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Ok, things are changing, but the transition is far from complete.
MIKE REED drummer & composer – Thinking Out Loud: “As we proceeded further we found even more police in full riot gear and finally one them stopped us and informed us that a neo-Nazi skinhead rally was happening and that we should go back to the train station. “
I stumbled across this video on Jacob’s MySpace page today. I’ve got this CD, and have liked it since I got it, but seeing them perform this piece, really helped me understand the structure. The trombone dork in me is trying not to go into a long post about the cool old tuning-in-the-slide Conn that Jacob is playing, and how fabulous he sounds on it. I’ll shut up, just watch and listen.
I listened to “We are MTO” twice through today while web geeking. This disc is growing on me. It has a very infectious vibe, and Clark Gayton (trombone) sounds GREAT on it.
Apparently some fun and creative Richmond, VA musicians are forming a community marching band. Their first rehearsal was today, and it drew some governmental attention. Once in high school, a police officer showed up at a jam session we were having in the bassist’s carport. That feeling of seeing a cop pull up to your musical gathering is a neat combination of fear and pride.
RVAjazz: Richmond Marching Band assembles, gets busted:
“Two police officers casually strutted over to our rehearsal in the middle of the park. Like any appropriately-sized marching band, we were very loud. We were apparently too loud for the residents living next to the park. To paraphrase one of the cops, ‘They won’t call us about people doing drugs in the park, but they’ll call about things like this.'”
I have mentioned the new TBP album here before, and the review linked below is a pretty good take on it. I really like the term “art rock song.”
Pazz and Jop with The Bad Plus | Indie Music Blog:
“I have almost always enjoyed their fusions of rock and jazz, not in the sense of 70s and 80-s era ‘jazz fusion,’ but a new hybrid that creates a type of ‘art rock song.’ The inclusion of an actual vocalist is a logical extension of these efforts.”
Pianist Geoff Keezer is offering 12 second piano lessons for free on Twitter. Interesting idea.
Streaming News from Keezer’s Brain: World’s shortest jazz piano lessons
Keezer was the pianist with Art Blakey when I heard him in 1989. Hearing Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at my first Jazz Fest in New Orleans as an 18 year old was a pretty significant event for me.
I was saddened to read this.
Uriel Jones, a Motown Drummer, Dies at 74 – Obituary (Obit) – NYTimes.com
If you haven’t seen “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” WATCH IT! It is excellent. And Uriel is great in it.
I had the pleasure of getting to be part of the horn section for a Funk Brothers show in New Orleans in May of 2004. Uriel was on that gig, and he was such a pleasure to work with. He had a good time, treated us extras with great respect, and still played his butt off.
This is some of the band backstage before the show. I feel bad that I can’t remember two of the guys names in this pic, but it is (l to r) Ray ??, Bob Babbitt, Larry Sieberth, Joe Hunter, Tom Scott, Barney Floyd, ??, Uriel Jones, and me.
Last Friday night we had the treat of having Frank Gratkowski and Hamid Drake perform in New Orleans. The concert was at Zeitgeist, and they were joined by Tim Green (tenor sax) and Bill Hunsinger (bass and things). It was a great show. Grooves, melodies, free jazz circus music, the sound of a 1977 Pontiac that needs power steering fluid..
One thing that makes hearing great musicians even more rewarding is knowing that they are cool people too. We had a nice Bywater meat hang after the gig, with lots of sausages and salamis, and grits and goat cheese. Hmm…grits and goat cheese might be a song title.
Pictured: Frank with venison sausage, seated next to cellist Helen Gillet.
I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about this lately. I gave it a listen through today and enjoyed it.
Best Of New Orleans Blog » Blog Archive » Eddie Bo passes:
I just discovered that New Orleans pianist/producer Eddie Bo has passed away. The Gambit article said he was 78. I did a couple of sessions for his last CD, probably a little over a year ago. He didn’t seem nearly that old. Rest in Peace, Eddie.