VOTD 4/15/2023

 Ennio Morricone: Città Violenta (Dagored)

Purchased at The Attic

It was my birthday yesterday, something I don't normally advertise. I can be cranky about these things. I feel like it's a reminder of how much more I wish I had accomplished in the time. Unfortunately that doesn't necessarily spur me on to be more diligent in my work. 

Yesterday was different. It was my big 6-0. Especially in light of David Throckmorton making a big deal about his 50th a few months ago, I decided to go full steam and do it up.

Thursday: I played an all-Thelonious Monk show, with Throck, Paul Thompson, Patrick Breiner at Con Alma Downtown, 6-10pm. I played alto only, the instrument that tends to tire me out the most, compounded by playing my Grafton model. It just doesn't blow freely as my Selmer. I had to really keep myself together to make it to the end of the night. 

Friday: 6-9pm, same location, the same four players + Reggie Watkins playing Charles Mingus. Then, 10pm was Thoth Trio plus friends (Patrick, and George Jones) and then Bombici closing out the night until 1am.

Jeezuz. A 6pm-1am gig? File that under things I'll never do again. I've been exhausted all day, but I did get out to use one of my gifts: a gift certificate to The Attic from Throck. I told him I'd probably use it up today, and lived up to my word. 

I used it up on two vinyl albums: Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi, and this. 

I've probably already written about what a fan I am of Morricone's work in this general time period (this being 1970). This has all the things I'd expect: funky grooves, wah guitar, unexpected orchestrations, some brief atonal passages. I must admit that it's another soundtrack album for a film I've never seen. I've been meaning to take in more Italian films in general; I like the crime, giallo, and horror films from Italy, including some of the stinkers. Maybe part of what I like is that they're just different than American films, American sensibilities.

I have to admit, I have a lot of Morricone LPs that bear some passing resemblance to this one. Probably enough even especially considering the various collections I've also accumulated. But, one more couldn't hurt, right? Especially considering I went in with a gift certificate. Nothing else but the Herbie LP was stroking me, so there it is. 

I should probably use this blog to write more about the music and less about myself, but I am at a minimum maintaining the discipline, which is much of the point.