("Salvation Diver", 12/2007, Montreal, Ezra Soiferman)
("Meander", 12/2007, St-Adolphe d'Howard, QC, Ezra Soiferman)
LAZY HAZY
(1/3/08, Montreal, by Ez)
Meander strong like the old rough river
Summer leaves that fell now quiver
Shake neath snow and crack with light
Lazy hazy, the country night
Powder sets like a gentle tongue
Weather plays on those mercury rungs
Bundle up, for crystals form
Lazy hazy, soon someday warm
A big thank you to all Ez Sez readers around the world for such a great year in 2007!
I wish every one of you all the best for 2008.
More posts coming in the new year. Keep EzSez.com well bookmarked. It's always great seeing you here.
Love to all from Montreal!
Ez
My friend Christos Sourligas ("Elephant Shoes") has a habit of posting rather original 'Out Of Office' email auto-replies whenever he travels for work. Here's a selection of the best ones I compiled over the past few years...
-I'm on "SURVIVOR: Fiji" for the next 39 days... I have a huge crush on Jessica... Gotta run, that handsome Alex is flirting with her again!
-I'm attending the 3GSM World Congress until Feb 16. If you're there, just cry out my name in the conference hall and I'll find you...
-I will be out of the office until Dec 5th, trying out for the Greek National Men's Synchronized Swim Team. Don't worry, I don't plan on quiting my day job...
-Sorry to have missed you but I'm at home working on my Chevrolet Camaro.
-Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been?
"I've been to London to look at the queen."
Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, what did you there?
"I frightened a little mouse under the chair."
-I've gone home for the afternoon to watch "Days Of Our Lives".
-I'm Helen Mirren's date for the Oscars. Isn't she amazing?!... "I'm coming, my honey bunny!" Gotta run, my Queen is calling for me...
-I've gone to Al Gore's mansion to shut off his lights...
-Off to The White House for the annual Easter egg hunt. Let's hope Cheney doesn't shoot me in the face.
-I'm on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival. My latest film "Christos the Greek Firefighter: The Legend of Zeus" stars Jennifer Aniston as Aphrodite...
And last but not least:
-Merry Christos and a Happy Nguyen!
Have a great holiday week and whatever you do, stay out of the office if you can.
Ez
This one comes from a little list I keep called "Future Ez Sez Posts?":
Ez Sez: I believe the single most amazing thing about hemp is its VERSATILITY. It is not just its hearty taste, incomparable durability, environmental benefits, pesticide-freeness, nutritional advantages, age-old service to humankind, or its sheer coolness factor. Hemp, it has been proven, can be used in the creation of virtually anything... from food to fabric, paper to fuel, rope to plastic, and more. Use hemp widely and wildly. To happiness and hempiness, friends.
Don't be late for '08.
Ez
Seen this short film yet?
If not, get ready to go into holiday shopping underdrive as you reflect on where our purchases come from and where they go to.
Click HERE to watch the film.
Enjoy!
Ez
("Black", 2007, by Ezra Soiferman)
Yellow there,
Feeling blue?
Orange you being too hard on yourself?!
I pink so.
Purplehaps it's time for the holidays.
Sp'red the word!
White on!
Ez
Good news!
My latest documentary, Posthumous Pickle Party, about Montreal's beloved, now-defunct Simcha's Grocery on St. Laurent Blvd. will be playing on Canal D, Canada's French language all-documentary broadcaster.
Sunday, December 16th, 2007 at 9pm
Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at 1pm
If you can't speak a lick of French, don't get Canal D or want to see it on your own dang schedule, not to worry!...
Co-Producer Matt Zimbel and I are now selling DVDs of the quirky 46 minute-long film which yanks you by the pickle into Simcha's crammed 40 year old shop. See how he made his famous briny wonders. See the footage Melissa Auf der Maur took of Simcha just before he died. See if his secret recipe survives...
$22 including shipping. Simply email your DVD request to: ezra at pressuredrop dot com. 
The film, which played at Pop Montreal and Les Rendez-vous du ciméma Québecois, stars Montreal klezmer/hip-hop sensation Josh 'Socalled'
Dolgin, food critic Barry Lazar, sculptor Stanley Lewis, Pop Montreal's Dan Seligman and many other members of Simcha's kooky and cukey coterie.
Pick up a DVD for yourself or one to share with your 'foodie' friends!
Ez
P.S. Read the Bill Brownstein Gazette article on PPP here.
("Halifax Heart", 6/07, HFX)
I'm in a good mood. Not certain why, likely many reasons, but it feels nice.
Thought I'd share this fascinating description of what love is written by Woody Guthrie.
Have a great weekend, Ez Sezzers.
Ez
P.S. Regular Ez Sez readers will recognize this Woody text and the above photo from earlier posts. Ez Sez is not one to repeat items regularly but I suppose I'm too busy being in a good mood to generate anything fully original. So I'm bringing you treats from the past to escort you into the future.
(This video gives new meaning to 'playing with your food')
A friend in Barcelona just sent me this wonderful video clip.
Ever heard of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra?
Now you have!
Ez
P.S. You'll never look at a vegetable the same again... (And if you do, you'll want to strum it.)
(12/3/07, MTL)
A fresh shot from today! It's my Smart buried under today's 30cm of snow.
Ez
(10/2007, MTL)
I photographed this subtle utterance out on Milton St. recently. Thought I'd share it here at Ez Sez.
Ez
This is my furry friend Fifi. She is the puppy of my friends Jessica and Eden.
Though she's a dog, Fifi loves taking cat-naps.
Ez
(Still from the video for "While You Were Sleeping" directed by Osgood Perkins. Click HERE to watch.)
Montreal will once again be treated to an Elvis Perkins in Dearland concert, friends.
I'll be there this Thursday (Nov. 29th) and hope you'll be there too.
2111 St-Laurent at Le Cabaret. The show's at 8pm. Tickets are $15 plus service charge. Bon Iver opens for Elvis. Tickets at Admission or at the door if they aren't sold out by then.
To read more about my friend Elvis and his amazing band, visit his website or have a look at this Ez Sez posting announcing the release of his CD Ash Wednesday which I must say is as brilliant as ever after all these months.
(11/29/07, Le Cabaret, MTL, by Ezra)
Also, Elvis released a brand new version of his song "All The Night Without Love" on iTunes this week. The hot new track was produced by Chris Shaw who engineered Bob Dylan's Love & Theft and Modern Times CDs.
See you at the show on Thursday if you can make it.
Ez
P.S. Here's a link to Elvis on Letterman recently.
(11/29/07, Le Cabaret, MTL, by Ezra)
Update: What a show! Thanks to all who attended!
(11/29/07, Le Cabaret, MTL, by Alexandra Yanofsky)
Final thought: A reporter in the Gothamist recently asked Elvis what the most memorable encounter with a fan has been so far. Here's what he replied: "A young girl in Montreal, not our most recent show but the last time we were there. After the show I had gone to the merchandise table and was seeing how it was going and this girl came up to me to thank me for the record because before it came out she said she had been experiencing some palpable void in her consciousness or something and she didn’t know what it was about. And when the record showed up she felt it was the exact positive to fill in the negative she was experiencing. And that gave me the chills. I thought it was pretty major."
This is a fantastic free concert hosted online by Fabchannel. I'm a big fan of Josh Ritter's music and thought I'd share this with you.
The show is easy to stream, very well filmed, and features Josh smiling endlessly like few rockers do.
Enjoy,
Ez
(Original ad for the famed deli. Presented by Ezra to late owner Abe Lebewohl. The ad hung in the restaurant's original location for many years.)
Great news!
The Second Avenue Deli (est. 1954) in NYC will reopen very soon on 33rd between Lexington and Third Ave.
More info here!
See you there for a plate fries!
Ez
Update:
Here's the official web site.
Here's the NY Times review of the reopened deli.
(Enhanced version)
(MTL, c. 2004, by Ez)
This is just a taste of the winter to come. A photo of winter in action from a few years ago. It snowed in Montreal yesterday and today. Just a few very light flakes, but enough to remind us all that winter is coming.
Stay warm.
Ez
(Photo courtesy Beitel/Lazar Prods.)
There's an NFB feature film coming out about my buddy Josh 'Socalled' Dolgin.
Directed by Garry Beitel and Produced by Barry Lazar, it's sure to be a winner. Garry and Barry made the tasty Chez Schwartz doc from early 2007.
The Socalled film will be ready in the new year. More news to be announced here at Ez Sez.
Here's the new trailer, just released on YouTube today!
Enjoy!
Ez
TODAY, TODAY
(10/20/07, MTL, by Ez)
If today we do what we won't tomorrow
And yesterday was filled with sorrow
Embrace today like nothing else
One true day to be your self
Here today, alive and well
Do it now and live to tell
Today, today, it rings a bell
Think back now...
Today was swell.
My friend and Posthumous Pickle Party co-producer Matt Zimbel will be playing with his legendary Quebec jazz band Manteca this Friday, October 12th at 8pm at La Tulipe (4530 Papineau) in Montreal.
Come on down to check them out!
Visit the Manteca MySpace page HERE.
Ez
