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Quote by Tom Piazza

“Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John, once told me that when a brass band plays at a small club back up in one of the neighborhoods, it's as if the audience--dancing, singing to the refrains, laughing--is part of the band. They are two parts of the same thing. The dancers interpret, or it might be better to say literally embody, the sounds of the band, answering the instruments. Since everyone is listening to different parts of the music--she to the trumpet melody, he to the bass drum, she to the trombone--the audience is a working model in three dimensions of the music, a synesthesic transformation of materials. And of course the band is also watching the dancers, and getting ideas from the dancers' gestures. The relationship between band and audience is in that sense like the relationship between two lovers making love, where cause and effect becomes very hard to see, even impossible to call by its right name; one is literally getting down, as in particle physics, to some root stratum where one is freed from the lockstop of time itself, where time might even run backward, or sideways, and something eternal and transcendent is accessed.”

Quote by Tom Piazza

Work

Why New Orleans Matters

Why New Orleans Matters delves into the unique aspects of New Orleans, examining its role in American history, its vibrant music scene, and the city's resilience in the face of adversity. The book offers an in-depth look at the cultural contributions of New Orleans, including its influence on cuisine, music, and literature, while also discussing the social and political dynamics that have shaped the city's identity. more

Author

Tom Piazza
Tom Piazza

Tom Piazza, born in 1955, is an American author whose works span across novels, non-fiction, and poetry. He is known for his unique literary style and profound insights into the culture of the American South. more

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“(regarding the prelude from suite two)... The key is minor, the three notes a tragic triad. The tones move closer and closer to a harrowing vision, weaving spiter-like, relentlessly gathering sound into thighter concentric circle that come to an abrupt stop. Nothing fills the empty space. A tiny prayer is uttered.”