ADAM Masterson

This tuesday 27th gig at pianos has been cancelled, infection has come back on antibiotics i’ll be better soon

Adam

‘Built in 1849, this brownstone row house is a rare surviving example of a residential building built in the gothic revival style, a style most often used for churches. Notable features include the pointed entrance way with clustered polonetes. The prominent hood molding and a trefoil relief below the projecting box cornice. From 1950 to 1954 this building was the home of Charlie ‘the bird’ Parker. The world renowned alto saxophonist. Parker was the cofounder of bebop, the modern jazz style that he and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie created during the mid 1940’s.’

I’m leaning on the black railings, sipping a coffee from the 9th street expresso, looking up at the old place. I’m imagining Charlie Parker up and down these streets nearly sixty years ago. Living hand to mouth no doubt, looking for his next score. I bet he crashed in that basement room down in front of me.

I’m a block down from where I’m living on Charlie Parker Place, the stretch of Avenue B, that runs along Tompkins Square Park from 10th street to 7th street. They say Charlie busked as a street musician for his next fix, and today if you take a walk through the park, you’ll probably hear some old dude with a saxophone buskin out his blues, don’t think it’s any homage to ‘the bird’, just a case of some things never change. I saw one of them a few weeks ago, something about him must have entertained me cos I smiled as i passed. ‘Hey you like that?’ he said ‘… that’s a tough tune… a tough tune!’…’Tough town’ i replied. Well you should have heard him yell and holler, i looked over my shoulder and saw him take the glasses from his face to wipe away the laughter, before blowing back on another long deep note.

I’m gonna take a bench in the park and watch the world go by for 15 minuets. The suns back out again in New York city and it’s a cool crisp morning. My flu’s passed, still a bit of a cold but it feels so good to be free and up and about.

Tonight I’m off to BB kings on Time Square to watch Leon Russell. Only the other day I was watching him on ‘The Concert For Bangladesh’ DVD. Looking forward to the show.

Next up I’m playing at Piano’s on Ludlow this Tuesday 27th Oct it’s a night called called ‘Cross Pollination’. More on this tomorrow…

Adam

Come down with the flu aches n shakes all over. Been in bed since wednesday it’s now sunday night getting bored, hoping to pick up tomorrow, catch you when I’m back in the land of the living…

Adam

My pal Kraig Jarret Johnston has leant me his fender telecaster, met him today on Jane street in the west Village, he had it down there in storage under an apartment block. It’s a late 70’s model blonde with black scratch plate. Kraig plays in Jo’s Lonely Astronauts and has his own band the golden smog, reckons I can get myself a little practice amp on 14th street and return it if I’m only in town for a short stay. Mighty kind of kraig- got an axe in the city!

Went to meet my record folks Johnny and Jon this Monday gone, it was Columbus day and Bloomberg had shut down most of mid-town for the parade. Took the subway from Astor Place up to 77th street. We met at the Atlantic Grill for lunch, me and Johnny were early we had a drink at the bar and took a table at the back. We caught up about the showcase I just done at Rockwood and other stuff ‘Take a little love’ has caught Johnny’s ear. We ordered oysters for starts, Jon wasn’t long following.

Jon and Johnny are real sports fans. Something about the Phillies meeting the dodgers in a play off?? I gotta catch up on this stuff. The thing with me is I can’t go into sports cold, I gotta be around people who are passionate about it. I gotta watch the game with these guys.

Sushi we had for mains was the best I ever had. A pal came by to join us who works for the charity foundation that Jon and Johnny are part of, I met him once last year at a show I played, he asked if I was living in New York now, I was about to answer when Johnny asserted ‘yes!’. That’s cool with me, I can be a New Yorker for the fall.

Outside on 3rd Ave as we said our goodbye’s, I noticed fall is coming on. New York’s getting cold. I better start looking for a warm coat.

Adam

My sisters in town, she’s been all over the world since I saw her last traveling and we’ve finally caught up in NYC. Took her along to Carnegie Hall last week for Gavin Friday’s 50th birthday, the show was a benefit for RED a charity for Aids in Africa.

Only knew of Gavin Friday before this from his band The Virgin Prunes. Always dug that tune they had ‘Pagan Love Song’, Courtney Love is a devotee and introduced the band, but they never played ‘pagan love song’. Shame.

Rufus and Martha Wainwright sung songs, so did Scarlett Johansson, U2 kept coming on and off singing Gavin Friday tunes, my buddy Jo Arthur did a number, and I was happy to see Shane McGowan come on and sing ‘Rainy night in Soho’.

Outside in the interval my sister told me about all the places she’s been, she reckons Laos was somewhere I gotta see, she taught in a school in Vietnam, did a sky dive in New Zealand, and tells me NZ got beautiful country.

I felt like I’d just done a sky dive… we had seats way up in the heavens of Carnegie Hall, looking steep down at the stage below, I’m not good with heights- a parachute on my back might have put my mind at ease, still, a magical room to take my sister while she’s in town.

The highlight of the night was a surprise: Lady GaGa- she stole the show, put the rest in the shade. Of course I’m aware of miss gaga but everyone’s like ’she’s a pop thing Adam, nothing to worry about’. She came out in her get up, took to the piano, and unaccompanied played a beautiful rendition of this classical stuff before breaking into a song wrote for the occasion. She stopped a while, chatted with her audience, then going back to her ditty before ending it with her poker face chorus. Stunning voice, had no idea she was the genuine talent.

New York’s finest Lou Reed came on at the end, and the whole troupe joined him to sing ‘Sweet Jane’. A New York Night.

Adam

Playing very early show this wed at Rockwood music hall www.rockwoodmusichall.com it’s at 5pm! If you or any of your pals are in the city at this time i’d love to see you!

Adam

Off to Williamsburg tonight to play Zebulon cafe concert on Whythe. Haven’t been back to Brooklyn yet on this trip yet, Bedford Avenue is the old main drag for me, used to have digs there, hoping to bump into a few pals along the way.

Zebulons this little french place, dark and dusky coffee house, pictures of french stars and jazz musicians on the wall, jacque brel, serge gainsbourg, John coltrnane. I’ve played there a bunch of times.

Korean T.V have been in touch they wanna film one of they’re reality stars hanging out at Zebulon coz they reckon it’s the coolest spot in NYC. There you have it, Zebulon is the place to be tonight!

Adam