Sparrows Dance Page #2

I don't know anyone getting

married or having a bar mitzvah.

No? Oh, that's okay.

I was just saying if you did, let me know.

I play the sax, and not

in a casual way either.

There's a clip of me playing at Smalls on that website.

Would you like some water?

Oh, no, I got to get

to another job.

I'm running a little late,

running my... Running my mouth.

Missing various plumbing rituals and whatnot.

But...

Save me a glass.

I'll enjoy it tomorrow.

Oh, f***.

Just a minute.

Hi.

Hi.

No work today?

I decided to

take the day off.

That all?

Yeah.

How'd you get up here?

Oh, door was

open downstairs.

I think somebody's moving something.

It's probably closed now.

I hope so.

May I come in?

Do you need anything?

I'll take that

glass of water.

Shouldn't be

too long today.

No?

I found those parts.

Took me a while

to find the parts,

but it shouldn't

be too long.

I'll be in the kitchen.

Okay, have some bologna.

It's done.

Just give me a call if anything

starts acting up with that toilet.

I don't think it will though,

it should be fine.

You see this?

This is what goes into your wall from the toilet.

You see how rusty that is?

Yeah.

All those rusty parts,

it adds up, you know.

Rusty water intake assembly,

rusty metered fill valve.

Rusty ballcock,

rusty flush valve,

rusty refill mechanism,

rusty bowl siphon.

Eventually, you got

no flow at all.

It's like an Italian prison.

My saxophone,

I'm always cleaning it with all kinds of oils.

You got to be anal

about it almost.

I went to your website.

You're very good.

You went on my website?

Isn't that why

you gave me the card?

Sure, I just never figured that anyone

was gonna actually go to the site.

I mean,

especially once they see me in this monkey suit.

I guess I just...

I never think anyone's gonna actually check it out.

I mean, I don't know if I, myself,

would check it out

if some plumber told me that

he was a saxophone player

and that there was a link on

the internet to go and hear it.

You're very good.

That's very good of you to say.

Thank you.

Most people don't

like the way I play.

My phasing is too raw.

I always like to think that it's like...

It's like new, you know,

it just takes a while to like, catch on.

You know, I spent

so many years,

like, slowly learning how to play every note perfectly.

But it got to where the notes, like,

had no feeling.

Feeling, that's what

I like about art.

You know, and not craftiness, like,

the hiding of feelings.

Oh, you really liked it?

Yes, I mean it.

Slow Boat To China,

excellent rendition. Phew!

That's a tough tune,

you know.

It's tough to be original with that one.

I mean,

I don't think I was too dishonest with it.

I mean, even though Coleman Hawkins played it.

So I was like...

"Why bother?

You know, Hawk played it better."

But I always

loved that tune.

And you can't let

someone else's genius

scare you off

your own genius.

I've always loved

that song too.

Are you a jazz fan?

I like all kinds of music.

Jazz, I'm not, like,

a crazy follower.

You... And I like

Kind of Blue.

You got some

Billie Holiday part...

I know a little

more than that.

I know some

Bud Powell records

and Don Cherry

and some Fats Navarro.

Fats Nav...

Oh, you are a jazz fan.

Fats Navarro,

that's like...

That's like Genet.

Something like that.

How do you mean?

I don't know, it's just...

It's tragic.

And beautiful.

Anyway, I don't

want to be too morbid.

Would you like to go

and see some jazz

or hear some jazz

with me some time?

I can't.

You can't? How come?

What, you got a jealous fella?

No. I just can't.

Uh... Okay.

No, I get it.

Um... Right.

Sorry you feel like that.

That was inappropriate

for me to ask.

I'm just here to fix your toilet.

It's, er... Yeah.

Um, you like,

go for the Handsome Dans or something.

I'll see myself out, get my saddle.

Thanks for the water.

Oh, I hope I didn't make you too

uncomfortable just now. Sorry.

We could have dinner.

We could?

If you don't mind

coming here for it.

Sure. Are you sure?

How about tomorrow night?

Tomorrow night?

Uh, what time?

8:
00.

because I won't have time

to change. Is that okay?

Sure. Informal.

You like pasta?

Yeah. I'm a vegetarian,

so, no meat.

But you're not a vegan?

No, I'm not

that annoying.

Vegetarian pasta.

I'm on it.

Good.

Yeah.

I'll see you

tomorrow night then.

Tomorrow night.

Fats Navarro.

Why don't you come?

Why don't you come?

Why don't you come?

Let me

Take you out to the village

Of love

And let me

Hold you tight

Let me

Treat you right

Oh, come on

Come on

Hey, hey, to the village

Of love

I'll tell your ma

I'll tell your ma

I'll tell your ma

You're going back

to Arkansas

Oh, come on

Come on

Hey, hey, out to the village

Of love

You don't have it?

Pepe Rosso.

Yes.

Hi, I'd like to order

for delivery.

For two.

Um...

Can I get some

of this bread?

Go for it.

You must work hard.

Yeah. I was working

down by the river,

over on Wall Street.

There was an elephant.

On Wall Street?

Yeah, some circus

promotion nonsense.

But back to you, where do you work?

What do you do?

I'm an executive.

Yeah? You work

on Wall Street?

I work, um, in advertising.

I work all over, gun-for-hire-type stuff.

And what does

that job entail?

Is that like thinking up commercials of cream?

Exactly.

Probably, but it's too embarrassing for our first date.

Is that what this is?

Yes, isn't it?

It's fine with me.

It's splendid with me.

Would you like

some more wine?

Hmm, yeah.

You got a lot of books.

Have you read them?

All of them. Yup.

I see Melville...

Hmm, Challenger, Twain.

Tresor.

Not to be adolescent,

but who's the tops to you?

Maybe Saroyan.

The Daring Young Man

on the Flying Trapeze.

Hmm. Well, flying kids

are always great, right?

Actually, my favorite writer is this

obscure person that no one knows.

Who?

You wouldn't know him.

He went by different aliases.

Mostly he wrote sci-fi,

lives in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma sci-fi, huh?

Interesting.

Can I get one of those squares,

s'il vous plait?

Most people hear

that I'm in jazz...

And they have these visions of

booze and heroin in their heads.

But in fact, these days...

Thank you.

...most of the good jazz musicians

run marathons and teach yoga.

The scene changes.

Oh, you know

who my favorite poet is?

Cold Mountain.

He was a hermit

and he lived in a cave.

On a cold mountain?

Oh...

You're kind of a

smart ass, aren't you?

The Fischer's defense

to the King's Gambit.

Mmm-hmm, see?

That's your poetry defense system.

You watch too much Fox News.

Now, you get your

poetry defense system up.

I'm going to have to be very

careful 'cause I am trespassing.

Mallarme said that poetry is the

language of a state of crisis.

Are you in crisis?

Yeah.

What's the poem?

I'll tell you

the last two lines.

"If someone would poke out

the eyes of hawks,

"us sparrows could dance

wherever we please!"

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