REVIEW: Dave Douglas @ PDX Jazz Fest (Portland, OR – 2/28/10)
Right on the heels of Portland Jazz Fest‘s Dave Holland Quintet and Pharoah Sanders, was Dave Douglas and his Brass Ecstasy band – the capper to the festival. I’d seen Dave Douglas four times before, twice with John Zorn‘s Masada quartet and twice with SF Jazz Collective (with Joe Lovano, Miguel Zenon and others). I was looking forward to seeing my first show with Dave Douglas as primary bandleader.
This new band of his features Dave Douglas on trumpet, Vincent Chancey on french horn, Luis Bonilla on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Nasheet Waits on drums. Their debut album, Spirit Moves, came out last year, and it was in my Top 5 Instrumental Albums from 2009. Go get it!
They hit the stage shortly after 7:30pm and went right into the title track from their record, “Spirit Moves.” It’s a fun number and a great start to the set. Right after that, they did a lengthy version of “Bowie,” which is dedicated to Lester Bowie. It was fun to see that song breathe and take over the room. I’m also impressed by Luis Bonilla’s soloing on it. It has to be difficult to solo on a trombone…
The trombone, horn, and definitely tuba drive the sound of this band to a familiar New Orleans street band – which I’d imagine was what Dave Douglas was aiming his sights towards. Marcus Rojas also did some “tuba beat boxing” to mix things up.
I knew all of the songs they played, but luckily Dave announced them from the stage (yay, I didn’t have to keep them all up in my head)…
Setlist: about 90 minutes
- Spirit Moves
- Bowie
- I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams)
- Fats
- Rava
- Awake Nu (Don Cherry)
- The Brass Ring (with drum solo)
- Mr Pitiful (Otis Redding)
- Encore: Twilight of the Dogs
All members got their fair share of solos. The drum solo on “The Brass Ring” was fantastic, and Dave Douglas’s trumpet solos were colorful and vibrant, as usual. Favorites of the night were the bebop of “Fats,” and the acrobatic trumpet on “Rava.” Dave played a lot of that song off mic, yet his sound carried throughout the room. Thank you Portland Jazz Fest! It was a wonderful weekend of great music. See you next year!
I took a few iPhone photos. I wish I was able to bring in my regular camera, as I was right up front and the iPhone only takes marginal photos at best (::sigh::). Anyway, check out my photos below, or check the link at the bottom for PDX Jazz’s Flickr photo stream.
DAVE DOUGLAS’ BRASS ECSTASY PHOTOS
these pictures are (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
For photos from this and other PDX Jazz shows, check out PDX Jazz’s flickr stream:
(photos by Fran Kaufman)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Dave Douglas’s Site
- Dave Douglas on MySpace
- Greenleaf Music (Dave’s Record Label)
- PDX Jazz Fest
- Crystal Ballroom
- Oregon Music News‘s Review of the Show
~Dan – np: Susie Ibarra & Roberto Rodriguez – Electric Kulintang 
REVIEW: Pharoah Sanders @ PDX Jazz Fest (Portland, OR – 2/28/10)
So, Pharoah Sanders is a legend. He’s played with jazz great John Coltrane, and his tenor sax work has eclipsed those around him. Free-jazzmaster Ornette Coleman referred to Pharoah as “probably the best tenor player in the world.” He has a large swath of albums over the past 5 decades. Passing up an afternoon concert at this year’s Portland Jazz Fest wasn’t an option. :)
I was just at the Newmark Theatre the night prior for the smokin’ Dave Holland Quintet show. My seat for Pharoah was is almost the exact same spot (L12 versus L11). I got a good spot right in the middle to check out Pharoah’s band: William Henderson on piano, Hans Glawischnig on bass, and Justin Faulkner on drums. After a short introduction, the band hit the stage – Pharoah in a bright purple shirt…
The feel of the show was all over the place. When Pharoah first started, it was quite remarkable. He doesn’t play in straight lines, but your mind tends to connect those lines right as his sax is connecting them for you. He seemed very much like a songbird who was free to sing what he wanted – but still very melodic. He was very much like a bridge between John Coltrane and the more free-jazz Ornette Coleman.
They started off the show with a 25+ minute “My Favorite Things.” Most of the rest of the 2+ hour show was the power trio of piano/bass/drums playing with Pharoah walking on and off stage and jumping in where he saw fit. His long disappearances were interesting, but a 70 year old jazz legend can do whatever he wants. :) On three of the songs, Portland (now New Orleans) saxophonist Devon Phillips came up and joined the band.
They played 6 or 7 tunes, and ended the show with an encore of “Save Our Children,” sung by Pharoah. 2 hours in total… utterly brilliant work from this master and his great band.
For photos from this and other PDX Jazz shows, check out PDX Jazz’s flickr stream:
(photos by Fran Kaufman)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Pharoah Sanders’ Site
- Pharoah Sanders on MySpace
- PDX Jazz Fest
- PCPA – Newmark Theatre
- Oregon Music News‘s Review of the Show
~Dan – np: David Bazan – Curse Your Branches
REVIEW: Damien Jurado @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/27/10)
I’ve been into Damien Jurado since the late-90s when his first Sub Pop record came out. I’d only had a few chances to see him play live, but it never seemed to work out. This weekend, since I was already up in Portland for the PDX Jazz Fest, I figured I could swing on over to Damien’s show at the Mississippi Studios after the Dave Holland Quintet show.
While I was “studying” for this show, I listened to Damien’s most recent album, 2008’s Caught in the Trees. Wow. I was reminded why I like this guy so much. Great songwriting in an unassuming package. Clever and gritty/lo-fi, but well crafted, melodically framed songs… quintessential indie rock. Damien has the honesty and drive in his lyrics a la Elliott Smith and Pedro the Lion’s David Bazan. There must be something about the Pacific Northwest that brings these things out in songwriters.
On to the show…
I got there late due to Dave Holland’s killer show across town. John Vecchiarelli was nearing the end of his set, but I caught his last four songs. I really liked him. He had a genuine voice (kind of reminded me of Jeffrey Foucault). John is from Portland; so hopefully I’ll get a chance to see him again soon.
Next up were another Portland group, The Robinsons (formerly of Viva Voce). They were a nice indie rock / americana duo, also from Portland. I had heard a little bit of their Viva Voce music before, but not much. They were good, and had nice melodies. They were a little bit folky and a little bit rocky. I imagine a fuller band setting would suit them very well. They played a short set (only about 30 minutes). They have a new album coming out soon under the bank moniker Blue Giant.
Up next was Damien Jurado. While his latest album, Caught in the Trees, was a more collaborative trio effort, this show was just Damien with a guitar and two vocal mics. The first 5 songs were completely new, and it struck me to the genius that is Damien Jurado (song names complete guesses below). He is a pure songwriter. I didn’t know these songs from Adam, but they captivated me completely. They are for an upcoming album called Saint Bartlett (out in May), and it is a collaboration between Damien and Richard Swift.
He played some older songs, as well as a few Caught in the Trees songs as well… serious help on setlist needed. Any help?
Setlist: 80 minutes
- Beacon Hill (aka “Return to Me”) (new)
- Kansas City (new)
- “I Could Float” (new)
- Arkansas (aka “Fade Out”) (new)
- Wherever I May Lay (aka “Finally Tasted the Dawn”) (new)
- Abilene
- Denton, TX
- Ohio (false start) into “Sound of Settling” spoof of Ben Gibbard
- Ohio (false start again, Damien couldn’t stop laughing)
- Harborview (aka “speak for me, would you”)
- Ohio
- Sheets
- Pear (new)
- I Am Still Here
- “Diamond Sea” (new)
- “not the best time to fall to pieces” (song title unknown)
- The Killer
- Lose My Head
- Encore: Wyoming Birds (aka “sorrow replaced our joy”) (song title unknown)
- Caskets
- Paperwings
I hope he continues to tour, at least in Seattle and Portland (the “quiet crowd” towns).
The Appropriate Linkage:
REVIEW: Dave Holland @ PDX Jazz (Portland, OR – 2/27/10)
I got into Dave Holland around the same time as a lot of other jazz. I got into jazz through the backdoor (John Zorn) and then slowly moved into the more straight ahead jazz. I think I can officially blame Ken Laster and his In the Groove, Jazz and Beyond podcast for playing a lot of Dave Holland. Anyway, shortly after hearing Holland, I picked up Extended Play: Live at Birdland and Critical Mass. Both are great, but the latter is quite fetching. When I found out he was one of the headliners at this year’s Portland Jazz Fest, I was stoked.
I was equally stoked that he’d be bringing saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Nate Smith with him. I saw Chris & Nate play in Cincinnati a few years back, and I loved both of them but was quite entranced with Nate’s drumming. His flow and style are a sight to behold.
Well, on to the show…
I missed PDX Jazz Fest last year. I was deeply entrenched in busy season at work (I’m a CPA), and perhaps there wasn’t as big of a draw in 2009 as in 2008 (SF Jazz Collective and Ornette Coleman). 2010, well, that’s another story… as I ended up staying the night to catch two shows on Sunday, too (check back for the Pharoah Sanders and Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy reviews on Monday). Anyway, no cameras allowed. I took a couple with my iPhone, but they didn’t come out all that well; so, yeah, I’m not posting them.
The band went on around 7:40pm after a short introduction. The band was Dave Holland on upright bass, the aforementioned Chris Potter (sax) and Nate Smith (drums), along with Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and Steve Nelson on vibes. The first thing I noted was how Dave’s bass really breathed. There’s a reason why he’s a heavyweight in the jazz world. His tone, his swing, his lyricism – all very prevalent.
They started off with “Step To It,” which started with Nate Smith drumming barehanded and featured a massive Chris Potter solo, and was capped off with a great gentle back and forth between Dave and Nate. Here’s how it all went down last night…
Setlist: 95 minutes
- Step To It
- Last Minute Men
- Looking Up
- Cosmosis
- Make Believe
- Free For All
- Encore: Easy Did It
“Cosmosis” and the encore “Easy Did It” both featured great Dave Holland solos. On “Free For All,” Nate Smith drum solo was quite playful. He was going all out, and actually lost one of his drumsticks amidst his free for all. I haven’t mentioned Alex or Steve yet… both were great, but didn’t seem to take as many solos as Chris or Nate. Alex’s few solos were superb. I love some good trumpet music (hence my Sunday plans for Dave Douglas). Steve’s vibe work was great, moreso as a back-up for the band (his solos didn’t do much for me). I think as far as a quintet goes, I’d opt for piano over vibes (especially with an already powerful drummer on the stage).
All in all, Dave Holland reaffirmed his place with me as a force to reckon with. They played over an hour and half, and it seemed like it was about 20 minutes. It totally flew by and was highly energetic. I hope he brings this band around sometime soon!
For photos from this and other PDX Jazz shows, check out PDX Jazz’s flickr stream:
(photos by Fran Kaufman)
Well, off to the next show, Damien Jurado across town at the Mississippi Studios…
The Appropriate Linkage:
Derek Webb – Democracy Vol 1 #2
One a month in 2010…
Derek Webb‘s Democracy Vol 1 is rolling along… This month, it’s Coldplay‘s “Fix You.” It’s OK. Not as good as last month’s cover of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” But that’s more a function of my view of Coldplay than my view of Derek. Democracy Vol 1 was part of the Stockholm Syndrome pre-order package, but you can still join in over at the DW store. My plea for Derek to cover Tori Amos’ “Crucify” is likely not gonna happen. Oh well… I like the first two months’ output regardless.
He’s also heading out on a short east coast tour with Jennifer Knapp next month… check it…
Derek Webb & Jennifer Knapp – Spring 2010
March 5 New York, NY City Winery
March 6 Manheim, PA Warehouse 54
March 8 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
March 12 Asheville, NC Pisgah Brewing Company
March 13 Knoxville, TN The Square Room
March 26 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe Live
March 27 Sellersville, PA Sellersville Theater
And now for me, it’s off to Portland for PDX Jazz Fest… Dave Holland Quintet and Damien Jurado (non-jazz fest) tonight and Pharaoh Sanders and Dave Douglas’ Brass Ecstasy on Sunday.
~Dan – np: Derek Webb “Fix You”
Democracy Vol. 1 is the first in a series of subscription based albums of cover songs that Derek will be recording annually, starting January 2010. Those who participate will not only receive the exclusive album, but will democratically decide what songs Derek will record.
Ever wished you could hear Derek cover your favorite Beatles song? Or Backstreet Boys song? Or even re-record your favorite old Caedmon’s Call song? Here’s your chance. Songs will be nominated and voted down to 12. Derek will record them (demo quality) and deliver them digitally (320kbps MP3s), one song per month for 12 months. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unique collaborative project with Derek Webb!
REVIEW: Medeski Martin & Wood @ McDonald (Eugene, OR – 2/25/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
This was my fourth time seeing the great trio of Medeski Martin & Wood… and the second time as an “evening with,” which tends to work out nicely for a weekday concert. No painful opener to sit through, and less likely a late show time.
We got to the venue only a few minutes before they went on. They came out around 8:20 and started off with one or two from Zaebos, their album from John Zorn‘s Masada Book Two: Book of Angels series. From there, they hopped right into a Medeski-keys-oriented tune and a more exotica piece. Overall, their show last night was definitely more of the MMW groove show, versus a improvisational MMW “messin’ around” kind of show. 
Sure, at one point illyB pulled out the ducks calls while Chris and John noodled around, but then they ripped right back into the more lyrical pieces.
McDonald had the floor set up with chairs for the evening, which was a shock for me. The crowd started out in chairs, but by the third song, they were moving up the aisles and dancing. 
When MMW came back out for the second set, it was pretty much a dance party… well, a dance party with a bunch of pesky chairs in the way.
I’ll post the setlist when/if I find it… again, I recognized a couple Zaebos tunes, 
plus I’m pretty sure they played “Amber Gris,” “Padrecito,” “Amish Pinxtos,” “Reliquary,” “Free Go Lily,” and a few more Radiolarians tracks. Don’t quote me on all of those songs, but it was definitely a Radiolarians-heavy show.
Setlist: (thanks, nastyshadows!)
- Set 1: Agmatia
- Pappy Check
- Broken Mirror >
- Disrobe >
- Open Improv >
- Padrecito
- Amber Gris
- Set 2: Free Go Lily
- Jean’s Scene
- Reliquary
- New Planet
- Cloud Wars
- Encore: Bass Solo >
- Chubb Sub
Two hour-long sets plus encore (which started out with a nice Chris Wood bass solo). Excellent show. Medeski Martin & Wood do not disappoint.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- MMW’s Site
- MMW on MySpace
- Nov 2008 McDonald Theatre – Concert Review w/ Photos
- McDonald Theatre
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Dave Holland Quintet – Critical Mass
MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Higher Resolution (9 pics)
Limited to 1200 pixels wide or tall (21 pics)
February 2010 Tour Dates
- 17 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
- 18 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
- 19 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
- 20 – Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
- 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
- 23 – Petaluma, CA – The Mystic Theatre
- 24 – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Crown Room
- 25 – Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre
- 26 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
- 27 – Seattle, WA – Showbox at The Market
Ty Tabor – Something’s Coming
King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor‘s next solo album, Something’s Coming, now has a release date and a song streaming over at tytabor.com and molkenmusic.com. It’s out on March 20, 2010 and is up for pre-order over at Molken.
Ty Tabor – Something’s Coming
Besides Ty’s usual fantastic guitarwork and vocals, it features Jimi Hazel and Rick Skatore from 24-7 Spyz, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal from Guns N’ Roses, and Wally Farkas of Galactic Cowboys and Xenuphobe.
Unrelated, the new boxset for Steven Wilson‘s Cover Versions showed up today. It’s fantastic!
Also, unrelated, Derek Webb (who I dig a bunch) just released his entire last album (Stockholm Syndrome) for free. It’s on Noise Trade for free until midnight on Thursday (2/25).
~Dan – np: Steven Wilson – Cover Versions VI
RECIPE: Raw Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping
Raw Cheesecake
with Blueberry Topping
(photo by koko)
For this month’s Vegetarian Supper Club in Eugene, Oregon, we had a challenge. One of the members has a ton of allergies, and we thought it would be a fun challenge to make only dishes that she can eat. Her allergies range from soy to dairy to some nuts to citrus to mushroom to eggplant to potatoes and much more… and, yeah, this is a vegetarian supper club.
So, what to make? Well, every time I thought of something, there was always one thing in the recipe that she couldn’t do. Until… we came across a raw cheesecake recipe…
Raw Vegan Cheesecake
makes one cheesecake
- 2 cups macadamia nuts
- ½ cup pitted medjool dates
- ¼ cup dried coconut (I used unsweetened)
- 1½ cups cashews
- 6 Tbl coconut oil (melted to a liquid)
- ¼ cup raw agave nectar
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
- ¼ cup lime juice (or replace with other liquid)
Place macadamia nuts and cashews in two separate bowls. Cover each with cold water and soak for 4 hours. Rinse, drain, set aside.
Pulse the macadamia nuts and dates in the food processor to a sticky, crumb-like consistency. Sprinkle dried coconut on the bottom of an 8” pie plate. Press macadamia nut mixture onto it, to form a crust.
Place cashews, agave nectar, coconut oil, 6 tbs water, and lime juice in the food processor. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into the food processor. Puree until smooth and then pour onto crust. Freeze 1 to 2 hours, or until firm. Slice while frozen, but defrost on counter or in the fridge. Top with berries and enjoy!
NOTE: The innards came about ½ inch from the top of the shell. If you want solely a cheesecake without a fruit or other topping, I’d recommend upping all of the inside ingredients by about 33% (i.e.- 2 cups cashews as the base, pull out your algebra skillz for the rest).
Blueberry Sauce
makes 1½ to 2 cups
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbl cornstarch
- 4 Tbl water
- 1 Tbl butter substitute (I used coconut oil due to my friend’s allergies)
Combine the blueberries, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes. While simmering, mash the berries slightly with a potato masher. Mix the cornstarch into water. With the blueberries still simmering, slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir for at least two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
This topping will likely work with other fruit besides blueberries – such as strawberries, raspberries, yourmomberries, et cetera…
This is a mainly music-based blog. If you stumbled in on a recipe search, check out my other recipes, like vegan biscuits & gravy, spiced biscotti, vegan cactus chili, vegan bananas foster, mushroom dumpling stew, strawberry cornbread muffins, fruit spring rolls, grilled coconut-rum pineapple, vegetarian s’mores pouches, pumpkin-infused vodka cocktail, creamy vegan chocolate pudding, and cute olive penguins at THIS LINK.
If you’re only here for the music… well, stay tuned. I have five concerts coming up this week. Yep, you read that correctly. Five.
Bazan: Live at Electrical Audio
So, David Bazan took his band into the studio to record a live session last fall. It’s coming out on CD and vinyl LP. CDs ship late March, vinyl ships late April. Pre-order and you get an immediate 256kbps mp3 download. They do some Bazan solo tunes, some Pedro the Lion tunes, and a Headphones tune. More info over at davidbazan.com…
David Bazan – Live at Electric Audio
1. I Do
2. How I Remember
3. When We Fell
4. Magazine
5. Never Wanted You
6. Cold Beer & Cigarettes
7. Heavy Breath
8. Keep Swinging
9. Fewer Broken Pieces
10. In Stitches
David Bazan: bass, vocals
Blake Wescott: guitar, vocals
Andy Fitts: guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals
Eric Elbogen: guitar, keyboards, vocals
Casey Foubert: drums, percussion
Recorded by Matthew Barnhart
Mixed and Mastered by TW Walsh
Photos by Bob Andrews and Caleb Palma
~Dan – np: Charlie Hunter & Pound for Pound – Return of the Candyman
John Zorn 15 instead of 12
this week in the Village Voice:
John Zorn: Deciding to spend a year in NYC with no traveling has led me to one of the most creative periods in my life. In the past four months alone, he has recorded six albums and written the music for three others. He initially planned 12 Tzadik releases for 2010, one per month, but tends to underestimate his own frenetic output, as “it looks like it will be more like 15.”
So, anyone go to the Masada Marathon at Abron’s Art Center in New York yesterday or today (Feb 17-18)? How was it?
DAY 1 February 17th (Wednesday)
Cyro Baptista’s Banquet of the Spirits
Ben Goldberg Quartet
Mark Feldman/Sylvie Courvoisier
Mycale
Masada Sextet
DAY 2 February 18th (Thursday)
Uri Caine solo
Masada String Trio
Jamie Saft Trio
Erik Friedlander solo
Masada Quartet
~Dan – np: Charlie Hunter Quartet – Ready… Set… Shango!
The Album Leaf interviews 2010
Here is a new video interview with The Album Leaf frontman Jimmy Lavalle:
Click through for my coverage of the Portland (2/5) and Eugene (2/9) shows.
~Dan – np: George Hrab – Interrobang?!
Jónsi live show by 59 Productions
So, the Spring tour by Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Birgisson looks amazing… check out this preview of the stage setting put together by 59 Productions:
http://vimeo.com/9480602It looks gorgeous!! For U.S. tourdates, check out this blog post, or jonsi.com.
~Dan – np: George Hrab – Coelacanth
PDX Jazz Fest :: Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy
Well, the PDX Jazzfest in Portland, Oregon, is only 1 week away. You won’t want to miss it. There are many fantastic local and national acts, including these great headliners:
Thursday, February 25 – Luciana Souza
Friday, February 26 – Mingus Big Band
Saturday, February 27 (3pm) – Trygve Seim & Frode Haltli
Saturday, February 27 (7:30) – Dave Holland Quintet
Sunday, February 28 (3pm) – Pharoah Sanders
Sunday, February 28 (7:30) – Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy
As we lead up to the event, I’ll focus on one of the headliners a week… last up Dave Douglas and his horny band Brass Ecstasy. I’ll be going to this show, which caps the PDX Jazz Fest. I got into Dave Douglas via John Zorn’s Masada. I’ve since gotten into Dave’s other bands: Tiny Bell Trio, Keystone, DD Quartet, DD Quintet, SF Jazz Collective, Second Sight, New & Used, Mosiac Sextet, Orange Then Blue, A Single Sky… tons of releases over 20+ years.
His Brass Ecstasy band released their debut recording, Spirit Moves, in 2009 – which features Dave joined by Vincent Chancey on french horn, Luis Bonilla on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Nasheet Waits on drums and releases on Greenleaf Music.
Two-time Grammy-nominated jazz musician Dave Douglas is arguably the most prolific and original trumpeter & composer of his generation. From his New York base, where he’s lived since the mid 1980s, Douglas has continued to earn lavish national and international acclaim including trumpeter, composer, and jazz “Artist of the Year” by such organizations as the New York Jazz Awards, Down Beat, Jazz Times, Jazziz, and the Italian Jazz Critics’ Society. His solo recording career began in 1993 with Parallel Worlds on Soul Note and he has since released over twenty-eight recordings. In 2005, after seven critically-acclaimed albums for Bluebird/RCA, Douglas launched his own record label, Greenleaf Music. The same year, he was honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship. On Greenleaf, Douglas has released albums with his long standing Quintet, the electronic sextet Keystone, and the mixed chamber ensemble Nomad. His latest project, Brass Ecstasy, features a brass quintet of trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba and drums and will release Spring 2009.
Douglas is currently the artistic director of the Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at the Banff Center and the co-founder and director of the Festival of New Trumpet Music, which will celebrate its 7th year in 2009.
In addition to leading his own groups, Douglas has an important ongoing musical relationship as a member of John Zorn’s Masada and with artists such as Anthony Braxton, Don Byron, Joe Lovano, Miguel Zenon, Uri Caine, Bill Frisell, Cibo Matto, Mark Dresser, Han Bennink and Misha Mengelberg. As a composer, Douglas has been commissioned by the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Essen Philharmonie, Library of Congress and Stanford University. Recent large scale works have included Blue Latitudes, for chamber orchestra and 3 improvisers, and Delighted States, for big band with soloists (both unreleased as of press date).
Webpage: http://www.davedouglas.com/
FOR INFO & TICKETS: http://pdxjazz.com/tickets/
~Dan – np: Hotel Lights – Hotel Lights
KLCC Brewfest 2010
Tonight I went to the 2010 KLCC Bewfest in Eugene, Oregon. I volunteer poured, too. Had a great time…
I shant go into the detail I did last year… I’m tired. The best drinks, in my opinion… Oakshire Overcast (espresso stout), the Maui Brewing Coconut Porter, and the Crispin Cider.
It’s all done for the year… but check back at http://www.klcc.org/ for next year’s in early/mid-February 2011.
~Dan – np: Wayne Horvitz – Film Music 1998-2001
REVIEW: Van Dyke Parks with Clare & the Reasons @ Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR – 2/10/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Van Dyke Parks is recognized around the world as a musical genius… he’s a brilliant session musician, composer, arranger, lyricist, and singer. He has contributed to many masterpieces (check out his rap sheet). He is most well known for his collaboration with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. While Brian is a prodigiously gifted composer, he was no lyricist, and needed one who could match the daring new music he was devising in his head. The result is their collaboration on the much vaunted SMiLE album.
I’ll admit, I’m not a fan of the Beach Boys. I just don’t care for their music. Well, I connected with Van Dyke Parks via a newer band… Silverchair (VDP did string arrangements for Diorama and Young Modern). Yeah, yeah… if you only knew them from 1995’s “Tomorrow” (from when they were 15 years old)… well, they’ve grown.
Anyway…
Van Dyke Parks rarely ever records or tours, putting at most one or two records per decade. When I heard about the shows via the Clare & the Reasons‘ email, I jumped at the chance of seeing both of these artists on the stage together. I had seen Clare & the Reasons open up for My Brightest Diamond back in Nov 2008, and I loved their French bohemian meets modern indie rock vibe.
There were only four shows slated for this rare double bill tour…
02.09.10 – Seattle, WA Triple Door
02.10.10 – Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
02.12.10 – San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall
02.14.10 – Santa Monica, CA McCabe’s
This was only my second time up to the Mississippi Studios. I really like the intimate setting, even the crazy hovering piano. The last time I was there was for David Bazan in November. For the VDP & Clare show, I’m glad they had chairs down… whew. :)
Opener Josh Mease went on around 9pm and played 6 songs. He had a very gentle singer-songwriter style. His guitarwork was good, but his voice was simply superb (nice lyrics, too). Josh is on Frogstand Records, the same record label as Clare & The Reasons. I dug his own tunes more than the Randy Newman cover. For his last song, Clare & The Reasons came up to play with him…
Josh Mease’s Setlist: about 20 mins
- missing song name
- missing song name
- Marie (Randy Newman cover)
- Days Like This
- Eleanor
- Start Over (with Clare & The Reasons)
Clare & The Reasons stayed up after Josh’s last song and moved some instruments around (and subsequently lost a percussion brush). Off to a great start! :) They joked lightly about it and then… viola, they found it! Their set was a sandwich of Arrow songs, The Movie songs, and more Arrow songs.
Arrow came out late last year, but I didn’t get a chance to pick it up until yesterday. I also picked up Olivier Manchon’s brand new instrumental CD, Orchestre de Chambre Miniature Volume 1, with saxophonist John Ellis, Gregoire Maret (from a Herbie Hancock band), and more string and woodwind players. Check their albums out (click pictures below)…
What I love about the band is not just limited to Clare Manchon’s vocals, but also the wonderful multi-instrumentation from Olivier and the well rounded guitarist and upright bassist. The set was full of great percussion, strings, garbage ukelele, french horn, pizzicato strings, a borrowed saw, acoustic & electric guitars, and sublime vocals. Van Dyke Parks & Josh Mease joined them on stage for their next to last song… (apparently Bill Frisell also joined them on stage up at the Seattle show).
Clare & the Reason’s Setlist: about an hour
- You Got Time
- All the Wine
- Perdue A Paris
- Ooh You Hurt Me So
- Wake Up (You Sleepy Head)
- You Getting Me
- This Is The Story
- Alphabet City
- Pluton
- Pluto
- Our Team Is Grand
- Love Can Be A Crime (with VDP & Josh)
- That’s All (Genesis cover)
Van Dyke Parks came on after a short break. He was seated at the piano and brought The Reasons (sans Clare) as his backing band. They started out with a great instrumental piece. The rest of the songs we heard were poppier tunes with some great instrumentation (as expected). VDP is an amazing pianist and composer. His voice wasn’t superb or sublime, but it fit the songs. I wasn’t familiar with his songs, but of the ones he announced while we were there… Opportunity for Two, Orange Crate Art, and Sail Away.
VDP was also a great banterer in between songs. Usually short, but funny… one of my faves was “my wife thinks that ‘cook’ is a noun.”
We only stayed for half of his scheduled hour-long set (as we had a 2 hour drive back home), but it was a great set of tunes. If anyone has the complete VDP setlist, let me know.
many more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Van Dyke Park’s Site
- VDP on MySpace
- A VDP fan’s review of the show on Oregon Live
- Clare & The Reason’s Site
- Clare & The Reason on MySpace
- Josh Mease’s Site
- Josh Mease on MySpace
- Mississippi Studios
~Dan – np: Sade – Soldier of Love
VAN DYKE PARKS, CLARE & the REASONS and JOSH MEASE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Van Dyke Parks and Clare & The Reasons (review this evening)
Got back late last night, full day of work ahead of me… review of last night’s Van Dyke Parks, Clare & The Reasons, and Josh Mease show at Mississippi Studios in Portland will be posted tonight (Thursday 2/11)…
~Dan – np: Clare & The Reasons – Arrow
REVIEW: The Album Leaf @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 2/9/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
So, I just saw The Album Leaf & Sea Wolf show up in Portland on Friday. Last night’s show wasn’t much different… which means… highly enjoyable. Since I’m in the midst of “work a ton because I chose the path of becoming a CPA and now is the rough work schedule” month, I’ll keep my comments brief – but include setlists and photos, of course.
The main difference for the Eugene show was the lack of string quartet – but where I was in the crowd for the Portland show, I didn’t get much of the string quartet in my ears anyway. It was about a half-packed WOW Hall, which was good for a Tuesday. Sea Wolf was great. I was more familiar with their songs, and I really started digging them. Same 45 minute set as Portland.
Sea Wolf’s Setlist:
- White Water
- Winter Windows
- Dew in the Grass
- Black Leaf Falls
- Middle Distance Runner
- The Traitor
- O’ Maria
- Turn the Dirt Over
- Wicked Blood
- You’re a Wolf
The Album Leaf came on around 10pm. I could definitely hear more strings this time around, even though there was only the primary violinist and not a whole quartet. Again, that was more due to my location at Portland’s show. They played the same setlist as Portland. I was digging the new songs, as I had gotten a few days now to let the album sink in. I could tell Jimmy was having some problems with his in-ear monitor during a few songs. Overall, the sound quality wasn’t as good in Eugene as in Portland. I moved around the venue and it seemed way more bass heavy than is normal for TAL. All in all, though, a great set…
The Album Leaf’s Setlist:
- Perro
- Blank Pages
- There is a Wind
- Within Dreams
- Falling from the Sun
- Stand Still
- 2214
- Outer Banks
- Shine
- Until the Last
- We Are
- Almost There
- Wherever I Go
- Encore: Always For You
- Red Eye
- Tied Knots
many more photos below
Definitely check out The Album Leaf’s new album, A Chorus of Storytellers…
The Appropriate Linkage:
Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Sachi Hayasaka – Minga
THE ALBUM LEAF and SEA WOLF PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
The Album Leaf Spring 2010 World Tour Dates
- Feb 3: Sacramento, CA @ Harlows
- Feb 5: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
- Feb 6: Seattle, WA @ Neumos (w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
- Feb 7: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater(w/Anomie Belle String Quartet)
- Feb 8: Bellingham, WA @ Nightlight Lounge
- Feb 9: Eugene , OR @ WOW Hall
- Feb 11: Santa Cruz @ The Crepe Place
- Feb 12: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
- Feb 13: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater (w/Magik*Magik String Quartet)
- Feb 25: Lisbon, Portugal @ Lisbon Santiago Alquimista
- Feb 26: Madrid, Spain @ Moby Dick
- Feb 27: Bilboa, Spain @ 12 & Medio
- Feb 28: Barcelona, Spain @ Apollo 2
- Mar 2: Toulouse, France @ Le Phare
- Mar 3: Milan, Italy @ Circolo Milano
- Mar 4: Lucerne, Switzerland @ Sudpol Club
- Mar 5: Dunidgen (Bern), Switzerland @ @ Bad Bonn
- Mar 6: Sankt Gallen, Switzerland @ Theater Palace
- Mar 7: Munich, Germany @ Feierwerk
- Mar 9: Vienna, Austria @ Szene
- Mar 10: Dresden, Germany @ BeatPol
- Mar 11: Berlin, Germany @ Lido
- Mar 12: Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
- Mar 13: Rotterdam, Holland @ Rotown
- Mar 14: Koln, Germany @ Gebauude 9
- Mar 16: Antwerp, Belgium @ Club Trix
- Mar 17: Colmar, France @ Kraken
- Mar 18: Heidelberg, Germany @ Karlstorbahnhof
- Mar 19: Paris, France @ Maroquinerie
- Mar 20: Lille, France @ L’ Aeronef
- Mar 21: Bristol, UK @ The Thekla
- Mar 22 Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
- Mar 23: London, UK @ Bush Hall
- Apr 2: Tokyo, Japan @ Shibuya Ax
- Apr 3: Nagoya, Japan @ Club Quatrro
- Apr 4: Osaka, Japan @ Club Quattro
- Apr 7: Hong Kong @ Grappa’s Cellar
- Apr 9: Taipei, Taiwan @ The Wall Live House
And just announced on Feb 3rd (and from Pollstar; so a different format)…
- Tue 04/20/10 – Tucson, AZ – Plush
- Wed 04/21/10 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
- Thu 04/22/10 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
- Fri 04/23/10 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
- Sat 04/24/10 – St. Louis, MO – Luminary Center For The Arts
- Sun 04/25/10 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
- Tue 04/27/10 – Grand Rapids, MI – Ladies Literary Club
- Wed 04/28/10 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
- Thu 04/29/10 – Montreal, QC – Music Hall
- Fri 04/30/10 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
- Sat 05/01/10 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- Sun 05/02/10 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
- Tue 05/04/10 – Washington, DC – Rock And Roll Hotel
- Wed 05/05/10 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
- Thu 05/06/10 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft At Center Stage
- Fri 05/07/10 – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits
- Sat 05/08/10 – Orlando, FL – The Social
- Mon 05/10/10 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
- Tue 05/11/10 – Austin, TX – The Parish Room
- Fri 05/14/10 – San Diego, CA – Birch North Park Theatre
Jónsi “Go Do” Video
Jónsi Birgisson of Sigur Rós has the debut video from Go for the song “Go Do.”
(click)
directed by arni & kinski
Tickets for his US Tour go on sale today at 10am. Check http://jonsi.com/ for more info.
~Dan – np: The Album Leaf – A Chorus of Storytellers
PDX Jazz Fest :: Pharoah Sanders
Well, the PDX Jazzfest in Portland, Oregon, is about 2 weeks away. You won’t want to miss it. There are many fantastic local and national acts, including these great headliners:
Thursday, February 25 – Luciana Souza
Friday, February 26 – Mingus Big Band
Saturday, February 27 (3pm) – Trygve Seim & Frode Haltli
Saturday, February 27 (7:30) – Dave Holland Quintet
Sunday, February 28 (3pm) – Pharoah Sanders
Sunday, February 28 (7:30) – Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy
As we lead up to the event, I’ll focus on one of the headliners a week… next up Pharoah Sanders.
Pharoah Sanders is a most distinctive tenor saxophone player and a legend, he’s one of the last living members of John Coltrane’s late ensembles of the mid-’60s. Pharoah Sanders possesses one of the most distinctive tenor saxophone sounds in jazz. Harmonically rich and heavy with overtones, Sanders’ sound can be as raw and abrasive as it is possible for a saxophonist to produce, and although he made his name with expressionistic, nearly anarchic free jazz in John Coltrane’s late ensembles of the mid-’60s, Sanders’ later music is guided by more graceful concerns.
Pharoah Sanders (his given name, Ferrell Sanders) formed his first group in 1963, with pianist John Hicks (with whom he would continue to play off-and-on into the ’90s), bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer Billy Higgins. His first record as a leader was in 1964 for the ESP label. The group played an engagement at New York’s Village Gate, where John Coltrane heard him and by 1965, Sanders was playing regularly with the Coltrane group. Strength was a necessity in that band, and as Coltrane realized, Sanders had it in abundance.
After John Coltrane’s death in 1967, Sanders worked briefly with his widow, Alice Coltrane, and then primarily as a leader of his own ensembles. From 1966-1971, Sanders released several albums on Impulse, including Tauhid (1966), Karma (1969), Black Unity (1971), and Thembi (1971). In the mid-’70s, Sanders recorded his most commercial effort, Love Will Find a Way (Arista, 1977); it turned out to be a brief detour. From the late ’70s until 1987, he recorded for the small independent label Theresa. From 1987, Sanders recorded for the Evidence and Timeless labels. The former bought Theresa records in 1991 and subsequently re-released Sanders’ output for that company. In 1995, Sanders made his first major-label album in many years, Message From Home (produced by Bill Laswell for Verve). The two followed that one up in 1999 with Save Our Children. In 2000, Sanders released Spirits — a multi-ethnic live suite with Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph. In the decades after his first recordings with Coltrane, Sanders developed the capability of playing convincingly in a variety of contexts, from free to mainstream, and as a mature artist he has discovered a hard-edged lyricism that has served him well.
Webpage: http://www.pharoahsanders.net/
FOR INFO & TICKETS: http://pdxjazz.com/tickets/
~Dan – np: Clare & The Reasons – The Movie
Dave Ellefson – back in Megadeth
Breaking news… Dave Ellefson (founding bass player for Megadeth) is re-joining the band… yippie!!!! Read more (including past dramas) over at Blabbermouth.
Welcome back, Dave! See you & Dave Mustaine back on the road this coming fall!
~Dan – np: Miho Hatori – Ecdysis
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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