Obtuse Angel

long time no lj post - here's a recent show piece

con Derek, Katarina y yo

From the Mojacar recital - Derek Owen on guitar

Joselero y su hijo, Diego de Moron

At noon on the Equator, the sun is directly overhead on this, the first day of Spring.

Parsis, the Persians who moved to India when invaded by the Arabs, celebrate this as New Year's.
Famous Parsis - Freddie Mercury, Zubin Mehta.

And a sad RIP to Paul Scofield, Shakespearean actor par excellence, dead today at 86. Along with a resume a yard long, Tomas More in Man for all Seasons, the original stage Salieri in Amadeus, He did the best film version of King Lear ever. EVER. Directed by Peter Brook in 1971. Netflix this ASAP! It's an injustice he was never knighted.

Not many of that generation of greats left. Who will step up to replace them?

O and Mustn't forget Arthur C. Clarke, his work was seismic in impact.

Two giants have seen their last Spring.
Descansais, os.

This one's nice for the translation-


And here's the great duet riff at the end...

Carry me away...

Saw them last night at Royce Hall. Here with his daughter Fargana.
I've never heard singing like this in my life. Amazing!
From Azerbaijan...

The Maitre du Mime died Saturday, 9/22/07 at 84.
His only speaking role in film was in Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie" -
one word: "non!"

Ole con ole

Paso Panori - rumba

The gitanita muse -

The jacarandas finally did bloom all over town this year, around my birthday, right on schedule. It's been stilted, however, probably due to the drought or the crazy climate or both. Purple sprays on the trees everywhere, but light, like the trees are oil-paint tubes used down to the nub, squeezing out dribs of color thru encrusted dried up vesicles. Still, it's a nice feature of the 'hood.

There's a similar blooming tree that sprays its load earlier in the season, I'm not sure what it's called, but it's vaguely jacarandish. The flowers are more reddish in hue. Virgil Avenue south of Santa Monica Blvd is lined with them, and they bloom in March, littering the sidewalks and roadways with their floral confetti. The tickertape tree parade.

Meantime, it's June gloom in May this week. Early overcast that puts one in a mood to listen to junkie saxophones as soundtracks for gritty black and white Parisian nouvelle vague movies. Burns off in the afternoon before you get a chance to do something you'd regret....

That was Gypsy Boots' motto, back ndday...
Wael raved last week about this great Chinese foot massage he got, for a mere $15 a full hour-
So I decided to track it. Oh, mah, gohd: ma feet have never felt this good. I have a new hobby.

There in the vast expanses of New China, (aka the San Gabriel Valley) - in a little strip mall on the corner of Del Mar and Valley, signs all in Chinese except a small placard saying Foot Massage. Overstuffed leather easy chairs with matching ottomans are the setup. First you sit on the ottoman, with your feet soaking in a wooden tub with hot water and a few teabags in it. While soaking, the guy did a good, intense job on my shoulders, upper and mid-back, neck, head, arms and hands. Then you reverse chairs, sit in the easy chair feet outstretched on the ottoman, and deep tissue massage of the feet ensues. Just to the brink of pain deep.
For someone with chronically hurting feet, this was miraculous. A week later they still feel great.

My friend Aik Tan lives in the area, says there are a number of these places cropping up lately. Fifteen bucks! Anywhere else this much attention would cost 50-100 easily.

Happy feet.