In new Pat Metheny news, and new music to my ears, comes the collaboration of Metheny and his Orchestrion playing John Zorn’s klezmer inspired music. This past weekend the NY Times had a full article with both artists.
To quote the NY Times article:
“The audacious result is … an album of six compositions culled from Mr. Zorn’s Jewish klezmer-influenced Masada oeuvre,” says the New York Times music writer Nate Chinen, “and performed almost entirely by Mr. Metheny, on various guitars, keyboards and other instruments, including the Orchestrion. (The only other musician on the album is Mr. Metheny’s regular drummer, Antonio Sanchez.)”
Read more of the article to get an indepth look at this newest collaboration. There is another article on Nonesuch Records where they are interviewed for BBC which gives even more insight. (scan to approx 57:00)
The new album, TAP, drops today and is availabile on Amazon and iTunes
The 92Y recently concluded a series of three concerts entitled Contrasts, designed to educate the ear while exploring rare practices in classical and modern music. When people think of contrast in music they typically imagine the comparison of sound between two musical instruments or variations of theme. The one performance I attended featured works by Mozart and composer Jörg Widmann brought together two very different compositional styles, the classic and modern, without losing the thread completely.
The evening began with Alexander Lonquich’s performance of Mozart’s Fantasia for Piano in C Minor. Mozart’s starts in C minor and modulates throughout almost chromatically until finally coming back to C minor. As in the impromptu, the Fantasia form is all about improvisation and Mozart give us this dynamism with unexpected turns reflecting a variety of emotions on his journey. This is Mozart freeing himself from the restraint of classical music. It is an excellent introduction to contrast in that there is a lot of wandering without losing a fundamental structure.
Composer and clarinetist Jörg Widmann’s, 24 Duos for Violin and Cello, Book II followed, gamely performed by Christian Tetzlaff and sister Tanja Tetzlaff. The two siblings squared off in these elaborate, truncated arguments, with their simmering tensions marked by extensive use of tremolo and pizzacato only to break off suddenly into sweet reconciliation as in Petit ballet mecanique (Pas de deux) and Valse bavaroise. It was so heated that Ms. Tetzlaff broke a string on her cello. There were moments when the call and response quality reminded me of Tom terrorizing Jerry with cat and mouse appeal.
After all this aggression we drifted lightly into the old world led by the delicate arpeggios at the beginning of Mozart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in G major. The graceful theme and its’ poetic variations are all in stark contrast to the emotional outbursts of 24 duos. Mozart plays with the sonata form which is typically three movements of fast slow fast instead starting with a romantic adagio followed by a short allegro. The result is that we arrive at the third movement much quicker. A profound lyrical quality presides. For now, we leave behind the modern, German angst of Widmann, and dash through the rain barefoot on plush green grass. This is music that brings a smile to your face from a lightness of being.
Following intermission we stayed in the joyful mode with Mozart’s Variations for Piano Four Hands, again in G major. A short, trifle of a piece, probably composed to pay a debt, was nonetheless appropriate to the program at hand. The theme is presented in andante followed by five variations. Here the contrast is inherent in the variations themselves and the two performers playing the same instrument, elaborately coming together while losing each other at the same time. Mr. Lonquich and Cristina Barbuti played hide and seek very well.
The light quality of the Variations was replaced with darkness literally with Widmann’s original composition Nachstück (Night Piece). This foreboding, droning arrangement is much more tonal than lyrical. The clarinet holds the note for seemingly an eternity while at other times the instruments blend together seamlessly. The composition is held together more by intensity than anything else and hints at jazz with its’ be bop and hustle and bustle. It is very urban. In the end the piano repeats an ominous phrase that makes me think of the suspense of Hitchcock.
The program ended with the soothing elegance of Mozart’s Kegelstatt Trio for Clarinet, Viola and Piano. The Kegelstatt (which means bowling alley in German) was the first chamber music composition of it’s kind for these three instruments in 1786. The combination, which is still rare, sounds beautiful.
What do we learn from a night of contrasting music? For me, I realize that conceptual boundaries or structure in music can always be pushed, augmented and redefined while our perception of the said boundaries can likewise grow. Expansion of any given vocabulary always fosters greater depth, resonance and understanding.
Preshow: Got to the Bowl a little late – it was a snowy day in NYC, perfect for lounging, horrible for motivation. I had also been out late the night before, seeing the Drive By Truckers at The Capitol Theater, and then late night at B. B. King’s to see Berry Oakley Jr. Tired indeed – yet one happy lady.
Opener – Alecia Chakour Band: I missed the whole set except the last song. She blows me away everytime I see her.
Bottom line is: The Alecia Chakour Band is one you must go see. Alecia’s voice is, well, just incredible. See Chakour with The Warren Haynes Band for a sample, find The Alecia Chakour Band for a full show. Trust me on this, she is amazing, Neal Evans is on keys, there is a plethora of horns and it is just a great band, great lyrics, great vocals. Yum.
Setbreak: The usual – bathroom break, try to get to the bar and get a drink, find a place to settle in, say hi to the Bowl Family. Check out the sold out crowd.
Random Thought: The Bowl was amped. You could feel the electricity in the air. People were psyched, and since it was St. Patrick’s day weekend, it has an extra special twinge of Party on this closing night of Bowlive. I saw a bridal party, complete with bride and groom come in and celebrate..kind of a cool after party show, Bowlive IV!
Set 1: Soulive w/ The Shady Horns & The London Souls
It was great to see Soulive up there, doing their thing, seemingly relishing the last night of Bowlive IV. Soulive is a strong band, they get fuller, stronger, funkier when there are horns. The Shady Horns including James Casey (sax, Trey Anastasio Band), Eric Bloom (trumpet), Ryan Zoidis (sax, Lettuce) with special guest Cheme Gastelum (sax/flute, Dap Kings). Again, you can’t go wrong with horns on the stage. Ever. They hit their staple songs, “Uncle Junior,” the Beatles’ “Come Together,” and the low/funky tune, “One in Seven.”
The London Souls also got up there and played the last couple songs of the set. The lead guitarist, Tash Neal, was in a pretty serious accident last year, but no one would have guessed by seeing him play on Saturday night. I heard the same thing about them about Friday night’s Bowlive – they crushed it. I’ve always liked these guys – check out my old Bowlive reviews.
Photo by: Jen Bernstein
Random Thoughts: Sirius XM was broadcasting from Bowlive for their Jam On station and I saw fellow press people Scott Bernstein, editor, Glide Magazine/Hidden Track; Jen Bernstein (no relation), editor, High Times and Ari Fink and Steve Brandano from Sirius. The booth looked like it was a party in amongst itself. Continue reading →
I covered Bowlive IV, night 3 for TheRoyal Family Records. My recap was on Brooklyn Bowl’s site and The Royal Family’s site, so that was cool. Here’s the words below. -M
Bowlive IV #3 Recap w/ Nigel Hall, James Casey, Igmar Thomas, and More : Tuesday’s 3/12 show w/ Booker T Jones & More
Bowlive alum Alecia Chakour Band opened the evening on this Bowlive Night 3. Chakour had her own special guests, the stage was filled with musicians including Cochemea “Cheme” Gastelum (sax, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings) and Igmar Thomas (trumpet.) Chakour’s vocals got the crowd ready for what was about to happen this evening.
By the time Soulive took the stage, it was a little after 10pm, the sold out crowd loosened up with a funky, ten minute “Steppin.” Kraz starts to soulfully play The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” before the stage erupts from Neal Evans’ keyboards. During Kraz’s shredding solo, the audience were singing “All the lonely people” to the band. What a moment!
Special guests James Casey (sax, Lettuce/Trey Anastasio Band), and Igmar Thomas, (trumpet) both from Bowlive’s past, joined the stage for “Lenny” and “Vapor”, where on Thomas was literally smoking his trumpet. No Joke.
DJ Logic then joined the stage and spinned with Soulive on “Tuesday.” Nigel Hall then came out to end the set, and played keys with Neal. It was more like a Nigel/Neal keyboard showdown. At first there were three hands on the keys, and that went into a dance, where Nigel and Neal switch sides with each other at the keyboard. I thought I saw Nikki Glaspie (drums, Dumpstaphunk) peeking behind James Casey and Igmar Thomas with a tambourine in her hand. The whole band was smiling, the crowd was smiling, it felt like family. Someone told me it felt like home. It was certainly beginning to feel that way.
Just when you thought it was setbreak, Alecia Chakour comes back on the stage to sing duet with Nigel. If you haven’t seen them before, Alecia can sing exactly, on Nigel’s level with her heavy duty pipes and her vixen voice. At one point, Nigel gets on his knees and sings to Alecia, like he’s begging, the crowd goes nuts, the moment had finally arrived at the Bowl. This was the quintessential Royal Family Records/Bowlive magic that has become commonplace here in Brooklyn in March. Continue reading →
You could feel the energy, even while we were still at port, with the crew still setting up the stage, and the MSC Poesia staff scraping off the stickers from Holy Ship! which still dressed the boat’s elevators. I walked around the boat, giving the grand tour to my friends who had never boarded the boat: “virgins,” as they say. We bought our drink tickets, and sat in the sun, with our drinks, on the pool deck watching people hugging other people, relaxing into the vibe that is Jam Cruise. Finally. We were here.
Back at the cabins we spent time decorating our hallway in a zebra theme, and then went up to the pool deck for the Sail Away Party. Soul Rebels, a brass band from New Orleans, were playing loud and strong,, the wind in your hair was palpable, and we were about to leave the country. This was a highly anticipated moment, for me, and about the other three thousand people on the MSC Poesia.
Day 1, All Aboard! Saturday, Jan 7 Highlights:
The monster set with Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood on the Pool Deck. They played experimental jazz at its finest. I love these guys and this was an absolute treat as we sailed away from Florida. I was still feeling amped, excited to become totally decompressed and relaxed, my personal anticipation at its height, and this set that made me think, “ahhh, we are here. This is happening. I’m on vacation, I’m on the boat, I’m on the boat! Ahhhh.”
Notes:
Timing/lack of timing: Once we left the Port, my phone went into roaming mode, and automatically advanced 5 hours. This wasn’t helpful trying to figure out the schedule/timing/what stage, etc.
Zebra night – I went back to the cabin after MSMW and put on my zebra pants and made our way down to the Theater for Steel Pulse, and on our way, while walking through the Zebra Room to get to the Theater was The Motet with Nigel Hall playing. I took a double take. And then remembered what life is like on the boat – a feeling of total FOMS (Fear Of Missing Something) all day/every day, and you are ok with it.
Day 2, At Sea, Tuesday, Jan 8 Highlights:
It was a full day on the seas packed with fun activities and music sets, to keep us busy and dancing well into the early morning hours. I bought myself a poster and got on line for the Artist Autograph Signing. I waited in line for about an hour. In front of me was a seven-week old baby, who brought his parents along to take pictures. I asked all the artists (Lettuce, MSMW, Dumpstaphunk, funky Meters, Galactic, Soul Rebels, Pimps of Joytime, Zoogma, Skerik, Mike Dillon, I’m sure I’m missing people.) “Will you sign my poster?” in true dork form, and every one of the artists were gracious. I shook Mr. Bernie Worrell’s hand. I told Scofield he was my hero. And I promptly lost that poster by the time I had left the boat. :-(
Marc Andre Hamelin recently played a varied program at the 92Y as part of the Master of the Keyboard series. Hamelin has garnered stellar reviews for his work of late. Known for his technical prowess, the pianist-composer is gaining superlatives for his elegance and sensitivity. One could not help but recognize a cheeky sense of humor throughout, making this concert an interesting balance between light-hearted affairs and more serious works.
The program began with Bach’s Organ Fantasia and Fugue in G minor. The work is dramatic and serious with a decidedly forceful tone. Hamelin did not play the famous Lizt transcription but rather that of the Hungarian pianist composer Theodor Szanto. Szanto studied with Ferruccio Busoni in Berlin an interesting link to the second composition of the evenings course.
Busoni, one of the great atonal composers of the early twentieth century, was a famous non-conformist and mystic. Hamelin played his Sonatina seconda, a complex work without traditional time signature, tonality or harmony. Hamelin’s intimacy with the composition is clear. He was able to draw the crowd further into his own delicate interpretations after the more strident Bach piece. The work concludes in a silent way, a stylistic preference of Busoni’s, pacing into the night before vanishing quietly.
What followed, almost too quickly, were three works from Book 1 of Images by Debussy. These impressionistic works trickled without weight into the wonderfully flirtatious elegance of L’Isle Joyeuse. Debussy found inspiration in Watteau’s painting of 1717, L’embarquement pour Cythere. Cythera is the mythical birthplace of Venus and Debussy is definitely feeling it. The joyous central section in the Lydian mode breaks into the diatonic fanfare of the finale just like an island vacation with a mistress.
After the intermission the comedic Hamelin unveiled his own wry Variations on a Theme by Paganini. This work touching on many familiar instances in classical dialogue produced guffaws from the crowd. The works’ levity belied the technical skill behind it. Rachmaninoff famously had his own Rhapsody on a Theme and it was this composer’s work that concluded the night’s programming.
The precious melody of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G major backed by a bass line of quintuplets was delicately handled. Coupled with the sweetness of Prelude in G Minor these two works were a perfect appetizer to the heart of the performance.
Rachmaninoff’s Sonata No. 2. has many voices, voices that echo in the night. Originally written in 1913, the sonata was simplified through various revisions suggesting that Rachmaninoff was never quite right with it. Hamelin played the late version from 1931 that was influenced by Rachmaninoff’s friend and confidant Vladmir Horowitz. Hamelin hammered the first movement and was able to hypnotize with second. The luscious resolution lingered in the fine acoustics of the 92Y.
Hamelin concluded the concert with two short encores. One, the opening of Mozart’s Sonata in C, commonly described as “the little Sonata for beginners” and secondly, Chopin’s “Minute” waltz which alludes to a dog chasing it’s tail. He played both charmingly, thereby completing the jocular theme of supposed abbreviations and improvisation while producing more hearty laughter from those assembled. Hamelin shows that nothing is easy when playing from the heart as opposed from the head. As Rachmaninoff had noted, (excuse the paraphrase) it is easy to be calculating but not so easy to exalt with music. Hamelin is minding the gap.
I tried to write the week down and, I got up to the second day of the cruise. Jam Cruise is one of those experiences that is hard to write about. It is one part “vacation on a cruise ship,” plus one part mindblowingly wonderful music, plus one part sharing the boat with the funniest and most friendliest people. You make friends from second to second, laugh for 5 whole days and dance the night away. You stop at ports and play kickball or work/donate your time to worthy causes in beautiful islands, dive or rent boats, or you just suntan yourself on the beach, feet in the sand.
This experience is, for me and those who board the ship, bliss and contentment. It is quite beautiful to experience, and share.
Being my first Jazz Fest, and taking a crazy roadtrip from NYC to NOLA a day before the second weekend, needless to say, I was blown away. The Fairgrounds were during the day, including 8 or 9 music tents, not to mention the food at the stands.
It was hot and sweaty and it felt like “it-doesn’t-matter-cuz-we’re-in-New-Orleans-for-Jazz-Fest” fun. The late night shows were, hot and sweaty and oh my lord! crazy – we are in NOLA, in the town that doesn’t sleep, the Big Easy showing me how Easy it really is down south, and the music, the jams, the funk/jazz/in your face horns dancing music. Yeah. Wow.
Standouts: New Mastersounds at HOB, Neville Brothers closing out the Festival, Bruce Hornsby during the day, Dr. John, Warren Haynes Band at the fairgrounds, Warren Haynes playing with 7 Walkers the first night I went out, getting into a cab where it spits out soda cans in the back seat, the coffee from Cafe DuMonde, and the beignets, the cochon de lait, crawfish monica and the fried green tomatoes, the crawfish boil, seeing random buddies from NYC at 6am, feeling at home there. Oh, I want to go back this year badly. That was crazy fun!
It was my first time at Bear Creek, and the beloved venue, Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park, was welcoming, open and magical for another throwdown of a party filled with music, funk, fun, dancing and laughing. Although those who have been for years say its called “Brrrr Creek” due to the weather, we happened to be lucky this year. It was not too cold. Or, maybe it wasn’t too cold for me as I live in NYC, and Bear Creek is in Florida. Those southerners have thinner blood than I do.
Hidden away upstate New York, almost on the border of Pennsylvania is a little known festival called Catskill Chill. Well, perhaps the secret is out, as tickets were sold out this year, and cabins are already sold out for next year. Besides the tornado warning and the septic backup, no one cared about anything but the chill atmosphere and the great music. My full review is here at Relix.
I have listened to Pat Metheny since my early college days – and this man schooled me on experimental jazz. I try to catch him every time he comes through NYC. This time he came to town with an incredible small trio including a monster drummer named Antonio Sanchez, Chris Potter on sax and bass clarinet, and Ben Williams on bass.
I admittedly love everything Metheny puts out, so every song that was played was an awe-inspiring moment for me, but the crux of the show was when Metheny played solo, improv with his Orchestrion, and then his band also played improv with the Orchestrion. It was incredibly moving to me, and I floated for a few days after that.
Chad Batka for The New York Times
Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Oh. What to say about this. I have heard from the nay-sayers, and I have to disagree. Young and Crazy Horse on the stage again was magical to me. They played with feedback through the speakers, loudly – cuz that’s what Crazy Horse does. The crowd at MSG would not stand up, oddly enough. They played most of his new stuff, not the old stuff, and not even a Cortez was played for me. (My favorite all time song.)
However, Young and Crazy Horse still brought it, with strange stage hands dressed as construction workers and all. Cinnamon Girl, Needle and the Damage Done, Hey Hey, My My and Powderfinger was enough to make me swoon. It was one of those shows where I was just so happy and felt so lucky to be in the same room with him, to hear him sing and play guitar.
Yeah, nothing much to say about this show except it rocked me from the minute it started to the minute it ended. I literally was shaking in anticipation and excitement. Oh yeah, these guys still have it. And bring it to you in spades. Our special guests that night were Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Gary Clarke Jr., Black Keys and Mick Taylor. Sick. Absolutely Sick show. If they go on tour in 2013, pay the ridiculous cost and see them. You won’t be disappointed at all.
This was two very moving shows at the 92Y. Andras Schiff playing both books of The Well Tempered Clavier. Bach wrote them as musical exercises from each major and minor key of every note in the chromatic scale. It was amazing to see this pianist play both shows without the pedal, and without the written piece in front of him. Schiff played both books from memory. It was beautiful, and very cool to hear the different keys being played. I loved it. It was incredibly special.
Once a year, NYC’s Upper West Side is graced with the pleasure to host The Allman Brothers Band at The Beacon Theatre, for about 2-3 weeks. 10 nights of the Allman’s. Southern twang, slide guitars, songs that break your heart and songs that transport you to another place. Well, for me anyways……….
March Madness. And, on a side note. Soulive‘s residency at the Brooklyn Bowl, Bowlive, usually overlaps the Beacon run. ABB seems to be at the Beacon a little earlier than last year, so the urge to be at both places at the same time will be tough to handle.
Luckily, they like to jam with each other. Grab your tickets!
I actually tried to keep it together at the office. I would do a page and then I would lose focus, reminding my self often to get back on track and complete my work. I tried not to drop a tear, when in reality I wanted to vomit and wail in the bathroom.
Newtown, CT is a particularly familiar area to me. I grew up in CT, Newtown is similar to my hometown, Madison, like most of the towns in Connecticut. That elementary school was similar to my elementary school: walk in, office on the right, hallway in front of you, go around the corner and a hall of classrooms. It is eerily weird for me.
The faces of the parents running to the school, the babies holding hands and crying with the policewoman ushering them, it could be my children, it could be your children, my friends have children these age, this is all so damn close to home, and familiar. I’m queasy.
And the media interviews babies now? I mean, kids, no they were not kids, they were babies.
Our President tears up when talking to the country for a short amount of time. Washington says its too early to talk politics. The NRA takes down their Facebook page. Twenty babies die on a Friday morning at school and Washington isn’t outraged? The NRA can’t handle the outcry so decides not to talk to the people?
Folks are saying stupid crap about prayer and G-d, and gun control laws and needing guns to protect ourselves from crazy shit that happened today. What? Continue reading →
