Good times are comin’. Because soon I will be back to annoying the world with one of my many ideas of a good time: taking really, really weird photos.
Oh yes, I will again be an artiste. Hmmm, maybe I should go out and buy a beret?
Nah, maybe just the camera will do.
I’m very tired…and elated…and exhausted…and rejuvenated…and…and…
…a whole bunch of other things right about now.
Last night, me and TheWife™ spent three hours in Boston watching Bruce & the band just about blow the roof off the Fleet Center. A truly amazing and special night, in more ways than one.
Occasionally, you will read the sentiment that there’s nothing new out there anymore, that’s is all been done before. There’s some truth to idea, but that doesn’t mean that musical creation has been snuffed out.
Case in point, Kait Dunton. You probably haven’t heard of her before but let me too you, you definitely should have. Go ahead and read on, but let me say right here, you need to buy a copy of Real & Imagined.
It’s that time of year again: Record Store Day is upon us. It’s also time for me to lament the state of the industry/distribution system. In some ways, what’s going on is very much like the mess that newspapers and nearly all print media are dealing with.
We don’t really know what’s going to happen. So let’s just have us a little celebration for the time being.
Spring has sprung! The sun is out, the birds are chirpin’, the daffodils are daffodilling. And…some great new music is hitting the air. How it’s actually getting to the air is a question for another day.
So while the season has turned, I have been scribbling away. This time around, I have another contender for best jazz album of 2009. Two entries already and it’s only April!
Check ‘em out:
Rob Mazurek - As If An Angel Fell From The Sky
Gaucho - Darktown Strutter’s Ball
Red Holloway - St. Thomas
Yotam Silberstein - Cheryl
Kait Dunton - Phase/Faze
Woah, what a busy week it’s been. And it’s only Tuesday!
For this small batch of reviews I have everything from plinky, plinky, ambient jazz-meets-Philip Glass to ferocious piles of saxophones. And it’s a good thing too because we need those horns to come in here and help that spring wind on its way.
Oh, buried in this mix of five is my contender for jazz release of the year (so far).
Check ‘em out:
Mat Criscuolo - When In Rome
Mikkel Ploug - Cathedral
Ondagroove - Oh Yeah!
Frank Macchia - Air Mail Special
Hendrik Meurkens - Mountain Drive
What a beautiful spring day. Sunny, windy, with temps topping out at 37 degrees. Makes you think of listening to some hot jazz while sipping a cool gin & tonic, eh?
OK, maybe not.
Even so, check out the pair that was just published:
Evgeny Lebedev - I Hear A Rhapsody Variation
Jessica Lurie Ensemble - Grinch
Well, well. This morning, I had intended to babble on about my recent experiences with Twitter, Facebook, and iTunes. The problem is that I stayed up way too late on Facebook, which sort of left the tank empty. Besides, there are more important things to talk about.
One of my favorite performers is putting on a show this weekend. I have an emotional connection to Greg Brown’s music that sort of mystifies me. The Facebook thing caused me to bump into a few old friends. Honestly, it’s a good thing.
Yes, it has been a while but hey, I’ve been busy. Busy reading, busy writing, and busy editing. That’s right, editing. And not just any editing, but editing for jazz.com.
One of the perks is that I can also edit my own reviews. This is of course good and bad, because if I screw something up, it’s my own fault.
So here is my first handful of self-edited, non-screwed up reviews. I hope.
Jeff Albert - I Was Just Looking For My Pants
Charles Evans - It’s The Right Toe, Bro
The Dave Fox Group - Encounter With A Street Troll
Gypsy Schaeffer - Grape Soda And Pretzels
Greg Skaff - Contrary To Popular Motion
Spring is here, sort of. Things are looking up, kind of.
Actually (and this has nothing to do with today’s writeup), I did finally get my Mini Cooper out of the shop yesterday. The poor thing had been abandoned since way back in December when the ice storm dropped a big ‘ole tree branch on its roof. Then, just as they were about to pull it into the detailing bay at the body shop, the clutch went.
Anway, spring is gettin’ there and Wednesday was April Fool’s day. It was fun. The next day, not so much.