By: Brian Sherman

Brian Sherman — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 17:07:14 +0000

Thank you for your essay on “Drive Suite” & Harold Carrington. I came across this essay for the first time today [March 1, 2020]. I had just read through Bremser’s DRIVE SUITE in the NOVA Broadcast edition. I read it every so often. I search engined Bremser and found your essay. I am a long-time fan of Cecil Taylor and am familiar with “Luyah” from one of his earliest albums. “Luyah” is a section title in DRIVE SUITE I was looking for a gesture to make vis-a-vis graduate school; as that gesture I hired CT for a private concert [spring, 1967]. I also saw Bonnie and Ray Bremser at a reading of many poets [plus Seymour Krim who read prose] at the church in Greenwich onVillage[not Judson]. It might have been on 4th St. I remember Ray’s physicality–grace in his restlessnes. Besides Krim and Bremser, the only poet I recall hearing at that event was Jack Micheline whose reading of Skinny Dynamite was a highlight. In reading through all the notes in the compiled FLOATING BEAR I learned Taylor helped on the Bear at least once, probably more. While I liked the “wham cymbal wham” wordage in “Drive Suite” it doesn’t evoke Cecil Taylor’s sound for me. Do you know the Detergents’ “Leader of the Laundromat” a take-off on “Leader of the Pack?” I always thought Cecil Taylor was the answer to their question “Who’s that banging on the Piano?” Rather than “wham” I thing a sound ending in –ng would better describe Taylor’s playing. When I finish this sentence I intend to follow the Nielsen references in your essay

Comments on: Two Drive Suites

By: Brian Sherman