ROCKPILE on the road

As the summer progresses we’ve got cameras, flash drives, t-shirt logos, dog shots, percolator, and preparations for the Shelldance 1st Annual Poetry, Music and Art Fest where David, Terri and I will be performing renditions of ROCKPILE, pre-ramble 2, with the Rabbles. So what about the Public Option? It seems like Obama is making up his mind all over again. Public Option not an option, it is a necessity….Sad news of a fire at the Krew du Vieux, Den of Muses wharehouse in New Orleans, heard from Lewis Schmidt and nobody was injured but we are scrambling for a new location for the October 24th workshop and open mic. At the beginning of August there was a fire at the Den. It was not destroyed, however there was significant damage both structurally and electrically. Lewis writes, “Follow this link http://www.kreweduvieux.org/ and there is some cursory comment and explanation. On that page check out the ‘Wrinkled Nut Sack‘ link and there are pictures of where things are.”… Our love and best wishes to our friends at the Krewe and Den for quick recovery… On the brighter side, note that Lindsey Horner and Michael Stephans will be joining Marty Ehrlich and Bill Zavatksy for the ROCKPILE performance in NYC. Onward!! —- Michael

We’ve added a new event to the ROCKPILE Tour. Check it out!

Friday, November 7– ROCKPILE Symposium: David Meltzer and Michael Rothenberg host a discussion on “Art and Activism, Poetry, Music and The Troubadour Tradition, Censorship and The Academy, Community and Collaboration: Open discussion with Ammiel Alcalay, Teresa Carrion, Jim Christy, Marty Ehrlich, Michael Franklin, Murat Nemat-Nejat, Wanda Phipps, Robert Priest, Harris Schiff, Suzi Winson and Bill Zavatsky. We welcome audience participation. Moderator: Jim Feast. Refreshments and admission free.

Time:2-5pm

Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church
Parish Hall
131 E. 10th St.(& 2nd Ave.)
Manhattan, NY

Something I got in the mail from Bill Berkson. I asked Bill if he had anymore of these. His reply,”With me it’s always one of everything. Sometimes a pair. This is a collage. Ken Mikilowski did a b&w broadside version back in the early 80s.”

I like it.

— Michael

MUSICAL PROTEST IN SANTA ROSA BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN US!!

Terri and I went to Santa Rosa yesterday armed with a blue egg shaker and an accordion. We marched to City Hall and all around downtown. The Hubbub Club led the parade with trombones, trumpets, tubas, and xylophone. Troubadours joined the stream with guitars and banjos. Belly dancers joined the protest and fun was had by all! — Michael

The Renegade Art Revival, Milligan-Green says, is in defiance of that flawed concept: that a citizen’s music and expression should be confined to a designated zone in the city. “We’re trying to set an example,” he says. “Yes, it’s a protest, but it’s not an angry, riotous protest. No, this is a celebration. It’s coming out and celebrating creativity and celebrating community. That’s the idea. That’s the attitude we want to cultivate.”

The Renegade Art Revival makes a raucous noise on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Railroad Square in Santa Rosa at noon. Meet with instruments, bikes, costumes, toys and other assorted props; participants will walk toward Courthouse Square and disperse around the streets throughout the afternoon.

Looks like were going to do a ROCKPILE pre-amble 2 at the First Annual Shelldance Orchid Garden’s Poetry, Music and Art Festival on August 29. David and Terri and I will be performing with The Rabbles, http://www.myspace.com/therabbles a psychedelic rock band from San Francisco. See the lineup for the days events in the Shelldance event poster! Hope you can be there. — Michael

Never saw it, even though at one time I cd’ve been a consultant on it.  Another story.  What I’ve heard from respected jazz fiend poets is too much was left out — i.e., any serious consideration of “free jazz” & that, indeed, Marsalis imprinted his conservative imprint on the narrative.  All of this is okay w/ me.  Have been listening to the music for six decades & no doubt have my own version of its story.  What I do know is that it will forever remain a partial story since too many bands, players, singers never recorded & the history of jazz is really a warehouse of recordings, the evidence most work their stories, fantasies, idea & ideologies from.  The “purist” label is not unlike the “academic” one — it’s a lingo ploy to one-dimensionalize a person into a type.  Re: “Beat” bashing, all I know is how the music & its shape & rhythms influenced so many of American & international poets in their approach to the poem.

DM

Have just finished watching Ken Burns documentary on Jazz and enjoyed it. A great way to get oriented around the history and tradition of Jazz. But what do I know? I am not a jazz aficionado. Welcome comments on that film. I thought the Beats got a dousing and have heard grumbling from people about Wynton Marsalis getting too much focus and something about the “purists” though, frankly, I am not sure what a jazz “purist” is!! Enlighten me!

Back from a Napa overnighter w/ youngest daughter Amanda, husband Tim, & the two grandkids, Talia & Demetri.  Tim is (one guess!) a winemaker & fabulous cook.  We feasted & guzzled & David’s moving slo-mo today.  Listening to recent 2 CD set of the Tony Bennett/Bill Evans sessions.  Sumptuous stuff!

Friday night I read at Bird & Beckett in SF w/ Clark Coolidge & legendary West Coast jazz bassist Don Prell.  Bird & Beckett is a bookstore & cultural center in the Glen Park district, run by Eric Whittington & his son Nick.  Bird & Beckett was where the Rockpile preview happened, energetically supported by the Bob Malone Trio

Just found out that visionary artist & pioneer light-show magician, Elias Romero, died Wednesday.  He & his wife idell tarlow were my poetry workshop buddies in Mrs Walters nightschool class at L.A. City College c. 1954.  Mrs Walters changed my perception of the poem by lending me the 1st volume of R. H. Blyth’s Haiku collection.

DM

Michael & Terri constructing & concocting this amazing road trip & creative interaction w/ poets & musicians in various cities & sites of arts that keep on unfolding.  Keyword to all of this is “unfolding”, opening up & out.

Then via Michael via Joanne Kyger, heard that grand artist Arthur Okamura died last week in his Bolinas home.  Arthur was born in Chicago & as a kid was part of a barbershop quartet that performed on The Major Bowes Amateur Hour on national radio.  During the Meltzer family residency in Bolinas in the late ’60s, Tina & I wd often wind up at Joanne’s place w/ Arthur & others singing elevated versions of standards like “Sentimental Journey” & “Chattanooga Choo-Choo.”
A couple of years ago at Bob Callahan’s wake, Arthur & I reconnected after many moons.  Once we ascertained that we were who we are, we both broke into “Sentimental Journey,” much to the bafflement of the assembled mourners.  Arthur was a peerless artist & unbeatable pingpong player; a great ebullient presence w/ wry dry wit & always sweetly puzzled yet knowing beyond puzzlement.

David Meltzer

We apologize if you encounter “Not Found” error messages when you try to navigate the site.

The website pages and categories seem to vanish once in awhile.  Not sure why.

Just now I was updating some pages and suddenly “Not Found” error messages everywhere.

It seems to come back all on it’s own. Not sure if it is a server problem or what.

Terri

Hey All, Just to let you know there are a few mutations of ROCKPILE in the works that are not specifically “ROCKPILE performances”. I am talking about a ROCKPILE Salon in Santa Fe with Anne Valley-Fox, a ROCKPILE Symposium on Art and Activism with Ammiel Alcalay, Wanda Phipps, Robert Priest, Jim Christy, Suzi Winson, Murat-Nemat Nejat, Michael Franklin, and Terri Carrion in New York City, and a ROCKPILE Party in New Orleans. I will be posting dates for these gatherings in the next few weeks.

Also note in the Performance Dates page events that are not specifically ROCKPILE Performances such as the Writer’s Center event in DC, Untamed Ink reading in St. Louis, and readings in Rochester, NY, Buffalo, NY and Richmond VA, all part of the trip!

Friends of ROCKPILE, Terri and I worked on the blog all day long yesterday and hopefully we got all the bugs and glitches out but if you find problems please let us know as soon as you can so we can fix things up and make the site easy to use. –Michael R

Check out the first performance of ROCKPILE in LA at the Hammer Museum Billy Wilder Theater on October 8. We have an awesome band. Theo Saunders (Carla Bey, Freddie Hubbard, Charles Lloyd), Johnny Lee Schell (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Majal, John Fogarty), Joe Sublette (Rolling Stones. Stevie Ray Vaughn), John B. Williams (Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Manhattan Transfer) and Debra Dobkin (Bonnie Raitt, Richard Thompson and Jackson Browne)—MR

Working on the muscians page for the site which will list all the players in each city and tell you a little bit about them. the list is growing fast and great!

Rapping with Theo Sanders and Burnett Thompson and Bob Malone about music and all the possibilities of ROCKPILE…energy growing and it is looking good for out first stop in L.A. and gig at the Hammer!

Whoa!

-Michael

too hot to be cool

Rockpile #1, Part 2: David Meltzer from ROCKPILE on Vimeo.

Rockpile #1, Part 1: Michael Rothenberg from ROCKPILE on Vimeo.