Butterflies and Zebras and Moonbeams by Gerry Fialka
Butterflies and Zebras and Moonbeams by Gerry Fialka
Well, she’s walking, through the clouds
With a circus mind that’s running wild
Butterflies and Zebras,
and Moonbeams and fairy tales.
That’s all she ever thinks about.
Riding with the wind. — Jimi Hendrix, Little Wing
I heard these lyrics from musicians on the Boardwalk recently. This rainbow of lyricism reminds me how lucky we are.
Ah, Venice! Where one might hear Mary Jane singing gloriously out loud at 7am in the Canals, free as a bird. I did. Wow! She truly celebrates the musical magic of our dear Beach town in her art, theatre, history books and videos. Thank you MJ. Her presence evokes Jimi Hendrix, who hung out in Venice. His enchanting lyrics resonant with MJ, and all the astounding Venice music-makers.
According to Venice historian Marty Liboff, Frank Zappa and Mothers played The Cheetah Club (near Navy and the Boardwalk) on June 28, 29, 30, 1968. They paraded out of the old biker club right onto the Boardwalk ala “second-lining,” the quintessential New Orleans dance party art form. The fanfare flourishes. Venetian Bruce Langhorne, of Bob Dylan fame, lead Boardwalk music parades every week right after Katrina to help people in need. Jessica Long and Johann Stein have carried on the Fat Tuesday N’awlins spirit for years, and we all truly missed them this year.
One of my favorite Boardwalk music moments can be seen on YouTube. Search “Magic Sticks” and “Sean O’Brien.” Sean was the lead singer of “The Cripples,” who tells his life story in this engaging film by Bruce Meade and Z Weyand. In one scene, Sean is running on the Boardwalk with the aid of two crutches. It seems impossible, but he does not fall. Pure punk rock. His tenacity and courage is inspiration for everyone.
Sean’s perseverance evokes the words of William Parker, the free jazz musician and poet in the New York Times 2–9–21: “Cosmic funk will save the world. When you play music in this world, you’re actually stepping into another world. No matter what’s happening with you, whether you owe 10 months’ rent, or you’re dealing with some kind of mental anxiety or hardship, the music takes over and you step into the tone world.”
He elaborated with an analogy in which sound is water. “When it vibrates, it turns into steam and changes properties and appearance. When it changes, you step into another place, and in there there’s a vision of a corridor of light. You walk down the corridor, and at the end there’s a door. Behind that door are the secrets of life. Every time you play music, you’re able to open that door and take one of the secrets of life out and keep that. When the music stops, it isn’t the music that actually stops — you stop. The music continues on. So, you play music again, and you play it again, and each time you get a glimpse of what’s beautiful. No matter where you are, no matter what’s happening, you look up and you’ll see a beautiful sky. I’ve never seen an ugly sky. It’s just ringing with hope and joy. That’s our teacher. Musicians are philosophers. They’re scientists, thinkers, multidimensional people. This community has a wealth of stories that could help people.”
The musicians on the Boardwalk help people. These folks are healers. One of the exceptional forces, Alan Robinson, has lead the collective “Phlyte Risk 420” for over a decade in front of the Waterfront, just north of Rose Ave. Al is truly a shining star, who goes way beyond being a stellar cross between Fats Waller and Herbie Hancock, and Wes Montgomery and Jimi Hendrix. But it is Al’s uniqueness that shimmers in supreme sound on both keys and guitar. His dedication to fiery soul-rock-fusion is infectious. Al’s phrasing is timeless and distinctive. That’s why he played with Dr. Dre, members of Earth, Wind & Fire, Lakeside and Tony Maiden of Rufus. Here’s to you, Mr. Robinson! Bravissimo . . .and mo . . .and mo.
Al Robinson attracts some of the finest players in Venice. Here is an incomplete list of some of his collaborators. I apologize to those who did not make this list. In the future, please talk to me, and I’ll follow with more articles on Boardwalk musicians.
Al has collaborated with many, including:
Steve-O — rock solid funk bass, drummer and good person
Benny — guitar hero with heartfelt chops up the ying-yang,
Greg Sanford — lead singer and guitarist, who was one of the first singers in Motley Crue,
Soldier — master congas and percussion,
and a slew of funky drummers including Lorenzo (Berklee grad), Jah Lion, Mike Steel, D Rock, Wes, Jacob . . .it’s endless.
Vinnie “Enzo” DiGaetano has been on the Boardwalk forever, painting and playing bad ass bass with everyone. His clown paintings are an institution in the intensive care ward of Dwight Frye and beyond. Catch him with Neal, guitar monster with master tone. Vinnie has played with Joey California, who energetically combines Zak Wylde-ness with Jimi’s dynamism.
Words cannot express the transcendent mystery of music. Yet, both William Parker and Jimi Hendrix have words that get close to amplifying the thrills of song; that mama heartbeat, that melodic murmur, that jubilant jingle. Close your eyes and hum along.
Hendrix’s “Butterflies and Zebras” conjures adoration of colorful rainbows and multi-culturalism. In closing, I’d love to do more than a “slight return” to Jimi’s words, which resound and affirm the Boardwalk’s seescape: “Pretty soon I believe people will have to rely on music to get some kind of peace of mind, or satisfaction, or direction, actually. More so than politics, the big ego scene. You know it’s an art of words… Meaning nothing. Therefore you will have to get an earthier substance, like music or the arts. . . . We want our sound to go into the soul of the audience, and see if it can awaken some little thing in their minds. . . . You’ve got to have a purpose in life. But I’m not here to talk, I’m here to play.”
Play on, Brothers and Sisters.
Preeminent multi-instrumentalist Kahlil Sabbagh recently played two hours of Frank Zappa songs on his marimba on the Boardwalk. Zappa’s manifesto appeared in the song Packard Goose from Joe’s Garage. The following seven lines can be a clarion call for all of us to ride like a musicians into the dawn . . . going to the Boardwalk soon. So walk through the clouds, with a circus mind running wild, dream of notes that would irritate music executives, ride with the Butterflies and Zebras and Moonbeams, and then . . . all we will ever think about is . . .
“Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST.” — Frank Zappa, Packard Goose
Now, turn that walk into a musical parade through the clouds, in a semi-catatonic state, and synesthesially dream your own fairytales of Venice Boardwalk see scapes
I welcome your feedback & feedforward — Laughtears.com
Please tune in to Radiovenice.tv on Sunday May 23 ,2021 at 4:20pm pacific for Frank Zappa Celebration with Kahlil Sabbagh, Gerry Fialka, Tyler Bartram and Zach Tabori.
from the March 2021 issue #463 of
https://freevenicebeachhead.com/
https://twitter.com/venicebeachhead?lang=en
UPCOMING:
*** Sat, May 22,2021 It’s All Write Ma — Dylan Celebration — Zimmy Zoomin’ https://www.facebook.com/events/373078470435815/
*** Sun, Nov 14,2021
PXL THIS 31 Toy Camera Film Festival https://www.facebook.com/events/848200315947916/
see PXL THIS 30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n37t6IFU5jQ&t=3811s
See THE VENICE FILM FEST 18th films at https://www.facebook.com/events/1594236250781655
and VENICE PHOTOs 11th at https://poetryofvenice.shutterfly.com/pictures and click on “Pictures and Video” at https://poetryofvenice.shutterfly.com/
ZOOM Funnery (aka LZS Laughtears Zoomin Salons) with Gerry Fialka
1:25 to 2:10 pacific time on Mon, Tues, Wed,
and every Saturday (2–4 pacific) RSVP at pfsuzy@aol.com for links
James Joyce VeniceWake every first Tuesday (next April 6, 2021 -pg598)
McFinn discussion group -tba more info:
McFinn Salon by Germy Folkywayz
Lay on your laptop in a semiautomatic state and dream of a fun interactive salon on James Joyce and Marshall McLuhan…
Gerry’s interviews and McLuhanMashUps
at Clinton’s youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/clintonthegeek
“In Eskimo, the word “to make poetry” is the word “to breathe”; both are derivatives of anerca — the soul, that which is eternal: the breath of life. A poem is words infused with breath or spirit…” — Edmund Carpenter
Please be familiar with these 4 Tetrad questions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrad_of_media_effects
