The Rhythm of the Road
Chicago, Fallingwater and Finding Rhythm Back Home - Calendar Resumes!
There is a rhythm to the road itself. It’s not just the rumble strips that I sometimes wander on to when avoiding slipping beneath the tall wheels of a giant semi, or the raised and angled dark patches that one bumps along on so many interstates under construction. It’s the quiet underlying hum to driving along at high speeds, the way the tires roll and your mind goes almost mindless with the pattern of it, the mesmerizing nature of movement.
The last days of the road trip were a blur. Fun family time in Chicago didn’t include a ton of music, just a late set at Andy’s Jazz one night—the rockin’ Groove Witness, who asked us to congratulate ourselves for supporting live music over watching March Madness—and a too-brief run-in with a drummer from Dog Beach Drummers and Dancers, who was wheeling over a bunch of beautiful West-African drums to an atrium on Navy Pier, where we’d walked to along the misty Lake Michigan.
Would that my fam didn’t shame me out of going to drum instead of joining them for nachos…I was itching to high-tail it to my car to get my own long-unused drums, but next time, for sure. I discovered they meet weekly at the Montrose Dog beach on Monday nights typically, good to know!
And then I was off again. I tuned Spotify to Motown Greatest Hits as I drove along happily toward Detroit singing some of my favorite songs from The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and Marvin Gaye. Could not wait to revel in the history of Barry Gordy’s record label, whose hits had been recorded right there where the museum stands, in Studio A. On Sundays, the Motown Museum, aka Hitsville U.S.A., is open til 6:00 pm, and my GPS had me arriving at 5:15. I was right on time, and excitedly pulled up to find that A), there was nowhere to park, and B), the little place —and everything in the area as far as the eye could see—was totally empty. It was Easter Sunday after all. Ugh.
I bypassed Detroit, assuming the emptiness of the city would apply for other spots I might have wanted to visit as well. I had eyeballed a few shows but they seemed more metal than Motown, sadly. That era of music in this big Michigan city seems more in the rearview.
I decided to push through to Toronto, my next and last stop before home. As I neared the border, I thought to take a look at my passport, which I’d been carrying in my fannypack for weeks. I laughed thinking how funny it would be if I’d grabbed the wrong one and as I opened it…I let out a bloodcurdling scream to no one. It was not my face I saw, but my husband’s, staring at me innocently. After all, it wasn’t his fault I hadn’t looked at which travel document to take on my journey.
After pulling off into a gas station a moment to collect myself, I switched gears. I quickly nabbed the last ticket for the next day’s 1:30 pm tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, which I’d always wanted to see, and eyeballed a seemingly cool hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan an hour away (a little nicer than my usual cheap motel) to rest my head. The trip had been all about pivoting, whether due to a car breakdown, weather patterns, whatever it was. The beauty of improvisation — in music as in life — is that what comes instead will be just as good if you make it so.
When I pulled in to Weber’s Boutique Hotel in Ann Arbor, it looked pretty basic. I’d called ahead and discovered there was music most nights at their restaurant and even on this Easter night they had a piano player:) I sat at the bar, ordering a fried chicken sandwich and a Mezcal cocktail to mollify any lingering disappointment re: Canada, and let the notes of the piano wash over me. Joy. Was looking forward to getting back to mine:)
I talked to a man who was obviously a regular, and he (sadly) gave me a delicious-sounding recipe for melting Rolos on top of square pretzels and sandwiching it with another layer of pretzels. I told him I wished I’d never met him.
Headed back to my room, I looked through a glass door and saw the pool, which looked interesting, so I diverted my route to check it out. Wow. What a cool oasis! Together with the awesome varied shower-head array and heated Toto toilet/bidet, Weber’s is definitely a place to return…I will remember to locate my bathing suit next time:)
During my morning drive to southwest Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, to Fallingwater, I was filled with excitement. Next to live music, visiting famed homes is one of my favorite activities. This one had been on my radar for a while, but I could not have predicted what it would be like to see the way the house sits just over the roaring waters, how it perches on the precipice of the waterfall on the Bear Run river, completely embedded into the natural setting in the most exquisite way. I wandered through it in a daze, shaking my head at the boxy collection of windows one one side of the living room that opens to the stairway down to the water. What?! Just for a little dip before dinner? The guide said they could fish from that bottom step…Wow.
The sound of the roaring water filled every room, especially if the windows were open. And I imagined what sweet dreams might come from the sound, in the night…Beautiful.
Leaving the site and driving through Mill Run, PA was incredibly picturesque. The rolling green hills, dotted with cows and barns…My picture doesn’t nearly do it justice, and stopping on the hill proved a poor choice as a truck almost mowed me down:) Pennsylvania is just breathtaking.
And there it was. My adventure. Nearly in the rearview. I typed Home into Google Maps with some fear. I always wonder how it will feel to be back in NYC, how my mind and body will readjust (or not) to the active hum of The Big Apple.
As I wound around through the Allegheny and Pocono Mountain ranges, I contemplated all the land that I’d traveled since I’d left nearly a month before, all the various people and places I’d encountered. In my Search for Harmony I had certainly found so much of it, mostly because I chose to seek it out. There is always a lovely rhythm that can be found if you’re looking for it. And I was, always, and I would be again, back home.
In the three days since I’ve been home, I’ve gone to two amazing shows that remind me what an incredible music scene there is here in NYC. Wherever I roam, I must always return here to see who has gathered from around the world to put their skills out there, to commune with other musicians giving the music their all, to the great benefit of listening audiences.
Thanks to Diego Voglino for putting together the beautiful Tuesday night jam at Bar Bayeaux, and offering up rice and beans and AMAZING brownies to boot! I was pulled there to see one of my very favorite musicians ever, Argentinian pianist Leo Genovese, who had been away for a while. He plays at Bayeaux regularly with Voglino on drums, and Sean Conly on bass. I thought I’d be disappointed by the replacement of the three with various and sundry jazz musicians who came to the stage to jam, but…I should have known. This is New York, and every single person was incredible, impressive in that they’d never played together. I’m always in awe.
And then Wednesday to Bar LunAtico for one of my favorite new bands, Marked for Death. They get better every time, maybe in part because the relationship one creates with a band as a regular listener becomes, like any relationship, deeper with time. Joy. Thanks to Walter Fancourt (sax, flute, electric keys), Eric Burns (guitar), Seth Barden (bass) and Joseph Yount (drums) for the pleasure. It was an especially lovely welcome home joined by friends Iwona Szatkowska, Resa Matthews and Steve Mayone.
I will commence offering up my daily picks in the NY area…sorry for the lapse as I wandered off to different lands to learn about how sound and music is done elsewhere. Thanks for tuning in along with me on my travels. Stay tuned for a bigger project that I’m hoping to pour this research into. I have great hope for music-driven harmony worldwide!!
XX
In peace and harmony,
Steph
THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK ….
TONIGHT, Thursday, April 4
Tima Volozh, a Russian-born New York-based drummer, played at the jam session Tuesday at Bar Bayeaux. Loved his playing, and we had a great chat afterward so looking forward to this performance tonight! He has just released Jubilee, his debut album as a leader. Impressive stuff!
Friday, April 5
My monthly night at beautiful Windsor Terrace yoga studio YogaSole is upon us…one spot left at this writing, but will announce more sound bath opportunities soon. My travels have deepened my resolve to create a community around sound, and I have some cool new instruments to debut, so stay tuned! If you want that last spot, sign up at yogasole.com. You can also sign up early for May!!
Saturday, April 6
Samir LanGus Band/Moroccan Sounds of New York
Terraza 7
10:30 PM - 1 AM
Sorry to miss this. Samir offers his beautiful lead vocals along with the haunting Guimbri, Leo Genovese will accompany on piano, Carolina Mama and Arta Jekabson on backup vocals, Nizar Dahmani on drums and Omar Bouady on castanets. Always beautiful to experience the Gnawa tradition of music, and Samir’s fusion is a pleasure.
Sunday, April 7
Singer/Songriter Extravaganza: Matt Munisteri/Jake Eddy Duo + Charlie Burnham + Joanna Sternberg
The Owl Music Parlor
7:30 PM
Sounds like an awesome lineup of singer/songwriters at The Owl Music Parlor on Sunday, with Brooklyn native jazz guitarist/bluegrass guy Matt Munisteri partnering up with true Bluegrass country West Virginian Jake Eddy for a duo, followed by originals by talented performers Charlie Burnham and Joanna Sternberg.
And, if you happen to be near Woodstock, NY…
KidBess & The Magic Ring w/Tenzin Chopak and Emmett Scott
Colony Woodstock
7 PM
This five-piece psychedelic rock band from upstate is led by songwriter Bess Greenberg aka KidBess features voals, cello, guitar, electric bass and drums. Supposed to be innovative, “textured” and cool. And always love Colony!