The autumn leaves may be finished…

but the color is still peaking.

138th and the Grand Concourse

So much to be thankful for

Elayne Boosler (quoting her mother) 

"You know, you could eat off her floor. 

Big deal, you can eat off my floor too, 

there's a million things down there."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elayne_Boosler

The First Music Lesson

Back in early October we were trying to get to the bottom of the “12 Rathbone Place” billboard painted on the ClockTower.

http://clocktowertenants.com/2010/10/so-many-years-ago.html

http://clocktowertenants.com/2010/10/so-it-turns-out.html

That led to a link for Estey Organ in London which led to John and Mary Carnahan curators of the Estey Organ Museum in Brattleboro Vermont. Last week they surprised me with a large envelope from the Post Office.

Inside I found this (!), an 8X12 vintage print ad for the Estey Piano Co. I love this! 

Look at the stern music teacher on the right. The Mother is literally shoving that poor kid towards that piano and the kid looks like he’s about to taste his first oyster. lol I think it’s just great….. and look through the window.

That’s right, our very own ClockTower, obviously after 1885 but before the Lincoln Avenue 3-story addition went on in 1905. Great stuff! Many thanks John and Mary, and Happy Holiday to all.

very

Tonight’s sunset just a few minutes ago was so intense…

...the color even bled from the southwestern horizon all the way up and over, into the northern sky.

very unusual.

simple and simply beautiful

If you’ve ever been involved in music production or recording you know how difficult it is to capture a performance in a single take. Almost no one even tries anymore. Pare away the studio, the layering and the acoustical tweaking and leave only a vocal track and two spare guitars and suddenly it becomes the equivalent of a tightrope walk without a net. There’s just no place to hide.

Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte are Pomplamoose, a romantically involved musical duo I enjoy because they take just this kind of net-free stroll routinely. And I respect them because they are part of the burgeoning “new” music industry; no label, crowd sourced, fan supported, virally marketed. They are not always as unadorned and airy as this one perfect cut, sometimes layering on the brass and strings, guitars, piano and vocals. 

But on this simple and simply beautiful cover of Mark Owen’s “Makin’ Out”  they need only 2:55 to make it sooo clear that their talent is everything, and all the rest is just production.

I'll be the one who takes your coat off, one to take the blame
I'll be the one you call your lover, every now and then
You'll be the one who keeps me sober, one to keep me sane and you say
Shut up, shut up, every time I say it.

This just in

...from one of my favorite, sicko pals. :-)

It's a great day to be flying

Utterly surreal

Third Avenue Bridge opening, viewed from the ClockTower

Time exposures, shot from the roof last night

It was chilly and clear.

And the moon, 100% full, was straight up overhead.