The author Andrew Van Wey is a paloaltoan and frequents the same café I do ; we each bring our dogs most days or most visits; I spoke to him today because I was with Duffy and he was not with his big furry puppy. He asked to pet my dog.
Andrew is a paloaltoan but he prepped at Deerfield. He has an MFA in writing from State.
I have not read his books to my knowledge —-that’s a stupid statement. Although it has a nice pond. Rings to it. Like a ripple in Stillwater. Like Woody Guthrie.
I took this picture self-referentially. I took a similar photo of Barry Eisler. Who has a recurring character named John Rain. If Eisler were the world’s greatest spy writer, they would rename Old Page Mill Rd John Rain Falling. Also a pun.
When I wrote about Eisler or published a photo, I claimed I was in his six. I admitted to Mr. Van Wey that I sometimes get nervous in a public bathrooms if I think about John Rain. I have to stay fit and alert to ward off assassins.
I have not yet examined social media sites to size up Van Wey that way, but my instinct says he is legit.
How much does a Van Wey? Probably 19.99 in the Amazon.
If his book was worth 30 and I bought it for 1999 I would party like it’s 19.99. Although $20 does not buy much of a party these days. It would’ve gotten you into Corey Harris any of the last three nights.
Corey writes or plays love songs, and he did write something about a lynching.
I’m not sure if this is writing or just talking to myself in a public place with the device that is listening.
insert Corey Harris listening song if possible
Walk this Van Wey.
I know it’s been a long week because I didn’t know it was Saturday until I noticed how crowded it was at Coupa and it was Lydia not Beverly.
I am so tired my dog started barking, and I called him Corey not Duffy
and1 not and Drew
His book underline By The Light ellipsis underline has 1,663 reviews at GoodReads and 882 Amazons, 4.2.
I go to Mac’s to buy the news. A mural is a type of media and currency. The painter will be there only a few more days. Our public art program paid for this. It depicts leatherwood blossoms.
maybe Corey Harris will write a book about his three day visit to palo alto January 28 January 29 January 30 and three shows all at the Mitchell Park community center produced by earthwise Productions and Mark Weiss. Harris wrote and perhaps illustrated a young adults book about musician Ali Farka Toure.
Jan 29 Corey Harris, Jack Tuttle & Walter Jebe M 8 pm
Jan 30 Corey Harris, Will Bernard, M 8 pm
Feb 22 Jim Campilongo Adam Levy Duo P 7:30
Feb 28 Edward Simon Trio f Adam Cruz Or Bareket, Stephan Crump M 8 pm
March 17 Edu Ribeiro Noah Garabedian Vinicius Gomes trio, Murray Low M
March 23 Ralph Alessi Quartet P
April 4 Realtime Collective Tammy Hall Sylvia Cuenca Kristen Strom Ruth Davies, Rabiah Kabir M 8 pm
May 1 Never Come Down J 6:30
May 15 Caroline Davis Quartet M
June 6 Emi Makabe Quartet f Thomas Morgan Kenny Wolleson Vitor Gonćalves M
Sept 18 Splash Myra Melford Michael Formanek Ches Smith M
J = Johnson Park (free)
M = Mitchell Park Community
Center
P = Palo Alto Art Center
There’s actually a 13th show in that I’m otherwise uncredited as a producer of a free Howard Wiley Trio concert Friday at Elks Club in Palo Alto. Here.
Corey Harris is playing three shows at The Mitch next week Wednesday, January 28, Thursday, January 29 and Friday, January 30. This is actually a big week for local Blues in that Gary Clark from Austin is playing nearby as well.
What distinguishes these shows beyond the difference between country blues, and electric Blues is the three different openers: Wednesday is DJ Sep, spinning reggae, and dub; Thursday is the duo of Jack Tuttle violin and Walter Jebe guitar; Friday is Will Bernard jazz guitar stylings. Tickets are $20 each or all three shows for a total of $45.
I told Corey’s story many times in brief in the 22 years of our acquaintance : he’s from Denver and was studying to be a teacher at Bates College; he won a fellowship to study in West Africa; while there he was taken by the music of Boubecar Traore; he did Teach for America in New Orleans and became serious about acoustic blues. He was signed to a record label Alligator Records. He had a duo with piano legend Henry Butler. I met him when he and Henry were part of the Front Porch Blues caravan that played on a tour that started in San Diego and finished in Maine. I saw him play at the Kennedy Center that year 2003 and then again at Yoshi’s five years later, but I really have not seen him since. Because JoVia Armstrong played in my series and is Corey’s colleague at the University of Virginia. I was put back in touch with him and this set of shows is the result.
Corey is also a winner of the MacArthur foundation genius grant for his work, articulating the theory of American rock, blues and jazz, coming up from New Orleans coming from the Caribbean and originating in West Africa. Martin score says he included Corey in Africa is part of his miniseries about the blues.
Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss 