Leopard's Book Shelf

From time to time, folks ask the Leopard what he's reading. Unfortunately, the answer is somewhat complicated, because I usually have several books going simultaneously. The Leopard's reading habits are somewhat idiosyncratic:  I tend to read one book for a while in spurts, then switch to another sometimes several times a day. Often the subjects can be fairly diverse, as I have many interests. But they tend to be centered around the arts.  Were I forced to make a choice of what kind of books I read the most under torture (say, someone pulling nose hairs out one at a time with a pair of tweezers), it would be probably be biography, because I am most fascinated by what makes a person become what he or she becomes.

Here's a list of some of the books I'm reading at the moment. We'll add more books to the shelf as they become available.

1. Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki A beautifully drawn graphic novel about two teenage girls in high school in a very special friendship.

2. Introducing Kafka by David Zane Mairowitz; Illustrated by Robert Crumb A beginner's guide to Kafka, magnificently illustrated by Crumb.

3. Bicycle Diaries by David ByrneA fascinating travelogue around the world on a two-wheeler by the former Talking Head.

4. It's About That Time by Richard Cook One of the many books I've read on Miles Davis, this one is notable for an LP by LP assessment of every significant ( by the author's estimation) record Miles ever made.

5. No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July

A collection of short stories so original that I'm re-reading them. A Wonderful quirky style. By the brilliant filmmaker/performance artist/writer/actress.

6.  Thelonious Monk  by Robert D.G. Kelley The definitive biography about the genius musician composer Monk.

7.  The Talented Miss Highsmith by Joan Schenkar Entertaining and superbly written, Schenkar's biography of the novelist responsible for Two Strangers On A Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley and many other stories is remarkably candid.

Some of My Favorite Artists (2) : Ornette!

The Leopard once had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting the great Pulitzer-Prize winning saxophonist/composer/trumpeter/violinist Ornette Coleman. The organization I worked with at the time was putting together a tribute to his music, and along with some colleagues, I had lunch with the legendary musician one crisp Fall day at a local restaurant near our offices.

For such a world famous, highly respected artist, Coleman treated everyone at the table like family. Not in the true sense of the word, mind you, in the familiar, but regarded each and everyone of us with a graciousness I've rarely experienced from one so accomplished.

Ornette Coleman shocked the jazz world back in 1959 when he and the brilliant young trumpeter Don Cherry and band appeared at the legendary Five Spot jazz club in New York with a new, already fully formed style of music based on a complex system devised by Coleman called harmolodics. Coleman was at first greeted by fellow musicians and critics with derision, (much like that of Thelonious Monk in the beginning) who harped on his use of a plastic saxophone and the unfamiliar avant-garde sound (which, in turn, effectively started a movement). Still, some well-established musicians, like Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, embraced this exciting new music.

Listening to his first album, The Shape of Jazz To Come now, it's hard to believe so many people thought the music was difficult. So full of melody, beautiful solos, and soul stirring blues performances, only the most closed-ear listener wouldn't appreciate its brilliance.

Coleman has went on to make many more excellent recordings, movie soundtracks, and modern classical pieces as well as garnering unprecedented critical acclaim. In 2006, he received the Pulitzer Prize for the music on his CD Sound Grammar.

At the lunch with Coleman, like any star-struck fan, The Leopard trudged along several dusty LP's, including At Town Hall, which Coleman dutifully signed, as well as for a few others at the table.
I can't remember specifically much of what was said in conversation that day, but I do remember the thrill of being the presence of a true humble genius.