I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: RAVI COLTRANE QUARTET-Tiny Desk Concert #631 (June 26, 2017).

Ravi Coltrane is the son of John Coltrane–giant shoes to fill.  Indeed there’s quite a legacy in this band:

Yes, Ravi Coltrane is the son of the John Coltrane, one of the most famous and important jazz saxophonists and composers of all time. He’s also the son of multi-instrumentalist, composer and spiritual leader Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda. (In fact, all members of the band here are performing artists in their own right and come from artistically rich families; drummer E.J. Strickland is the brother of saxophonist Marcus Strickland; Adam Rogers parents performed on Broadway and Yunior Terry is Yosvany Terri’s brother, both heirs to Cuban music royalty.)

I don’t know anything else about Ravi Coltrane, so I’m going to let the blurb do the detailing:

The first song in the set, “Cobbs Hill,” was written by Coltrane’s good friend and colleague Ralph Alessi. Beginning with Yunior Terry’s funky and deliberate bass line, further enhanced by intentional drum rolls the 2/4 time signature, two beats per measure, captures a march-like proclamation. [Ravi plays the soprano sax on this one.  There’s a lengthy guitar solo in the middle of the song in which Ravi just relaxes, but it is primarily Ravi’s show].

The second song is Coltrane’s own composition, “Three For Thee”, a fan favorite from the 1998 Moving Pictures album; the original recording included Ralph Alessi on trumpet. Only 32 years old when that record was released, it could be taken as a sign of things to come: Ravi Coltrane, an old soul in a young body, mature and capable of creating work so robust and important. Almost 20 years later, hearing that music again here, even better, is affirming and a testament to Coltrane’s ever-evolving artistic journey. And E.J. Strickland’s opening drum intro couldn’t be more spunky; he teases the audience into the groove with effortless, intentional punctuations.  [Ravi is on tenor sax for this song.  There’s another lengthy guitar solo in the middle].

After this song, he thanks everyone and then points out that there is a two drink minimum.

Sadly there is no blurb for “Phrygia,” so it’s up to me.  I really like the main riff of this song.  And the middle has a groovy bass solo, which could be longer, frankly.  I like that the guitar plays some really delicate notes and phrases to accompany the bass solo.  After some good wailing, I like that they return to the main theme and then bring things down with some thumping bass and gentle guitars

[READ: August 20, 2016] “Four in Prose”

Back in 2009 Williams had 7 brief stories published in Harper’s.  My take away was: I would have not finished this work, except the whole thing was only two pages long.

These four pieces are also only 2 pages long.

The first is called “The Perverted Message”
Williams’ pieces are so cryptic and elliptical that I often don’t know if I want to figure them out.  This one is 12 paragraphs. The first three describe a mother and child looking at a book.  The child drops a toy, a cafe employee picks it up, the child cries, the mother yells.  And the narrator sleeps well that night.  It’s not that the scene with the child and toy is hard to follow, it’s the connection to the narrator who is clearly in her own thoughts but is still impacted by this scene.  The narrator is too self-absorbed to pay attention to the scene she is describing.

Two: “Happy Presence. Timeless Inspiration”
This is an interesting beginning to a story, with a man leaving his wife in bed to rest on the couch.  He deliberately does not answer the phone and is questioned why.  I love the last lines of the piece, but I would then like them to be followed by a whole story.

Three: “The Hours of Coincidence”
This story is 9 paragraphs.  I really enjoyed how the last couple were rather thought-provoking.  But the strange thing about this story is that four of the nine paragraphs are set up–nicely detailed setup.  And then an action happens and there’s a comment that takes things in another direction.  Almost like a punchline, but not quite.

Four: “Didn’t Talk to Him for Such a Long Time”
It’s another elliptic story that opens with several paragraphs of detailed scenery–yellow bushes in this case.  The interaction between husband and wife is interesting and includes the title of this piece. And then the narrator’s eye seems to be taken away and focuses on a bird instead.

I’ve now read a bunch of stuff by Williams, and I can honestly say I have no need to read any more.