london postscript

... so, anyway, as atanase and i made our way from the overland rail link to the tube station for the second leg of the well-timed journey back, we agreed that we have (as an unfortunate side-effect) become spoiled by the condensed self-imposed educational regimes we have both undergone. "we have heard so much, in such a short space of time", said a., "- perhaps if we saw that concert a few years ago, we would think it was great, you know." and yep, i did know cos it's precisely true. there was nothing wrong with it - and indeed much right with it. yes, at times we probably ask too much (of ourselves and/or others)

creative free jazz - it is true, one never runs out of steam so long as there is fuel in the setup, never runs out of potential because (as with improv) one is required only to bring oneself fully to the date, a basic essential requirement for making the scene in the first place... yes, just for turning up - but this rather than some checklisted bag of trix.

but as regards any sort of cutting edge, right now in the distant hinterlands where only frontier posts yet subsist, this was a long way back from even getting news from there, not so much as a postcard. as regards the state of the avant-garde... i have been planning to make an examination of whether that particular french borrowing is salvageable, can be reclaimed from the dustbin of polite utility... watch this space, just don't hold yr breath, y'all know the drill by now :)