On the Edge of Being on the Edge

What does it mean to live life "on the edge"? Sometimes, when feeling particularly smug, I think that I do. But I know deep down I don't, really, compared to many.

But I had a self-congratulatory moment like that while on vacation in Turkey. (Hey, isn't being on vacation in Turkey in itself on the edge? I guess not for the 75 million Turks of the world.)

On the second night of our recent sojourn, I found myself with a small opportunity. I knew we'd be doing things "as a group" for most of the trip (not on the edge!). Which was going to be fine. But if I was going to do anything on my own, off the beaten track, I could sense, "this was it." So I asked our guide, Ozlam, about the jazz club in Istanbul that had been recommended to me by a friend of an acquaintance. She said she'd help me get there.

Maybe it's the way I look. (Someone once remarked, hearing me play in a club, "Hey, you sound great--but you look like a lawyer playing the trumpet.") Ozlam looked up the address on the map. She went over it with me carefully. She wrote down her cellphone number and made me tuck it in my wallet ("Please, please, call me if anything happens!"). Oh, and about that wallet--take out all your credit cards, she advised. Not getting the warm and fuzzies.

So about 10:00 p.m. (after the evening group meal) she loaded me into a cab and gave the cab driver the proper coordinates (in Turkish, naturally). And off I went, into the night in Istanbul with no hope of communicating with my driver.

Over the bridge and water to the north part of Istanbul. Feeling a little nervous. Ozlam had told me it was at the base of a tower. Unfortunately, not knowing Turkish, I didn't realize she had only told the cabbie to take me to the base of that tower--no club name, no precise address, let alone even the right street. I couldn't communicate well enough to make him understand my precise destination. So I paid the fare and got out. I did not see the club, so I fished around in my wallet for the address--unfortunately, I had removed the small slip of paper with the address when I took out my credit cards. (At least I still had Ozlam's number--Whew!) Asked for directions. "Up there and to the left." Those directions were meaningless, as the street layout was Byzantine. Literally.

Edgier still. Should I just pack it in and go back to our hotel? I've made a good faith effort here--who would know? Giving up would make a funny little story in and of itself. But when am I going to be in Istanbul again? So I snaked down and about (after a couple of false starts, a couple more questions of patient waiters at a couple of restaurants) and eventually made it to the club. A guitar duo playing classic jazz. (And a cover charge that would have made the owners of the Blue Note in New York blush.)

"Do you have reservations?" they asked. "No," I replied. I looked around - the place was maybe a third full, on a weeknight. Reservations--are they crazy?!?!

So I settled into my seat, taking in the amazing little scene:

A perfect, small club, with brick walls, a small bar, small round tables and a little stage with a piano and drum set, unused that night (but well worn, otherwise). The smell of clove cigarettes in the air (John Garvey, anyone? "BE QUIET!" Garv would have implored). Wonderful musicians from Europe playing wonderful American art music at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and the Middle East. I emailed my friend Matt Farmer in Illinois (coverage in Turkey was amazing), who immediately replied I should request Steely Dan's "The Fez". And guess what--in the half hour since I arrived, the place had become cram-packed --a mostly young (but all vibrant, happy, and happening) group. Reservations indeed!

A couple of over-priced beers later, the place was buzzing with energy (but quiet--it's all about the music--but they're into it, man). The group swung into "Some Day My Prince Will Come," and I thought of my man, Miles. I looked up by the entrance to the door, and saw the sheet music for the tune that is the club's namesake: "Nardis" Then in little letters, its composer (well, at least by attribution): Miles Davis.

In Istanbul.

Listening to a tune Miles made famous.

At a club named after a Miles tune.

Miles, who plays the trumpet. And who grew up in Alton, Illinois, a stone's throw from where I live now.

On the edge. And right at home.

Go Green for Christmas

What are the traditional Christmas colors? Red and green, naturally. Why not emphasize the latter and buy Tim Green's new Christmas recording, Change of Seasons? Click right here and get on the bandwagon: http://www.timgreenjazz.com/recordings.php. Tim's website has been on my blog sidebar from the get-go. If you don't have his other recordings, you can rectify that situation, effective immediately.

Tim is playing bass with Trio Cambia (or, as I call them, Gang Green) on this recording. [Hey, doesn't "cambia" translate roughly to "change" in Italian? Works on multiple levels--Change is coming to the White House. Tim is a master of playing the changes. And his recording is available for mere change.]

I have never known someone who has mastered two instruments as an adult, at whatever level--forget about at a professional gigging level. But Tim has. And it's mighty tasty playing.

Do you want to support the environment? Time to go Green!

Worried about the financial crisis? Help the new Treasury Secretary and put some more Green in your life!

Want to make your friends green with envy? Make them envious of your new Green!

Our Moon Shot

I'm not much into czars. Really, I'm not. Whether it's the "Drug Czar", an "AIDS Czar" or a "Katrina Czar", this somehow seems a uniquely American (shall I say, Bush-ian) knee-jerk response to any serious problem (see http://www.humorgazette.com/bush_czar.htm or http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=wish_upon_a_czar). Well, that and declaring "war" on something, like a tactic (terrorism) or a seemingly intractable societal problem (poverty or drugs).

But here's something that's been cooking in my brain since this summer: Obama needs do the Kennedy thing and set an aggressive goal that we are going to achieve energy independence and create a new green technology base in America in a ridiculously short period of time (8 or 10 years). Then, appoint Arnold his "Energy Czar." And turn him loose. Let him go. Give him real power. Don't muzzle him (could you anyway?). Like Biden, let him rip. Allow him to "terminate" his way to energy independence and environmental sanity. We'll clean China's clocks on this new green technology, Tom Friedman-style.

I know Arnold has an "R" by his name when they identify him as the California governor. But let's get real: the Governator is a Democrat. He's married to a Kennedy, for crying out loud. Plus if you listen to him, he generally says the right things. OK, he supported McCain. But that just shows he's a politician, and a pretty smart one. (Look at Joe Lieberman. Joe's a Republican, I'm sorry to say. He should either quit (or get kicked out of) the Democratic party, OR have backed the Democratic candidate. One or the other. Stupid politics. As Sarah Palin would say, say it ain't so, Joe!)

Arnold got my juices flowing when I heard him on George Stephanapolous's Sunday morning gab-fest this summer. It just makes so much sense: (1) Arnold is right on this issue. (2) Arnold's done what he needs to do making money and politically (perfect that he can't be president--he can't have much higher executive ambitions now--he's been the governor of a state that is bigger and more powerful than most countries). (3) Obama gets credit for "reaching across party lines"--big time. This guy's a Republican superstar (notwithstanding he's really a Democrat).

And finally, and most important and urgent of all (4) The country desperately needs this to happen, immediately, and with the right policy.

Check this out. As Peggy Noonan might say: Savor. http://steveadamsstudio.blogspot.com/2008/11/ripped-off-of-salon.html

Back Again

I guess blogging is like exercising--you either get into the habit or out of it. Not having posted for two weeks in Turkey, I came back to having my Internet down at home. It took me a few days to realize it was going to take more than unplugging and replugging in my modem, and that combined with jet lag put me out of the humor to blog. Not to mention having to be glued to the election coverage.

Well, I will try to do some posting, and hopefully people will "check back in" to the blog. Talk to you soon!

Hello From Istanbul

Vacation in Turkey has started with a wet, cold, rainy day.  A fun ferry ride, nice lunch, visit to the spice market, and then to the one of the Ottoman palaces built in the late 19th century as the Ottoman empire was in decline (their response to the decline in power--start building palaces, the more ornate the better!).  At least I can prepared for the weather.  By that, I mean I brought clothes.  Oh well.  

Trying to figure out how to get to a recommended jazz club tonight or tomorrow night. 

Four-Letter Words

Cubs

Lose

Oops

Ouch

Alan Greenspan speculated that the current economic crisis might be described as a once-in-a-century event (let's put aside for now that he may have been one of the chief arsonists in that fire). That's still more frequent than a Cubs World Series win. Which all brings to mind another four-letter word familiar to Cubs fans:

Argh

If I may be permitted to offer one observation to those Cubs fans who read words on this space: A few years back, the Cardinals won 105 games in the regular season and were the class of major league baseball. Then they got whacked in four straight in the World Series by the dreaded Red Sox, ending the fabled Curse of the Bambino. It hurt. But, you know, it was a great season. Last season (2007), we stunk. Flat out. You know, it's much better to have a great season, even if you come up short.

I first got turned on to this concept being a Knicks fan back in the early '90s. The Knicks had gone to the finals (in a Jordan-less NBA) but lost in 7 to the Houston Rockets. Then Pat Riley promptly quit as head coach of the Knicks. "A wasted season" complained the players, and the NY sports press amplified that sentiment with their massive megaphone.

Not so fast, one astute writer observed. This was a great season and a great run of seasons for the Knicks. Yeah, they came up short, but they were competitive as hell, and it was fun to watch. In a few years, when no-one is showing up at the Garden on a Wednesday night to watch them play Golden State, the fans would look back with fond memories of the "glory years." It sure beat being mediocre.

Which all brings to mind yet still other four-letter words familiar to any Cubs fan:

Next

Year

Hope

Put to Rest, Finally

Well, I am happy to report that the fabled "liberal media bias" myth has been dispelled once and for all! Why do I say that, you ask?

Well, how has the VP debate been covered? Either it was a tie, no damage done to either campaign, but no "game changers" either. Or alternatively, Sarah Palin "won" because (pick any or all that apply): (1) she was more folksy, made a connection with the people (you know what I'm saying, "wink, wink, ;)"); (2) Biden was "boring" (all those facts and figures); (3) Biden was off his game and "lost" the first part of the debate (too passive); (4) Biden generally did not attack back ever (didn't take the bait, for example, on the "white flag of surrender" poke); and/or (5) Palin "exceeded expectations", in part because of the disastrous Katie Couric interviews, and did not run crying from the stage, vomit on the stage or freeze up -- generally saying some combination of words that vaguely resembled sentences, including nouns and verbs. [Matt Lauer asked Guiliani the next morning whether she had "mastery of the facts" or whether it sounded like she crammed for a test for a week. Guiliani said he didn't know how you could separate the two. To Matt's credit, interupted and said, well, "one is knowlege of subjects built up over years, and the other is cramming for a test." Seems pretty simple to me] [http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&vid=186bb7cd-4845-4572-b1ad-6f2808b6a4b4&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:d1214ac3-0f54-4f1e-a498-decf5f2e6a49%2Ca57aca04-9d6b-48f5-b85a-fe3a4e7d300b%2Ceb7a7857-f982-411d-9670-83c8961cc2fa&from=MSNHP&tab=m1191248204226]

Am I right on how it's been reported? You betcha!! (Ok, maybe not the NY Times editorial page, but Palin will pick that up, because she reads "all" of the newspapers, remember?)

So that's the media reporting, including the "liberal elites." What's the objective evidence? CBS poll immediately following debate: Biden over Palin, 51% to 36%. CNN poll I just saw reported tonight: Biden 51%, Palin 36%. What about the "gender gap", you ask? Men: Biden 51%, Palin 36%. Women: Biden 51%, Palin 35%. Hmm. That's starting to sound like a Biden victory. But put facts aside--it's about personal connection, right? Now what was the most moving moment of the debates so far, on personal level? Was it Joe being emotional about being a single dad, not knowing if his sons are going to make it after he tragically lost his wife and infant daughter at age 29? Say it ain't so!!!

Now, doggone it Joe, there you go again....