Pat Metheny's Orchestrion Show in St. Louis

I saw the Orchestrion concert at the Blanche Touhill Center at UMSL (University of Missouri at St. Louis) not too long ago. What a spectacle! Considering the ticket price (compared to, say, the price of a ticket to sit in the dirt and watch Rush on TV at the Verizon Amphitheater), you really shouldn't miss this concert. It's really something to see, and Metheny's performance alone is worth the price of admission.

The Orchestrion machinery is very novel, and Pat does his best to make it musically pertinent instead of merely a curiosity. There are other self-accompanists displayed, including a oddly shaped guitar with a creepy, internal plucking hand mechanism, along with pre-recorded sections.

At one point in the evening, in an effort to show the audience how things work, Pat built a largely improvised piece, layer upon layer. He recorded a guitar riff and stored it digitally (in a loop pedal, I think). He then recorded another riff, then a bass riff, then stored some midi instructions from his guitar which resulted in the percussion instruments sounding. Then marimba, piano, vibes, more drums, etc, until he had a full ensemble going. He then recorded a second chord progression into the digital loops. Then, with his Roland G808 guitar on the "Phase Dance" guitar stand that he invented, he soloed over the progression, moving from one loop to the next with a click of a foot pedal. The end result was technically astounding, but even more, musically great.

Here's what I remember of the setlist. Please leave me a comment if you were at the show and have a better memory than I!

1. Unidentified nylon acoustic piece
2. Make Peace - Baritone Guitar
3. The Sound of Water - Pikasso Guitar
4. Unity Village - PM100 plus Orchestrion Percussion
5. Orchestrion Suite - PM100 plus Full Orchestrion
1. Expansion
2. Spirit of the Air
3. Entry Point
4. Orchestrion
5. Soul Search
6. Improv including Broadway Blues and or Round Trip
7. Antonia
8. Improv on bizzare, self-playing guitar
9. Step-by-step looped improv
10. Sueño con México
11. Stranger in Town
12. Encore (Help - I can't remember what he played)

I'll leave you with this thought, from Pat himself, quoted from the Philadelphia Daily News. This is his response to those who would rather just see him playing with live musicians:

"It's like somebody watching 'Bambi,' then saying, 'That was a good movie, but why didn't they get a real deer?' They're missing the point. It's not a substitute. It's a medium of its own. Of my own."

Bike Ride

We have had such a rainy spring. Every friggin' weekend: rain, hail, 100 mph straight-line winds, locusts (not really). So I have not had the opportunity to do any bike riding since last fall. I even took a day off, on a Tuesday, in an attempt to fool the crappy weather gods, but they caught wind of my plan and smote me with severe thunderstorms. What a waste of a vacation day.

But today, if you ignore the near record high temperatures, we had a reasonably perfect day. (93 degrees, high humidity, and way too windy for bike riding, but my standards for perfection have lowered WAY down). So, I dusted the cobwebs of the bike, filled the tires, and installed the rack on the car. I decided to start easy, with a 12-mile ride (out and back) across the river and around the lake.

I was actually glad to discover a headwind on riding through the bottoms on the east side of the river. A headwind on the way out means (hopefully) a tailwind on the way home (unless the weather gods decide to really screw with you, and turn them 180 degrees as you reach your halfway point). The wind was strong and gusty, but it kept the heat down.

I had jazz tunes playing through ear buds from my cell phone. The sun was shining, and the clouds were light and fluffy. Me and Miles and Pat and Trane and Wes and Gary were having quite a jam session, and I was averaging a good 15 mph clip heading toward the lake.

Approaching the park, I noticed thistles growing along the path, as high as my head. Plenty of insects were flying, including some bigguns. I got whacked in the face more than once with something significantly large - a dragonfly, I'm guessing. Traveling at 15mph and striking a dragonfly flying in the opposite direction with a 20 mph tailwind, it felt like someone was throwing rocks at me. Luckily, I was wearing my glasses (suspecting that airborne pollen would make my contacts too uncomfortable), so my eyes were protected.

There is an area along the highway, near the first exit, which is inhabited by numerous red-winged blackbirds. I had noticed them ever since the road was constructed. They love to race and play chicken with the vehicles exiting the highway. I never paid much attention to them while riding a bike, and they never seemed to notice me. Until today.

About half way between the river and the first exit, I noticed my helmet vibrate momentarily. I thought maybe I had sat back on my earbud cord, causing it to tighten and pull my helmet back off of my head, then releasing it again. I dismissed it and continued pedaling. A few seconds later, my helmet jumped two more times. It was then that I realized I was being attacked by a bird! I shook my head violently, and waved my hand over me. I must have looked deranged to the motorists on the road at my left. Apparently, I exited that insane avian's territory, and he left me alone to enter the park.

Once in the wooded area, the shade reduced the heat a bit, but those darn cottonwood fluffies were flying everywhere. I don't know if I'm allergic to them, or to something else that flies at the same time of year, but I was worried that my eyes would start to itch and swell. Luckily, they never did.

I stopped momentarily to look at the spring waterfall. I've been wanting to do some waterfall photography. Now, I don't live in Hawaii, so waterfalls are difficult to come by. I thought the spring might provide an opportunity to practice photographic technique. However, even with all the rain we've had, the waterfall was barely a trickle. Do heavy rains affect the output of a spring?

I continued to the lake, and discovered a woman trying to get up on a sailboard. I've been wanting to try windsurfing, but there are no longer any rental outfitters in the entire metropolitan area. I decided to stop and observe. She climbed up on the board, and struggled to get the sail vertical and in a neutral position with respect to the wind direction. She seemed to know what she was doing. However, as soon as she turned the boom, the sail would catch a bit of air, the board would rock, and she would go for a swim. I watched her repeat this little dance about 10 times, and finally she motioned for her husband to come out and take over. She removed her PFD and handed it to him, and he handed her their young child.

I watched him perform the same procedure, with more arm strength, but no more success. Honestly, his wife seemed to have better technique. The husband seemed less able to control the position of the board in relation to the wind. Every time he grabbed the boom, BOOM! He went for a swim. It looked very frustrating, and made me wonder if it was a sport that I could ever learn to do well enough to enjoy. Eventually he gave up, and the woman waded out to take over again. I decided to continue my ride.

About a quarter of the way around the lake, I noticed a second sailboard in the water. As I pedaled, I watched the rider get up on the board, haul the sail into the air, and he was off in the strong wind. We rode together for quite a while, keeping almost the same speed and direction. Then the windsurfer began to tack. I pulled off the path and stopped to watch him. He really knew what he was doing. Watching him sail was like reading a poem. It renewed my desire to learn the sport. I continued my ride, and kept one eye on the windsurfer for as long as he remained in view.

You probably think I was hallucinating, and I'm not sure I wasn't, but I swear I saw a bald eagle flying about about 12 feet above the path, then swing out over the lake. There is a bird sanctuary nearby, and I've seen plenty of egrets there, but I've never seen an eagle this far away from the river, and never in weather this warm.

Another new thing I noticed on this trip: every quarter mile or so, a symbol consisting of two to four circles was painted on the asphalt trail, in various combinations of yellow, white, and blue. I have never noticed them before, and I assume that they are some sort of mile marker. But I don't know what purpose they serve if their meaning is a secret to the users of the path. They almost seem like they are designed to be viewed from above, in an aircraft, for instance. Does anyone know how to decode these symbols? Have they always been there, or is this something new?

One problem with hot days in early spring - it causes the fat guys to take their shirts off. All the fit guys were jogging and biking and rollerblading with no apparent discomfort, but the 60-somethings out for the walk prescribed by their cardiologists had decided it was too hot to adhere to accepted social norms. A little bit of perspiration, and they all seemed to feel compelled to remove their shirts. Everywhere I looked, I saw ponderous man-breasts covered with grey hair, and gelatinous white bellies undulating with ambulatory effort. Ugh. Leave your clothes on, guys. I'm no beefcake myself, but at least I know enough to keep myself covered.

Soon, I had completed my circumnavigation of our small lake, and was back on the path toward home. Thankfully, I did have a tailwind, and it was a good thing because my middle-aged knees were starting to give out. Once past the highway exit, I was again attacked, presumably by the same deranged blackbird. I waved him off this time, and he allowed my passage without further engagement.

The last two miles of this ride are mostly up a slight grade. Generally speaking, I'm usually spent by this time, and today was no exception. My average speed dropped to about 9 mph, and I had to gear way down to keep going. Young guys on expensive road bikes, with stylish jerseys and alien-like, teardrop shaped helmets, passed me as if I were traveling backwards. It was humiliating.

Finally, I made it back to the parking lot. It was a short ride, but my knees and my butt were both glad it was over. As soon as I became stationary, my shirt started to become soaked with perspiration. And yet, I managed to keep it on. (Let that be an example, older, fatter guys!)

I didn't take a camera on this ride, so I don't have any pictures to share. However, I did make hummus the other day, and since I have nothing else, I will leave you with this shot of my creation.

Why not "Long Bean"?

The other day, I decided that I simply could not live another day without some Hawaiian food, and chose to make Chicken Long Rice. I was introduced to the dish at the Old Lahaina Luau on Maui. I had made it myself only once before, when I had used cellophane noodles, according to this Internet recipe. The chicken is marinated in a delicious, soy/garlic/ginger/sesame oil concoction, and combined with the softened noodles, green onions, mushrooms, and chicken broth. The dish went over fairly well, even with the kids.

I have also recently discovered Mai Fun at a new Chinese Restaurant near the YMCA where I work out (I know: it's somewhat pointless to work out and then stop at a Chinese takeout place on the way home). Mai Fun are rice vermicelli, and very delicious (especially as Singapore Noodles).

According to this Wikipedia entry, Long Rice received its name in reference to the fact that the noodles are extruded (and presumably made from rice).

So, I decided to stop at the Shop&Save, grab the ingredients, and make a quick version of Chicken Long Rice for dinner. Well, first of all, the chicken is supposed to marinade for at least an hour, and I was hoping to shop, prep, cook, and eat within the next 45 minutes. So: bad plan to begin with. I went to the reasonably extensive Asian section (extensive for Chuck City, at least), and damn if I didn't find that they did not carry Cellophane Noodles at all. This put a crimp in my plans. They did have Mai Fun, so I grabbed a pack of those, just in case I couldn't find what was specified on the 3x5 card in my shirt pocket.

I visited three other stores looking for Cellophane Noodles, and finally found them. I looked at the ingredients listed on the package, and noticed they were made from Mung Bean starch. I thought, "that can't be what I need. I need Long Rice, not Long Mung Bean." But I bought them anyway, and went home. At this point, I had been shopping ingredients for well over an hour.

When I got home, I over-thought, and subsequently overruled my recipe and decided to use the Mai Fun, which were actually made from rice. I "power-marinated" the chicken and soaked the noodles simultaneously for 30 minutes, then browned the chicken, added the veggies, noodles and broth, and finished cooking.

The result - really good, but completely wrong. The Long Rice are supposed to be flat, fat, translucent and slippery. The Mai Fun were skinny, round, white, and firm. The texture was all wrong. The taste was a bit different, but not unpleasant in any way.

So, I'm not sure what to call my dish. I will have to revisit the original recipe soon, since I still have the Cellophane Noodles in my pantry. But can someone definitively tell me: which is the "true" Long Rice - Mai Fun or Cellophane Noodles? And if I'm correct, and the answer is "Cellophane Noodles", which aren't made from rice at all, can someone tell me why it is called "Long Rice"?

Why this blog?

I've been thinking about why I set up this blog. Obviously, I'm not simply dying to share my insightful opinions and melodious writing voice with the world, since I haven't made an actual post yet. And I actually have private blogs (yes, more than one) which I am already able to utilize as an outlet for my unending creativity.

So, why this public blog? Does the world need yet another unknown self-publisher spewing his unsubstantiated opinions out upon the virtual masses? Are there people out there so desperately lifeless that they couldn't get through the day without checking out what I had for dinner the night before? (A turkey sandwich, just so you don't drive yourself nuts...)

Well, I think I've decided that, like my bedroom music performances, writing that does not seek an audience is pointless. So I'm hoping that some of you will find this blog, check out the content and the style, and provide some feedback. Constructive, hopefully, but any kind of feedback to indicate that what I've written is being read, contains content that some find interesting, and perhaps some might even find was artfully expressed, to some degree.

Secondly, I have questions, and I hope that some of them can be answered by you - the anonymous, collective Internet consciousness. As such, this blog is unlikely to find a focused topic. Sorry about that - it can't be helped. Well, that's a lie - I just honestly don't feel like providing one.

Here are some of the topics that are likely to be touched upon:

• Writing. I like to write, and I've been told on more than one occasion that I have a certain amount of talent for it. It's one of the few things that I actually exhibit any talent for. (I've also been told, in no uncertain terms, that I am too long winded, and the level of detail that I include borders on the ridiculous). I hope to some day publish an item or two, and perhaps develop some residual income with my writing. Help me out by telling me what you like, and what you hate about my writing.
• Travel. Hopefully, with my impending residual writing income, I will be able to fund a pleasure trip more than once every 15 years or so (my current rate). I have great ambitions for visiting Hawaii (my first love), the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, and the South Pacific. I hope (some day) to be able to write about my travels, providing funding for further travels (and a tax deductible vacation!).
• Food. Perhaps born of my interest in other cultures, comes an unhealthy interest in ethnic foods. Is the word "ethnic" proper in this context? Any cuisine, by definition, can not be considered ethnic by the people that eat it every day of their lives, right? So, lets call it an interest in diverse cuisines. In the past month or so, I have prepared and/or consumed Sushi, Guacamole, Pad Thai, Hummus, Mai Fun, Tapenade, Gumbo, Musubi, Pasta Fagioli, Kalbi Ribs, and Huevos Rancheros.
  
• Fitness. Born of my interest in food, comes an unhealthy waist line. I also derive from a long line of fat guys, so tradition and genes conspire to contribute to my gravitational influence. I used to be considerably bulkier, but I was able (with the help of Weight Watchers) to shed 50 pounds of Arby. I have since joined a gym, bought a bicycle, and earned a green belt in Tae Kwon Do. Unfortunately, I still have at least 35 extra pounds of Arby to divest, and these latest activities, even after two years of persistence, have failed to produce the desired Arby-limiting effect.
• Jazz/Guitar. I love to play the guitar, and as an old guy, have switched from progressive rock (Kansas, Rush, Yes, etc) to jazz. I looked in the mirror one day, and decided that someone with my hairline should NOT be still striving to play La Villa Strangiato. But I could probably get away with attempting Scofield (who has even less hair than I). My problem? I suck. But I'm getting better. I welcome comments from anyone with insights on building a vocabulary for improvisation, soloing strategies for tunes I'm working on, or ideas for overcoming technical difficulties (like sucking).
• Photography. This is another art that I practice, and I do mean "practice". I might post a picture or two. If you like it, tell me what you like about it. If you have some expertise, tell me how I could have done better.
  
• Technology. The one other thing for which I might have some talent, besides writing, is my chosen career - software development. Honestly, I get about as much of that as I can stand during the day, but I can't rule out the possibility that we might talk about Ajax, SNMP, Java, and other four-letter words at some time in the future.
• Politics. Sometimes (and there's just no other way to put it) I just get pissed off about this country. I'll probably spout off from time to time, and I apologize in advance for not being politically correct.
• Crossword Puzzles. I'm not going to try to be Rex Parker or anything, but my wife and I have been intensely interested in Crossword Puzzles ever since seeing the movie "Wordplay". I can manage the Wednesday NYT on my own, most weeks, and Friday with considerable Googling. Generally speaking, the Sunday Frank Longo puzzle is more my speed.
  

Maybe the opinions I express, or the questions I ask, or the answers I receive will help you resolve some of the issues that have been occupying your own brain-space. Or perhaps we'll just waste some time together, in a marginally enjoyable fashion.

Please leave me a comment and let me know how it went for you. Try to be kind, or at least to avoid unnecessary cruelty.

As your gift for persisting through this somewhat pointless post, I leave you with this poem, The Cinnamon Peeler, which I have only discovered today.