...being the observations and navigational extracts
from the ongoing expeditions of San Francisco Piano Pop trio
True Margrit

Monday, December 22, 2008

Compelling & Compiling

HI Y'all! Wow! The end of the the year is often most compelling by virtue of the films that get trotted out late to have a good shot at Oscars, and so far this year is no exception. I was really impressed with the script, acting, direction, total concept for "Frost/Nixon. ALSO, "Milk" is devastating ( esp if you are from San Francisco and ESPECIALLY if you see it at the Castro Theatre so close to many of those actual events...!!) This week I saw the film that has tied with "Wall.E" for my personal fave of 2008: "Slumdog Millionaire"!!!!!!!!!! check this out--it's like "Midnight's Children" meets Great Expectations"/"Oliver Twist"... BRILLIANT! Most compelling. There are of course more movies coming out on X-mas day, but it will be hard for them to match the above films...

I have a demo of my new song: UNRELIABLE NARRATOR on a special myspace page dedicated to my new tunes, so drop by to become friends--it's different than the regular True Margrit page, where, incidentally, in the upcoming weeks-- yes weeks -- we will start posting some preview mixes from our upcoming CD, "The Juggler's Progress" ! Oh yes. I have been compiling ( as I explained in an earlier blog: picking the choicest bits) lead vocals most feverishly. One more tune to go!!! Then we mix-- and then we rock.


Dianne Nola & I are playing for y'all at Bazaar Cafe on New Year's Eve ( early--at 7:00 to 9:30) I hear rumors about Foodsexy songs getting played at some point that night...hmmmm, more on that real soon...

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Buzz for NYC

Howdy--I've been meaning to tell all y'all all about all this, so let's all go back in time a few weeks, shall we?

Toward the end of November I played a solo set at Alex Walsh's CD Release show at Bazaar Cafe. Alex is a very very talented singer/songwriter /guitarist and he's recently been doing some writing about his engagement with Buddhism-- as heard in many of the tunes from his show (and his new cd). For my part, when I looked at my setlist later, I realized I hadn't played one single tune from our upcoming CD ( how perverse of me! But y'all will be hearing those tunes a lot when we release the CD!), instead I played some older tunes-- some from SEAWORTHY) and some brand new songs.

Anyhoo , after the show I had some grilled cheese and green apple sandwiches with my friend Alex Pena ( yes! it was a night of Alexes) and I then I got to work on a surprise novelty track I will post when done ( more on that soon--ok here's a hint: I sampled JULIA CHILD!!!. Oooooh--the goddess!

I had all the next day to::
pack for NYC ( oh god, they have real weather there!!)
comp vocals
charge my phone
charge the camera
leave the house in time for the 8pm BART train to SFO

I think I achieved 3 outta five--not bad ( ie there are no photos to share from the trip--I forgot the camera entirely, and I got the 8:45 train--oops) I nonetheless got to the airport in plenty of time for the redeye to the east coast. Ouch. But y'know it's all worth it when you see that prolonged sunrise that starts with snaking strata of bloodred bands that eventually widen & brighten & burst into the optimistic flames of dawn and then you look down at a teeny Statue of Liberty and say, "god bless America whose president is soon to be Barack Obama!"

Amen. After a hazy layover at JFK, I flew on to Boston to meet Sarah for one night in Lowell with her family, then we took a Greyhound to New Haven for a night with Susan & Brian ( Susan made a delicious tagine--a Morroccan stew that is now my new obsession). Then we took a commuter train to Grand Central and taxi to the upperwestside and the site of the inflation of the Buzz Lightyear balloon for the Macy's Day T-giving Parade--the very event Sarah was there to video for the Pixar documentary dept. As the day progressed the throngs got throngier and throngier and the choruses of : "LOOK! BUZZ LIGHTYEAR" more and more frequent. Surreal and fun! The next am Sarah got to film the Buzz balloon in action being pulled by surprisingly chipper balloon handlers, including but not limited to the creator of Buzz Lightyear, John Lasseter. She only had one wee spill onto the pavement, which considering the mad tempo the parade takes, is not bad. Then, with the parade over and her duties all discharged, we were free to move about the city--and move we did. We shot over to the lowereastside and crashed for the rest of the visit with Angela, our gracious NYC hostess. We ate a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner at Virage on 2nd Ave & 7th ( I'd never had Thanksgiving at a restaurant & it was awesome, although I must admit, I was tempted to ask for more stuffing & gravy, but refrained out of my fundamental sense of propriety).
The next day we had a mini festival of art--the Guggenheim & the Whitney. Catherine Opie's photos were cool esp the Ice Houses, but we didn't love the big group show : theanyspacewhatever ( whatever indeed). At the Whitney we were enchanted with the sublime Alexander Calder show, with some of his famous mobiles + more more more. LOVED IT! We had some tasty Chinese food in the uppereastside and also caught the new Baz Luhrmann film AUSTRALIA. Yow! The next day Susan & Brian came down from CT & joined us for breakfast at Cafe Mogador, a stroll through a bunch of Chelsea galleries (there was a Patti Smith sighting at an abstract expressionist show --oooh!) and Sarah had a bizarre dumpster score: she found a box packed with prescription pill bottles which were filled with two golf balls each and the golf balls were inscribed, "AIr Force" ( ???! challenging to describe in all its glory--but ever so compelling). We headed to Balthazar in Soho for heavenly donuts at teatime, and back to Mogador for dinner. Full circle. I mean fill circle. The next day Sarah headed back to SF & I was left to my own devices. Naturally I ate some good NYC grub ( pizza, more Balthazar donuts, felafel), saw a movie & headed to the Bitter End to hear some live music. I particularly enjoyed Satchel Boogie. The next day Susan returned and we hit the MOMA. Oh yes yes. The big show there right now is Van Gogh. Sigh. That night I played at TWO open mics: Cafe Vivaldi and Kenny's Castaways. Vivaldi has an awesome grand piano which I enjoyed playing loudly and Kenny's has a less fancy piano. My buds Nigel, Esme, Angela and Laura T came out to listen & hang. My two fave artists from the eve: CRAIG GREENBERG and THE WORKING EFFECTIVE. The next am I had ONE MORE donut from Balthazar's ( a girl has to do what a girl must do), I hit the Strand ( but not for X-mas presents for anyone, Sarah) and then brunch with Nigel. I took the F to the A and the Airtrain to JFK & Jetblue to SFO and my self and all those acronyms got some sleep.