NP -- bye

[jporter]

Here's one reason why we'll miss Neil Conaty- This is a re-post of Neil's
from the midst of MDMD:


     > Re: spunk funk mumbo jumbo and the Black Mud Sound<


>On Sat, 22 Aug 1998  "s~Z"  writes:
>>Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Eric Dolphy, Peter Brotzmann, Anthony Braxton,
>Cecil Taylor, >Evan Parker, et al., freed music:
>
>Is Ornette consigned to et al?
>
>I was going to write about this later after I had digested it a bit, but
>-
>
>Thanks to adinn:
>>when Pynchon as much as tells you to read a book you damned well ought
>to listen >to him (Re: The 39 Steps which was all he said it would be
>-NC)
>
>I've been reading Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo ("check out Ishmael Reed"
>GR-587) I think the full quote said something about getting the full
>scoop on the Masons. (the line in GR also seems to be a stylistic nod to
>IR as - he's got lots of parenthetical reading suggestions) I filed the
>info away every time I read GR but Andrew's suggestion inspired action.
>
>Jeez. This guy has got a bead on Them going back to Osiris' brother Set,
>up through Moses all the way to the tainted Warren G. Harding, murdered
>by Them for succumbing to Jes' Grew - the hedonistic hip-grinding
>funk-loving antivirus sweeping the nation in the Jazz Age. IR dares to
>name Them: Atonists - from the original sun-worshiping Egyptians their
>cult sprang from and defines Them vs Us as a Holy War being waged for
>1000s of years.
>Anyhoo, to get back to Who Freed Music, it has of course always been
>free, it's just been a matter of who knew it was free, who reminded us
>music was free. Louis knew and everyone copied him til it started getting
>weak (and long after). Bird got it going again, Charlie Parker died, but
>Bird Lived. I'd venture there is quite a bit of stale shit circulating
>these days inspired by Coltrane, et al, but no longer getting the Spirit.
>Following the form.
>IR talks about the Black Mud Sound coming out of Ethiopia and the Sudan;
>they would 'open their valves and allow nature to pour through its
>libation.' Osiris learned it and took his show on the road to South
>America, performing at festivals even up into Navaho country. Teaching
>agronomy through the Funk. He got wasted by Set the original Atonist and
>we jump forward to Moses stealing the Song from Jethro: 'Moses jumped on
>his horse as tears came to Jethro's eyes. As he was about to ride away
>Moses rode to Jethro's porch where all the men were assembled and he
>dropped "a couple of bucks" on old Jethro.
>Here's the copyright fee for the junk you taught me, he said
>sarcastically." Set comes to him in a vision and tells him to get the
>Words from Isis 'You have to talk trash and feed her.'
>Moses puts on a concert which everyone is compelled to attend (like some
>Central American government rally). 'Jethro's songs ... weren't coming
>across like the way they had... They sounded flat, weak, deprived of the
>lowdown rhythms.... An applause sign was placed up and Moses received
>applause..... (he) began gyrating his hips and singing .... The ears of
>the people began to bleed.'
>So according to Ishmael Reed, Moses didn't free shit.
>
>All this is to say check out Ishmael Reed. Don't take my word for it.
>And there's a bibliography!
>
>-Neil


Sorry to see you go Neil, but it's not hard to understand. Maybe we'll see
you back if times change.

>I was an isolated Pynchonite before I found this list. Finding a place
>with hundreds of people interested in his work and dozens who affected my
>appreciation of my favorite author has been a great gift. Thank you.

Thank you,

jody