The End of Nostalgia

I reminded my friends of the Cream of Reuben soup an old family restaurant served during our salad days. This sent Kugler into an absurdist bout with the past in which we found alternative histories for our favorite diners, family restaurants and hotdog joints, all since closed. The only person who would be slightly amused has already seen it. Regardless:

Forsey's

In the 1500s and 1600s, many men from Dorset earned their living off the sea. Each spring fleets of fishing vessels would make the great journey across the North Atlantic ocean to fish in the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland. They would spend the summer fishing, drying and salting their catch - then back to England to sell their cargo. By the 1700s the English government was actively promoting settlement in Newfoundland. My Forsey ancestors left the town of Netherbury in Dorset in the 1700s for economic opportunity in Newfoundland. More here.

Bobo's

The Bobo have lived in Western Burkina Faso for centuries, with some estimates dating back to 800 A.D. It is generally believed that theymoved into this area from the north. One of the primary reasons forthis thinking is that they speak a language considered to be part ofthe Mande family, which originates to the north in Mali. Throughout the history of the region, other peoples, like the Zara, have also moved into the area, influencing the Bobo and sometimes being either partially or wholly absorbed into Bobo agricultural society. More here.

Spring Garden

Spring Garden Music began in 1982 as the name given to a bunch of raucous improvisers from Philadelphia. Some of these musicians lived in a house on Spring Garden Street, that was owned by a rambunctious 40-year-old (now 62) saxophonist, Jack Wright. It became the name for the label of his first record, and then more generally for the adventure of himself and his musical partners. This music expanded and changed as he criss-crossed North America, and also Europe, adding partners from everywhere, in performances and private sessions. After a 16-year disappearance in the wilds of Colorado, Jack returned to the East Coast in 2003, and now lives in nearby Easton PA, on--amazingly enough--a street named Spring Garden. He travels even wider horizons, and brings back players from afar to the No Net weekends he arranges at the house in Philadelphia. He has also stocked the house with improvisers, ready to receive visitors interested in like-minded musical experiences. At present these are Dave Smollen, percussion and electronics; Evan Lipson, bass; Carlos Santiago, violin; and Alban Bailly, guitar. More here.