A Few Weird Chords for Nick

October 24, 1992

 

 

I'll play this one in "C"
That way
He could play
along.
He would.

And, I'd change
to that
Om Pah
Stride style
He grew-up with.

Not "modern"
enough for us kids
in High School
drawing sun glasses, bérets and goatees
in our textbooks
Á la Diz

Had to be hip!
Dissonance was
the thing.
Kenton, Shearing, City of Glass.
We'd stand together
at 14
Stan Kenton Bludgeoning
the smoky air
in the Eagle's ballroom,
Maynard on top
screaming flatted epithets
at the crowd.

It was so cool
so crazy
A generation beyond
Jellyroll
Riverboat Rascals

Banjos.

II.
When Pop died
My left hand sought the
Joplin
Chopin
(We called it Boom/Chink)
Had to put it down
then
Not cool
then.

III.
Now,
Nick beside me
blowing on his harp,
He
seeking complex weirdness
I
clear roots.

that is how it goes:
The child feels for ancient wisdom
The parent seeks in youth
a place he will never visit.

So Nick and I
trade fours

He plays the fundamentals
I, the altered notes.

IV.
When he died
We were left noodling
in the air
His C and G
spawning
unexplainably weird harmonies.

For Nick DeMeo