Playing with Cohen - great article

[ladydi]

YES! I did view the photos. This is such a sweet one...Roscoe with his son...and the hat! Also loved the first one from '69. They (the band) were SOOO young, including Roscoe! But then, weren't we all .

Perhaps everyone else knew, but it was so special to know that Roscoe and Jennifer fell in love....if only for a time.

Thanks again Marie! Gosh, it's just a short time until the concert starts in Austin....those lucky people!

All the best,
Diana

[kwills]

Just brilliant.

Especially loved the quote from Rafael Goyol - "....watching your back. And until you say otherwise, I'm right here." Wouldn't we all be?

Yes,i agree with this quote wholeheartedly.
A fantastic post.Thank you for posting it,by that I meant the whole article.

[imaginary friend]

This is a little off-topic, but Jennifer Warnes will be performing in Vancouver May 14, at the Chan Centre which is a great concert venue. After reading her comments in the article, I checked out tickets on the dreaded Ticketmaster – to my surprise, ALL seats were only $55 CAD each, including fees and taxes! So I bought 'em, Orchestra, Row J. Feel like I got a heck of a bargain.

[evewaldman]

"Leonard writes words that address what it means to be in a human skin. I've read poetry that has as much beauty as Leonard's work, but in the world of music, Leonard is a rarity. He's heavy, weighted heavy on the side of describing things that go on inside a heart, what it feels like to be here.

What a beautiful article! Brilliant, sensitive, intimate. Brad Bucholz's weaving of the stories of those who have worked with Leonard shows us what goes inside a heart, inside a band, at the back of Leonard.

Thanks so much, Marie, for sharing this article with us.

Eve

[bigdee]

Great artical thanks for posting it. Sad to learn from the artical Bill Ginn is no longer with us. I didn't know he had passed until I read this. Anyone know when he died? Recently or a while ago? I tried looking it up on the net but can't seem to find anything on it. I'm surprised I didn't see it posted on here. Maybe I missed it. Anyone know who else from LC's earlier bands have passed on? I remember reading in 2004 one of the singers (Laura Brannigan) from the 76 tour died. But other than that I never remember hearing anything about any of the others. Hopefully everyone else is still with us.

[melancholia]

POISONOUS!

as if he didn't already have my heart in his gentle hands..

swoon.

[mirka]

.
IMHO the best article of the tour so far.

I loved this:
When the tour with Passenger ended (in 1980), everybody fell into a depression. Two or three divorces right after the tour, and I think they were simply because the mates couldn't understand what had happened. There had been severe altering of personalities. Roscoe started wearing Armani suits. It was a mess. We'd call each other and say, 'What do we do now?' The aperture of the heart had been broken open.

There had been severe altering of personalities... ???
Roscoe started wearing Armani suits.... ???

I imagine being in the presence of Leonard Cohen for prolonged periods of times may be dangerous, what happens then to those who went to several of his concerts on this tour ?
Do I start to wear Armani, address people around per "darling", sign up for a Buddhist monastery ...???

[lizzytysh]

I'm so glad I was able to find the time to read this phenomenal article this morning.

Playing... and playing... with Cohen. There's really nothing to add to all that's been said by everyone else. I've just now had time to read this. Smiled, laughed, choked up, and cried. So much insight and sharing in this article, it's astoundingly caring and moves the heart word after word. This is the first I'm recalling hearing about the gathering in the park after the Austin concert. What a return he's made to that venue now. Memories that surely managed to stay with him.

Popcorn on the bus ? If I go on to quote other parts, this may end up as long as the article. In performance, I've seen Julie's head to Leonard's back. What rehearsals must have been like for her to be in such a privileged position for his songs. Raphael's comments got to me, too. How it must have seemed to everyone in the group that they were traveling in a timeless space that would go on forever as it was happening... and then what a devastating crash for them all when it ended. "The aperture of the heart had been broken open" ~ how well Roscoe and Jennifer, Julie and Sharon, and everyone who travels with Leonard must know him.

Thank you so much for posting this, Marie. It's the perfect one to have on hand when someone asks you who is Leonard Cohen. This article is precious and priceless. With a knot in my stomach, I reluctantly quit reading, as there simply were no words left; neither did I want it to end.


~ Lizzy

[Absent Mare]

Does anybody know about this chant?
I'd love to know the Latin words and the melody.


Ritual 2009

"We meet in the green room 15 minutes before we go on stage, everyone dressed and ready. It's very relaxed," Beck says. "Leonard has a cup of coffee. And there's a little chant we do, a vocal exercise, that Leonard taught us back in '79. We brought it back for this tour.

"It's three lines, sung, I think, in Latin. Translated into English, it means: 'I am a poor person. I have nothing. I need nothing.' Actually, we sing it in a round. It's very cool, and it kind of centers you a little bit. Sometimes we do it walking to the stage."

[Gercav]

This is a wonderful piece, I was moved by some of the descriptions of LC.Through the years I have often wondered what it is with LC and his words that makes that connection with the heart and soul.
I am still trying to figure that out, but then again maybe that will never happen, which is OK.

I went to the Dublin gig on the Saturday night, it was an honour.There is a wonderful video on youtube of that rainy sunday night in Dublin that is referred to in this article.

Leonard sings "So Long Marriane" and his wonderful audience helps him along the way.

Thanks again,looking forward to July, when Leonard Cohen once again graces Irelands shores.

[somewhat_nifty]

What a fantastic article, some great memories shared, thanks for posting. I wish Leonard still ended his concerts with an afterparty to which all were invited, but I can see that's not really feasible these days

The Latin chant sounds like it's the song round 'Ego sum pauper, nihil habeo, cor meum dabo' (I am a poor man, I have nothing, I will give my heart), except I don't know if Leonard has changed it or Roscoe has misremembered it. 'I need nothing' in Latin would be 'nihil requiro' (thought my Latin is a bit rusty!).

[yaniv297]

such a beautiful article... thank you for posting it

[Unspoken Words]

Great read... and insight. Thanks

[Edward Whitelock]

Great article. Thanks for posting it!

[Squidgy]

Yes, Megan, thanks so much for taking the time to post this.
I picked up the Austin States-Item when I was in Austin for the show, so I have this article in the original as a cherished keepsake. It was the cover story in the entertainment section. Great cover photo of Roscoe and his bass fiddle!! The bit about Leonard putting together a song the way he learned to sew a suit...that made a tremendous impression on me also, when first I read it. Loved it. Thanks again for posting it.
While in Austin I also met a wonderful young couple, Patrick and Melissa.(Y'all come out and post!!) Patrick said he'd attended Leonard's first Austin show at the Austin Municipal auditorium (now the Long Center), mentioned in the article, when the audience came onto the stage and the plug was pulled, so they all went out in the meadow and made more music and everybody was high and mellow. Ppatrick said it was a great memory, and now he was bringing Melissa to her first Leonard concert at the Long Center...will the circle be unbroken?