Yay fall . . . I find it completely absurd and bizarre and amazing to look up and see a tree full of bright yellow leaves — especially when it’s cutting against a sky so bright blue it smells like a new buick.

Friday night I had the enormous pleasure to sing with Elliot Cole, Doug and Brad Balliett, and harpist Allegra Lilly — in a living room in upper Manhattan. E, D & B performed Brad’s The Rake’s Progress, as The Oracle Hysterical — a name which captures the crazy, brilliant, sprawling project in so many ways. Then I sang the voice of Alcestis, in Doug’s song cycle which is dangerously catchy and reminds me of the golden swing of old 1940s songsheets. We closed with Elliot’s Babinagar, a sensitive and epic cycle (I don’t know why I’m using that word — but it’s evocatively Schubertian) chronicling, in intimate vignettes, the Afghan story of Babinagar and Khastakumar. It was a totally beautiful evening, with a close crowd gathered in a New York apartment, just listening to stories and music. More to come, I’m sure. (More info on the music via the nested links above.)

Yesterday in a seminar, a vimeo film was brought up, relating to something I had just shown. I watched it today, and then I watched everything else this self-taught animated filmmaker (Brent Green) has done. I can’t describe it. Below is “Gravity was everywhere back then”. It’s just wonderful, and dark, and creative, and compellingly hand-crafted. And the story — listen –

And here is another impressive, expressive, personal film project, by Beth Portnoy. I made some music for it, but it is nothing compared to the spirit of Beth’s effort and creativity with making this, and the huge spirit of the project.

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