First Jazz Experience: Patricia Barber -Cafe Blue

听爵士的触动要从以前的一张Patricia Barber 的“Cafe Blue" 缘起，那个时候一张进口CD在发烧音响店里大概要买168元，而且只有屈指可数的几十张寥落的散在Hi-Fi器材里，大概都是巡视一周就到旁边的打口小店去了。很幸运地，邻居买了这张碟，隆重地介绍给我。不知道Patricia Barber可不可以规类于都市蓝调，和奥尔良的传统蓝调区分。坚持写自己的东西，演奏时边弹奏钢琴边演唱。也会融入一些POP歌曲元素。

黄昏，亦或雨夜，屋里飘荡着那段音乐“I need you, I lost you, what a shame；no sunrise，no coffee，What a shame...", 可能当时经历的事情已经淡忘了，但是那些场景还是异常清晰地回荡。

都市冷清而游离的陋巷，推开pub的门，有昏黄的灯光; 嘈杂的背景和舞台上孤伤的爵士歌者，自弹自唱。贝司，钢琴和鼓，音乐里若有若无的冰冷词句。吞吐在空气中萦绕的烟圈，酒精地诱惑，并未得到安慰的抑郁灵魂...爵士，永远是属于夜晚的。


What a Shame
by Patricia Barber

The bluest morning ever
broke today
forego the nighttime
find the moon
in the afternoon
cry
all day
one is forgiven
much too soon

Another year has come
and gone my way
my blood is thicker
showing signs
of pathology
fast on the track
to decay
remorse as company
here to stay

I need you
I lost you
What a shame

The smoky faces lost
in this cafe
their lips forever chat
a grey uniformity
cry
all day
amazing lethargy
here to stay

I need you
I lost you
what a shame

no sunrise
no coffee
What a shame

No seaside
no trumpets-no beatniks
no poets-What a shame