Ethan's interview with Stanley Crouch, David R. Adler's review of Crouch's compilation Considering Genius, and various other bits and pieces spurred this line of thought.
Much has been made of the Internet bestowing the privileges of mass media to anyone who has the mere seconds it takes to register an account, especially in the wake of Idolator's rogue Jackin' Pop extravaganza. Much of it has been a pity party from mainstream media, decrying the fact that indeed everyone now has the power to be a critic, or gatekeeper, or kingmaker, or whatever self-inflating pundit term may be coined the future. But when many mainstream critics have ossified in their tastes, is it really such a bad thing to have a burst of new voices?
Reviews should take the music (or film/production/play/etc) on its own merit, and the ideal critic is one who is as transparent and as catholic as possible. Much of music has a goal, whether it be programmatic music or a concept album (or both), and the best reviews should aptly demonstrate whether it succeeds or fails at achieving said goal. Nate Dorward's rules of reviews are ones I attempt to follow. In my small portfolio of published reviews, I think I've only ever panned a couple of artists here, and I view those as neophyte and immature mistakes. (I still stand by some of the opinions though - you can't call twenty minutes of the same damn thing two different tunes, unless they're parts I and II. Sorry.)
But it's scathing diatribes that bring the audiences and sell the magazines, which is why IAJE will intentionally pit Bob Blumenthal against Christian McBride; it's why people still talk about Pitchfork's over-the-top reaction to a mundane album; and it seems to be the only reason Down Beat still has the Hot Box. Anyone who's read DB for any length of time will know that John McDonough usually doesn't want to have anything to do with free improvisation or electronics (heaven forbid it should be free improvisation WITH electronics); and that John Corbett will praise anything with hefty amounts of "crazy experimental freedom." Jim Macnie and Paul de Barros are the more moderate voices in the box. But as a reader, I don't even look at McDonough's and Corbett's reviews for substance anymore: I know their tastes and I can tell just by the artist and/or label whether they'll like the record or not. Arthur Kaptainis of the Montreal Gazette makes it abundantly clear, in nearly every new music review he's forced to pen, that he feels it's a chore to attend concerts made up of music post-Schoenberg. Again, as an educated reader, I know exactly what to expect if it's a new music review with his byline. And I feel sorry for the readers whose only exposure to this music is through superficial tripe.
Writers like Crouch, whose biases precede them, get in their own way and in the way of their subjects. Crouch's reputation for "driving the thresher," and his acute ability to entirely miss the point, overshadows the majority of his contribution to the critical canon. And I welcome the opportunity blogging has given the unexpert critics, in the form of passionate listeners and musicians, to level the playing field, so that if major critic X didn't like this weekend's new music premiere, there's just as much of a chance via one's search engine of choice to find a review that maybe, for once, addresses the music. Blogs (for the most part) don't have to answer to editorial mandates or advertising dollars, and that's truly liberating for honest and respectable criticism.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The not-quite-excellent adventure
Commuting's a bitch. The upshot of delayed flights: complimentary drinks.
After scrambling all weekend to find a flight to get to the BMI reading yesterday, I received a call Monday night that my 6:30 am flight (Trudeau to Toronto's Pearson, connecting flight to LaGuardia) was cancelled, and luckily rescheduled for a 10:30 am flight direct to LaGuardia. So far, so good. Having no checked bags was a welcome bonus - I deplaned and immediately caught a shuttle into Manhattan.
I grabbed some lunch from the deli across the street from Local 802, and frantically set about taping the rest of my parts together. The piece I brought in is easily the longest piece, in terms of paper, I've written - nearly 60 pages of score, and parts ranging from 2-6 pages, depending on intricacy and formatting. No horrendous train wrecks, and I got a good idea of what needs to be fixed or kept in the piece. Mike Holober guest conducted the piece, as Jim came in late, and looked rather worse for wear - I guess he caught something from the flight back to NY from his latest European voyage; he missed the meeting last week as well.
Volker Goetze's piece brought a cameo from Lenny Pickett on Eb clarinet. Pickett played with a lot of slap-tonguing (whether by choice or by instruction, I'm not sure) and it sounded rather like Nintendo music sitting atop this lush orchestration. I had to leave early to catch a shuttle back to LaGuardia, and this is where it all went wrong.
I missed the 4:30 shuttle by 7 minutes (though the other person in line said it never showed up), and for a minute the 5:00 looked like it was going to blow by Grand Central Terminal. Upon arrival, I'm told all flights to Toronto are delayed by a ripple effect caused by an earlier mechanical failure and ensuing ground crew issues, and that the flights direct to Montreal are oversold because they downgraded the aircraft. Long story short, my 7:30 flight to Pearson was pushed back to 8:15, and the 10:30 connection to Trudeau was postponed till 11:20, which was further postponed to accomodate another late flight from Cancun. Didn't get back home until 1 am, all for a three-hour reading session in NYC.
The added benefit of the flights were that none of them cracked the 30,000-foot ceiling, above which my ears get horribly blocked. Given that I've got a final recording session with Kids Eat Crayons tonight and the start of an Indigone Trio residency tomorrow, I'm quite happy.
Linkage (which has already gone across the blogosphere): Ethan Iverson and Stanley Crouch. Darcy and Pat have cogent analysis; my only addition would be the irony of Crouch lambasting Leroi Jones' black-nationalist transformation into Amiri Baraka while he insists upon trotting out racially-fuelled perceptions of the jazz world.
After scrambling all weekend to find a flight to get to the BMI reading yesterday, I received a call Monday night that my 6:30 am flight (Trudeau to Toronto's Pearson, connecting flight to LaGuardia) was cancelled, and luckily rescheduled for a 10:30 am flight direct to LaGuardia. So far, so good. Having no checked bags was a welcome bonus - I deplaned and immediately caught a shuttle into Manhattan.
I grabbed some lunch from the deli across the street from Local 802, and frantically set about taping the rest of my parts together. The piece I brought in is easily the longest piece, in terms of paper, I've written - nearly 60 pages of score, and parts ranging from 2-6 pages, depending on intricacy and formatting. No horrendous train wrecks, and I got a good idea of what needs to be fixed or kept in the piece. Mike Holober guest conducted the piece, as Jim came in late, and looked rather worse for wear - I guess he caught something from the flight back to NY from his latest European voyage; he missed the meeting last week as well.
Volker Goetze's piece brought a cameo from Lenny Pickett on Eb clarinet. Pickett played with a lot of slap-tonguing (whether by choice or by instruction, I'm not sure) and it sounded rather like Nintendo music sitting atop this lush orchestration. I had to leave early to catch a shuttle back to LaGuardia, and this is where it all went wrong.
I missed the 4:30 shuttle by 7 minutes (though the other person in line said it never showed up), and for a minute the 5:00 looked like it was going to blow by Grand Central Terminal. Upon arrival, I'm told all flights to Toronto are delayed by a ripple effect caused by an earlier mechanical failure and ensuing ground crew issues, and that the flights direct to Montreal are oversold because they downgraded the aircraft. Long story short, my 7:30 flight to Pearson was pushed back to 8:15, and the 10:30 connection to Trudeau was postponed till 11:20, which was further postponed to accomodate another late flight from Cancun. Didn't get back home until 1 am, all for a three-hour reading session in NYC.
The added benefit of the flights were that none of them cracked the 30,000-foot ceiling, above which my ears get horribly blocked. Given that I've got a final recording session with Kids Eat Crayons tonight and the start of an Indigone Trio residency tomorrow, I'm quite happy.
Linkage (which has already gone across the blogosphere): Ethan Iverson and Stanley Crouch. Darcy and Pat have cogent analysis; my only addition would be the irony of Crouch lambasting Leroi Jones' black-nationalist transformation into Amiri Baraka while he insists upon trotting out racially-fuelled perceptions of the jazz world.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Indigone Trio happenings
In March, Indigone Trio will be playing every Thursday from 6-8 pm at Le Parc des Princes, a new bistro up in the Mile-End neighbourhood (5293 Parc, in the area I once saw La Presse refer to as "le quartier de bagel"). The manager, Fred, is really keen on having this room be equal parts restaurant and venue. The ambience is quite nice, with large windows looking out onto Parc. For us, it's a great benefit to be playing every week, integrating new drummer Phil Melanson into the band.
Our gig last Friday, the first with Phil, showed quite a bit of promise. Though the crowd was small, it was populated by people we'd never played for, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the first time "As of Now" and "First Impressions" have been played by Indigone Trio, though I've performed them in other settings.
Set I:
As of Now (D. Ryshpan)
Pleasure is All Mine (Björk)
Ramblin' (Ornette Coleman)
Love Is the Reason (A. Mallett)
Erghen Diado (Peter Lyondev)
Set II:
First Impressions (D. Ryshpan)
Law Years (Ornette Coleman)
Round and Round (A. Mallett)
Enumeration (D. Ryshpan)
Dupla Traição (Djavan)
One Finger Snap (Herbie Hancock)
Our gig last Friday, the first with Phil, showed quite a bit of promise. Though the crowd was small, it was populated by people we'd never played for, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the first time "As of Now" and "First Impressions" have been played by Indigone Trio, though I've performed them in other settings.
Set I:
As of Now (D. Ryshpan)
Pleasure is All Mine (Björk)
Ramblin' (Ornette Coleman)
Love Is the Reason (A. Mallett)
Erghen Diado (Peter Lyondev)
Set II:
First Impressions (D. Ryshpan)
Law Years (Ornette Coleman)
Round and Round (A. Mallett)
Enumeration (D. Ryshpan)
Dupla Traição (Djavan)
One Finger Snap (Herbie Hancock)
Friday, February 23, 2007
No one is life itself
For the Montrealers that read this blog (and those that are coming here via Panpot), I hereby welcome you and remind you that I'm playing tonight (February 23, 2007) with the reworked, revamped Indigone Trio. Tonight we welcome drummer and avid bicyclist Phil Melanson into the trio, with Alex Mallett holding down the bass, as always. We hit at Les Conneries (2037 St. Denis), at 8:30 pm.
NB: Please take careful note of the address - 2037 St. Denis - as that's the only marking on the door. It's the door beside venerable punk bar Café Chaos. I nearly missed it myself on the way to Groove Night. Again, that's 2037 St. Denis.
More Indigone Trio news to follow shortly.
NB: Please take careful note of the address - 2037 St. Denis - as that's the only marking on the door. It's the door beside venerable punk bar Café Chaos. I nearly missed it myself on the way to Groove Night. Again, that's 2037 St. Denis.
More Indigone Trio news to follow shortly.
***
Mwanji and Pat have already picked up on this - Dr. Jazz has graciously posted a transcript of Ornette's untelevised acceptance speech. As I read it, I was reminded of Ornette's address at IAJE 2006. Much like his music, it was a powerful speech as he made it, and had some sort of inner logic to it, though when I tried to repeat it to others who weren't there it lost all its meaning and effect.
Mwanji and Pat have already picked up on this - Dr. Jazz has graciously posted a transcript of Ornette's untelevised acceptance speech. As I read it, I was reminded of Ornette's address at IAJE 2006. Much like his music, it was a powerful speech as he made it, and had some sort of inner logic to it, though when I tried to repeat it to others who weren't there it lost all its meaning and effect.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
In pursuit of enlightenment
My apologies for the protracted absence here. I've been preparing for these past five days of auditions, lessons, and travel. Between some serious catch-up time at the piano, heavy-duty revision and extension of a piece, and tearing my hair out with travel plans, blogging's been low on the list of priorities.
Saturday I flew out to Boston, for my second-ever visit. The first was with a band called Atomic Brothers a couple of years back, and none of us really knew the city that well, resulting in us getting irreparably lost around the Common trying to remember where we parked. This visit was more streamlined - staying with a friend in Hyde Park as I auditioned for NEC. I must have gone through Trudeau at an off-peak hour, because there were minimal line-ups for customs and security, and everything moved quite efficiently. The customs agent even threw me for a loop - after I told him I played piano, he asked me, "So where's your piano?" I got flustered and after a minute I offered a sheepish "at home," in response.
Thankfully we didn't suffer any delays of JetBlue proportions, but as my seat on the flight was directly behind the cockpit, I got wind of pieces of disconcerting information before announcements were made to the baker's dozen of passengers. First, we were without a captain, then without a flight plan. Once we received the revised flight plan, the ground crew decided to disappear. In all, we spend an hour and a half on the tarmac and twenty-seven minutes in the air. The upshot of it was the booze was made complimentary. Just enough time to have a Sleeman's to take the edge off.
After a welcome Indian dinner at Rangoli in Allston, I got some rest before the big audition day on Sunday. I was taken aback by the lack of anything (aside from Symphony Hall) within short walking distance of NEC's campus. The rest of the surrounding area is swallowed up by Northeastern. I realized later if I had walked further up Mass Ave I would have hit the Berklee area. But from Huntington to Tremont there isn't really all that much in the way of music stores or breakfast joints. I did have some pretty decent Thai food at Pho & I, across the street from NEC.
Jordan Hall, the building, is essentially a big semi-circle. I didn't get lost, exactly, though I think I may have taken the longest route to get to where I wanted to go. Jordan Hall, the hall, is astounding. It's almost like walking into a cathedral, with its high ceiling and ornate woodwork. I was grateful for the thorough tour and the opportunity to talk to some current students before my audition. I don't really know much about the current state of NEC - what I know of it is from alums like Darcy, Pat and Joe Sullivan (a McGill prof) - so it was nice to get some more up-to-date information. The audition went well - the setup in Keller had my back to the judging panel, so it's not like I had to stare down Danilo Perez for twenty minutes.
On Monday, after Pat had tipped me off to the latest Fung Wah accident and a Greyhound deal, I hopped on the Greyhound to NYC. I dozed off for a significant portion of the ride, making it seem shorter than it was, though we spent a healthy chunk of time crossing Connecticut, including some strange little detour in New Haven. I checked into my hostel of choice, where my roommates were a bunch of Swiss graffiti artists. I was impressed at their knowledge and appreciation for the entirety of hip-hop culture and tradition. I then met up with Pat to go to Cleopatra's Needle. Between it being President's Day and school vacations, the turnout was pretty low. There was a 13-year-old drummer from New Jersey, who knows far more about the current state of jazz than I did at his age, and a 6-year-old pianist who could barely reach the pedals but didn't do a bad job on "Now's The Time." I played a healthy amount of tunes because aside from the host, Roger Leit, who's also a trumpet player, there weren't that many other pianists there. Roger hosted the last time I went to Cleo's as well, in December, and he runs a good session. My opinion of Cleo's has changed since my first, flawed visit in October.
The BMI meeting was led by Mike Holober, whose name is probably most familiar to jazz blog readers through his membership in DJA's Secret Society. He's also a fantastic composer in his own right, and brought some acute insight into the charts presented. There were a few instances in my chart where the effect I wanted on paper probably wasn't going to come off in reality, so we discussed different ways to achieve a similar sound. I'm still really impressed by the variety of styles in the group - from more traditional, Thad Jones-inspired writing to stuff that bears the mark of Reich and Adams. There's some rhythmic stuff going on that I haven't even begun to address in my own work.
I ran from BMI to catch the airport shuttle at Grand Central, and just barely made it. My first visit to LaGuardia was fairly smooth, although the delay of flights to Toronto did fill me with dread. Everything went so well until we hit Trudeau, where the ground crew wasn't ready for us and we had to wait a good twenty minutes for our luggage. In a few hours, I'll be auditioning at McGill, which is a strange feeling. I'm used to their audition process, having played on auditions almost every year of my undergrad, but it's been five years since I was the one auditioning.
Saturday I flew out to Boston, for my second-ever visit. The first was with a band called Atomic Brothers a couple of years back, and none of us really knew the city that well, resulting in us getting irreparably lost around the Common trying to remember where we parked. This visit was more streamlined - staying with a friend in Hyde Park as I auditioned for NEC. I must have gone through Trudeau at an off-peak hour, because there were minimal line-ups for customs and security, and everything moved quite efficiently. The customs agent even threw me for a loop - after I told him I played piano, he asked me, "So where's your piano?" I got flustered and after a minute I offered a sheepish "at home," in response.
Thankfully we didn't suffer any delays of JetBlue proportions, but as my seat on the flight was directly behind the cockpit, I got wind of pieces of disconcerting information before announcements were made to the baker's dozen of passengers. First, we were without a captain, then without a flight plan. Once we received the revised flight plan, the ground crew decided to disappear. In all, we spend an hour and a half on the tarmac and twenty-seven minutes in the air. The upshot of it was the booze was made complimentary. Just enough time to have a Sleeman's to take the edge off.
After a welcome Indian dinner at Rangoli in Allston, I got some rest before the big audition day on Sunday. I was taken aback by the lack of anything (aside from Symphony Hall) within short walking distance of NEC's campus. The rest of the surrounding area is swallowed up by Northeastern. I realized later if I had walked further up Mass Ave I would have hit the Berklee area. But from Huntington to Tremont there isn't really all that much in the way of music stores or breakfast joints. I did have some pretty decent Thai food at Pho & I, across the street from NEC.
Jordan Hall, the building, is essentially a big semi-circle. I didn't get lost, exactly, though I think I may have taken the longest route to get to where I wanted to go. Jordan Hall, the hall, is astounding. It's almost like walking into a cathedral, with its high ceiling and ornate woodwork. I was grateful for the thorough tour and the opportunity to talk to some current students before my audition. I don't really know much about the current state of NEC - what I know of it is from alums like Darcy, Pat and Joe Sullivan (a McGill prof) - so it was nice to get some more up-to-date information. The audition went well - the setup in Keller had my back to the judging panel, so it's not like I had to stare down Danilo Perez for twenty minutes.
On Monday, after Pat had tipped me off to the latest Fung Wah accident and a Greyhound deal, I hopped on the Greyhound to NYC. I dozed off for a significant portion of the ride, making it seem shorter than it was, though we spent a healthy chunk of time crossing Connecticut, including some strange little detour in New Haven. I checked into my hostel of choice, where my roommates were a bunch of Swiss graffiti artists. I was impressed at their knowledge and appreciation for the entirety of hip-hop culture and tradition. I then met up with Pat to go to Cleopatra's Needle. Between it being President's Day and school vacations, the turnout was pretty low. There was a 13-year-old drummer from New Jersey, who knows far more about the current state of jazz than I did at his age, and a 6-year-old pianist who could barely reach the pedals but didn't do a bad job on "Now's The Time." I played a healthy amount of tunes because aside from the host, Roger Leit, who's also a trumpet player, there weren't that many other pianists there. Roger hosted the last time I went to Cleo's as well, in December, and he runs a good session. My opinion of Cleo's has changed since my first, flawed visit in October.
The BMI meeting was led by Mike Holober, whose name is probably most familiar to jazz blog readers through his membership in DJA's Secret Society. He's also a fantastic composer in his own right, and brought some acute insight into the charts presented. There were a few instances in my chart where the effect I wanted on paper probably wasn't going to come off in reality, so we discussed different ways to achieve a similar sound. I'm still really impressed by the variety of styles in the group - from more traditional, Thad Jones-inspired writing to stuff that bears the mark of Reich and Adams. There's some rhythmic stuff going on that I haven't even begun to address in my own work.
I ran from BMI to catch the airport shuttle at Grand Central, and just barely made it. My first visit to LaGuardia was fairly smooth, although the delay of flights to Toronto did fill me with dread. Everything went so well until we hit Trudeau, where the ground crew wasn't ready for us and we had to wait a good twenty minutes for our luggage. In a few hours, I'll be auditioning at McGill, which is a strange feeling. I'm used to their audition process, having played on auditions almost every year of my undergrad, but it's been five years since I was the one auditioning.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
More odds and ends
- My review of Steve Lacy's Esteem, Live in Paris 1975 is up at Panpot.
- I wouldn't consider myself part of the Justin Timberlake convert crowd - "SexyBack" still leaves quite a bad aftertaste - but damn if his band isn't tight in the neo-soul fashion. The link is a French television clip of his new single, "What Goes Around Comes Around," played live, with JT on Rhodes. Impressive not only for the playing and the subtle rearrangement, but also for the fact that this sort of playing and groove was televised somewhere.
- Groove Night will probably be recorded. I'm really excited to be playing with Jim and Kevin again, as well as with Yanick and Olivier. Stay tuned for details.
- I wouldn't consider myself part of the Justin Timberlake convert crowd - "SexyBack" still leaves quite a bad aftertaste - but damn if his band isn't tight in the neo-soul fashion. The link is a French television clip of his new single, "What Goes Around Comes Around," played live, with JT on Rhodes. Impressive not only for the playing and the subtle rearrangement, but also for the fact that this sort of playing and groove was televised somewhere.
- Groove Night will probably be recorded. I'm really excited to be playing with Jim and Kevin again, as well as with Yanick and Olivier. Stay tuned for details.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Odds and ends
Just before another excursion to New York, I'm drowning in new music. CKUT was selling off extra copies of discs to raise money at an open house, and at the rate of four CDs for $5 I procured:
- Larry Goldings Trio: Sweet Science
- Steve Swallow/Chris Potter/Adam Nussbaum: Damaged in Transit
- Mario Pavone: Boom
- George Schuller: JigSaw
I haven't listened to the last two yet. It's been hard to pull that Swallow disc out of the player - it's a suite of pieces created as an exercise to write for two voices. It's rare that there are chord changes on the provided lead sheets, and even with Swallow's rather plastic and thin sound, the trio is surprisingly full. For a piano player it's quite the learning experience to listen to pared-down records, and following music in horizontal (linear) terms as opposed to vertical (harmonic/chordal) terms. Addressing Mwanji's recent criticism of Chris Potter, there are a few instances where he adds empty ornaments, but for the most part his virtuosity is focused.
The Goldings disc is impressive - I've dug Larry's playing for a while and I admire how he elegantly sidesteps B-3 clichés while still acknowledging the tradition.
I've also got a stack of CDs I'm reviewing for a relatively new Montreal-based experimental music site, Panpot, including the 3rd and 4th installments of Vandermark 5's Free Jazz Classics series, about which Peter Breslin already blogged. While I'm familiar with Vandermark's playing - and it took me a long while to warm to it - I haven't listened to this record yet; I'm eager to engage Breslin's incisive questions on the music.
- Larry Goldings Trio: Sweet Science
- Steve Swallow/Chris Potter/Adam Nussbaum: Damaged in Transit
- Mario Pavone: Boom
- George Schuller: JigSaw
I haven't listened to the last two yet. It's been hard to pull that Swallow disc out of the player - it's a suite of pieces created as an exercise to write for two voices. It's rare that there are chord changes on the provided lead sheets, and even with Swallow's rather plastic and thin sound, the trio is surprisingly full. For a piano player it's quite the learning experience to listen to pared-down records, and following music in horizontal (linear) terms as opposed to vertical (harmonic/chordal) terms. Addressing Mwanji's recent criticism of Chris Potter, there are a few instances where he adds empty ornaments, but for the most part his virtuosity is focused.
The Goldings disc is impressive - I've dug Larry's playing for a while and I admire how he elegantly sidesteps B-3 clichés while still acknowledging the tradition.
I've also got a stack of CDs I'm reviewing for a relatively new Montreal-based experimental music site, Panpot, including the 3rd and 4th installments of Vandermark 5's Free Jazz Classics series, about which Peter Breslin already blogged. While I'm familiar with Vandermark's playing - and it took me a long while to warm to it - I haven't listened to this record yet; I'm eager to engage Breslin's incisive questions on the music.
***
A couple of new names will appear on the blogroll. Craig "Suave" Sauvé is everyone's favourite raging NDP metalhead bartender. He's also the guitarist in Kids Eat Crayons, and a great mimic of accents. Daniel Melnick is a friend living in Chicago, and an astute commentator on all things musical, in addition to being a killing guitarist as well.***
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Kids Eat Crayons show at Barfly on Friday. If anyone can verify the rumour that a speaker was sparking at some point during our set, please let me know. The Kids wreak havoc in the studio once again this week, and I continue to marvel at the brilliance of Dennis' compositions and how different this music is from anything I've ever participated in before.
A reminder that Groove Night featuring Yanick Coderre, Olivier René de Cotret, myself, Jim Bennett and Kevin Warren is this Saturday.
A reminder that Groove Night featuring Yanick Coderre, Olivier René de Cotret, myself, Jim Bennett and Kevin Warren is this Saturday.
Monday, January 29, 2007
World Skip The Beat playlist 1/29/2007
Slavic Soul Party - "Dance the Dust Up" (In Makedonija)
Taraf de Haïdouks - "A La Turk" (Band of Gypsies)
Burhan Oçäl/Pete Namlook - "Part VII" (Sultan Osman)
*Autorickshaw - "Bird on a Wire" (So the Journey Goes)
Caetano Veloso - "Come As You Are" (A Foreign Sound)
Omara Portuondo - "Killing Me Softly" (Rhythms del Mundo: Cuba compilation)
Ry Cooder/Manuel Galbán - "Los Twangueros" (Mambo Sinuendo)
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas - "El Tahonero" (Vacunao)
Gilberto Gil - "Aquele Abraço" (Acoustic)
*Eliana Cuevas - "Perdón" (Ventura)
Aurelio Martinez - "Mala Mujer" (Garifuna Soul)
Felix Baloy - "Ven a bailar cha-cha-chà" (Baila Mi Son)
Ali Farka Touré - "Mali Dje" (Niafunké)
The Soul Brothers - "Isigebengu" (Born to Jive)
*Mr. Something Something - "The Invitation" (S/T)
Oliver Mtukudzi - "Ngoma Nehosho" (Paivepo)
King Sunny Ade - "Jigi Jigi Isapa" (Odú)
Bembeya Jazz - "Lefa" (Bembeya)
*Alpha Yaya Diallo - "Freedom" (The Journey)
Ojos de Brujo - "Tiempo de Soléa" (Bari)
Hossam Ramzy - "Gani Lasmar" (Egyptian Raï)
Taraf de Haïdouks - "A La Turk" (Band of Gypsies)
Burhan Oçäl/Pete Namlook - "Part VII" (Sultan Osman)
*Autorickshaw - "Bird on a Wire" (So the Journey Goes)
Caetano Veloso - "Come As You Are" (A Foreign Sound)
Omara Portuondo - "Killing Me Softly" (Rhythms del Mundo: Cuba compilation)
Ry Cooder/Manuel Galbán - "Los Twangueros" (Mambo Sinuendo)
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas - "El Tahonero" (Vacunao)
Gilberto Gil - "Aquele Abraço" (Acoustic)
*Eliana Cuevas - "Perdón" (Ventura)
Aurelio Martinez - "Mala Mujer" (Garifuna Soul)
Felix Baloy - "Ven a bailar cha-cha-chà" (Baila Mi Son)
Ali Farka Touré - "Mali Dje" (Niafunké)
The Soul Brothers - "Isigebengu" (Born to Jive)
*Mr. Something Something - "The Invitation" (S/T)
Oliver Mtukudzi - "Ngoma Nehosho" (Paivepo)
King Sunny Ade - "Jigi Jigi Isapa" (Odú)
Bembeya Jazz - "Lefa" (Bembeya)
*Alpha Yaya Diallo - "Freedom" (The Journey)
Ojos de Brujo - "Tiempo de Soléa" (Bari)
Hossam Ramzy - "Gani Lasmar" (Egyptian Raï)
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Notices
It's a busy few weeks here, before embarking on another BMI excursion and Master's auditions. Here's the rundown:
Friday, January 26 I'll be playing once again with singer-songwriter-guitarist Michael Reinhart, this time at Sablo Kafé (50 St. Zotique E., metro Beaubien). Last time I played with him marked my debut on accordion. I'll be opening for Michael with a set of solo keyboard music - a couple of my own compositions reworked for solo playing, and a few covers, many of them new to my repertoire. Michael and I will be joined by two fantastic singers - Robin Gorn and Sarah Wendt. 8 pm start for my solo set, $7.
Friday, February 2 is my first gig with Kids Eat Crayons. Music from the mad mind of drummer/composer Dennis W. Lee, it's unlike any work I've ever played before. I'm really psyched about this band, as it's a consistent challenge to my playing ability - odd meters, demanding parts for all instruments, and the chance to let out all pent-up aggression. We'll be the last part of a triple bill with Frootfly & Super-Automatica (an electronica project between Max Henry and Liam O'Neill). This goes down at Barfly (4062a St. Laurent, near Duluth). $5.
Kids Eat Crayons: Jean-Philippe Major - voice; Steve Reid - alto sax; Ben Henriques - tenor & soprano sax; Craig Sauvé - guitar; DRR - keyboards; Scott Kingsley - bass; Dennis W. Lee - drums. (We're also hitting the studio January 31 and February 7. Stay tuned.)
I used to play in a band called Kokoro, which has been defunct since 2005. I've since worked with Kevin Warren and Jim Bennett in separate scenarios, but Saturday, February 10 marks the first time the three of us have played together since the demise of that group (and since Jim's return to Montreal from Vancouver). We'll be joined by guitarist Olivier René de Cotret and saxophonist Yannick Coderre at Bar Les Conneries (2037 St. Denis, above Ontario) for a night of jamming. I've missed playing with those guys.
And finally, Indigone Trio is relaunching for 2007 at les Conneries on Friday, February 23, and we welcome drummer Phil Melanson into the fold. Liam has decided to pursue other projects and we wish him all the best.
Additionally, I'll be hosting World Skip the Beat this coming Monday (Jan 29, noon EST) and Jazz Euphorium this coming Wednesday (Jan 31, 8 pm EST) on CKUT.
Friday, January 26 I'll be playing once again with singer-songwriter-guitarist Michael Reinhart, this time at Sablo Kafé (50 St. Zotique E., metro Beaubien). Last time I played with him marked my debut on accordion. I'll be opening for Michael with a set of solo keyboard music - a couple of my own compositions reworked for solo playing, and a few covers, many of them new to my repertoire. Michael and I will be joined by two fantastic singers - Robin Gorn and Sarah Wendt. 8 pm start for my solo set, $7.
Friday, February 2 is my first gig with Kids Eat Crayons. Music from the mad mind of drummer/composer Dennis W. Lee, it's unlike any work I've ever played before. I'm really psyched about this band, as it's a consistent challenge to my playing ability - odd meters, demanding parts for all instruments, and the chance to let out all pent-up aggression. We'll be the last part of a triple bill with Frootfly & Super-Automatica (an electronica project between Max Henry and Liam O'Neill). This goes down at Barfly (4062a St. Laurent, near Duluth). $5.
Kids Eat Crayons: Jean-Philippe Major - voice; Steve Reid - alto sax; Ben Henriques - tenor & soprano sax; Craig Sauvé - guitar; DRR - keyboards; Scott Kingsley - bass; Dennis W. Lee - drums. (We're also hitting the studio January 31 and February 7. Stay tuned.)
I used to play in a band called Kokoro, which has been defunct since 2005. I've since worked with Kevin Warren and Jim Bennett in separate scenarios, but Saturday, February 10 marks the first time the three of us have played together since the demise of that group (and since Jim's return to Montreal from Vancouver). We'll be joined by guitarist Olivier René de Cotret and saxophonist Yannick Coderre at Bar Les Conneries (2037 St. Denis, above Ontario) for a night of jamming. I've missed playing with those guys.
And finally, Indigone Trio is relaunching for 2007 at les Conneries on Friday, February 23, and we welcome drummer Phil Melanson into the fold. Liam has decided to pursue other projects and we wish him all the best.
Additionally, I'll be hosting World Skip the Beat this coming Monday (Jan 29, noon EST) and Jazz Euphorium this coming Wednesday (Jan 31, 8 pm EST) on CKUT.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Changing landscapes
Montreal seems to be going through a period of cultural upheaval. In the wake of the closing and re-opening of Cinéma du Parc (which may yet be transformed into Cinéma de Robert-Bourassa), word comes that the Spectrum will be no more. This venerable space is slated to be replaced by a Best Buy.
I'll go one better than Jamie O'Meara: Spectrum was one of the best venues in Montreal, bar none. The acoustics were always good - maybe not fantastic, but never mediocre, and any problems usually lay with the soundman - the ambience was beautiful, with surprisingly decent sightlines from anywhere in the room. Its ability to metamorphosize from charming cabaret to sweaty funkbucket was truly appreciated.
I've seen some wonderful shows at Spectrum, many affiliated with Jazz Fest but not all. Highlights that flashed through my memory as I read the announcement of its imminent closure:
- An off-season Brad Mehldau Trio appearance, touring the Anything Goes repertoire before it was released, was the first time Mehldau's music clicked with me. His solo piano encore, in tribute to the recently deceased Elliott Smith, rendered Spectrum completely silent.
- Seeing Joss Stone just as her wave of popularity was starting to pick up speed. We waited longer than usual after the opener for her to come on, but it was well worth it. Showtime was during a crucial Habs/Bruins playoff game; when Stone came out in Habs gear and announced we had won, the place erupted. It gave the scene a jolt of energy she couldn't have delivered on her own at the time.
- 2005's Metheny marathon concert with Scott Colley, Antonio Sanchez, David Sanchez, Enrico Rava, and Me'shell Ndegeocello's Spirit Music band, hanging out up in the balcony of Spectrum with members of the press.
Spectrum serves/d as the indoor heart of Jazz Fest, with many of the outdoor stages mere steps away and having the most indoor programming outside of the Place des Arts complex. As O'Meara notes, the Spectrum was supposed to have merged with the Parc des Festivals for a larger Complexe Spectrum. It's yet another blunder in the Charest Liberal books that the funding for such a project was denied. Luckily, the demolition is only slated for August, post Jazz Fest, so the havoc it's sure to wreak on programming and scheduling will be postponed until 2008. O'Meara writes:
I must confess to not having listened to as much CBC Radio as I should have, being a good Canuck and all. I'm just not near a radio much these days, and when I am it's usually tuned to CKUT.
Last night, I attended the launch for Literacy Through Hip-Hop's Montreal chapter. The project will take place in Little Burgundy, a down-trodden neighbourhood in the city, and will engage kids in the social aspects of hip-hop and get them to record their own music. As I mentioned about Under Pressure in the summer, one of the most interesting aspects about hip-hop, to me, is the way it can involve community. Hip-hop now, especially in inner cities, is one of the first ways kids get exposed to music and the creative manipulation of language. As music programs get cut from school budgets, other groups need to pick up the slack. Kudos to everyone involved in LTHH.
I'll go one better than Jamie O'Meara: Spectrum was one of the best venues in Montreal, bar none. The acoustics were always good - maybe not fantastic, but never mediocre, and any problems usually lay with the soundman - the ambience was beautiful, with surprisingly decent sightlines from anywhere in the room. Its ability to metamorphosize from charming cabaret to sweaty funkbucket was truly appreciated.
I've seen some wonderful shows at Spectrum, many affiliated with Jazz Fest but not all. Highlights that flashed through my memory as I read the announcement of its imminent closure:
- An off-season Brad Mehldau Trio appearance, touring the Anything Goes repertoire before it was released, was the first time Mehldau's music clicked with me. His solo piano encore, in tribute to the recently deceased Elliott Smith, rendered Spectrum completely silent.
- Seeing Joss Stone just as her wave of popularity was starting to pick up speed. We waited longer than usual after the opener for her to come on, but it was well worth it. Showtime was during a crucial Habs/Bruins playoff game; when Stone came out in Habs gear and announced we had won, the place erupted. It gave the scene a jolt of energy she couldn't have delivered on her own at the time.
- 2005's Metheny marathon concert with Scott Colley, Antonio Sanchez, David Sanchez, Enrico Rava, and Me'shell Ndegeocello's Spirit Music band, hanging out up in the balcony of Spectrum with members of the press.
Spectrum serves/d as the indoor heart of Jazz Fest, with many of the outdoor stages mere steps away and having the most indoor programming outside of the Place des Arts complex. As O'Meara notes, the Spectrum was supposed to have merged with the Parc des Festivals for a larger Complexe Spectrum. It's yet another blunder in the Charest Liberal books that the funding for such a project was denied. Luckily, the demolition is only slated for August, post Jazz Fest, so the havoc it's sure to wreak on programming and scheduling will be postponed until 2008. O'Meara writes:
Montreal has a long history of being a poor custodian of its arts and culture heritage, and the imminent destruction of one of the city's most prized performance venues is just another in a growing list of assaults on the arts community in the last week alone.And as a Montreal-based artist, that's truly disconcerting to me. On the ground level, there's so many fantastic people working at and with their art here, and its got a cultural vibrancy which I haven't experienced anywhere else. I hate to see it sabotaged by lack of space or understanding.
***
CBC Radio 2 makes good on its restructuring. [via CleverLazy] I had heard the first rumours of this circulating, and now reading the details, I'm torn about it. I lament the loss of Brave New Waves, as a recent convert to the show, though it could (and should) continue as a podcast. (Hey Helen, any notion of that floating about?) I do applaud the notion of Katie Malloch having a daily slot, though I don't know what that will do to the features JazzBeat used to run. The increase of talk and lack of classical does bother me, but this restructuring doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Wait and hear, I suppose.I must confess to not having listened to as much CBC Radio as I should have, being a good Canuck and all. I'm just not near a radio much these days, and when I am it's usually tuned to CKUT.
***
Last night, I attended the launch for Literacy Through Hip-Hop's Montreal chapter. The project will take place in Little Burgundy, a down-trodden neighbourhood in the city, and will engage kids in the social aspects of hip-hop and get them to record their own music. As I mentioned about Under Pressure in the summer, one of the most interesting aspects about hip-hop, to me, is the way it can involve community. Hip-hop now, especially in inner cities, is one of the first ways kids get exposed to music and the creative manipulation of language. As music programs get cut from school budgets, other groups need to pick up the slack. Kudos to everyone involved in LTHH.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
What you gon' play now?
There's a couple of very touching essays remembering the departed up now around the web.
Firstly, Christian McBride went on a burst of blogging at the beginning of the new year. I'd like to draw attention to his ultimate blog, not intended to be a memorial but functioning as one for the late Godfather of Soul. Read some of the subsequent entries, as well. McBride's experiences with Soul Brother No. 1 give Mr. Brown a human element that not many people saw.
Secondly, as has been linked a lot today, trumpeter Randy Sandke remembers his buddy Michael Brecker over at Rifftides.
And thirdly, Destination Out has a massive Alice Coltrane tribute. Jay and Drew, I salute thee.
Firstly, Christian McBride went on a burst of blogging at the beginning of the new year. I'd like to draw attention to his ultimate blog, not intended to be a memorial but functioning as one for the late Godfather of Soul. Read some of the subsequent entries, as well. McBride's experiences with Soul Brother No. 1 give Mr. Brown a human element that not many people saw.
Secondly, as has been linked a lot today, trumpeter Randy Sandke remembers his buddy Michael Brecker over at Rifftides.
And thirdly, Destination Out has a massive Alice Coltrane tribute. Jay and Drew, I salute thee.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Salon answers
On the Pulse blog, Joe Phillips has put up some substantive debate for composers, performers, and the like. I'm going to repost excerpts here for some context, but for the full talking points, check the link.
I agree that composition - and any performing art - is incomplete unless it has been disseminated in some way, which is why I always felt that my high school Shakespeare readings should have been determined by what was being staged that year and not by a predetermined curriculum. The audience doesn't necessarily hold the final judgement on a work, but the act of having a piece performed, even if it's just for a jury of my peers, adds a dimension to it. Composition can be such a hermetic practice that the ability to have my colleagues critique it in a reading session takes me out of my own headspace and allows me to re-evaluate my work in a more objective setting.
I. ...work/composition is not complete until it has been observed or heard [and subsequently] evaluated by an audience. ... a good work of art is one that (as you experience it) “makes you want to jump up and get out of there” and go and create something yourself. How do you view this statement (especially in relationship toward how your own compositions are received by the public)?The best concerts I've seen usually make me want to hit the practice room, seriously write my butt off, or investigate their artistic tradition. Sometimes it has less to do with wanting to copy the musicians/composers in question and more about being inspired and rejuvenated. There must be an analog to this sentiment among non-musicians/non-artists, but I can't figure out what it would be - maybe "I wish I could do that," or regretting having quit piano lessons in early adolescence.
I agree that composition - and any performing art - is incomplete unless it has been disseminated in some way, which is why I always felt that my high school Shakespeare readings should have been determined by what was being staged that year and not by a predetermined curriculum. The audience doesn't necessarily hold the final judgement on a work, but the act of having a piece performed, even if it's just for a jury of my peers, adds a dimension to it. Composition can be such a hermetic practice that the ability to have my colleagues critique it in a reading session takes me out of my own headspace and allows me to re-evaluate my work in a more objective setting.
II. ...with the rise of modernism (in art) in the early 20th century, there came a disconnect with audiences—an “antagonism” between the artistic creator and the consumer of the art. ... “This is my essential criticism of modernism, whether perpetrated by (Charlie) Parker, (Erza) Pound, or (Pablo) Picasso: it helps us neither to enjoy nor to endure.”
Do you agree or disagree with Bayles’ and/or Larkin’s statements/premises? How do you as a composer/performer, balance artistic and commercial viability in your own work? In the presentation (i.e. performances) of your works? What other composers/performers do you feel balance artistic and commercial viability well? Is this even necessary?
I have little patience for pedantic or academic work. If I have to read the program notes for a piece to make any sort of sense, the composer should merely become a poet or author. Spare me the tedium. And as many jazz musicians have spouted over the years, the stage is not the practice room. Tell a story, etc. To effect the jumping-up-and-getting-out reaction that Laurie Anderson mentions above, the piece/improvisation/art has to stem from an honest and sincere place.
I firmly believe that it's obvious whether a musician is honest or whether they're bullshitting. Conviction is an easy thing to hear. If I tried to play a Djavan tune verbatim, it would come off quite crass, honestly, both to me and to the audience. But any cover I play, I endeavour to approach it from a place of true admiration and appreciation, and to make it my own in some meaningful way. There's a lot of songs I love and love to play in private, but that I would rarely, if ever, program on one of my own gigs, because I don't feel I have anything of myself with which to imbue it.
That said, there's more factors at play in the 20th century reception of art aside from the rise of modernism. The rise of alternative forms of entertainment, such as radio, cinema and television, created this idea of competition for attention. Half the threads on NewMusicBox and the like seem to be about how to get listeners out to concerts, and to entice them away from their Wiis (Wiiae?) and TiVos and various other entertainment devices. Additionally, the iPod and internet is the pinnacle of music dissemination, with the ability to get nearly any music at any time and listen to it anywhere. Four hundred years ago, music could only travel by way of printed scores and performance. Home entertainment was in the form of children learning instruments, home concerts and salons.
I've said it before: it's amazing what mere exposure will do to generate an audience. I don't want to get on the political soapbox about mainstream media insulting the intelligence of its viewers and listeners, but I think we really do underestimate what people will gravitate toward if they're even given the opportunity to hear it.
As a composer and/or performer how do you generate audiences for your performances? How does audience reaction to a piece affect your future writing? your programming? Do you think about the audience when writing?
I don't think about the audience when I'm writing. Composition is a very selfish task: I'm writing for me. I write what I want to hear, sometimes even as a form of personal catharsis. When I wrote "Driscollage" as a tribute to Chris Driscoll, I did it as a coping method. I couldn't get the melody out of my head after I heard the news. The potential reception of it never entered my mind. I do, however, think about the audience in terms of programming, but again, it's based on how I, as a listener, would want to hear a set of music. As for generating audiences, I haven't ever modified my music to gain more listeners, and I hope I never have to. If my music has changed, it's been for personal reasons and growth, not to kowtow to commerciality.
Can you recommend any composer, group, or recording that balances the artistic with the popular (or at least commercial successful)?
Radiohead. Paul Simon. Ethel. Maria Schneider. Tom Waits. The current crop of [shudder] crossover projects (Kronos playing Sigur Ros, Alarm Will Sound playing Aphex Twin, So Percussion double bills with Matmos) seem to be coming from a genuine appreciation for the music as opposed to a record producer's grand marketing idea.
I'd like to bring up David Lewis' review of Golijov's Ainadamar on AllMusic. He writes:
In Ainadamar, Golijov plays it safe, ... almost sounding like a zarzuela or, at worst, like Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita with better music. ... The serious subject of Ainadamar does not defeat the fact that its music sounds commercial, as well crafted as it is. ... [T]he lack of risk-taking in Ainadamar is tantamount to Golijov moving into another camp of composers -- some might say on his way up in the world, but others may decide that it's "out."If all operas were as direct and accessible as Ainadamar, one wouldn't need to pull teeth to get audience members. Lewis seems to consider "melodic" as a synonym for "commercial," and I can't fathom why any composer or musician should become an apologist for melody. And what of the idea of balancing the weighty subject with lighter music? Not all opera has to be buried under Wagnerian gravitas. The biggest detriment facing "classical" and "jazz" music is that its purists risk putting it not merely in a museum, but in a bubble. The best art is not insular, but connected to the entirety of its traditions and social contexts - both of its time and timeless.
Monday, January 15, 2007
World Skip The Beat playlist 1/15/2007
Trilok Gurtu - "Big Brother" (African Fantasy)
Rez Abbasi - "Kismet" (Snake Charmer)
Richard Bona - "Konda Djanea" (Scenes From My Life)
Maleshevski Melos - "Nesatova Sa-sa" (Belly Dance)
Cosmic Voices of Bulgaria - "Barem se ergen nahodih" (Mechmitio)
Esma Redzepova - "Chaje Shukarije" (Chaje Shukarije)
Trio Mocoto - "Nagô" (Black Rio compilation)
Moreno Veloso +2 - "Arrivederci" (Music Typewriter)
Bebel Gilberto - "August Day Song" (Tanto Tempo)
Forro in the Dark - "Forrowest" (Bonfires of São João)
Osvaldo Golijov/Atlanta SO/Upshaw - "Balada (Primera Imagen)" (Ainadamar)
Waldemar Bastos - "Kuribôta" (Pretaluz)
Papa Wemba - "Bakwetu" (Molokai)
Salif Keita - "Tekere" (Folon...The Past)
Rokia Traoré - "Wanita" (Wanita)
Kasai Allstars f/ Tandjolo - "Koyile/Nyeka Nyeka" (Congotronics 2)
Beny Moré - "Maracaibo Oriental" (Ritmo)
Patato - "Descarga en Faux" (The Legend of Cuban Percussion)
Irakere - "Bacalao Con Pan" (Bacalao Con Pan)
Compay Segundo - "Chan Chan" (Calle Salud)
Fela Ransome-Kuti & Africa 70 - "Fogo Fogo" (Afro-Baby compilation)
Rez Abbasi - "Kismet" (Snake Charmer)
Richard Bona - "Konda Djanea" (Scenes From My Life)
Maleshevski Melos - "Nesatova Sa-sa" (Belly Dance)
Cosmic Voices of Bulgaria - "Barem se ergen nahodih" (Mechmitio)
Esma Redzepova - "Chaje Shukarije" (Chaje Shukarije)
Trio Mocoto - "Nagô" (Black Rio compilation)
Moreno Veloso +2 - "Arrivederci" (Music Typewriter)
Bebel Gilberto - "August Day Song" (Tanto Tempo)
Forro in the Dark - "Forrowest" (Bonfires of São João)
Osvaldo Golijov/Atlanta SO/Upshaw - "Balada (Primera Imagen)" (Ainadamar)
Waldemar Bastos - "Kuribôta" (Pretaluz)
Papa Wemba - "Bakwetu" (Molokai)
Salif Keita - "Tekere" (Folon...The Past)
Rokia Traoré - "Wanita" (Wanita)
Kasai Allstars f/ Tandjolo - "Koyile/Nyeka Nyeka" (Congotronics 2)
Beny Moré - "Maracaibo Oriental" (Ritmo)
Patato - "Descarga en Faux" (The Legend of Cuban Percussion)
Irakere - "Bacalao Con Pan" (Bacalao Con Pan)
Compay Segundo - "Chan Chan" (Calle Salud)
Fela Ransome-Kuti & Africa 70 - "Fogo Fogo" (Afro-Baby compilation)
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Administration
Added a couple of overdue names to the blogroll.
Jesse Jarnow first came to my attention as a pre-eminent writer in the jamband scene, and has since proven to be a first-class blogger and podcaster (on the Ropeadope site) with varied taste. He also posts mp3s and whimsical fiction from time to time.
Dr. Jazz and I have crossed many a cyberpath. It's always refreshing to see musicians involved with the industry and journalism side of things. As a saxophonist (I'm unsure of his activity in the Philly or NYC scenes as he seems pretty busy with his day job), he's got a very frank memorial of Michael Brecker up now.
Notes: I'm hosting World Skip the Beat on CKUT on Monday, January 15, noon EST. As always, you can tune in online or download from the archives. The playlist will appear here after the show. You can check out the playlists of previous Jazz Euphorium shows here.
Jesse Jarnow first came to my attention as a pre-eminent writer in the jamband scene, and has since proven to be a first-class blogger and podcaster (on the Ropeadope site) with varied taste. He also posts mp3s and whimsical fiction from time to time.
Dr. Jazz and I have crossed many a cyberpath. It's always refreshing to see musicians involved with the industry and journalism side of things. As a saxophonist (I'm unsure of his activity in the Philly or NYC scenes as he seems pretty busy with his day job), he's got a very frank memorial of Michael Brecker up now.
Notes: I'm hosting World Skip the Beat on CKUT on Monday, January 15, noon EST. As always, you can tune in online or download from the archives. The playlist will appear here after the show. You can check out the playlists of previous Jazz Euphorium shows here.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Two blocks from the edge
AP is reporting that Michael Brecker has left us, at the far too young age of 57. He had been suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome over the past couple of years, and according to reports it had turned into leukemia. I guess even with the valiant attempts made by the jazz community at large, his family never found a donor.
Brecker gets a bad rap, mostly for all his copycats with overly bright tone and fingerwork exceeding their musicality (never mind the EWI), but he created some wonderful music that went beyond his 'Trane-isms. The McCoy Tyner album he's on, Infinity, is indebted to Trane without being merely imitative, and the intro to "Delta City Blues" from Two Blocks From The Edge is a fairly direct forebearer to Chris Potter's solo intros (especially the one before "Boogie Stop Shuffle" on Lift). He's killing on Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light, mightily matched Dewey Redman's efforts on Metheny's 80/81 and added a hefty dose of soul to any number of sessions he did in the '70s and '80s. He will be missed.
RIP Michael. (Edited to add: I've been playing Tales from the Hudson tonight, a sleeper record from the '90s. What a great band - Brecker, Joey Calderazzo, Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette, with McCoy Tyner guesting on a couple of tunes, including a burning "Song for Bilbao.")
Darcy's been blogging heavily from IAJE. Great photos and fantastic post-mortem, as usual. I can't exactly say I wish I was there - the program seems fairly similar to last year's, and given my routine appearances in NYC, the novelty of it is somewhat diminished - but it's still a cool hang. I'm happy to hear Pulse went off well, and to see some of my friends like Quinsin and Melissa Stylianou getting some props.
Brecker gets a bad rap, mostly for all his copycats with overly bright tone and fingerwork exceeding their musicality (never mind the EWI), but he created some wonderful music that went beyond his 'Trane-isms. The McCoy Tyner album he's on, Infinity, is indebted to Trane without being merely imitative, and the intro to "Delta City Blues" from Two Blocks From The Edge is a fairly direct forebearer to Chris Potter's solo intros (especially the one before "Boogie Stop Shuffle" on Lift). He's killing on Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light, mightily matched Dewey Redman's efforts on Metheny's 80/81 and added a hefty dose of soul to any number of sessions he did in the '70s and '80s. He will be missed.
RIP Michael. (Edited to add: I've been playing Tales from the Hudson tonight, a sleeper record from the '90s. What a great band - Brecker, Joey Calderazzo, Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette, with McCoy Tyner guesting on a couple of tunes, including a burning "Song for Bilbao.")
***
EDIT (10:45 pm): Via David R. Adler, Alice Coltrane's gone too? I never explored her music, though by all accounts her renaissance of recent years has been spectacular.
***
EDIT (10:45 pm): Via David R. Adler, Alice Coltrane's gone too? I never explored her music, though by all accounts her renaissance of recent years has been spectacular.
***
Darcy's been blogging heavily from IAJE. Great photos and fantastic post-mortem, as usual. I can't exactly say I wish I was there - the program seems fairly similar to last year's, and given my routine appearances in NYC, the novelty of it is somewhat diminished - but it's still a cool hang. I'm happy to hear Pulse went off well, and to see some of my friends like Quinsin and Melissa Stylianou getting some props.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Words of wisdom from the world outside
The Idolator Jackin' Pop poll is finally up. It's a massive list, and I haven't parsed it all yet, but the various breakdowns in the demographics section are revealing. It's also nice to see some non-pop critics like James Hale and Alex Ross get in on the action, and that Christgau is as omnivorous as ever. NPR covers the Internet rebellion against the Voice, with Sasha Frere-Jones providing insight.
I've been channel surfing over the holidays, and sometimes land on the best-of/worst-of/encapsulate-the-year-in-an-hour shows on MuchMusic and its sister stations. One little bit struck me, from a MuchMoreMusic wrap-up, lambasting some starlet-du-jour and stating, "If talent actually mattered, everyone would love this guy!" I don't disagree - Ron Sexsmith is among the top songwriters in Canada - but it set me on a train of thought about the industry, reminiscing of the buzzwords from the Future of Music Coalition meetings in October.
If the kingmakers - or at least their writers and on-air personalities - prefer substance over style, then why isn't Ron Sexsmith given similar rotation to Fergie? Or even a fraction of it? (This is assuming music videos still made up the majority of programming, which is not the case.) A yearly tradition is Ed the Sock (a sock puppet meeting of Oscar the Grouch and Triumph, for the non-Canadian readers) openly mocking the fromage of whatever year, which usually happen to be the most highly played videos in MuchMusic's repertoire. I guess the 15 minutes of fame doesn't care if it's comprised of bad press.
Is the mainstream still really that commercial, or is it a case of all the alternatives in the indie world split the vote? With all the press and adulation Gnarls Barkley got, I still only saw the video twice, and have only heard "Crazy" on radio a handful of times.
I've been channel surfing over the holidays, and sometimes land on the best-of/worst-of/encapsulate-the-year-in-an-hour shows on MuchMusic and its sister stations. One little bit struck me, from a MuchMoreMusic wrap-up, lambasting some starlet-du-jour and stating, "If talent actually mattered, everyone would love this guy!" I don't disagree - Ron Sexsmith is among the top songwriters in Canada - but it set me on a train of thought about the industry, reminiscing of the buzzwords from the Future of Music Coalition meetings in October.
If the kingmakers - or at least their writers and on-air personalities - prefer substance over style, then why isn't Ron Sexsmith given similar rotation to Fergie? Or even a fraction of it? (This is assuming music videos still made up the majority of programming, which is not the case.) A yearly tradition is Ed the Sock (a sock puppet meeting of Oscar the Grouch and Triumph, for the non-Canadian readers) openly mocking the fromage of whatever year, which usually happen to be the most highly played videos in MuchMusic's repertoire. I guess the 15 minutes of fame doesn't care if it's comprised of bad press.
Is the mainstream still really that commercial, or is it a case of all the alternatives in the indie world split the vote? With all the press and adulation Gnarls Barkley got, I still only saw the video twice, and have only heard "Crazy" on radio a handful of times.
Old and new dreams
2007 is starting off with some very strong music, both here and in NYC. Maybe cloning's not such a bad idea after all...
January 7 is the Dewey Redman Memorial Concert at Saint Peter's Church in NYC (Lexington & 54th). The announced performers are fitting, and stellar: Pheeroan AkLaff, Geri Allen, Reid Anderson, John Betsch, Cameron Brown, Baikida Carroll, Ted Daniel, Jack DeJohnette, Charles Eubanks, Charlie Haden, Mark Helias, Ethan Iverson, Leroy Jenkins, Sheila Jordan, Frank Kimbrough, Joe Lovano, John Menegon, Joshua Redman, Judi Silvano, and Matt Wilson, and others. I can think of no better way to celebrate his life - wish I was in town to pay my respects.
January 9 & 10 sees Dutch iconoclast, percussionist/artist Han Bennink at Tonic, joined by friends Joachim Badenhorst, Anthony Coleman, Dave Douglas, Ellery Eskelin, Thomas Heberer, Brad Jones, and Marcus Rojas. All surfaces in the club are open game for Bennink, and I imagine hilarity as well as fantastic music will ensue.
January 12 is the night of a fundraiser concert for the crisis in Darfur at Clara Lichtenstein Recital Hall (555 Sherbrooke W, room C-209). Organized by my friend, flautist Deborah Thomson, I'll be performing at the end of the concert with Scott Kingsley (bass) and Liam O'Neill (drums). Other McGill alumni and current students are on the programme, with works by Damase, Hovahness, Persichetti, Liszt, Gubaidulina, J.S. Bach, Mozart, Vivier, and Bartok. Admission is by donation, and it starts at 8 pm.
January 12 & 13, Upstairs brings in a kick-ass quintet from NYC: Donny McCaslin, Lars Dietrich, Ben Monder, Zack Lober and Greg Ritchie. I'm quite excited to hear this group - I've missed Ben and Donny whenever they've been through town before, and I haven't heard Zack and Greg in a very long time.
January 7 is the Dewey Redman Memorial Concert at Saint Peter's Church in NYC (Lexington & 54th). The announced performers are fitting, and stellar: Pheeroan AkLaff, Geri Allen, Reid Anderson, John Betsch, Cameron Brown, Baikida Carroll, Ted Daniel, Jack DeJohnette, Charles Eubanks, Charlie Haden, Mark Helias, Ethan Iverson, Leroy Jenkins, Sheila Jordan, Frank Kimbrough, Joe Lovano, John Menegon, Joshua Redman, Judi Silvano, and Matt Wilson, and others. I can think of no better way to celebrate his life - wish I was in town to pay my respects.
January 9 & 10 sees Dutch iconoclast, percussionist/artist Han Bennink at Tonic, joined by friends Joachim Badenhorst, Anthony Coleman, Dave Douglas, Ellery Eskelin, Thomas Heberer, Brad Jones, and Marcus Rojas. All surfaces in the club are open game for Bennink, and I imagine hilarity as well as fantastic music will ensue.
January 12 is the night of a fundraiser concert for the crisis in Darfur at Clara Lichtenstein Recital Hall (555 Sherbrooke W, room C-209). Organized by my friend, flautist Deborah Thomson, I'll be performing at the end of the concert with Scott Kingsley (bass) and Liam O'Neill (drums). Other McGill alumni and current students are on the programme, with works by Damase, Hovahness, Persichetti, Liszt, Gubaidulina, J.S. Bach, Mozart, Vivier, and Bartok. Admission is by donation, and it starts at 8 pm.
January 12 & 13, Upstairs brings in a kick-ass quintet from NYC: Donny McCaslin, Lars Dietrich, Ben Monder, Zack Lober and Greg Ritchie. I'm quite excited to hear this group - I've missed Ben and Donny whenever they've been through town before, and I haven't heard Zack and Greg in a very long time.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Diggin' on James Brown
RIP Godfather. Questlove drops some heavy retrospective on one of the most influential contributors to 20th century music. And all the Montreal coverage on his show, scheduled to have taken place January 3 of the new year, has turned into a timely eulogy for a master.
Where to begin? I guess I became truly conscious of James Brown in high school. I can't exactly remember the first time I heard his music - "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" were always around - but I became aware of his groove and his style when I started investigating funk more seriously. It may have been when the guitarist in my high school stage band hipped me to John Scofield's A Go Go record, and the handwritten lead sheet for "Chank" (which I later covered in another high school era band) had the instruction "'Cold Sweat' beat." The discovery that Miles and Herbie's fusion explorations were fueled by the effect Brown had on '70s America increased my respect for him in the midst of an adolescent jazz snob phase. Back in the day when CIUT's What Is Hip radio show was 3 hours on Tuesday afternoons, split into an hour-and-a-half each of jazz and then other groove music, the "bridge" between the two was initially Steely Dan, and later James Brown. It meant every Tuesday at 4:30 one could get on the good foot.
It's hard to overstate the importance of James Brown. I don't necessarily listen to his records regularly, but between all the people he influenced, all the artists and genres his music helped to exist, he's definitely a staple of my musical diet. Most recently, on my Cruise Ship X, the drummer admitted - confessed may be the proper verb - to having never checked out James Brown. Immediately, I knew there was a problem.
The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Soul Brother Number One, is no more. RIP James.
Where to begin? I guess I became truly conscious of James Brown in high school. I can't exactly remember the first time I heard his music - "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" were always around - but I became aware of his groove and his style when I started investigating funk more seriously. It may have been when the guitarist in my high school stage band hipped me to John Scofield's A Go Go record, and the handwritten lead sheet for "Chank" (which I later covered in another high school era band) had the instruction "'Cold Sweat' beat." The discovery that Miles and Herbie's fusion explorations were fueled by the effect Brown had on '70s America increased my respect for him in the midst of an adolescent jazz snob phase. Back in the day when CIUT's What Is Hip radio show was 3 hours on Tuesday afternoons, split into an hour-and-a-half each of jazz and then other groove music, the "bridge" between the two was initially Steely Dan, and later James Brown. It meant every Tuesday at 4:30 one could get on the good foot.
It's hard to overstate the importance of James Brown. I don't necessarily listen to his records regularly, but between all the people he influenced, all the artists and genres his music helped to exist, he's definitely a staple of my musical diet. Most recently, on my Cruise Ship X, the drummer admitted - confessed may be the proper verb - to having never checked out James Brown. Immediately, I knew there was a problem.
The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Soul Brother Number One, is no more. RIP James.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Dobbin's Den - Christmas Eve '06
*Oliver Jones - "Len's Den" (From Lush to Lively) [Dobbin's Den theme]
New Birth Brass Band - "Santa's Second Line" (Putumayo Presents: New Orleans Christmas)
Sphere - "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" (Sphere)
Kenny Wheeler - "Gentle Piece" (Music for Large and Small Ensembles)
Gil Evans - "Stratusphunk" (Out of the Cool)
*Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - "Roots" (Elizabeth Shepherd Trio)
Kurt Elling - "Nature Boy" (The Messenger)
Don Byron - "Marc Anthony Speaks" (Do the Boomerang)
Paul Motian - "Hot House" (The Electric Bebop Band)
*Antoine Berthiaume - "Mr. Suozzi" (Ellen's Bar)
Steve Slagle - "Nostalgia in Times Square" (New New York)
Joe Lovano - "Big Ben" (Streams of Expression)
Fred Hersch Trio - "I'll Be Seeing You" (Live at the Village Vanguard)
John Hicks - "My Conception" (Music in the Key of Clark)
Von Freeman - "What is This Thing Called Love?" (The Improvisor)
Marty Ehrlich - "Dance No. 2" (News on the Rail)
Eric Dolphy/Booker Little - "Miss Ann" (Far Cry)
*B3 Kings - "Dance O The Sugar Plum" (A Cellar Live Christmas)
* = CanCon
New Birth Brass Band - "Santa's Second Line" (Putumayo Presents: New Orleans Christmas)
Sphere - "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" (Sphere)
Kenny Wheeler - "Gentle Piece" (Music for Large and Small Ensembles)
Gil Evans - "Stratusphunk" (Out of the Cool)
*Elizabeth Shepherd Trio - "Roots" (Elizabeth Shepherd Trio)
Kurt Elling - "Nature Boy" (The Messenger)
Don Byron - "Marc Anthony Speaks" (Do the Boomerang)
Paul Motian - "Hot House" (The Electric Bebop Band)
*Antoine Berthiaume - "Mr. Suozzi" (Ellen's Bar)
Steve Slagle - "Nostalgia in Times Square" (New New York)
Joe Lovano - "Big Ben" (Streams of Expression)
Fred Hersch Trio - "I'll Be Seeing You" (Live at the Village Vanguard)
John Hicks - "My Conception" (Music in the Key of Clark)
Von Freeman - "What is This Thing Called Love?" (The Improvisor)
Marty Ehrlich - "Dance No. 2" (News on the Rail)
Eric Dolphy/Booker Little - "Miss Ann" (Far Cry)
*B3 Kings - "Dance O The Sugar Plum" (A Cellar Live Christmas)
* = CanCon
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Making a list, find the cost of opportunity
Hanukkah is over, Christmas and Kwanzaa are 'round the bend, and everybody's making lists of what went down this year. For my part, this is the first year in a long while where it would be entirely fallacious for me to generate my favourite releases of this year, never mind an overview of the year in general. Early in the year, with the strings project, I inhabited my own personal bubble, checking out a vast heritage of music otherwise unknown to me. Thanks to the blogosphere/Behearer movement, I spent a healthy amount of time in libraries digging for Threadgill, Hemphill, and others, instead of paying attention to charts and release listings. My big discoveries of the year were John Hollenbeck, Guillermo Klein, and Osvaldo Golijov. It's been a year of surprising experiences - I certainly never expected to commute between Montreal and New York on a regular basis, sit at the same table as Ethan Iverson and Adam Cruz watching Grimes, Cyrille & McHenry, nor did I ever envision myself playing Bob Marley's upright piano on my last port day of a cruise ship contract.
2007 will be a promising year, with the completion and fruition of BMI alone. Who knows what else it will bring. I realize I didn't blog about the reading session earlier this week; I find it difficult to write about it accurately, not knowing the names of most of the musicians who played our music, nor what the other composers intended in their work. There's some very interesting stuff going on, though - and I'm starting to become familiar with the various styles in the group of writers. More than the range of influence (which is large enough, I suppose), it's the multitude of ways similar influences can manifest themselves, and the infinite number of variations on a theme one can construct.
Happy holidays to all. I'll be on the air quite frequently the next few weeks, starting tomorrow morning, filling in for the esteemed Len Dobbin on Dobbin's Den (11 am-1 pm EST), and then three weeks consecutively of Jazz Euphorium (Wednesdays 8-10 pm EST).
2007 will be a promising year, with the completion and fruition of BMI alone. Who knows what else it will bring. I realize I didn't blog about the reading session earlier this week; I find it difficult to write about it accurately, not knowing the names of most of the musicians who played our music, nor what the other composers intended in their work. There's some very interesting stuff going on, though - and I'm starting to become familiar with the various styles in the group of writers. More than the range of influence (which is large enough, I suppose), it's the multitude of ways similar influences can manifest themselves, and the infinite number of variations on a theme one can construct.
Happy holidays to all. I'll be on the air quite frequently the next few weeks, starting tomorrow morning, filling in for the esteemed Len Dobbin on Dobbin's Den (11 am-1 pm EST), and then three weeks consecutively of Jazz Euphorium (Wednesdays 8-10 pm EST).
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