31 March 2008

Downloads of the Week

Hopefully get back into the regular groove here. I just upgraded the memory on my computer so the whole DAT transfer thing seems to be going more smoothly. Looking through my collection one thought crosses my mind: damn, that's a lot of Panic! Here's an April Fool's day that may or may not be on your radar. Great show with lots of killer segues, great setlist and a nice extended appearance by David Blackmon (Mmmmmmercy!) For a bonus a nice sounding Jorma show I meant to offer up a couple weeks back. As always, your feedback, good or bad, is appreciated and feel free to spread the word.

Enjoy and remember to check out the OTW download master list for more!

Widespread Panic
1 April 1996
River Walk Ampitheater, Augusta, GA
part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 encores

Jorma Kaukonen (w/ Michael Falzarano)
20 March 2000
Shank Hall, Milwaukee
part 1 part 2 part 3

30 March 2008

Shows of the Week

Holy S*!%! No foolin', no foolin'

Enjoy!

Click here for upcoming shows

Monday:
Stephen Malkmus (John Vanderslice opens) @ Bowery Ballroom
Iverson/Grenadier/Ballard @ Small's
Beth Orton @ Hiro Ballroom (early/late)
Nellie McKay et al @ Symphony Space
*Doug Wamble Quartet @ Dizzy's
Oz Noy Trio @ Bitter End
Adam Rudolph Organic Orchestra @ Roulette
Les Paul @ Iridium (early/late)
Junior Brown, Alex Battles @ Maxwell's (Hoboken)

Fool's Day:
Eels @ Highline Ballroom
Bill Evan's Soulgrass w/ S. Bush @ Mexcali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
*Happy Apple @ The Stone (early)
Stephen Malkmus (John Vanderslice opens) @ Bowery Ballroom
Nellie McKay @ Joe's Pub (late/midnight)
Gary Louris @ Town Hall
Lee Konitz Trio w/ D. Perez @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Lifehouse @ Roseland Ballroom
Joseph Arthur et al @ Living Room
Matt Darriau/Mathias Kunzli Duo @ The Stone (late)
Joy Askew (CD release) @ Rockwood Music Hall (early)

Wednesday:
*Stephen Malkmus (John Vanderslice opens) @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)
Eels @ Highline Ballroom
Toots & The Maytals @ BB King's
Happy Apple @ The Stone (late)
Tim O'Brien w/ C. Herring @ Joe's Pub
Chris Barron @ Bitter End
Lee Konitz Trio w/ D. Perez @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Mahavishnu Project @ Iridium (early/late)
Alan Parsons @ Fillmore
The Beautiful Girls, Backyard Tire Fire @ Sullivan Hall

Thursday:
Ratdog @ Beacon Theater
Bonerama @ Mexicali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
Bo Bice @ BB King's
Hymns et al @ Galapagos (Brooklyn)
*Rashanim @ Stanton St. Shul
Victor Wooten @ Highline Ballroom
Elliott Smith tribute @ Living Room
Ginger of the Wildhearts @ Piano's
Sherman w/ Jojo Herman & Michael Ray @ Ace of Clubs
Talat @ Joe's Pub (early)
FREE Ben Allison & Man Size Safe @ Brooklyn Central Library
Marco Benevento solo @ Rockwood Music Hall (midnight)
Lee Konitz Trio w/ D. Perez @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
FREE Victor Wooten @ Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center

Friday:
Widespread Panic @ United Palace Theater
Ratdog @ Beacon Theater
*Big Sam's Funky Nation (CD release) @ Sullivan Hall late
BuzzUniverse, Scarecrow Collection @ Mexicali Blues (teaneck, NJ)
Ace Frehley @ Nokia Theater
Phonograph et al @ Living Room
Kimya Dawson @ Maxwell's (Hoboken) (early)
Lee Konitz Trio w/ D. Perez @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Sasha & Digweed @ Webster Hall
Dave Mason @ BB King's
The Black Hollies @ Luna Lounge (Brooklyn)
Meowskers et al @ Union Hall (Brooklyn)
Alphabet Soup @ Highline Ballroom (late night)
Julian Velard @ Rockwood Music Hall
Dirty On Purpose et al @ Mercury Lounge
Ambulance Ltd @ Maxwell's (Hoboken) (late)
Mike Doughty's Band @ Highline Ballroom

Saturday:
Jens Lekman @ Webster Hall
Lotus, The Frequency @ Fillmore
Ratdog @ Beacon Theater
*Widespread Panic @ United Palace Theater
Stephane Wrembel @ Joe's Pub (early)
Lee Konitz Trio w/ D. Perez @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Robbers on High Street et al @ Mercury Lounge
Los Amigos Invisibles @ Bowery Ballroom
EOTO et al @ Sullivan Hall (late night)

Sunday:
Explosions in the Sky @ Crazy Donkey (Farmingdale, LI)
Kimya Dawson @ Webster Hall
*The Campbell Brothers @ Highline Ballroom
The Dirtbombs @ Maxwell's (Hoboken)
FREE Vijay Iyer Trio @ Flushing Branch LIbrary (2pm) (Queens)
Stephane Wrembel @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (late)
Lee Konitz Trio w/ D. Perez @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Baby Loves Jazz @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple (2pm) (Brooklyn)
Queen Moonracer @ The Stone (early)
Chuck MacKinnon @ Lucille's

Click here for upcoming shows

27 March 2008

minimix: F.Art.S Vol. 7

Oh to be a Dobro player and know you're just fighting for second place... really, doesn't the conversation begin and end with Jerry Douglas? A random smattering, although barely skimming the surface.

Enjoy!

Download the mix

01 New Favorite -- Alison Krauss & Union Station: Live (2002)
02 The Lochs Of Dread -- Strength In Numbers: Telluride Sessions (1998)
03 Bourbon & Rosewater -- V.M. Bhatt, Jerry Douglas & Edgar Meyer: Bourbon & Rosewater (1995)
04 Tended -- Viktor Krauss: Far From Enough (2004)
05 Who's Your Uncle? -- Jerry Douglas (w/ Bela Fleck & Sam Bush): The Best Kept Secret (2005)
06 Little Martha -- Jerry Douglas: Lookout For Hope (2002)


Previously in minimix:
Scott Metzger
Jimmy Herring
Mike Gordon
Marc Ribot
Bela Fleck
Bill Frisell

Bill Frisell Part 2

23 March 2008

Shows of the Week

Enjoy!

Click here for upcoming shows

Monday:
Tim Lefebvre @ Zebulon (Brooklyn)
*Buffalo Collision @ Roulette
Kevn Kinney @ The National Underground
The Presidents of the United States of America @ Bowery Ballroom
Bob Reynolds Group @ 55 Bar (late)
Les Paul @ Iridium (early/late)
The Oz Noy Trio @ Bitter End

Tuesday:
Teddy Charles Quintet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Eastern Blok @ Drom
Tony Scherr @ Joe's Pub (late)
*Jenny Scheinman @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (early)
Joan As Police Woman et al @ Living Room

Wednesday:
*Drive-By Truckers (The Whigs open) @ Terminal 5
Prisoners of 2nd Ave @ BB King's
Jaik Miller Band @ Danny and Eddie's
The Rutles @ Blender Theater
Teddy Charles Quintet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Todd Sickafoose's Blood Orange @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (late)
Laurie Anderson @ Zankel Hall
Morcheeba, Federico Aubele @ Webster Hall
Adam Levy, Joy Askew et al @ Banjo Jim's
Chris Barron @ Bitter End
The Bacon Brothers @ Cutting Room

Thursday:
Caribou @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)
*Back Door Slam @ Mercury Lounge (late)
The Rutles @ Blender Theater
Ribot/Burgon/Cappelli/Kim @ Issue Project Space (Brooklyn)
Teddy Charles Quintet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Benevento/Russo Duo @ Mexicali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
Jerry Lee Lewis @ Town Hall
TR3 @ Knitting Factory
The Budos Band @ SOB's
Tony Scherr et al @ Living Room
Pharaoh's Daughter @ Banjo Jim's
Dave Brubeck @ Lincoln Center
Edwin McCain Band @ BB King's
Doug Wamble @ Googie's Lounge

Friday:
Caribou @ Bowery Ballroom
U-Melt @ Sullivan Hall
Dave Brubeck @ Lincoln Center
Teddy Charles Quintet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
*Ghostland Observatory @ Webster Hall
Groove Collective, mission: on mars @ Luna Lounge (Brooklyn)
Ornette Coleman @ Town Hall
Dub Trio @ Knitting Factory
Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout @ 55 Bar (late)
Hymns @ Southpaw (Brooklyn)
The Head Set et al @ Mercury Lounge
The Rutles @ Blender Theater

Saturday:
*Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes @ Bowery Ballroom
Bernie Worrell @ Mexicali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
The Rutles @ Blender Theater
U-Melt @ Sullivan Hall
Teddy Charles Quintet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Nathan Moore @ Tap Bar (early)
Si*Se @ Highline Ballroom
Dave Brubeck @ Lincoln Center
Tony Leone et al @ Banjo Jim's
AKACOD @ Ace of Clubs
Amayo's Fu-Arkist-Ra et al @ Luna Lounge (Brooklyn)
Junior Brown @ Joe's Pub (midnight)

Sunday:
*John Vanderslice @ Mercury Lounge
Mos Def @ Nokia Theater
Stephane Wrembel @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (late)
Ben Allison/Dave Pietro @ Tap Bar
Ollabelle et al @ Living Room
Teddy Charles Quintet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Burnt Sugar et al @ Drom

Click here for upcoming shows

20 March 2008

minimix: Tinselitis.4

Good movies, good tunes. Enjoy!

Download the mix

01 Anyone Else But You -- The Moldy Peaches: Juno (2007)
02 Let's Take A Trip Together -- Morphine: Spanking the Monkey (1994)
03 Shampoo Suicide -- Broken Social Scene: Half Nelson (2006)
04 Joy -- Apollo 100: Boogie Nights (1997)
05 Simple Twist Of Fate -- Jeff Tweedy: I'm Not There (2007)
06 Can't Find My Way Home -- Blind Faith: Fandango (1985)

Previously in minimix:
Tinselitis.3
Tinselitis.2
Tinselitis.1

16 March 2008

Shows of the Week

Another one of those weeks in the city, goodness gracious, that's a lot of nice looking shows. And don't look now, but April is shaping up to be a bit more than we can handle as well. You be careful out there kids.

Enjoy!

Click here for upcoming shows

Monday:
Kevn Kinney @ The National Underground
Black 47 @ BB King's
The Pogues et al @ Roseland Ballroom
The Chieftans @ Carnegie Hall
Matt Munisteri @ Banjo Jim's
Andy Statman @ Barbes (Brooklyn)
Counting Crows @ Blender Theater
Les Paul @ Iridium (early/late)
Oz Noy Trio @ Bitter End
*Adam Rudolph's Organic Orchestra @ Roulette

Tuesday:
*Rudder @ The Bitter End
Jenny Scheinman @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (early)
Pat Metheny/McBride/Sanchez @ Town Hall
Edmar Castaneda Quartet @ Dizzy's Coca Cola
Trevor Dunn's Proof Readers @ Old Office
The Bad Plus @ Blue Note (early/late)
2 Sky Trio @ The Stone (late)
The Mountain Goats @ Webster Hall
Joshua Redman/Reuben Rogers/Brian Blade @ Village Vanguard (early/late)

Wednesday:
Tift Merritt @ Mercury Lounge (early)
*Medeski, Benevento, Russo, Sex Mob et al @ Highline Ballroom (benefit)
Joshua Redman/Reuben Rogers/Brian Blade @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Jaik Miller Band @ Danny and Eddie's
Alex McMurray @ Rockwood Music Hall (6pm)
Witch (J Mascis) et al @ Luna Lounge (Brooklyn)
The Mountain Goats @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)
Regina Carter, Jason Moran, Bill Charlap et al @ Dizzy's Coca Cola
Adam Levy, Bobby Previte Trio et al @ Banjo Jim's
Elvis Costello tribute @ Living Room
Rufus Wainwright @ Angel Orensanz Center
The Bad Plus @ Blue Note (early/late)

Thursday:
A Fine Frenzy @ Blender Theater
Joshua Redman/Reuben Rogers/Brian Blade @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
*The Bad Plus @ Blue Note (early/late)
Chris Thile, Oren Bloedow et al @ Living Room
Alex McMurray et al @ Banjo Jim's
Ryan Montbleau Band @ Union Hall (Brooklyn) (early)
Sam Bardfeld's Up Jumped the Devil @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (early)
TR3 @ Mexicali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
Spiraling et al @ Piano's
Doug Wamble @ Googie's Lounge

Friday:
*The Most Serene Republic, Liam Finn @ Mercury Lounge
Budos Band, The Sweet Devines @ Maxwell's (Hoboken)
The Bad Plus @ Blue Note (early/late)
Afroskull @ Parkside Lounge
Jeff "Tain" Watts w/ C. McBride et al @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Aretha Franklin @ Radio City Music Hall
Smokey's Roundup @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (late)
Joshua Redman/Reuben Rogers/Brian Blade @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Mocean Worker et al @ Highline Ballroom
Dub Is A Weapon @ Sullivan Hall
The New Mellow Edwards @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (early)

Saturday:
Aretha Franklin @ Radio City Music Hall
Joshua Redman/Reuben Rogers/Brian Blade @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
The Bad Plus @ Blue Note (early/late)
Jeff "Tain" Watts w/ C. McBride et al @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Auktyon w/ J. Medeski, M. Ribot @ Fillmore
*Tragedy (CD release) @ BB King's
Holy Fuck, Beat the Devil @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)
La Laque et al @ Luna Lounge (Brooklyn)
Trombone Shorty, Mocean Worker @ Sullivan Hall
Burnt Sugar @ Blue Note (late night)

Eastah:
The Bad Plus @ Blue Note (early/late)
Joy Askew et al @ Living Room
Jessica Lurie @ DTM Gallery
Jeff "Tain" Watts w/ C. McBride et al @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
*Joshua Redman/Reuben Rogers/Brian Blade @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Stephane Wrembel @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (late)
Xiu Xiu @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)

Click here for upcoming shows

13 March 2008

minimix: Comes Alive Vol.7

2008 is but 10 weeks old, but already plenty of live shows from the 1st three months has made it to the ole hard drive. Here is a tasty sampler from those. Will never cease to amaze me how easy it is to come by this stuff... as always, thanks to the tapers and the bandwidth of strangers. Enjoy!

Download the mix

01 Hopes Too High -- Tift Merritt: Brooklyn 11 January 2008
02 Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa -- Vampire Weekend: San Francisco 4 February 2008
03 Anulikwutsayl -- The Dreamers: Philadelphia 2 March 2008
04 Atari -- Marco Benevento: NYC 31 January 2008
05 Elmo Delmo -- Stephen Malkmus: San Francisco 5 March 2008
06 Muzzle of Bees -- Wilco (w/ Andrew Bird): Chicago 20 February 2008

Previously in minimix:
Comes Alive Vol.6
Comes Alive Vol. 5
Comes Alive Vol. 4
Comes Alive Vol 3
Comes Alive Vol. 2

Links of the Week

Got a logjam of links to pass on:

Finally, a sweet homage to aging:

11 March 2008

Image of the Week

So, as previously reported here, I was traveling a few weeks ago. During a layover at LAX, I grabbed a "Buffalo Chicken Sub" from the Chili's To Go stand. After finishing the sandwich (not bad, considering), about to throw the wrapper away, I noticed the ingredient label which I just had to keep. I present a scan of it here without further comment -- ingredient zen. What's your favorite part??

If it's too difficult to read, I transcribe the label for you, really worth a read if you have the time:

BUFFALO CHICKEN SUB

Ingredients: Chicken breast, pre-cooked fajita (white chicken meat, water, soy sauce [water, wheat, soybeans, salt, and less than 0.10% sodium benzoate as a preservative], honey, modified food starch, Worcestershire sauce [water, vinegar, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, anchovies, hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, onion, tamarinds, salt, garlic, cloves, chili peppers, natural flavorings and shallots], sodium phosphates, whey protein concentrate, sodium phosphates, carrageenan, garlic, ginger, sodium citrate), 7" hinge sliced honey wheat sub roll (enriched wheat flour [flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], water, sugar, wheat bran, contains 2% or less of each of the following: caramel color, yellow corn meal, wheat gluten, yeast, salt, soybean oil, whole wheat blanched flour, rye meal, barley flour, vegetable shortening [partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oils], honey, calcium stearoyl-2 lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, molasses, hydrogenated soybean oil, calcium iodate, calcium peroxide, calcium sulfate, calcium propionate [to preserve freshness], sulfite), blue cheese dressing (soybean oil, water, blue cheese [cultured milk, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes], red wine vinegar, egg yolk, contains less than 2% of: sugar, salt, xanthan gum, natural flavor [milk], spice, garlic, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and calcium disodium EDTA as preservatives, buttermilk solids [milk], turmeric), buffalo wing sauce (hot sauce [aged red peppers, distilled vinegar, salt and garlic], soybean oil, water, Worcestershire sauce [vinegar, water, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, salt, tamarind*, anchovies, garlic*, citric acid, caramel color, natural flavors, spices, onion*, and soybean oil] contains less than 2% of natural & artificial flavor, salt, hydrogenated soybean oil, food starch - modified, vegetable mono & diglycerides, xanthan gum, soy lecithin, sodium benzoate [a preservative], citric acid, beta carotene [color], vitamin A palmitate added, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor, dehydrated, contains: anchovies, soybean), carrot, celery, crumbled blue cheese (blue cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese cultures [wheat], salt, enzymes], powdered cellulose to prevent caking, natamycin to protect flavor).

Contains: wheat, soy milk, eggs. Made on shared equipment

Chili's To Go LAX Airport, CA 94005.

Use By:
2/18/08

Downloads of the Week

We've got a two part haul this week. Part I = public radio offerings: a bunch of shows offered from NPR that I've taken the time to track for ya. Real good shit. Support public radio! (they've got better musical taste than you and me). They're all recent, they're all awesome, I recommend them all, frankly. Part II is an Oteil-fest, two shows from my "vault" from this day -- March 11th. The first is a classic ARU show from 1994 with lots of guests up in Burlington. Excellent. The second is one of the Allmans Beacon shows from 2000 from those awkward in-between years when Derek had joined the band and Dickey was still "the man." You know what? Wasn't that bad. You don't realize what you had with Mr. Betts until he was gone. Highlights are a 25+ minute "High Falls" which requires its own download and a great big "Dreams" with the Betts & Oakley spawn sitting in.

Enjoy and remember to check out the OTW download master list for more!

Andrew Bird
9:30 Club, Washington DC
23 May 2007
Download: part 1 part 2

The New Pornographers
9:30 Club, Washington DC
27 October 2007
Download the show

Neko Case
Disney Hall, Los Angeles, CA
16 November 2007
Download the show

Iron & Wine
9:30 Club, Washington DC
29 September 2007
Download the show

Rilo Kiley
9:30 Club, Washington DC
26 September 2007
Download the show

Spoon
9:30 Club, Washington DC
23 October 2007
Download the show

Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue Unit
Club Toast, Burlington, VT
11 March 1994
Download: part 1 part 2

The Allman Brothers Band
Beacon Theater, NYC, NY
11 March 2000
Download: part 1 part 2 part 3 High Falls!

09 March 2008

Shows of the Week

Enjoy!

Click here for upcoming shows

Monday:
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band @ Nassau Colesium (Uniondale, LI)
FREE The Black Lips @ Other Music
*Adam Rudolph Organic Orchestra @ Roulette
The Black Lips @ Bowery Ballroom
School of Rock w/ Jon Anderson @ Highline Ballroom
Les Paul @ Iridium (early/late)
Scofield & Lovano, w/ Frisell, Motian, DeJohnette et al @ Allen Room (benefit)
Oz Noy Trio @ Bitter End

Tuesday:
Jose Gonzalez @ Highline Ballroom
Snoop Dog @ Blender Theater
Justice @ WaMu Theater
The Black Lips @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)
Frances-Marie Uitti/Marc Ribot duo @ The Stone (early/late)
*Jenny Scheinman @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (early)

Wednesday:
*Jose Gonzalez @ Masonic Temple (Brooklyn)
Jefferson Hamer @ Googie's Lounge
Ryan Shaw @ Highline Ballroom
Vinicius Cantuaria @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Adam Levy et al @ Banjo Jim's
Chris Barron @ Bitter End

Thursday:
Van Halen @ Izod Center
*Tony Trischka Double Banjo Spectacular @ Cutting Room
The Fab Faux @ Bowery Ballroom
Cowboy Mouth, Cross Canadian Ragweed @ Webster Hall
Vinicius Cantuaria @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Junior Boys @ Hiro Ballroom
Bob Mould Band @ Fillmore
Donny McCaslin @ 55 Bar (late)
Leroy Justice et al @ Bitter End
Musette Explosion @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (late)
Melvin Taylor Band w/ Y. Piamenta @ Mexicali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
Doug Wamble @ Googie's Lounge
Stanley Jordan Trio @ Iridium (early/late)

Friday:
The Fab Faux @ Bowery Ballroom
*Masada String Trio @ The Stone (early/late)
The Moonlighters @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (late)
The Saw Doctors @ Nokia Theater
Yaz @ Malcolm Shabazz Cultural Center
Jonah Smith et al @ Rockwood Music Hall (late)
Vinicius Cantuaria @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Akoya Afrobeat @ Southpaw (Brooklyn)
Louis XIV (What Made Milwaukee Famous opens) @ Fillmore
Benedek Band et al @ Living Room
The Zambonis @ Union Hall (Brooklyn)
Stanley Jordan Trio @ Iridium (early/late)

Saturday:
Stir Fried @ Mexicali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
Rabbit in the Moon @ Club Speed
*The New Mastersounds @ Sullivan Hall
Van Morrison @ United Palace Theater
Vinicius Cantuaria @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Cowboy Mouth @ Webster Hall
The Pogues @ Roseland Ballroom
Maurice Brown's Sou'd U Out @ Symphony Space
The Saw Doctors @ Nokia Theater
Koko Taylor et al @ Town Hall
Club D'Elf @ Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
Sherman et al @ Ace of Clubs
Elliott Sharp @ The Stone (early/late)
Stanley Jordan Trio @ Iridium (early/late)

Sunday:
Vinicius Cantuaria @ Jazz Standard (early/late)
Jefferson Hamer @ Pete's Candy Store
Counting Crows @ Blender Theater
*Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mt. Boys @ BB King's
The Pogues, Billy Bragg @ Roseland Ballroom
Stanley Jordan Trio @ Iridium (early/late)

Click here for upcoming shows

06 March 2008

minimix: Jazzercise.7 Trumpet's Trump

Back into jazz with some nice horn playing for your Friday. Could have stretched it to six musicians, but figured Miles deserved the double dip, so sorry if I skipped your fave.

Enjoy!

Download the mix

01 The Great Schism -- Dave Douglas: Freak In (2003)
02 It's About Time -- Miles Davis: Cellar Door (1970)
03 Slide Serenade -- Sex Mob: Dime Grind Palace (2003)
04 Straight Life -- Freddie Hubbard: Straight Life (1970)
05 Body And Soul -- Nicholas Payton: Live Jazzfestival Bern (2000)
06 The Theme -- Miles Davis: Complete Live At The Plugged Nickel (1965)

Previously in minimix:
Jazzercise.6 (07.2)
Jazzercise.5 (sax)
Jazzercise.4 (07)
Jazzercise.3 (d)
Jazzercise.2 (g)
Jazzercise.1 (p)

Review: The Dreamers/Essential Cinema

St. Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn, 29 February & 1 March 2008

Time to get verbose, friends....

What is the perfect sound? The tone that sets your hair on end? The instruments that cause your insides to curl up in a ball and purr like a kitten? For me, I'd look no further than the band that John Zorn put together and dubbed "The Dreamers." The perfect name for the perfect band. Stick Marc Ribot in the center of your living room like a Christmas tree and start decking the halls -- for your rhythm section take the dirty, grooving bass foundation from Trevor Dunn, the happy-go-lucky, quite-possibly-the-greatest drumming from Joey Baron, and the freestyling so-crazy-he's-playing-it-straight percussion of Cyro Baptista. As a foil to the guitar mastery of Mr. Ribot, add in a dollop of electric piano and organ from Jamie Saft. That seems about right. But then just for good measure a sprinkle of the beautiful sounds of the vibraphone courtesy of Zorn-universe stallwart Kenny Wolleson. And what kind of music should they play? Does it matter?

Well, of course it does. Thankfully, for the perfect band, John Zorn has written the perfect music. Picking up where "The Gift" (previous record holder for most beautifully fulfilling music I've ever heard) left off, he's taken that blend of exotica, world-bending otherworldiness and branched out into a serious statement about what all great music should sound like.

We were lucky enough to have 2nd row seats for Friday night's premier showing of The Dreamers which was basically the band running through the album due to come out later this month. Ostensibly, the music centers around Marc Ribot's uncanny abilities. Throughout the night he twisted styles and genres so effortlessly it became clear that no matter how heralded he ever could become, he would forever remain enigmatically underrated as a guitar player. I've sung his praises time and time again and am a true believer to the nth degree and still I'm shocked to the point of speechlessness every time I see him. Last weekend saw Marc operating in the zone like I've rarely seen him. At the slightest nod or gesture from conductor Zorn he was pouncing at the groove like a cat batting around a ball of yarn. Except when he got his paws on it the yarn flew out in kaleidoscopic multihued shapes. In this band, as in the Gift, he's relying heavily on the reverb/whammy bar combination which suits his playing just fine. Unlike the Gift, though, there is much more depth, offshoots of dark and mysterious, funkified rocking out that is so fitting to Ribot's strengths there's little doubt that Zorn composed all these tunes with his longtime anchor in mind. Surely John had his Dr. Evil grin on his face as he imagined the destruction Marc would inflict on audiences when playing the music he was writing.

While I could sing the praises of all the players in this group in equally ridiculous paragraphs, and while Marc Ribot was the undeniable centerpiece of the band, there was one guy who seemed even more indispensable to what was going on over the course of the set. That would be the one guy who was laying back the furthest in the groove and yet who owned it like none of the others -- Trevor Dunn on mostly-electric bass. You can't spell "badass" without "bass" and that just about sums it up. With a ensemble cast possessing this much world-be-mine talent, it takes someone to be the rock to everyone else's meanderings. Dunn was that guy like no one I've ever seen. There was zero flash and little-to-no spits of exposition, just pure adherence to the back line like I've never seen. Yes, Trevor Dunn was an adherent to the washing, sweeping grooves, believing in them like Branch Davidian believed in Koresh. So many of the songs were built up on a concrete slab of a steady bass line and their success was dependent on Dunn sticking to them no matter what kind of craziness was swirling around him. It was very sweet to watch.

The show started with some of that surfy Gift-ish action on "Mow Mow" and hung in deep with that lying-on-the-beach vibe. But lest we get too comfortable, Zorn was quick to throw in some mix-it-ups throughout the set. The 3rd or 4th tune was an almost "straight" jazz tune that had Saft switching from his electronic rigs to a grand piano and Dunn switching to an upright. With Baron holding sway, the rest of the band kind of hung out and watched as these guys whizzed through a pretty amazing jazz tune. Saft was brilliant on the ivories, playing a nearly constant stretch of up-tempo notes, barely keeping up with Joey's brushwork. Later in the set Zorn introduced a song dedicated to Lou Reed (in attendance) and the band dropped into a rock/pop Velvet Underground sound-alike. A tune with a catchy, zippy guitar part that I've had trouble getting out of my head for the past week. There were two distinct rock riffs in there, each clean and distinct and the song worked by flopping smoothly between these two and then changing tempos: faster and faster revealing some appealing goods hiding in all that simplicity. For both these tunes there mood was almost throwaway -- John Zorn is so prolific it's like he writes jazz and rock tunes on the toilet paper in the bathroom while brushing his teeth, and yet the results are pieces that any indie rock band or established piano trio would kill to have in their repertoire. The set was chock full of amazing songs and the most amazing thing is that he can just throw in compositions like these seemingly on a whim. Another piece, "The Toy" was an acrobatic number that featured Zorn actually picking up his saxophone and playing on. This was one of those can-you-figure-out-the-time types where it was almost impossible to figure out the signature without smoke forming between your ears. Admittedly, the band had a bit of trouble hitting all the right spots in this crazy death-defying stunt of a number, but despite the complications it still sounded pretty cool. You never know what you're getting when you go to a John Zorn performance, but even here at it's least accessible, the music was entirely listenable and enjoyable as could be.

Still, the most powerful stretches were when the entire 6 guys locked into a relatively simple groove and verged between rock, funk, jazz and cerebral gymnastics and just let themselves go free. Usually this was centered on some wildly pyrotechnic guitar work from Ribot, but really everyone was an equal contributor. One tune in particular we called Zorn's "Maggot Brain" -- a dark funk that laid back on Dunn's bass playing in 3/4 time and just release Ribot's inner demons with solo after solo of intense guitar playing. After a climax you could feel the rush of tinglies shiver through the audience who had just enough time to catch their breath before they rewound the clocks and started all over again. Pure ecstatic brilliance.

Yeah, so the show was pretty good. You might say excellent. And I didn't even get into every move Joey Baron made which tilted the rhythms of the cosmos onto some tilting tangent or the percusscomedic stylings of Baptista and his bag-o-tricks. Nor am I able to get into the metaphysical implications of my three favorite sounds in music -- Marc Ribot's guitar, the vibraphone and the electric piano -- mixing together in pure deliciousness like flour, eggs and sugar and butter. That'll have to wait until the next time, I guess. The whole six of 'em were obviously in high spirits and enjoying the hay out of playing the music together. They came back out for an encore of two Gift songs which was a wonderful way to cap off the night. Several years ago when the Gift was the new opus I went to check it out on a "that looks like it could be pretty good" whim at Tonic. I was so bowled over that night, I don't think my ears have listened to music the same since and I bought the album on the way out and promptly listened to it on repeat until my receptors went numb. Listening to the encore Friday night it was clear that for all of The Gift's beauty and perfection, it no stands as just an introduction for what The Dreamers is now.

The next night I returned to St. Ann's for a show with the same exact musicians plus a couple others (Erik Friedlander on cello and Ikue Mori on MacTop) for a night of "Essential Cinema." Before the show, though, Zorn announced that Friday was so much fun for the guys, they'd be doing a 2nd set reprising the entire "The Dreamers" show from Friday night. WHOA! AYFKM? Friday was one of those nights where when you were leaving you might ask "If I could pay money to see the same exact show again tomorrow night, would I do it?" and probably would answer yes... well, we had the whole thing asked, answered and thrown in for free.

That set the dynamic for the Cinema set in a different light. As it turned out the show would happen with a screen lowered in front of the band and 5 short films shown while the band played the soundtrack in the background. The films were of varying type and quality but mostly whacked out avant garde type stuff which were more experimental than plot or character driven. I won't try to explain them in too much detail, but the resulting music was all over the place, to say the least. The first number was very similar to the beautiful exotica of the previous night and was like planets circling the gravitational pull of the Ribot guitar. The movie was like an old silent film with a sort of Indiana Jones feel which had been cut and spliced so that the scenes seemed to tell a different story. It was offbeat and watchable and with the music altogether delicious. From there, things got a bit weird -- one film was just a series of quick cutting images that was closer to some sort of subliminal message than anything watchable. The accompanying music was monkeys-flinging-shit crazy sax-driven noise. The combination of visuals and music was nearly enough to drive you crazy and yet, for me at least, the tiptoeing along the thin line of insanity was a bit thrilling. Another film started with a kind of animated Wizard of Oz theme that quickly degenerated into a series of kaleidoscope images of human bodies and faces that got all psychedelic when mashed together with optical tricks. Visually, this was the most fascinating but it went on for a bit longer than I would have liked. The music alongside this film eventually settled on a hypnotic drums-and-congas rhythm that was both relaxing and eventually irritating.

Personally, while the music didn't approach the quality of The Dreamers, I found the experimental aspect to it incredibly enlightening and refreshing. Would I have felt the same way if I sat there for an hour in the 2nd row again craning my neck, probably becoming brainwashed by some weird subliminal urge to buy more Tzadik records were it not knowing all the while that another set of the greatest thing since sliced bread was on tap? Who knows. Thankfully, it's irrelevant. After a short break, the band returned and, if it were possible, may have topped their performance from the previous night. While Friday was spectacular, there was a definite feeling like the material would only get better as it was worked over a bit in the live setting. Even one night removed from the premier, it already had that lived-in feel, like it had been worn, washed and dried and then put back on. Still new and fresh but somehow softer and more comfortable. Yes, there was some stuff that came off better on Friday and other stuff, like the whacked out "The Toy" that was certainly topped on Saturday, but it's really just splitting hairs, infinity vs. infinity plus one.

As the band took their final bow at the end of another intoxicating set of music Saturday night I was quite sure I was looking at the best grouping of talent that money could buy. I think Electric Masada is the best damn band out there and as I watched these guys I realized that The Dreamers are essentially the same band with a couple of changes that, for the most part, make it even better: i.e. lose the unnecessary laptronics of Ikue Mori and instead of 2 drummers, move one of them to play the vibraphone, quite possibly the coolest sounding instrument in western music. And leave it to John Zorn to know exactly what kind of music these guys should be playing. It's called "The Dreamers" -- buy the album, see 'em if you can. Trust me.

04 March 2008

Downloads of the Week

Trying to make up for my neglect on the offering-you-music front, so here's some more of the goods from the collection and other sources to keep you going:

  • First, I owe you some Phish, never reviewed, but perfectly suitable for listening:
  • Last, some shows from this week in years past, Panic & Garcia style:
As always, be sure to consult the master list for the full slate of downloads.

Review: St. Vincent

Music Hall of Williamsburg, 28 February 2008

That's right, I actually went to see music again. Been a while. To be more specific, I saw shows three nights in a row last week starting with a fresh infusion of Ms. Annie Clark at the newish Music Hall in Hipsterburg.

Not sure I can say too much more about St. Vincent without seeming like a drooling fanboy (if I don't already), but the show was pretty sweet and did little to dispel my love. I guess my one complaint this time would be the fact that I'm just about ready for some new material after seeing her 5 times and listening a bunch more over the last year, but hey, dem's the breaks.

The venue is like the Brooklyn version of Bowery Ballroom, seeing as it's owned and run by the same folks (actually the old Northsix redone). But man, they seemed to design it to the detail after the over-the-river cousin with an almost identical downstairs bar and a strikingly similar stage set-up. The sound was superb and the room is a little bit smaller and cozier and really could become one of the best places in the 5 Boroughs to see music in short time.

The opener was Foreign Born who announced they were from California. That struck me as weird... big state, folks, be more specific. These guys did power pop with some nice musicianship. The guitar player started right off with some downright Garcia-esque chops and the bassist and drummer rounded out the trio quite nicely. The problem was that it wasn't a trio, but a quartet with a lead guy playing acoustic guitar and singing. Not that he was bad, but the vocals were really sub par and the songwriting left much to be desired. The songs really were nondescript in the worst kind of way, but if you just settled your ears on the other three guys it was pretty enjoyable. Frankly, I'd probably see these guys again just to watch the nice tight playing of the backing band.

St. Vincent came on a bit after 11 with the "full band" -- i.e. a drummer, a bassist and a violin player. They started with a kind of composed wall-of-sound effect that lasted maybe a minute and zig-zagged with some whiplash into the opening number, which may have been "Now Now," but a week later I can't be expected to remember exact song order. Basically they ran through the album "Marry Me" in some random order with maybe one or two newish songs thrown in the mix. But the playing of the songs has really evolved and sharpened over the course of the year. The confidence of Annie and the road-tested chemistry of her band brought out the full aroma of her songs. Those little composed bits of instrumental music segued a few tunes or served as an introduction to others. These were pretty cool overall and pointed at some new directions she might take the show in tours to come... we'll see. Before "Human Racing" her bandmates picked up these little bells and she kind of acapella'd an improvised "Ring My Bell" while they did indeed ring. These sections seemed to have little to no connection to the songs they were serving up and the jarring effect was, all and all, pretty nifty, I thought. Annie took one song solo -- her swell cover of "Dig A Pony" -- and did some short-lived but raging fingerwork on her big, fat red guitar. The band really works well for her, although it's not clear to me that they entirely enjoy playing with St. Vincent.

Overall, another thumbs-up performance... better than this crappy review might make it seem.

03 March 2008

Photo of the Week

That's me at 14000 feet at the top of Mauna Kea. I think I've been sick pretty much since that picture was taken, but I'm almost back to 100% and ready to blog my ass off. Plenty more photos from our all-good-times trip to the Big Island, but I'll spare you for now. If you're interested in the link to the full photo album with plenty of footage of LJ & The Boy, get in touch.

Lots of downloads, reviews and such to come as I get caught up. Hopefully shortly.

02 March 2008

Shows of the Week

Quite possibly missing some here, but almost back to full strength.

Enjoy!

Click here for upcoming shows

Monday:
Matt Costa @ Bowery Ballroom
*Rashanim @ Zebulon
Les Paul @ Iridium (early/late)
Oz Noy Trio, John Oates et al @ Bitter End

Tuesday:
*Seth Winters et al @ The Annex
Jonathan Richman (Vic Chestnutt opens) @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)
Black Crowes @ Fillmore
Beastie Boys @ Terminal 5 (benefit)
Michael McDonald @ Blue Note
Lou Donaldson Quartet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
2 Foot Yard @ Joe's Pub (early)
Corn Mo & .357 Lover @ Parkside Lounge
A.K.A.C.O.D. et al @ Luna Lounge (Brooklyn)

Wednesday:
*Akron/Family @ Maxwell's (Hoboken)
Jonathan Richman (Vic Chestnutt opens) @ Music Hall (Brooklyn)
Lou Donaldson Quartet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Michael McDonald @ Blue Note
SF Jazz Ensemble @ Zankel Hall
Mixmaster Mike, Rahzel et al @ Highline Ballroom
School of Rock w/ Jon Anderson @ BB King's

Thursday:
*Plug Awards w/ St. Vincent, Jose Gonzales et al @ Terminal 5
Akron/Family @ NYU
The Hooters @ BB King's
Hymns et al @ Piano's
Lou Donaldson Quartet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Doug Wamble @ Googie's Lounge

Friday:
Bobby Previte's New Bump @ The Stone (late)
Levon Helm @ Beacon Theater
Jose Gonzalez @ Tarrytown Music Hall (Tarrytown, NY)
Lou Donaldson Quartet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
*Los Amigos Invisibles @ Mexicali Blues (Teaneck, NJ)
Ra Ra Riot @ Bowery Ballroom
Alice Smith @ Highline Ballroom
Erik Friedlander's Broken Arm Trio @ Barbes (Brooklyn) (early)
A Big YES and a small no @ Sullivan Hall
The Stills @ Maxwell's (Hoboken)
Jessica Lurie @ WOW Cafe Theater
Joan Osborne @ Zankel Hall

Saturday:
*Levon Helm @ Beacon Theater
Davy Jones @ BB King's
Love Trio @ Nublu
John Zorn Improv Night @ The Stone (early/late) (benefit)
Lou Donaldson Quartet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
The Stills @ Bowery Ballroom
Sia @ Webster Hall

Sunday:
*Lou Donaldson Quartet @ Village Vanguard (early/late)
Pink Martini @ Avery Fisher Hall
Yuka Honda, Doveman et al @ Mercury Lounge
Shara Worden, Dayna Kurtz, Mamie Minch @ Union Hall (Brooklyn)

Click here for upcoming shows