Author Archives: markweiss86

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About markweiss86

Mark Weiss, founder of Plastic Alto blog, is a concert promoter and artist manager in Palo Alto, as Earthwise Productions, with background as journalist, advertising copywriter, book store returns desk, college radio producer, city council and commissions candidate, high school basketball player, and blogger; he also sang in local choir, fronts an Allen Ginsberg tribute Beat Hotel Rm 32 Reads 'Howl' and owns a couple musical instruments he cannot play

Christgau on “Passing Strange”; or pasting strange

Posted on December 12, 2011 by markweiss86

as the only person on the planet who saw the negro problem on haight street and 17 years later saw jc brooks at bottom of the hill — the way my pops may be the only guy who heard gabby … Continue reading →

Posted in art, ethniceities, film, media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nahuatl songs, pictures and translations

Posted on December 11, 2011 by markweiss86

My new friend the poet and scholar John Paige of Oakland gifted me a copy of his book of translations from Nahuatl to English, what most people think of as Aztec. I met John because of my efforts to promote … Continue reading →

Posted in music, this blue marble, words | Tagged | 2 Comments

Cantor candids

Posted on December 11, 2011 by markweiss86

It is probably not advisable to try to make a regular practice of slyly shooting other people’s kids in museums and public places, but I could not resist catching these two twin girls in front of the Diebenkorn. Here I … Continue reading →

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Miles Davis in plastic salad heaven huis clos

Posted on December 11, 2011 by markweiss86

miles davis perhaps as deep background for bill murray in lost in translation trades a ink drawing for a plate of plastic salad, and never addresses directly or by second person his japanese host, on tv in 1985, but i think they are in heaven perhaps, or another world Continue reading →

Posted in jazz, media, this blue marble | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Postcard from Santa Fe

Posted on December 9, 2011 by markweiss86

I spoke to Mateo Romero, mostly about the recent Native-themed show in Hanover, New Hampshire at Dartmouth’s Hood Museum, which featured the unveiling of a series of paintings he did of Dartmouth Pow-Wow. Had the pleasure of mentioning to him … Continue reading →

Posted in art, this blue marble | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

My weekend with Nina Simone; by Lisa Fay Beatty, as told to Paul Motian, Mia Zapata and Charging Elk (in heaven)

Posted on December 9, 2011 by markweiss86

out of the tree of life I think i picked strange fruit. passing strange fruit. passing strange angels. thank you kim chun of the chronicle for mentioning my passing in 72 Hours, on Thursday, December 8, 2011. I was born in 1964 and died in a motorcycle accident in San Bernadino County on November 25, 2011. I was 47 – Lisa Fay Beatty Continue reading →

Posted in music | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Stone Fox 3.0

Posted on November 29, 2011 by markweiss86

In a pleasing departure from eavesdropping on would-be and wanna-be billionaires regaling each other about their latest rounds of venture funding, angel pitches and other circle-jerking, I watched a recent UC Santa Cruz honors grad named Chelsea Bell show her bikini samples to … Continue reading →

Posted in la la, sex, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

WOW! THIS IS GREAT POT!

Posted on November 26, 2011 by markweiss86

I cracked myself up, which might make me a crackpot, when telling an anecdote on Wedge’s fine blog, Memory Select, so had to paste the entry into my own damned spot. Continue reading →

Posted in jazz, sf moma | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Twenty-seven jazz personae mentioned in Wednesday’s New York Times article by Ben Ratliff

Posted on November 24, 2011 by markweiss86

I never worked with or saw live Paul Motian, who died this week. But I know that it meant a lot to Jenny Scheinman, for example, that she got to play with him. Also, Bill Frisell. A huge portion of the jazz music I listen to or follow follows from having met Bill and his managers Lee Townsend and Phyllis Oyama. I could not, for instance, distinguish by sound Motian’s play from that of say Elvin Jones or Jerry Granelli. The only other people on this list I have met are Ethan Iverson and Chris Potter. Continue reading →

Posted in jazz, media, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

This Machine Kills Fascists, continued

Posted on November 22, 2011 by markweiss86

I believe this video is something between agit-prop (art created to provoke social change) and a public service announcement urging compassion for housekeepers in China. I have listened to it twice and find the tune rather catchy, or if not … Continue reading →

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