Hoorah Tabula Rasa
“O, ah! The awareness of emptiness brings forth a heart of compassion!”― Gary Snyder
Having a clean slate. Coming into the world with an unprinted mind. Tabula Rasa. A melted piece of wax, where all the details have been smoothed over by heat. Tabula Rasa.
John Locke’s philosophy of how we come to the world with an empty canvas of knowledge, evolving a mind’s catalog of information with experience from its first rebooted minute, developed by analysis a priori. It starts with the Tabula Rasa, the cleaning out and making ready for a new life safari.
A few weeks ago my label Birdman Records released the third record from the sonic exploration team of Infinite River entitled Tabula Rasa. The first two Infinite River records, Prequel and Space Mirror, showcase deep, spiritual drones by trio of alchemists that weave an ethereal tapestry, Gretchen Gonzales Davidson (Slumber Party, Universal Eyes) and Joey Mazzola (Detroit Cobras, Sponge) both on guitar, Warren Defever (His Name Is Alive) on bass and electronics (with guest, Sparks’ Steve Nistor, on drums). I did not realize that these first two meditations were merely clearing the brain and cleansing the palate for this new change of form, this splattering of more ferocious colors and vibrant melodies on a blank canvas; I hitched the cutting lathe to this band because of their wondering sound sculptures, not knowing they were hiking towards a deep progressive period, alit by King Crimson, Hawkwind and Krautrock, with guitarist Mazzola leading a mathematical riff-laden onslaught that expands through both sides of the album.
The opening track, Sky Diamonds Raga, adds to the electric American-style Indian-influenced conversation started by Peter Walker in the 1960s, and introduces the new era of the Infinite. Flowing from the Santo and Johnny dream walk of Stars Above into the progtastic Be The Cyclone That I Need…the album takes sonic practices from many dark, organic corners of late sixties and early seventies Gong-heads and creates the knowledge written on the Tabula Rasa. The band is tight, practiced…supposedly switching to a smaller recording studio where they played on top of each other…fusing into a united organism…proficient enough to cover and evolve the John Coltrane version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, My Favorite Things, a stand-out track of the record. There is even a song called Space Signal where Gretchen and friend Salem Daly add some heavenly vox, a first for the band.
It will be interesting to see what musical directions the band goes in next, as they continue to translate their experiences and react to the dark, post-pandemic world through their prolific recording. But now….it is all about the Tabula Rasa, a new chapter of eruptive aural lava flow spewing from the drone.
Today is the 94th birthday of one of the greatest Beat poets…greatest poets of the second half of the 20th century…Gary Snyder. There are many aspect of Snyder that make him so unique: being the environmental activist Beat who read one of his quintessential poems, The Berry Feast, at the same happening on the same night Allen Ginsberg debuted Howl (Gary’s poem getting the better reception), escaping the Beat scene by venturing to Japan to study Zen Buddhism for years, coming back to hippy-era America and sitting on-stage with Ginsberg for the Human Be-In, and later leading circumambulations of Mount Tamalpais during solstices and equinoxes, a practice still done today. There is always a Snyder book of pros or poetry within arms grasp in our living room; he is a hero.
Happy Birthday to Gary Snyder….
Alta magazine has deeply celebrated Gary Snyder’s work within its pages, recently publishing a story on why Snyder writes as well as a selection from his book The Etiquette of Freedom, and now this wonderful pondering of his work from Lisa Teasley…
The MIT Repository Of Music Related Jokes And Humour
Mostly dumb jokes that will but embarrassing smiles on your face…but a good arsenal.
New Sun Ra Tribute Album Features Kronos Quartet, Armand Hammer, Laurie Anderson, Jlin, & More
Jim Newman, producer of Space is the Place, saw this coming…Kronos celebrating 50 years with a big Sun Ra tribute.
Ancient Egyptian Pyramids, Sphinx Close to Public for Tech Billionaire’s Lavish Wedding
“That billionaire, Ankur Jain, and fitness trainer Erika Hammond reportedly paid to have those sites closed down for their wedding, a weeklong celebration that is estimated to have cost upward of $3 million. The event…offered guests a private tour of the pyramids and the sphinx without interruption, as well as a close look at a statue of Ramses II. Jain and Hammond wed at sunset between two of the pyramids before celebrating with a star-studded reception with performances by Robin Thicke, Lance Bass, and Lindsey Stirling.” (oh…if I could have gotten a shot to program the music…lets start with a Sun Ra tribute!)
“Bacon haunted gambling dens and lewd Soho dives, taking delight in his exile from tame normality. “I was completely distorted,” he says when contentedly recollecting his adolescent immersion in the sexual stew of pre-Nazi Berlin.”
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks pick the blues albums that are good for your health
While any blues list that does not include Mississippi Fred McDowell’s I Don’t Play No Rock n Roll is suspect, this is still and interesting read…and there are a few records I will be checking out…
The Berry Feast
By: Gary Snyder
