Giving Thanks

There are many things I give thanks for.  Although the world is not a perfect place, I am grateful for so many things.  This week has showered me with many blessings.
For example, on Monday, I went into the P&C Restaurant to get my usual green tea with lemon and a bottle of water, before I started playing in Suburban Station.  Henry, the son of the owner who works behind the counter, greeted me with his usual smile.  He looked up at the clock and said, "You're late. It's one-thirty."  I cherished this moment.  Attention must be paid.
Also, my Chinese opera singer stopped by and asked me, "Are you going to be here tomorrow?"
Sweet.
Then there was the police woman who sat down at the cafe table near me.  I was singing the song "September Morning."  She looked at me and smiled, listening, as I sang the chorus, "We're all tied together, like lights on a tree, this flow of humanity, these people and me, the squirrels and the pigeons, the birds in the tree, we're all tied together, these creatures and me."  She nodded in approval.
Then my new friend Sumaki stopped by for tea and a conversation.  Then a coworker from my job at the museum appeared and listened for a while and then talked about August Sky and our albums.
I am grateful for my friends and family, for the love I feel.....
I wish for all my friends that you feel as blessed in this holiday season.

It's All About the People, Part 2

Austin, a philosopher, and I talked about the connections we all have with each other and how we affect each other permanently with our auras and vibrations.  I sang for him a song that Patricia and I wrote called "September Painting," which appears on our second album "Flight."  If you want to hear it, you can log on to www.cdbaby.com/augustsky2 and give it a listen.  The lyrics celebrate our interconnectedness.  It's all about the people....

September Painting

September morning, I sit in the park,
People walking, laughing, talking,
The splashes of color, the flashes of light,
Is it a van Gogh or a Claude Monet,
This beautiful morning, this September day.

The leaves are turning, the air is cool,
A baby cries, a pigeon coos,
I think of my childhood, no care in the world,
A painting of memory, my thoughts display,
This beautiful morning, this September day.

We're all tied together like lights on a tree
This flow of humanity, these people and me,
The squirrels and the pigeons, the birds in the tree,
We're all tied together, these creatures and me.

The old couple steps so carefully,
Holding hands so delicately,
They point at the babies as mothers stroll by,
A painting of memory of years gone by,
This beautiful morning, this September day.

We're all tied together, like lights on a tree,
This flow of humanity, these people and me,
The squirrels and the pigeons, the birds in the tree,
We're all tied together, these creatures and me.

Strike Over, Austin, and Richie Havens

The SEPTA strike is over.  The musicians are back at Suburban Station.  The sounds of conga drums, hammer dulcimer, and guitar now reverberate through the concourse again.
I met Austin on the bus going in town this morning.  Austin is a slender musician, my age, and he jumped right in to philosophizing about life, the people we meet, the impressions we make on each other, the vibrations we exchange with each other, the lasting effect we have on each other.  There are no filters with Austin.  I ride with him for about fifteen minutes, but time doesn't exist while he talks non-stop, and he has taken me to a new level of awareness.  The effect we have on each other.
Later that morning, as I'm playing at Suburban Station, Austin has found me again.  He wanders up and smiles.  Between songs, we chat.  We talk about the musicians we grew up with, like Odetta and Richie Havens.  I fumble through Havens' song "Morning, Morning."  I promise him, I'll learn the song by the next time he shows up.  Austin and I share a special place in our hearts for Richie Havens.   He was the first musician I ever saw live.  I was in the seventh grade.  My cool parents took me and my folkie friend Peter Sullivan (this was 1964) to the live show "Folk Music, USA" on WGBH public television in Boston.  We were in the coffeehouse audience.  Thank you, Richie Havens, for opening my eyes to the world of live music....
I could talk to Austin all day.  I excuse myself, however, and tell him, I have to get back to work.  He flashes me a magnetic smile, we shake, and he drifts off, much like the way he arrived.  Like a wonderful and refreshing vapor.  Until the next time, Austin.
Thank you, Austin, for enhancing my day.  Until the next time.
Austin, another mentor on the Path.
It's all about the people.......

The Strike Continues.....

With no end in sight, the SEPTA bus strike continues.  Nerves are frayed, tempers are short, streets are crowded with cars, who seem to think, all courtesy has been suspended as well....welcome to the City that Loves You Back, or maybe that, too, will be reinstated after the strike is over.  In the meantime, we walk the walk.  I wish SEPTA and the Drivers Union would talk the talk.
And musicians remain silent in Suburban Station.
Next week this busker will be heading south to check out the music scene in Puerto Rico, among other things.  The last time we were down there, Pat and I visited the club of the jazz pianist Carli Munoz who played for Wilson Pickett, George Benson and the Beach Boys, among others.  He has his own club in Old San Juan and plays piano with a Latin percussionist. Very cool.  We also got a good dose of the popular music style called reggaeton, which is kind of Latin rap, which kept the barrio near us called La Perla up all night.  We had no choice but to join in, but we enjoyed it.  This time we'll head to the west and south coasts, and maybe we'll find music with a more indigenous flavor, away from the big city.
I'm hoping the SEPTA strike will be over by the time we get back.  I miss playing at my spot and seeing my people.  But most of all, I know the city will breathe a sigh of relief when the contract is settled, and people can get back to their routines.

SEPTA Strike--Music Permits Suspended

Yes, as you may know, in the middle of the night SEPTA went on strike.  I was told the music permits would be suspended for the duration of the strike.  I also won't be playing next week at all, because I will be in Puerto Rico, taking in the music scene there, among other things.  So, it looks like I won't be back till the 16th of November, assuming the strike is over by then.
I was so up for today, too.  I wanted to sing my rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  I figure, it's the least I can do to help the Phillies.
Stay tuned for updates about the strike.....
You'd think, music would be just the ticket to soothe the frayed nerves of people who have to wait in long lines for the regional rail trains.  I mean, I can think of several songs that would be really appropriate.  Like, "Charley on the MTA" or "The people on the bus go up and down, up and down, up and down..."  Well, on second thought......