Archive
REVIEW: Swing Shift Big Band @ Wildish Theater (Springfield, OR – – 4/10/09)
Ok, I’m totally gonna “phone this in”… the snippet from the invite email I got covers what they played:
While Swing Shift has always based much of its style on the inspiration of Count Basie, this is the first time that we have offered a full evening of music in the classic Basie tradition. The band will perform standards such as “Moten Swing,” “Corner Pocket” and “Vine Street Rumble,” along with lesser-known gems, including Quincy Jones’ “Jessica’s Day.” Featured soloists for the evening will be trombonist Glenn Bonney, who will be heard on Benny Carter’s beautiful “Sunset Glow,” and trumpeter Warren Wellford, performing “Pensive Miss,” a gorgeous ballad by Neal Hefti. There will also (of course) be generous helpings of piano in the Count Basie tradition, ably essayed by pianist John Polese, as well as contributions from alto saxophonists Sean Flannery and Travis Wong and trumpeters Steve O’Brien and Dana Heitman.
The second half of the concert will showcase music that was performed by the remarkable pairing of singer Frank Sinatra and the Basie band. The three albums that they recorded in the early 1960’s still serve as the model for a singer working with a big band, and virtually every song from those collaborations are standards today. Aaron Anderson, Swing Shift’s regular vocalist, will be finally be heard as a featured artist, singing (among others) “Come Fly With Me,” “Nice And Easy,” “Fly Me To the Moon” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” Lead trumpeter Dana Heitman is responsible for the recreation of many of these arrangements, most of which have never been available for performance by other groups.
Great show… they played a 45 minute instrumental Count Basie set, and then came out with trombonist Aaron Anderson on vocals for a 45 minute Frank Sinatra / Count Basie set. I was really impressed all around with the musicianship, the venue, and the vocals (and I usually don’t really prefer jazz with vocals). It was a really, really good show… and not just because it was free.
Setlist:
- Step Right Up
- Corner Pocket
- In a Mellotone
- Jessica’s Day
- Pensive Miss
- 4-5-6
- Sunset Glow
- Every Tub
Intermission - Come Fly With Me
- I’ve Got You Under My Skin
- Fly Me to the Moon
- The Shadow of Your Smile
- One for My Baby
- Nice and Easy
- I Get a Kick Out of You
- That’s Life
- My Kind of Town
- Encore: Smack Dab in the Middle
The Appropriate Linkage:
~Dan – np: Jerry Cantrell – Degradation Trip, Vols 1 & 2
Waffles & Glen’s new band
Two unrelated, but equally good things…
There’s a new waffle place in Eugene. It’s called Off the Waffle (it’s on Van Buren just south of 7th). They make Liège style waffles and they are freaking amazing. I’ve been there twice in the last week. As of now, they have 3 options: white or whole wheat ($3), and waffle of the week ($5). This week’s waffle was goat cheese and blueberry, and it’s baked right into the waffle. Holy Cow! A+++
They also have coffee from local One Cup, do a barter system (if you have things to trade), and they do catering… they’re open from 8am to midnight every day of the week!!! Their webpage will be here (not active yet): http://www.offthewaffle.com/
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There’s a new promo video for Works Progress Administration featuring Glen Phillips (from Toad the Wet Sprocket), Sean & Sara Watkins (from Nickel Creek), and many more…
WPA is:
- Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) – vocals, guitar
- Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek, Fiction Family) – guitar, vocals
- Luke Bulla (Jerry Douglas Band, Ricky Skaggs) – fiddle, vocals, guitar
- Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) – fiddle, vocals
- Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) – piano, organ
- Greg Leisz (Joni Mitchell, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, Beck) – pedal steel
- Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Randy Newman) – drums
- Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Cracker) – bass
I’m looking forward to just about any Glen Phillips. He had two in my top 5 for 2008… anyway, I’m looking forward to a WPA album in 2009.
~Dan – np: John Coltrane – Traneing In
REVIEW: Madeleine Peyroux @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – – 3/25/09)
Great show last night… Madeleine Peyroux and her jazzy quartet played a smooth hour and half set at the Shedd. I’m really coming to love the early start time, no opener, and home at a reasonable time shows at the Shedd. No pictures or (accurate) set list from me for this show… I was in a hurry and drove straight in from work in Portland to make it time for the show.
Madeleine had a backing quartet made up of a piano/keyboard/organ/melodica player, an electric/upright bassist, a mandolin/guitarist, and a drummer/cardboard box player. They were a really well put together band…
Songs I remember them playing:
Dance Me to the End of Love, Bare Bones, You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go, La Javanaise, Love and Treachery, Our Lady of Pigalle, I Must Be Saved. They came back for an encore dedicated to Barack Obama (There’s Something Grand).
Great, soothing show. Wonderful, lush, Billie Holiday-esque vocals, great accompaniment. If she comes through your town, check her out! Oh, she also has a new CD out, Bare Bones:
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.madeleinepeyroux.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/officialmadeleinepeyroux
- http://www.theshedd.org/
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Totally side note cool news…
- Tool is touring this summer.. read more at Blabbermouth.
- Medeski Martin & Wood‘s Radiolarians II is coming out April 14th.
~Dan – np: Buckethead – Colma
REVIEW: SFJazz Collective @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – – 3/19/09)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
This is my second time seeing the SF Jazz Collective. Last time (Feb 2008) was a tour dedicated to Wayne Shorter. This time, it was a McCoy Tyner-focused tour. The same line-up as last year, except for this show we were missing Stefon Harris’ vibraphone playing. Perhaps he wasn’t able to make it or isn’t in the touring version of the band this spring. He’s on all of the promo photos. Regardless, they likely wouldn’t have had room for him, as it was a packed stage at the Shedd with the seven members of this tour: Dave Douglas (on trumpet), Joe Lovano (on tenor sax), Miguel Zenon (on alto sax), Renee Rosnes (on piano), Robin Eubanks (on trombone), Matt Penman (on bass), and Eric Harland (on drums).
The show started promptly at 7:30pm, and the band hit the stage after a short introduction. I’m getting spoiled with these Shedd shows: no opener, 90-120 minutes – – boom goes the dynamite, and then you’re done and home at a reasonable time (we even got home in time to watch 30 Rock; i.e.- the best show on network TV right now).
The band started in a way quite opposite to what I just told my wife… “oh, SF Jazz isn’t avant-garde, they’re much more poppy / groove-oriented.” Well, I’d never heard McCoy Tyner, and the first song started out with a bunch of free jazz “noodling” that almost sounded like a warm-up. I like this kinda of stuff (hey, I’m a big John Zorn fan)… but I looked over at my wife, and she had this look of, “oh, crap, this is gonna be a long night.” Well, this noodling quickly turned into the swinging, groovy jazz fest that I came to know from the prior SFJC show and their CDs. So, I think my wife had a good time despite the uncertain start. :)
(Robin, Dave, Matt, Joe)
Setlist: [solos noted as best I remember… I likely forgot to note some of them]
- Fly with the Wind – by McCoy Tyner, arranged by RR
- Three Flowers – by McCoy Tyner, arranged by MP; solo: DD
- Yes We Can (Victory Dance) – by Robin Eubanks; solo(s): RE, DD, RR
- Sycamore – by Dave Douglas; solo(s): MP, JL, MZ, JL & MZ trade-off
- Jazz Free – by Joe Lovano; solo(s): basically everyone
- No Filter – by Miguel Zenon; solo(s): RE, MZ (was on fire) (*fave of the night*)
- Encore: Concensus – by McCoy Tyner, arranged by EH; solo: DD
Oddly enough, they had a congo drum over to the right but never used it… well, other than for Miguel to rest his hands on occasion. Oh well… they treated us to 90 minutes of some great, smokin’ jazz… so, 7 songs over 90 minutes – – you do the math. The show was a wonderful treat, and I hope they keep this up in the coming years.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- SFJazz Collective
- Dave Douglas (trumpet)
- Dave Douglas on MySp
- Joe Lovano (tenor sax)
- Miguel Zenón (alto sax) – 2008 MacArthur Foundation Grant recipient
- Robin Eubanks (trombone)
- Renee Rosnes (piano)
- Matt Penman (bass)
- Eric Harland (drums)
- Stefon Harris (vibraphone – not at the show)
- McCoy Tyner (SFJC ’09 tributed artist)
- http://www.theshedd.org/
~Dan – np: Paul Brody’s Sadawi – Kabbalah Dream
SF JAZZ COLLECTIVE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
REVIEW: Oregon Percussion Ensemble’s FRANK ZAPPA Tribute @ UO’s Beall Hall (Eugene, OR – – 3/7/09)
I went to the University of Oregon’s Beall Concert Hall yesterday afternoon for a wonderful tribute to Frank Zappa put on by the UO College of Music’s Oregon Percussion Ensemble, conducted by W. Sean Wagoner. It was a show that I found out about in the Eugene Weekly… yay for the local entertainment rag for giving us last minute cool info!
The show was great… about 90 minutes including breaks. All percussion, except for a bass player and a violinist for “The Black Page Part 1 & 2.” OK, there was a pianist and a tap dancer, too… but those are technically percussion instruments. :P
Setlist:
- Concerto No. 1, Op. 12.3(1986) – composed by Ney Rosauro, soloist: Paul Owen (marimba)
- I. Saudacao (Greetings)
- II. Lamento (Lament)
- III. Danca (Dance)
- IV. Despedida (Farewell)
- Ionisation for thirteen percussionists (1929-1931) – composed by Edgard Varese
- Waltz (1958) – composed by Frank Zappa, soloist: Merlin Showalter (vibraphone)
- Magnesium Zapp II (2009) – composed by Charles Dowd
- The Black Page Drum Solo (1976) – composed by Frank Zappa, soloist: Paul Owen (drumset)
- The Black Page, Part I (1976) – composed by Frank Zappa
- The Black Page, Part II (1976) – composed by Frank Zappa
The first part of the first piece (Saudacao) was very Zappaesque… heavy on the marimba and xylophonic percussion… fast melodies, and the crazy percussive triplets or whatever you drummers call them. :) The rest of Concerto No. 1 wasn’t as Zappaesque, but it definitely was a great warm-up to the rest of the show. Paul Owen’s marimba work was great and the rest of the band really broke loose on this 20-something-minute piece.
Next up was Ionisation by Edgard Varese, from whom Zappa had only one degree of separation… the conductor for the first performance of Ionisation in the 30s was Nicolas Slonimsky, who later became a friend of Frank’s and also went out on tour with Zappa’s early 80s band. The piece was an avant-garde percussive piece, if set-up as designed (which I assume they did) was 3 bass drums, 2 Side drums, 2 Snare drums, tarole, 2 bongos, tambourine, tambour militaire, crash cymbal, suspended cymbals, 3 tam-tams, gong, 2 anvils, 2 triangles, sleigh bells, chimes, celesta, piano, Chinese blocks, claves, maracas, castanets, whip (instrument), guiro, high & low sirens, and a lion’s roar. I don’t remember a whip or lion’s roar… but regardless, it was fun and adventurous.
Waltz was the first official Zappa piece of the afternoon. It was about a 2 minute, 12-tone vibraphone solo by Merlin Showalter. It seemed like it was over before it started, but it was a nice piece.
Magnesium Zapp II continued in the Zappa theme… though not written by him. It was written by UO Director of Music Charles Dowd, who drew inspiration from Frank Zappa’s “Girl in the Magnesium Dress” from The Yellow Shark. It was somewhat avant-garde, improvisational with some structure. It also had small melodies written in to represent F-R-A-N-K and Z-A-P-P-A, which they went over beforehand… and it was fun to pick it out when they were playing it. Basically a 26-note run equating to the English alphabet… blah blah blah, you do the math.
Next up was The Black Page… I’d seen Terry Bozzio play this at the 2006 Zappa Plays Zappa tour in Louisville, and for the uninitiated, Zappa wrote it as a technical challenge. The musicians dreaded seeing all of the black notes on the page… hence its name.
(click for larger)
Percussion/Battery drum transcript (PDF):
The Ensemble started this as simply a drum solo by Paul Owen. He did a great job on this 3-4 minute very technical solo. Then the solo was played again by Paul… and 9 more drummers (and a tap dancer) at the same time, nearly perfectly in sync. It was quite mind blowing seeing all 10 drum sets around the front of the stage when we got back from the short intermission, but I had no idea they all be playing the solo together. Crazy good stuff. The only downside, we could barely see the tap dancer (Alli Bach) as she was behind the drum sets, but she was going nuts and hitting all of the notes as well… per W. Sean Wagoner (the conductor), this was the world premiere of a tap dance transcription for The Black Page. :)
After the solo(s), they played the Black Page in both Zappa’s variations… the “Hard Version” and the “Easy Teenage NY Version.” Much more melodic (not all on drums, as some of the drummers moved to play other instruments). They were also joined by piano, electric violin and bass. Great stuff… about 5 minutes for each version.
Good stuff… well worth the $5… like criminally worth it.
~Dan – np: Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen 
REVIEW: That1Guy @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – – 2/11/09)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Well, this was my 5th time seeing That1Guy and the Magic Pipe. He is a truly mesmerizing performer… the inclusion of the Magic Saw and Magic Boot are also great, but the true show is seeing Mr. 1Guy put a crazy go nuts university seminar on the Magic Pipe.
The opener was Seattle’s Flowmotion. I only caught their last 3-4 songs, but I liked them. Kinda of a more rock style jam band. The best part for me was their drummer and drummer/ percussionist combo. Two of the 3-4 songs I saw had some cool extended dual drum solos.
T1G came on right around 9:30. He seemed to play a very similar setlist to the time I saw him a year and a half ago at John Henry’s, but much more energetic… having a pretty packed house at a bigger venue on a Wednesday definitely didn’t hurt the energy. :)
Setlist:
- Forgotten Whales leading into Instrumental Intro Jam
- Jigsaw
- Weasel Potpie leading into Instrumental Jam
- the one with “heaven or heck” in the lyrics
- Dig (with the magic boot)
- Buttmachine (extended)
- Instrumental Jam
- Bananas
- Somewhere Over the Rainbow(with the magic saw)
- One(with card tricks)
- Jam Session with Flowmotion drummers (T1G’s credit card jam)
- …
Great show… I left at about the 90 minute point (it’s been a long week for me so far). If I had to wager a guess, I bet he played “Mash” and/or “The Moon is Disgusting” and/or “Birds” as encores… but that’s only a guess.
the magic pipe
And now for some news from That1Guy…
He’s re-issued his first album… the one before Songs in the Key of Beotch called Let’s Hear That1Guy (click pic to find out more):
New animated video for “Mash” made by some ausome aussies at Silo:6…
Oh, and T1G’s “Buttmachine” is the new Rick Roll… try it on your friends. *cough*
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.that1guy.com/
- http://myspace.com/that1guy
- http://www.flowmotion.net/
- http://myspace.com/flowmotionmusic
- http://www.wowhall.org/
~Dan – np: The Beatles – The Beatles
THAT1GUY PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
I had beers…
The last two nights (Feb 6 & 7, 2009) was local Eugene NPR station KLCC’s microbrew festival. I went last night. My wife dropped me off at the fairgrounds after a nice Indian meal (and then picked me up afterwards… she rocks). It was $15 to get in, which included a commemorative (4 oz?) glass and two drink tickets. Additional drinks were $1; so I did the “express admission” which included 12 drinks for $25 total (no price break, but I didn’t have to go back to the drink ticket line).
There were 51 booths with at least 2 beers a piece on tap… so, 12 beers didn’t scratch the surface of all that was offered, but it did pretty good damage. I generally stay away from IPAs, and I like stouts, porters, wheats… Anyway, here’s what I had (not in any particular order… outside of the order they are in the KLCC program):
- 21st Amendment – Hell or High Watermelon Wheat (San Francisco) – this beer was delightful, very subtle watermelon flavor… I love wheat beers in general, and this one would be fantastic in the summer…
- Ace Cider – The Joker Hard Cider (Sebastopol, CA) – high alcohol content, and kind of weak flavors, in my opinion… this one didn’t get past the initial sip. Ace’s pear cider is very good, though.
- Green Mountain – Woodchuck Amber Draft Cider (Middlebury, VT) – a classic for me. I was drinking Woodchuck before I liked beer. The guy at the booth was shocked that I had it before, as it’s new to the Oregon territory.
- Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) – Survival Seven Grain Stout (Portland, OR) – while its name doesn’t suggest, it’s got coffee in it as well. not as strong as (a fave) Oakshire Overcast, it was still very delightful. a friend from work was volunteer pouring this one, too… so it was nice chat amongst the beer fiends.
- Laurelwood – Vanilla Porter (Portland, OR) – nice and delicate. I think by the time of the evening when I had this, I was looking for more vanilla, but it was still very nice
- Ninkasi – Oatis Oatmeal Stout (Eugene, OR) – a local favorite of mine… excellent, and it compares well with one of my favorite beers – Sam Smith’s Oatmeal Stout.
- North Coast – Brother Thelonius Belgian Ale (Fort Bragg, CA) – Named after the jazz piano great, I had had a bottle of this before. It’s good, but you have to be in the right mood… it’s something like 9% alcohol and kicks your butt. I couldn’t drink my whole sample glass… too strong…
- Oakshire – Overcast Espresso Stout (Eugene, OR) – my 2nd fave of the night right behind Young’s DCS. I get this beer a lot at restaurants around town. It’s a gem of Eugene, if you ask me.
- Pyramid – Apricot Ale (Portland, OR) – I’d seen this in stores before, but never tried it. Last night was the perfect time… much more fruit flavor than the watermelon ale (but not as much as Woodchuck). Very good… I don’t think I could do a whole 6-pack of this, but it was definitely tasty.
- Rogue Ales – Chocolate Stout (Newport, OR) – oh, how I wish when Rogue was looking for filling their Controller position they would have allowed me to work from Eugene (rather than move to Newport on the coast). They make great beers, and their chocolate stout is no exception. Like Young’s, Rogue’s chocolate stout is actually made with real chocolate in the batch (some are just called that from the dark color and chocolate maltiness).
- Roots Organic – Chocolate Habañero Stout (Portland, OR) – I had already had my fill of espresso and/or chocolate stouts, but the habañero had me at “hello.” It was a very nice beer with a little spice on the front and much more spice on the back end. I really liked it. Very similar to the Lagunitas Frank Zappa beer I posted about the other day.
- Young’s – Double Chocolate Stout (London, England) – so smooth, creamy & delicious… you get the rolling, settling effect when it comes out of the tap into the glass. mmm…
I will say that I didn’t drink all 4 oz of all of the above beers. Some of them got a sip/gulp and then dumped the rest (mainly because I didn’t want to be totally trashed). Of all of the local (fantastic) beers, my favorite was the Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (from England). It’s always been a favorite of mine, and while the local beers gave it a run for its money, once it touched my lips, I knew it still had my heart.
Two beer posts in a row… yeah, probably a new record
~Dan – np: The Beatles – 1
Oregon Truffle Festival 2009
Yesterday was a truffle-tastic day… we started the day with a belated work holiday brunch for my wife’s work at NIB (see my prior rave / review here). Delicious. Utterly delicious. We had some truffles of the chocolate variety, and one of those chocolate truffles had a filling that was of the mycological variety. Then we went straight from brunch to the Oregon Truffle Festival (henceforth noted as “OTF”) at the Valley River Inn in Eugene.
The entry fee was $15, but it came with a great assortment of truffle samples, whether infused into oil, cheese, breads, shortbread cookies… plus for an additional $5 I got an OTF Riedel glass with as many wine tastings as I wanted. There were probably 6-8 wineries there with 4-6 wines each. Oh… it was awesome. We came home with the 2007 Willamette Valley Vineyards’ Riesling. It was only $10 and not as sweet as most Rieslings… nice drinkability. The Gewürztraminer from a winery late in the tasting (thus I forget their name) was also aucking fwesome, but I think we were spent in both the wallet and weariness categories; so we didn’t pick it up.
Probably the best part of the OTF was the truffle dog demonstration. The trainer, Jim Sanford, and 6 year old Lagotto Romagnolo named Tom came from a truffle orchard at the Blackberry Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jim told us a lot about this wonderful Italian breed of dogs, but basically came out with “any dog can do this.” These Italian dogs have just been bred to do it very well. He went through some of the history of the dogs, the orchard, and the hauls they’ve brought in (25 pounds of truffles in one day once, 4 pounds in 30 minutes – where 150 pounds per year is a good year). Truffles can fetch $600 a pound; so a 25 pound haul in one day is $15,000 worth of mushrooms!!
After a quick Q&A session, we all went outside and Jim had Tom find some truffles that he had previously hidden by a large tree in a field by the Inn. Tom did a good job, despite being distracted by the freeway, the new smells, the 30-40 people surrounding him and the other dog in the field. :)
More pictures of Lagotto Romagnolo’s are here: http://www.dogguide.net/dog-pictures/lagotto-romagnolo-photo-gallery-pictures-of-lagotto-romagnolos/ (they look very poodle-y to me)
Anyway, I’m looking forward to the Oregon Truffle Festival next year…
http://oregontrufflefestival.com/
~Dan – np: Joey Baron – Tongue in Groove
REVIEW: Jeremy Pelt Quintet @ the Shedd (Eugene, OR – – 1/16/09)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
Brilliant show last night at the John G. Shedd Institute… I literally walked in at 7:30pm, just as the Shedd was announcing the Jeremy Pelt Quintet to come out and play. Whew… barely made it. Jeremy Pelt and crew came out and played 7 pieces over 90 straight minutes with very few breaks to talk between the songs.
(click for larger)
I’d never seen Jeremy Pelt before, but I had gotten into him via Ken Laster’s great In the Groove and Beyond podcast a couple of years ago. The band was Jeremy Pelt (bandleader, trumpet), JD Allen (tenor saxophone), Danny Grissett (piano), Dwayne Burno (bass), and Gerald Cleaver (drums). They were hot… most of the songs were definitely extended jams over what’s put down on their latest record, November, which I picked up at the show.
Set list: (as called from the stage)
- Avatar
- Clairvoyant
- Phoenix
- Nephthys (based on the Egyptian goddess, not the Egpytian online movie rental store Netflix…)
- Shirley Horn’s You Won’t Forget Me (dedicated to the recently passed trumpet great Freddie Hubbard)
- (JPQ pianist) Danny Grissett’s Untitled
- 466-64 (based on JP’s visit to Nelson Mandela’s jail cell)
Great show. The hour and a half passed by too quickly. Apparently Jeremy Pelt comes through Eugene often (every year or so); so I’m looking forward to seeing him again in the future. He’ll be at the Shedd again in early March 2009 for the multi-day Jazz Fest / Party, but I don’t think I can make it.
The appropriate links:
- http://www.peltjazz.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/maxjazz (his record label)
- http://theshedd.org/
Next show… Skerik’s McTuff at Sam Bond’s on Thursday. I’m there if I’m not beaten down by busy season work…
~Dan – np: Jeremy Pelt – November
JEREMY PELT QUINTET PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2009 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Nib in Eugene
Wow… we went to a chocolate tasting last night at the newly opened NIB dessert and wine bar in Eugene, OR. It’s on Monroe, just south of 7th (by Sweet Life, Laughing Planet, etc). It’s owned and operated by a husband and wife team who has been behind the KeKau Chocolatier deliciousness seen around town for the past few years at various restaurants.
We started the night with quite possibly the most delicious cheese plate ever. It was very gorgeous, well crafted, and… YUMMY. It was nine month Dolaner Gouda (cow’s milk), Bellweather ricotta (cow’s milk) with Meyer lemon curd, and Humbolt Fog, Cypress Grove chevre (goat’s milk). Accompanying it was this odd, but tasty, encapsulated orange sauce over toasted nuts (hazelnuts, perhaps). There were also thinly sliced apples & pears, diced winter squash, and these sugared crackers that were absolutely fabulous. I think my favorite cheese was the gouda, but it was all quite AMAZING. My wife and I paired it with Navarro Vineyards Gewuerztraminer grape juice and a 2005 Abacela Malbec.
The chocolate tasting started at 7pm, and it was very informational. The husband side of the mom & pop run wine bar, Shane Tracey, came out and told us about each chocolate before the pieces came around. It was very informative, and I started writing stuff down, but gave up early on… We tasted 6-7 chocolates, I believe. Our table was at the end of the pass along; so the chocolates stopped at our table. Darn… we could nab extra nibs. :)
The first was a delicious white chocolate, which was high in cocoa butter content. We usually don’t like white chocolates, but it was quite good. Next up was a milk chocolate (or two). Then we had a spicy darker chocolate (this one was my favorite). We had a creamier dark chocolate that, no lie, had heavy hints of banana up front with a pineapple finish. We rounded out the tasting with a 70% chocolate, which is more of what my wife and I usually get from Trader Joe’s. The final chocolate was also a dark, but I don’t remember the % of solids. I paired my tasting with a 2003 Chateau Les Justices Sauternes.
At the end of the tastings, we bought a 2 Bite Holiday which was a small and delicious chocolate mousse with (if I remember correctly) some caramel, candied ginger, white chocolate shavings on a (fancy) graham cracker. We also bought some of their truffles to take home: Habañero Tequila, Thai Curry, Kalamansi Coconut, Spiced Berry, and maybe one other that I don’t see on their website right now.
NIB dessert & wine bar is a GREAT place. They have many great desserts, a great wine selection (white, red, dessert), and their cheese plate is amazing. They also do brunch on Sundays (and on New Year’s Day from 12am to 3am!!).
Eugene, Oregon… it is now your duty to support this amazing new place!!! Go forth and be delighted!!
~Dan – np: Miles Davis – On the Corner
Favorite Concerts of 2008
Well, shockingly, I don’t have any concerts on the calendar for December 2008 (next up is Zappa Plays Zappa on Jan 2nd). Of course, Sam Bond’s may book a jazz show that I don’t find out about until a week prior. Eh, anyway, I’ve seen 42 concerts and 91* artists perform so far in 2008 (which is oddly considered a “slow year” for me).
Assuming no other shows pop up out of nowhere and blow me away, here are my favorite concerts for 2008:
- Extreme & King’s X – Union Center Blvd Bash – Cincinnati, OH {10 Aug} [review with pictures]
- Jude Christodal, opener: Ryan Andrew – Aladdin Theater – Portland, OR {6 June} [review with pictures]
- Secret Chiefs 3 with Secret Chefs 3, Diminished Men – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR {3 Aug} [review with pictures]
- Sigur Rós with Parachutes – Arlene Schnitzer Hall – Portland, OR {6 Oct} [review with pictures]
- Ornette Coleman – Arlene Schnitzer Hall/PDX Jazz Fest – Portland, OR {15 Feb} [review]
- SFJazz Collective with Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Miguel Zenon and more focusing on the music of Wayne Shorter – Newmark Theatre/PDX Jazz Fest – Portland, OR {15 Feb} [review]
- Ani DiFranco, openers: Animal Prufrock, Judy Grahn – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR {16 Apr} [review]
- My Brightest Diamond with Clare & the Reasons – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR {21 Nov} [review with pictures]
- Nellie McKay, opener: Amorèe Lovell – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR {15 Aug} [review with pictures]
- Orange Tulip Conspiracy – Samurai Duck – Eugene, OR {17 Nov} [review with pictures]
- Bill Frisell / Eyvind Kang / Rudy Royston – The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts – Eugene, OR {7 June} [review with pictures]
- Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket with J.Kingham – W.O.W. Hall – Eugene, OR {21 Feb} [review]
- Branford Marsalis and the Philharmonia Brasileira – The Hult Center – Eugene, OR {2 Oct} [review]
- Medeski Martin & Wood – McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR {15 Nov} [review with pictures]
- Talkdemonic with Heavenly Oceans – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR {9 Feb} [review]
Runners Up: God of Shamisen at Samurai Duck, EARTH at WOW Hall, Radiohead at White River Amphitheatre, Skerik’s McTuff & Skerik’s Maelstrom Trio at Sam Bond’s Garage, and Raquy and the Cavemen at Cozmic Pizza.
Shows I’m bummed I missed… Beck in Bend, Tegan & Sara in Salem and/or Portland, Sunn 0))) in Portland, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (twice) in Eugene, Glen Phillips in Portland, Chali 2Na & Ozomatli in Portland, Steven Bernstein’s Millenium Territory Orchestra at Seattle’s Earshot Jazz Fest, and next week’s Charlie Hunter in Portland (I wish it weren’t on a Monday). :( Oh well, maybe next year…
Of my concert photos this year, I think these are my faves (in no particular order):
- Jude Christodal
- Silhouetted Secret Chiefs 3
- Jason Schimmel & Timb Harris from Secret Chiefs 3
- Sunspot Doug Pinnick & Ty Tabor from King’s X
- Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme
- Nellie McKay
- Ninja, laser-eyes Lee Smith from God of Shamisen
- Jónsi Birgisson from Sigur Rós
I’m definitely looking forward to 2009… Dweezil Zappa & Co playing Frank’s music, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, the SF Jazz Collective (with Dave Douglas & Joe Lovano), and Madeleine Peyroux are already on the calendar…
~Dan – np: John Zorn – Film Works XXII: The Last Supper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*– This was also the first year in 11 years that I haven’t seen Over the Rhine. I wish I was able to make it to their reunion show with Ric Hordinski, but alas, I shan’t be able to go.
Past Concert Fave Recap: 2007
REVIEW: My Brightest Diamond @ W.O.W. Hall (Eugene, OR – – 11/21/08)
FYI… my PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Yay… I’ve been waiting for this show for a few months. I last saw Shara Worden (aka My Brightest Diamond) in April 2007 at the MusicNOW Fest in Cincinnati. It was at that show where she debuted many songs that ended up on A Thousand Shark’s Teeth. I was going to drive up to Portland on Thursday for the show, then they announced a Eugene show (yay!). It was sparsely attended, though not as sparse as a Glen Phillips’ WOW Hall show earlier this year. I don’t know… WOW Hall shows seem so hit or miss. Maybe the Blues Traveler show at McDonald Theatre on Friday hurt MBD’s crowd? Anyway, the artists were in good spirits and put on a great show nonetheless.
Openers, Clare and the Reasons, went on around 9pm and played 40 minutes of very cinematic-tinged, indie-pop fare. The band was made up of singer/guitarist Clare Muldaur Manchon, multi-instrumentalist Olivier Manchon, and string-players Hiroko Taguchi & Maria Jeffers – – all four dressed in all red costumes. (The MBD & Clare touring collaboration was also an efficient one, as Olivier, Hiroko & Maria were MBD’s backing band as well.) After their set, buying their studio CD The Movie for $10 seemed like a steal. I look forward to hearing it, as it’s littered with guest artists / studio collaborators such as Van Dyke Parks (!!!!!) and Sufjan Stevens.
(click for larger)
Clare & the Reasons’ Setlist:
- Pluto – a fave of the set, nice pizzicatto strings
- Better Without You
- Pluton / Rodi – a fave of the set, nice saw work, 1st song done in the dark with flashing lights
- Nowhere
- Can Your Car Do That? (I Don’t Think So)
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears cover)
- Cook for You
Next up was My Brightest Diamond, who has gotten a lot of dedication here on this blog – – for which I do not apologize. In fact, she’s been the most prolific (or at least most little web goodies) of the Asthmatic Kitty artists lately. I mean, come on, Sufjan! You’re overdue. :) Anyway, back to MBD…
(click for larger)
MBD’s performance was excellent, as usual. As mentioned above, Olivier Manchon, Hiroko Taguchi, and Maria Jeffers were her backing band as well – – this time dressed in black & white costumes. They played around an hour, which included a magic show, a shadow & puppet show, twirling & whistling hoses, and much storytelling.
MBD’s Setlist:
- Golden Star – a fave of mine
- If I Were Queen
- Apples – a fave of mine
- To Pluto’s Moon
- Olivier’s Magic Show
- Disappear – a fave of mine
- Dragonfly – a fave of mine
- From the Top of the World – started Shara’s At the Back of the North Wind storytime
- Black & Costaud – a fave, started with Olivier’s storytime
- The Ice & The Storm
- Inside a Boy – a fave of mine
- Je n’en connais pas la fin / Hymne à l’amour – with an excellent shadow and puppet show
- Encore: The Gentlest Gentleman – with Shara on mandolin
Check MBD‘s music out on iTunes, Amazon, or your local record shop…
My Brightest Diamond’s CDs:
(plus she’s got a ton of remixes and b-side whatnot on iTunes)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond
- http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/
- http://www.asthmatickitty.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/claremuldaur
- http://www.wowhall.org/
- Seattle’s Triple Door show (11/19/08) is Archived at Synclive.com
- MBD on Uncensored Interviews
The Next Tour Stops:
Nov 22 2008 – Swedish American Hall, San Francisco, CA
Nov 24 2008 – Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA
Nov 25 2008 – Casbah, San Diego, CA
Nov 26 2008 – Hotel Café, Los Angeles, CA
Nov 29 2008 – Solar Culture, Tucson, AZ
Nov 30 2008 – The Cooperage, Albuquerque, NM
Dec 3 2008 – Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
Dec 4 2008 – Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack, Little Rock, AR
Dec 5 2008 – The Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
Dec 6 2008 – Square Room, Knoxville, TN
Dec 7 2008 – The Earl, Altanta, GA
Dec 9 2008 – Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
Dec 10 2008 – Gravity Lounge, Charlottesville, VA
Dec 11 2008 – Rock n Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
Dec 12 2008 – First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Dec 13 2008 – (Le) Poisson Rouge, New York, NY
OK, that’s all for now from me…
~Dan – np: Mostly Other People Do the Killing – This is Our Moosic
CLARE & the REASONS -and- MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
REVIEW: Jason Schimmel’s Orange Tulip Conspiracy @ Samurai Duck (Eugene, OR – – 11/17/08)
FYI… my PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Samurai Duck on a Monday night… ugh… but it was for a good cause. It was to see Jason Schimmel’s Orange Tulip Conspiracy (hereafter “OTC”). I’d seen Jason thrice prior (with Estradasphere once and with Secret Chiefs 3 twice). I fought the late night start to the week, the sleepiness, the sticky bar, and deep fried pizza (shudder). Egads, why did I let myself be sucked in by $3 fried pizza? I mean, sweet muscular Jesus… why!? It was wrong on too many levels…
Anyway, OTC went on around 10pm, or at least I thought. They were just foolin’, as I think Jason was setting up his Mac to tape the show and needed some levels. They went on for real around 10:20 and played until just about 11:30. I’m bad with the song names on instrumental bands, but they played most of the music from their eponymous debut CD. They also played a Django Reinhardt tune like no Django I’d previously heard (it was pretty fun, fast & furious). Hot Club de France was usually fun & furious, but not so fast… it was fun to OTC stretch it out at the end, too…
(click for larger)
The band was made up of bandleader Jason Schimmel (on guitars & swanky hat), John Whooley (on saxes & keys, an original Estradasphere member), Dan Robbins (on basses), Zach Cline (on guitar) and Lee Smith (on drums). John Whooley really ripped it up, and the live show was very much more sax-oriented than I remembered the CD being. It makes me wish I’d seen the earlier incarnation of Estradasphere (even though the current incarnation is excellent). Lee Smith also seemed more comfortable because he didn’t have to start his set in a ninja costume…
The 70 minute set was full of rockin’ jazz-infused tunes. Very swingy in spots, but Jason also pulled out a 7-string for a chunky low-end on a song. If John Petrucci (from Dream Theater) has taught me anything, it’s that I love me some 7-string. The night was full of what my wife might call a band in an “identity crisis,” but that’s exactly what I love about bands in which I’ve seen Jason play – – they’re full of energy & musical chops. OTC aren’t afraid to just push the envelope. They enjoy ripping it open like a birthday card from a rich Aunt. :)
The live show was pretty awesome, and the album is fantastic. It’s quite frankly in the running for faves of the year. It can (and should) be bought via Web of Mimicry/Lobefood (click the picture below):
The Appropriate Linkage:
Where they’re heading next on this 2008 West Coast Tour?
Nov 18 2008 – On the Y, Sacramento, California
Nov 19 2008 – Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz, California
Nov 20 2008 – The Ruby Room, San Diego, California
Nov 21 2008 – The Knitting Factory, Hollywood, California
Nov 22 2008 – Hotel Utah, San Francisco, California
~Dan – np: Zakarya – The True Story Concerning Martin Behaim
-and- Ellery – You Did Everything Right -EP-
ORANGE TULIP CONSPIRACY CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
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: 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: God of Shamisen @ Samurai Duck (Eugene, OR – – 9/11/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
Well, before the show, I was kind of bummed, as Todd Sickafoose (Ani DiFranco’s upright bassinator) was playing a show at Sam Bond’s in Eugene last night as well. GOS totally won, but Todd would have put on a great show as well. Anyway, I swung by Sam Bond’s before heading over to the Samurai Duck… to pick up Todd’s new CD, Tiny Resistors. I figured I might as well support indie jazz artists. Alas, the doorman told me that Todd had to cancel. Bummer… well, maybe he’ll reschedule, though I think he’s from New York; so maybe it’s just not meant to be this time around.
a great cartoon GOS by Rulo Barrera
On to the venue… hmmm… what to say about the Samurai Duck. Well, you can get fried pizza. Um… ick… I opted for a Blue Moon & a bag of pretzels. The rest of the menu was faintly “asian,” but nothing I’d really consider to be all that interesting. This place is definitely a dive metal bar, but they’ve got a decent stage, and the bands got set-up / switched over between sets really quick – which is a major plus, especially for a late night show.
The 1st opener, Deosyl, was really good. I had never heard of them, but they’re from Eugene. They were an instrumental rock/metal trio. They were all very good musicians. The guitarist seemed to have some great chops, in the vein of Dream Theater’s John Petrucci or Dimebag Darryl or a breed of the two. Great stuff…
I saw GOS’s Kevin Kmetz warming up with his shamisen in between the openers’ sets…
Shat came on next, around 11pm. I was a fan of their prior to this show. I mean, we go way back… we’re the bestest of MySpace friends. Or something. Well, I first heard of Shat via the (now defunct) Coma Lilies. They are connected to Righteous Gabe Records…
Which is absotively-posilutely supposed to confuse you with Righteous Babe Records. They make music very much unlike Ani DiFranco, though. :) Very much… crazy, spastic, turrets syndrome-induced rock. Oh, I think they’re also linked to the international smash hit “Tonight Tonight Tonight Tonight.” Or maybe just linked via Righteous Gabe… Anyway, they put on a lively show. They’re from Portland; so I’ll likely get to see them again.
God of Shamisen went on right around midnight. I was tired, but doing OK. I work right across the street; so I had popped over there to get a Coke. :) God of Shamisen is Kevin Kmetz on tsugaru-shamisen, Karl Schnaitter on guitars, Mark Thornton on bass, and Lee “ninja” Smith on drums. They played a great set, and it was well worth staying through a late night and two openers to see them play. I also got to pick up their new CD, Dragon String Attack. I’ve been listening to it today at work, and it’s great. My favorite track so far is “The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack!”
The CD (click the picture for more info):
The Set List: (with adjustments by Mark from GOS*)
- Traditional (Kevin solo)
- Bad Dog Attack
- The Prisoner (called “The Village Attack” on the CD*)
- Tar Bomb Attack (not recorded yet*)
- Ripe Fruit Attack
- Stacie’s Song (for Kevin’s s/o)
- Dragon String Attack
- Mary Jane (with Danyl Johnson)
- The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack
- Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls* (with Christian from Shat)
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.myspace.com/gos
- http://www.godofshamisen.com/
- http://www.myspace.com/shaturdaynight
- http://www.myspace.com/righteousgabereocords
- http://www.myspace.com/deosyl
The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is on for tonight. I’m excited. I’ve been a fan of theirs for a few years, but missed them when they came to Eugene in the spring, because I was at the Ani DiFranco/Judy Grahn/Animal Prufrock show down the street at the same night. Well, JFJO coming back to town 5 months later is a-OK with me.
~Dan – np: Jeff Ament – Tone
GOD OF SHAMISEN CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
You down with OTC?
Jason Schimmel, from Estradasphere (and the recent Secret Chiefs 3 live incarnation), has a lovely new album out now… Orange Tulip Conspiracy. It’s available directly from Web of Mimicry (SC3’s label), but oddly not yet from Lobefood (Estradasphere’s distro) or Amazon (a large women & rainforest wholesaler). I picked it up at the Portland SC3 gig, and I absolutely LOVE IT. Behind SC3’s Xaphan, it’s probably my #2 album of 2008 so far.
Well, apparently the OTC is going to tour. YAY! The tour is going to feature Jason Schimmel (guitar/ keys), John Whooley (sax, an original Estradasphere member), Dan Robbins (bass), Zach Cline (guitar/ keys) and Lee Smith (drums).
Here are the dates and cities (subject to change):
Saturday Nov 15- Seattle, WA @ Rendezvous
Sunday Nov 16- Portland, OR @ Dante’s
Monday Nov 17- Eugene, OR @ Samurai Duck :)
Tuesday Nov 18- Sacramento, CA @ On the Y
Wednesday Nov 19- Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe’s Alley
Friday Nov 21- Los Angeles, CA @ The Knitting Factory
http://www.myspace.com/orangetulipconspiracy
http://www.myspace.com/estradasphere
Jason needs help with opening band slots and additional venues in or around the cities above. If you are in a band or know of any good venues, contact him through either the OTC or Estradasphere MySpace pages (above).
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Trance-Fusion
local pizza
Eugene has some great local pizza places… Mezza Luna, Cozmic, Pegasus, La Perla (presumably, I haven’t had it yet*), etc. One of our favorites is the Pizza Research Institute (aka PRI). It’s wild and crazy, they put crazy toppings on it (potatoes, corn, pears, cinnamon, eggplant, and much more (they have a periodic table of toppings on their menu). They don’t use meat in anything… not that you’d miss it. They always have several chef’s specials every day (one veg, one vegan)…
*– see comment #8
this picture from their webpage doesn’t do it justice
Well, PETA recent ranked their Top 10 Vegan-friendly Pizzerias in the US, and PRI is #5… woot.
5.The Pizza Research Institute: Eugene, Oregon
Don’t be fooled by the name! This restaurant is much hipper than the words “research institute” imply. However, with all the one-of-a-kind pizzas on the menu, you would think that there really was a staff of food scientists in the kitchen. One standout is the 3P—pears, potato, and pineapple.
Oddly enough a Cincinnati place got on the list, too… however, I’ve never heard of it – – Mac’s Pizza Pub (we spent too much time at Dewey’s).
My review of last night’s Nellie McKay at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge show to be posted later today or maybe tomorrow…
~Dan – np: Steuart Liebig & Tee-Tot Quartet – Always Outnumbered
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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