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REVIEW: Medeski Martin & Wood @ McDonald Theatre (Eugene, OR – – 11/15/08)
FYI… my PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Keys player John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood make up one of my favorite groove and experimental jazz trios on the scene today. I’ve seen them twice prior (once only casually, once as a hardcore fan), and this third time was again in the clearly hardcore fan category.
This tour from Seattle to Reno is the last of three short jaunts in 2008 that are all part of their Radiolarian experiment. This special series – named after a type of single-celled organisms with remarkable exoskeletons – sees the trio getting together for five days to hammer out new material. Then they go on a brief tour to practice the pieces live, after which they cut a record of the new material. Instead of the standard industry practice of write -> record -> tour, MMW will write -> tour -> record.
The opener was no one. This was an “Evening With MMW” type of thing. Which, IMO, just rocked. It’s not to say that an opener might not have been enjoyable, but sometimes you just want to dig into to the real deal.
Medeski Martin & Wood were on top of their game. The hit the stage around 8:20pm and played a 1st set that was about 60/40 on the experimental vs. groove jazz. Their experimentation seemed a little bit more cohesive than, say, their Live at Tonic from a few years back. I dug it a lot, but some of the crowd was definitely itching for their more danceable, groove-oriented jazz. They ended this first set around 9:30pm and took a break…
(click for larger)
I toyed with the idea of leaving… I mean, I just saw 70 minutes of fantastic MMW. I’m glad I stayed, though. They hit the stage again around 10:00pm and played another solid hour plus of 120% groove. Great vibe, great fun… at one point all three were playing percussion of some sort. They also had a more rock tune in the bunch. Near the end of their 2nd set, I went to the “lounge” area to see what it was all about. I grabbed a beer and partially watched the encore via the TVs in the lounge (a weird but convenient trend in concert going these days). Near the end of the encore, I had to see it from the floor. Fantastic show all around!!
MMW’s setlist for tonight? Ha! I could only tell you that it was a smokin’ 2++ hour show… but song names and jazz music are usually hard to recollect. If I get wind of a set list via the MMWSetlist site, I’ll post it here. It may very well have been all Radiolarians Part 3 outside of the encore (which had been “Crosstown Traffic” at recent shows).
Their newest album, Radiolarians 1, is out now and is fantastic. As is their John Zorn / Masada Book Two album, Zaebos… Radiolarians 2 & 3 are expected out early 2009, I imagine. I’m glad to be part of the Radiolarians 3 performance this swing through Eugene. They’re going in to record Radiolarians 3 over Thanksgiving (or so said the merch lady).
The Appropriate Linkage:
Next show… tomorrow (Monday the 17th) is Jason Schimmel’s Orange Tulip Conspiracy at Samurai Duck in Eugene. OTC is a great eclectic instrumental band (similar to Jason’s other band Estradasphere but without the “metal” aspect). I wish it weren’t late on a Monday at a dive bar, but it promises to be a VERY good show nonetheless.
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works XXI: Belle de Nature / The New Rijksmuseum
MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
REVIEW: Skerik’s McTuff @ Sam Bond’s (Eugene, OR – – 10/26/08)
I saw Skerik and his Maelstrom Trio for the first time back in May (review here – Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio & Stebmo). Since Skerik’s from Seattle, it seems like he comes through Eugene more than occasionally, which is more than a-OK with me. This time was with a groovier, organ-and-sax infused jazz project, McTuff, led by organist Joe Doria. Think if Medeski Martin & Wood had a saxophonist, added more bop, swapped the bass for a guitar, and kept going with it… OK, maybe it’s not like MMW, but it’s in the same vein at least.
There was no opener… I walked in right as they were starting (nice!). McTuff features Joe Doria on Hammond B-3 organ, Skerik on tenor sax, Alan Coe on guitar, and D’vonne Lewis on drums. All four guys cut loose on the songs, but Skerik stole the show for me. I’m not too familiar with the McTuff band, but I like Skerik quite a bit. He sat by while the band jammed a lot, and then busted in usually after a few minutes on a jam. It’s was nice to hear the sax in this groove-oriented jazz band. It kind of makes me pine for the Bobby Previte’s Coalition of the Willing show that I missed in Columbus (OH) in 2006 (or 07?)…
Also, rarely do you leave Sam Bond’s Garage at 10:30pm and still be able to say that you just saw an hour and half of great music… usually it starts later and ends later. So, this tired guy is glad he got a get earful before heading home and to bed. They were going to go on for a 2nd set, but I had to head back home in order to get up early to go to Portland for work.
Here’s hoping Skerik makes it through Eugene a few more times before I’m too old to stay up past 10pm. ;)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/mctuffmusic
- http://www.myspace.com/43304272 (Skerik’s solo page with links to other Skeriky goodness)
- http://www.sambonds.com/
- A Great Jambase review
Now off on a work-scursion to lovely Portland…
~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood – Radiolarians I
REVIEW: Trio Subtonic @ Lewis & Clark College (Portland, OR – – 10/9/08)
Quick review… I didn’t make it to Jo Fed’s in Eugene a few weeks ago to see Portland jazz group, Trio Subtonic. Alas, they were playing in Portland last night, and I was in town for work.
(camera phones are kinda pointless)
Trio Subtonic are a piano/bass/drums jazz trio… in the same vein as Medeski Martin & Wood (to give you a frame of reference). What I’ve heard on record is really groove oriented jazz with keys, samples, etc. Last night was more organic, acoustic jazz (i.e.- still a nice groove, but with acoustic piano). They were recording the show at Lewis & Clark College for a future release. I stayed through the first break (about an hour), and of the songs that they announced, I caught: Not There, Subtronics, Why Are the Mountains Crying, and Kaleidoscoping. They played three or four others of which I didn’t catch the names.
Catch them if you’re in Portland or if they swing through your town… they were quite enjoyable. Check out their music below:
The Appropriate Linkage:
~Dan
REVIEW: Branford Marsalis & Philarmonia Brasileira @ Hult Center (Eugene, OR – – 10/2/08)
I first got into (Grammy Award-winning saxophonist) Branford Marsalis when I sat through the 10-disc (20 hour) Ken Burns JAZZ documentary that I got from the University of Oregon Library. Let’s just say that I spent a lot of rainy spring weekends watching these discs and getting more into the roots of jazz when there wasn’t anything to do outside. Prior to this, my jazz experience was more on the avant-garde side of things (with John Zorn), with occasional listenings of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, et cetera. The JAZZ documentary series opened my eyes to many more beautiful jazz greats, both past on as well as those still alive and kicking.
Branford’s brother, trumpeter/band leader Wynton Marsalis, was prominently featured in that documentary as a historian of sorts as well as a leader in the current jazz movement. Branford also popped up in several spots. That set up my familiarity with the “Marsalis” name… then I started getting more into Wynton’s music, as well as picking up some Branford here and there. When I saw that Branford was coming to Eugene with a Brazilian music meets jazz concert – – well, I jumped at the tickets.
This was my first concert at the Hult Center (and thus the Silva Theater). I
t’s a very gorgeous facility, and I hope I can make it here for a Eugene Symphony Orchestra or other great show in the future. The Silva Theater at the Hult is similar to venues like the Aronoff in Cincinnati or the Palace in Columbus (i.e. – a great big, ornate concert hall). I also got to check out the Mayor’s Art Show at the Jacob Gallery. It had some great stuff in it, but alas, no jewelry art. I’m still wondering why my wife and her co-worker’s great pieces didn’t make it in the show.
The musical program for tonight was Branford and the Philarmonia Brasileira conducted by Gil Jardim, celebrating the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos 49 years after his death. It was Branford & the PB’s first show of the 40-day tour. They had met only the day (or two) prior. With that being said, it was unnoticeable. They were ON…
A Heitor Villa-Lobos celebration! Program
(the following was a change from the printed program – updates from the Hult Program Director)
- Philarmonia Brasileira only playing Abertura Concertante: dedicated to Aaron Copland (by Camargo Guarnieri)
- Philarmonia Brasileira joined by Branford Marsalis playing Fantasia for Saxophone (soprano) and piano or orchestra (1949 by Heitor Villa-Lobos) *a fave of the night*
i. Animé
ii. Lent
iii. Trés Animé
- La Creation du Monde, op 81 (1923 by Darius Mihaud)
i. Overture
ii. The Chaos Before Creation
iii. The slowly lifting darkness, the creation of trees, plants, insects, birds and beasts
iv. Man and woman created
v. The desire of man and woman
vi. The closing section (coda) the man and woman kiss
< < intermission > >
- Bachianas Brasileiras no 9 (1945 by Heitor Villa-Lobos)
i. Prelude: Vagaroso e mistico
ii. Fugue: Poco apressado - Scaramouche for Saxophone (alto) and Piano op. 165c (1937 by Darius Mihaud) *a fave of the night*
iii. Vif
iv. Modere
v. Brazileira - Bachianas Brasileiras no 5 (1938 by Heitor Villa-Lobos)
i. Aria (Cantilena)
ii. Dança (Martelo)
——————— - Encore #1 (title not given)
- Encore #2 (title not given)
The Philarmonia Brasileira was quite amazing. They swapped out members and instruments for each piece, and all 8 pieces of the night had a different feel. It was much more enjoyable than I was expecting (and I was expecting it to be quite enjoyable to start). Several of the pieces were a full orchestra, several were more string-oriented, some with piano & orchestra, one with just piano and Branford, and some with more of an exotica with Brazilian percussion. Branford was also quite great / amazing. This was definitely a more classical sax setting, but he did break loose in a more “jazz way” on the song with just him and piano. I hear he comes through often (from a Veg Club friend); so I hope to see him again in the future.
All in all = A-freakin-plus.
The Appropriate Linkage:
~Dan – np: Medeski Martin & Wood play John Zorn’s Masada Book Two – Zaebos
The Rest of the Branford Marsalis & Philarmonia Brasileira Tour
October 2008
03 – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall
05 – Stanford, CA – Stanford Memorial Hall
06 – Modesto, CA – Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
08 – San Bernardino, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium
09 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Christopher Cohan Center
10 – Los Angeles, CA – Royce Hall Auditorium/UCLA
11 – Orange County, CA – Segerstrom Concert Hall
13 – Santa Fe, NM – Lensic Theatre
14 – Albuquerque, NM – Popejoy Hall
16 – Lufkin, TX – Angelina Center for the Arts
18 – Fayetteville, AR – Walton Arts Center
19 – Overland Park, KS – Yardley Hall Carlsen Center
20 – Conway, AR – Reynolds Performance Hall
22 – Milwaukee, WI – The Kuttemperoor Auditorium
23 – Detroit, MI – Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
24 – Wheaton, IL – Edman Memorial Chapel
25 – Minneapolis, MN – Orchestra Hall
26 – Winona, MN – Winona Middle School Auditorium
28 – Storrs, CT – Jorgensen Auditorium
30 – Ithaca, NY – Bailey Hall Auditorium/Cornell
November 2008
01 – Bronx, NY – Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
02 – Stony Brook, NY – Staller Center for the Arts
05 – Newport News, VA – Ferguson Center for the Arts
06 – Durham, NC – Page Auditorium/Duke
07 – Rockville, MD – Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center
09 – Birmingham, AL – Stephens Center for the Performing Arts
The Roster for the Philarmonia Brasileira
Conductor
Gil Jardim
Violin
Esdras Silva
Cinthia Zanco
Daniel Stein
Flavio Meyer
Gilberto Paganini
Maria Brandào Neto
Natalia Visona
Paula Vazquez
Pedro Gobeth
Viola
Glesse Colleti
Mariana Jelen
Cello
Marisa Silveira
Ji Shim
Doublebass
Neimar Dias
Flute
Maria Carvalho
Clarissa Andrade
Clarinet
Marcos Junior
Marcelo Silverio
Bassoon
Erick Ariga
Horn
Michael Alpert
Flavio Faria
Oboe
Alexandre Ficarelli
Trumpet
Wellington dos Santos
Ismael Brandào Neto
Trombone
Sidnei Borgani
Piano
Nahim Marun Fo
Percussion
Vinicius Barros
Glaucia Vidal philharmonic filharmonia brasil brazil brazilian brasilian
REVIEW: Richard Crandell @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – – 9/13/08)
I had Richard Crandell‘s Mbira Magic (Tzadik 2004) back when I lived in Ohio. I had no idea that he was from Eugene, OR. I happened upon a listing of a performance he did earlier this spring at Saturday Market, but a day late. When I saw that he was playing yesterday at Cozmic Pizza for free… well, I jumped (and bike rode 2+ miles) at the opportunity.
Richard Crandell gave us a solid hour of full on metal. Well, fingers on metal. :)
mbira: the instrument of choice
He plays the mbira (a “thumb piano” pictured above), and he’s quite good. His compositions are very melodic, and his technique is quite fluid. It’s almost as if the instrument is part of him. He was carrying on a conversation with the sound guy when he ran into some technical difficulties, playing all the while.
Anyway, he played from around 1 to 2pm and played 9 songs… the ones he mentioned the names to are:
- Bells
- Missing in London
- Spring Steel (based on the Japanese pentatonic scale)
- Ghost Writers in the Sky
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
One of the songs that he didn’t mention the name had a mbira loop played behind his live mbira, and he used a guitar finger pick to create a nice additional percussion to the loop. His records are good as well (but mbira is more interesting to see live, IMO)… his most recent, Spring Steel, features Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. Cyro’s fantastic… either with Beat the Donkey, Supergenerous, Electric Masada, Marc Ribot, or many of John Zorn’s pieces…
Richard Crandell’s records
His websites:
~Dan – np: Metallica – Death Magnetic
PS– whoa, completely unrelated, the new Metallica album, Death Magnetic, actually sounds… really… good. It’s been 20 years since that’s happened… too bad the album cover looks like they didn’t pay their invoices timely to the graphic artist. It’s crap, as has been expected with Metallica for the past 17 years. But when it comes down to the music, it’s finally not rubbish.
REVIEW: Nellie McKay @ Doug Fir Lounge (Portland, OR – – 8/15/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Early shows are problematic, especially if you have to drive 2 hours to get to them. Oh, and also if the artist thought they started later. Blame for this goes squarely to the Doug Fir Lounge, in my opinion. Double-booking a night is horrible. Horrible. Nellie McKay* would have likely played much longer, had she been allowed to… argh.
*– for the newbies, her last name rhymes with “McPie”
Anyway, the opener Amorèe Lovell started right at 7pm, and played a stellar 40 minutes. She is from Portland, and plays a mean piano with quirky lyrics and fun banter. I’d say she fits in with the likes of Regina Spektor & Nellie McKay with a touch of Tori Amos. She also brings her own charm & style. She was very entertaining. She played mainly originals, but also threw in some Tom Waits, Johnny Cash & David Bowie. On to Nellie…
Nellie‘s start time was supposed to be 8pm. She didn’t hit the stage until nearly 8:30, due to a mix-up with her start time. Most of the crowd was getting antsy (myself included), as the late show had a “doors open” time of 9:30. Yikes. With that being said, Nellie came on and put on a great just shy of an hour show. She seemed more comfortable and confident, and she was as funny / spunky as usual.
Nellie’s Setlist:
- Toto Dies
- Old Enough
- Mother of Pearl [on uke]
- story about prince chunky, the 44 pound cat
- The Dog Song (a fav of the set)
- Real Life
- Tipperary
- Don’t Fence Me In [on uke]
- Vote for Mr. Rhythm [with Obama tag at the end]
- Sari (a fav of the set… with Dylan impression at the end)
- Feed the Birds
- Politan
- Don’t Fence Me In [false start… she remembered she already did it] :)
- Me Gusta Mañana [on uke.. a silly spanish song]
- explanation about her NPR song “Cavendish”… she didn’t have time to brush up on it, but sometime soon
- Zombie (a fav of the set)
- Encore 1: Really
- Encore 2: Ding Dong
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/prettylittlehead
- http://www.nelliemckay.com/ (official)
- http://www.nelliemckay.org/ (fan site)
- http://www.myspace.com/amoreelovell
- http://www.amoreelovell.com/
- http://www.dougfirlounge.com/
- My blog reviewing Nellie in Eugene, OR 10/5/07
- My blog about Nellie @ TEDtalks
- My blog about Nellie’s Project Song on NPR (where she wrote “Cavendish” in 48 hours)
Next show for me? Radiohead next Wednesday at White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, WA (up near Seattle). Woot!!
I was a pageant gone bad…
~Dan – np: Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins – Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins
NELLIE MCKAY CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
REVIEW: Secret Chiefs 3 @ Doug Fir Lounge (Portland, OR – – 8/3/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
The Doug Fir Lounge is an excellent venue in Portland. Pretty good sound, big enough stage, and a weird/comforting log cabin motif… a tout les monde aime l’arbre…
Primer: Secret Chiefs 3 was an offshoot from Mr. Bungle (but have now outlived MB). They play middle-eastern-influenced world/progressive metal musics. Secret Chefs 3 (no “i”) is a band that one might say is an homage to the Chiefs, and they play world music/avant-garde songs with instruments made from ordinary household items (see Ken Jacobson‘s creations in the Chefs’ MySpace photos).
1st opener… The Secret Chefs 3 (again, no “i”) is made up of Steve Parris (bass paddle), Julie Baldridge (crutch fiddle), Scott Adams (kettlevina / percussion), Rick Isotalo (drums), and Ken Jacobson (paddle / percussion). They were pretty damn good, but played far too short of a set (20-25 minutes). The drums were trash cans and water jugs. The bass and guitars were oars. There was a violin made from a crutch. Per Ken Jacobson, a string broke on it; so Julie had to switch to a regular violin for the rest of the set. The Chefs were more avant-garde than I was expecting… which was thoroughly entertaining. Trey and many of the other Chiefs came out to watch the Chefs’ set as well.
Secret Chefs 3 Setlist: (per their pre-show MySpace blog)
- Ritual of the Bowls
- Advieh (the Spice)
- Kettlevina Sadaqa
- Book of Tea: Lapsang Souchong
- Discotheque at the Gates of Jahannam
- Fruit of the Zaqqum
2nd opener… Diminished Men were quite good as well. They started out as a trio (guitar, bass, drums) and were joined by a saxophonist for about half of their set. I guess I’d describe their sound as rock instrumental with a heavy touch of exotica/surf guitars. Nice sound, but I couldn’t hear the sax too much in the mix. It may have been due to where I was standing, but I wandered out for a few minutes and didn’t notice much change. They played for about 45 minutes of smoke-machine filled fury… I was right by the guitarist, and got a face full of smoke/steam most of their set. At least it smelled pretty much like water. Great sound, despite the smoke. :)
The Closer… The Secret Chiefs 3 (led by a very bearded and cloaked Trey Spruance of Mr. Bungle “fame”) were fantastic. This was my second time seeing them, and my first time seeing them play a full “headliner” set. WOW… they played without much stopping for around 75-80 minutes. They started out with Jason (bass), Trey (sas) and Peijman (drums) playing “Medieval.” And they didn’t let up much until the ender “Renunciation”… the lineup for the SC3 this time around was Trey Spruance (sas, guitars), Timb Harris (violin, guitar, keys, trumpet), Jason Schimmel (bass, keys), Rich Doucette (sarangi, bass, guitar), Jai Young Kim (keys), and Peijman Kouretchian (drums). Timb and Jason are in a Web of Mimicry/SC3 brother band, Estradasphere. I picked up Jason’s new side-project (as well as the Chefs -EP-), Orange Tulip Conspiracy. Wow… it’s rad.
Secret Chiefs 3 Setlist:*
- Medieval
- The 15
- Vajra
- Personnae: Halloween
- Zulfikar
- The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)
- Bereshith
- Castle of Sand
- Fast
- Assassin’s Blade
- Dolorous Stroke
- Brazen Serpent
- The 3 (Afghan Song)
- Encore: Renunciation
*– Outside of a few songs, I’m shit for remembering their song titles. Luckily, I was close enough to Timb’s setlist to take a picture and scrawl the info down.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/secretchiefs3
- http://www.webofmimicry.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/secretchefs3
- http://www.myspace.com/diminishedmen
- http://www.dougfirlounge.com/
- My blog about SC3’s Xaphan
- My blog review of SC3 in NYC (Mar 2007)
Great show, all around… if you want to hear some Secret Chiefs 3, check them out on iTunes. I recommend all of their stuff, but I guess for newbies, I could limit it to: Ship of Fools (Stone of Exile), Renunciation, The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun), Book T: Exodus, Assassin’s Blade, Zulkifar / Zulfikar / Zulfiqar III, Jabalqa / Jabarsa… or check out their Xaphan album on other music shops that may have samples (it’s not on iTunes, yet). Xaphan is my fav CD of 2008, so far.
~Dan – np: Greydon Square – The CPT Theorem
SECRET CHEFS 3 (6 pics), DIMINISHED MEN (6 pics)
& SECRET CHIEFS 3 (34 pics)
CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
REVIEW: EARTH & Jesse Sykes @ W.O.W. Hall (Eugene, OR – – 6/23/08)
Prior to the show, I stopped by Cozmic Pizza for a chai muffin… two wonderful singer-songwriters were playing, Breanna Paletta and Justin Bennett. I caught a few of their songs (3-4). Great stuff. They’re from Portland. Maybe when I have more time, I’ll check out one of their full sets. OK, now on to the main event…
After some much stupid hesitance, I went to go see Earth at W.O.W. Hall last night. Much stupid hesitance in that… I won’t hesitate to go see Earth again. Holy rusted metal, Batman… they’re a great live band!
I hadn’t heard of Earth, the band, until last month when I went to see Stebmo (Earth’s keyboardist) open for Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio (review of that show here). Anyway, a possibly inaccurate Wikistory on Earth, the band… signed a million years ago to Sub Pop Records, and Dylan Carson (founder and linchpin to Earth) was a friend of Kurt Cobain. Kurt Cobain wrote Burger King jingles (or maybe he sold bicycles), I think. Anyway, Kurt hated Burger King (or bicycles), shot himself, and later Dylan bought the shotgun.
Side step to 2008… Earth are now spawn to several tribute bands (in style, not content) – – Sunn 0))) and Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine (per Wiki). Their style is ambient, doom, drone, post-rock, or something of a mix of all of that. I’ve heard of Sunn 0))), dig ’em. Listened to some Earth, and didn’t like it with vocals, but loved it without vocals (clip below):
Then I decided to go to the show…
For a local club, I like W.O.W. Hall. I’ve seen a couple shows there this year. I hope to see more in the future. If anything, I like the fact that it’s a not-for-profit venture (they don’t seem to act like cacks like the clubs with bouncers and whatnot). The opener was Parade of Storms. I showed up a little late, but if they went on on-time, they played about 45 minutes. Fuzzy metal with keyboards. Pretty powerful wall-of-sound, and a very good group. The next to play was Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter. She also played around 45 minutes and was very good. Only a few songs were catchy/hooky, primarily she would fit into a dark americana rock meets singer-songwriter realm. The W.O.W. write-up called it country-noir. I suppose that fits.
Earth came on about 11:15. I stayed for the first hour (I don’t know how much beyond that they may have played. Here’s at least a partial set list:
- Omens and Portents II: Carrion Crow
- Hung from the Moon
- Engine of Ruin
- The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull (Stebmo played trombone at the beginning)
- Junkyard Priest
- …
After the first song, some wise-ass yelled out “slow it down.” I think most people got a good chuckle out of that. I did at least. :) Great hour of music… definitely drone rock / metal. Captivating, especially if you’re into ambient / drone instrumental music. As for the sound, I thought Earth had the best sound of the night. The drums (specifically) sounded pretty darn great. The band for last night’s show was Dylan Carlson on guitar, Steve Moore (Stebmo) on keyboards, Don McGreevy on bass, and Adrienne Davies on drums. Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell guests on three tracks of their 2008 release, The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull.
(photo from the band’s webpage)
GREAT SHOW!! Go see Earth, the band, if they come by your woods’ neck:
Jun 26 2008 Eagles Hall – Olympia, Washington
Jun 27 2008 Doug Fir – Portland, Oregon
Jun 28 2008 Tractor Tavern – Seattle, Washington
Jul 13 2008 Supersonic – Birmingham
Jul 14 2008 Whelans – Dublin
Jul 15 2008 Black Box – Belfast
Jul 16 2008 Stereo – Glasgow
Jul 17 2008 Scala – London
Jul 18 2008 Patronaat – Haarlem
Jul 19 2008 Cafe Glocksee – Hanover
Jul 20 2008 Dour Fest – Dour
The appropriate linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/earthofficial
- http://www.thronesanddominions.com/ (Earth’s non-Rupert Murdoch webpage)
- http://www.myspace.com/stebmo
- http://www.stebmo.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/jessesykes
- http://www.myspace.com/yersiniapestismusic (Parade of Storms MySpace)
- http://www.myspace.com/wowhalleugene
- http://www.wowhall.org/
REVIEW: Bill Frisell, Eyvind Kang & Rudy Royston @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – – 6/7/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Last night was my first time seeing all three gentlemen: Bill Frisell, Eyvind Kang, and Rudy Royston. I hope it is not my last.
I’m a big fan of Eyvind from his work with Secret Chiefs 3, Mr. Bungle, solo works on Tzadik & Ipecac (and other indie avant labels). On the upper right of every page on this blog, I have a quote attributed to Eyvind Kang: “I believe that music should be grown on trees, to be plucked like a fruit without the extravagance of harvest.” There’s just something about jazz (and the show last night) where this is most appropriate. Sure, much of Bill Frisell’s music is structured, melodic, and hinting at a modicum of “harvest,” as it were. However, it definitely lives and breathes and is open for exploration within the structure.
Probably the best proof of this with regards to last night’s show was that Eyvind (viola) and Rudy (drums) had only met 4 or 5 hours prior to the show. This was the world premiere of the Frisell/Kang/Royston trio. Judging by how they played so well together, I would have thought they met at least 7 hours prior. ;) No, seriously, they seemed like long-time jam partners. It was great to see the immediacy of the musical “fruit plucking.”
The trio played just over 90 minutes straight-through (with one short break prior to an encore piece), probably anywhere between 6 or 8 pieces. They started with 5 minutes or so of experimental flexing, bordering on avant-garde. By the next piece, Bill Frisell began laying down the melodies that worked well with this trio setting. Many times Eyvind and Bill mirrored each other’s melodies, but Eyvind still was able to cut loose on his own. Rudy knew how to play subtly, but he did let loose a few times as well, especially near the end of their set.
I just got Bill’s new one (History, Mystery); so I don’t know if the songs were from that or not, or just base melodies with improvisation. The set as a whole was very melodic, yet explorative. At several times, Bill pulled out what I thought was an e-bow, but it ended up being a music box that he was playing near his guitar pickup then through an echoplex-type looping device. Very harmonic tones… which would have been intriguing to have gotten from using guitar harmonic picking and an e-bow… alas, I was wrong.
Odd note: again, this was my first time seeing Bill Frisell. Does he always avoid facing the audience? He seemed to be facing towards Eyvind the whole night (so slightly away from the crowd). I never saw his hands or the front of the guitar all night. Odd, but at least the sound was sublime.
This was Bill’s fourth show at The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts over the years. That’s a good indication that he’ll be back. To that I say, “yay!” I hope he brings Eyvind and Rudy with him.
The appropriate links:
- http://www.myspace.com/billfrisellofficial
- http://www.myspace.com/floratone (recent collab with Bill, Eyvind, Matt Chamberlain, Tucker Martine, et cetera)
- http://www.billfrisell.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/eyvindkangeyvind
- http://www.myspace.com/rudyroyston
- http://theshedd.org/
In completely unreleated to Frisell/Kang/Royston news, but posted here since I didn’t want to add another post to “the pile”… you can listen to Sigur Rós‘ upcoming album (Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust) streaming here before it comes out in a couple of weeks: medsud-dot
Enjoy!
~Dan – np: Ken Laster – Jazz & Beyond podcast (link)
FRISELL / KANG / ROYSTON PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
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REVIEW: Stebmo & Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio @ Sam Bond’s Garage (Eugene, OR – – 5/31/08)
Well, last night started out with a stuffed helping of veg food from our mostly monthly Veggie Supper Club here in Eugene. No FBI agents were in attendance… or were they… hmmm… we made biscotti, sweet potato gnocchi with mondo bizarro sauce. They was also fine wine, eggplant tapenade, flatbread pizzas, a nice chard dish, polenta lasagna, and a freakin’ amazing chocolate dessert. Oh no, my stomach a’splode!
Anyway, I hobbled/waddled over to Sam Bond’s Garage for a night of jazz afterwards. Good thing I was full, too… Sam Bond’s got some killer veggie grub (surprisingly killer for bar food). Before the show I picked up Stebmo’s self-titled CD (with Eyvind Kang, Matt Chamberlain, Tucker Martine, Todd Sickafoose, etc) and one of Skerik’s CDs (with Eyvind Kang, Tim Young, etc). Skerik, running the merch at that time, noticed my Secret Chiefs 3 shirt. \m/
Stebmo (aka Steve Moore) started the night around 10pm. I had heard some of his samples from CDBaby; so I knew a little about his sound. Apparently he’s also played in recent live versions of Sunn O))) & worked with Sufjan Stevens & Bill Frisell… or so says his bio. Though he also plays trombone, his set was comprised of keyboards and electronics/loops. He played 40 minutes and had a good mix of experimental and groove-oriented pieces. Perhaps a bit like the organic/melodic elements of the Album Leaf mixed with the building nature of an Explosions in the Sky set mixed with a heaping handful of electronic jots & tittles like those that may have hit the Kid A cutting room floor. I found his set thoroughly enjoyable, as did most of the packed house (80-100 people is my guess).
Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio is Skerik on tenor sax (from Seattle), Brian Coogan on Hammond B-3 Organ & Simon Lott on drums/trumpet (both from Baton Rouge). I’ve heard of Skerik many times via various NYC downtown scene musicians. The Trio went on around 11pm… I stayed for over an hour of their set (12:15am or so). I wish I could have stayed, but I was BEAT.
Anyway, they started out in the experimental / free jazz realm, but didn’t stay there the whole night. Their set was a plethora of sounds… much of it very groove oriented (probably due to the Hammond B-3 throughout). They seemed to be having fun playing together, too – – which ain’t bad to see. :)
Simon (on drums) was fun to watch… he worked well in both the groove and grooveless/experimental compositions. He also pulled out a tiny trumpet for one of the songs which mixed well with Skerik’s sax. Skerik’s sax sound was nice a full (I guess I’m more familiar with alto sax), and he (again) played a good mix of groove and free jazz. On one of the songs he played what I think was a talk box through his sax which was unique to my concert going experiences thus far. Many a guitar talk box, but nary a sax talk box. Fun stuff…
(not from last night’s show)
Great show! I’m glad they stopped by, and I hope they stop by again in some form or another.
Where they’re heading next?
Jun 3 2008 Lion’s Lair [Stebmo opens] Denver, Colorado
Jun 4 2008 Trilogy Wine Bar [Stebmo opens] Boulder, Colorado
Jun 5 2008 Aggie Theatre [Stebmo opens] Fort Collins, Colorado
Jun 6 2008 Telluride Jazz Festival (Fly Me to the Moon Saloon) Telluride, Colorado
Jun 7 2008 Telluride Jazz Festival (McCoy Tyner Stage) Telluride, Colorado
Jun 7 2008 Telluride Jazz Festival (Fly Me to the Moon Saloon) Telluride, Colorado
Jun 10 2008 The Mint [opening for Rebirth Brass Band] Los Angeles, California
Jun 11 2008 The Mint [opening for Rebirth Brass Band] Los Angeles, California
Jun 12 2008 Kuumbwa Jazz Center [Stebmo/Trey Spruance (Secret Chiefs 3) also on bill] Santa Cruz, California
Jun 13 2008 Boom Boom Room [Stebmo opens] San Francisco, California
Jun 14 2008 Hopmonk Brewery [Stebmo opens] Sebastopol, California
Jun 15 2008 Red Fox Tavern [Stebmo opens] Eureka, California
The appropriate linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/43304272 (Skerik)
- http://www.myspace.com/maelstromtrio
- http://www.myspace.com/syncopatedtaint
- http://crittersbuggin.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/stebmo
- http://www.stebmo.com/
- http://sambonds.com/
Upcoming shows: Or Not to Be (Hamlet Zombies), Jude Christodal in PDX, Bill Frisell/Eyvind Kang/Royston in Eugene… and maybe a JoFederigo jazz show (I’ve got a free dessert coupon; so why not?)…
~Dan – pp: The Book Show – Episode 14 with Richard Dawkins
np: Bar Kokhba Sextet – Masada Book Two: Lucifer
PS- this was posted to Skerik’s MySpace:
“Kickin it with Origami Barack Mandela!! from Tomo in Eugene!!“
mini-REVIEW: Midnight Serenaders @ Cuthbert Amphitheater (Eugene, OR – – 5/18/08)
It was a little bit cooler today than yesterday… so I decided to head out for some FREE music at the Willamette Valley Music Festival at Cuthbert Amphitheater (near Autzen Stadium & Alton Baker Park in Eugene, OR).
I was really going to see one band… I had heard them previously on their MySpace page, and they struck my fancy… they were Midnight Serenaders from Portland. They’re a hoppin’ sextet made up of ukulele/vocals, guitar/vocals, hawaiian steel slide guitar, upright bass, trumpet, and clarinet/saxophone.
They played about 45 minutes of ’20s & ’30s speakeasy-type tunes (some covers / some originals). Fun stuff, kinda like the Ditty Bops (to give you a frame of reference). Songs I know they played…
- Dirt Dishin’ Daisy
- Everybody Loves My Baby
- You Gotta Give Me Some
- The World’s Jazz Crazy
Some of the songs were kinda naughty… teehee… the little kids in the audience probably were wondering why the lady kept going to the butcher to get some more of his meat… oh my.
Anyway, they put on an enjoyable set… great fun tunes and great musicianship. I hope they come through here again soon!
Check ’em out…
http://www.midnightserenaders.com/
http://www.myspace.com/midnightserenaders
http://cdbaby.com/cd/mserenaders
~Dan – np: Richard Dawkins – The Lava Lizard’s Tale
REVIEW: That1Guy & Buckethead @ McDonald Theatre (Eugene, OR – – 3/22/08)
’twas an oddrocker double bill yesterday… That1Guy and Buckethead.
This was my fourth time seeing Mr. 1Guy. My review of his show last fall is here. That1Guy started right after 9pm and played for just about an hour. He started out with the haunting strings of “Forgotten Whales” (a song that actually made it on our wedding CDs for the dinner… teehee). He played a lot of instrumental tracks on the magic pipe (a big metal pipe jacked up on electricity), but he also did “Buttmachine,” “Weasel Pot Pie,” and “The Moon is Disgusting.” I kinda wish he would’a done “One,” alas he didn’t. He pulled out the magic boot (a cowboy boot jacked up on electricity)… it’s got a nice tabla-like sound. He also pulled out the magic saw (a large saw jacked up on electricity) and played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” A couple times in his set he went to a very repetitive place, alas, still an overall great show from That1Guy. Check him out sometime if he comes to your town… todays show was a solid 4.5 stars.
Check out some videos of That1Guy (click the pictures)…
Live in Oz:
One:
Buttmachine:
Buckethead went on at 10:30pm. This was my third time seeing him, and my wife’s first time. I was bummed with no live band backing him. He played along to drum & bass & ’lectronic DAT tracks… that were TOO LOUD. It was too hard to hear him play his guitar half the time. Plus the live band atmosphere is much better. Anyway, he started out with “Jump Man/Night of the Slunk”… played a bunch of other stuff… also played “Stick Pit”… we had to leave 45 minutes in. The volume levels were PAINFUL (and we had earplugs in)… but not so much the guitar volume levels, mainly the backing tracks… ::sigh:: Guitars: 4.5 stars… everything else: 2 stars… so much so that it was unenjoyable past 45 minutes. I totally missed the potential for his patented nun-chuk robot dancing.
I hope to see him again soon (July in Dayton with my brother, maybe)… I hope he has his band back with him.
The appropriate linkage:
mini-REVIEW: Slavic Soul Party! @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – – 2/28/08)
well, in keeping with an unwritten “review the shows I see” pact… here’s a mini review…
Slavic Soul Party! at Cozmic Pizza on Thursday was fantastic. They went on shortly after 9:30, took a short break, and then started a 2nd set. I had to leave at 11pm (I was heading up to Seattle the next day for school). Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed their music. They are a 9-piece instrumental band with an occassional singer on a little bit less than half of their songs (the singer was also fantastic). The nine-pieces: drum-mer, snare-drum-mer, tuba-er, trombone-r x 2, trumpet-er x 2, clarinet/saxophon-ist, and accordion-squeezer.
At one point, they invited musicians from UOregon to join them for a song (SSP! taught a ‘master’s class’ that day at the university). With UO musicians, they had 21 people playing a tune, complete with student and band member trumpet solos.
“gypsy funk balkan soul“… Fun stuff… check them out on the MySpaces: http://www.myspace.com/slavicsoulparty
~Dan – np: Osso plays Sufjan on WNYC
mini-REVIEW: Bela Fleck & Oregon Symphony Orchestra (Portland, OR – – 2/23/08)
Mini-review… we had to leave at the intermission due to a rapid onset illness… alas, still a good music intake (roughly an hour)…
Our seats were in a good spot, and cheap, too… student rates rock! we shuffled in right as it was starting… the Oregon Symphony Orchestra (based in Portland) was led by Gregory Vajda. They played two pieces prior to Béla Fleck and the Flecktones coming on stage… “The Cowboys Overture” (by John Williams) and “An American Treasure” (by Hoagy Carmichael).
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones came on and played two (long) songs by themselves, then they played about 2 or 3 songs with the OSO. It was a fantastic hourlong 1st set. Béla’s got a very non-hillbilly banjo style. :) Sorta classical meets jazz meets rock. The Flecktones are fantastic, too. Victor Wooten is one of the most melodic bassists around… great style. I think he was playing a fretless electric. Jeff Coffin is a great reedman. He played saxophone and did the two-at-a-time trick, too. Fun stuff. And Future Man… well, his drum contraption is crazy (live drums hooked up to a guitar-looking instrument used to triggers them — picture below).
Anyway, great 1st set. We weren’t able to stick around, but it was some good music, what we caught of it…
The Appropriate Linkage:
http://www.orsymphony.org/
http://www.myspace.com/belaflecktones
http://www.myspace.com/victorw0010 (likely unofficial)
http://www.myspace.com/jeffcoffinmutet
http://www.myspace.com/futuremanmusic
~Dan
REVIEW: Ornette Coleman and SFJazz Collective @ PDX Jazz fest (Portland – – 2/15/08)
Gettin’ there… oy… bad “car on fire” accident just outside of Salem. Parking around the venue was wicked bad. It’s near Portland State University… which automatically means “minimal parking options” and there were tons of roads closed for construction… I ended up parking about a mile away. Grabbed a notdog from a hotdog shop en route. It was a yummy spicy Boca variety. Yay! I love living in Oregon — you can actually get a non-meat protein, horseradish-and-ketchup-into-your-system delivery device in a fauxtube-steak format from a fastfood-type outlet.
Anyway, post-dawg… I showed up at the venue at 7:23pm for the 7:30 show. I ran part of the way; so it was a close one…
Ornette Coleman @ the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
The main dude (artistic director) for the PDX Jazz Fest 503(c)(3) looked sorta like James Randi — alas, he wasn’t (he’s Bill Royston). He announced the sponsors: Oregonian A&E, Qwest Communications, and the Portland Trailblazers. My a priori understanding of the Oregonian A&E is that they have TV shows of Criss Angel-types who make your pilate mat and hummus plate disappear while playing indie rock in the background at silly volumes. I might be wrong, though. Qwest Communications is most famously known for providing reasonably-priced, high-speed internets that aren’t available at my address. The Portland Trailblazers play what I understand to be a game called “basketball.” It’s like a big game of team-based ping-pong. Except the table is huge, you stand on it, and the net isn’t in the middle, it’s on the ends of the huge table. Oh, and you can hit the net, but you don’t use paddles. You use your hands!! Oh, and the ball is huge and not made out of plastic. So, the Trailblazers are basically a ping-pong team. Once Mr. Royston got the sponsors out of the way, he introduced SF Jazz’s Joe Lovano who introduced Ornette Coleman…
Ornette started playing around 7:40pm… his band wasn’t the band from his last CD (the Pulitzer Prize winning Sound Grammar); and I didn’t get their names, as they weren’t listed in the program. He had a drummer (possibly his son), a guitarist, and two bassists (one upright, one electric). I’m more horrible with Ornette’s song names than just about anyone, though. I do know for a fact that he played “Lonely Woman” (from The Shape of Jazz to Come). I also think he played “Song X.” He only announced one song from the stage (the opener to the set), but he’s got a slight lisp and the mic wasn’t on all the way. It sounded like he said “Buttered Helen.” So, yeah, I don’t know. He and his band played a blistering hour+twentyfive improv set, only stopping briefly prior to the encore. Ornette primarily played his trend-bucking non-metallic white sax. He also played violin (lefty) and trumpet during some songs. It was a brilliant free jazz set all around. I’m thoroughly glad that I got to see this pioneer of the free jazz movement.
I left as the band left the stage the second time… to get to the Newmark Theatre for Round 2 of the PDX Jazz Fest. Luckily the Newmark Theatre is 50 yards away, if that. Which was good, because as I was planning online, Ask.com’s maps… well, they’re utter crap. It said the venues were 1.2 miles away by foot. Wrong!
SF Jazz Collective @ the Newmark Theatre
Mr. Royston announced a new sponsor for this SFJC show: American Airlines. I hear that they are a busline that provides “air vents” for every passenger’s seat. Seems “OK” for a bus trip. I’d rather fly, though. He then introduced The Bad Plus (who I wish I could have seen last week in Eugene, they rock) who introduced the 8-piece SF Jazz Collective…
SF Jazz Collective is a group that is commissioned each year to arrange and play the works of a jazz great. Past years have been Ornette Coleman (2004), John Coltrane (2005), Herbie Hancock (2006), and Thelonious Monk (2007). This year’s group arranged Wayne Shorter tunes. I haven’t gotten into Wayne Shorter (yet), but I know he played with Art Blakey, Miles Davis, and he’s on Herbie Hancock’s V.S.O.P.. Oh, I guess I’ve also heard his band Weather Report. So, I lied, I have gotten into him at least through WR and Herbie… Anyway, the SF Jazz Collective build a new repertoire each year based on a jazz great and then they all each write a new tune for the group.
The band for 2008 (links and instruments below) is Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas (one of my fav jazzmen), Stefon Harris, Miguel Zenón, Robin Eubanks, Renee Rosnes, Matt Penman, and Eric Harland. This was Dave’s 2nd season with the group. This show was their first show of the 2008 season, but they were far from rusty. They played for about an hour and half before I left (I had to bail half way through the encore in order to get home by 1am… oy). They announced their songs from stage, and they had a handy-dandy program available, too. Here’s what they played: “Go” [Wayne Shorter: hereafter WS], “Armageddon” [WS], “The Angel’s Share” [Matt Penman], “The Year 2008” [Eric Harland], “Black Nile” [WS], “Infant Eyes” [WS], “Secrets of the Code” [Dave Douglas], and the encore was announced by the pianist as “another Wayne Shorter tune that I’m sure you know.” Alas, I didn’t know it. It started out with piano… so I’ll leave it at that.
8 songs, 90 minutes. You do the math (I’ll give you a hint: divide, don’t multiply. Show all work to receive partial credit).
Also in their 2008 repertoire (sets change nightly): Wayne Shorter tunes “Aung San Suu Kyi,” “Diana,” “Footprints,” “El Guacho,” and “Yes or No.” Band member tunes “Aurora Borealis” [Renee Rosnes], “Frontline” [Miguel Zenón], “Road to Dharma” [Stefon Harris], “This That and the Other” [Joe Lovano], and “Breakthrough” [Robin Eubanks].
Oh, I forgot to say… somehow my ticket for SFJC was in the “wheelchair section.” That ruckin’ focked!! I could spread out. Totally luck of the draw on the ticket… but I tain’t complainin’…
The Appropriate Linkage:
- PDX Jazz
- Ornette Coleman
- Ornette Coleman on MySp
- SFJazz Collective
- Dave Douglas (trumpet)
- Dave Douglas on MySp
- Joe Lovano (tenor sax)
- Miguel Zenón (alto sax) – 2008 MacArthur Foundation Grant recipient
- Stefon Harris (vibraphone)
- Robin Eubanks (trombone)
- Renee Rosnes (piano)
- Matt Penman (bass)
- Eric Harland (drums)
yay… Glen Phillips and Belà Fleck next week…
~Dan – np: Charlie Hunter Trio – Copperopolis
EDIT (4/7/08): Allaboutjazz.com has a nice review of the Ornette show HERE
REVIEW: Peter Evans & Dave Swigart @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – – 2/4/08)
Randomingly spotting of a picture of a guy with a trumpet in Eugene Weekly led to quite an enjoyable evening of music. I imagine I’ll be seeing a lot of artists at Cozmic Pizza over the coming years while I’m here in Eugene. I love the beer, pizza, and desserts. And they bring in some great musical talent, and quite frequently get good jazz artists in the door as well. Monday’s show was no different… pizza, beer and jazz.
Opener: Dave Swigart Collective / Quintet / Group / Whathaveyou put on a great set. Dave Swigart is a UO music student, and his ensemble, while young, has some great chops. The quintet (I didn’t write names down) was comprised of Dave Swigart on trumpet, and then a saxophonist, guitarist, upright bassist, and drummer. Dave’s got some MySpace profiles up (here – and here), and I hope to check him out again soon.
The group played for about an hour, playing some standards and originals: “In a Silent Way” (Miles Davis/Joe Zawinul), “The Fragile” (NIN), “Salad Song” (with some nice Zorn-y sax work), “Strange Day,” “Johnsburg, Illinois” (Tom Waits), “Grocery Shop, Funky? A Little?” (smooth), and “Dream Comes Play With Me” (Cuong Vu).
Peter Evans (MySpace – and here – and also here) came on around 10:20pm. I stayed until about 11pm… as he blasted his solo trumpet improv. Being a fan of the downtown (NYC) jazz scene, his experimental solo trumpet was right up my alley. It was a little loud at times (I was too close to a speaker), but luckily I had my Hearos—. He played one continuous onslaught that can best be described as this:
Great show all around… I wish I could have stayed longer, alas it was a school night…
~Dan – np: David Buchbinder – Odessa/Havana
the guy with the shirt, the other guy with the pipe, and the guy with the hat walk into a bar
Three blogs within 24 hours… oy, not a good sign.
Anyway, I’m exicted about two more shows coming up (I love living in a cool college town)…
NYC trumpeter Peter Evans is playing at Cozmic Pizza on Monday, Feb 4th. He’s adventurous, he’s played with John Zorn in the past (yay), and his band projects (Mostly Other People Do the Killing and Spärks) sound cool, too.
http://www.myspace.com/peterevanstrumpet
http://www.myspace.com/mostlyotherpeopledothekilling
http://www.myspace.com/nycsparks
And then… That1Guy and Buckethead on the same bill (Eugene’s McDonald Theatre on Saturday, March 22nd). Cool. It’s the Saturday after finals… and my wife says she’s up for the challenge (she likes That1Guy enough, but has only really been “confronted” by Buckethead’s calmer stuff… as it’s good for massages and our weddings CDs, but not what he really does “in concert,” per se). :-)
http://www.myspace.com/that1guy
http://www.myspace.com/bucketheadfann
http://www.myspace.com/bucketheadnfriends
~Dan
Ornette Coleman -and- Dave Douglas (YAY!)
I may have a rare opportunity to see both free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman and current compositional/improvisational personal favorite Dave Douglas (playing with the SF Jazz Collective) on the same day. The Portland Jazz Festival is next month. Woot! Now I gotta see if I can swing it with the wife. *crossing fingers*
Ornette Coleman is a revolutionary saxophonist and a major influence on one of my favorite musicians of all-time (John Zorn). Ornette’s 1959 release, The Shape of Jazz to Come, is remarkable.
Dave Douglas is a brilliant modern composer/horn player. My first exposure to him was with John Zorn’s composed, yet improvisational-driven, klez-jazz quartet Masada. I quick fell in love with his trumpet sounds. His solo work and groups as band leader (Keystone, DD Quintet, etc) are fantastic modern improvisation jazz.
Re: the PDX Jazz Fest… my wife and I are going to the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones show where they’re playing with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra near the end of the fest (Feb 23rd). That should be great (I saw a similar show in Columbus-OH with the BF&tF and the Promusica Chamber Orchestra). Jazz pianist Anat Cohen is playing that same day (but way earlier in the afternoon)… and I know I can’t work that into our schedule… sadly. She’s good…
~Dan – np: Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come
REVIEW: Reptet @ Cozmic Pizza (Eugene, OR – – 12/9/07)
Well, the first thing I want to say is “shame on you, Eugene.” Just because school is out, that’s no reason to not hang about town to hear some wonderful music!! The crowd at Cozmic Pizza was very small on this particular Sunday evening… which I blame on school letting out only 2 days prior, this being primarily a college town, and Sunday night at 9pm not being conducive to concert-going anyhow. Cozmic is usually hoppin’ (and a great place to get a local Oatmeal Stout and a great slice of pizza). Cozmic also having nutritional yeast available on their condiment rack is niiiice. Regardless of the lackluster crowd size, the band played on and seemed to be having a wonderful time trying out some new tunes for us.
The band was/is a sextet from Seattle comprised of Izaak Mills on reeds (sax & clarinet) & flute, Samantha Boshnack on various horns (primarily trumpet), Christopher Credit on reeds (sax & clarinet) and a (mini) trombone, Nelson Bell on trombone & tuba, Tim Carey on bass (upright & electric), and John Ewing on drums. All members tended to throw their hat into the percussion ring throughout the night. They played for just over an hour solid.
The tunes I jotted down that they played: “Eve of Threve”, “Chicken or Beef”, and “Fish Market.” They also played a latin-sounding number, a rabbit/carrot number and few other tunes mixed in. They were fun on stage, cheering and ranting and even walking around the room on the last number. Solid musicianship, great songs, fun stage presence, and adventurous without “gettin’ all Zorn” on us (not that I’d mind that, though). :) Reptet is not smooth jazz*, but rather an adventurous sextet with great sense of melody and playfulness.
*-Thankfully.
After talking to the band after the show, apparently the whole set was new tracks for the upcoming 3rd album. I recognized some of the names of the songs due to downloading them from the Monktail website (here).
Anyway, I fully recommend both of Reptet’s releases thus far… Reptet (2003) and Do This! (2006). Both are available online for a great package price… ie- “a steal.” I also recommend seeing them live when they come around your neck of the woods… they’re playing down the West Coast as I type this.
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Check ’em out online… Reptet & MCMC…
http://www.reptet.com/
http://myspace.com/reptet (free samples)
http://www.monktail.com/ (their collaborative group/record label… tons of free tunes)
http://myspace.com/monktail (more free samples)
I’m definitely looking forward to Reptet album 3… and more Oregon visits from them. I just hope we [Oregon] show up next time.
Concerts coming up tomorrow… a free jazz show (by the Shedd Jazz Ensemble) at the 5th Street Public Market in downtown Eugene… and then David Bazan (the Pedro the Lion guy) at the Indigo District for $8. Not a bad deal, in either case. Look for a Pedro review later this week…
~Dan – np: Ken Andrews – Secrets of the Lost Satellite Tour
REVIEW: John Zorn’s Moonchild @ The Moore Theatre / Earshot Jazz (Seattle, WA – – 11/4/07)
Two statements needed to be made prior to really starting this review… 1) caveat for the non-Moonchild enthusiast: “They’re like an audible Jackson Pollock,” and 2) I feel sorry for the ushers who obviously didn’t know what they were getting into when they signed up for this.
A little background / sidenote… I came into being a John Zorn fan through first being a Mike Patton fan. One of Mike Patton’s (and Trevor Dunn’s) early bands, Mr. Bungle, had a Zorn link early on (JZ produced their Warner debut in 1991). However, I didn’t really start getting into Zorn until about 2-3 years ago when I stumbled on his jazz-klez band Masada. I didn’t know that John Zorn did such melodic work; so Masada totally caught me off guard. Anyway, by that time in my musical meanderings, my interests had started getting into more experimental bands anyway. When I dug deeper into John Zorn’s back catalog I really dug most of his work – whether it be the melodic Masada incarnations, Bar Kohkba, FilmWorks, et cetera or the experimental, harder-edged Naked City, Painkiller, et cetera.
By the time the first mention of the upcoming album Moonchild: Songs Without Words (on his label Tzadik or an email from Downtown Music Gallery), I about flipped… as an experimental/avant-garde trio with Mike Patton (the aforementioned Mr Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk, Peeping Tom, Faith No More, many many more), Trevor Dunn (the aforementioned Mr Bungle, Fantômas, Trio Convulsant, many more), and Joey Baron (Masada, Barondown, many more) was right up my alley. After that initial album in early 2006, Moonchild: Songs Without Words, the trio has put out two more albums of John Zorn’s compositions… Astronome (late 2006) and Six Litanies for Heliogabalus (early 2007) which also includes a chorus and other players (Ikue Mori, Jamie Saft, and Zorn himself).
All beautifully packaged and musically brutal, I don’t know where composition from Zorn stops and improvising by the Trio begins, but it can be as breath-taking as it is ear-hurting (remember my line above about it being an “audible Jackson Pollock“…?).
OK, now on to the concert review… note: 6 video snippets and 14 pictures are linked at the bottom of this review.
I took this concert trip alone… While I ease my lovely wife into listening to some of Zorn’s music (like Masada), I know when to not even bother (like Moonchild). I’m sure she’ll check out the video below and think I’m even more crazy than she already thinks I am for all of the cross-country concerting. But I think she’ll at least be thankful that I didn’t try to drag her to it, too… :)
I really had no idea or expectations for this show. I mean, I knew what to expect musically, but I didn’t know what to expect of the venue or the crowd. The venue, the Moore Theatre in downtown Seattle, was um… OK. I’ve been in better places, but I’ve been in worse. I was surprised at how big it was (capacity of 1419) compared to what I was thinking (a small venue, maybe not as small as The Stone, but not much bigger than 100 people). By the time the start time rolled around, the theatre was fairly full (the main floor was sold out, and I know the balcony was also open, too). Great turnout maybe due to the Earshot Jazz Festival or maybe due to the potentially “handful of shows only” nature of this band.
The band came on around 8:15pm… and blistered through around a solid hour of compositions. All three of them had sheet music on stands; so I’m fully aware that it’s somewhat composed music. Again, where the composition stops and the improvisation begins… your guess is as good as mine. Due to the lack of other players (like Saft, Mori, Zorn), and my lack of identifying the Moonchild trio’s “song” names… let’s just say that they stuck to a good mix of Moonchild and Astronome tracks.
Mike Patton was fairly wild for most of the set: jumping, squat-walking, tying himself up in the mic cord, swallowing the mic while screaming into it, spitting and belting out noises that made my throat sore just listening. He left the stage maybe 30-40 minutes in to let Joey Baron and Trevor Dunn have their way with our ears. I’d only previously seen Dunn in Mr. Bungle and Baron in Masada. In this entirely different setting with Moonchild, they really put out a veritable wall of sound. Even without Mike Patton’s screeching and guttural belts, Dunn and Baron were menacing in their own right.
The sound in the room was brutal. Loud, loud, loud. I thank my local music store for Hearos(tm). And, again, bless those poor ushers who didn’t know what they were getting into. I bet they were equally stunned with this “music” and the overwhelming positive crowd response. I wonder what they told their loved ones after going home from this ushering gig. hmmm…
The capper for the show proper was when Joey and Trevor left the stage. Mike Patton ripped into a 12-minute vocal solo which to me had many elements of “Litany IV”… probably the only Six Litanies piece in the set.
After a short break, they all came back for an encore… with the man himself, John Zorn. I had hoped that he was there, but after the main set was half over, I had written that off. He came out and directed them through a rippin’ tune… it could’a been 10 minutes, it could be 20 minutes, it could’a been 2 minutes. All I know was that it was intense, and Mike/Joey/Trevor definitely fed off of his energy on stage with them. My only desire on this one would have been for John Zorn to come out with his alto sax and do some of the call-and-repeat sax vs. voice that he did with Patton on Six Litanies… alas, I’ll have to wait another lifetime, perhaps.
All in all… great show – probably an hour twenty or just shy of an hour thirty of Zorn/Patton/Dunn/Baron. Worth the 8 hour roundtrip from Eugene, Oregon. Worth losing a little bit of sleep and homework time reading accounting valuation doctoral papers (blah blah blah). The Earshot Jazz Festival, or at least the only piece I could attend, was fantastic!! Being one of a potential handful of Moonchild appearances ever, I was happy to be in attendance and happy to document some of it in words above and in {cheap/low quality} video/pictures below.
Enjoy! :)
VIDEO SNIPPETS (6 total – toggle amongst them in lower section of YouTube screen)
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B84E0210411747E9
These are digital camera “movie file” snippets. Low quality? Sure. Posted mainly for “(blurry) fly on the (noisy) wall” add-on to this review. MOONCHILD is Mike Patton (voice), Trevor Dunn (bass), Joey Baron (drums), and John Zorn (director/composer). All music copyright John Zorn, 2006-2007.
PICTURES (14 total – click thumbnail for larger)
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~Dan – np: Hiromi’s Sonicbloom – Time Control
PS– to the guy who was handing out free CDs after the show… I got one… maybe you were trying to give them to Earshot Jazz “bigwigs,” but somehow I got one. I love it!!! Anyone interested in some great instrumental music, The Coma Lilies‘ Memento Mori -EP- is GREAT!! The Coma Lilies‘ MySpace page is HERE. Listen to their stuff, it’s goooood.
PPS– other related MySpace & other Links (some fan sites, some official):
- John Zorn: http://www.myspace.com/johnzorn
- Stephen Colbert Report (Comedy Central) video on John Zorn: HERE
- Earshot Jazz Festival: http://www.earshot.org/
- Tzadik Records (Zorn’s label): http://www.myspace.com/tzadikrecords / http://www.tzadik.com/
- Moonchild: http://www.myspace.com/pattonmoonchild
- Ipecac Recordings (Patton’s label): http://www.myspace.com/ipecacrecordings / http://www.ipecac.com/
- Trevor Dunn: http://www.myspace.com/convulsivebeauty / http://www.trevordunn.net/
- Joey Baron: http://www.joeybaron.com/
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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