NOTES

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Eddie’s tea.

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Eddie’s birthday and my birthday.

Robo Tussin (Ft. Lil Wayne) Flying Lotus (July 2008)
Kuru Le Thayambaka Inde de Sud - Kerala
Night Time Duke Ellington The Chronological Duke Ellington 1953 (Vol.2)
Gone With The Wind Helen Merrill Brownie-Homage To Clifford Brown
Nate Kinsella & Ben Vida Joan Of Arc Guitar Duets
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child Marian Anderson Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit

Direct Download bdy.mp3

Many happy returns to Dave Cook (who will be here tomorrow)’s mother who is 102 today and still going strong.
Picture from her 100th birthday party two years ago.

Interview with Anthony Braxton, KPFA 1971
I missed this at the time: so in case anyone else is interested.
What he says is still pretty much how I think about writing.

You can either listen to it on this page by using the player in the right-hand menu, or
Direct Download the mp3 here

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Lunch with Jenny and George

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Tom Pickard just sent me this photo he took of Bill Griffiths and me. Thanks, Tom: Hi, Bill.

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Peter Gilpin and Gayle Foster in Cambridge (family stuff).

Live at Bimhuis_Amsterdam
January 7 or May 4, 1984
VPRO

I.C.P. DUO

Misha Mengelberg
Han Bennink

Nun seh’ ich woll, warum so dunkle Flammen Ferrier,Halban,Walter Kindertotenlieder
‘Round Midnight Mischa Mengelberg Two Days In Chicago
Mine Alvin Curran Maritime Rites (CD1) (with Aldan and Clark Coolidge)
You Go To My Head Ran Blake & Anthony Braxton Memories of Vienna
Begluckt’ darf nun dich Wagner Grand and Glorious (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)

Direct Download longer.mp3

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Only of interest to family and friends.
Gayle’s and Vikki’s birthdays: London and Beaconsfield, 5/7 July 2008

and Janwillem van der Wetering, Bruce Conner and Ken Botto are gone:and Mrs. Thatcher isn’t.

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Amazon link
George Kimball’s Four Kings is published in the UK today. After the funeral yesterday I had a text from Ben: got home to find george’s boxing book on the mat. it is superb. the best sports writing, which is what got me reading.

a few images +

I said I’d write something about Spud but this, by his son David, covers a lot of the ground:

Richard William Whatman
1914 - 2008

Dad was born in Gravesend workhouse on September 15th. 1914 to Florence and Louis Whatman and christened Richard William. He was however always known to his family as Tom – due we think to having been christened again as Tom Murphy – and to his workmates as Spud.

Dad moved to Brighton in about 1916 with his mother, brothers and sisters, living in Sun Street, Charlton Hill: at the time known as the second worse slum in Europe after Naples.

He had a hard childhood, walking to Kent at the age of 6 to help his mother pick hops, swimming out to the fishing boats off the pier to swap tobacco for fish, receiving an education at Circus Street School which seems to have consisted of being clipped around the ear for not listening, and generally running wild.

During the 1930s he led a full life, working as a bricklayer, selling goods door to door around England, singing with the bands (including Geraldo’s) at Sherry’s in West Street, dating the daughter of “Darby” Sabini the king of the Soho razor gangs, and finally meeting Nell (Mum) who had moved down from Llanelli with her sister Win.

In September 1939 he volunteered for the Army (because the Navy recruiting office was shut) and two weeks later the Army let his mother know he was in doing his bit for King and Country with the Royal Engineers. He served right through the war: from guarding a bridge in Belgium with a rifle and 5 bullets, through the evacuation of Dunkirk, to the North Africa Campaign including El Alamein, the invasion of Sicily and Italy, finally ending up in Greece in 1946 with the rank of acting Company Sergeant Major. His fondest memory of his service career was of building a small dock in Greece, using borrowed explosives, to berth a liberated motor boat for the summer of 1946.

Demoblilised in 1946 with a new suit and the princely sum of ninety six pounds seven shillings in his pocket he married Nell and raised Val, John, David, Angela and Gaynor.

He was a great bricklayer, really able to lay 1000 bricks a day, and spent the 1950s to the 1980s working around Brighton, particularly in Peacehaven.

After Mum died in 1972 he soldiered on until, at the Royal Engineers Social Club, he met Joy whom he married in 1976, having another happy marriage until her death in 1997. This brought Mandy, Steve and their family under Dad’s wing.

A lifelong socialist, politics was the only subject to steer clear of when talking to him. as his views were somewhere to the left of Lenin and he was passionate in putting them across. He was particularly proud that he and Nell were asked to sponsor Dennis Hobden as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate in 1964 when he became Brighton’s first Labour Member of Parliament.

His retirement was long and happy, during which time he took up bowls, travelled, played with his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, did building work for the family and friends until he was over 80, and generally enjoyed himself. The only event to cloud his happiness was the death of his youngest daughter, Gaynor, in 1989. He never forgot her and she is singing the song we will be leaving this service to.

He was a man who loved being around people and was the life and soul of any party. He always had a cheery word for everyone he met and would strike up conversations with total strangers in shops, at bus stops and even in hospital waiting rooms. He would be proud to see how many people took the time to come here today to say cheerio. We’re all going to miss you.

David Whatman

Eddie and Aram back from two weeks in the country (thanks to Alex van Sommeren)

Stephen Rodefer’s Peter-Manson-designed website is worth checking out, not least because one link leads to my favourite painting of the moment, above.

Teddy Bear’s Picnic Jerry Garcia & David Grisman Not For Kids Only
5000 BC The Evolution Control Committee Plagiarhythm Nation
Descent into the Maelstrom Lennie Tristano Descent into the Maelstrom
Rocked by Rape The Evolution Control Committee Plagiarhythm Nation
The Organic Shuffle Tony Joe White Snakey
Plantarchy In The You Be Make Believe Of Course
Orono Mix Clark Coolidge and Kit Robinson/Ted Greenwald
Black Beauty Ike Turner & Kings of Rhythm A Black Man’s Soul
A Brand New Me Dusty Springfield Best Of
The Fucking Moon The Evolution Control Committee Plagiarhythm Nation

Direct Download fwo.mp3

Orono ME, Washington D.C., Brooklyn, NYC.

On a train to D.C. I got a message that my father-in-law had died. I’ll write something when I get home, but I’d just like to note the moment and put a link to some earlier memories.

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click for photoset and video fragment

1928 – 2008

and strength to Herbie Butterfield this morning: then a quick recovery.

photo by dave cook

Thanks for the many enquiries. Val’s eye is doing well; stitches out, less-frequent drops, fewer early-morning hospital trips. Next check is in a week.

I hesitate to put links, as everyone has already seen everything these days; but for those who remember Paolo Woods’ photographs from Iraq and Afghanistan and are interested in glimpses of China in Africa through his lens, if you go to his site and click on Stories and then the obvious next link, you’ll get them.

And Hilton Obenzinger has an interesting look back at the Columbia University student occupation and strike in 1968,

David Ball in Cambridge

Field 1 Greg Davis Mort aux Vaches
Sad and Blue Ivy Smith Oh Run Into Me But Don’t Hurt Me!
African Violets Cecil Taylor Looking Ahead!
The Best Is Yet To Come Frank Sinatra With Count Basie & His Orchestra It Might As Well Be Swing
Cantus Infirmus Scofield/McNeely/Johnson/Nussbaum & WDR Big Band East Coast Blow Out
Drum And Bone Elvis Costello And The Imposters Momofuku
Forgotten Neil Diamond Home Before Dark
Field 2 Greg Davis Mort aux Vaches

Direct download: cfield.mp3

+Obituary from Western Daily Press.
PDF file
Ken Keable (who added the comment) also notes:

Veteran trade unionist and International Brigader Jack Jones, aged 95, attended and there was a message from Tony Benn. At the reception afterwards, in the Quaker Meeting House, Taunton, four members of the Bristol Red Notes choir sang “Viva La Quince Brigada” (in Spanish) and other songs, and I sang “Valley of Jarama” (the Song of the International Brigade).