Constant Commotion
At Jazz Station club
Singing to Mitchell singing
No, you can’t take that away from me,
the way you wear your hat,
the way you hold your tea.
Tapping feet to Kenny’s drum solo.
Watching Audie singing
Why not take all of me.
You took my heart.
Snacking on cheesy SunChips.
Studying Robert studying Nick on piano.
Watching Amy singing
I miss New Orleans?
I miss the one I cared for
more than I miss New Orleans.
Watching young Jesse bellowing on sax.
Sipping on local pinot noirs at a table with friends.
Listing a few Kenisms with Erin and Amy.
Put your hands together, you lazy Americans.
Ain’t no shame in my game.
That’s the way we roll, baby!
Rich, the happy drummer fills in Kenny on The Road Song.
Watching Anya singing
Summertime and the living is easy.
The fish jumping.
The cotton is high.
Your daddy’s rich.
Your mama’s good looking.
God bless the child
who’s got his own.
Go Eve.
Go Jesse.
Watching young Jesse bellowing on sax.
Sipping on local pinot noirs at a table with friends.
Put your hands together, you lazy Americans, announces Kenny.
Marty’s on guitar, filling in for Neal of Kenny’s Stone Cold Jazz band.
Some days we have a resident artist paint, friendly tap dancer,
a birthday potluck or with a problem guest on stage.
New trumpet player Tom follows and keeps in time.
Dancing to Kenny’s usual finale Knockout
Girl you are a knockout.
You got me in constant commotion.
Listening to introductions
Nick from Des Moines.
Pimpin’ Jack from Eugene.
Watching Eve in constant commotion.
I’ll be back for the rest, she says while carrying her flute
and equipment.
From January 2014
Evening Colors
Hot Mama’s Open Mic Night
Six guitar cases and one banjo case rest in the corner,
near the restrooms, beer specials and near the bar.
Katie plays originals on her blue guitar sweet folk songs and ballads
between squeaks from the speakers that hippie and Old Sal, our co host is
adjusting.
Old Rollin Joe plays his Horner Comet, his fat old harmonica and he plays
banjo from
songs, Forever Young and September Rose, from his CD’s, The Legend At
Last.
Gabe plays Rose’s blue guitar with friends, one violin and two banjos. The
blue butterfly.
Her young hands fly through this navy, midnight blue guitar.
The tall guy in center sings I’m Going Down under the Burlap Blues. I’m
Going Down in
the Burlap Blues.
Old Jimmy plays his Takamine, his shiny beige guitar with “Jack” on his
strap. He plays sad twangy old songs, So Old and Love Me Like You Did
Yesterday.
Young Lex wears black hair and hat and plays a black guitar and sings
If I Die Young and
Don’t Let the Music Die.
Marilyn, Holly Hobbie, in her bright pink hair plays her “experimental noise”
from adjusting knobs on sound equipment, last week with her pink guitar.
Sal really enjoys this but others walk out, at least for a smoke.
Joe and Autumn play and leave, Going on Down to Alaska and I’m Going
to Jackson.
Well, I’m going down to Jackson and I ain’t never coming back.
Sometimes he reads Beatnik poetry or his powerful political original poetry.
Two young waitresses keep busy, cleaning cup and counter before closing,
and trying not
to break more glasses while delivering more libations.
Two colorful creatures, one from Where The Wild Things Are, watch behind
the bar and I
watch the customers visit, laugh, sometimes too loud and not listening to
those behind
the tall mic.
November 11, 2011
Hot Folk Tunes at Hot Mama’s
No Heavy Metal Allowed
Lex sang a bluesy Devil’s Ridge’s
If I die young. But she’s one of the youngest
here in this wings restaurant, bar. Then she
tells us a humorous lesbian joke.
She ends with Hallelujah every night.
Two barmaids clean the tables
under the television
in the corner by the front door,
the Padres and Giants
still plays early on Tuesday night
Open-mic at Hot Mama’s Wings.
Two diners sit across me
and under the Animal House prints and
the Oregon Ducks
prints. With banjo
in hands Sir Richard
sang sad song of ex-wives.
Aged hippie Nick sang classics,
Beatles and Clapton songs.
His friend and Sal sang
Daddy’s Little Pumpkin.
Before leaving I heard Ben from
Ohio sing his original song,
Humanity on his extended length,
illustrated leaf guitar.
Local Colors
The jazz band of six plays Thelonius Monk’s Blue Monk as cheerful Dona
greets many and requests donations for the new Jazz Station Club. Then a
young swearing drunk enters, asks for a sample of the red wine – an
Australian merlot or a South African syrah from the local Trader Joe’s.
These wines are offered only with a cash donation. The two people debate,
struggle and he grabs her collar while they walk out toward John Henry’s
and other clubs the state university students visit, or maybe even the city’s
many homeless. Dona’s friends Rich and Stephen follow after her. She
returns with a scarlet red angered face. Later she still appears very nervous
but sings Kissing the Bottle and Autumn Leaves with friends. I watch the
amber and umber leaves, the ochre and cadmium leaves fall and drift in
late autumn with heavy wind and rain, with a magenta setting sun.
Stephen’s paintings decorate he walls with teals and violets, with
Southwest symbols, faces and images. Cactus and classic pickups. Sue
plays piano keys to Between the Bars. A grinning Rich plays drums in back.
A young adult Kevin plays sax as his predecessor, African American Ben
Webster, watches in spirit and bathroom photograph. Today all faces here
are ivory or Caucasian, ruddy or white.
The Beatnik Cowboy 