Have you ever had a person change your life and then disappear - only to be rediscovered years later?
I had that happen last night at the City Winery, after the John McEuen concert.
David Amram had been a large part of my formative musical life during the 70's.
First, I bought "No More Walls" in 1972 - purchased, almost by accident, only because of his association with Jack Kerouac - my hero at the time. The sounds ranged from movie soundtracks to Latin jazz to Ramblin' Jack Elliot to classical. It was one of my first "What the ...?" moments!
Then I started researching...
Leonard Bernstein, with his expansive world view of music, was an early inspiration to me - and he mentioned David Amram in his books - having chosen him to be the first composer-in-residence of the NY Philharmonic!
"Splendor In The Grass" was on that album. Well, it turns out David composed that movie soundtrack, plus "The Manichurian Candidate" for good measure.
"Brazilian Memories" was there as well. I read that that was inspired by a jam with Bob Dylan on a beach. Dylan?!
I already knew that he did the "Pull My Daisy" soundtrack, accompanying Kerouac's readings, for the 1959 Robert Frank documentary.
Then I went to University in London to study architecture.
Was it really a surprise that I spent a semester at The Royal Academy Of Music studying the relationships between architecture, music and poetry?
Not after being exposed to Bernstein and Amram...
Several years later, after college, when I lived in Texas from '77 to '80, David performed at each year's Kerrville Folk Festival. But my memory was always the same - David wandering the after hours campfire sites, carrying a French Horn, hand drum and flutes - always in the same overhauls and red flannel shirt, looking to learn something and make yet more good music...
And then I moved on... until last summer ('08) in Provincetown, Ma. - a great used bookstore and a copy of David Amram's biography "Vibrations" on the shelf!
28 years since I'd last thought about him... and I felt great about introducing my wife, Sarah, to him. Sarah was particularly moved by his wondrous description of his childhood life on the family farm, and his sad final departure from it during the war.
Forward to last night, John McEuen introduces David as the "world's biggest teenager"; the concert's great - no French Horn for David, but double whistles and hand drums, with John's banjo - what else?
Afterwards, David was busily engaged in conversation with John's wife, so I quickly said hello and started to tell him about his influence on my life - but stopped because I was interrupting - and left.
Cut to the front sidewalk on Varick Street, talking with Norris, AJ and Gail - and I almost get tackled by a 79 year old ex-composer-in-residence for the NY Philharmonic!
Twenty minutes later, after fishing around through endless jacket pockets, he sticks a CD in my hand, saying: "This one's not even out yet...! I look, and handwritten on a blank CD in the composer's writing is "Variations On A Theme By Woody Guthrie" by David Amram (2008).
As we're finishing up, he hands me another CD, I reach for my wallet, and he waves me off and says: "This is for Kerrville... those were some of the best times in my life."
Mine, too. David.
Only when I get home do I look and see the cover photo of David in his trademark overhauls and flannel shirts - looking remarkably 70's ish - and the track entitiled "Kerrville To Cairo" - featuring Vassar Clements and David on Lakota Courting Flute!
Right before I'd left him, I asked him where he's living these days - 28 years later... 'Oh, I'm on a farm in upstate NY..."
Sarah was happy - the circle had closed for David Amram, and after all, that was the theme of the night at a John McEuen concert!
David Amram's Site
Wikipedia Page
U-Tube: Pull My Daisy - NY Times
David Amram Today - NY News Spot
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