On the streets of Brooklyn

Bye bye New York, love you, hello London, love you too

Hugging a tree in Brooklyn - look at my brown paper bag, so NYC

Jam in an artist studio

I've just had a lovely jam with some wonderful folk in the art studio workshop home of Larry and Mary. Thanks Larry and Mary you were so kind. I joined the regular session of artist performers with harmonica, guitars, flute, keyboard, bass, kazoo and more. I suggested some Carter family, and others led on a Bo Diddley song and a bit of Hendrix. I haven't had a jam for ages, it was great and the people were so nice. Claudio took pictures and video on his hot up-to-the-minute camera.

Another New York day

We've had no water last night, as the water workers are doing some work on the water. Debs thinks everyone else is probably using the water because that's the New Yorker way. Thank goodness it's nearly day and we will have water again in half an hour.

I'm thinking about going to a museum this morning. Either Brooklyn Museum or the Guggenheim. We're not going to do the painting today, because we have dinner guests this evening. Debs is doing turkey and basmati rice. She's a great cook. More than great. Really, really impressed.

Dried Fruit and Christmas Lights

Went to this excellent, amazing food store on Atlantic Avenue and bought lovely dried fruit. Apricots from Turkey and dates from California, dried without sulphur. Yum yum yum. I had to eat the dried figs straight away. And the dried cranberries. I love dried cranberries and they are something that's SO much cheaper in New York.

I then bought some Xmas lights of the type that Debs said that she wanted, and when I got home she'd bought 4 boxes of them. Jeesh, my good ideas didn't work out. But I managed to get some paint thinner. I realise now that hardware stores in NYC are not really like British hardware stores. They are more like chemists and homeware stores, with a little bit of hardware in the corner. Which is why I didn't find a hardware store earlier.

On the way back from Mitch's we walked through picturesque Cobble Hill and he pointed out a plaque on one of the houses saying that Jennie Jerome was born and lived there, that is, Winston Churchill's mother. Nice house. I knew the story because I'd done a dissertation on Randolph Churchill, that is Winston's dad, for my history A level.

Q Train

Last evening I took the Q train from Brooklyn, over the Manhattan Bridge, to the East Village. Coming over the bridge at night, saw Manhattan's buildings all jumbled up in a high, angular heap, looked impressive and friendly. All that dirty industry, that mass of construction, vigorous and tense, decorated with coloured lights.

We went to Avenue A. Alphabet City. Makes me think of the Muppets. But Jim Henson lived in Brooklyn, not far from Debs, I'm told.

Sidewalk Cafe

Ooooh, I played piano for the first time ever at a gig last night and it was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. The piano was at a right angle to the audience, and I found it so strange to turn my head towards the audience and look at them while I was playing.

The sound was so good and professional in New York, felt different to London gigs in a good way. I think I would really like to play some Open Mics here, but doubt I have time. I have two more gigs this week at Tillie's Cafe here in Fort Greene on Friday, and at Banjo Jim's on Thursday.

I'm having such a cool time, and Debs is a great host.

Brooklyn Deb and Baynard Rush Hall

I'm in sunny Brooklyn staying with Debs in the most beautiful wooden house, built before the Civil War a couple of doors down from where Marianne Moore lived. It's an early three story frame house, built in 1853. Walt Whitman was a carpenter round here actually, and might have had a hand in the construction. It's now a row house. It's earlier than the other brownstone houses that are so classic around here, and which were constructed after the civil war.

In this strange tenement of open hardwood staircases and Deb's wonderful art a chap called Baynard Rush Hall once died. His father was George Washington's physician. A pretty famous American family, who had an important role in persuading Washington to take up his public office (apparently). I only stay in the very best places.

Baynard Rush Hall was a writer and teacher who began the University of Indiana. He was the first owner of this house. Dixie Kline Richardson has written his biography.

Baynard had a lot of kids but they all died before him. So sad.

If Deborah had never opened the letter addressed to 'Occupant' written by Dixie, when she was investigating Baynard, and called her back, she'd never know about it. And such an interesting history. Dixie must have spent years and years researching her book. Very beautiful.

There is a lot of American history in this house and in this street. I feel very, very privileged to be staying here.