The Long and Winding Road

What do you see that makes you say that?

Charles Lloyd and Billy Higgins - "Hyperion with Higgins" (mp3)
(purchase here)
Lady Sovereign - "Fiddle with the Volume (Ghislain Poirier mix)" (mp3)
(purchase here)

The second leg of my '05 'tour' is over and I am left in consideration of 'Uncle' Frank Sumio Okada:

• Later in life, it takes less to excite
  
• Art need not be intentionally comfortable
  
• "He enjoyed looking at art"

About a man I never knew, a few encouraging words on the importance of patience and process.

And the proof is in the paint, when it comes to Frank'n me. Never working toward a triumph, hardly mundane like a pursuit, his work just seems a natural extension of his being. Later works are lucid comments, terse and succinct yet packed and powerful. There's hardly less here that excites; it's just overwhelmingly to the point. In the neighborhood? The exhibition's up until 8 January 2006. Want the home experience? Contact the museum now or buy here after February '06.

The truth: potential is an emboldening quality when embraced and harnessed. Nearly ten years ago, a senior Charles Lloyd tore apart a tiny strip mall with both confidence and comfort. Angeleno-in-crime Higgins didn't make it much longer, but their Hyperion With Higgins, recorded shortly before the gracious drummer's passing, captures two men at the twilight of their lives, but in full command of their vitality.

Today, a barely legal teen yawns, stretches and scratches before unfurling a torrent of cheeky barbs. She's youthfully raw, loud and rawkus... what's that spell? Ch ching! Are the States ready? Jay thinks... something. Is Lady Sovereign ready? Too soon to tell, but she's not wasting any time thinkin' 'bout it, plotting and the such. In time, taking time may come. But for now, grab it and run!

And so we come full circle, each revolution revealing a new shape, a new color, new intricacies...