Tuesday, January 25, 2011

searching

image: kevin westerberg


i walked into a small now defunct record store (the record pedlar) in toronto in the late eighties and saw a man enter the shop and walk up to the front desk.
i heard him ask the tattoed and pierced boy at the till:

"where's the michael brook section".

the boy at the till said "i'll show you" and the two walked side-by-side
to a plywood stand jampacked with vinyl.

the boy at the till returned to his post as the man thumbed through the pile. after a while, the man went back to the counter. "thanks for stocking my stuff, call me if you need any more".
i was caught in the moment. it was michael brook himself!!!
michael brook - the guy who'd worked with brian eno.
the guy who taught the edge how to play infinite guitar !

when i moved from toronto and continued to follow michael's path through his work i was astonished at who he drew into his circle. robert fripp, mary margaret o'hara, julia fordham, jane siberry, u. srinivas, youssou n'dour, and, most amazing to me was nusrat fateh ali khan but more about that another time.

today i'd like to share with you a piece of work that spun on my turntable many evenings.
the piece is entitled "searching" in which michael plays alongside the dutch musician pieter nooten


searching

you’re searching

words ... words ... sentences


see these things

our end

slowly moving in the air . . .


hear our thoughts

hear how they play

a long forgotten tune


in the big green coloured chair

can no man rebuild rooms


corners of

all me

arise high above this bed


searching

you’re searching -

the images

the memories

but see these plans

our end

slowly moving in the air . . .


12 comments:

Elisabeth said...

What a memorable sighting, especially once you hear the music. Thanks. I think I can even detect a slight Dutch accent in Nooten's voice, or maybe that's wishful thinking, Steven.

Titus said...

First, wow! How exciting, and second, thanks for opening a door for me.

steven said...

hello elisabeth - i love music - i'm not the kind of person who fetishizes the musicians themselves but there was something very down-to-earth about a musician checking to be sure his music was available in a place of commerce. steven

steven said...

titus - i'm glad the door opened. if you would like to open the door wider then you should go here: http://michaelbrookmusic.com/music-library you can legally download an incredible amount of michael's music - it's his own website - for free. it explains why and how when you get there. steven

Jinksy said...

For me, the voice intruded on the meditative quality of the rest of the track - but prhaps that's because I feel one degree under today, and not myself!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Never heard of him steven - but I loved it when I listened to it.

Linda Sue said...

YUMMY, thoughtful, Thank you- More studio music- never even hear of this guy before- Love!

aguja said...

Wow! I echo the comments left by Titus .... and I think that I shall open the door. This is my kind of music.

steven said...

friko - i can hear that also. the music can carry itself. steven

steven said...

weaver - i'm hoping to share musicians that are off the beaten track and yet good in their own kind way. steven

steven said...

linda sue - check out the link i popped in my reply to titus' comment for free stuff! fill the studio with soft good sounds. steven

steven said...

aguja - i'm glad to share good things for your ears and mind. steven