The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: Line Out: Jazz

The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: Line Out: Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/blogs/lineout/ Seattle's #1 Weekly Newspaper. Covering Seattle news, politics, music, film, and arts; plus movie times, club calendars, restaurant listings, forums, blogs, and Savage Love. en-us Copyright 2013 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. editor@thestranger.com (The Stranger Editor) webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:01 -0700 Tue, 21 May 2013 23:30:00 -0700 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Tineke Postma's Haunting Beauty http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/09/tineke-postmas-haunting-beauty http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/09/tineke-postmas-haunting-beauty Charles Mudede <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="500" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kqGx91wXf0M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>(<a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=16686422">Seattle Art Museum</a>) What should you do after work today? You should head down to Seattle Art Museum and check out the <strong>hauntingly beautiful jazz</strong> of Dutch saxophonist <a href="http://tinekepostma.com/">Tineke Postma</a>. Her quartet is performing between 5:30 and 7:30 pm as part of the Art of Jazz series, which is in its 17th year. The way Postma blows is either direct like an unadorned wall or <strong>spooky like a ghost</strong>. Sometimes, she becomes so intense that it's like watching a person walk through a wall or pass a mirror without casting a reflection. However, Postma, who has released five albums (the most recent of which being <em>The Dawn of Light</em>), never plays outside of the stable tradition of modern jazz (1947 to 1969). She knows how to explore without getting lost.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/09/tineke-postmas-haunting-beauty#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16709596&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz Tonight http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/05/09/tineke-postmas-haunting-beauty?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16709596&id=comments 0 Thu, 09 May 2013 16:25:00 -0700 The Stranger ICP Orchestra and the Art of Dutch Avant Garde Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/03/icp-orchestra-and-the-art-of-dutch-avant-garde-jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/03/icp-orchestra-and-the-art-of-dutch-avant-garde-jazz Charles Mudede <p>Co-founded in 1967 by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misha_Mengelberg">Misha Mengelberg</a>, a Dutch pianist who entered jazz history by way of Eric Dolphy's last album, <em>Last Date</em>, <br />Instant Composers Pool is a community of musicians who are dedicated to the production of free/experimental jazz. It's no exaggeration to say that these musicians are amazing. See/hear for yourself... <br /><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="460" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7DxCFvkRoeM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <br />ISP performs <a href="http://www.concertin.com/concert/id2454007">tonight</a> at Seattle Art Museum's Plestcheef Auditorium (1300 1st Ave).</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/03/icp-orchestra-and-the-art-of-dutch-avant-garde-jazz#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16407163&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/04/03/icp-orchestra-and-the-art-of-dutch-avant-garde-jazz?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16407163&id=comments 1 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:53:28 -0700 The Stranger The Music and Movies of the L.A. Rebellion http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/13/the-music-and-movies-of-the-la-rebellion http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/13/the-music-and-movies-of-the-la-rebellion Kathy Fennessy <p><div class="blogImageLeft" style="width:312px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/909f/1363114945-burnett_and_spigner2.jpg" alt="Charles Burnett and Clarence Spegler" title="Charles Burnett and Clarence Spigner" width="300" height="200" /><ul><li class="imageCredit"><a href="http://elisahuertaenochian.com">Elisa Huerta-Enochian</a></li><li class="imageCaption">Charles Burnett and Clarence Spigner</li></ul></div> The <strong>L.A. Rebellion</strong>, which Charles Mudede wrote about <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-brainy-rebellion/Content?oid=16170652">here</a>, was an African American film movement that took place primarily in the 1970s and '80s (Mudede will also be participating in the Cinema Salon that takes place this Saturday at 6pm). </p> <p>It wasn't about music, but music was a part of it. Unlike the funk-powered blaxploitation films of the era, these filmmakers turned to blues, jazz, and gospel to ground their narratives about community and work—or the lack thereof.</p> <p>To describe funk as a more commercial genre wouldn't be quite fair, but the L.A. Rebellion directors weren't thinking about radio airplay, drive-ins, and soundtrack recordings in the same way. Curtis Mayfield's <em><strong>Superfly</strong></em> soundtrack, for instance, still remains better known than the 1972 drama for which he did some of his finest work (or maybe that's just me; I have the record—my Dad had the record—but I still haven't seen photographer-turned-filmmaker Gordon Parks, Jr.'s movie).</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:487px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/c4f0/1363115146-burnett_and_spigner.jpg" alt="burnett_and_spigner.jpg" title="" width="475" height="381" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">K.C. Fennessy</li><li class="imageCaption">The two participated in the second Cinema Salon (all four are free of charge)</li></ul></div></p> <p>The L.A. Rebellion series (March 1-24) began at the Northwest Film Forum with screenings of films I'd seen before, like Julie Dash's <em>Daughters of the Dust</em> and Charles Burnett’s <em><a href="http://siffblog2.blogspot.com/2007/09/ain-we-lucky-we-got.html">My Brother’s Wedding</a></em>, and films I couldn't work into my schedule, like Haile Gerima's <em>Bush Mama</em>, but I found time for Saturday's Cinema Salon and Billy Woodberry’s <em>Bless Their Little Hearts</em>, for which Burnett was in attendance (he was also at Friday's screening of <em>My Brother's Wedding</em>). </p> <p>When an audience member asked about the music in 1984's <em>Bless Their Little Hearts</em>, on which he served as screenwriter and cinematographer, Burnett admitted that he didn't know the details (I heard what sounded like a Nina Simone song at one point, but didn't recognize the rest of the uncredited material). </p> <p>Burnett then recounted his experience with his first film, 1977's <em><strong>Killer of Sheep</strong></em>, which was held up for 30 years due to music rights issues. For <a href="http://siffblog2.blogspot.com/2007/06/abattoir-blues.html">SIFFBlog</a>, I wrote, "The use of Paul Robeson songs on the soundtrack, including 'The House I Live In' provides a link with the silent films of Oscar Micheaux." Once the film cleared those hurdles—after six years and $150,000—Milestone made it available for home-video and theatrical screenings (the DVD includes <em>My Brother’s Wedding</em>).</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:487px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/f618/1363115296-burnett.jpg" alt="burnett.jpg" title="" width="475" height="359" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">K.C. Fennessy</li><li class="imageCaption">Looking a little like Chuck D in his DGA cap</li></ul></div></p> <p>Given the chance to do it again, Burnett says he would've cleared the rights first, except both <em>Killer of Sheep</em> and <em>Bless Their Little Hearts</em> were student films, even if their quality belies those origins. It's not too surprising that young directors in the 1970s, even two associated with UCLA's film program, wouldn't know all the ins and outs of music licensing (or have the means to pay someone to sort it out for them). One way or the other: <strong>Burnett refused to remove a single song. </strong></p> <p>At the Q&A on Saturday, Fantagraphics co-founder <strong>Gary Groth</strong> declared <em>Killer of Sheep</em>'s living room scene, in which Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders) and his wife (Kaycee Moore from <em>Bless Their Little Hearts</em> and <em>Daughters of the Dust</em>) dance to Dinah Washington, as one of his favorites. He also praised the (more volatile) kitchen scene in <em>Hearts</em>, in which Moore proves she should've been a bigger star. Burnett acknowledged that he didn't know why some actors hit it big, while others didn't, concluding somewhat enigmatically, "She was an interesting woman..." </p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="475" height="335" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vjvS8DQpt6c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>I haven't seen the other films in the series, so I can't speak to their use of music, but Larry Clark's <em><a href="http://www.nwfilmforum.org/live/page/calendar/2618">Passing Through</a></em> revolves around an ex-con saxophone player portrayed by Nathaniel Taylor (fresh off a run as as "Rollo" on <em>Sanford and Son</em>). The 1977 film, which screens this Friday in a new 35mm print, features a Horace Tapscott score, a performance from the Pan African People's Arkestra, and selections from <strong>Eric Dolphy</strong>, <strong>Charlie Parker</strong>, <strong>John Coltrane</strong>, and <strong>Sun Ra</strong>. </p> <p>Not to be confused with the Larry Clark who made <em><strong>Kids</strong></em> and <em>Wassup Rockers</em>, this Clark has another estimable music credit to his name: he helped to shoot Mel Stuart's utterly amazing <em><strong>Wattstax</strong></em>, which captured <strong>Richard Pryor</strong>, <strong>Isaac Hayes</strong>, and <strong>the Staple Singers</strong> at the height of their musical and comedic powers. </p> <p>The music continues when author, musician, and A&R guy <strong>Pat Thomas</strong> (<em>Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975</em>) returns to Seattle for the final Cinema Salon on March 23 at 6pm. Pat is a friend who always has something of interest to say, and in this case, he'll be exploring the connections between the Black Power movement and the L.A. Rebellion. He's also been living in L.A. for he past year while working on a new book project. Pat will be joined by Black Panther member <strong>Ron Johnson</strong> and Seattle University professor <strong>Gary Perry</strong>. </p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:412px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2013/03/12/1363154993-passing_through.jpg" alt="passing_through.jpg" title="" width="400" height="272" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Nathaniel Taylor and 87-year-old Clarence Muse in <em>Passing Through</em></li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div></p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><em>For more information about the series, please see <a href="http://www.nwfilmforum.org/live/page/series/2605">the NWFF website</a>.</em></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/13/the-music-and-movies-of-the-la-rebellion#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16230567&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz Film http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/13/the-music-and-movies-of-the-la-rebellion?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16230567&id=comments 2 The Music and Movies of the L.A. Rebellion Charles Burnett and Clarence Spegler Elisa Huerta-Enochian for the NWFF Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:44:06 -0700 The Stranger The Asshole Glory of Ginger Baker http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/03/the-asshole-glory-of-ginger-baker http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/03/the-asshole-glory-of-ginger-baker Kathy Fennessy <p><div class="blogImageLeft" style="width:265px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/2f31/1362277341-baker.jpg" alt="baker.jpg" title="" width="253" height="145" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Animator Jacob Ribicoff/Snag Films</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div> <strong>Beware of Mr. Baker</strong><br /><em>(Jay Bulger, 2012, US, 92 mins.)</em><br /> <br />Instead of a hagiography filled with kind words from old chums, Jay Bulger's <strong><em>Beware of Mr. Baker</em></strong> revels in opportunities to present drummer <a href="http://bewareofmrbaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/TheDevilandGingerBaker_RollingStone.pdf">Ginger Baker</a> in all his <strong>asshole glory</strong>. </p> <p>It's a disrespectful, attention-getting approach that suits its cantankerous subject like one of his old sheepskin coats. According to an IMDb user who caught the film at a London screening, the "fractious Q&A...ended with shouting, swearing, recriminations all round, and Jay Bulger seemingly storming off stage." <br /> <br />Unfortunately, Bulger films himself as if he were part of the profile—no wonder Baker, who now lives in South Africa, smacked him in the face with his cane in the opening sequence. When you've got a larger-than-life subject at your disposal, <strong>get the fuck out of the way</strong>. Let him narrate, let his friends and enemies narrate, or drop the narration altogether (the better documentaries don't need it).</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="475" height="335" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c56a_Jd5aPI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><small>About Bond, Baker says, "He was a fat guy" (everyone was fat compared to Baker).</small></div></p> <p>After that unsteady start, Bulger rights the ship by stepping aside and letting the 73-year-old musician tell the story in his own nicotine-stained drawl, starting with his childhood in war-torn Britain. The minute he heard <strong>Max Roach</strong>, he says, he found something "I could relate to." When he wasn't getting into brawls, he was tapping out rhythms on his desk until he found his way to a drum kit, and that was the beginning of that. Alongside the archival material, Bulger adds expressive, painterly animation to bring the past to life. It's a wise move, since the semi-abstract look of the art aligns with Baker's interest in jazz and African music. <br /> <br />By 20, he was a husband, a father, a heroin addict, and the percussive anchor in a series of increasingly popular bands, including Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and the <strong>Graham Bond Organization</strong>. At this point, other speakers enter the fray, like singer-bassist <strong>Jack Bruce</strong> and Rolling Stones drummer <strong>Charlie Watts</strong>. While Baker praises Bruce as a "fucking brilliant player"—until he switched from stand-up bass to bass guitar—he dismisses <strong>Mick Jagger</strong> as a "stupid little cunt."</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="475" height="335" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0zWRjgathjA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><small>Femi Kuti appears in the film to talk about Baker's association with his father.</small></div><br /> <br />From there, Baker talks about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cream-Royal-Albert-London-2-3-5-6/dp/B0009WFFS6">Cream</a>, the power trio he formed with Bruce and <strong>Eric Clapton</strong>. The band made a significant impression on <strong>Neil Peart</strong> (Rush), <strong>Bill Ward</strong> (Black Sabbath), and <strong>Stewart Copeland</strong> (the Police), who are all effusive in their praise. Baker sums up their appeal succinctly: "We were fucking good." <br /> <br />Alas, the tension between him and Bruce, who amassed more writing royalties, would eventually reach a breaking point, after which he and Clapton segued to <strong>Blind Faith</strong> with <strong>Steve Winwood</strong> and Ric Grech. Though that outfit had an even shorter run, Baker calls Clapton "the best friend I've got on this planet." <br /> <br />Bulger concludes by documenting Baker's drum battles with<strong> Elvin Jones</strong> and <strong>Art Blakey</strong>, his work with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fela-Kuti-Music-Weapon/dp/B002ZXZJM4">Fela Kuti</a>, and his obsession with polo ponies, who appear to have received more attention than any of his wives and children. Yet there's something strangely endearing about the man. Though he insults Bulger throughout the film with pithy lines, like "For fuck's sake" and "Don't try to be an intellectual dickhead," his bone-deep respect for the drums always shines through.<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/beware-of-mr-baker-the-awfully-amazing-tale-of-mad-drummer-ginger-baker/Content?oid=16112944">Dave Segal liked it, too.</a></p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:487px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/ba72/1362281930-baker2.jpg" alt="baker2.jpg" title="" width="475" height="314" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Stag Films</li><li class="imageCaption">From British brawler to South African smoker</li></ul></div><br /> <br />Beware of Mr. Baker, which premiered in Seattle at <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/06/11/i-faced-the-music-and-survived&view=comments">SIFF '12</a>, <em>plays the Grand Illusion through Mar 7. Vivendi Entertainment releases the DVD on May 14.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/03/the-asshole-glory-of-ginger-baker#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16148308&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz History Film http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/03/03/the-asshole-glory-of-ginger-baker?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=16148308&id=comments 10 The Asshole Glory of Ginger Baker Snag Films Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:03:16 -0800 The Stranger Jazz Legend Julian Priester Could Use Your Help http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/01/14/jazz-legend-julian-priester-could-use-your-help http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/01/14/jazz-legend-julian-priester-could-use-your-help Dave Segal <p>Retired <strong>Cornish College of the Arts</strong> professor and revered avant-garde jazz trombonist/composer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Priester">Julian Priester</a> (aka <strong>Pepo Mtoto</strong>) has been struggling with kidney problems, which prevent him from touring, thereby cutting off his primary source of income. Therefore, Priester and his wife are facing financial hardship. Friends have set up a page on a fundraising site called <a href="http://www.youcaring.com/">youcaring.com</a> to help them take care of healthcare costs.</p> <p>Priester has been a fixture on Seattle's jazz scene for 35 years and has played with an impressive array of world-class musicians, including <strong>Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Herbie Hancock, Max Roach, Sunn O)))</strong>, and <strong>Charlie Haden</strong>. </p> <p>Read more about Priester's predicament and donate money to the cause, if you can, <a href="http://www.youcaring.com/help-a-neighbor/please-help-julian-priester/38293">here</a>.</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PlnkTh8TSdg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/01/14/jazz-legend-julian-priester-could-use-your-help#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15743219&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz News 206 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2013/01/14/jazz-legend-julian-priester-could-use-your-help?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15743219&id=comments 0 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 10:36:35 -0800 The Stranger Dave Brubeck Exits at 91 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/12/05/dave-brubeck-dead-at-91 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/12/05/dave-brubeck-dead-at-91 Charles Mudede <p>Jazz composer and pianist Dave Brubeck <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/arts/music/dave-brubeck-jazz-musician-dies-at-91.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">is no more</a>. Most in the world today and in the future will remember him for this pretty and very catchy tune...<br /><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vmDDOFXSgAs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/12/05/dave-brubeck-dead-at-91#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15455333&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/12/05/dave-brubeck-dead-at-91?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15455333&id=comments 0 Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:58:15 -0800 The Stranger We Got the Jazz: Robert Glasper Blends Jazz and Hiphop http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/11/04/we-got-the-jazz-robert-glasper-blends-jazz-and-hiphop http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/11/04/we-got-the-jazz-robert-glasper-blends-jazz-and-hiphop Charles Mudede <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/874d/1351888503-music-gasper-570.jpeg" alt="music-gasper-570.jpeg" title="" width="500" height="351" /></div></p> <p>Robert Glasper is a jazz pianist who is closely connected with the most progressive schools in hiphop and soul. His rise began in 2005, when he signed to the venerable Blue Note Records and released <em>Canvas</em>, a collection of crisply produced compositions (all but one by Glasper) that do not break with standard jazz. His second album with Blue Note, <em>In My Element</em>, expanded into hiphop territory. The first half of his third album, <em>Double Booked</em>, went back to the jazz tradition as the Robert Glasper Trio, while the second half went forward into the hiphop present as the Robert Glasper Experiment. His latest, <em>Black Radio</em>, released earlier this year, is basically an extension of the second half of <em>Double Booked</em>.</p> <p>What distinguishes Glasper, who was raised in Houston and educated at a number of art schools, is his ability to successfully fuse hiphop and jazz. One of the reasons for this success can be found, I think, in his recognition of the differences between the forms. Jazz is one thing; hiphop is another. So often, jazz musicians or hiphop producers guide their experiments with the bad idea that the two forms are closely related—part of a smooth and unproblematic continuum. This kind of thinking almost inevitably results in a mess of a jazz that sounds nothing like hiphop or hiphop that sounds nothing like jazz. Glasper knows that any experiment in blending these forms needs to be sensitive to their real dissimilarities. In a 2007 <em>New York Magazine</em> article, "Elegy for Fort Greene," Glasper states: "Playing in a hiphop setting requires more discipline than playing jazz... You have to learn how to duplicate that sample, playing the exact same thing over and over again with the same inflection." Jazz is much less rigid and more expressive than hiphop.</p> <p><u><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/we-got-the-jazz/Content?oid=15147389">Continue reading »</a></u></p> <p><em>Robert Glasper Experiment play the Triple Door Tonight at 7 and 9:30 pm.</em></p> Jazz Tonight http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/11/04/we-got-the-jazz-robert-glasper-blends-jazz-and-hiphop?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15170587&id=comments 0 We Got the Jazz: Robert Glasper Blends Jazz and Hiphop Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:16:49 -0800 The Stranger It's Autumn in Seattle http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/31/its-autumn-in-seattle http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/31/its-autumn-in-seattle Charles Mudede <p>A trio lead by the Japanese jazz pianist <a href="http://www.musicstack.com/album/tsuyoshi+yamamoto/autumn+in+seattle">Tsuyoshi Yamamoto</a> captures the mood of this time of the year in this part of the world, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV5vkOhakM8">Autumn in Seattle</a>". <br /><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:302px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/1a06/1351713751-tempimage-8.jpeg" alt="tempimage-8.jpeg" title="" width="300" height="430" /></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/31/its-autumn-in-seattle#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15151718&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/31/its-autumn-in-seattle?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15151718&id=comments 0 It's Autumn in Seattle Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:54:30 -0700 The Stranger Don't Miss Elina Duni at Earshot Tonight: Albanian Jazz Beauty http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/23/dont-miss-elina-duni-at-earshot-tonight-albanian-jazz-beauty http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/23/dont-miss-elina-duni-at-earshot-tonight-albanian-jazz-beauty Charles Mudede <p>Elina Duni is from Albania. Her music is a mix of jazz and Albabian folk music. This strange mix of very distinct forms darkles like rain in the dusk. Duni<a href="http://www.earshot.org/festival/artistinfo/ElinaDuni.html"> comes to Seattle with a quartet</a>. If you bring a heart to her music, it will be broken in the most wonderful way possible.<br /><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:412px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/f74c/1351026850-51bnc7tjyxl._ss400_.jpeg" alt="51bnc7tJyXL._SS400_.jpeg" title="" width="400" height="400" /></div> <br /> Jazz <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-world-is-jazz/Content?oid=14978220">is a world</a></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/23/dont-miss-elina-duni-at-earshot-tonight-albanian-jazz-beauty#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15081042&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/23/dont-miss-elina-duni-at-earshot-tonight-albanian-jazz-beauty?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15081042&id=comments 0 Don't Miss Elina Duni at Earshot Tonight: Albanian Jazz Beauty Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:05:26 -0700 The Stranger Shirley Clarke's The Connection http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/21/shirley-clarkes-the-connection http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/21/shirley-clarkes-the-connection Kathy Fennessy <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:237px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/a0f9/1350791227-the_connection4.jpg" alt="the_connection4.jpg" title="" width="225" height="324" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Milestone Films</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div> <strong><em>The Connection</em></strong><br /><em>(Shirley Clarke, US, 1961, 35mm, 110 mins.)</em><br /> <br />"Sordid and disagreeable."<br />—Bosley Crowther, <em>The New York Times</em><br /> <br /><strong><em>The Connection</em></strong> is a jazz film, and it's also a film about junkies. Not all jazz films revolve around substance abuse, but many do: Otto Preminger's <em>The Man with the Golden Arm</em>, Bertrand Tavernier's <em>Round Midnight</em>, etc. </p> <p>In her first feature, the fearless <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Shirley_Clarke.jpg">Shirley Clarke</a> (<em>Cool World</em>, the Oscar-winning <em>Robert Frost: A Lover's Quarrel with the World</em>) shuns the heretofore glamorous, Hollywood image of the drug addict. These guys, who frequent the same Manhattan tenement, are a motley-looking bunch, even though den father—and <strong>Steve Buscemi</strong> lookalike—Leach (Warren Finnerty) prides himself on his housekeeping skills.<br /> <br />Though Leach sports a stylish neckerchief, it's just his attempt to hide a boil. If he can't stop talking, his compatriots spend most of their time nodding off. Soon, fictional filmmaker Dunn (William Redfield) steps in front of the camera to get them to "act naturally," but they see no point unless he pays them more. Since he already gave them cash to shoot up, ethics don't seem too high on his agenda.</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/037a/1350804794-the_connection.jpg" alt="the_connection.jpg" title="" width="500" height="373" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Milestone Films</li><li class="imageCaption">Set design by the great Richard Sylbert (<em>The Manchurian Candidate</em>, <em>Rosemary's Baby</em>)</li></ul></div></p> <p>The film-within-a-film's cinematographer, J.J. Burden (Roscoe Lee Browne), however, comes from their world, but left it behind for greener climes. He serves as a mediator between the self-justifying junkies and the self-justifying director. <br /> <br />Clarke shoots the film, Jack Gelber's adaptation of his 1959 Living Theater play, like a documentary, and the characters address the viewer as they would have addressed a live audience. It's unavoidably stagy, but she has fun with the concept by keeping the camera moving, and when the gents jam on saxophone, piano, drums, and stand-up bass—that's <strong>Jackie McLean</strong> on sax—it's easy to see why jazz fans embraced <a href="http://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/the-connection/">the soundtrack</a>, even as the New York State Censorship Board cancelled the Manhattan run after only two screenings for "obscenity." <br /> <br />Clearly, the Board didn't get it. Clarke, a dancer-turned-independent filmmaker, was no finger-wagging moralist. Her depiction of junkies may have been more realistic than most, but the entire film serves as a disincentive to try the stuff. This is spelled out by the tagline: "Men held captive by the power of drugs." </p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:432px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/69e5/1350804003-the_connection5.jpg" alt="the_connection5.jpg" title="" width="420" height="280" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Milestone Films</li><li class="imageCaption">Blue Note recording artist Jackie McLean (1931-2006) on alto sax</li></ul></div><br /> <br />It's ironic that the musicians play with such dexterity, because they move in slow-motion the rest of the time. Some of them, like the dealer Cowboy (Carl Lee), whose neckerchief is purely decorative, even have a "jazzy" way of speaking (he tends to place the emphasis on unexpected words and syllables). Cowboy is "the connection" of the title, making him the real director of the scenario. <br /> <br />This is only the second Clarke film I've seen after 1967's <em><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/870959691/portrait-of-jason-film-restoration?ref=card">Portrait of Jason</a></em>, in which she takes an open-minded approach to her subject's homosexuality at a time when such things were either disguised or condemned. Similarly, when Leach's pals mention that he might be gay, they criticize his denial rather than his (possible) nature, though their views on women aren't quite so progressive. <br /> <br />I didn't know this going into it, but <em><strong>The Connection</strong></em> has more to do with junk than jazz, though it's worth noting that Clarke also directed 1985's <em><strong>Ornette: Made in America</strong></em>. In the way the men in her first film look, I can only assume that it made a big impression on—or at least predicted—<strong>John Lurie</strong>, <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/21/the-best-tom-waits-songthis-week&view=comments">Tom Waits</a>, and <strong>Jim Jarmusch</strong>, who have all dressed, played music, or made movies that reflect the same low-rent, bebop-beatnik world of pork pie hats and stained overcoats. <br /> <br /><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="475" height="335" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/l5TDkXnycrk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br /> <br /><em>The Connection plays the Northwest Film Forum through Oct 25 as part of the 2012 Earshot Jazz Festival, which runs from Oct 19-28. More information <a href="http://www.nwfilmforum.org/live/page/series/2380">here</a>.</em></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/21/shirley-clarkes-the-connection#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15060624&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz Drugs Film http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/10/21/shirley-clarkes-the-connection?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=15060624&id=comments 2 Shirley Clarke's The Connection Milestone Films Sun, 21 Oct 2012 13:15:55 -0700 The Stranger Hot Hot Friday Night Line Out Giveaway! http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/28/hot-hot-friday-night-line-out-giveaway http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/28/hot-hot-friday-night-line-out-giveaway Anna Minard <p>This is the inaugural edition of the <strong>"Fuck, It's Late, We're Bored, Everybody Left in the Office Donate One Thing to This Pile"</strong> Line Out trivia contest! This goes out to you, people who work late on Fridays (we're sorry!) and people who read Line Out on the weekend (that's dedication!).</p> <p>Trivia Question: <strong>What song did Negative Approach's John Brannon sing at karaoke in New Orleans last June?</strong></p> <p>One lucky winner will receive:<br /><div class="blogImageLeft" style="width:262px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/bf2d/1348880268-freebies.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/bf2d/1348880268-freebies.jpg" alt="FREE! FREE! FREE! Enter now!" title="FREE! FREE! FREE! Enter now!" width="250" height="357" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit">KELLY O</li><li class="imageCaption">FREE! FREE! FREE! Enter now!</li></ul></div><br />· A signed* copy of <strong>Wilson Phillips's newest album</strong>, <em>Dedicated</em>!<br />· One Caffé Vita gift card with <strong>"like, a dollar"</strong> on it!<br />· One WINNING <strong>Lucky Kelly O™ Scratch ticket</strong> (value: $1)!<br />· A McDonald's Monopoly sticker thing for a <strong>FREE medium fries</strong>!<br />· A coupon for a free <strong>7-Eleven brand</strong> bag of chips!</p> <p>Leave your answer and/or dumb jokes in the comments! Winner will be <strong>chosen at random and notified in the comments</strong>, and can pick up the prize package at our offices. <strong>IT'S FRIDAY!</strong> HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND! GOOD NIGHT!</p> <p><small>*by "Dave Coulier"</small></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/28/hot-hot-friday-night-line-out-giveaway#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14885003&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz Drinking Mischief Cats Crap Party! Right Now Dust Bin Love Business Win It! Zzzzzzzzzzzzz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/28/hot-hot-friday-night-line-out-giveaway?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14885003&id=comments 5 Hot Hot Friday Night Line Out Giveaway! FREE! FREE! FREE! Enter now! KELLY O Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:09:44 -0700 The Stranger Interview with Esperanza Spalding, Sovereign http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/21/interview-with-esperanza-spalding-sovereign http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/21/interview-with-esperanza-spalding-sovereign Trent Moorman <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:262px;"><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/9395/1348256062-esperanza1.jpg" class="zoomable"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/9395/1348256062-esperanza1.jpg" alt="Esperanza1.jpg" title="" width="250" height="235" /></a><ul><li class="imageCredit">Sandrine Lee</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div><a href="http://www.esperanzaspalding.com">Esperanza Spalding</a> is one of the best bass players in the world. She sings and plays and unfolds into the songs with absolute and subconscious mastery. She’s a Grammy winning sovereign of the jazz world. At the age of twenty, she became one of the youngest instructors Berklee College of Music has ever hired. In 2009, she played for Obama at the White House in honor of Stevie Wonder being awarded a Gershwin Prize. You can see <a href="http://youtu.be/rFsVXdmwZoo">Obama in the front row, enraptured</a>, as is pretty much anyone that sees or hears her perform. Spalding’s album <em>Chamber Music Society</em> was the best-selling contemporary jazz album of 2011, and I am at her service. She spoke from her mobile tour bus. </p> <p><strong>Would you ever want to play with a Miles Davis hologram? I have to be honest, I have dreams of you playing with Miles. Not to be freaky or anything.</strong></p> <p>The hologram thing seems disrespectful. Seems like a gimmick. I think that would be disrespectful to his legacy. I wish I could have met him though. I’m making my own music, I wouldn’t want to take advantage of an icon that way. Miles is a true master. Evolution of music is so powerful. I've had the privilege of getting to know some people he played with. His music has taught me a lot. You can’t stand in the way of the evolution of music. Even while some people talk about the good ‘ol days, of any particular genre, the truth is, the music lives in the people. The people that are listening to the recordings, the people who are transcribing, and composing, and playing and practicing the music. No matter how great someone was in the past, the best thing that’s happening is the thriving interpolation of the organism of the music right now. We love the masters, and rightfully so. We must embrace what they’ve done. It’s also important to embrace what’s happening now as equally valid, because it’s <em>here</em>. </p> <p><strong>I spoke with Miles’ guitar player <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/sound-check/Content?oid=5717799">John McLaughlin</a> about recording <em>Bitches Brew</em>. I asked him what direction Miles gave him before the sessions. John said he walked into the studio that day, and Miles told him to play guitar like he didn’t know how to play the guitar. </strong></p> <p>I think we’re all trying to do that [<em>laughs</em>]. It’s like dialogue. You’re going to go have a conversation with someone you respect, and there will be things you’re going to want to say. But you can’t always come with that prepared schpiel. You have to be willing to let go of everything you intended to say, and flow where the dialogue flows. Even if it means subjects that you’ve never studied. You might discover an idea that you’ve never tried to form words for before.</p> <p><strong>What was playing for Obama like?</strong></p> <p>The crazy thing was who in the audience. All these people I’ve admired my whole life—Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, India Arie, Tony Bennett, Spike Lee. All these shining people. People who love Stevie, it was honoring him. It wasn’t just a gig, it was playing to honor someone whose art we loved so much. I didn’t know Stevie that well at that point. </p> <p><strong>How did you go about transposing “Overjoyed”? It sounds so good. </strong></p> <p>Thank you. I only got that arrangement like two days before. And it was written, I think, by a piano player, in a weird key. There were all these fifths, these leaps of octaves and fifths and sixths. Those fifths and sixths, <em>man</em>. To do those fast on the bass, it’s not very ergonomic. I was closing my eyes for concentration because I didn’t want to mess up [laughs]. I wanted to do justice to the song. </p> <p><strong>Have you ever thought of covering a Rush song? You and Geddy Lee? I mean come on, a match made in heaven, as bass players that sing. I’m sensing a double live album. No pressure though, just whenever you can get to it. When you get into the Rush catalogue, you won’t be able to get out.</strong></p> <p>Sounds good [<em>laughs</em>]. I don’t ever rule anything out. I’ll have to study up. </p> <p><strong>Be careful out there on the road. Don’t mix Whoppers and Red Bull when you stop at the gas station. It’ll mess you up. </strong></p> <p>Best advice I’ve had all year. I’ll let everyone know. Thanks for looking out.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/21/interview-with-esperanza-spalding-sovereign#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14814996&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/21/interview-with-esperanza-spalding-sovereign?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14814996&id=comments 6 Interview with Esperanza Spalding, Sovereign Sandrine Lee Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:08:26 -0700 The Stranger Midnight Haiku http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/04/midnight-haiku http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/04/midnight-haiku Sarah Galvin <p>Time is the gutter on the house of my life, draining away all my non-sexy memories. I thought I had one non-sexy memory, of riding a speedboat between two yachts that were so close together they ripped the hull off the speedboat, but someone told me recently this actually happened to Indiana Jones. I was disappointed until I realized if I generate enough sexy memories to clog the gutter, I may become immortal.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/04/midnight-haiku#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14614121&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/09/04/midnight-haiku?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14614121&id=comments 0 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 09:08:35 -0700 The Stranger Jazz Saxophonist/Flautist Byard Lancaster, 1942-2012 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/24/jazz-saxophonistflautist-byard-lancaster-1942-2012 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/24/jazz-saxophonistflautist-byard-lancaster-1942-2012 Dave Segal <p>Philadelphia jazz saxophonist and flautist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byard_Lancaster">Byard Lancaster</a> died Aug. 23 from pancreatic cancer. He was 70. <a href="http://www.porterrecords.com/id72.html">Lancaster</a> was a spiritual, questing instrumentalist who'd played with some of the most inventive avant-garde musicians ever, such as <strong>Sun Ra, McCoy Tyner, Sunny Murray</strong>, and <strong>Khan Jamal</strong>. <a href="http://porterrecords.com/">Porter Records</a> has reissued a lot of his gripping music; it's never too late to explore.</p> <p>RIP, <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/entertainment/music_nightlife/Byard-Lancaster-RIP.html">Byard Lancaster</a>.</p> <p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DjE-fRHw6sI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1344297&show_artwork=true"></iframe></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/24/jazz-saxophonistflautist-byard-lancaster-1942-2012#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14559275&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz RIP http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/24/jazz-saxophonistflautist-byard-lancaster-1942-2012?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14559275&id=comments 0 Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:21:55 -0700 The Stranger Earshot Jazz Festival Announces Lineup http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/07/earshot-jazz-festival-announces-lineup http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/07/earshot-jazz-festival-announces-lineup Dave Segal <p>The <a href="http://www.earshot.org/">Earshot Jazz Festival</a>—now in its 24th year and running from Oct. 12 to Nov. 4—has announced its lineup. More than 50 shows will take place at various venues throughout Seattle. This year's bill looks very strong (pleasantly surprised to see <strong>Philip Glass, Foday Musa Suso, and Adam Rudolph</strong>). Tickets go on sale in early September through Earshot Jazz. You can get more info at <a href="http://www.earshot.org/">www.earshot.org</a> and 206-547-6763.</p> <p>From the press release:</p> <blockquote><p>Known for "adventurous, spot-on programming" (JazzTimes) and praised as "one of the best festivals in America" (Seattle Times), the Earshot Jazz Festival brings jazz greats from around the world into creative collaboration with area artists and audiences. Earshot also celebrates Seattle's place in the world of jazz, with concerts by our award-winning high-school jazz programs and our own renowned resident artists. Some of the artists participating in the 2012 Earshot Jazz Festival include:</p> <p>· Vijay Iyer Trio, multi-award winner in recent DownBeat poll<br />· Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez with his trio <br />· Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth band<br />· Matthew Shipp Trio and Trio X (w/ Joe McPhee)<br />· Ab Baars & Ig Henneman, from Amsterdam<br />· Robert Glasper Experiment following up Black Radio on Blue Note<br />· Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza<br />· Philip Glass w/ Foday Musa Suso & Adam Rudolph <br />· Seattle's Dave Peck Trio<br />· R & B diva Bettye LaVette, concert and book signing<br />· Pianist Nik Bärtsch's "Ronin" from Norway<br />· Buster Williams Quartet with Patrice Rushen<br />· Saxophonist Ernie Watts w/ Seattle's Marc Seales Trio<br />· Lionel Loueke Trio and Dos y Mas (Arturo Stable & Elio Villafranca)<br />· Bobby Previte's Silent Way Project and Wayne Horvitz Conduction <br />· Rising Harmonica star Gregoire Maret <br />· Samantha Boshnack's B'Shnorkestra <br />· Arga Bileg Mongolian Jazz Band<br />· Clarinetist Anat Cohen and her group<br />· Tribute to Clarence Acox with the Garfield High School Jazz Band<br />· Vocalist Lorraine Feather with pianist Russell Ferrante <br />· Ukulele phenomenon Jake Shimabukuro <br />· Jazz guitar legend Mundell Lowe<br />· Tony Malaby's Tamarindo (w/ William Parker & Mark Ferber) <br />· Saxophonist JD Allen's trio (w/ Rudy Royston) <br />· Susan Pascal's "Soul Sauce" project <br />· Kinshasa's raucous Staff Benda Bilili <br />· New Orleans' Christian Scott and his new band <br />· Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra w/ Branford Marsalis <br />· And many, many, more</p></blockquote> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pOBhrnOzwXw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/07/earshot-jazz-festival-announces-lineup#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14395099&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz News http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/08/07/earshot-jazz-festival-announces-lineup?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14395099&id=comments 0 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 15:34:31 -0700 The Stranger Iron Maiden at White River Amphitheater: Man Promises Neck Tatt http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/07/31/iron-maiden-at-white-river-amphitheater-man-promises-neck-tatt http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/07/31/iron-maiden-at-white-river-amphitheater-man-promises-neck-tatt Trent Moorman <p><div class="blogImageRight" style="width:262px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/99d6/1343767915-maidenengland.jpg" alt="MaidenEngland.jpg" title="" width="250" height="376" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">John McMurtrie</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/sound-check/Content?oid=14272544">Iron Maiden</a> ran through their White River Amphitheater set impressively. Pyro surged and spurt. <strong>Eddies grimaced</strong>. Maiden has a strong contingency of diehard fans. Songs focused on the <em>Seventh Son</em> album. I was hoping for more <em>Powerslave</em>. The theatrics were a bit clownish, but Iron Maiden is Iron Maiden, and <strong>Iron Maiden can do whatever they want</strong>. In the parking lot beforehand, a couple from Mount Vernon pre-gamed in their car with a small cooler of liquor, and splif. They listened to Maiden to get ready to listen to Maiden. There, I heard <em>Powerslave.</em> I approached and requested <a href="http://youtu.be/FevXK8GYqYc">Widespread Panic</a>, but they had not heard of Widespread Panic. We listened to the song <a href="http://youtu.be/-2I3aJhKDqE">“Powerslave”</a> and they kissed. When I left, the guy said to his girlfriend, “Fuck it, <strong>I’m getting a neck-tatt tomorrow</strong>, of me getting a neck-tatt of you.” When I got back to my car after the show, they were still there. Maybe they beat me back. Maybe they never left. They were listening to <em>Powerslave</em>. I hope the guy is getting the neck-tatt. (Setlist after the jump.)</p> <p><strong>Setlist:</strong><br />Moonchild <br />Can I Play With Madness <br />The Prisoner <br />2 Minutes to Midnight <br />Afraid to Shoot Strangers <br />The Trooper <br />The Number of the Beast <br />Phantom of the Opera <br />Run to the Hills <br />Wasted Years <br />Seventh Son of a Seventh Son <br />The Clairvoyant <br />Fear of the Dark <br />Iron Maiden </p> <p><strong>Encore:</strong><br />Aces High <br />The Evil That Men Do <br />Running Free</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/07/31/iron-maiden-at-white-river-amphitheater-man-promises-neck-tatt#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14330010&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/07/31/iron-maiden-at-white-river-amphitheater-man-promises-neck-tatt?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=14330010&id=comments 6 Iron Maiden at White River Amphitheater: Man Promises Neck Tatt John McMurtrie Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:54:32 -0700 The Stranger Neneh Cherry Meets The Thing http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/06/19/neneh-cherry-meets-the-thing http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/06/19/neneh-cherry-meets-the-thing Kathy Fennessy <p><div class="blogImageLeft" style="width:212px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/3ff2/1340077793-neneh_cherry.jpg" alt="neneh_cherry.jpg" title="" width="200" height="300" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Smalltown Supersound</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div></p> <p><strong>Neneh Cherry & The Thing<br /><em>THE CHERRY THING</em><br />Smalltown Supersound</strong></p> <p>Since she's the stepdaughter of <strong>Don Cherry</strong>, I always hoped <strong>Neneh Cherry</strong> would move in more of a jazz-oriented direction, and that impulse culminates in <em><strong>The Cherry Thing</strong></em>, a collaboration with Scandinavian improv ensemble <strong>The Thing</strong> (according to their label, the trio "took its name from a piece by Don Cherry: when they first got together it was to play his music"). </p> <p>The eight-song set combines Neneh's unique intonation with Mats Gustafsson's untethered sax wanderings, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten's subterranean bass rumbles, and Paal Nilssen-Love's deep-dark drumming. After a flirtation with the mainstream, this more "out" affair suits her well (the two originals, Gustafsson's "Sudden Movement" and Cherry's "Cashback" blend in seamlessly).</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="495" height="335" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/do9b9jpIyV8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align:center;"><small>There's also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VWvQSEbl5Y&feature=youtu.be">a video</a> for the Four Tet remix...but I prefer the studio version. </small></div></p> <p>In some ways, <em><strong>The Cherry Thing</strong></em> feels like the kind of music <strong>Nina Simone</strong> would be making if she were still around—or the kind of music I <em>imagine</em> her making. Cherry's voice isn't that deep or as rich, but she projects a similar unfuckwithable spirit, particularly on Martina Topley-Bird's "Too Tough to Die," which sent shivers down my spine the first time I heard it. Another spine-tingling moment arrives with Cherry's radical reinvention of MF Doom's "Accordion," in which she loses herself in lyrics about "glory, gold, and glitter" (fair warning: liberal use of the "n" word). </p> <p>I already wrote about her vibe-bedecked version of Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream," the set highlight, in <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/04/12/neneh-cherrys-new-thing">this post</a> (and now she's released an evocative video to accompany it—props for the pregnant breakdancer). As such, it's interesting that the record represents a European co-production because it harkens back to the Lower East Side from which <strong>Alan Vega</strong> and <strong>Martin Rev</strong> sprang. I could easily see Cherry and The Thing sharing a bill with <strong>Defunkt</strong> and <strong>James Chance & the Contortions</strong>, and fitting right in. Ironically, the most conventional moment arrives with Ornette Coleman's "What Reason," which evokes the indelible <strong>Abbie Lincoln</strong>. </p> <p>Bursting with energy and inspiration, <em><strong>The Cherry Thing</strong></em> easily earns a spot on my year-end top 10 list. Anyone anticipating a fresh crop of crossover hits may find the free-form rambling exasperating, but I've been waiting for Cherry to return to her jazz-punk roots, and she dives in head first. If I'm not totally convinced by the Stooges' cover, "Dirt," which trades blues for an ill-fitting suit of jazz, the attitude of defiance in the face of disrespect offers neat counterpoint to "Cashback." All told, there isn't a song here with Top 40 appeal: just the way I like it. </p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="495" height="335" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jovsxh8FeYo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>Read Cherry's interview with <em><strong>The Guardian</strong></em> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/22/neneh-cherry">here</a>. <strong>Smalltown Supersound</strong> releases <em><strong>The Cherry Thing</strong></em> today. It's also available for streaming at <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/06/10/154159413/first-listen-neneh-cherry-and-the-thing-the-cherry-thing">NPR</a>.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/06/19/neneh-cherry-meets-the-thing#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13960292&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> New Releases Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/06/19/neneh-cherry-meets-the-thing?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13960292&id=comments 0 Neneh Cherry Meets The Thing Smalltown Supersound Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:27:58 -0700 The Stranger Also Tonight: Billy Martin and Wil Blades at the Mix http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/05/24/also-tonight-billy-martin-and-wil-blades-at-the-mix http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/05/24/also-tonight-billy-martin-and-wil-blades-at-the-mix Grant Brissey <p>An organ and drums duo is something of a rare breed. Martin and Blades play tonight and tomorrow night <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Event?event=13475203">at the Mix</a>.</p> <p><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F40697682&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&color=5da911"></iframe></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/05/24/also-tonight-billy-martin-and-wil-blades-at-the-mix#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13726294&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/05/24/also-tonight-billy-martin-and-wil-blades-at-the-mix?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13726294&id=comments 2 Thu, 24 May 2012 09:42:41 -0700 The Stranger New Weekly Thursday Night at the Scarlet Tree: How Now Brown Cow http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/04/05/new-weekly-thursday-night-at-the-scarlet-tree-how-now-brown-cow http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/04/05/new-weekly-thursday-night-at-the-scarlet-tree-how-now-brown-cow Grant Brissey <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/q8MYEDqFxHw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p>I live just the other side of the freeway overpass form <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/scarlet_tree/Location?oid=23902">the Scarlet Tree</a>. It's a treat popping in there on random nights just to see what's going on. Often times there's <strong>a vibrant crowd and a live band</strong>. It's absolutely <em>nothing</em> like any scene on Capitol Hill (why I love checking it out). Random note: I was there the other week, and <strong>a dude ordered a hot water, and a pitcher of cold water, and did not tip</strong>. Anyway, this piece starts tonight, and you should get out of your comfort zone and go check it out. Maybe you'll meet your soul mate.</p> <p><small>Confidential to Jacob and Eli, who showed up on a quiet Thursday last week because they read a listing of a defunct night there on our site. Sorry boys! Now everything should be straight.</small></p> <p>Press release after the cut</p> <blockquote><p>How Now Brown Cow is an all improv groove jazz thang. If you love the funked up soul sound of the 70s, the jazzy grooves from the chase scenes from SWAT or the get down, soundtrack from Shaft then you will GET DOWN WITH BROWN. Often compared to Average White Band, Tower of Power, Miles Davis (Electric Band), Weather Report, Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters and P-Funk, How Now Brown Cow have a sound that appeals to fans of jazz, funk, blues, soul and anything with a groove. How Now Brown Cow is Dave Kurtiak (bass), Marc Hager (keys), Donovan Pfeifer (drums), Brad Schrandt (sax and flute) and features special guest players regularly. How Now Brown Cow has performed regularly in and around the Seattle area since 2008.<br /> <br />“How Now Brown Cow sounds like Coltrane playing the theme song to CHiPs, mixing high art with ’70s camp. Throw in tasty samples and some cowbell, and, boy, you’re cookin’ up a party. Bowmp chicka bowmp bow.”<br />— The Weekly Volcano</p></blockquote> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/04/05/new-weekly-thursday-night-at-the-scarlet-tree-how-now-brown-cow#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13277099&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz Nightlife http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/04/05/new-weekly-thursday-night-at-the-scarlet-tree-how-now-brown-cow?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13277099&id=comments 0 Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:35:14 -0700 The Stranger Broken Promo Item Turns 21 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/03/17/broken-promo-item-turns-21 http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/03/17/broken-promo-item-turns-21 Kathy Fennessy <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/03/16/1331940284-blue_note.jpg" alt="Broken version" title="Broken version" width="500" height="373" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">K.C. Fennessy</li><li class="imageCaption">What it looks like</li></ul></div></p> <p>Though I’ve used my <strong>Touch & Go</strong> <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/03/07/beloved-promo-item-turns-21">10th anniversary coffee mug</a> faithfully for 21 years, this <strong>Blue Note</strong> plaque is another story (not that one is likely to get as much "use" out of a wooden plaque). It was around the same time, 1991 or so, that my friend Les, the music director at <a href="http://kfjc.org/">KFJC</a>, mentioned that he'd just secured a plaque from the fine folks at <strong>Blue Note</strong>. I told him that sounded cool, so he promptly gave them a call, and the next thing I knew: I had one of my own.</p> <p>I met a few stinkers during my time at <strong>KCMU</strong>,* but Les wasn't one of them (he now works at Interscope). He also set me up with a t-shirt featuring <a href="http://artcoengineering.com/Portals/53219/images/kfjc%20600.jpg">this logo</a>. </p> <p><small>* Like the notorious <strong>Elektra</strong> representative with the coke problem, who left a long, expletive-filled rant on my answering machine. The band in question? <strong>The Happy Mondays</strong>. The label failed in their attempt to break those Madchester funsters in the US—better music might have helped.</small></p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/03/16/1331940385-blue_note2.jpg" alt="What its supposed to look like" title="What its supposed to look like" width="500" height="377" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">K.C. Fennessy</li><li class="imageCaption">What it's supposed to look like</li></ul></div></p> <p>Unfortunately, the plaque broke shortly after I received it, possibly when I moved from the U. District to downtown. It’s been sitting at the bottom of a <strong>Peaches</strong> crate ever since (I also have a few crates filled with records and CDs). I can’t remember whether I ever glued the parts together or not. If I did, then it fell apart again, because when I checked this morning, I found two pieces. Someday, I'll glue them together, and hang this thing on my wall, but that day is not today. </p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/binary/69df/1331918001-blue_note_book.jpg" alt="blue_note_book.jpg" title="" width="500" height="350" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">K.C. Fennessy</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div></p> <p>At the time, my friend Glenn was working at Sony. He wasn't a jazz fan, like Les and myself, but he knew that I was, and sent me the book above. It's like he read my mind, because I've always admired Blue Note's graphic style as much as their musical one. I don't have the <strong><em>Blue Train</em></strong> poster, but I suppose I should, as it's long been one of my favorite cover images. Of the newer labels, I believe <a href="http://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/">Sacred Bones</a> does the best job at keeping the cohesive album-design tradition alive. </p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/03/16/1331918300-blue_note_book2.jpg" alt="blue_note_book2.jpg" title="" width="500" height="403" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">K.C. Fennessy</li><li class="imageCaption"></li></ul></div></p> <p>When I met Glenn, he was the music director at <a href="http://wxyc.org/">WXYC</a>. At one point, he roomed with <strong>Superchunk</strong> bass player and <strong>Merge</strong> co-founder <strong> Laura Ballance</strong>. Glenn later worked at <strong>Island</strong> and <strong>Caroline</strong>. After years working in New York and Los Angeles, he returned to Chapel Hill where he owns and operates the club <a href="http://www.local506.com/">Local 506</a>.</p> <p><div class="blogImageCenter" style="width:512px;"><img src="http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2012/03/16/1331934509-kcmu.jpg" alt="KCMU promo director Scott Griggs, Glenn, and I at Mama's. Note the Mother Love Bone t-shirt." title="KCMU promo director Scott Griggs, Glenn, and I at Mamaâ€™s. Note the Mother Love Bone t-shirt. " width="500" height="335" /><ul><li class="imageCredit">Rachel Crick</li><li class="imageCaption">Scott Griggs, Glenn, and I at Mama's. Note the Mother Love Bone t-shirt.</li></ul></div></p> <p>As you can see, a few of my former radio associates went on to careers in the music biz, whereas I took the path of least financial remuneration. Most of the time I'm okay with that, but whenever the bills start to pile up too high, I have my regrets. As for Glenn, we're still in contact, but I lost touch with Les several years ago. Come rain or come shine, though, I'll always have my <strong>Blue Note</strong> souvenirs.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/03/17/broken-promo-item-turns-21#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13055088&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz History http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/03/17/broken-promo-item-turns-21?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=13055088&id=comments 4 Broken Promo Item Turns 21 K.C. Fennessy Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:04:32 -0700 The Stranger Go Ahead and Get Mind-Fucked This Morning http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/01/23/go-ahead-and-get-mind-fucked-this-morning http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/01/23/go-ahead-and-get-mind-fucked-this-morning Grant Brissey <p>Russians produce some downright insane and excellent cultural detritus. The song is apparently about Gorbachov, and it has some pretty great breakdowns and lyrics and laser sounds. In the video, Gorbachov is running around beating the asses of zombies. <strong>Then cola and Twinkies and hot dogs start falling out of the sky</strong>. Yes it's four years old and I have lost the internet race, but my brother forwarded it to me a few days ago and I'm gonna go ahead and leave it here for you to enjoy. Tomorrow I'll be posting the hit remix of "All Your Base Are Belong to Us." Here is what the director had to say about it:</p> <blockquote><p>I did this video for a Russian Metal Band called ANJ. It is pretty crazy. When I saw the lyrics it seemed to be an earnest tribute to Mikael Gorbachov (that's how the Russians spell it), so I was a bit confounded about what the video concept should be, but then I had a brainstorm to take it way over the top and I think it was just the thing. Suffice to say it's half Russian History allegory as told through an old zombie movie made in the Soviet Union, and half animated Soviet Propaganda posters. It's in HD, so let it load a bit before you play it and then click the little "four arrows" symbol on the lower right part of the viewer to see it in true HD. BTW- the band has asked that I include their myspace address: <a href="http://myspace.com/anjkill">myspace.com/anjkill</a></p></blockquote> <p>See it after the cut:</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/1223566?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/01/23/go-ahead-and-get-mind-fucked-this-morning#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=11931850&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2012/01/23/go-ahead-and-get-mind-fucked-this-morning?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=11931850&id=comments 0 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:14:28 -0800 The Stranger Today in Jazzy Donuts http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2011/12/21/today-in-jazzy-donuts http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2011/12/21/today-in-jazzy-donuts David Schmader <p>Here is the jazz trio Stray Phrases performing <strong>J. DIlla's <em>Donuts</em></strong> album in its entirety.</p> <p><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oFOz03FjiPE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></p> <p><div style="text-align:center;">Thank you, <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/110803/Last-Donut-of-the-Night">Metafilter.</a></div></p> <p>[ <a href="http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2011/12/21/today-in-jazzy-donuts#comments">Comment on this story</a> ]</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=11193202&id=comments">Subscribe to the comments on this story</a> ]</p> Jazz Band Album http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2011/12/21/today-in-jazzy-donuts?show=comments#readerComments http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Rss.xml?oid=11193202&id=comments 0 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:30:41 -0800 The Stranger