believe. And he says it in relation to attempts to stop cats ‘messing on my misanthracums’. Got to love Count Arthur!
It’s also how I feel right now. And I’m feeling – excuse the poo motifs – a shitload better now that I was about an hour ago.
I’ve been feeling more up than down for a little while recently. So in away I could see a downturn might be coming. Indeed, when I’ve felt very good recently, I’ve been rather wary. I don’t want too much (and by too much I mean any) manic depressive bi-polar bear shit!
Anyway, a combo of sexual frustration, lack of sufficient work/earnings, and increased costs that I simply can’t meet (hire and reward car insurance renewal, due soon; MOT and service for Flo’, due/overdue, etc.), and that’s before we even start on Council Tax and increasingly exorbitant utility bills…
GAAAHH!!!
When I’m this depressed or miserable I crave oblivion. And preferably with a side order of endorphins. I want booze. And poss’ also other drugs. And sex. Always sex. Lots of dirty, lusty sex.
But that shit ain’t a-happening. Except for a wee bit of booze. And doubtless that actually does no good. Poss’ even harm?
I tried to lift myself out of the slough of despond by doing the 10 minute Joe Wicks Seniors’ Workout, followed by a very hot bath. The exercise and bathing have helped lift my spirits a little. But nowhere near as much as is needed.
Still, at least it’s a bit of travel in the right direction.
I have lots of minor niggles, in addition to several long term issues, like psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, and depression: itchy beyond belief feet; a shoulder injury that feels like RSI (brought on by booking and doing Flex shifts?); occasional bouts of insomnia; hay fever or rhinitis; and chronic exhaustion.
When the sexual frustration part kicks in, it’s more chemical/emotional. And it rapidly spirals out of control. If any little thing – like a recent incident with mouthy little shits outside Sainsburys – should add to the toxic mix, I feel explosions and meltdown are imminent.
On my morning rounds I met these folk…
I did a long early shift this morning. And I enjoyed that. Sunny weather, in and around Stamford. And this afternoon I put together about 150 or so of my poems, into a single volume PDF doc, which I then took to be printed and bound locally. So I’m doing stuff.
The outright misery kicked in with a combo of a tidal wave of sexual frustration, and a pint at The Ship Inn, just off the High Street. Fucking £5… for a pint o ‘piss!? That’s taking the piss. These are the times we live in. Royally ripped off in every way conceivable.
I drove to Wisbech, trying to secure a second shift. In addition to constantly hitting ‘refresh’ on the Flex app for what feels like almost the entire day. No dice.
The current snooker on ITV4 (coming from Telford) is failing to draw me in, as it has often in the past. I watched Richard Osman like a zombie…
So, a bath. Nice and steaming hot! And then bed. I was up here in bed by about 8pm. And here I am, typing this…
Jeezuz fuckin’ wept! What a shit-show…
And tomorrow? I’m away to The Dentist. For to have a dental-hygienist clean-up, and another cavity rotten tooth removed. Joy!
‘As all Marines are rifleman, all members of the Arkestra are percussionists.’ (liner notes)
This Sun Ra release, or at least my version, is on the Impulse label, not Ra’s own Saturn imprint. The cover sees Ra resplendent in full Crypto-Egypto regalia.
What was side one of the vinyl is now simply the epic opening/title track. ‘Space Is The Place’ has come to be very much identified with Ra and his Arkestra, as it was also the title of a 1974 film about them and their music.
The piece is structured around various riffs or motifs, some instrumental, some vocal. These elements weave a rug like tapestry on which the Arkestra and Ra ride, magic carpet style.
The track is loooong! At over twenty minutes. Poss’ outstaying it’s welcome? And in the latter stages gets rather stripped down, to relatively minimalist chanting, and Ra going all ‘lunar’ on his ‘space (Farfisa) organ’! I can imagine that live it might’ve been more compelling in its wacky intensity.
Side two is made up of four tracks. ‘Images’ is actually rather lovely. With Ra on acoustic piano, and a fairly ‘old-fashioned’ or straight ahead jazziness about it. Pat Patrick’s slightly out of tune electric bass helps remind us we’re on Planet Ra. And when the big band horns kick in…
‘Discipline’ is, along with ‘Images’, possibly my favourite on this recording, being one of the mellower and more ‘accessible’ numbers. The horns and wind arrangement are fascinating. I love how the piccolo-esque high flute parts dovetail into the mid- and lower register reed sounds. And the bass clarinet is fab.
The percussion on ‘Discipline’ is so very Ra; multi-layered, semi feral, chaotic, and utterly wonderful. He gets his Arkestra to layer cymbal sounds and bubbling percolating hand drums in a unique way. I love it!
‘Sea of Sounds’ is a mini-free-jazz-epic, and lives up to its title. I’m not a massive fan of free jazz. Esp’ not when it’s manic and atonal, as it is here. I can’t imagine listening to this track often! That said, Ra and co bring a sense of form and purpose to proceedings much free jazz lacks.
‘Rocket Number Nine’ is kind of nutty. It was released as a 45 rpm single (as was ‘Discipline’), on Ra’s Saturn label. That tells you all you need to know about Ra, et al. Almost nobody else on this planet would think of this manic chant based piece as single material. But that’s the whole point with Ra!
So, in summary, a mixed and interesting bunch. As usual with Ra, boring it ain’t. There are some great passages, and some terrific sounds. And whilst I’m not equally keen on everything, it all bears Ra’s hallmarks, and is a refreshing dose of pan-galactic Afro-Ameri-Egypto weirdness that is well worth hearing
As a footnote: the liner notes reproduce segments of Ra’s writings, which are semi-poetic screeds, that I find rather wonderful. I must get hold of his 1972 written anthologies.
