This phalanx of Art Scatter has been totally missing for a while. Quite a while. Which means we’ve been posting our fool heads off at Portland Arts Watch, trying to get that vessel seaworthy.

We just posted today on a visit by Christine Sehnaoui, a Lebanese-born, Europe-based exponent of experimental music. It’s improvised music, so maybe it also qualifies as free jazz. It IS listed as a Portland Jazz Festival event. Anyway, the post has a sort of Art Scatter feel to it, so I’m hoping maybe you’ll venture forth. Penguins are involved. So is Ursula K. Le Guin (but only because of the penguins). Also, there’s a little participatory journalism: At one point I was afraid that the audience would register the squeaking of my rather noisy chair as part of the performance. I’m considering the formation of the Squeaky Chair Quartet as a result of this experience. I’m looking for someone who’s good on recliner.

Yes, the Portland Jazz Festival. Which is just about where we came in one year ago. Weirdly enough, Art Scatter has passed the magical one-year barrier. That post I did on Ornette Coleman? One year ago. I started to say it seems like only yesterday, but in fact it feels more like a decade! At my age, that’s a good thing. We’re trying to s-t-r-e-t-c-h those days out.

Anyway, we thank you for joining us this past year. Frankly, if not for you, we wouldn’t be doing this. We’d be boring Scatter Wives completely silly instead! I/We have no idea what this next year will bring in Scatter Land, because we/I have no idea which way the worm will turn. But speaking entirely for myself, this space we share with you has amused me no end. And I mean amusement in the best possible way. Thanks!