Aesthetic experiences

Ben Webster

Johnny Hodges

At breakfast Saturday Mark gave me a CD, Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges, recorded in the mid-sixties. What fine stuff! Man, reminds you how important good aesthetic experiences are in a lifetime. I'll treasure this sucker for all my remaining time. Thanks, Mark!




Some other favorite aesthetic experiences:

• Going down to LA a few years ago to see my favorite opera, rarely produced, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.
• Getting a private concert from Ramblin' Jack Elliott after helping him set up at the Earth Tavern, Portland, in the 1980s.
• All the great folk and blues music happening at the Ash Grove in LA, 1960s. Brownie and Sonny, Lightnin' Hopkins, Ramblin' Jack, New Lost City Ramblers, Doc Watson, the list goes on and on.
• Seeing Fugard's Sizwe Bonzi Is Dead at Ashland, 1980s.
• Seeing Marat/Sade at the Univ of Oregon, early 1970s.
• 4 plays in 4 nights at Peter Fornara's The Production Company, Portland, late 1970s.
• Reading Fowles' The French Lt's Woman -- then seeing the film with Pinter's screenplay.
• Reading Connell's Mrs. Bridge.
• Reading Sorrentino's story "The Moon In Its Flight" in New American Review. M. F. Beal's stories in same.
• First hearing of Beatles' Sgt Pepper album.
• First hearing of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken?
• The Best of Little Walter Chess album.
• Listening to Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker together.
• And now the CD above, very high on the list.