September 25, 2008
Gently rising
…listen
…about the musicAn old cheesy cue, but I still like the music.
The view across this archipelago just after dawn, courtesy of my seat on Kenmore Airlines last week. You get a lot for your flying dollars here: not just a lap belt, but a second, full harness belt to sling across your chest should you have any doubts as to how the flight will turn out. I think I may have used it the very first time I flew this route, not wanting to tempt fate. Now, almost 30 flights later, my formerly white knuckles have long since returned to their natural calm pink. Rather than mull over what a sudden water landing might feel like (uh, very cold, in a 52 degree ocean), I mull over the impossible power of glaciers grinding across this area 15,000 years ago, and how the serendipity of gravity created such grace.
Still half asleep when I pointed my camera into the little plexiglass window, I was enamored of the softness of the smoky pastel tableau. As always, I had to remind myself why I was leaving for a few days. And as always, I immediately thought ahead to the beauty of this palette, seen later in the afternoon with the plane’s nose pointed north, not south. Going away is filled with the promise of invigoration from the outside world. Coming home is filled with that from within.
Glenn Buttkus said,
September 26, 2008 @ 11:12 am
Gosh, I never tire of your comings and goings and travel tales. I was able to work some linebreaks out of your prose, and the Shapiro poem of the week follows. But I was not able to copy and paste this lovely pic for the banner on FFTR; had to scrounge another one of the San Juans. Anyway, thanks for sharing.
Gently Rising
The view across this archipelago
just after dawn,
courtesy of my seat on Kenmore Airlines
last week.
You get a lot
for your flying dollars here:
not just a lap belt,
but a second,
full harness belt
to sling across your chest
should you have any doubts
as to how the flight will turn out.
I think I may have used it
the very first time I flew this route,
not wanting to tempt fate.
Now, almost 30 flights later,
my formerly white knuckles
have long since returned
to their natural calm pink.
Rather than mull over
what a sudden water landing
might feel like
(uh, very cold, in a 52 degree ocean),
I mull over the impossible power
of glaciers grinding
across this area
15,000 years ago,
and how the serendipity
of gravity
created such grace.
Still half asleep
when I pointed my camera
into the little plexiglass window,
I was enamored of the softness
of the smoky pastel tableau.
As always,
I had to remind myself why
I was leaving for a few days.
And as always,
I immediately thought ahead
to the beauty of this palette,
seen later in the afternoon
with the plane’s nose pointed north,
not south.
Going away
is filled with the promise
of invigoration
from the outside world.
Coming home
is filled with that
from within.
Alex Shapiro September 2008
Linebreaks by Glenn Buttkus
Glenn Buttkus said,
September 26, 2008 @ 11:26 am
The “old cheesy clue”, TheSearch@1:40 is still pretty classy for me, rife with visual stimuli, very cinematic, rousing, like the dawn of time itself, like the music under the opening credits to a Kubrick film, or like Spielberg coming to his senses and using Shapiro as composer instead of overusing John Williams the way he does. Cronyism really stifles creativity after all. When my ship comes in, and I can afford to make a film, I will hire you to do the soundtrack, that’s a for sure. Actually I wrote the script for a 20 minute short drama called LOVE HURTS, aka THE RIDE, that some of my film pals and I toyed with until we ran out of funds and borrowed equipment.
Glenn
Glenn Buttkus said,
September 29, 2008 @ 6:07 am
Thought about you this morning as I played Joni Mitchell’s newest CD, SHINE. She has become such a chanteuse, and her once clear vibrant voice seems cloudy, husky, and well worn in; like too many cigarettes, too much hard liquor, too many smoky nights in the jazz lounges, too many relationships, too many broken emotional moments. Good music though, mostly jazz-oriented. I kept thinking of some of your compositions and progressions as I listened to her work. I guess I now gauge all other music using the Shapiro filter and yardstick.
Glenn
Paul H. Muller said,
September 29, 2008 @ 10:15 am
The reality is that voices change with age and Joni is what, into her 5th decade as a singer? I have always admired her work above any other popular singer because she is not afraid to take chances and succeeds more often than not. She is a true artist.
Joni lived in Malibu, I believe. I wonder if Alex ever bumped into her at the Trancas Canyon Market?
Alex Shapiro said,
September 29, 2008 @ 10:35 am
Glenn, we need to drop you on your head a little more: you cannot compare the inimitable Ms. Mitchell to ME! Other way around!! I am flattered but embarrassed!
The timbre of Joni’s voice has shifted more over the decades than some of her peers (Joan Baez, Judy Collins) and I love both aspects– the high, ringing bell-like tones of her youth and the smoky sound she has today. I’ve got to pick up “Shine.” Unfortunately, she’s not one of the people of note (pun intended!) I’d run into in Malibu; I haven’t met her yet, but would love to.
Glenn Buttkus said,
September 30, 2008 @ 6:50 am
Joni has always been my most favorite ballad singer and torch singer now. Actually I love the timbre of her older tones. SHINE is surely worth a listen; lots of “save the earth” sentiments in it. Pretty good jazz/rock/blues as well. But you are probably right, if Ms. Mitchell had a blog site, and I was a regular commentor on it, I am sure that I would be a dyed in the wool, “lady of the canyon”. But in the meantime, it is grand just being a loyal kelphisto.
Glenn