Most of Cohen’s concerts run 2-3 hours; this concert goes 2 ½ hours and enriches any viewer’s soul enough to regret that it doesn’t go on longer. The band for this tour plays as one; each musician is masterful individually; the sum total, led by our hero (the mighty and humble Leonard) is entrancing.

Sample clip 1   Sample clip 2    Sample clip 3

The band comprises:

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Roscoe Beck (Musical Director, Bass, & Background Vocals)


Neil Larsen (Keyboard, notably the Hammond B3)


Bob Metzger (Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar & Vocal)


Javier Mas (Bandurria, Laud, Archilaud, & 12-String Guitar)


Rafael Bernardo Gayol (Drums & Percussion)


Dino Soldo (Keyboard, Saxophone, Wind Instruments & Vocal)


Sharon Robinson (Vocals)

   
The Webb Sisters - Charley & Hattie (Vocals)

Throughout the world stilt houses are built over water and marshy or sandy land.
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But in earthquake-prone California, houses are sometimes built in wildly optimistic places that seem to defy common sense. Usually called stilt houses, they are also called “perchers.” Have a look at the much photographed houses in Sherman Oaks, Cailfonia:

The ultimate expression of a stilt/percher house in California, or perhaps anywhere on the planet, is the house that was designed for Leonard Malin by Los Angeles architect, John Lautner in 1960.

Yes, they all survived miscellaneous earthquakes and high winds. Read the fine article about the house and Lautner in the Los Angeles Times and see more photographs here. The Wikipedia entry for John Lautner is here.

All said and done, an 8’ ladder is about as high as I go.

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My own experience started when I was in my late 30s. I watched an Indian singer, Pandit Pran Nath at the Dia Art Foundation in NYC when it had space on Crosby Street in SOHO.

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Out of his mouth came the most glorious colored ribbons of sound. I had been meditating for decades, had many “alternative” experiences, but that was an absolutely stunning, delightful, brand-new event for me.

I just discovered that one of my favorite classical pianists, Hélène Grimaud, is a synesthete.

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I also discovered only the other day that my girlfriend, Nancy, also has synesthesia sensing. We have known each other for 20 years but never discussed it until now. I told her about Hélène Grimaud and my experience at Dia whereupon she told me that since she was a child she experiences days of the week as colors. It is all wonderful; that means, of course, filled with wonder.

I wish that everyone experienced synesthesia - it is a fundamentally exquisite sensation.

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A short take on Mickey’s approach can be seen here. A longer clip is here. When you feel like you need a quick pick-me-up, put on some headphones, tune into these clips, crank up the volume, and float your way back to fine condition. Better yet, buy the CD. Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in the Global Drum Project, but I have every other kind of interest in it.

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For many, it was the first experience hearing the extraordinary Indian tabla artist, Zakir Hussain. Hussain was celebrated in the US as early as 1975 when the superb English guitarist, John McLaughlin produced the Shakti Album. Hussain joined McLaughlin on guitar; L. Shankar on violin; Ramnad Ragavan on mridangam; and T. H. Vinayakaram on ghatam and mridangam. The album was released in 1976 and had 3 cuts.

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To see the young Zakir Hussain pushing his beloved tablas to glorious heights have a look here to see him play with the acclaimed santoor musician, Shivkumar Sharma. In the early 1990s, I was lucky enough to see Hussain play twice in the S.F. Bay Area in very small venues with an audience of about 40-60 people. It was a truly enchanting experience. When he plays with other musicians of any culture, they say that he climbs (politely) into their head and plays complementary to what they are playing and can anticipate what they will play.

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Michael Harris in his hat making shop

I don’t usually conflate the terms art and craft in the same sentence, but Michael is an exquisite craftsman and true artist at the same time - his palette is palm straw and felt. He showed me about a dozen hats in ready-to-finish condition and explained the differences in quality and price. They needed their edges finished, blocking, an interior sweat band, and an exterior hat band. I chose one, then I got fitted with a machine called a conformateur that showed Michael the exact shape of my head. The conformateur looks dangerous and perhaps painful, but it was just a bit heavy.

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A conformateur

I chose a fine 1940s blue/gray grosgrain ribbon for the hatband; Michael still had some wonderful old hat band ribbons in stock. My hat was ready in a few weeks, and to this day, it is one of my preferred possessions.

As they say in the Michelin Guide: “Worth a Detour”

Paul’s Hat Works, 6128 Geary, San Francisco, CA 94121 (415) 221-5332


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Alan wearing his superb Panama hat

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Richard Feynman talks about light
The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out (Part 1-5)
Rules of Chess
Inertia and Fathers

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N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (1 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (2 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (3 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (4 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (5 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (6 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (7 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (8 of 9)
N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös (9 of 9)

Alas, no longer available unless the manufacturer has a secret location. This magnificent, artfully small, simple knife sharpener measures 5 ½” overall. The sharpening stick is ceramic with a handle of some unremarkable light-weight wood. I got my first Zip Zap many decades ago. After years of yeoman duty, it fell on the kitchen tile floor and gave up the ghost. Recently, my 93 year-old mother, who no longer cooks, offered me hers, and I was absolutely gleeful. Even today, it wouldn’t cost much if available. Around the web, you can see pictures of it; see it listed for $6.95; and hear the same thing again and again - “what happened, it seems to be unfindable.”

I cook, have good knives, and try to maintain them with various sharpeners, steels, and whet stones. I always reach for this device first. The name is spelled several different ways: Zip Zap, or ZipZap, or Zip-Zap. Let me know if you can find one.