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Haruki Murakami – Killing Commendatore

Penguin Classic

Murakami has been a constant source of joy for me over the last decade. His Kafka-esque, surreal, multi-dimensional story telling scattered with allusions and references is like a tonic for your brain as he invites you into a world beyond the mundane confines we must deal with every day.

Following Murakami’s labour of love, i.e. translate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby into Japanese, Killing Commendatore is more than a mere subtle homage to one of his favourite writers – it is a long declaration of love and adulation for Scott Fitzgerald’s oeuvre.

The novel casts its web wide when it comes to intertwined narrative threads and never grows tired when it comes to explore ideas revolving around everything from art, to the dystopian brave new world we find ourselves in to classics like Don Giovanni and Alice in Wonderland.

Following the lead of an unnamed narrator, we explore his claustrophobic tumbling down a myriad of rabbit holes pervaded by Murakami’s trademarked metaphysical plateaus that never grow tired to stage the next unexpected turn.

While for the faithful Murakami aficionado nothing ground-breaking new is proffered, his distinctive way of storytelling along with explorations of his pet peeves and riddled themes he feels passionate about is omnipresent throughout this literary emission.

If you like Haruki Murakami’s previous novels, you will not be disappointed as Killing Commandatore is an extension of what he has become loved and known for with the merging of logic and riddles that allow for the magic to become apparent in the realistic depiction of the mundane.

Bill Murray and Jan Vogler

Opera House

Sydney, Australia

November 9, 2018

Bill Murray.

Actor.

Entertainer.

Comedian.

I have yet to meet somebody who dislikes the man and it is certainly a hard feat giving the decades of laughter and bemusement his career has bestowed on us. His collaboration with classically trained cellist Jan Vogler, a luminary in his own right, is centred around a well-documented chance meeting at an airport which evolved to what found its incarnation tonight at Sydney’s Opera House.

Flanked by pianist Vanessa Perez and Jan Vogler’s partner Mira Wang, who complete the troika that Bill Murray finds himself in the midst of.

The evening is an interesting off kilter melange of highbrow classical music interludes, Murray reciting classics of the tenor of North American prose and expertly infusing poetry with his trademark DNA and him crooning, dancing, joking and everything in between, meandering territory from Mark Twain via Franz Schubert to Walt Whitman.

Now, the audience is dotted with aficionados wearing Team Zissou red hats to show their devoutness and it is palpable that a lot of Murray’s fans think that he is a genius and can do no wrong. I personally found Murray’s refreshing first address to the audience quite fitting: The performance is many things – funny, thought provoking, whimsical, tedious, drawn out, hilarious, enjoyable, deliberately foolish, heartfelt, silly, sad and self-indulgent.

The one constant is the superb performance of Jan Vogler and the female constituents of his chamber outfit, whose effortless deliveries are a delight to not only listen but also eye candy.

It certainly is an experience to see Murray perform in the third dimension and reassuring how this fine mimic achieves big results with the tiniest of gestures and the fact that he does not take himself too seriously while still showing respect for the works he is presenting and referencing, however, at times his emissions are a mixed bag. The good thing is that he is aware of it and does not try to camouflage the patchy pointless parts but is committed to the performance with conviction. A man that exists in multitudes.

The audience lapped it up and with most of them, Murray can do no wrong. Despite the adoration, the more than two-hour long performance was moving, powerful, surprisingly physical and unlike anything that you would expect based on the backgrounds of the individual protagonists, the poetry recited and or the music being performed.

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Photo: Bill Murray and Jan Vogler - New Worlds album cover

Aight, we are about to enter realm of Wild Turkey.

Now, what we got here is the lovechild of poteen aficionado, Oscar Award decorated and public face of Wild Turkey Matthew Mc Conaughey teaming up with the grand olde dame of distilling Eddie Russell, who channelled his alchemy to create this eight-year viciously golden expression that matured in newly charred oak for eight years before it was put through a refinement process and percolated through a process involving the duality of mesquite and tested and tried oak brunets. The result is an 86-proof flavourful melange that runs the gamut from peppery spices to vanilla via caramel to dark sweet fruits and nuances of citrus, before it leaves with a hint of a slightly smoky, oaky yet soft finish.

This small batch Bourbon was much anticipated as the big leadup after McConaughey’s appointment and his mug gracing advertisements, it was to be seen if there was more to the celebrity endorsement than what the wider spirits industry brought forward partnering up with big names to tout their often mediocre emissions.

Longbranch is more on the authentic end of the spectrum, with McConaughey having been actively involved in the process along from the inception to the bottling and what materialised with the tasting kit in front of me seems not contrary and well aligned to his persona, which lends credibility to a joint effort that went on for two full years.

The refined conglomerate derived from the constituents of corn, rye and malted barley unfolds a smooth warmth and incorporates a discernible South Western character to what I am used to when it comes to expressions from Kentucky.

Longbranch did certainly not set out to compete with Wild Turkey’s complex high rye flagship releases or to rock the socks off 101 die-hards and if you manage your expectations in that regard, it proves to be an easily sip-able and solid introduction to the world of Bourbon, which makes the involvement of a renowned actor a smart move to appeal to the broader masses.

A non-gimmicky, lower-proof, well-balanced, approachable Wild Turkey expression that with its affordable price point will certainly become a favourite for those on the quest for gateways to the kingdom of Bourbons.

Read more Water of Life entries here.

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Photos by T

Mark Rothko: From the Inside Out

Yale University Press

Mark Rothko.

Chances are that if you have a remote interest in art related matters and visited modern galleries within the last two decades, you would have had the mesmerizing experience that only unfolds its full grandeur in the third dimension, i.e. a Rothko painting.

Mark Rothko: From the Inside Out is Christopher Rothko, i.e. his son’s approach to his oeuvre, which is not further wondrous given that he gave up his academic pursuits to curate his father’s legacy.

The book is a collection of critical essays circled around Rothko’s paintings and its undoubtedly immense impact on the recipients.

What is interesting is that Christopher Rothko manages to debunk many of the myths that surround his old man, who committed suicide in 1970, and illustrated that at the core Rothko’s approach to painting was one of hope and at times aesthetically fragile instead of overly trying to be aggressive.

The personal approach of Christopher Rothko when he details his old man’s techniques and sheds light on inspirations and passions in a straight forward matter-of-factly manner substantiated by in-depth stories that other books on Rothko are devoid of.

I found the chapters detailing Rothko’s infatuation with music and abstract expressionism particularly enlightening as well as the fact that Rothko wrote extensively throughout the 1930s and 40s.

The book is a fluid, intriguing reference piece and effortlessly points out where interpretations of the art world get it wrong.

Cheers Fest

Sydney, Australia

November 3, 2018

Cheers Fest is a new beer-centric festival, focusing on the finer craft and independently owned Australian breweries as well as artisanal liquid emissions from New Zealand.

The triumvirate of offering the opportunity to sample exquisite beers, enjoy a wide variety of great sustenance and being set against the iconic location that is The Cutaway at Sydney’s Barangaroo district make this festival one of the more enjoyable ones amongst a myriad of competitors. The fact that Cheers Fest is a concerted effort to celebrate the distinction from mainstream beer offerings is a bonus.

The Saturday afternoon session we visited was pervaded by a convivial and family friendly air without lacking the electric atmosphere with the next discovery just around the corner.

There was ample opportunity to to chat to the brewers and learn how they channel their alchemy.

We’ve had a chance to meet some of the protagonists behind the breweries we have covered previously, i.e. Two Birds Brewing, Young Henry's, Kaiju! and it was fantastic to see that meeting them in the third dimension is a natural extension of what their golden emissions promised with the passion for their products being their main driver.

New breweries we discovered were e.g. Akasha Brewing with their excellent Hopsmith IPA. The fact that they have recently collaborated with Ardbeg and Bruichladdich in the past, made us decide to work on a dedicated feature on their operations.

Another newcomer was Sauce Brewing Co. Their Bubble and Squeak NEIPA was a winner and plans were made on the spot to embark to visit their brewery in the foreseeable future.

The Food Alley proved to be a smorgasbord of eclectic offerings world apart from the uninspired  fair that is usually proffered at beer fests and a Food Pairing Guide with recommendations was part of the festival brochure, e.g. the on point recommendation to pair Mr Bao’s Confit Duck Bao with Frenchies Bistro & Brewery’s excellent Northern French style Astrolabe, whose caramelised mal flavours and light body complimented the culinary French / Chinese hybrid.

The first incarnation of Cheers Fest was framed by non-stop music performances, which serenaded the proceedings in a non-intrusive, well-calibrated manner, and rounded out a festival that should be on the calendar of anyone who is remotely interested in craft beers.

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Photos by T