Rome

From an email to a friend:

I think I could stop playing guitar, but why would I want to.
To me it would be like having a great realization and no longer sitting zazen…
We don’t sit to become enlightened, but because it refreshes us. Just as I tune the strings of the guitar I feel that I am tuned in turn by sitting zazen.

Yesterday I tried to think of every quality I associate with myself… and realized I am not holding on to them anymore. They are not important, in fact they are quite meaningless. Just as a signpost that points to Rome is not the city of Rome, anything associated with me (either by myself or by family, friends or fans or the press) is not me.

Quote of the day

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.
Anais Nin (French born American Author of novels and short stories, 1903-1977)

I have often wondered why I have found certain books or met certain people at certain times… it was as if these books or people were sent to teach me… then I realized they had been there all along, but I only noticed them because I was ready and able to see them…

Siesta

Finding shade for a siesta2
Guys were patching plaster on my house. Adobe needs to be tended to regularly… When I walked outside around noon I saw them lying under a truck. That alarmed me at first, but then I noticed they were just relaxing… taking a siesta… cool!

LL: New Music

New in the Listening Lounge today:

The debut album by Californian nouveau flamenco guitarist Steve Stephen. We met Steve last year and like his music. He is young and talented and it will be exciting to see where he goes from here. His self-titled album is a beautiful start.

Two additional Ottmar Liebert LIVE recordings from 2004: the 3 1/2 minute Kora/Strat/Berimbau Intro to Snakecharmer and the Querencia/Spring Rain/New Horizon medley. Explanation: we don’t offer the Live recording of Snakecharmer itself, because the publishing for that song is controlled by Sony. The band consisted of OL – guitars, Jon Gagan – bass + synth, Ron Wagner – berimbau + percussion, Robby Rothschild – Kora + percussion

Enjoy!