My Ipod Ruined My Ability To Make Decisions!

Hey folks,

Yes you read that right, after long and very sincere thinking I blame my ipod for the reasons why I can not make a single decision in life.

just kidding....

lil bit....

Seriously though I was updating my ipod tonight when I started noticing I was deleting very little off of what I believe to be the strongest ipod ever made. i say it is the strongest because I bought this ipod second hand back in 2006 for $50. It was only meant to be a temporary replacement when my 20 gig died. (yeah remember the 20 gigs)

When I bought it, it was already really scratched up and the USB port was damaged. Despite all these soon to come to fruition problems I grabbed it because I was hoping to save the money for a replacement within the next 6 months. Well that six months turned into 3 years, maybe even 4 at this point now that I think about it....yeah it may have been 2005, who knows.

I've dropped this ipod, stepped on it and gotten water on it numerous times and its still going strong. Its outlived every other ipod I had before it combined and bought it second hand even! One tough little motherfucker if I do say so myself.

Anyway, this ipod is a 30 gig and it was completely filled about just over half of my current CD collection. **side note: most of the tunes on it are jazz, an average jazz song is about 6 minutes long so I only have 3,978 songs currently on it (after most current deletion so i probably had well over 4,000)

Everytime I look at my ipod to make a random choice I feel a small amount of anxiety, ya know that butterfly feeling in your gut. I get this way because I think about the enormity of the song selection within my grasp! Everything from Art Blakey to Zorn, Debussy to Led Zepplin, its all there and I can never make a choice. I usually listen to the same 5 cds all the time but still 5 cds out of God knows how many hundred!

Most of the time I get so aggravated I listen to a couple single rock songs first or the Temptations to ease myself into choosing an album. Alot of the time I switch songs mid song! Uggghhh!! not cool

So I feel that every hard decision I've had to make isn't hard at all but because of this terrible habit from this awesome piece of technology I can't choose anything. Whether its deciding on which soda flavor to drink or where to hang out on a weekend or which song to practice I can not decide without rethinking that idea again and again. So I blame you: my ipod, Fuck you, you wonderful bastard. Because of you I may listen to any song at any time that I own.






....if I could only make up my mind

Your weekly dose of music in the neighborhood.

Hey everyone. I am trying really hard to maintain a consistent posting schedule but of course things never go as you plan.

I am currently listening to Woody Shaw's album Woody III on vinyl that I just got for 50 cents at a record store I am keeping the name of hidden because I am taking a close friend there for his triumphant....monumental....huge....medium-sized...unnoticed return home in a few weeks.

Upon first listening, I wasn't really digging the first side which is a 3 part suite entitled Woody I, Woody II, Woody III. On the cover is Woody with his dad and infant son which is a nice theme for a 3 piece record. The first track is apparently mature sounding, reflecting his wise old man. Woody II is adventurous, a fast tempo and exciting and the third track, Woody III sounds like the theme song to a kids show on PBS. I didn't really like the third track's vibe and melody, quite honestly it sounded very hokey.

The second side however is much more worth the time of any fan's ears. The first track "To Kill A Brick" features a 'schmorgisboard' of top notch players: Rene Mclean, James Spaulding, Buster Williams and Victor Lewis. I starts off Side B with energy that makes up for the crappy ending of Side A with Woody III.

The second track, Shaw's famous "Organ Grinder" is medium-up with the tempo and has been recorded by Wood many times before. Its classic Woody Shaw: angular, airy and very well developed. Its a great tune and even reminds me of a Jeremy Pelt composition...the title is escaping me but I'll figure it out.

The last track, "Escape Velocity" is a perfect name for an album closer, especially at such a brisk tempo. Carter Jefferson takes a solo that sounds on fire, with that 'school of Coltrane' vibe going on. I always enjoyed his playing on the Woody Shaw albums I have. Wood comes in right away after Jefferson and sounds like a cat in control. This late 70's period, Wood seemed to enjoy the cornet over the trumpet more and for those of you who don't know, the cornet and trumpet, although cousins are completely 2 different beasts....but Wood has mastered both in an unique style. Wood's playing sounds linear and concise and lastly, Victor Lewis is a sick drummer....is all I have to say about his playing on this track.

Although I am more of a fan of Wood's early 70's albums like Song of Songs and Blackstone Legacy which were more avant-garde than his 80's works like "Imagination" or "Solid", there really isn't an album that is unsatisfying. Check out Little Red's Fantasy or the Live Series to here some amazing playing as well.
**1/2


Last Friday night, I was able to take out my lovely girlfriend to Firehouse 12 in New Haven to catch the Peter Evans Quartet. I didn't know much about the group, just that they were kind of 'out there.' With an arrangement of a classic ballad called "Bodies and Souls," how could I not attend.

May I take a minute to also brag that my wonderful girlfriend has accompanied me on multiple jazz concerts of all varieties. Yes she has, from avant-garde jazz to rained out concerts in Central Park, I've got it made. So Jazzers believe me when I tell you that there are beautiful women who do enjoy great music, but watch out all you Steve Martin fans, I've got this one for good.

Anyway, the show on Friday was awesome despite never hearing the group before. The band started with Evans playing on trumpet, the most chop-crazy intro I've ever heard. I was happy to tell him it sounded like the Arban's exercise from Hell. It started out as a weak, out of tune G but quickly developed into a frenzy of trills, runs and half valving that had me jumping in my seat! The band played for 45 minutes straight, their first tune was a rendition of "All The Things You Are" that I thought at one point I heard the bridge too but the tune was so out there I was surprised to hear it mentioned. The other 3 pieces were equally enthralling. The performance was more of an experience of sound and mood than melody and harmony. I myself welcome music of this kind but understand most people wouldn't be able to stand it.


I am excited for the new Black Keys album that came out this month stay tuned for the review. Also I was only able to catch a fraction of the Ethan Iverson Trio at Small's the other night, if anyone has anything to say about it please send your thoughts @ someotherstuffmusic@gmail.com. The band will play tonight as well via live feed so if you can check it out.

Last but not least, check out the Live at Smalls record series. You can buy recorded shows on disc!!

Back From The Dead!!

Ok, first off I would like to apologize for keeping all the millions of readers out there in Blogdom that have been patiently waiting for the newest post here, but what can I say I was busy.

Anyway I hope everyone has been well these last few weeks and had a great Halloween...I know I did.


So in these last few weeks I have been checking out tons of great new music and have been dying to share it all with you, but then every time I thought of doing a CD review post I got annoyed and kept procrastinating writing something, but in the long run I will do a couple reviews right now.

So the last few months I have really gotten into the music of John Zorn. Think of any adjective; and that best describes John Zorn, you have to hear his music to believe it. This guy puts out about 10 CDs a year! He just put out 3 in the last 3 months!! All with different groups and projects but he writes all the music, so unfair...

The first CD I would like to review is
John Zorn's Masada Quintet:
Stolas: Book of Angels Vol. 12
2009
****

John Zorn's Masada group is usually comprised of Zorn on alto sax, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Greg Cohen on bass and Joey Baron on drums. The band plays a mix of avantgarde jazz infused over Jewish folk melodies. The band sounds like if Ornette Coleman went to Temple Beth David. A great band that I'll admit took a few listenings to get into but was totally worth it.

This disk however is an altered line up with Zorn only on 1 track, and the rest of the band joined by Joe Lovano on tenor sax and Uri Cane on piano. The first part that struck my attention was the addition of Lovano who at first would seem out of his element but knocks your socks off with incredible inside/outside playing a la early 60's Coltrane. Douglas and Cane show off track after track that they are truly two modern titans of the genre and Cohen and Baron once again make me think they are 'the buck stops here' with avant rhythm sections.

The first track, Haamiah, is a Jewish inflected song over a latin rhythm which is both intriguing and enjoyable. What I love about a lot of this music is the different use of feel and style with such a distinct set of harmonies, it makes the music so fresh.

Another track that stood out was Rahtiel, which is the only track Zorn is on. His use of sax sqealing sometimes sounds like a maniac chasing after you with a butcher knife chewing on his last victims brains....yeah you get it.

The whole band sounds tight and like they've been doing this forever. Now the name Stolas comes from Jewish lore. Stolas is a high prince in Hell who controls 26 legions of demons and teaches astronomy and the knowledge of poisonous plants, herbs and precious stones and his form is depicted as a crowned owl. If you enjoy this album, check out Book of Angels Vol. 11 by Medeski, Martin and Wood.


John Zorn and The Dreamers:
O'o
2009
****

I don't know where to begin! Again John Zorn has written another album of completely original, addictive music.

This time he has shift gears completely and wrote this music for his more up beat band: The Dreamers.

The Dreamers are comprised of keyboards, vibes. guitar, bass, drums and alto sax, however on this disk, Zorn lays out and only takes on the easy roles of writer, arranger, conductor and producer...piece of cake.

The Dreamers blend everything from surf-rock to jazz to pop to lounge music to latin music. Again, you have to hear it to believe it.

This disk is named after a type of bird only found on Hawaii but has been extinct for over a centuary. The other titles are also named after rare, extinct birds but what surprised me the most was no track named after the Dodo....oh well.

The first track, Miller's Crake, starts off the disk in a very upbeat way that you just can't help but smile when you first hear it. Its got a surf rock, country feel to it and when the vibes kick in with the melody you will be hook....I was. Great soloing by pianist Jamie Saft follows and the tune just never gives up. It took many listenings of this song before I moved on.

Another track of note is the waltz ballad, Po'o'uli, which has a very simple ostinato under neath the groove and to top the tune off, it has various bird calls which is almost hypnotic.

Little Bittern changes the vibe entirely with a Fender Rhodes sound, back beat driven funk feel that has great playing on it. Lastly, Laughing Owl is by far my favorite track that has a melody played on vibes that sounds too perfect to be written. It has a sound that reminds you of a childhood song and you just can't help but make sure no one's looking and start bobbing in your seat.


Its incredible that these two albums were released back to back in a two month period. If you are on a tight budget save your pennies and get these albums immediately.