Boldness, genius, power, magic and other stuff
It was something of a rollercoaster night again last night.
We’d done a good gig - and I’d got C and N up on stage again to do a number each, it being C’s last night - but P, the bar manager, took the band and myself to one side at the end of the evening. He wasn’t happy; and I won’t go into all the reasons why here, but the conversation which ensued included: the concept of people (guest vocalists, saxophonists) sitting in - to him/people over here that’s “karaoke”; to me it’s what happens at a jazz gig - the idea of not being able to please all of the people all of the time; and talk of how we can make the night more successful. It also included a request for me to “maybe be more like a diva”.
In short, it was slightly painful; but I think I did an OK job of standing my ground over certain points while also making it clear that we as a band want to do our best. I won’t change who or how I am as a performer and be fake in anyway (as D said: “She is she”); but of course I will learn more standards that they know and love over here, if that makes the rest of my repertoire more accessible.
After all, we’re all on the same page here: everyone - me, the band, the hotel, the agent - wants this place to be a successful jazz club. And as I told P, for me, that means putting on great jazz music every night of the week, and creating a welcoming atmosphere. If you build it, they will come, and all that. Or, rather: if you build it, you may lose some of your old punters due to the new music policy, but then hopefully other people come. (Not sure that would have worked in Field Of Dreams, but still). And in the meantime, you market the hell out of the place to get those fresh faces in there.
But enough of all that… Because - just as on the night when I felt like a failure, only to be invited to China - a similar thing happened last night; when after the above conversation, I got back to my room, chatted to V about what had happened (thank goodness she was here!) and checked my emails.
I’d received one from a Malaysian drummer, inviting me to perform at a new jazz club he’s setting up in Jakarta, Indonesia, for a week after I’ve finished in Penang. It turns out from speaking to T that this guy is very famous and well-connected in Asia; but regardless of who he was, I was absolutely up for doing the gig.
And so it goes: after Penang, I’ll probably be going to Jakarta for a week.
And after that: T has asked me if I’m interested in taking over the jazz section of his agency in London.
I’ve said “Yes”.
Both of these events - and the China invitation - have made me think again about a quotation by the Scottish mountaineer WH Murray, which I stumbled across some months ago. At the time, I immediately forwarded it to B - The One Who I Shouldn’t Be Speaking To Right Now - because he set himself an amazing project to do last year, and from it, all kinds of incredible meetings and opportunities arose.
It comes from the beginning of Murray’s book The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, from 1951:
“… but when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money— booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
‘Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!’”
Turns out the Goethe quotation is actually something of a misquotation; but you get the idea. And in fact, it’s not so much about the Goethe quote as about Murray’s earlier point: that from one step, making one commitment, so many other, unforeseen things flow. It really is quite magical.
February 19th, 2008 at 8.20pm
Yes, no one knows who actually said that Goethe quote, but we know it wasn’t Goethe. BUT whoever said it, it is a wonderful line. Funnily one of the first things I said to karen - and one of the reasons we got together - was that quote. And she had it pinned up on her noticeboard the first time I met her.
February 19th, 2008 at 8.21pm
Or as Jim hawes says in White Merc “How do you get to Moscow? By going to Moscow”. Remember him?
February 19th, 2008 at 8.36pm
and “How do you get Carnegie Hall? Practice.” :-). so lovely that quote means something to you and Karen. it is indeed wonderful.
February 19th, 2008 at 9.02pm
“A journey of a 1ooo miles begins with a single step” - Confucious
“Just Do It” - Nike
Carpe Diem etc.
February 19th, 2008 at 9.14pm
Sounds like really good news.
A couple of other quotes:
“The beginning is the most important part” Blaise Pascal
“Do or Don’t Do, No try.” Yoda
February 19th, 2008 at 10.55pm
This always does it for me:
Peter Marwood: Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day, and for once I’m inclined to believe Withnail is right. We are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell.
February 19th, 2008 at 11.00pm
Followed by:
Withnail: Right, here’s the plan. First, we go in there and get wrecked, then we eat a pork pie, then we drop some Surmontil-50’s each. That way we’ll miss out on Monday and come up smiling Tuesday morning.
February 19th, 2008 at 11.01pm
Pete: Styx
February 20th, 2008 at 12.46am
love them all.
also not forgetting Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right”.
February 20th, 2008 at 1.31am
Rachel, I have forgiven him for the Styx thing. He was right, I never did anything with it!
February 20th, 2008 at 1.32am
Mind you, I am just marking another 50 translations and though I am already 5 in it still feels like another 1000 miles to go!
February 20th, 2008 at 4.48am
Pete: remember that one about measuring virility in inches of scripts?
February 20th, 2008 at 4.49am
And Andrea - how fantastic for you. Leaps and bounds of opportunities. Really glad that your future is bright and tangible xx
February 20th, 2008 at 11.17am
what was ‘the Styx thing’?
thanks, Rachel. x
February 20th, 2008 at 5.04pm
I’ll let Pete tell. It’s his joke after all
February 20th, 2008 at 9.34pm
It’s more a dialogue I made up for my never-to-be-finished novel:
Location: Smokey Irish Pub in Kentish Town
The boys have been round collecting for the cause. Man 1 asks our hero about one of the IRA members in the bar:
Man 1: “Why is he called Sticks? Is it cos he’s the expert on dynamite”
Our Hero: “No, you’re spelling it wrong. It’s cos if you cross him, you’re dead!”
You need to know your Greek mythology but I liked it and so did Jim and he used in it his (finished) novel. I got over it though.
February 21st, 2008 at 1.37am
ha! that reminds me of some joke I heard aeons ago about The Corrs being pro-IRA because of their name.
February 21st, 2008 at 1.39am
haha, took me a while but I got it eventually. V.g.
February 21st, 2008 at 4.23am
Reminds me of a gag I heard the other day. The comedian was telling how he had a flat around the corner from Carnegie Hall. Says it was the easiest place to get to that he’d ever lived. Just told him friends to practice, practice, practice, then turn left.
Hahahhaaaa. Made me laugh, just now again.
Love this post, btw. You’re absolutely right. Dunno whether it was my friend Go Heth. But it sure is a good idea.
Great news about Indonesia and taking over the London agency thingy.
WIsh I was on the beach with you my friend. xx
February 21st, 2008 at 12.31pm
Sarah - thanks. and love the gag. and wish you’d been there on the beach too. xx
February 22nd, 2008 at 2.13am
A most interesting read (by the way I concur with Sarah W). I have been meaning to send you a comment, so could not resist after reading your blog “Boldness, genius, power, magic and other stuff” (admitedly a couple of days after you wrote it) Very glad to see the world according to soldier [Murray] as well as the Goethe quote strikes a chord. Thats why I do what I do for a living and why I am the way I am.
Keep going - you never know whats round the next corner. Once you “begin it” - if its good embrace it, if it’s not punch it on the nose and move on.
xx
February 22nd, 2008 at 2.33am
thanks Si
xx
December 15th, 2010 at 6.42pm
In my experience the commitment to action - indeed that initial action - does seem to free up a lot of positive currents. It’s as if the Universe(God/The Is/Insert Fave Deity Here) says “Oh, you really want to do it? Oh, well …in that case…”.
I just hope the Universe wants you to sing jazz in Madrid some time.
D
ps:Jazz clubs are God’s way of saying sorry for all the shitty stuff.