NO TIME TO CRY
~ J.D. Justice ~
I think I've posted some of Miss DeMent's before. One of my favourite singers. I may have shared Let the Mystery Be. I would loved to have been in on that jam. Look at the musicians' faces - they don't give a flying fart for any audience, they've got each other and they've got da music. And how's about that bass player? What a face on that woman - magnifique. One of Iris's most moving songs is No Time to Cry of which the studio cut isn't online and her concert is badly recorded. If ever there was a singer of whom I'd plead FFS no covers, pleez, ID is one. So, of course, I'm proved wrong. Whoever JD Dance is, he renders this movingly and with a miraculous mix of homage and individuality. A singer/pianist to follow. Speaking of homarje, I must give a shout out to one Mister Zacharia Works (of no fixed abode) whose copy of Iris CDs I borrowed without his permission or any idea who she was and with whom I fell forever in love. I made many good friends at Amazon.com - good friends, no bullshit friends, but Zach is up in the pantheon of the few. Zach was a piratical cove in those days - tamed now, thank god, by a good woman - but back then the double of Jake Gyllenhaal's world-wearier grizzled evil twin brutha and he played wonderful harmonica. But I remember him for one specific instant and every time I tell it, to no matter whom, it resonates. Amazon customer service reps handled email and phones and if we had a question we couldn't handle we'd 'escalate' it to a Lead who'd be a more experienced wrangler. Also, if you had a prob, you could (theoretically) walk over to a Lead and put your problem. Now, these were multi-tasking maestros of the Universe and wayy superior to us vermin reps. Their very demeanour discouraged interruption. I know: I played that game myself when I reached Lead status. They'd have cans on, listening to the hottest latest sounds; they'd be checking their money millions on the market; they'd be on the phone to their lovers; they'd be in their own elevated world. And they'd make damn'd sure to ignore us just to show who was boss. Not so Zach: I'd tiptoe timidly over, ready to make obeisance and wait, but your shadow only had to fall over his keyboard and he would whip off the headphones and be 100% focused on you. I can't tell you how classy that is, what devotion and confidence that inspires. Totally without ego. I tell that and people who have no idea of the 'Zon culture go misty-eyed and nod knowingly and recall leaders with whom they too have had the privilege of working. Funny how one simple gene of instinctive decency can define a man and make a lasting impression of example and gratitude.Bear with me as I bore you:
Dubai Stopover: Perfect memory of Firoz by perfectionist Sinbad whose whole tasty blog is worth a stopover deeper look. Except he said carrot cake and now I'll be thinking about Kristina's pantry all morning. (Check you spelled it 'pantry' with that penultimate letter in there.)
1 comment :
Etiquette works on ROM. Politeness on RAM. One single gene, the kindness of strangers, the Good Samaritan. There's a place reserved in Paradise for such people and they brighten the world. I detested Dubai (rightly in my view) but then I met one man in the concourse
http://democracystreet.blogspot.com/2009/10/stop-over-at-singapore.html
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