moon traveller herald

There was no Seventh and Deciding Game tonight. The Celtics pulverized the Lakers Tuesday, 131-92, and won the NBA championship for the first time since 1986. During that 22-year drought, the Lakers won five championships. L.A. Coach Phil Jackson now remains tied with the late Celtics Coach Red Auerbach for most championships. Both have nine. Both bad and good, Auerbach is a god around here. Like God, he had his good and bad days. The idea of tofu-munching Jackson surpassing cigar-smoking Red on the Celtics watch would have been hard for the city’s psyche. One might ask: Did the Celtics pour it on? The Boston fan’s answer: No. The Celts themselves, their fans recall, had come back from a 24-point deficit [a record] just two games ago. If they were to ease up, well that would mean easing up. And opening the door. Better to nail the door shut, especially since this door holds back not only L.A., but also some very shadowy figures, akin to curses, that followed the team. During the 22 ye...

Writes to William S. Burroughs, February, 1958 …. “…writing every night by candlelight, with windows open to moony yards & trees of Muckland Central Florida in Febiary…..” Little known but Kerouack had a home in Orlando . On hard ground under a dome of cypress trees After On the Road. Before the Deluge. About the time He’d hit some money. Of late the historically & literary minded people in the area bought the home to create a writers retreat. In homage to Jack. It’s a regular neighborhood. A simple street. I got up there this year and got by at the end of day. Back then. Seemed like the next place for him. But definitely UnKerouacian. The place is northwest of downtown Orlando & far from today’s DisneyWorld & Universal Studios. The screen door opens & the bebop negros are singing The blues & jazz & Jack half winking is thinking golden eternity. It wasn’t happy - The time in Orlando - So far from Lowell. The grinding cicadas. Looking at the Falstaff - ...

Bo Diddley died Monday . There are probably some competitive flamenco cats that I am not aware of - but I would rate him greatest rhythm guitar player of all time. The guitar as percussive motivator in his hands was total banshee force, but full of invention. He also had a lyrical approach that was in its turn incredibly rhythmic and original and also humorous. Mona, Who Do You Love, You Cant Judge a Book, Road Runner .. so many numbers that were part of my best days. He created a foundational style of rocknroll and he did so by reinventing the instrument called the guitar. Who would say he did not have his hand on the pulse of his time as much as the Nasa astronauts or the Beats? Say Man, Mumbles, Ride on Josephine, Cadillac, Cops and Robbers. His super session with Muddy Waters and Little Walter. An all instrumental Checker record of his I used to have. Certainly unique. Some good articles have traced his tremendous influence. Let me add a few: The Doors doing Who Do you Love; the Cr...

I discovered this in the basement. It bears resemblance to I Will See You In The Spring done by The Memphis Jug Band although it appears to be from another planet. It also bears resemblance to Fare The Well which I knew from Paul Rishell [or one of the other members of a one-time aggregation known as The J Band] which I have just learned was done by Bluesman Joe Callicott, but which I have heretofore incorrectly associated with Pink Anderson. Which makes me think of the late Fritz Richmond but which lead me to note that Jim Kweskin played in Sommerville last week, and Geoff Muldar in Hingham last weekend. Darn but I missed both of them. We have been disucussing/wondering about the name of the artists? Jr Vaughan has been suggested. Could it be Blind Lemon Pledge? What about Ramblin Arnold [The Oringal Louisville Bardic Lipster]? Thoughts and comments are appreciated. By the way

Our Memorial Day Special: When we were working on the Titanic Transmissions Monograph , spent some time in Jeff Hull's studio, where he had all these great drawings hanging on clothesline. Jacob took pics, I put them in a slide show, filmed that, put music too it, and posted via Blogger. If you can guess the names of the duo playing the music to accompany the video, you can go into a drawing to win a copy of Sunnyland Blues. Use the comment capability of the fabulous blog mechanism.

Jaki Byard was a significant player among many in the new music movement of jazz in the 1960s. Born in Worcester, a good-sized industrial town in the mid section of Massachusetts, he played for a number of years in Boston before he went on to New York. His work with Charles Mingus is most notable, but he created his own body of work that mixed strains from traditional jazz and avant garde elements. I came to know of Byard through his solo work. He’d divide time between New York and Bosotn in the 1970s; he’d returned to New England to teach at The New England Conservatory of Music. He’d visit the radio station WBUR and Tony Cinamo.. I was finding out about jazz through those morning shows. And finding out about Boston as well. Was about done with undergraduate journalism. Found out Jaki Byard was living in my neighborhood, Mission Hill, on Wait Street, when he was staying in town. I had a notion to investigate the Boston jazz history. Not much came of my notion, but whatever it was I di...