PORTENTS, JAZZ, EXERCISE AND WATER

I don’t believe in “signs”, or portents, or omens (good or bad), or any mumbo-jumbo like that.

No. I’m a firm “believer” in little more than circumstance and the continuing absurdity of this existence that we refer to as “life”.

So…. It was completely circumstantial that I happened across a CD in a charity shop yesterday that I fancied. Bill Evans and Stan Getz “But Beautiful”. This album is, I believe, only the second such recorded encounter with these two (I already have the other one).

Then this morning when I turned on Radio2 – they were playing Stan Getz “The Girl From Ipanema”. Not his best – but Stan never the less,  and at least Jazz! Radio2 never play jazz at that time – never mind Stan Getz!!

I once saw a film with Whoopie Goldberg (Corrina, Corrina), where she describes listening to Bill Evans play piano as being like “looking at candlelight through a beautiful piece of crystal”. I couldn’t put it better myself (so I won’t try).

Enough to say that to use similar imagery, listening to Stan Getz is a bit like being wrapped in velvet – smooth and warm.

It’s a shame that these two musicians didn’t do more together. But, I believe they kept having fall-outs (I’ve heard that while a great musician Stan was not an easy man to get on with).

So. Was it “chance” that I came across this CD? Because after the day I’ve gad I need something powerful to “mellow me out a bit”. And this may just be the thing - an ideal end to an otherwise crappy day – look forward to listening to it (in the company of a large mug of java and a slice of cake that big you could use it to stun a pit-bull).

Last night saw me take part in the clubs interval session again for the first time in what seems like ages. Five 1km intervals and I felt like I was giving it 110% , but even so my km times were still slower than my usual 10k splits. Need to work on the speed a bit.

But what of the on-going dip into the world of “that there science”? Well - the exercise may have been strenuous, my mood may be dark, but today my water has the lustrous sheen of an avenue of Yellow Poplar trees bathed in a cold Autumnal sunrise.