I have been waiting expectantly for this evening, hosting two of my favorite esoteric songwriters on stage here at Godfrey’s. Several years ago, at a DNO with George, I noticed that Alex dropped by and sat in a pew in the corner. Ah ha! These guys gotta meet. They did.
The theme for the night was Collaboration, since I knew that George and Alex got togther for a Christmas show at The IceHouse – an evening of weird holiday tunes. I hoped that they would unlock some techniques on the creative process. We ended up talking about The Beatles, having watched the sessions in the Let I Be movie. Wow. We also talked about playing in bands regularly, so we have a laboratory at every gig and rehearsal. The chat was wonderful and loose.
It never dawns on me that I write songs, too, as I collaborate with students at residencies, so that gave me an entryway into the discussion. I think I added an intersting dimension to working with others to created something new. I played verses from We Gave Names To The Animals and The Cat Came Back.
George and Alex had several new tunes to share and Alex finished with his We Don’t Play Like Django. These boys are sharp.
Per usual, there were only about a dozen folks who showed up for this stimulating evening. During the reflection session at the end, folks commented on our obvious friendship on stage and our “joy”. Exactly and very perceptive.
Next Month: Women Poets with Ann Michael, Susan Werner and Marilyn Hazelton. Oh, boy!