THE SIGNAL (Jeff Greenberg RIP)
“The world in which we live is no more real than a moon beam reflected in water drawn from the palm of the hand...” ― Shan Sa.
This edition of the newsletter is dedicated to my friend Jeff Greenberg who just passed away suddenly, in his sleep. I met Jeff through Tamerlane Phillips, Papa John’s son, while we were beginning the production of Tam’s record. Jeff and I co-produced the ALAN LOMAX IN HAITI box together along with Anna Lomax Wood and through that long five year project which culminated with us going to the Grammys together as nominees, became close. A true music lover, he was a lawyer to so many greats—Stevie Wonder (Jeff was on his team that brought him to play at Obama’s White House), Black Sabbath, Jeff Beck, Tom Verlaine, John Phillips….Alan Lomax and eventually his estate…and many more. All of his clients loved him and he was known for his generosity to them during lean times as well as his overall enthusiasm for the art they created.
Jeff kept busy, but he always had time to hang whenever I was in New York and he always promised and delivered an epic night out. He took me to all the old classic New York hangs that were still around…from Harlem to the Lower East Side. And we saw a lot of great music together; Jeff and I truly shared the deep love of music and our conversations always went deep and wide with the pieces of knowledge we had collected over the years. I never did understand his passion for Loggins and Messina, but he didn’t get my fascination with Japanese noise. So there you go.
We both loved Donovan’s The Open Road and would end our evenings around a turntable and drink, singing along to every song loudly, sometimes waking up his family in the process.
He leaves a hole. He’s gone way too soon.
‘Crock Of Gold’: Johnny Depp’s Shane MacGowan doc releases trailer
The times I spent working with Shane at Warner Brothers are some of my fondest memories at the bunny….some of the craziest. The Crock Of Gold record, from which the new doc by Johnny Depp is titled, was the record I was lucky enough to work on with Shane. It was a tough time for him, having to cancel the initial recording session because he had fallen and broken his hip the night before. And even though he was not in the best shape, he brought amazing songs into the studio, a really solid band, and Adrian Sherwood at the controls. Some great stuff came out: just listen to Mother Mo Chroi or Rock and Roll Paddy It’s the last stuff he recorded and while his voice sounds a little rough around the edges, it is still Shane in all of his legendary glory. It’s time for another Shane MacGowan record, that is for sure. I’m sure he still is writing all the time.
Mary Shelley's "The Last Man"-Look back! To what might be behind us...
Yes, Mary Shelley wrote a novel about a 21st century pandemic. Who knew?
Take a Tour of Collector Cheech Marin’s Art-Filled Home
The Envoy of Mr. Cogito
BY ZBIGNIEW HERBERT
TRANSLATED BY BOGDANA CARPENTER
Go where those others went to the dark boundary
for the golden fleece of nothingness your last prize
go upright among those who are on their knees
among those with their backs turned and those toppled in the dust
you were saved not in order to live
you have little time you must give testimony
be courageous when the mind deceives you be courageous
in the final account only this is important
and let your helpless Anger be like the sea
whenever you hear the voice of the insulted and beaten
let your sister Scorn not leave you
for the informers executioners cowards—they will win
they will go to your funeral and with relief will throw a lump of earth
the woodborer will write your smoothed-over biography
and do not forgive truly it is not in your power
to forgive in the name of those betrayed at dawn
beware however of unnecessary pride
keep looking at your clown’s face in the mirror
repeat: I was called—weren’t there better ones than I
beware of dryness of heart love the morning spring
the bird with an unknown name the winter oak
light on a wall the splendour of the sky
they don’t need your warm breath
they are there to say: no one will console you
be vigilant—when the light on the mountains gives the sign—arise and go
as long as blood turns in the breast your dark star
repeat old incantations of humanity fables and legends
because this is how you will attain the good you will not attain
repeat great words repeat them stubbornly
like those crossing the desert who perished in the sand
and they will reward you with what they have at hand
with the whip of laughter with murder on a garbage heap
go because only in this way will you be admitted to the company of cold skulls
to the company of your ancestors: Gilgamesh Hector Roland
the defenders of the kingdom without limit and the city of ashes
Be faithful Go