Leonard Cohen is on the road again. I wish I could see him perform. I like his music a LOT.Mr. Cohen is a singer-songwriter, a contemporary (and sometime lover) of Janis Joplin amongst other people, an observant Jew who simultaneously practices Zen Buddhism, a poet... He writes songs that are so filled with yearning, for both sexual and spiritual fulfillment, that they kick me in all my deepest places whenever I hear them. Favorites include Chelsea Hotel #2 and Hallelujah (particularly as covered by young Rufus Wainwright, Mr. Cohen's fellow Canadian songman).
It's not the same as seeing Mr. Cohen himself... but on Friday, I'm heading over to Scripps College to hear "Book of Longing," an evening-length concert work composed by Philip Glass, based on the poetry and artwork of Leonard Cohen. It promises to be a terrible drive, but a cool experience. I shall report back.
