Joseph Bowie coincidence

So I spend moments here and there on Sunday trying to decide whether I’ve the energy to go along to the Barbican to catch a twofer consisting of Trio Beyond / Punk-Funk All Stars (Jack DeJohnette, Larry Goldings, John Scofield , Vernon Reid, James ‘Blood’ Ulmer, Joseph Bowie, Melvin Gibbs & Ronald Shannon Jackson). It’s hot and I end up being lazy and not going. I should have made the effort, but I’m not overwhelmed with regret despite the stellar castlist. On second thoughts, maybe I shouldn’t mull over those names too much because I might just begin to start wishing I could turn back the clock – the great Ronald Shannon Jackson back after too many years’ absence would have been the main draw for me along with DeJohnette. Scofield’s someone I’ve only intermittently enjoyed. Vernon Reid was good with RSJ, but I’ve not been a huge fan of his subsequent work, I’ve caught Ulmer a few times in years past and though I’ve enjoyed his work, I’d prefer to have heard him in his earlier harmologic guise. Gibbs would have been good, but he’s only a bassist (er, Pete, if you ever read this – that was a JOKE). Joseph, son of the late and wonderful Lester, I know for his leadership of Defunkt and a great muscular rock/funk/jazz band that was if ever there was one. Haven’t dug out any of their LPs from the cupboard in a long while, but here’s the (very minor) coincidence. Lord knows when he last played in the UK, but there he was on Sunday night. On Monday afternoon I go to pick up Amy and Gabriel from teatime club. Linda, the co-ordinator points me at a pile of CDs left over from the school fete. Only 10p a time. I wander over to the table with no hope at all of finding anything. They’re all completely anonymous 90s/00s tut, stuff I’ve never heard of and I’m about to turn away when I see one familiar cover – the muscular torso of a black guy, gazing confidently at the camera and holding a trombone. Defunkt’s In America. A fine record. I give Lynda the 10p. I know, it’s a minor coincidence, but I kind of like it.