Genre: Jazz
Brother Jack McDuff is another artist who paved the road for modern funk and jazz as we know it today. His influence is paramount to performers and bands who may not even recognize his name. The video below says more than I'm able. Enjoy.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Eric Lewis
Genre: Piano Jazz
Eric Lewis is a young American jazz pianist who studied at the Manhattan School of Music and has since toured with legends from Marsalis to Coleman. Earlier this year, he performed at TED, the video recording of which appears below. The first few minutes are wild enough to drive away a casual listener- but hold out for the entire performance. It's more than worth your time.
AGF has been jazz-heavy lately, but we follow the tips as they appear. If you have something new, forward it along or post in the comments.
Eric Lewis is a young American jazz pianist who studied at the Manhattan School of Music and has since toured with legends from Marsalis to Coleman. Earlier this year, he performed at TED, the video recording of which appears below. The first few minutes are wild enough to drive away a casual listener- but hold out for the entire performance. It's more than worth your time.
AGF has been jazz-heavy lately, but we follow the tips as they appear. If you have something new, forward it along or post in the comments.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Ozomatli
Genre: Salsa Pop Rock
Finally saw the Latin rock phenomenon Ozomatli this weekend, along with Jurassic 5 MC Chali 2na. The performance was, as expected, a crowd-pleaser. From the first note until the congo-line exit into the venue lobby, the sold-out ballroom was moving and swaying to their high-energy beats. Of all the concerts I've seen, Ozomatli easily ranks in the top 5 for pure entertainment. Chali 2na was the highlight of the show, with a perfect voice to complement and cut through the boisterous 7-piece ensemble without overwhelming the sound. While the actual music- the technical ability, etc. of the band- wasn't extraordinary, their ability to function as a unit and to engage the crowd was something worth experiencing. I'm not sure I'd see them again (rumor has it their shows are VERY similar), I would enthusiastically recommend them to any first-timers.
Hear streaming tracks here: http://www.ozomatli.com/content/jukebox.php
Finally saw the Latin rock phenomenon Ozomatli this weekend, along with Jurassic 5 MC Chali 2na. The performance was, as expected, a crowd-pleaser. From the first note until the congo-line exit into the venue lobby, the sold-out ballroom was moving and swaying to their high-energy beats. Of all the concerts I've seen, Ozomatli easily ranks in the top 5 for pure entertainment. Chali 2na was the highlight of the show, with a perfect voice to complement and cut through the boisterous 7-piece ensemble without overwhelming the sound. While the actual music- the technical ability, etc. of the band- wasn't extraordinary, their ability to function as a unit and to engage the crowd was something worth experiencing. I'm not sure I'd see them again (rumor has it their shows are VERY similar), I would enthusiastically recommend them to any first-timers.
Hear streaming tracks here: http://www.ozomatli.com/content/jukebox.php
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Mike Clark
Genre: Drum Jazz
Mike Clark, famed drummer for the Headhunters, was recently featured on a new CD series entitled Blueprints of Jazz. Check out a review of the album @Jambase here. Below is an older piece, "Loft Funk," which Clark wrote for the Headhunters with friend and tenor sax player Jed Levy, and which appears on the new release. Check out Mike's personal website here.
Mike Clark, famed drummer for the Headhunters, was recently featured on a new CD series entitled Blueprints of Jazz. Check out a review of the album @Jambase here. Below is an older piece, "Loft Funk," which Clark wrote for the Headhunters with friend and tenor sax player Jed Levy, and which appears on the new release. Check out Mike's personal website here.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Bad Plus
Genre: Piano Jazz/Rock
The Bad Plus is a jazz trio best known for their re-arrangements of popular songs, most notably Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (see below). Despite their rise to fame through these catchy and familiar tunes, The Bad Plus infuse a completely unique spirit into each of these arrangements as well as composing a number of original pieces, many of which easily outshine the covers. Below are three examples of that talent at work. The 2nd video has relatively poor sound quality, but is worth hearing if only for the notable contribution to the band's popularity.
The Bad Plus is a jazz trio best known for their re-arrangements of popular songs, most notably Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (see below). Despite their rise to fame through these catchy and familiar tunes, The Bad Plus infuse a completely unique spirit into each of these arrangements as well as composing a number of original pieces, many of which easily outshine the covers. Below are three examples of that talent at work. The 2nd video has relatively poor sound quality, but is worth hearing if only for the notable contribution to the band's popularity.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Genre: B-3 Funk Jazz
After posting about Marco Benevento a few days ago, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at some of the defining jazz organ players of the last half-century. One of the first names to come to mind was "Dr." Lonnie Smith, whose career began in the late 1950s and continues with this year's release Rise Up. He played with some of the biggest names in 60/70s acid jazz, including George Benson and Lou Donaldson. His contributions to funk and jazz are impossible to ignore, evident in the two videos below.
After posting about Marco Benevento a few days ago, I thought it might be fun to take a look back at some of the defining jazz organ players of the last half-century. One of the first names to come to mind was "Dr." Lonnie Smith, whose career began in the late 1950s and continues with this year's release Rise Up. He played with some of the biggest names in 60/70s acid jazz, including George Benson and Lou Donaldson. His contributions to funk and jazz are impossible to ignore, evident in the two videos below.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Leo Kottke
Genre: Acoustic Guitar Wizardry
I saw my first Leo Kottke performance last evening, and found even my absurdly high expectations exceeded. Kottke's command over the acoustic guitar is virtuosic, as he finds a way to control every miniscule sound emanating from his instrument. The music was full-bodied, robust, and intricate. Additionally, his stage presence was that of a true performer; his smart, rambling, yet heartfelt musings between (and sometimes during) pieces were reminiscent of a Vonnegut essay. And to top off the night, frequent collaborator and Phish bassist Mike Gordon played with Kottke for a few tunes. A quick note- those seeing Phish's reunion shows in Hampton in a few days have a lot to look forward to; Gordon was at the top of his game. But even his presence couldn't take anything from the real star of the show last night.
First, take a look at this recent performance of Kottke's take on The Byrds'"Eight Miles High." Following is a 1980s gig for which he performs a medley of tunes for German TV.
I saw my first Leo Kottke performance last evening, and found even my absurdly high expectations exceeded. Kottke's command over the acoustic guitar is virtuosic, as he finds a way to control every miniscule sound emanating from his instrument. The music was full-bodied, robust, and intricate. Additionally, his stage presence was that of a true performer; his smart, rambling, yet heartfelt musings between (and sometimes during) pieces were reminiscent of a Vonnegut essay. And to top off the night, frequent collaborator and Phish bassist Mike Gordon played with Kottke for a few tunes. A quick note- those seeing Phish's reunion shows in Hampton in a few days have a lot to look forward to; Gordon was at the top of his game. But even his presence couldn't take anything from the real star of the show last night.
First, take a look at this recent performance of Kottke's take on The Byrds'"Eight Miles High." Following is a 1980s gig for which he performs a medley of tunes for German TV.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Benevento/Russo Duo
Genre: Jazz/Rock
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, the BR Duo has been active for about eight years now. Joe Russo (drums) and Marco Benevento (keys) make up the entirety of the sound you're about to hear, although they have on occasion joined forces with Brad Barr (The Slip) and Mike Gordon for short stints on tour. The Duo released a few studio albums to date, most notably Play/Pause/Stop, one of the best instrumental progressive rock records in recent years. Their live shows are typically high-energy but also crowd-dependent. Given an off night, their sound is somewhat flat and monotonous; but given a lively packed house their energy is off the charts. Either way, the Duo manages to capture their essence extremely well during studio efforts. Check out the album mentioned above, or try to catch one of their shows when they pass through your neck of the woods.
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, the BR Duo has been active for about eight years now. Joe Russo (drums) and Marco Benevento (keys) make up the entirety of the sound you're about to hear, although they have on occasion joined forces with Brad Barr (The Slip) and Mike Gordon for short stints on tour. The Duo released a few studio albums to date, most notably Play/Pause/Stop, one of the best instrumental progressive rock records in recent years. Their live shows are typically high-energy but also crowd-dependent. Given an off night, their sound is somewhat flat and monotonous; but given a lively packed house their energy is off the charts. Either way, the Duo manages to capture their essence extremely well during studio efforts. Check out the album mentioned above, or try to catch one of their shows when they pass through your neck of the woods.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
