Steve Turre, has had a long and successful carreer. Though his main instrument is the trombone, he has become more well known for his use of conch shells.
Conch shells?
Yes indeed. Maybe one of the coolest sounds you’ve never heard (yet).
Check out the full review of Delicious and Delightful at SomethingElse! Reviews.
Have you ever read about an artist and have decided that the description is so fascinating that you feel compelled to buy a recording without having heard a single note? That’s a pretty rare phenomenon these days what with things like youtube, but it does happen.
And it DID happen to me a few years ago. Meet Jandek, the J.D. Salinger of the music world.
Read the full review of Chair Beside A Window at Something Else! Reviews.
Alice Cooper is one of those rock icons who you either love or hate. So much was written about his stage shows (”Shlock!!!”) that it was easy to forget how much fun the music was. The big hit, of course, was “School’s Out,” but I liked his earlier, greasier material.
And then there was the golf and the Hollywood Squares….
Read the full Friday Morning Listen at SomethingElse! Reviews.
The 5th anniversary of the hurricane Katrina disaster is fast approaching. Composer Ted Hearne debuted Katrina Ballads back in 2007 at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston.
Composed for an 11-musician ensemble and five voices, all of the images of that sad time are brought back via the words made famous at the time, from George W. Bush’s “Brownie” proclamation to Kanye’s West’s, uh..well…whatever you want to call it.
Read the full review of Katrina Ballads at Something Else! Reviews.
So yes, I’m at it again…complaining about the future. Somebody left the side door unlocked and let out my inner Luddite.
I could take the easy way out and blame this all on Peter Wolf. That really wouldn’t be honest though. The reality is that I grew up with “stuff.” Stuff that I can hold in my hands. Stuff that I can loan to you, for you to enjoy and maybe see what I’m about just a little.
So I’m not so keen on “stuff” being replaced by bits. It’s a step backwards.
Read the full Friday Morning Listen at Something Else! Reviews.
It has been five years since the Either Orchestra released Ethiopiques 20: Live in Addis, but they have returned with a recording that somehow manages to sound even more exotic while remaining more “American” (you’ll see what I mean).
This group proves the the big band sound is still alive. Alive and ready to bust out unrestrained joy.
Read the full review of Mood Music for Time Travellers at Something Else Reviews.
Never heard of a gamelan? That’s OK, you’re not alone.
But now’s your chance to check out one of the most interesting percussion ensembles ever devised. I’m a big fan of things like the Kodo drummers of Japan. Of course, there are also a pile of interesting African groups, but for me it’s the Indonesian gamelan that sets off firecrackers in my ear parts.
Read the full review of Hive at Something Else Reviews.
Can noise be beautiful? I think so. There’s something about the violent collision of atonal hunks of sound that has always put a smile on my face.
Sonic Youth have trafficked in this sort of thing for their entire career. Some people resent them because they’re the “critics’ darlings.” Yeah, well…sometimes, the critics are right.
As the Grinch said, “One thing I can’t stand is the noise, noise, noise, noise…” Too bad for him.
Read the full Friday Morning Listen at Something Else Reviews.
I’ve been listening to this CD every day (and sometimes twice) since it showed up in my mailbox. I love it when music resonates so strongly. It makes the writing just sort of “happen.”
Yet another example of incredible talent coming out of Brooklyn. What the heck is going on down there?
Read the full review of Fake Love at Something Else!
This is a public service announcement. The Friday Morning Listen (and most of the rest of my writing) has a new home. Something Else Reviews. There are many reasons for this, both complicated and not. You don’t care about any of that. Trust me.
What you do care about is that I’ve joined the team of talented writers over there in the hopes of pushing out some swank writing on jazz and other fine noise.
Read the full Friday Morning Listen at Something Else.
Have a nice weekend.