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Rifftides

Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...

Archives for January 8, 2010

Other Matters: Geese

This evening before dinner, I headed out the door to clear the wooly mind that resulted from too many hours at the keyboard. Five minutes into the walk, a flock of Canada geese the size of this one flew directly over me at about 200 feet.

Geese.jpg

There was nothing unusual about that. Flocks of geese fly over this valley most mornings, heading south, and most evenings, heading north. But it quickly became apparent that something extraordinary was happening. No sooner had the flock passed over than another appeared slightly farther east. As it faded from sight, an even bigger flight materialized west of where I now stood in amazement. Within twenty minutes or so, I counted sixteen V formations, some with a hundred or more geese, some with  50 or 60, a few auxiliary flocks with 25 or 30; a thousand or more birds in all. For a time honking filled the air from every direction as the winter twilight deepened. When there was no longer enough light to see them, I heard a final flock receding to the north, the leaders making even more noise to keep the formation together.
My guess is that these were not migrating geese, but permanent residents of the area, the ones we see year ’round on golf courses and along streams. After all, they weren’t heading south. Why so many of them flew nearly together rather than in their usual solitary flocks, I’ll leave to ornithologists. I am simply grateful for the timing of that walk.

Geese 2.jpg

Compatible Quotes: Geese

If you feel the urge, don’t be afraid to go on a wild goose chase. What do you think wild geese are for, anyway? – Will Rogers

Tonight I heard the wild goose cry,

Wingin’ north in the lonely sky.

Tried to sleep, it weren’t no use,

‘Cause I am a brother to the old wild goose.


— 1950 hit record for Frankie Laine, music and lyrics by Terry Gilkyson

Winter Jazzfest

If you are puzzling over the course jazz is taking in the second decade of the new century, this would be a good weekend to be in New York at the Winter Jazzfest. The event is packed with young artists making waves that excite fans their ages and younger, and frustrate many older listeners who have rigid convictions about what constitutes jazz. There is a wide range of musicians and styles, but the prevailing direction is forward, not back. It is an intriguing festival that has Jenny Scheinman, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jason Moran and Linda Oh under the same umbrella. The festival takes place in several Greenwich Village clubs. Nate Chinen’s piece in The New York Times summarizes what listeners can expect. Here is one of his descriptions:

Ms. Scheinman, a violinist, and Mr. Moran, a pianist, both favor a direct but slightly warped sense of melody, balancing the rustic and the urbane. Their duo rapport should be a genuine conversation.

To read the whole article, go here. To help you get in the mood for some of what you might encounter if you attend, this video has Ms. Scheinman with bassist Ben Allison’s band at the Jazz Standard last fall. Allison is also on the festival this weekend. Shane Endsley is the trumpeter, Steve Cardenas the guitarist, Rudy Royston the drummer.

Doug Ramsey

Doug is a recipient of the lifetime achievement award of the Jazz Journalists Association. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, where he settled following a career in print and broadcast journalism in cities including New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Antonio, … [MORE]

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