I can’t say I did much over the weekend in Smalltown, U.S.A., other than venturing out to buy groceries. My mother and I watched the excellent film version of The Trip to Bountiful on Saturday afternoon, and she gave a small birthday party for my sister-in-law last night, though I ended up being the center of attention, everybody naturally wanting to hear all about my recent medical adventures. Otherwise I read, chipped away at my accumulated e-mail, made a few phone calls, and continued to listen to music, something I’d all but stopped doing in the last few weeks of my illness.
Here, for what it’s worth and in case you’re interested, are some of the things I’ve most enjoyed hearing in recent days, listed in no particular order:
– Dave Frishberg, “Eastwood Lane”
– Couperin “The Mysterious Barricades” (played by Igor Kipnis)
– Dave Brubeck Quartet, “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me”
– Marvin Gaye, “Got to Give It Up”
– Bill Charlap, “Written in the Stars”
– Pat Metheny, “Midwestern Night’s Dream”
– Gary Burton, “Gorgeous”
– Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto (played by Nathan Milstein)
– Julia Dollison, “Poses”
– Aimee Mann, “Save Me”
– Grainger “Brigg Fair” (sung by Peter Pears)
– Doc Watson, “Let the Cocaine Be”
– Stan Getz, “Blood Count”
– Stan Kenton, “Young Blood”
– Stephen Sondheim, “Being Alive” (sung by Dean Jones, from the original-cast album of Company)
– Jonatha Brooke, “Because I Told You So”
– Oleta Adams, “Get Here”
– Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphoses (last movement, conducted by George Szell)
– Mabel Mercer, “The Best Is Yet to Come”
– Copland “Down a Country Lane” (played by Leo Smit)
– Luciana Souza, “Doce de Coco”
– Tournemire Choral sur le “Victimae paschali” (played by the composer)
– Diana Krall, “Black Crow”
– Miles Davis, “Blue in Green” (from Kind of Blue)
– Dave’s True Story, “Blue Nile”
Today I plan to get my hair cut, start writing my drama column for Friday’s Wall Street Journal, take a nap, answer some more e-mail, take a walk through the neighborhood, eat three healthy meals, and watch On the Waterfront with my mother. I expect it will be a good day. As a friend of mine
likes to say, every day above ground is a good day.