creativemusicstuff.com

cut to the chase

2012-02-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

last night i baked some cookies, made a yummy dinner for two, rubbed icy hot on my back, turned over some laundry, and kept an eye on the super bowl. the wife joined me for the sporting spectacle, occasionally looking up from her book to tell me that the blue team has some guys who are pretty out of shape and that she can't believe tony dungy is african-american.

neither of us were particularly interested in the game. my vikings have been out of the hunt since mid-october and sonja would rather watch paint dry, but time stood still in our home when there was a stop in the action. the commercials dominant most of society's highlight reel for the big game. i wrote a blog about last year's onslaught of clever advertising campaigns, and was underwhelmed by this year's batch. can't they all be as clever as this bud light spot?

the old recording studio addage "time is money" directly applies. the 30-second ads were going for $3.5 million each, leaving no time to slowly unfold your product detail. catch phrases, like good melodies, need to be clearly presented in a memorable and concise fashion. the goal is to get people humming your hook, posting youtube clips of your tv ad, rewinding the dvr to watch it again. i watched the entire game and can't remember any of the commercials.

saxophonist branford marsalis toured with sting back in 1985, promoting the album dream of the blue turtles. mr. sting (per his stolen moments with frank zappa) rounded out his band with drummer omar hakim, bassist daryl jones, and the late kenny kirkland on keyboards. they made bring on the night, a great documentary chock full of the behind-the-scenes rehearsal stuff, interviews, and live footage. somewhere in the middle of the flick, branford talks about the trick to soloing on sting's tunes. he mentioned that, when blowing on pop songs, you need to hit the ground running.

jazz solos are notorious for starting simple, slow burning to a climax that trudie could appreciate . a bass player back in undergrad told me that i needed to quit rolling the energy back to square one every time i took a solo on a tune. i thought he was a jerk, but now i know he was right. i think about branford's commentary often, and am always on the lookout for an opportunity to come out swinging (like sugar ray leonard, not like jimmie lunceford). i want to be aware of what the situation calls for and then contribute appropriately, even if it isn't always in my wheelhouse.

sure was a weird scene at the end of the super bowl when raymond berry, who played a great football game about 50+ years ago, walked the lombardi trophy through a makeshift aisle flanked with members of the new york giants family. players were touching it, random people wearing giants gear were grabbing at it, more players were kissing it, and miscellaneous people with no home training were clutching the trophy and taking pictures of themselves with their phone. is this where technology has taken us? i think i'll pull this stunt at my next show. after the gig, i'll push the barstools aside and get the lubed up listeners to allow me to waltz between them with my horn. touch it all you want, but don't you dare put your lips on it. god knows where they have been.

miracle ear

2012-02-04T05:55:00.000-08:00

today is my dad's birthday. i would post it on his facebook page, but a) he doesn't have one, and b) probably wouldn't be checking it daily like the rest of us do, although c) it sure does warm the heart to see that a gazillion of your friends (in a variety of circles) all jump on and send their best wishes in your direction. i certainly appreciated it this summer when i spent my birthday checking out of a scuzzy hotel, driving a u-haul across wyoming for six hours, starting up a vocal jazz ensemble, and then finding out later that my grandma died. day one of my new year sucked.

people often ask me where i got my musical talent. i have no idea. my dad is definitely not a music guy. he is a retired feeder driver for ups, ruling the roads in his brown uniform for 36 years. that's a long time to do anything. so far, all i've done for 36 years is breathe. dad played the tuba back in high school, but he tells me it's because he was the only kid in his class strong enough to carry it around.

this jimmie giles is not my dad.

my dad is tone deaf. he arbitrarily moves his voice up and down when singing a church hymn. i stand next to him and try to match up with his crooning. we bust up laughing every time, but tone it down when my mom shoots the daggers at us. he doesn't really listen to music either. on summer vacations, the soundtrack to our road trips was a mix of bill cosby comedy albums and bruce williams financial advice talk shows that my dad taped from the radio. my sister and i sat in the back seat, our eyes glazed over, our brains chewing on a mixture of interest rates and chocolate cake.

my dad came to as many of my activities as he could. he worked nights, so he would need to leave in the bottom of the 5th, between the 3rd & 4th tunes, before act III. he is not artistically inclined, but is definitely a dedicated supporter of me and the rest of our family. he came to a jazz band concert in the summer of 2000, and we (along with my girlfriend sonja) later went out for dinner at the ground round. i asked him if he liked the show, and he told me "no" without hesitation. eek. i asked him why, and he told me that he didn't enjoy it because it looked like i wasn't enjoying it. what a great lesson for me to learn - know your audience. folks who come to shows listen with both their ears and eyes. i preach this to my students, and cite that experience with my father. don't be phony about your actions, but expect that those in attendance are watching your every move.

simon, dad, and me - after we chopped down a tree with an axe

i've got pretty decent ears and an active imagination, neither of which i can credit directly to my pops (ok nature vs. nurture argument. ready, set, go!!!) however, my dad passed along these life lessons; love your family, figure out that the amount of work you put into something is what you can expect to get in return, pinch pennies, hold the door, take pride in what you have, and care about other people.

keep singing these virtues to me, dad. they might be a bit out-of-tune, but i promise i hear every word.

the giddy volume 5

2012-01-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

the bad plus anthem for the earnest - conspicuous activity

this needs to be heard on headphones. this track shows up on an album that boasts a great arrangement of chariots of fire. the cool swoop at the beginning sounds so great, nevermind the production. i can't say enough about this trio. they are committed to the concept of ensemble, original music, creative takes on standard material from so many genres, and are delightful people to boot. ethan’s solo is so good, the way he weaves in and out of tonal centers while stutter stepping his phrases. the short fallout ending is fantastic; however, my favorite part is a double dip at 5:19. i’m digging on ethan's right hand as he scrambles upwards in search of a resolution while king joyously swings through the same break. as far as i'm concerned, t his band is where it’s at.

keith sweat i want her - make it last forever

i’ll admit – i own a copy of this on cassingle. i’ve never really understood the attraction to this guy, but have forced myself to endure repeated listens to all of his hits. i’m this way with sonny rollins and dexter gordon too… shhh. he sounds like a poor man’s version of that guy from cameo, who is (surprisingly enough) a julliard grad. this tune was the jam back in the day, so it was required material for school dances. i don't quite understand the obvious identity crisis between the sevens on the minor chord in the hook, but it works somehow. my favorite part is the “i want I want i want i want i want” at 2:05 in the top of the second chorus.

david berkman not a christmas song - handmade

i have had the pleasure to meet and play a couple of shows with david, a wonderfully fresh pianist and fun composer. this was his first album to make it into my grubby little paws. tom harrell is wonderful all over this thing, and brian blade sells me on each tune. this cut is representative of the consistent vibe throughout the entire album – thoughtful and in control. the trumpet solo is divine and delivered with clear tone, but the piano solo is my favorite part. i like the dry touch in the flitting sixteenth lines and how they unfurl into block ideas at 4:36 that eventually swing out.

frank sinatra the girl from ipanema

sinatra is a widely underrated musician. most folks think his powerful social life is fascinating (and it sure is) while looking past his musicianship. his time, his pitch, his delivery, his phrasing – all respectful and professional. this is an interesting album, simply titled francisco alberto sinatra & antonio carlos jobim. jobim sounds gorgeous on this cut, with his nylon guitar and cozy portugese. i like the stacked fourths in claus orgerman’s orchestration that follow the first a, and i fall for frank at 2:30 when he efficiently omits all of the “ands” early in the last a.

tina brooks true blue - true blue

my grad school buddy russ is a big audiophile. he knows every minute detail about every recording that has floated in front of him. he turned me on to tenor saxophonist tina brooks and gave me my first bootlegged cdr. this album is all gravy, and falls into that hard bop record bin that i never would have dug through. i'm into the catchy bass figure on this cut and love the way that tina froof froofs it as a call and response in the melody. my favorite part is at the top of tina’s blowing at 0:56. i really dig his long tone intro and the rhythmic displacement in the first four bars.

mf doom hoe cakes - mm...food

i bought this album with a gift card at the now defunct borders store down the street. i thought i was getting the latest mos def and somehow picked up this album. i soon realized that mf doom is beast. the samples are great and he keeps it real with low-fi treatment of his grooves. i like the rising bass part after “tattoo”, absolutely love the genius way the “s” rhythmically alludes to the full “super” sample, dig the line “never let her fry the ragu”, and am feeling those changes – so refreshing in contrast to most beat tracks that have no harmonic movement whatsoever. my favorite part of this track is where he places “kiss it”, just behind beat four at 1:55. brilliant record and killer mask.

my wife, the family breadwinner, played a four-week run of the uber-popular broadway show wicked. we got cheap front row tickets to the show, so the boys and I spent a saturday afternoon with both witches. we listened real hard for piccolo and flute riffs we had heard repeatedly from sonja’s practice sessions, but were bombarded with drums and keyboards. the best song hands-down, defying gravity, has the same type of ebb and flow i remember from teenage romantic encounters, giving me that old sentimental indigestion of yesteryear. the vocals are vibrant and the strength of the melodies is undeniable. i’m a sucker for “look to the western sky” from the green witch at 2:56 from this live performance at the 2004 tony awards. my family always lets me sing that part when we blast this track on family road trips.

adventureland

2012-01-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

here in iowa, we have an ass backwards reward system for successful jazz programs. bands learn 3 or 4 tunes early in the jazz band season, beat them into submission, place first or second place at select open invitationals, and earn a bid to the grand showcase event - the iowa jazz championships. my high school band made it my senior year. we played our set at 8:30 in the morning, sounded like rear end, took the group photo, and then screwed around the remainder of the day. we were encouraged to go hear other bands, but who's gonna do that when you've got a free day in the capital city?

a few of us did peel away in the late afternoon to hear a couple of bands from the big 4A conference. the final band of the afternoon was from sioux city and, rumor had it, they flaunted a world-class trumpeter. they took the stage, looking suave in their navy blue sport coats and uniformed grey slacks, and proceeded to blow the doors off the auditorium. holy smokes - this kid named ryan kisor was legit. he was playing stuff i had never heard before. i thought i was hot stuff back in high school, but i was immediately embarrassed and humiliated with my unfounded claims after hearing this guy. my friend brett laughed heartily and chided "this dude is way better than you, mikey!" i wanted to rearrange brett's face.

before we got on the bus to head home, i quickly jotted down my address on a mail-order form and gave the band mom the remaining $8 in my pocket in exchange for a cassette copy of the evening concert, starring this guy from northwest iowa. i listened to this tape over and over, still puzzled at what i was hearing. ryan has gone off to do quite well for himself. he unknowingly sent me a wake up call, an alarm that screamed the world will not wait for you to get your shit together.

great trumpet players are hard to find, and strong high brass sections can make or break your ensemble. trumpeters worth their salt usually cart along a sizable ego, often to the point of intolerability. fine fine fine - i know you can pop the triple whatever and hold it longer than anybody else, just don't be a jerk about it. this stereotype doesn't apply to all. plenty of my trumpet friends are the nicest guys i know.

i played keyboards with the des moines big band last night. the guest soloist for the event was ryan's kid brother, justin. he scored points right away with me by humbling introducing himself to the rhythm section. cool guy. he played solos and features all night long, methodically lining them up and knocking them out like a bruce lee fight scene. he was very gracious, looked like a million bucks, and resisted the urge to do any grandstanding. all the high notes were simply part of the line, and the blitzkrieg of 32nd notes were only out of necessity. there was nothing showy in justin's game, although he would occasionally hint at what was in store like a street vendor slipping open his jacket to show off the glittering watch collection. he also won over all the hearts in the room by playing a blues with his four-year-old son.

i've never been drawn to trumpeters or jazz music per se, but justin really put it on some folks last night. a measure of a musician is often reflected in the level of those working with him. the guys in the band really ramped up their playing, and justin drove that bus all the way home. every time i hear a good trumpeter do their thing, i remember that episode from the cosby show when dizzy blew his cheeks out for rudy. and lord have mercy... lisa bonet was slamming back in the day.

teenage dream

2012-01-22T16:31:00.000-08:00

i was a big dallas cowboys fan when i was a kid. i mean, come on - they were america's team. i was easy to shop for, always begging for more cowboys gear. i used to run around the neighborhood with my paper bag slung over my shoulder, stick a copy of the creston news advertiser into a door handle, leap off that old guy's front porch and put a crazy tony dorsett spin move on the invisible defensive back while i made my away across their yard to the next house.

dwight clark and his moment in the sun nearly killed me. i later became a bears fan (and am the proud owner of the super bowl shuffle on lp). once they began to stink, i kinda gave up on pro football. chris carter and randy moss sparked my interest again while we lived in minneapolis, and i have toughed it out with my vikings through thick and thin ever since (pretty thin as of late, even with adrian peterson).

i casually watch football during the playoffs. i don't have a dog in the fight, but am still drawn to the action on the gridiron. the play-by-play guys are great. i like joe buck, son of the man who narrated my childhood summers. his broadcast partner is cowboy superstar, hall of fame quarterback, and rent-a-center pitchman troy aikman. the rapport between these two guys is great. i'm continuously impressed with troy's style and content, concussions and all.

he had a great line during his interview the other day on the dan patrick show. paraphrased, he said that every parent thinks their kid is the best player out there. their son should be the qb, the one with the ball when it counts, the boy taking the shot downfield with the game on the line.

both of my boys play basketball, and we are in the throws of it this time of year. the testosterone inside these noisy gyms flows heavier than the hot fudge river in those old school dairy queen commercials. parents bark at their kids to knock down that jumper with three defenders in their face, yell at the refs when a foul is called on their child, and choke back the profanities when their son gets hacked taking the ball to the rack. the anxiety that i feel while perched on those uncomfortable bleachers runs down the faces of most of these middle school ballers. quite the social study.

i like to defer to other players when doing a gig. the music doesn't always benefit from me taking some long solo. i have had the luxury of being both in front of a group as a saxophonist and part of the trio as a jazz pianist. i understand the ego that goes with being the horn player, and have also shared some eye-rolling with fellow rhythm section guys. my teacher back in college told me to think compositionally. i'm always trying to assess on a gig where we are at musically, and how i can best contribute. a band i was in back in the twin cities did a live recording at this cool place in chicago. the best tune of the set was a free improvisation at the end of the night. man, it sounded so cool. the guitarist was in top form, the electronics guy was pulling out all the stops, and the drummer was accentuating all the right things. when the tune was over and the applause died down, i realized that i hadn't played one note.

i'm trying hard to not get in the way of creative space. another teacher from college always preached "serve the music". my kid's basketball coach harps to his squad about taking our shot, not your shot. i understand that, at times, it's probably best if i take a solo, and that often lines up with my desire to create with my friends. however, i try to stay dialed in to the instantaneous development of the flow of ideas and quickly decide how best to participate.

and for the record, simon is getting all ball on those blocks. that other kid falls over because he's a sissy. and while we're at it, kale is getting hacked every time he drives the lane. you jokers just won't call it. he's only in 6th grade, but i won't hesitate to put on his uniform. again...

melatonin, fuzzy blankets, and infomercials

2012-01-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

insomnia sucks. everyone i've met that battles this would agree. it's definitely not funny; but then again, neither was the show from comedian dave attell on comedy central with the themed title and ironic programming slot. have you seen his latest show? mom & dad, do NOT click on that link. interesting stuff, but you've gotta hoodwink directv into giving you showtime free (i'm not paying for this, right?)

shutting down my brain is a tough gig. i'm up most nights with worry, wonder, and indigestion. i ponder musical ideas, peer in on my kids as they sleep (creepy, eh?), think about death, rehash the family budget, rifle through online ads knowing full well i'll never buy anything, feel guilty about my practice routine (or lack thereof), pee a thousand times, stare out the front window and watch the world in its slumber.

one of the perks of my nightly battle is the opportunity to hear a bunch of new music. not necessarily new, but shuffled and dealt to my headphones by my iTunes library. listening to music is the best, and sometimes my hectic life doesn't clear out chunks of time for me to sit back and soak up interesting and different and often times wonderful music. i've always got time for halloween, alaska or tyondai braxton but need to continue hipping my spirit to stuff from today and yesteryear.

the as-i'm-writing-and-editing-this playlist
* kronos quartet rachell's weepinge - early music
* nat king cole the late, late show
* erroll garner you're blase - body & soul
* the books we bought the flood - the way out
* tower of power what is hip? - soul vaccination
* spaghetti western string co. luna marinara - quiet mob
* orange then blue aline oro - hold the elevator
* marvin gaye i heard it through the grapevine
* miles davis quintet well you needn't - steamin'
* louis armstrong blueberry hill
* ralph alessi, michael caine, peter epstein egg - circa
* michael lowenstern 1985 - 1985
* the bad plus dirty blonde - give
* uri caine variation 18, canon at the 6th - the goldberg variations
* james taylor, yo yo ma, edgar meyer, mark o'connor hard times come again no more - appalachian journey
* george schuller's circle wide rotation - like before, somewhat after
* grant green & bobby hutcherson django - idle moments
* matthew shipp zx-1 - nu bop
* hank mobley chain reaction - straight, no filter
* the monteverdi choir fair and fair - britten's spring symphony
* antonio carlos jobim tema de amor de gabriela - the man from ipanema
* mel lewis jazz orchestra make me smile - featuring the music of bob brookmeyer
* bjork sun in my mouth - vespertine
* abbey lincoln conversation with a baby - wholly earth
* dave douglas catalyst - strange liberation
* mark anthony turn age cut up - blood on the floor
* pat metheny group montevideo - quartet
* elmo hope trio like someone in love - the master takes
* paul motian trio one in three - 2000 & one

my weapon of choice

my back will tighten up today while i sit in the bleachers at yet another weekend basketball tournament. i'll feel like eating comfort food at odd hours. my eyelids will weigh a ton. i'll oscillate between punch drunk happiness and mild apathy. and in the wee small hours of the morning,
my brain will sure as shootin' be firing on all cylinders.

you're thinking "hey man. you posted this in the middle of the day. that doesn't count as insomnia, silly." folks - i'm no sucker. successful writing is a combination of creative thought and correct grammar. proofreading at 3:44 a.m. with fuzzy eyesight, a contorted position on the couch, and hallucinating weariness is not a healthy combo for giving myself the stamp of approval that would pass mr. lippold's blood red grading sickle back in english class. he wouldn't go for my liberal use of parenthesis and no capital letters.

friday the 13th

2012-01-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

i threw together a playlist of tunes whose titles eerily accessorize today's unofficial holiday. check out the real time reviews and, to all of the paraskevidekatriaphobics
out there, swim at your own risk...

1. voodoo - sonny clark memorial quartet. great piano work from wayne horvitz. not expecting ray drummond on this album. he's a good fit for this tune. my hero john zorn playing melodies/parts in the pocket, proving that he is more than a loose musical cannon. love me some bobby previte, especially the duo record with zorn titled (appropriately enough) euclid's nightmare. the sound is transparent, and everyone gets a taste. zorn plays a killer solo, sweet jesus. pyrotechnic chops open up the dialogue between he & himself.

2. lucky - human chain. i love django bates. what a creative wiz. i got this album for 50 cents at a bookstore in laramie, wyoming. of course nobody there wanted it. this tune needs a paul simon voiceover. i can't really tell what the instruments are here. all i know is that this sounds awesome.

3. friday the 13th - the microscopic septet. listen to all of those saxophones! cool sticking and quartet playing. the core slowly releases methodically into open blowing. nice little swing out of the horn collage. drop into half time, offering up several flavors in this arrangement. a bit much?

4. lucky for her - john scofield. tons of my friends are big sco fans. i like this record a lot. my wife actually went out and bought this after we saw this band live. a bunch of guitar effects with sco blowing over it. reverse line-6 green box? not a lot going on harmonically, but who cares.

5. lucky you - love-cars. what a great rock band. king & the usual suspects on the minneapolis scene, doing their thing.
love-cars is a fresh sound on a beleaguered rock & roll sonic canvas. leave it to james diers to weave "a kool-aid smile" and a james brown reference into the same track.

6. sonja's nightmare - paolo fresu. great harmon trumpet sound, and cool site. such a gorgeous combination of piano and accordion. so intimate and detailed. groups like this need more attention. and there's your picardy third. i'm sure that my wife's nightmares sound nothing like this.
they are probably full of me bitching about money.

7. voodoo child - jimi hendrix. the inimitable opening guitar riff. funny - i've got the incense burning while this booms through my headphones. jimi of course sounds incredible. his guitar solo is arbitrarily panning around in the mix, making it even more psychedelic. i wish people would do jimi a big favor and not play this tune. just let it breathe on its own.

8. friday the 13th - steve lacy & mal waldron. this is a cool album from a longstanding duo. steve tops the list of soprano saxophonists and monk interpreters. both are in fine form here. mal doesn't waver and steve is clean and calculated.

9. hitchcock - russ lossing. these chicago cats meld classical and avant garde jazz on this hathut album. how about that big bass solo out of john hebert! beautiful sound and strong rapport betwixt the two. nice finish.

10. weird nightmare - elvis costello. somehow this guy scored diana krall, so i guess there's hope for all of us. this cut is from the hal willner presents series, featuring chuck d, keith richards, henry rollins, and an all-star cast of downtown jazzers. eerie bell chime things (hello harry partch) at the top. elvis is perfect for this treatment of the mingus gem. my kids saw elvis on jimmy fallon and innocently asked if he sounded the same when he was younger.

11. nightmares - clipse. too much neojazzsoul crooning from bilal. clipse has great time and impeccable delivery, plus pharrell is behind this track. "i'm leonardo, catch me if you can". gimme more flow and less singing. seriously, "p-noid"?

12. superstition - stevie wonder. damn, stevie was 22 when he dropped this masterpiece album. i often worry where music would be if it weren't for stevie wonder. creative songwriting that doesn't repeat itself, and superb vocals.
the clav, the moog, the horns, and stevie on drums!

13. a nightmare on my street - dj jazzy jeff & the fresh prince. now we're talking. i used to have this poster up in room. jeff killed it and prince was personality plus. ready rock c brought the terror vocals to life on my cassette version of this album. i still remember all the lyrics.

if it feels good, do it

2012-01-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

i've been shackled with a not-so-cool stomach bug the past
few days. funny how these things jump into your body mysteriously, run roughshod through your digestive system, and tear outta there with nasty exit wounds. the only thing
i felt like doing (minus the obvious) was catching up on my newsweek magazines. i canceled my teaching, sadly backed out of a gig with my new favorite band, and even stayed away from facebook. the recipe for recovery was my comfy minnesota timberwolves blanket, some chicken soup, and a bunch of past episodes of storage wars that i had stashed away on my dvr.

after sleeping with one eye open, quarantined in my oldest son's bed and serenaded by the obnoxious jt the brick, i awoke feeling better. the dynamite weather we were having was added encouragement. i went to the building for a lesson with a kid dynamo sophomore at the local high school. i hadn't played my horn in two weeks. the only physical activity i had engaged in was cautiously scaling the stairs around the house.
i probably should have bagged the lesson, but the kid is cool and is getting ready for an audition. hey - i'm a softy.

i nervously put my horn together in front of him, certain that he was going to kick my butt all over the office as we worked through an etude and some aebersold play-a-longs. he sounded great, and i felt fantastic!!! so weird... the horn felt good in my face. the lowering of my shoulders helped me get centered. the forward motion of my air as it moved through the instrument felt as if i was expunging the demonic virus that plagued me. i was borderline understanding the oral fixation that alice coltrane claimed her husband had.

i play the saxophone because i'm best at that instrument than any other. i have no real allegiance to it, but i do love my horn and mouthpiece and care compassionately for my reeds. i don't listen to a lot of saxophone and don't really study the history of the instrument either. however, i love the way it feels when i play it. improvising on my saxophone is an incredible sensation. hearing what i just played rattling around in my ears while strategically crafting new ideas is euphoric. the designs and visualizations in my brain that i try to translate into musical terms compete for headspace, and i often play traffic controller to my fingers to help them steer clear of catastrophe. all the while, i attempt to keep my heart open, my head clear, and my thoughts pure.

i'd hate to think i need the hershey squirts again to remind me of my appreciation for the physical aspects of making music. one thing's for sure - i made my contribution to the mr. whipple retirement fund this week. you're welcome.

top ten for two thousand eleven

2012-01-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

here is my gratuitous list of ten things i discovered in 2011 that made it a super awesome año. in no particular order...

i don't watch too many movies. i'm a professed tightwad, can't figure out how to run my blu-ray player, and have troubles sitting through a two hour flick anyway. the wife and i occasionally see stuff in the cheap theater, and knocked out a bunch on our trans-continental flights. we rented

get low from the local redbox this summer, and it was the best movie i saw. robert duvall, bill murray, and sissy spacek were fantastic in this invigoratingly fresh story about a hermit who stages his own funeral. the massive undertaking required to make a motion picture inspires me to tackle smaller music projects. i am also aware of the various emotional and sensory spots a film can touch upon, and try to figure out how to weave that parallel technique into my music.

this summer, my oldest son tried out for (and made) a traveling club basketball squad. he is now the proud member of the iowa wolves which, as it turns out, has several different packs of players in both genders and multiple grade levels. simon and his buddy ben are the only two from their school, and the other eight teammates are from all across the state. the vibe is super positive and encouraging, trickling down from the coaches to the ballers and even to their parents. the sense of community is strong amongst all parties. it's been great watching these young men give their all every minute that they log for the team, reminding me that i need to be "all in" whenever i pick up my horn.

ever since i got started up with p90x, my favorite workout has been the yoga routine (90 minutes...uggh). i have picked up other various yoga dvds through beachbody and other companies. i feel great every time i finish a yoga sequence. i remember a guy from bang on a can all-stars mentioning that everyone at some point should practice yoga. i'm definitely not a whiz, but i'm becoming more flexible and take less time to get to my chi balanced. the breathing exercises definitely help my playing and the clarity achieved through mental focus is just what the doctor ordered before i improvise or write music.

my grandma fry died this summer. she was a wonderful woman with so much spunk and vitality. her passing provided me an opportune moment to reflect on her spirit and worldliness, both undeniably strong characteristics that i want to further develop in my own personality. i wasn't able to be there for the funeral (super long story), so i recorded a couple of hymns for the service instead. playing solo saxophone from my heels in one take reminded me that making music is not always about the details and right vs. wrong. it's about living, a lesson that bev fry still teaches me today.

i'm thankful for all of the musical opportunities i have had. the rise and fall of the 3x5, adventures in chicago, summer camp stuff, international performances, sitting in with simon estes, working with great students, shaking the trees with contemporary classical chamber music, and my recent work with john/karl/nick in workshop. throughout these experiences,

i have learned that a) i'm lucky to be able to do music professionally, b) participating in creative music is very important to me, c) the people with whom i do this are more important, and d) try not to take shit personally.

i think i found my new girlfriend. gretchen parlato is the best thing i've heard this year. the tracks she has put out go on repeat in my ipod, especially butterfly by herbie from "in a dream" and that simply red old school jam holding back the years from "the lost and found". yeah, she's pretty.

and yeah, she sings with a thin (and unsupported?) sound.

but yeah, she phrases so beautifully, collaborates with a myriad of interesting musical forces, and is steadily doing adventurous arrangements. doesn't hurt that she's photogenic.

my good friend joel ponied up a bunch of his own rain barrel money to help sponsor the newest halloween, alaska album (which kills) on kickstarter. in exchange for joel's right arm, he received a masterclass of sorts with their drummer dave king in exchange for his contribution. king is such an incredible player, colorful mind, and really genuine guy. he is literally enchanting, which sounds goofy, but those of you who have hung with the man himself know what i'm talking about. he spoke about topics that spanned from creative improvising to techy drum stuff to hilarious stories about random experiences. occasionally i need defibulators applied to my musical chest. this clinic with king resuscitated me.

writing is therapeutic for me and helps me document how my brain works. i'm not naive enough to think that legions of people are reading my musings, but solidifying ideas that i could never remember helps me form solid opinions and strengthen my philosophies. i've eulogized cultural icons, covered the nba draft, discussed osama bin laden, found parallels in professional wrestling, and have reminded myself why i like music. this past year has definitely been my most prolific. if you have the itch put your thoughts down, i'm here to tell you that it is well worth it. amateur tips i have learned? read your blog out loud, be sure to proof your writing, less is more, and never publish after a long night of composing. thanks to those of you that read this thing...

i finally took charge of my mental health (and let me tell you, it costs way the hell more than five cents). my guy is the best. he has helped me figure out how my head works, suggests readings that i sort of read but really pay attention to when he is talking about it, and is helping me (along with some good meds) unravel this mess inside of my head. the roller coaster is outstanding for being creative but can also be a nightmare in everyday life. once i figure out how to run full throttle artistically while managing to be a tolerable person in the meantime, the sky's the limit.

i love traveling. the wife and i spent a month gallivanting across europe. the family road tripped for a month out west. the four of us tackled numerous week-long sojourns around the u.s. seeing different people while staying in different places amongst different cultures while eating different foods makes me constantly reconsider the way i live. a life chock full of experiences and subsequent surprises makes for an exciting one. my crew is down for whatever, whenever, making us the best globetrotters this side of harlem. survival techniques we have gleaned throughout the years include; don't plan too far ahead, bring mix tapes that everyone will like, omit soda pop and fried foods, pack extra underwear and comfortable shoes, be sure your camera has batteries, snag a magnet wherever you go, and remember that cash spends slower.

the giddy vol. 4 - the christmas edition

2011-12-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

what could be better than christmas music? here are my favorite moments from the best stuff on the planet...

brian mcknight home for the holidays - bethlehem

i kid you not - the byline for this photo claims that brian can "sing your mother out of her panties". no thanks. he's got a great voice and an equally good ear, doing work with his family from take 6 and banging out tunes on the piano. i don't really care for the entire album, but this track is fun. i like the organ and could use more volume in the backs when the parts split in the chorus. i can't resist doing the air cue when the drums come in up front, but my favorite part is the synth brass part in the chorus, occurring first at 1:00.

whitney houston do you hear what i hear - a very special christmas

make no mistake about it - girlfriend can turn it out. early whitney (you know, before she got all coked out with the king of r&b) is some of the best pop stuff out there. her voice is so easy and clear, and she's got that bottom jaw vibrato thing mastered. i like the drag snare figure that persists throughout and dig the key change you can see from a mile away. her ad libs are wonderful. my favorite part on this track is at 2:12, when i don my choir robe and sing "peace" with the background singers smack dab on beat 2.

take 6 & stevie wonder o thou that tellest good tidings to zion

this is seriously one of the most amazing recordings of music that i have ever heard. the ears on these guys are unfathomable, and our hero steveland morris wrecks shop on lead vocals. take 6 sounds ridiculous here, with incredibly smooth voice leading and clever hemiolas. their phrasing is impeccable, providing a backdrop from which stevie can absolutely dominate. this track, from the quincy jones handel's messiah cornucopia of r&b artists, possesses so many wonderful moments. i appreciate the dynamic contours in the backs, love the reverb on the snaps, lip sync the "ooh-ah, ah-ooh", dig the scoops, but get my mind blown by stevie with a lick that starts at 3:17 and finishes with a swallowed angst-riddled belt at 3:24. it gets no better, folks.

bruce springsteen santa claus is coming to town - my hometown

i remember first hearing this on Q102 while jamming out in my cracker box bedroom. i convinced my dad to drive me to the store so i could buy this single on 45 with my paper route money. this particular cut began my infatuation with live recordings. i'm not a big bruce springsteen fan per se (but my kids turned me on to this video about the boss). the jingle bells are a nice touch, the snare on 4 up front feels good, and the dynamic drop at 3:09 is cool, but my favorite part hits at 3:49 when bruce is so overcome with the giggles that he can't finish the last riff into the out chorus.

frank sinatra jingle bells

this cut is a favorite of our family. simon and sonja danced together by christmas light one memorable evening, and it was the most precious thing i have witnessed. i like frank just fine, but we are collectively more into the background singers. i like the wordless back lines they sing after the second verse, and dig frank's swing feel in the chorus that follows, but our favorite part happens at 1:33 when frank joins the singers as they spell out the title of the tune.

andrea bocelli adeste fidelis - my christmas

this dude kills. we heard this version of the holiday staple last december while we sat through the credits of that jim carrey 3d animation movie. andrea sounds tremendous, and my favorite part hands down is the high f# he sings for 24 (!!!) seconds. i spread my arms out wide and try to sing along, but a) don't sound near as good, b) can't hold my arms out for that long, and c) need an oxygen tank by the end.

hall & oates it came upon a midnight clear - home for christmas

i would be forever elated if i could sing like daryl hall (and would shoot myself in the face if i looked like john oates, especially post trademark mustache). this pair of pop music sensations have become caricatures of themselves, their legend strengthening in an underground fashion, but there is absolutely no denying how prolific they were and continue to be. i was overwhelmed with joy and had to sit down in the worn out couch at the public library when i noticed that they have a christmas album. i love the acoustic guitar, the egg shaker, the reverb, and the string orchestra. this is the type of arrangement that makes impossible for me to hear this tune any other way. my favorite part is the way that daryl hall flips into his falsetto at 1:39. so tender, so intimate, so perfect for that spot in the tune.

my sister and i grew up listening to this record overdriving the speakers on our parents' modest stereo every holiday season. my favorite singer of all time is dolly parton (with bjork and nat cole tied for second place), and both she and kenny sing their tails off all over this album. i dig this track in particular, although i'll agree that the video is pretty corny. the best part hits at 2:44 when the backup vocals appear out of nowhere and push that sus chord out of its displacement and into the denouement before the hook revs back up. i literally held my breath while watching this video the first time, wondering as the time elapsed in the progress bar if the clip would last long enough to get to that spot.

want more giddy? volume 1 volume 2 volume 3

over and over and over again

2011-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

i believe in establishing continuity in my music while pushing my creative envelope tirelessly. i am ok with constantly retreading my musical path, but not at the expense of chasing new ideas. i have certain sounds that i like from particular musical sources. i’m not big on learning patterns and licks because, seriously, who cares that you memorized a formula in all 12 keys and are ready to pull the trigger at any moment. however, i am intrigued with various intervals and the design of improvised lines, so i may try to cop the gist of something and infuse it into my playing. i continue to attempt balancing spontaneity through improvisation while codifying my own vocabulary. bean, bird, and trane all did this.

i also think it’s valuable for bands to pound out the same landmarks in the set list. this marketing tactic gives people something to look forward to and keeps them engaged. when pat metheny took his 99-00 trio out, they started most gigs with bright size life. fans of the bad plus waited impatiently for the power trio to play their rendition of smells like teen spirit by nirvana. a quartet i led in college would always close each gig with mo’ better blues, signaling the end of the show. pop/rock acts often suffer from this beast that they built. bob seger was just in town, and i’m sure the crowd wouldn’t let him leave until he busted out old time rock and roll (and probably slipped him a sucret when he graveled his way through we've got tonight).

christmas around our house is full of tradition. we run the same annual protocol when we decorate the crib for the holidays, yet manage to work in a new wrinkle or two to break the monotony. first thing's first - we make our way out to flowerama, pick out a good looking tree, snap a picture with it, then try to jam it into the back of our stationwagon.

then we put on some christmas hats, crank the holiday jams, open up the big green tubs of ornaments, and go to town.

next, we assemble our willow tree nativity collection on top of our china hutch while talking over the story of christmas (mary, joseph, and them other jokers). the real fun starts afterwards, trying to remember which animals go in which box.

when the weather is cooperating, me and the boys hang up lights all over the outside of our house. each year, we augment our display with the least tacky item we can agree on. this year, we picked up an inflatable elf and nailed him to the front of our house. score one for the kids.

we're a quirky family, building our foundation on keeping inside jokes, possessing memories like elephants, and never getting rid of dilapidated decorations. the singing penguins are my favorite. they are a mix of dollar general and schoenberg. dig the shifting tonal centers! we won this trio at a faculty christmas party. people usually regift stuff like this at the next holiday soiree, but not us. that would erode the very core of who we are. enjoy...

the giddy vol. 3.

2011-12-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

freddie hubbard hoe down - blues & the abstract truth

what a great tune!!! i'm an eric dolphy nut and went through a period where i was gobbling up every audio treat i could find. the lineup on this record is fascinating (evans, haynes, pc, oliver), and freddie hubbard's blue collar trumpet playing plays the foil to my hero. this tune is often the stepchild to the popular stolen moments, yet is undoubtedly the best chart on the set. my favorite part showcases freddie's persistent pursuit of the line as he pushes into his second chorus at 1:16. he knocks, knocks, knocks, and won't be denied as he kicks down the door to a 9 bar lick stacked with vintage hard bop vocab. eric's alto solo that follows is delightfully urgent. this album is a must have.

guillermo klein miula - filtros

i stumbled upon this record through my perusings of do the math, the blogging podium for pianist ethan iverson. i admire the bad plus, respect ethan's knowledge, and follow his threads when i can. this band is chock full of great players (cheek, monder, mchenry, zenon, ballard) which made it even more alluring. i'm not big into latin music, but this record kills. my favorite part follows the trombone solo at 3:53 with a 7/4 pointillistic that does some taffy pull metronomic modulation (that i still don't understand) for about 45 seconds. i dig that it makes musical sense and is not stuck in there for the "hey look, i can do snazzy things with counting that you ain't up on" effect.

wynton marsalis chelsea bridge - tony bennett sings ellington

i bought the this tony bennett album strictly for educational purposes, and was pleasantly surprised when i noticed that one of my favorite tunes had made the list. chelsea bridge is full of great harmonies, reeking of strayhorn. i was all geared up to hear tony croon with orchestra on this gorgeous number, yet became struck with an ill tummy when i heard the polarizing wynton marsalis plunging his way through the melody. he's a tremendous trumpeter but can be a real ass. nonetheless, he sounds incredible on this cut. great pitch, unparalleled control, stylistically on point. my favorite part is the way he finishes the form proper at 3:13 by going all 8va on it. i could live without the gritty cadenza that follows soon thereafter, so i usually race back to my stereo and hit stop before that part. childish, i know, but hey...

hank mobley remember - soul station

hank sure does have the smoothest sound. so even, so calculated. it took me forever to get into his playing. i'm not a big fan of the era from which he hails, because the tunes were always a big turnoff. one of my private students (who can really blow) turned me on to this record, and this tune in particular. hank sounds great on the whole side. it's rare for me to have listened to an entire album. usually i get buried in the first couple of cuts, which is where this track lies. my favorite part is the way that he wraps around to the top of the next chorus at 1:31. hank mobley is the billy dee williams of tenor saxophone.

frank morgan all the things you are - major changes

my folks are not music people. my mom is a retired lunch lady who loves the beatles, probably equally for their singable tunes and their cutesy mop top haircuts. my dad is a retired truck driver who made us listen to financial advice from talk show legend bruce williams that he had recorded on cassette. nobody in my family stuck the silver spoon of music in my mouth, so there was a high level of aimless energy when i expressed significant interest in playing music. my parents were in omaha one weekend, popped into a record store to buy me a poster of a saxophone and heard this album on the speakers. my mom picked it up, brought it home, and put it on the record player. i fell in love with frank's sound, yearning and searching while fighting back the tears of heartache. my favorite moment on this cut occurs at 4:51 on the out head. i love the way frank gets to the high E. i do the bridge this way every time i play the tune, tipping my cap to frank morgan (and no, this guy is not the wizard of oz).

dave douglas penelope - the infinite

musically speaking, i think dave douglas may have saved my life. i first heard him on in our lifetime and myra melford's above blue, then witnessed him soon thereafter at the sanctuary with his string quartet (feldman, friedlander, cohen, sarin). his originality was the final nail in my coffin, ultimately convincing me that there was something appealing about improvised music. he is a creative windstorm, although sometimes over saturated with projects (most of which i sponsor with my hard earned bucks). this album is an homage to miles, and this tune fuses two tunes (miles runs the voodoo down and boplicity) into one. i dig the way uri caine's rhodes blankets the background. my favorite moment rears its head at 3:05 when, after the band concludes the first statement of the cool melody, dave drives out of the history books and into a refreshing new edition of jazz music.

i felt like i had finally struck gold when i first heard bruce hornsby. his piano playing has the type of clarity that i prefer, and the tunes had just enough feel-good country vibe with musical twists. his vocals were always cool, and the harmonies fit my falsetto fine and dandy. this is one of his lesser known tunes, in the shadows of the way it is (and the subsequent tupac track). i played and sang this tune for swing choir auditions in high school. why didn't someone stop me? the video here leaves a lot to be desired, including jack nicholson behind the kit, the phony clarinet solo, the dx-7, and bruce's cuffed sleeves. nonetheless, my favorite part surfaces at 3:50 when bruce bangs out those four As back to back (belly to belly, it's a zombie jamboree!!!)

the giddy vol. 1 the giddy vol. 2

by the hair on our chinny chin chin

2011-11-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

i just finished my annual pilgrimage to chicago. i had another opportunity to collaborate with my friend and vocal virtuoso marcya daneille (watch the pronunciation, y'all). last year's show featured the world's finest trombonist wycliffe gordon and, even though he played his buns off, the tunes lacked cohesion. our rehearsals were all jacked up, and most of us were intimidated by wynton's right hand man. i was looking forward to another stab at marcya's project.

i had done some arranging for marcya, treating ellington, rihanna, shirley horn, jill scott, and autumn leaves.
ted brewer, bassist with the late art porter, was a familiar face. this show also featured the chicago tenor saxophonist and rising star chris greene. maurice cotton brought both a gospel-infused jazz piano style and his drumming cousin terrence pettigrew down from milwaukee. friday's rehearsal got started a couple hours late and was initially drenched in that drama, but quickly switched into a nice vibe. it became obvious that each of us offered a unique musical talent. we were definitely behind the eight ball going into saturday's sound check, but i was comfortable knowing that the musicianship was strong enough to give it the old college try.

my charts used a bunch of mixed meters and odd transitions, presenting significant challenges when paired with our tight turnaround. we hit our soundcheck, and it was obvious that terrence had shed the recordings of the tunes with maurice. that alone made us all feel worlds better about the show to follow. ted's stage presence was uplifting, marcya's excitement was infectious, and chris oozed professionalism. one of the band members told me that, with some spit and polish, we can make this a great show. they were right.

backstage before the hit was collegial, with all the guys in the band swapping jokes, sharing snaps of their kids, taping parts, and whirling through their phones while scarfing down veggies and chugging a box o' joe. the folks at the show brought some extra energy to the hall. marcya lit up the stage with her special spark. we were excited about playing the tunes, including a hank mobley original and some feel good gospel charts. of course it all worked out, once again proving that age old formula that good musicians + great material + even better people is often the secret to success.

the giddy vol. 2

2011-11-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

father mc - everything's gonna be alright

i don't know any other work from this fella, and wouldn't have stumbled across him if it weren't for my closet infatuation with the 90s thug r&b group jodeci (whatever happened to these guys?). i dig how he references third bass with his "steppin' to the a.m." line. this jam sits squarely atop that famous sugar hill gang bass line, giving it a feel good house party vibe. father mc drops the hook "do that dance do that dance" early in the chart, and is joined by my boys jodeci in the second go round. my favorite part is the adlib by k-ci at 2:02. man, jodeci used to kill it back in the day.

pat metheny bright size life - bright size life

i still can't wrap my head around the fact that he is only 21 on this debut. i like the country pop jazz feel of this tune. metheny sports a mary poppins costume as he slips his sophisticated harmonic language and technical prowess down your throat by coating it with a comfortable accessibility. the open drumming from bob moses sounds great here, but the incomparable jaco pastorius (dig the postcards) makes the record for me. his fretlesss bass playing is so wonderful, and i find myself adoringly clutching my heart every time i hear him. my favorite part comes at the top of the second chorus of his solo at 3:05 when he percussively straightens out his line from the first bar.

p.m. singers johnny one note - jubilee

phil mattson was my first teacher of any real consequence. i studied vocal jazz (believe it or not) in my early collegiate years at a community college literally in my own backyard. in hindsight, i am incredibly fortunate that ironbutt pulled into my hometown on his harley. i was instantly surrounded by accomplished singers and jazz choir nerds from all across north america. phil's artistry and pursuit of musical truth, although maybe lost on me at the time, reside within me today. i am drawn to many of his charts, but have a particular fondness for the clever treatment of the corny johnny one note. the band is sort of sloppy throughout the recording, but my favorite part is their line when they hit the tag at 2:41, once the singers belt a strident "out loud".

maria schnieder green piece - evanescence

i checked out this album from the iowa city public library back in graduate school. i'm admittedly not a big band diehard, so i had a doubting eyebrow raised when i slid this cd in the stereo. i was so relieved to hear the musical creativity oozing through my headphones. i'll cast my mvp vote for tenor saxophonist rick margitza (he is amazing on my lament). runner up is pianist kenny werner, who fires off my favorite part at 5:52. his persisting octaves over the Csus pedal at the bottom of the 1st chorus push him into a winding eighth note line that unfurls a joyous conclusion.

first call & wayne watson medley - an evening in december

i sang a kick butt arrangement by david maddux of "the first noel" back in college. i liked it so much, i bought the book of charts and the recording that accompanied it. the whole album is fantastic (of course it is... christmas music!!!), and one of the highlights for me is o little town of bethlehem. contemporary christian vocalist wayne watson (who used to rock the kenny loggins look) turns it out on the final tune of this medley. my favorite part shows up at 4:04 when he holds out "emmanuel", waiting for the ensemble settle into the cadence before rubbing on some gorgeous vibrato.

al jarreau my favorite things - tenderness

al jarreau is a weird dude. this pic looks like he's in the middle of devouring a big mac. his voice is definitely an acquired taste, but he has managed to create a sizable career for himself. he does a great caricature of miles davis' solo on the jon hendricks record "freddie freeloader". i get a kick out of hearing he and opera diva kathleen battle do a live version of the rodgers & hammerstein classic and get energized when i hear michael brecker kick down the door with his tenor saxophone solo. i like the way he adds his trademark throat growl to a long tone in the second chorus, but my favorite part is the gentle finish to his solo on the major 7 at 2:33. if there were only some way to get al to quit doing that shimmy voice thing at the same time...

pharrell has his hands all over the more successful and harmonically interesting hip hop music of today. working with a who's who of artists (snoop, kanye, gwen, jt & clipse), skateboard p can rub shoulders up against whomever he pleases. i especially like his tunes, either as a solo artist or in the band n*e*r*d. this track comes from "the neptunes presents ... clones", which boasts a laundry list of famous rap cameos. jay-z (a frequent collaborator with phar-real) shows up on this track and delivers my favorite part at 2:56 with the line "denzelin' acting like you ain't appealing when you are." for the record, jamie cullum needs his teeth knocked out.

11.11.11

2011-11-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

i knew this girl back in high school that would get uber excited when the clock hit 11:11. she would always tell me "make a wish" and i would always think "i wish you would get your feet off the dashboard. they look disgusting". for the record, she was a sweetheart with some jacked up digits from doing too much en pointe ballet. somehow, her plea for me to share in her numerical dreamtime has remained stuck in my head ever since. well guess what angie - today is your lucky day. instead of wishing that we would stay together forever despite all types of weather even a hurricane, i've opted to assemble my dream band. this fantasy ensemble of mine will play original material that we organize collectively. the criteria - everybody needs to still be alive and willing to rehearse.

prince - guitar

okay, so he's probably the busiest and most recluse of all these guys. he's a terrific guitarist and can definitely solo. plus, i like where his ears are. the shape of his tunes, the breadth of his compositions, and his collaborations with clare fischer set him apart from all other pop stars. how great would it be to have him in the band as a player!?!?

craig taborn - keyboards

he's got both the acoustic and electronic bags together. i especially like his stuff with tim berne and can't get enough of his album junk magic. he's got that groove thing figured out with potter's underground band. his time is deep and his ideas all encompassing. plus, he plays celeste.

ikue mori - electronics

i learned of ikue through her extensive discography on tzadik and collaborations with john zorn, dave douglas, and evan parker. i haven't the foggiest idea how she creates and manipulates her sounds, but am taken by their inimitability.

mark turner - tenor saxophone

his sound is wholesome, absorbent. i'd be willing to part with my eye teeth to spend a moment inside of mark turner's musical voice. my favorite records include in this world and the stuff he did with kurt. i got lost driving to a jazz festival that i was supposed to adjudicate, literally because i was entranced by one of his solos on an enrico rava album.
i missed the first band, but nourished my soul.

cuong vu - trumpet

my first exposure to cuong was through his work with chris speed. he has this jekyll & hide act down pat, luring you close with a pure sound, then smacking you up sideways with an aggressive and angst-riddled burst. i love the quartet, admire the compositional use of the electronics, and saw a great show at the walker with he & the lovely myra melford. two points to sonja for sitting through that.

me'shell ndegeocello - bass

she's got great tunes, most featuring a killer bass vibe and this irresistible sprechstimme. her songs have a certain poignancy that i can't refute, and my favorite is her duo effort with marcus miller. rush over is the chestnut on the soundtrack to love jones, a movie i've never seen but an album i've spun a million times. and that bald head ... whew

dave king - drums

what can i say... king is the man with the midas touch. very inspirational, a glorious musician, hilarious, approachable, the real deal holyfield. i am infatuated with bands like the bad plus, love cars, gang font, dave king trucking company, happy apple, and halloween, alaska. he's my first call for this dream band, and we don't play if he can't do the date.

mike patton - vocals

he is capable of blowing your wildest imagination to smithereens. my roommate at the university of iowa, round one, hipped me to mr. bungle. i love hemophiliac, am thrilled with his solo musical circus on adult themes for voice, can't get enough of his grit on bjork's medulla, and crank the home stereo when peeping tom hits the rotation.

the bon diddly dee

2011-11-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

i am a closet hip hop junkie. i used to sit in front of the tv with my boombox and a blank cassette in the chamber, ready to record rap videos in low-fi fashion from the 13" tv in the basement to my tape deck that i bought with my paper route money. i was enchanted with slick rick, ll cool j, kwame, and kool moe dee. hell, i even had a senior picture taken in a
t-shirt with the show's logo plastered across my back.

one of my favorites was heavy d, who died today. the overweight lover had a joyful spin to his lyrics, nimble dance moves (especially for a big man), and an entertainment slant to his overall product. i liked his work with janet jackson, quincy jones, a video with chris tucker, and especially this jam with aaron hall from guy. it got me through some teenage nerves at school dances, tough times with my folks, and still does the trick for late night driving struggles.

i moved on to a variety rappers that tripped my trigger, including tupac shakur, eric b. & rakim, digital underground, a tribe called quest, notorious b.i.g., and many many others. some of the curious college kids i teach ask me what kind of stuff i'm into, so i flip the script on them. when posed the question "what kind of music do you like", they emphatically tell me that they like everything except rap or country (or both). i quickly confess to them that i like a bunch of rap artists and have a sweet spot for dolly parton.

a gal just interviewed me for an english paper she was writing. she was feeding me questions about jazz, and asked me if i like any other types of music. i told her that i don't listen to just jazz and, in fact, am probably a little lax in that department considering the position i hold at isu.
i said that i like good music, regardless of era or genre. sharing that sentiment with these young minds (or, as my mother-in-law calls them, america's hope) might free them of the shameful stigma that is attached to liking pop top 40. we're all occasional suckers for this stuff. now excuse me while i crank up that heavy d track again, break out the running man, and try not to hurt myself in the process.

the giddy vol. 1

2011-11-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

my dad has always told me to find something that i love to do and figure out a way to make it my profession. between you and me - i think he's still waiting for me to get a real job. i am extremely fortunate to be doing music for a living.
i share my passion and enthusiasm with people every day, through performance and education. every once in a while, i am overcome with school girl excitement about a small detail in a particular recording. these giddy moments remind me of why i consider myself the luckiest guy in the world, except for those folks that win the lottery. that would be nice.

* bill frisell "live to tell" - have a little faith in me
he's my favorite guitar player, hands down. my friend matt bernemann turned me on to this record in particular, which is replete with a variety of wonderful tunes. this madonna track rides alongside pieces by sonny, sousa, copland, muddy waters, dylan and ives. joey baron's brush work is sublime. my favorite part is the guitar riff that bill cops from the recording and inserts at 2:37. frisell plays the figure once, contrasting the original version while planting it in my ears.

* branford marsalis "doctone" - requiem
i'm not a big branford guy, but took a chance on this album about ten years ago. the first track is an homage to pianist kenny kirkland, who passed away before the record was released. this quartet has played together a ton, and it certainly shows. the trust and interplay between all parties is tasteful and precise. i love the way drummer jeff watts plays time on this track, so buoyant and fiery. the fill he plays out of the head is refined chaos. my favorite part is the way branford releases from the spinning opening of his solo at 2:42. tain finishes with branford and helps launch him into his next idea, a testament to how dialed in these guys are to each other.

* take 6 "god rest ye merry gentlemen" - he is christmas
wow - where do you start with these guys? this group is unparalleled, and this record is my #2 christmas album of all time (right behind kenny rogers and dolly parton). the yelllowjackets join the vocal jazz guys on this track, perfectly augmenting a group that needs no assistance. my favorite part is "day" at 1:46, which transitions out of a vocal chorale and into an instrumental interlude.

* a tribe called quest "check the rhyme" - the low end theory
tribe is where it's at. clever rhymes that artfully feather intricate rhythms and intelligent street verbiage together. it's about the music, not booty shakin' videos (which i'm perfectly fine with, btw). i've loved there stuff since i got into hip hop, digging records like the love movement, midnight marauders, and especially the low end theory. the volley of "you on point" between q-tip and phife dog (the second time around) sets up my favorite part at 2:31, when phife passes the mic to tip with the line "play the resurrector and give the dead some life".

* jill scott "golden" - beautifully human
the title track is a little wordplay on her big ticket vocal quality. my friend erin fishler turned me on to this record several years ago, and i was instantly infatuated (plus, i find her intoxicatingly gorgeous). jill scott is a power house in the most literal sense of the word. kale used to be hooked on this youtube clip of lupe fiasco on letterman, routinely asking me to play the video with "the girl who is really going for it." i dig a lot of what's going on in this tune, especially jill's force and sense of purpose in her delivery of the line. but for me, the money is in that bass pop at 1:07 in the 2nd verse. it get my air bass out for this part, dressed with a smug look on my face.

* claude delange "rhapsodie" - a saxophone for a lady
my teacher studied with claude delounge (as one of my past majors mistakenly referred to him) at the paris conservatory. everyone knows that i'm not the biggest classical saxophone fanatic, but his talents are something to behold. my favorite part of this treatment of the debussy rhapsodie is the way he stretches & pauses without breathing between the two Bs that pull to the I chord at 1:42.

* aretha franklin "nessun dorma" - live at the 1998 grammys

as the story goes, the queen of soul sat in for pavarotti while he was out ill. i wept the first time i heard her sing this, and still get goosebumps each time i play it. i have no idea if she is butchering the italian and, quite frankly, i don't care. the amount of heart she is pouring into the aria is undeniable, and i'm certain that puccini would have been down with it. i love the way she phrases "my kisses break the silence" at 2:54. in my opinion, her finest hour.

winning the popularity contest

2011-11-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

the heavy rain we got yesterday was the first wetness in weeks. as i raked the yard yesterday, it was leafy and dusty and in need of some precipitation. thanks mother nature (or brother nature, as andy from parks & recreation cleverly quipped). i hid beneath my umbrella as i scurried to school for a marathon day of rehearsals. i park about a 10 minute walk from the building, and pass the planned parenthood offices along my path. people are often standing out front of the clinic with signs, and yesterday was no different. an older fella was perched alone with his poster that read "pray to end abortion". he was getting drenched in the cold november rain, but remained unfazed. regardless of my take on that controversial topic, i was impressed with this silent protestor. he was standing for what he believed in, despite cruddy weather and drive-by jabs from the college crowd.

i spent a week at an improvisation camp-of-sorts out in brooklyn about 10 years ago, the same summer that the power went out all across nyc. we were stuck in an oil refinery.

we slept on top of the building that night in '03

great minds taught at this thing; including drew gress, tom rainey, vijay iyer, mark helia, don byron, uri caine, and ravi coltrane. the longest and most informative day by far came from the instruction/preaching of steve coleman. he is a terrific alto saxophonist, pretty hip guy, mover & shaker, prolific composer, and ultra opinionated guy. his teaching was tough to swallow. he had us all doing some ridiculous math problems in our head and attempting to improvising with them. he would quickly cut us off, call us jive, reek of disappointment, and run us through the impossible gauntlet again. he beat the concept of using the archaic undertone series over the changes to winter wonderland into the ground.

a bunch of us went and got lunch after the first session. i remember feeling weary, defeated, and a little pissed. i had never met anyone like him before. the coordinator of the event, trumpeter ralph alessi, offered some insight. he agreed that steve was super intense and a bit jerky, but noted that he had always been impressed with steve's relentless pursuit of his own musical concepts. he believed in it, and was willing to fall on the sword for his ideas. ralph's perspective hit me like a ton of bricks.

sometimes i wonder if anyone relates to what i am trying to accomplish artistically. i often struggle with this. maybe i should whip out the slick blues licks, race into the upper register, rub a growl into some of these notes, and toss in a recognizable charlie parker quote for good measure - all in an effort to get instant approval from the pedestrian audience. i'll admit - fighting for your own sound, your own ideas, your own concepts is an exhausting and often unappreciated expenditure of energy. what keeps me going? i believe in it. i'm willing to stick it out, no matter what. i don't want my epitaph to read stylist, but would rather be remembered as a contributor to restructuralism. humor me and read this excerpt from the great book forces in motion by graham lock, chronicling the life and times of anthony braxton.

"stylists are usually able to become more successful than restructuralists because their music is not perceived as threatening to the cultural order. this is why phil woods wins so many polls. his playing doesn't really challenge any law, it just reaffirms what has been current, in the air, in the last thirty years; that being the dynamic implications of charlie parker's music. whereas the greater public have not really had the possibility to examine the music of john cage, albert ayler, the art ensemble of chicago - those musics don't seem to filter through. but in fact, before charlie parker demonstrated his music, nobody played like him; so if the value systems that surround phil woods are allowed to dominate, there will be no forward motion, and no future phil woods because he would have no one to take a music from."

it's all about the nitty gritty

2011-10-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

my mother-in-law suggested that we decorate our home for the holidays. it would help the environment for the kids, build tradition, and strengthen our family ties. i must say (through clenched teeth) that bonnie feig is right. our kids like it when we put out stuff for easter, valentine's day, birthdays, thanksgiving, the fourth of july, and of course christmas. the only day that we kinda stink at is halloween. we have a skeleton and a smiling frankenstein that stick into the yard, and a couple of jack-o-lantern stuffies that share mantle space with a dancing ghost. we do have the occasional neighbor who puts out spider webbing at the front door, carved pumpkins on the stoop, and bed sheet ghosts hanging from the trees. but this year, one neighbor wrapped up the award for most amazing halloween decorations in the whole wide world.

holy guacamole. this guy went all out. the huge pirate ship in his front yard is beyond description. several skeleton pirates have hoisted the jolly roger flag high in the air and cannons blast from the bough, leaving a trail of smoke. the shaky plank and the rope bannister lead to barrels of gun powder and a shrunken skull. a mermaid is carved into the front of the ship. a framed portrait of the mona lisa and her wandering eyes sits on board. pirates are playing cards adjacent to the ship, with a scary lady taking aim at the head of her cheating card partner. another skeleton plays eerie violin etudes that are blasted through a speaker while hanging out under a peculiarly placed basketball backboard. trick-or-treaters flocked to this house, and parents outfitted with cameras wandered close behind.

i had the opportunity to talk with the gentleman responsible for the awesomeness this evening about the how and why. he told me that he chose halloween as the holiday to go big with for his kids, because the month of december is too cold for getting all the christmas lights strung outside. he also explained that all of the pirates are made with pvc pipe, and that the ships and signs and tables all break down and store flat in the garage (aka - the booty lounge).

i enthusiastically divulged that i was blown away at the spectacle and appreciated what he was doing for the community. he told me that, although it's all basically powered by a fire-code-violating labryinth of extension cords and held together with tape and twine, the joy he finds in it "is all in the details."

hey buddy... you need another drink like you need a hole in your head

i love projects that are detail oriented. i remember seeing the cirque de soleil production KA in las vegas, and was so appreciative of the attention to detail. the music lined up with the movement impeccably. the lighting both highlighted and foreshadowed. each facet of the the costuming addressed both fashion and function. the visionaries were seeing things with a macro/micro duality.

anymore, i am insistent upon rehearsing music projects of which i am associated. i have found that by working out material, ensembles are able to establish a strong rapport and sense of trust while ironing out some fancy transitions and tricky grooves. jazz and improvised music often sells itself short in this department, ironically enough, by it's own shareholders. some think that reviewing the material thins the spontaneity. others claim that it's a hassle to drive around, secure a space, align schedules ... just to rehearse.

individual artists take no issue with honing their craft meticulously and tirelessly. the duos/trios/groups of any number that have managed to keep themselves relevant have done so with an inimitable and unspoken musical communication amongst each other that is, most likely, discovered and developed in rehearsal. make the commitment to details. that's where the good stuff is at.

miles apart

2011-10-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

when a buzz begins to swirl in the art world, controversy is the frequent catalyst. we recently hosted the touring blue note act The Miles Davis Experience: 1949-59, a veritable cornucopia of visual and aural stimuli selectively chronicling the life of the great jazz trumpeter. this type of event is a slam dunk for the "get my annual jazz fix" attendee (whom, ironically enough, has pockets deep enough to sustain shows like this), and also draws the homebody jazz enthusiasts out of the woodwork. central iowa showed up in full force, which means a modest house. btw - where are these people for all of the shows by local musicians that are free?!?!

the lineup included ambrose akinmusire, whose trumpet star is rising as fast as they ever do, and his quintet; tenor saxophonist walter smith III, pianist sam harris, bassist harish raghavan, and drummer justin brown. these guys are a working band, and it showed. the interplay and trust and adventurous vibe was evident. they played a handful of tunes from miles' rep - dear old stockholm, 'round midnight, walkin', flamenco sketches, airegin, and a solo drum version of so what (which was absolutely my favorite part of the show). the quintet filled out the remainder of the gig with a nice sampling their own tunes.

i had a heads-up on what the show would entail. my buddy and bassist karl checked it out earlier in the month and told me about the mix of literature. he had also mentioned the historical stills that were projected upon three artistically hung screens and the audio clips of miles himself blended into the presentation. the narration was handled by a beat poet (who got lukewarm reviews at best, but a thumbs-up from me).

here's the catch - this was advertised and heavily marketed as a blue note miles davis show. hell - the miles davis experience. when showcasing the '50s, three things pop into the foreground: the first great quintet (trane, red, philly joe, pc), gil evans, and kind of blue. the music that was chosen partly represented that era, sans ANY music that gil touched (huh!?!?). the music that was performed did not resemble that period whatsoever. no exact transcriptions or even reasonable facsimiles of those recordings. no harmon mute. is there truth in advertising?

trick question: name this trumpet player

i have fielded several contrasting opinions about the show while reserving my own. most of my students really dug it. this may be one of their first big jazz shows to attend, especially with a specific theme being reiterated. the playing was strong and certainly left a mark on my students. they also were familiar with the rep, thanks to an assignment i gave in their combo class. some of my friends were disappointed that the melodies that miles made famous from this period were absent. many of the people i met before & after the show felt hoodwinked, under the assumption that the band would at least play a popular tune verbatim.

i spoke before the show, shedding some light on the ascent of ambrose and the career of miles. i talked a lot about gil (which is hands-down my favorite shit from miles' discography). i sat on a panel with the bassist and pianist after the show for a semi-formal q&a about the evening's events. the musicians fought off the inquisitions into why they played what they played and how they played it, revealing their familiarity with this kind of heat.

play something these hoes'll like, drive whips i know they like,
twista you told 'em right, i can make you a celebrity overnight

here's where i weigh in on all of this. it's definitely good exposure for ambrose and his bandmates. there's no way that this working ensemble (both in the studio and on the road) could book a big concert venue, charge $35 a pop, and expect to stay alive. rolling out their talents under the cloak of miles' mystique is good business for blue note, albeit disingenuous. dressing up ambrose to look like miles, blasting miles davis's name across the posters, and then allowing the guys to play whatever they want is really pushing the limits of trust with the lean legions of jazz fans. i don't think the musicians needed to have played note-for-note versions of tunes from miles' blue note (and ironically enough; capitol, prestige, and columbia) discography. that directly comprises their artistic integrity, a principle that miles built his entire career around. the powers that be should have looked at this project like a writer views a blogpost - who is my audience? the last thing this great music needs is another obstacle to overcome - bad karma.

new wine in new bottles

2011-10-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

the passing of steve jobs has given me a moment to reflect on his legacy as i loosely know it. his contributions, in particular to the music world, have straight changed the game.

musicians are now able to do extraordinary things on the computer. i can use my brand spankin' new macbook to compose using notational software instead of wrecking my wrist by writing it out long hand. i can record stuff with my in-line mic and mix it and bounce it with garage band (or even better quality with protools, logic, reason, ableton). it is common (and still cool) to see that apple glowing like the heart of iron man from coffee shops to concert halls. our jazz band concert last night was mic-ed up to the Nth degree through a big mixing board up in the balcony. our sound guys were then able to do live sound mixing from the front row and on stage with a wirelessly-tethered iPad. get outta here!!!

iTunes is the predominant music organizational tool. it also holds high status amongst the masses. when i tell people i just finished another record, the first question they ask me is "cool man - is it up on iTunes?" (yes it is...) it has also opened up the market for acquiring music and shattering the control of the artist. i can order single tracks without buying the entire album. i can create playlists of my favorite songs and avoid the programming order that the artist conceived for the right flow of their record. those are definitely cons, but the pros of being able to buy tracks whenever i want and immediately download them to my computer are huge in terms of exposure and distribution. by shuffling through my iTunes library, i can also bump into stuff that i hadn't thought of listening to in quite some time. as i write this blog, here is what's coming through my speakers:

kronos quartet - suso: tilliboyo

john zorn & tim berne - space church

big boi - the way you move

ben webster & oscar peterson - bye bye blackbird

john scofield & pat metheny - no matter what

bill evans w/ lee konitz & warne marsh - speak low

the sugarcubes - take some petrol, darling

dave holland trio - take the coltrane

then there's the iPod. in terms of recording, artists have begun mixing for headphones instead of car speakers and home audio. not many people park it in front of there speakers at home with a glass of chardonnay and take in the latest effort by esperanza spading, but a whole mess of people stick that album on their iPod and listen to it at work or on an evening stroll through the neighborhood. i work on a college campus, where i routinely encounter girls with words on their butt and guys reeking of cologne. the common denominator i observe is that nearly all of these coeds are plugged into an iPod of some sort. heck - it's fashionable to have those white ear buds and the white chords accessorizing your outfit. it's exciting to see lots of young people listening to music. maybe they're tuned in to my stuff? hey, a boy can dream...

our loot from apple

as i'm writing this, kale is researching black ops cheat codes on his macbook. simon is trying to memorize old school eminem lines that flow through his iPod. sonja just finished answering some emails on her macbook pro. jobs (and the whole apple crew) made cutting edge techy stuff sexy. people are often resistant to change, clutching desperately to that which they are familiar and are convinced will always suffice. jobs was able to change that social misconception worldwide.

i'm always fascinated with forward thinking innovators in our midst. musician miles davis, chess master bobby fischer, photographer ansel adams. add steve jobs to that list.

auto incorrect

2011-09-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

i think i've got a pretty decent handle on the english language. i'm certainly not an expert, but i do enjoy grammar and knock out some okay writing without much effort. spelling has never been an issue for me either. i proofread my work, enjoy learning new vocab, and try to be sure that i don't use too many commas (but boy am i hooked on parenthesis).

you know what really bugs me? auto correct. i mean, has microsoft word already lost faith in my knowledge and spelling skills before giving me a fair shake? they don't even know me. when i choose a word, odds are that i am actually intending to use that particular word and don't need the automated advice. where's the trust? gimme a chance, baby.

when i'm typing up the names of jazz performers, their identities fall into one of three categories. some pose no difficulties for autocorrect (jim black, chris cheek, evan parker). others are inexplicably already in the autocorrect data base (branford marsalis, susie ibarra, mal waldron), and select others stymie autocorrect altogether (ambrose akinmusire, john zorn, kurt rosenwinkel).

here are some of the more entertaining suggestions for jazz guys, with ironically appropriate definitions provided by my friends over at the new oxford american dictionary (we're not really friends mind you, but nothing builds street cred like running with a pack of lexicographers).

* charlie haden - harden - make or become more clearly defined
* stan getz - guts - personal courage and determination
* marc ducret - dulcet - sweet and soothing
* sam yahel - yahoo - expressing great joy or excitement
* uri caine - coin - to invent or devise a new word or phrase
* jaki byard - juke - move in a zigzag fashion
* jack dejohnette - detonate - explode
* john scofield - coiled - twist into an arrangement
* paolo fresu - frisk - a playful skip or leap
* albert ayler - alert - intellectually active, vigilant
* bobby previte - private - free from people who can interrupt
* marc ribot - robot - a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically
* ornette coleman - ornate - unusual words and complex constructions

funny footnote. i once attempted to type musician into an email and it took me four times before stubborn autocorrect would finally take it, only after recommending magician, marijuana, and minivan.

okay - i just read a bunch of autocorrect text conversations online, and haven't laughed that hard in quite a while.
this one is good. so is this one. and this one too.

turn my headphones up

2011-09-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

i find myself listening to the radio a lot these days. my kids call it "talk talk radio". i remember talking with tim o'dell, a buddy of mine back in graduate school, about his 50 minute commute to school. i wondered aloud about what he listened to on the mundane drive into iowa city, imagining that he was ears-deep into some heavy coltrane shit every morning and night. he guffawed and told me that he listens to a ton of talk radio. i couldn't believe it.

later that same year, i scored a slot in the sunday night rotation on krui, our college radio station. i called my two hour show jazz train. i had a blast picking out cds for my show and was thrilled to be on the air spinning for the scant few that tuned in. my girlfriend sonja (yep, same one) used to experiment in the kitchen, throwing together a new twist on lasagna for the both of us to scarf down after my shift.

fast forward about ten years... my buddy abe goldstien, local savant (a tzadik, although he'll quickly deny that title) on everything in recorded jazz music, asked me to cruise through dsm and appear on his radio spot for kfmg. i was there to promote the miles davis experience show that is coming through ames (believe it or not) in a couple of weeks, with ambrose akinmusire in the starring role. man, we had a blast! the rapport was smooth and not calculated. the laughs were real. the music was killing. here's the playlist:

miles davis straight no chaser newport '58
ambrose akinmusire what's new when the heart emerges glistening
miles davis boplicity birth of the cool
charlie haden en la orilla del mundo nocturne
david binney out beyond ideas south
cannonball adderley autumn leaves something else
miles davis springsville miles ahead
dave douglas sea change charms of the night sky
masada katzaz live in nyc
palmetto all stars satin doll the other side of ellington
ambrose akinmusire tear stained suicide manifesto when the heart emerges glistening
django bates like someone in love quiet nights
pat metheny bright size life bright size life
miles davis my funny valentine cookin' with the miles davis quintet
the bad plus chariots of fire suspicious activity
charles lloyd lotus blossom the water is wide
miles davis cta miles davis: volume two

abe brought all of the miles and that ambrose record. the rest is mine. the django bates was a stretch for his repertoire, but is one of my favorites. i found out that abe is trying to bring charles lloyd to dsm for a show. he also told me a story about how he drug his kid to a matt wilson show and, after the gig was over, his jubilant son ran and told matt that his was the best rock and roll show he had ever seen. abe liked the dave douglas cut that featured fellow accordionist guy klucevsek. i found out (after the fact) that ethan iverson left a bad taste in his mouth and that he can't stand jazz guitar players, but his jovial self appeased me like a good host would. fun show, abe. great after party.

o.g.

2011-09-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

i am admittedly out of the pop culture loop. when did this happen to me? i don't watch the award shows anymore, simply because i've never heard of most of the people being acknowledged and haven't heard nor seen much of their work. i don't watch reality tv at all, rarely go to the movies, keep my ear close to music i need to learn, and fast forward to the sketch comedies on the late night talk shows. every once in a while a curveball is hurled in my direction, knocking my socks off while restoring hope that i can get my head back in the us magazine mix. enter ice t.

now... back in the day, ice t was a bad man. he lent that biting voice quality to many classic anthems from the gangsta rap hanger. hailing from south central los angeles, he brought the street cred to back it up. dealing mary jane and pimping were things he had actually done in his life.

i first learned of his rhyme style when i heard him light it up on my new jack city cassette.

i rewound a bit and caught him putting down a laid back title track to the movie colors.

the wife is a big law & order fan and, even though i have a hard time getting into the subject matter on s.v.u, i like watching ice t run things. crazy seeing him on a weekly tv drama, but he really pulls it off. and pairing him with so-so comic richard belzer? why not.

but hey man - why you on the reality tv scene? they've got you documenting your relationship with some gal who is probably getting famous off you. your show is lined up on E! around kendra, an annoying playmate, and that kardashian who hooked it up with lamar odom. how you going out like that?

i decided to watch an episode of ice loves coco, just to see for myself. it happened to be their anniversary party. snoop dogg was there, and the master of ceremonies was that weird pimp-cup-weilding guy from snoop's crew. i skeptically waited to see coco, the gal he had married. who names their kid coco? once she appeared on the screen, it finally made sense.

okay, i get it. you're just keeping it real (pun intended).

the wright stuff

2011-09-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

i played a fun gig this weekend with some of my friends from up the road. we provided the entertainment portion for a high society event that included gourmet cuisine, old timey cars, an expensive auction and an open bar that featured a vintage martini recipe that dates back to 1910. mason city was out in full force, celebrating the refurbishment ($18 million, yo) and grand re-opening the park inn hotel, the only remaining hotel worldwide designed by the famous american architect frank lloyd wright.

the place was spectacular. lots of angles and lines, as you would expect. impeccable woodwork. mesmerizing stained glass. some guy waltzing around, dressed as frank lloyd wright. attractive and somewhat comfortable furniture (hey-it's tough to get both). classy color schemes. nifty statues. an lcd tv screen, playing a rerun of some david blaine stunts, embedded in the mirror of the men's bathroom.

we played fun tunes, old tunes, tunes i don't usually play. i got my start doing some vocal jazz stuff, and have always been a sucker for getting through chestnuts like a foggy day, but beautiful, don't get around much anymore. one lady even requested laura, one of my favorites (dig bird with strings). i am obsessed with crafting and observing the design of my lines when i improvise, and was acutely aware of this while nestled inside of a building chock full of this stuff.

i was people watching on this gig too. i remember reading something where ornette coleman (whose name was just autocorrected to ornate) talks about his thought process when he looks out in to the crowd, wondering "who's that girl...what's she drinking...who's that joker saddled up beside her...did she come here with him?"

i noticed that the invite for this ticketed event suggested "cocktail attire", which was interpreted in several different ways. plenty of guys were wearing ho-hum navy or charcoal grey suits. most women accessorized fancy black outfits. cleavage and open-back dresses were common, some unnecessary. a handful of people risked it with crafty patterns and vibrant colors. the fumes of cologne and hair spray hung in the air. most were strutting in their sunday best.

i wonder why we, as a society, think that dressing up in stuffy and expensive clothes is an important statement of status. what if we could all just "look nice" and call it at that? why do orchestras need to wear tuxedos? choir girls wear unflattering gowns? why are we so concerned with dressing to impress? it's a tough situation we have found ourselves in, that i understand. how can we buck this trend?

people feel good about wearing clothes that they like. i know that the smug smile i wear when gussied up in a suit and tie would spread all over my face if i could show up in some jeans & a t-shirt (which, ironically enough, is what i wear to school). i would much rather be around folks in a high class social setting who are more interested in talking with each other than stumbling over their heels, reworking that slip, or sucking it in with a belt that's cinched too tight. wear the funky clothes that have all kinds of back story. wear that scarf you got as a gift from your friend's european travels. sport that jewelry your kids made. rock the hat that hides your receding hairline.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder, musically and otherwise. except for that orange dress. that woman has no business leaving the house with that thing on.

reunited and it feels so good

2011-09-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

i have learned a great life lesson. expecting the best out of people and situations often proves to be surprisingly beneficial and enjoyable.

i was never too thrilled with my high school years, neither during the throws of them or in moments of reflection. life is tough on the artsy fartsy, especially when you're slugging it out in small town u.s.a. i had friends but never considered myself popular, had a couple of relationships but never considered myself attractive, had some success but never considered myself successful. i suppose you can chalk some of that up to being a teenager. i liked plenty of my classmates, could take-or-leave a fair amount of them, and utterly despised a handful.

with that as my foundation, i was never motivated to stay in touch with anyone from my first 17 years. facebook has fixed some of that, cloaked as a mild-mannered stalker who has limited access to its victim's discretion. my folks still live in my hometown, and their proximity to the gossip wheel keeps me loosely up to speed every six months or so. those two resources have more than satisfied my meager curiosity.

i had a class reunion this weekend. i had never attended one before. we missed sonja's because of an insurmountable scheduling obstacle (hello, des moines opera). i wasn't sure i wanted to attend this gathering. plenty of people told me to consider going. recos for handling included wear black (the slimming color), make a beeline to the bar, create some wild tales of my life and share them liberally, and leave the car running so i could split at a moment's notice.

my wife was down for going. my folks encouraged it. a couple of high school pals emailed me and asked when i was coming to town. i got my workouts in. my botched haircut was growing back nicely. the poison oak all over my arms was all dried up. i had the weekend free. i went for it.

i admit, i was SUPER nervous. i am usually insecure about myself, but plenty of people in my corner had filled my ears with ego boosting observations. i had a good workout before we drove down to my old stomping grounds. i found a couple of flattering outfits, brushed the hell out of those teeth one last time, buzzed off that tacky ear hair, and headed over to the venue. i reviewed my senior yearbook with sonja, refreshing my memory about who was actually in my class and getting a quick glimpse at what they looked like back in the day. who was planning to show up at this thing anyway? what would i talk about with these people? what do i have in common with them? could i get past my disinterest, fear, and disgust? do they have any idea what i have done with my life? do they even care?

you know... they did. i bumped into several people that i hadn't seen in so long. we shared memories, swapped stories about our kids, dug into each others' careers, watched other classmates together, and enjoyed deep belly laughs about days gone by. yeah, the jocks were still the jocks. the snooty girls were still kinda snooty, but actually much more real than i had figured. many of our teenage bodies had undergone life's revisions - some for the better. i caught up with buddies that i hadn't seen in ages and reconnected with classmates i had known since kindergarten.

quick synopsis: one guy is a advocate for prisoners. one gal has lost a sister to cancer. some have been married for 15 years. others are divorced. many have stayed in iowa. others are trying desperately to move back. one is unemployed. several are pharmacists and nurses. a couple are full time moms. some farm. one gal teaches yoga. another sells jewelry. one guy fixes windshields. another manages a bank. some have lost their folks. some are teachers, others self employed. a bunch have kids. one gal has gone back to school. another runs a trucking company with her husband. one guy sells real estate. some love traveling. and a bunch are cyclone fans!

what do they all have in common? we are all in the same boat, middle-aged citizens in society trying to make our way. i had a wonderful time. no posturing. lots of down-to-earth conversations that slipped past the protective surface. some people told me that they liked to see me smile, hear me laugh. they all loved sonja (who could resist that southern charm?). i was back in the comfort zone i never really knew i had.

i love talking about records, concerts, tunes, projects. i dig playing alongside people, creating and inventing new ideas for our ears and heads. i enjoy teaching, sharing concepts, guiding people through their personal paths in music and life. i will continue to put my kids and the wife at the center of my personal universe. but every once in a while, i need to balance myself out. i want to talk to friends about stuff that has nothing to do with my job or my passion. hanging at a basketball gym or sitting at a soccer field or being cooped up with some p90x videos doesn't always cut it.

thank you to my creston classmates for giving me some perspective and a renewed faith in society. you are wonderful people. thanks for liking me. i really needed that.

o joshua, where art thou?

2011-08-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

ever heard of this guy named joshua redman? it's quite the story. he's the son of avant garde leader and tenor saxophonist dewey redman. he grew up in berkeley, listening to a bunch of heavy jazz guys while tripping on the beatles, stevie, prince, and aretha. smart cookie - graduated harvard summa cum laude (reminds of that clever line by luda in that old usher tune) and was accepted to yale law school. won the monk competition. great new face for jazz. good looking, charismatic, catchy original tunes with catchier titles, fashion sense, and a flare for the dramatic (a friend told me once that he had seen redman taking some choreography lessons which, come to think of it, isn't a bad idea for an often tired style of music).

so... what happened? when i first got into josh in '94, i picked up his self-titled album. cool tunes, nice original sound, and something i desperately needed to see & hear. folks were flipping me old recordings of bird & diz, monk, the basie band, and i wasn't feeling it. when i saw pics of josh looking all fresh and heard him doing tunes by james brown and monk mixed in with some originals, it may have been the first time that i considered jazz to be a viable style of music (don't tell my professors at the music school from that period in my life). i quickly snagged his sophomore effort wish (one of my favorites) and dug the work out of pat & charlie & billy. the pics looked stylish, the live tracks were happening, and man - his phrasing was out of this world. his sound was fat and warm, agile and flexy, youthful and wise. he geniusly paired songs by stevie and clapton with ornette and bird. he was leading this music single handedly back into relevance with a younger demographic.

i'm listening to his latest effort james farm and am reminded of how disappointed i am in how things have shaken down for joshua redman. is it him or is it me? that's a loaded question, i understand, but i am still puzzled about this. i imagine that my musical tastes and goals and beliefs have changed significantly since that first encounter with josh's musicianship, and could then only assume that his have too. maybe he wants to be more scientific. maybe he wants to slow down a bit in terms of energy. maybe he isn't interested in taking so many uncalculated risks. as a parent of two boys and someone that sees himself sliding up into higher age brackets, i can understand all of this.

is he a victim of the hype? there was a huge buzz about him when he hit the scene. he was featured all over the place - tv, magazines, festivals, movies, interviews, merch, etc. he sat in on snl sets, toured with derek trucks and jammed with umphrey's mcgee. jazz is often in need of a fresh faced messiah, and he seemed to fit the bill. lots of jazz musicians are more about their own thing than they are about reaching across the divide to the listener. josh was bestowed all sorts of honors and responsibilities, sought out and otherwise. he served as artistic director for sfjazz, a non-profit and highly influential jazz machine. is this too much all at once? maybe, but he's the perfect package.

he was tremendous early in his career, which begs several questions. was it the players? early co-conspirators included brian blade, brad mehldau, christian mcbride. the aforementioned have all blossomed into their own bandleaderships with distinctly different voices. i'm relieved to know that he is touring with brad (whom i LOVE) in a duo setting. i was also curious to hear what he sounded like with my faves the bad plus when they did a week long residency at the blue note this spring. i have it on pretty good authority that he was about as polar opposite as you could be with those guys throughout their run. is it his fault that he was set up with a counter-opposite trio, most likely as a marketing trick? sure it may have sold tickets, but i was told that it defeated the music in the process. tbp is free flowing and tight and exploratory and risky, while redman was surgical and safe and transcribable.

he is undoubtably a great guy - bright, eloquent, big sound, musical, personable, handsome, versatile. i really dig joshua redman, wish, moodswing, elastic, and a saturday night live appearance with jewel. he is his own man. i wouldn't compare him to other tenor players either. i don't view myself as an alto player, nor do i size myself up next to other altoists. i try to keep stride with ornette, derek bailey, dolphy, dave douglas, kurt, keith underwood, jaco, joan sutherland, and could care less what other alto players are up to. comparing josh to other tenor players of his time would be unfair.

my tastes have probably changed - his too - throughout our joint evolution. maybe we are simply growing apart, although that sounds like i am married to the guy. we aren't, btw.

now... with all that said... this is killing

i can only pick four?

2011-07-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

me & the boys visited my sister and her bunch out in chadron, nebraska (stomaching the drive across that state) and later headed up to rapid city to check out mt. rushmore.

the question i've always had about this national monument is... how did they pick those four guys? who decides? i get lincoln, one of the most popular and influential presidents of all time. i think i get jefferson, probably the smartest president (with competition from clinton and nixon) that our country has ever had. i suppose i can understand washington, being the first, and it makes sense for roosevelt to be up there since he championed the whole national monument/park crusade. and i know that the timeline of conception-to-fruition doesn't allow consideration to fdr, truman, ike, jfk, and the bushes (tongue firmly planted in cheek).

i often pose this topic to fellow musicians, asking them to place their top four people in a musical version of mt. rushmore. this is usually pretty interesting. would i do all instrumentalists? all saxophonists? do composers or singers make it? can i spread this out amongst different styles of jazz, let alone across multiple genres of music? i think you've gotta be specific in order to find a justifiable quartet of music folks.

saxophones? i think bird and coltrane make it, but can i include sonny or dex if i've already got trane? and, do i need to stick a soprano (could be trane, i suppose) and a bari player (umm, there's gerry mulligan...)? the trumpet argument gets dicey, because miles is probably less of a player than most others, but he absolutely needs to be up there. lead players, soloists, flugel, chet baker? the discussion blows wide open when picking through rhythm section legends.

a sizable component of this boils down to personal taste. two stories: #1 i met a guy in casper when i was broke down there a couple of weeks ago who, when posed with this quandry, rattled off arturo sandoval and chick corea before skidding to a halt on the other two. he asked me who else he should consider, and i told him that - first of all - there's no way either of those two make my monument. #2 several years ago my students, most of them new to jazz and dependent upon me to show them the way, submitted their top four in a blind ballot. the kids all voted for artists who i was currently listening to, which didn't include ellington or armstrong or sinatra or brubeck. i was pumped, then instantly aware that i really had a lot of teaching to do.

so... the best solution i can provide is to pick the top four that provide a current and thorough reflection of musical luminaries that have framed your personal makeup. i don't really listen to saxophone. i like bands. i like hip hop. sometimes i listen to jazz, but certainly have a special spot in my heart for certain jazz acts (and even country). my mt. rushmore? honorable mentions go to pee wee herman, the bad plus, new edition, dolly parton, bobby mcferrin, ornette, harold & the purple crayon, and prince. the winners are...

miles davis

quite possibly the most important figure in jazz history. i love the way he worked with side men, musically speaking. his efficiency is vital. his phrases extend beyond conventional cadential points. his sound is instantly recognizable, a catalyst for his bandmates. and the autobiography!!!

john zorn

i am astonished at his saxophone playing, i'm a sucker for extended techniques and dig the way he has codified a way to weave them into his own unique musical language. i also like his reverence for tunes and ability to straddle several fences. how can you argue with a genius?

bjork

there is just something about her that drives me wild. her voice is an unbeatable blend of strength and fragility and focus and wonder and sincerity. i marvel at how she stands up for her art amidst criticism and ridicule but, more importantly, i love the way she sounds. i try desperately to get my tone to be in her general vicinity. and of course, she's incredibly gorgeous.

django bates

my buddy matt bernemann turned me on to django back in college, and my life has never been the same. i am in awe of how he can harness his swirling musical imagination long enough to put it to paper and create artistic masterpieces. he has the midas touch in my book, and i never ever get tired of hearing anything that he has done.

evanston

2011-07-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

the wife and i just finished teaching at the MAT Camp out in southwest wyoming this week. it is a unique experience, one that we embrace annually. i feel loved here, but i fear that after this week's ego stroking i won't be able to squeeze my big head into the hats i own.

they silent auctioned this stuff at the camp. seriously.

* having the opportunity to teach a myriad of subjects in a short turnaround time really makes me focus on efficient teaching and achievable goals. i missed the first day of camp on monday (due to a circus-like 48 hours which included breaking down in b.f.wyoming, holing up in a crappy hotel with the kids, driving a 14 ft. u-haul across the state on my birthday, fielding a phone call telling me that my grandma died) and had an abbreviated teaching day on friday, leaving me with essentially 3 rehearsals. my vocal jazz group did two easy tunes (phil's more i cannot wish you and audio radiance's something special with beatbox and r&b solos). the jazz band played two easy tunes with a plethora of soloists (toshiko akiyoshi's tuning up and bob washut's arrangement of the sonny rollins jam tell me you love me), a blues & a soul calypso. the saxophone ensemble did a group version of ryo noda's improvisation I. the beginner guitar class (i know, what business do i have teaching a guitar class... good question) worked up a simple version of we are the champions by queen, a tune that most in the class had flash mobbed at the local wal-mart on thursday.

* the definition of a beginner is certainly in the eye of the beholder. most classes have a cross section of non-traditional students (you know, folks whose age ranges from 25-55) and public school kids. they are stuck with the burden of self-assessing their abilities and putting themselves in the appropriate class level. we inevitably get students that should not be in the class because they either are overqualified for the material or in way over their heads. there are exceptions to the rule too, of course, including a girl in the saxophone ensemble who had never played the instrument before and a flutist in jazz band who was pissed throughout each rehearsal that he didn't play nonstop on both tunes. most students, however, are open-eyed and ready to be fed whatever i'm cookin'. and you occasionally meet super cool people, like sarah clark.

* working alongside tremendous musicians and educators is the secret perk to working here (right behind getting a fat paycheck). i have the pleasure of meeting inspiring artists with interesting back stories and refreshing new looks at music. i was kinda the only jazz guy at this thing, so i got to swap stories and share ideas with classical musicians of the highest sort. freelance musicians, public school journeymen, and higher ed suckers alike. i am truly blessed to teach with folks from utah, north carolina, california, kentucky, nevada, wyoming, new york, and kansas. plus, i get to play with mi esposa and our good friend david kirby, clarinetist who teaches at (mekhi) pfeiffer.

* i approach this camp with apprehension (the unknown + my famously poor preparation = indigestion and sleepless nights) and leave with gratitude and a sense of accomplishment. i dig working with lots of familiar faces, teachers and students alike. the hospitality (especially this year!!!) is bar none. my kids get to attend the camp for free, and have both really come into their own this time. they are energized about art which, to me as a parent, is worth its weight in gold. plus... we get to roll a two week road trip into our journey way out west. let's hear it for mixtapes!!!

kale working it out at our host home

simon stage managed FIVE shows

hang on just a minute, bruno

2011-07-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

my kids listen to pop radio. i used to slip some ornette, david murray, and prince into their listening diet, but they have caught onto that and now establish their own musical tastes (no jazz and classical... probably because they are surrounded by it all the time at home). they like the channel kiss 107.5 fm, which rocks all the latest hits from pitbull, katy perry, lil' wayne, lady gaga, maroon 5, taio cruz, and a bunch of other people i've never heard of before. one guy i do like, however, is bruno mars.

here he is, with the world on a string

i think the tunes are good. he's got a nice voice - kind of a raspy michael jackson thing. he keeps this retro style vibe fresh and seems to collaborate with all of the latest pop stars. plus his stage name rolls off the tongue much easier than peter gene hernandez. his latest hit is "the lazy song". my kids really dig it, so i listened closely the other day to the lyrics. i know the following statement makes me sound like the fuddy duddy parent i swore i would never become, but i don't want my kids listening to that song anymore.

* turn the tv on, throw my hand in my pants. first of all, you guys watch way too much tv the way it is. secondly, if you want to put your hand in your pants, take it to your room.
* tomorrow i'll wake up, do some p90x. good idea. it's a good program, has done wonders for me, and will make you a healthier person and better athlete.
* have some really nice sex. with your wife, i'm assuming? casual sex, especially the way bruno mars infers, is pretty risky. and on a personal note, don't settle for "nice" sex.
* i might mess around and get my college degree. your mother and i teach in higher ed and can both assure you that the students who mess around don't usually end up with their college degree. take school seriously, get your butt to class, and plan on moving right along into graduate school.
* no, i ain't gonna comb my hair. put on some clean clothes, brush your teeth, do something with that out-of-control hair, and for crying out loud put on some deodorant.
* i'll just strut around in my birthday suit. that's okay i suppose in the comforts of your own home, but if you pull that stunt in public it's called indecent exposure and will find you in the back of a squad car heading downtown. don't waste your one phone call on me if you're getting booked for sharing your private parts with the rest of the world. (and here's hoping you followed through on that p90x intention.)

be a good man

2011-07-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

a good buddy of mine passed away about a week ago. he was a great alto player - very smooth and composed. he wasn't like most saxophonists, who tend to be hung up on blasting the paint off the walls with a zillion diatonic patterns at light speed. his poignant tone was spinning melodies with a sophistication unparalleled. he was a good musician but, even more importantly, a good man.

i stress this to my students repeatedly. getting through chord changes, keeping the form, transcribing solos, memorizing a bunch of tunes, soaring through the altissimo, trading fours with vigor and angularity are ALL well and fine, but you need to be a good person. the aforementioned skill set is a foundation, a required criteria that most will possess. if you're a jerk, expect to spend your weekend nights watching instead of participating. my friend (and outstanding vocalist) erin fishler kept a nice duo thing going for a couple years. she once told me that she liked the way i was on the gig - comfortable and creative. that meant a lot then and has become my new measuring stick.

i met rich's son kevin, an outstanding jazz trumpeter at mcgill. i met rich's younger brother allan, an influential recitalist and pedagogue at yale. they are good guys. i'm certain they took their lead from rich. i vow to do the same.

and here's the commissioner...

2011-06-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

i got a good two hour warmup in while watching the 2011 nba draft last thursday. i'm a timberwolves fan, and don't completely understand what in the hell they've been doing the past couple of years. i guess the singular joy of having a terrible season is that you get a high draft pick, which got me thinking... what if there was a jazz draft?

david stern and jimmer

drafting for need, on potential, or best player available - would it make sense to get two tenor players? two drummers? sometimes having a heavy player on the gig, regardless of instrumentation, changes the whole vibe. maybe you would take the best musician available. however, if you have one good bassist on your roster, you probably don't need another (unless he is double booked, a distinct possibility with bassists i know). should you draft an inexperienced player because they aren't jaded by the scene, influenced by other players, or victims of their own habits? maybe you would prefer a veteran, somebody who has seen these tunes before? and the choice of literature that a band plays is similar to a style of play a team prefers. how would a bebop cat fit into a free jazz ensemble, or could a 7 footer with a post up game survive in a run-and-gun offense?

international players vs. the american game - often times, the new face on the music scene is like the girl with the curl - more attractive than the usual suspects. these are usually guys that nobody has ever heard of, but who can totally play. international jazz players come at this music from a different angle, with different influences. is that better or worse? how is an american jazz musician different?

considering a player's pedigree - how important is the consideration that a player comes from a strong musical upbringing? is it vital that they attended a strong music school? a good friend once told me that you can't just show up at a venue, wave your music degree around, and expect to get a gig. i did not attend a big time jazz program, and neither of my parents are musically inclined. i know good musicians from a similar background and plenty with a decorated resume. how important is that?

what would the analysts say? usually these guys crunch numbers, an impossible thing to assign to jazz musicians. how many turnaround licks do you know? how many bridges did you catch? how many rhythmic motivic ideas did you play that were picked up within the ensemble? could you imagine charles barkley grading a draft - speculating on team chemistry and potential while talking over a highlight reel of solos? and what if there was a trade?

the grandiose spectacle! the suits. the hats. the posse (comprised of parents, siblings, agents, your boys from back in the day). the ping pong ball hopper. the press. the awkward interviews. the draft board. the tweets.

*** you would make a truck load of guaranteed money.
*** your career is probably over by the time you're 40.

work work work reward

2011-06-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

the best things about summer:
* no school
* being outside
* did i mention no school?
* water balloon fights

making these suckers is so time consuming. the balloons won't always fill consistently. they slip off the water spigot. they are tricky to tie. sometimes they burst when you put them in the container. other times they won't burst at all, even with direct contact. other other times they blow up in your hand while you are trying to throw it. making just a few of these h2o bombs requires all the patience i can muster.

is it really worth it? writing music, especially when really trying to flush something out, is difficult. i don't like anything i'm committing to paper. am i using unique forms for complexity's sake? will anyone remember this melody? is my writing getting any better? does this chord sequence sound just like that other tune? who's gonna want to play this with me? why can't i pen stuff that sounds like alasnoaxis or tyondai braxton?

however - and this is what i regularly forget to remember - playing my music with friends is one of the best feelings in the entire world (right up there with laughing with my kids, getting rid of all these emails, finishing the dishes, kissing the wife). all of the sweat and heartache i pour into each song is paid back a thousandfold when people i trust care enough to try relentlessly to give me what i want musically. hearing other guys interpreting my tunes and creating alongside them is absoLUTELY worth it. the joy generated from that pursuit is all the motivation i need.

* having fun with your friends

turning the corner ever so slowly

2011-06-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

there's this great quote by mark twain, appropriate for today. "when i was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant i could hardly stand to have the old man around. but when i got to be twenty-one, i was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."

this came with some cupcakes jenn brought over yesterday

i have self-consciously followed my own comprehension and execution and appreciation for music as i have matured. i remember how i felt when i was in vocational school & undergraduate years. i thought the act of performing was an incredible feeling and knew that i needed to put work into my craft (but not at the expense of my social life and taco john's work schedule). i had definitely bitten off more than i could chew and was constantly being asked to revise my approach to personal discipline. i was into slick rick, jodeci, bobby mcferrin, take 6, the yellowjackets, paul desmond, and early joshua redman.

my graduate school days and early years out in the world were about being impressive. i wanted to know more tunes than anyone, have better chops than all the other players, be familiar with all of the latest records. i'm not an aggressive person (rather insecure, actually) but was always sizing up people inside my head. i still half-assed the practice sessions, but had a better idea of what i wanted to work on. i was into john zorn, chris potter, electric miles, sting, and acted like i was digging some blue note stuff.

since i've been at isu, i have wrestled and finally come to grips with the idea that it's okay for me to like the music i like. melody, clever reharms, interesting rhythmic hooks, nice beats, creative interpretations and reconfigurations of sound. i don't care about technique, but put all of my money on tone (just ask my students). i'm into playing the ideas that are actually in my head, not regurgitating licks i've been living with for years. i want to be honest and sincere in my playing, careful to not interrupt that music that surrounds us. i try to compositionally. i'm currently into dolly parton, jim black, bjork, the bad plus, brad mehldau, django bates, brian blade, charles lloyd, and kenny wheeler.

i look forward to getting older (but could live without the extra grey hairs i'm accumulating), anxious to see how i'll develop and mature. that's the beauty of this life.

in high school, one of my favorite teachers was mr. hughes. he was energetic, quick-witted and extremely intelligent. he told me about these t-shirts that were selling like hot cakes in san diego during the mid '80s, referencing a famous first baseman who was having some publicized promiscuity issues. they read "steve garvey's not my padre"

i meant to do that

2011-05-21T01:12:00.000-07:00

i have seen so much art in the last two weeks. klimt, rodin, picasso, monet, manet, kandinsky, kubin, and my personal favorite paul klee!!! there is so much detail in each of these paintings & sculptures, and many imperfections... or are they mistakes after all? it is difficult to tell if the work itself is supposed to have an extra distress mark, another chunk of a hand, a blob on the face of the woman, or an abbreviated line that is out of whack with the other side of the painting.

many mistakes in music are replicated and adored. people love hearing ella make up lyrics to 'mack the knife', dig monk twisting around lines as he misses the bridge, are charmed by the keith jarrett trio when they blow form and try to find themselves artfully, cheer freddie hubbard as he bangs at the door of a big line before he breaks off a lick on 'soothsayer', and are infatuated with miles davis' career of fracking notes.

the beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. just like when pee wee went head over handlebars in his big adventure, lept to his feet, and declared that acrobatic move intentional. gracefully hilarious.

studying abroad

2011-05-19T02:28:00.000-07:00

here's what i stuck in my iPod touch for my european vacation

bjork - volta
black dub - black dub
boulez conducts stravinsky
brian blade fellowship - season of changes
charlie haden, lee konitz, brad mehldau - alone together
ches smith & these arches - finally out of my hands
chris batchelor - big air
chris lightcap's bigmouth - deluxe
chris potter - lift: live at the village vanguard
craig taborn - junk magic
darcy james argue's secret society - infernal machines
dave douglas - charms of the night sky
django bates - like life: the jazzpar prize
dolly parton - little sparrow
drew gress - seven black butterflies
eivind opsvik - overseas II
envy corps - dwell
flying lotus - cosmogramm
gretchen parlota - in a dream
hakon kornstad - dwell time
halloween, alaska - champagne downtown; too tall to hide; halloween, alaska
jerry granelli v16 the sonic temple
jonsi - go
kronos quartet - early music
liberty ellman - ophiuchus butterfly
martha argerich - live from concertgubouw
mary halvorson trio - electric fruit
michael formaneck - the rub and spare change
michael lowenstern - ten children
miles davis - 1964 concert/four and more
miles okazaki - mirrors
ornette coleman - the empty foxhole
pat metheny - 80/81
pete rock - soul survivor
rebecca martin - the growing season
spekbot
sting - soul cages
the bad plus - never stop
the books - the way out
theo bleckman & kneebody - 12 songs by charles ives
tim berne bloodcount - memory select
tom rainey trio - pool school
tom waits - the heart of saturday night
trent reznor - the social network soundtrack
tyondai braxton - central market

pat boone debby boone

2011-05-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

the timing couldn't be better.

my oldest son, simon, famously told a judge at his 6th grade solo and ensemble contest that he didn't like playing drums. he has thought for quite a while that we are making him stick with band, which is partly true. we don't want him to up and quit something just because he doesn't like it, knowing that he (like any other 12 year old kid) (we hope) will pull that routine with any other insignificant obstacle that pops up in his way. plus, i told him that if he quit band i'd make him be in choir. he begrudgingly agreed to stay in band, but made it clear that it was against his will. so dramatic.

during the past two weeks, simon has been learning to play drumset. he is nuts about it. he has been skipping his recesses in order to head to the band room and work on his groove. i drop him off early in the mornings so he can get some time in on the kit before class begins. mr. fair is suddenly the coolest, mrs. lekwa is still out of touch, and mr. moore (one of our isu student teachers, trumpet) is the best drummer simon has ever heard.

jennifer and sonja, simon's two moms, headed out yesterday and bought simon his first drumset. they got a whale of a deal on craigslist, and simon approved of the color and feel. he took his sticks along and tried out the rig before they bought it. he's into it so we're throwing our collective weight behind this musical whim. we set it up today, and sonja and i spent about 45 minutes getting stumped by hi-hat assembly. i helped simon position his drums and showed him some pretty terrible renditions of fundamental drum concepts, then prayed under my breath that he has more of an idea how to do this than i do.

that very same saturday, i had the opportunity to hear one of my musical heroes give a clinic/life coaching session. dave king (the bad plus, halloween alaska, happy apple, buffalo collision, gang font) showed up at a drum shop in west des moines, thanks to the incredibly generous and faith-based personal investment in creative music by my good friend and musical cohort joel gettys. king was incredible, talking more about the creative process and less about nerd out drum shit. anecdotes about joshua redman, bjork, radiohead, django bates, phil collins, tim berne, and jello pudding pops were as entertaining as they were insightful. he talked in conceptual terms that resonated within me, further confirming to myself that i am on the right path. he preached on the musical combination of intent and vulnerability. he emphasized that playing with the notion of contributing to the greater good of the music is vital. i needed to hear that again.

i called simon on the way home and told him that, if he wanted to get serious about drums, i felt like i could help him out. i told him that dave king was amazing, gave me some good ideas to chew on, and that i was excited about helping him learn to be a creative musical artist. he plainly replied "okay, dad". i think he was watching kale play a wrestling video game while on the phone with me.

i have no idea who the boones are, but i love the word association that king attached to the classic drum fill.

square between the eyes

2011-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

i have been perplexed ever since hearing sunday night from the prez that we had found and killed public enemy number one (nah flav, you're alright). this resolution has certainly been a long time in the making. nearly ten years have elapsed since bin laden made his most profound imprint on the u.s. he changed the way we function, the way we interact with each other, the way we view the world.

i think that the terrorism he catalyzed is really shitty. he needed to be apprehended, and i am proud of our soldiers and am astonished at their bravery in this manhunt of sorts. i am impressed with our country's myopic focus on capturing and eliminating bin laden from the face of the earth. i am sad for all those who have suffered loss and personal tragedy throughout this entire ordeal. i am taken back by the crass and macho blasts people have taken at bin laden posthumously. i am puzzled as to why so many people would dance in the streets, celebrating of the death of someone.

the arts often fill a gap created by the world's unpredictable hardships. reading keats (from a collection called 10,000 beautiful things) helps me find balance in the world. looking at klee allows me to appreciate the process and the final product. hearing jarrett gives me balance and clarity. we've all got something that plugs those holes for us. when i have a tough day, i might play along with rebecca martin or charles lloyd. when i need some confidence i may spit back rhymes from rakim or bang out chords with bruce hornsby. when i'm on cloud nine i lip sync some katie perry or revel in the bliss of prince's pink cashmere (yes - i'm talking to you...)

my grandma giles used to make these. not this particular design. much more conservative themes.

i'm a lover, not a fighter. i'm the last guy you want defending you, unless it was a battle of smart-ass remarks (then i'm totally your guy). i don't understand physical confrontation but do grasp the concept of self defense. why do people fight? do we really need to knuckle up in order to settle something? i understand getting pushed into a corner where the only real solution is to come out swinging, but geesh - do we really get anywhere from that type of response?

instead of weaponry, maybe we should hook up everybody with some records, a book of sonnets, and a painting to hang up in the bedroom. maybe that would slow your roll and get you thinking out side of the box. besides, making love is fun.

long distance dedication

2011-04-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

people often ask me how or why i got into music. (here's where you ask me and i answer in the following paragraph.)

my folks weren't really into music. my dad is a tone deaf trucker and my mom gets her fix in the church choir and, as i have later come to appreciate, has the art of shifting tonal centers mastered. they bought an out-of-tune upright piano from a local auction house for my sister and i when we were young, and provided us with the opportunity to take regular piano lessons. i spent about two months playing guitar, screwed around on my mom's autoharp, and liked learning michael jackson tunes on the casio keyboard that i bought with my paper route money. i never really fell in love with the saxophone at first sight. in fact, my dad told my mom (after the 5th grade band meeting) that i selected that horn because it was the most expensive of the bunch.

as a kid, i was really into the radio. Q102 was my jam. they would play all of the hits, and every sunday morning they would run casey kasem's american top 40 (i'm humming the jingle as i type). he would run down the week's top songs and offer the occasional tidbit about the performer. that man had the smoothest voice, perfect for this kind of stuff. i would sit poised in my room, with the blank cassette tape in my boombox and my index finger hovering over the record button, in hopes that casey would play the full version of kyrie by mister mister (which fit my range perfectly at the time) or higher love by steve winwood (featuring jr robinson on the drum intro and chaka khan on the backgrounds). he turned me on to great songs like the rain by oran juice jones, we built this city by starship (with that radio dj guy), and rhythm of the night by debarge (i still have the sheet music somewhere).

casey also hipped me to a bunch of slow jams too, usually prefixed with a long distance dedication. i always wondered if people actually sent letters to casey. i never felt my life was in similar disarray as those whose stories were read on the air, so i opted to live vicariously through whoever they were. lovers that are struggling to make it work get every time you go away by paul young. lovers that are optimistic about their future got meet me halfway by kenny loggins (from the incomparable movie over the top). lovers that evidently sat by the phone, head in hands, got right here waiting by richard marx (which i quickly learned how to play on the piano and sing in my falsetto ... for the ladies ...)

as goofy as this sounds, i give the birthday boy casey kasem a lot of credit for shaping my early ears. i don't search the radio stations when i'm on the road for jazz classics. i dig around for 80's music, the soundtrack of my youth.

casey also had a pottee mouth. hey - we all have our moments.

eighty one

2011-04-26T03:14:00.000-07:00

i had the honor of hearing kenny wheeler perform last friday up in cedar falls. my good friend chris merz runs a pretty remarkable program at the university of norther iowa. he and bob washut (the man responsible for making their department legendary) have a wonderful situation, complete with a talented and flourishing student body that is tirelessly supported by the administration and the community at large.

chris brought kenny in to play some small group pieces with the faculty group and perform the complete sweet time suite.
i sat second row with my good friend russ, and had my face coated with kenny's unforgettable flugelhorn sound. the sextet pieces (tsx/flg/pno/gtr/bs/dm) allowed more blowing space for kenny and chris, but certainly paled in comparison to the majesty of the suite from music for large and small ensembles. rachel price, a recent music grad from uni, played the role of norma winstone to perfection. simply hearing kenny play this music live was enough for me - his immediate sound + chris's excitement for this concert in particular + sensory recall of listening to this album a ton + remembering playing for jan with musical spirits dave dunn and erin fishler = all i could handle. to boot, kenny is 81 years old. sure - he came out with a cane, sat throughout the gig, didn't necessarily sound like he once did earlier in his career, and cracked only one tiny smile at the very end of the evening. but for crying out loud - he is 81!

checking out concerts like this leave me both inspired and depressed. the writing is incredible, so open and spacious and modern. the soloing stretches my ears in six different directions only to rubberbandsnap me back to reality. the body of work and litany of collaborations is astonishing. are my tunes this good? do my solos give people a similar euphoric aftertaste? will i have as decorated a bio? will i actually live to be 81?

i guess i just assume that, when i see live music from people who i ogle over, they must be having these experiences 24/7. does chris potter play jaw-dropping solos with his underground band every day? do the bad plus play shows every night to sell out crowds? does han bennink spontaneously create ingenuous performance art daily? does kenny wheeler routinely lead renditions of his large group pieces? probably not, on all accounts. i don't see these guys go get the mail, sleep in, wash dishes, stare at the checkbook, gas up the car, fold laundry or change the toilet paper.

i realize that maturing artistically is all about the process. every little step i take (hello bobby brown) gets me to the bigger goals that i set in front of me. giving consistent effort with a refreshing and reevaluated commitment to creative work steers my ship in the right direction. taking an inch of inspiration from these great performers and stretching it into a mile is a well established formula for personal growth. most of all - i need to remind myself of these ideas so i can keep my sanity without throwing in the towel. it reminds me of this great tevin campbell tune from quincy jones' album back on the block.

famous guys named kenny: lefty with handles kenny anderson, funnyish sports reporter kenny mayne, smooth jazz hairdo
kenny g, soft rock star kenny loggins, kenny from south park, and botox disaster kenny rogers.

can you smell what (name of combo) is cooking

2011-04-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

we celebrated an annual event in our home last weekend. the wife and i had been burning the candle at both ends for quite a while and were overdue for a fun and relaxing evening of scarfing down junk food and parking our rear ends in front of the boob tube. my boys were looking forward to this date on the calendar for several months. it was a special occasion for our crew - wrestlemania.

my buddy (and former student) cedric jones told me about how cool it was as a kid to watch the pay per view event, and how great he thought his parents were (then and in retrospect). we tuned in last year and it was super awesome. all of our favorite guys wrestled well rehearsed (er, i mean spontaneous) matches, filled with dramatics and all the fixins. the 4-hour event flew by. simon's favorite wrestler, shawn michaels, lost his match last year to the undertaker and subsequently retired from the sport.

the grandeur is unparalleled. honestly. each wrestler has his own theme song, unique costuming, memorable catch phrases, signature moves, and a finishing maneuver that personifies their character. john cena has "my time is now", the you can't see me wave in front of his face, the baseball hat and jean shorts (the only guy in the world that still rocks those things), the five knuckle shuffle, and the attitude adjustment. the fans have something with which to identify. when his opponent gets tangled up face first in the ropes, fans of rey mysterio know that the 619 is soon to follow.

rey mysterio, triple h, cm punk, seamus, john cena,

john morrison, shawn michaels, r truth

classical and jazz performing acts could take a cue from the wwe. performers are often looking for a new outfit to wear. most programs feature a new set of repertoire. nobody would dare start or finish with the same predictable music. this lack of continuity between concerts could be leaving the listener without a consistent point of reference. popular music acts have it figured out. fans do the math when the encore is upon them, able to determine that springsteen hasn't sung "born to run" yet.

what's so bad about playing some of the same stuff again? i remember hearing pat metheny for the first time and flipping my shit when he broke off the opening lick to "bright sized life". i remember dave king's hi hat intro on a halloween alaska show, signaling "the ends". i remember hearing brad mehldau close with "still crazy after all these years" on back to back sets. i remember masada opening with ravyah, a tune they had played a gazillion times before.

and costuming... the bad plus always has reid in an interesting t-shirt, ethan in a suit, and king in some indie outfit with a hat. zorn wore his orange tee and camouflage pants, just like most of the promo materials depicted. metheny had the crazy hair. han bennink ceremoniously strapped on the red bandana.

vince mcmahon has got it figured out. each character has his set of tools, and they rarely change. the merch flies off the shelves, the generations of fans continue, and the venues are routinely sold out. i want to be a part of the new adaptation by chamber players, incorporating these exciting elements of the wwe to our valuable art form. minus the belly-to-belly suplex. hey... don't tell me that's fake.

what, me worry?

2011-04-10T06:17:00.000-07:00

i think it's important to see live music. it helps remind me what's going in the world and gets me thinking about my own art form. i also believe in karma - the notion that if you aren't getting your lazy butt up and out to some shows, that may in fact guarantee that others follow suit when you've got a gig somewhere. i often am conflicted when i see live music. i question the choices of literature, am sometimes depressed by how many people came out (lots - why don't i draw bigger crowds? few - where is everybody?), and inevitably doubt my own musicianship. pretty sad, huh.... why am i so intimidated by live music? i mean - it's fun to hear, doubly fun to do, and important to the furthering of society as a whole. i believe in it and know that i can hang, but am prone to questioning myself on a metaphysical level.

my friend abe goldstein hosts a jazz series in waukee. he has great taste in music; creative and box-destroying performers. last night, somehow he was able to finagle the icp orchestra (no, not insane clown posse). these dutch wizards of spontaneously creative music made a stop in iowa. i'm not sure how abe did it, but i'm very thankful that he was able to bring them through. attending this show was the best thing i've done in recent memory. the tunes were the perfect length. the flow of the set was unpredictably comfortable (tunes, improvised transitions, ballads, mixed instrumentation, spatial staging experiments). the musicians were in top form and very appreciative for the opportunity to play in waukee. their onstage banter was welcoming and positive. their improvisations were inspired and well crafted. their camaraderie was evident.

and han bennink... where do you start with this guy? about to turn 69, he was far and away the most engaging performer. he was the reason i was attending the gig, in all honesty, and he did not disappoint. he is easily one of the most creative drummers in the history of the instrument. he always seemed to play the right stuff at the right time, while swinging his hi-hat leg up onto the snare and small tom to deaden the sound. he sported his trademark bandana and tackled each piece relentlessly and sensitively. he was so grateful and especially poignant when he spoke to the crowd at the end.

i left caspe terrace relieved and humbled. as i strode to my car in the unseasonably warm nightfall, i literally said to myself "i'm gonna make it".

get gus to the gig

2011-03-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

i'm a moderate sports fan. i used to be nutso about sports when i was a kid. i read the backs of baseball cards, knew all kinds of football stats, kept track of nba happenings, and was a whiz when filling out my ncaa hoops bracket. i guess my life has caught up with me. i'm not sure who starts for my beloved st. louis cardinals, haven't the foggiest idea about who leads the nfl in any category, am routinely surprised when i learn that somebody was traded in the nba 3 months ago, and don't have the slightest clue as to who will advance in my bracket. i know way more about the coaches than i do the players (pitino, ol' roy, coach k, billy self, boeheim, etc.)

i follow hometown hero harrison barnes, whom i first met when he was a 5th grade kid in my neighborhood. he is now the shining star for the unc tarheels and a future nba lottery pick. i know about brandon knight, sullinger, kyrie, selby, and a bunch of other guys from his high school affiliations. i cheer for those guys too. for the first time in quite a while, i've got a dog in the fight.

the madness of march is heightened by the play-by-play icon gus johnson. he infuses true fan excitement into his calls. i was pumped up when isaiah thomas cleared out and hit a buzzer-beating jumper for washington a week ago, and i could give a shit about that game. gus gave an intoxicating call to the final play in the pac-10 championship. he is personally invested in each matchup he is anchoring. i heard someone say that they should have gus stationed in the studio headquarters for the tourney, giving him the mic for any/all games that are coming down to the wire. check out this fantastic site, where a montage of trademark calls are assembled. sheer genius.

we need guys like gus coming out to creative music shows. playing at a cool venue is even better when the audience is actively listening. hoops and hollers are welcomed during an exciting solo, both from the crowd and the players. a sense of excitement really enhances the playing and artistry. somehow it has become taboo to express any emotions while observing a musical act. forget that - instead, be a part of the creative process!!! the performers need to allow the audience to interact, and the audience needs to feed the performers this incomparable energy.

one of my favorite gigs was about ten years ago in northfield, mn. my band real time workshop played a cool show at a club called "the center of the universe". seating was at a premium, with only a few comfy couches available and no elevated stage. we set up right in the middle of the room and had about 200 people scattered on the floor, encircling the band. it was a magical setup, and we played bigger than our musical britches.

applaud. cheer. whistle. it feels good - i promise.

oh yeah - my final four! unc, uconn, louisville & byu.

eighty one

2011-03-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

i remember the first time i ever heard ornette coleman. i was new to iowa city, having moved there for round one of my undergraduate studies. i was in the ped mall late one fall evening, and checked into a record store that came highly recommended. i'm not sure i was really into buying music during that period of my life, but i was okay with acting like i did. i stepped into Real Records and immediately heard some music that captured my complete attention. they were playing tone dialing by ornette and prime time, which is now one of my favorite albums. the joy in his sound, the swirling tonalities, the rhythmic colors, the freshness...

i finally saw ornette in concert a couple of years ago. i went to dancing in my head, a new music festival in minneapolis at the walker art institute. it was open seating, so i snagged a third row seat by myself around 5:00. the music had been happening for a while when i got there, and was scheduled to go until about midnight. i was planning to see some stuff and then hook up with my friend nick lemme (from spaghetti western string company) to crash at his place. i sat there until about 11:00, watching all sorts of creative stuff. my butt was getting sore, my bladder was screaming, and my ears were getting worn out. there was one more band scheduled - the bang on a can all stars. i had seen this wonderful ensemble a couple of times, so i was fixing to split. the emcee then announced that they were doing all ornette tunes, and would be joined by the man himself.

oh boy did i have to pee, but there was no way that i was leaving my seat. he came out with his trademark hat, wearing a white suit and playing a white alto saxophone. it was unbelievable. he sounded so beautiful, and the band was killing. i stayed until about 2:00 in the morning, and called nick the second i got to the parking lot. he was cool about me being late - he understood.

other records i like by ornette include Song X, Skies of America, The Shape of Jazz to Come, This Is Our Music, Free Jazz, the Complete Science Fiction Sessions, The Empty Foxhole, New York is Now, Colors, and Sound Museum.

happy birthday ornette, and thanks...

don't give the end away

2011-02-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

i remember reading an interview with tim berne back in college. (i was looking for a magic recipe to great music making.) the journalist asked what kind of music did he usually go to for inspiration. berne answered that, instead of listening to a bunch of music, he liked to watch movies.

well, somebody text tim and tell him i finally took his advice. this year to date, i have seen FIVE movies, a number that usually matches if not exceeds my annual movie viewings. i have just realized that movies really turn my crank. i appreciate the magnitude of doing a full project. i used to stay involved in musicals and theatrical productions just for the high i got from opening night, not because i enjoyed the medium. i am fascinated by the detail and thoughtfulness put into filmmaking. the cinematography, the editing, the colors, the soundtrack. i like hearing how records are recorded, mixed, and programmed.

movies take me out of my box. they make me think about my craft, the process, and get me considering the subject matter. music rearranges my headspace, sometimes challenging me while other times comforting me. for some reason, i am proud of myself that i can block out a couple hours and commit to watching a film. i periodically need some nudging to sit and listen or watch some music, and am equally gratified that i make the effort to give my undivided attention to an album.

enduring and experiencing an artistic venture from beginning to end is crucial towards my personal development. when i perform, i consider the complete period of time as equal parts in my process. all of my preparation, instantaneous choices, and forward thinking momentum play into the final result. acknowledging all of the patience and energy required to see a film to its fruition is enough motivation to fuel my fire.

thanks to Black Swan, The Social Network, Date Night, The Kids Are All Right, and 127 Hours (my personal favorite).

stop! rodgers & hammerstein time!

2011-02-23T06:34:00.000-08:00

i've got one of those peel-a-day calendars. it has the date, a new word (that i wonder if i will ever use), a blurb about some historical event, assorted celebrity birthdays (yesterday was drew barrymore and steve irwin), a brainteaser that i usually think is way too hard, and a thought-provoking quote.

yesterday's quote comes from some guy named publius syrus. i have never heard of this joker, so i dialed up my friends over at wikipedia to get the scoop. (i don't actually have any friends associated with wikipedia, but certainly recognize them as the most credible online source these days...) as it turns out, he is a latin writer of pithy observations on life. a freed roman slave, he also worked as a mime and an improvising writer during 1st century bc. he is credited with a slew of famous quotes, including "familiarity breeds contempt" and "it is better to learn late than never".

the line for inspiration today was "the remedy for wrongs is to forget them". i use this notion as a primary mantra when practicing improvisation. sure, you're gonna screw up - but us listeners want to know how you will incorporate that misstep towards successful thematic development. miles davis made a career out of this, and many are modeling their careers after miles' "mistakes".

many young improvisers get hung up on (knowingly) missing a chord change, and allow their frustration to alter the flow of their creative stream. most don't function like that in real life. quit reading the book after the first word you don't know? stop eating your fries after biting into a limp one? toss the wii remote after you immediately wreck while playing mario kart? put on a hat at the first inclination that your hair won't cooperate? (fyi - i don't read much, like droopy fries, suck at mario kart, and am wearing a hat as i type.)

when god closes a door, he opens a window. be 2 legit 2 quit. and count me as the first to use references from the sound of music and mc hammer to explain important principles in the creative process.

fat guy in a little coat

2011-02-18T05:30:00.000-08:00

i was thumbing through a chris farley book in wal-mart the other night and came across an anecdote from al franken who, before becoming a hot-button senator, was a writer and actor on saturday night live. he spoke of the period when farley was on the scene, along with rob schneider and adam sandler. all brilliant comics in their own right, franken noted that these guys would often go off script. their continued interest in straying from the written material frustrated franken, but he mentioned (and i'm paraphrasing since i don't have the book in my hands at the moment) that it was probably less about their disinterest in his sketch and more about how it was time for him to leave the show.

i think of this idea time and again when i'm dealing with creative music. i want the stuff that i write to take on a certain persona, and i struggle with the desire to micro-manage. i want the tunes that i help arrange for my students to go a certain way, and the music that i rehearse with them to sound like i intend it to. the balancing act i have found (which is a work still in progress) requires me to be extremely clear and credible with my instructions and/or playing while allowing others to contribute their strengths to the collective. it's about trust and good judgment.

now, at the same time ... i want the players i work alongside to be able to contribute their artistic strengths at full throttle. i am leery about stifling creativity, for fear that i may get an apathetic effort or, worse yet, negative return. if i distinguish another's artistic flame too early, maybe i'm missing out on exciting creative output or a moment of inspiration. i try to to know each musician that i work with - what they are capable of doing, what sparks their inventiveness, what pushes them beyond their box.

how did al franken know it was time for him to exit stage left? was it a lack of patience with the budding comic geniuses? did he recognize that maybe he was no longer at the cusp of new comedic concepts? i remember thinking that i was helping spearhead new movements in improvised music, and then was introduced to recordings of artists doing many years ago what i was currently discovering. in fact - i have been embarrassingly victimized by my own naivety multiple times.

i have decided to stick with my own sound concepts and personalized approaches to creative improvisation. i have one ear in my own thing (to better understand what i'm trying to do), another ear in the new stuff (trying to keep up with the joneses) and yet another ear in the music of past masters. i know - i need more ears, right? if i keep jumping around between the musical flavor of the month, i am certain that i'll never codify my own musical language and identifiable style. so, i'm sticking to my guns - come hell or high water.

a magnet in my office

and while i'm thinking of it - some of my favorite snl characters from the treacherous three:

* farley dancing with patrick swayze

* sandler singing arias as opera man

* schneider making copies with stingarino

* farley reviewing restaurants for zagats

* sandler as bryan from the denise show

cheat codes and love songs

2011-02-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

i used to hang out with my neighbor jason means when i was a kid. he was a packers fan, so i had to look past that, but we had many other things in common: riding bikes, playing whiffle ball, swimming, watching the cubs lose, smoking candy cigarettes, and trying to beat iron mike in punch out.

jason's mom, who later became my spanish teacher, was always spinning records. her favorite album to throw in rotation was the greatest hits of julio iglesias (who, along with billy dee williams & jimmy smits, are the smoothest dudes in the business). i enjoyed the latin crooner, although it seemed like an odd soundtrack to our bazillion alley-oop dunks on the nerf hoop. the tune stuck in my head was his pop smash to all the girls i loved before, a duet with willie nelson.

i later made my professional debut when i was in high school, playing an unaccompanied version of that song inside the livestock barn at the union county fair. my reed was acting up, but the blue ribbon sheep didn't seem to mind. the thrill i got out of playing in public got me hooked on music.

dig the video with julio and comic genius johnny carson.

zeroing in

2011-02-13T07:03:00.000-08:00

my brother-in-law was in town this weekend. cool guy, family man, former collegiate soccer player, current compliance a.d. at arkansas state university (howl yes!!!) he visits on occasion, but finds it increasingly more difficult to travel for leisure with two children under the age of 3. we often see his crew when we head south for the holidays, but he snuck onto the charter bus that brought his asu track squad to ames for an open meet.

my kids think their uncle daniel is the bee's knees, and are down for doing whatever when he's around. although he made the road trip to hang with his sister and us boys (and feel around about some job prospects on campus), he had an unspoken obligation to attend the track and field meet. we of course have never been to an event like that, so we tagged along.

daniel guesstimated that 30+ schools were participating in the meet, large and small programs alike. track is such an individualized sport in most cases, so i suppose the size of the program doesn't necessarily matter. asu is in the sunbelt conference, which pales in comparison to the big 12 or sec, but still had some excellent athletes.

the track meet was a trip. there were a multitude of athletes all over the place. some stretching and warming up, others cheering on teammates, and most were lying down with headphones on. nobody interfered with other events, and a sense of urgency was conspicuously absent. i was both surprised and impressed with the relaxed vibe, considering the potential for chaos. the asu red wolves represented at the meet. we saw a guy triple jump, another pole vault, a gal run the 5k - and they all kinda happened at the same time.

we watched a girl named sharika race in the final heat for the 60m dash. she stretched, fussed around with her feet in the blocks, watched other competitors do the same, composed herself, and then blasted off at the sound of the gun. she tore down the track, blazing past most of the other sprinters, and finished up in 3rd place - a scant .002 seconds behind the winner. it was very impressive.

i was struck by her focus. i'm standing about 10 feet from her, talking with my kids about why they think they need a mountain dew at 4:00 in the afternoon. other people are on the phone, laughing with their friends, heeding direction from their coaches, and encouraging her competitors. we were right on top of her, and she remained intensely focused on the matter at hand.

i don't care to play in big concert venues, especially the type that preserve this stage protocol of yesteryear. the audience gets quiet, a dramatic opening of the stage door reveals the performer, a polite exchange of applause and acknowledgment between the two parties, play the piece, another exchange, exit, do it all over again. bleh.

i like playing places where the crowd is in your space. i don't mind if they talk, pass by closely, gawk, cheer, or chat with me between tunes. there is something street about that - doing my work at my highest level, for myself and for the people. the stiff concert hall routine scares me. i thrive on cranking up my focus in a setting full of assorted stimuli and distraction. i like the way my brain spins in overdrive when i'm locked into a creative space, one that i can't be dislodged from.

i admire sharika's ability to center and deal with the task at hand. it's cool that i have something in common with a top notch sprinter. but she definitely looks better in spandex...

who is it

2011-02-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

i don't really like talking on the phone, and am notorious for not answering a call that doesn't come up as a registered contact in my caller id. i get paralyzed when i look down at my phone and see a number, not a name, flash across the top. i instantly hit ignore, for fear that whomever is calling me is the bearer of bad news. send yo ass to voicemail.

i was flabbergasted a few days ago when i called my folks. they are old school, man. just got internet, have kept the old answering machine going, and roll with one cordless phone (in the garage) to their two corded phones in the house.

i told my mom, in an earlier conversation that day, that i would call back around 7:00 that evening. i kept my promise, and jingled her. she answered my call with "well hello guy smiley", her nickname for me from back in the day. i laughed and said "mom, how did you know it was me?" she said that she knew i was planning to call around then and figured i would hold up my end of the bargain. i can't believe she had the guts to answer the phone just on a hunch, without caller id!!!

i think it is relatively easy to recognize a particular singer from a recording. the brain quickly sifts through the files of voice type and character in a vocalist's sound, coming up with a perfect match. some are identified more quickly than others. tom waits, nat cole, louis armstrong, frank sinatra, willie nelson, stevie wonder, axl rose - all unique vocalists.

do singers want that instant recognition? does the listener feel more at ease when they know who is crooning? do singers work to have a unique-unto-them sound, or are they trying to tap into that legacy of an artist whose similar voice type has already laid the groundwork? hello, michael buble.

i find it much more difficult for me to pick out horn players from recordings, based strictly upon their tone quality. i call upon more information (the tune, approach to improvising, cliche licks, accompanying personnel) to make this determination. my success rate with blind identification is significantly diminished. do horn players strive for unique tone qualities, or are they victims of what they have listened to and admired through the years?

i was blown away when i read a downbeat magazine blindfold test with joey baron from a few years back. he listened to a track and then quickly noted that the drummer was jack dejohnette, but jack wasn't using his own drums on this particular recording. woah...

i'm an alto player, but do i need a tone like bird or hodges? should tenor players chase coltrane or dex? guitar players fiddle around with various settings to get a particular sound. aspiring musicians buy gear that is either endorsed by or played exclusively by certain artists. is this in hopes of replicating their sound? anthony braxton talked about restructuralists and stylists in the graham lock book forces in motion. on which side of that fence do you find yourself?

current ingredients in my tone concept: the urgency of eric dolphy, the raw of bjork, the angularity of dave king, the circus of django bates, the joy of ornette coleman, the warmth of jaco pastorius, the ease of keith underwood, the tightrope of joan sutherland, the precision of martha argerich, the bluster of ben webster. what about you?

silhouette used to be my jam

2011-02-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

me & my crew got together tonight to watch the super bowl. simon & i picked out a yummy pork recipe from my new bobby flay cookbook. we called my mom and got her recipe for chocolate cupcakes and homemade frosting, a delicacy that sonja feens for in moments of weakness. our menu included a slow roasted cajun pork shoulder (which took forever), fresh guacamole (sans packet of seasoning), two boxes of kraft mac & cheese (the breakfast of champions), those gourmet cupcakes (filled with ganache), and a swig of cream soda.

the boys & i watched the game, without a dog in the fight. we hollered for sonja every time there was a break in the action, alerting her of the infamous super bowl commercials. audi had a great advertisement, featuring one of the most recognized saxophonists of all time.

i know that we should be trumpeting the legend of charlie parker, lester young, sonny rollins, coleman hawkins, etc. however, the reality is that much of society, if forced to name one saxophonist, would come up with kenny g (followed by the yakety sax guy, that one dude from bruce springsteen's band, lisa simpson, and whoever plays that opening line on careless whisper). the general public is primed for smooth jazz melodies, not superimposed substitutions and patterns.

kenny g is certainly not my cup of tea. i wouldn't be caught dead listening to his stuff. yet, he brought the instrument to the forefront of the masses. he has been ridiculed and mocked, and is probably laughing all the way to the bank. i suppose i am thankful for kenny gorelick's work towards popularizing the instrument, and see this opportunity as a call to arms for saxophonists everywhere - use him as our lead blocker and run through the gap he leaves in his wake.

lord knows where my kids found these shirts

mawage is wot bwings us togeder

2011-01-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

my friends are a bit older now (as am i) and the marriage season has passed. well, let me rephrase that. the wedding-ceremony-and-huge-party-afterwards season is no longer in play. folks don't really do that on their repeated attempts at cracking the code for marital success. come to think of it, sonja and i were the last of our friends to tie the knot. either that, or we weren't invited to anyone else's celebration. jerks.

sonja's friend (and mine too, thank you very much) Emily got married last weekend up in eden prairie, mn. she is a great gal who teaches 6th grade science in the public schools. she and sonja met up at the university of minnesota, where they both studied with julia bogorad-kogan, principal flutist of the saint paul chamber orchestra. she married this guy named josh who, for all intents and purposes, seems like a cool guy and good for emily. too bad he's a twins fan, but hey - we've all got our flaws.

like most weddings, the crux of the ceremony is pretty straight forward and predictable. music, family, read some stuff, light a candle or two, swap rings, swap spit, thunderous applause. the same goes for most gigs. schlep gear, take forever figuring out what to play, lots of solos from the horn players, drums are too loud, can't hear the bass, say you'll take requests but turn down the plea for some pat benatar, smattering of applause.

there are also memorable moments that occur in both arenas, snafus that are forever etched into the nooks and crannies of our unused brain space.

at emily's wedding, they prepared to light the unity candle and realized that nobody had a match. they called out for a lighter and none of the attendees could provide one. finally, a worker bee from the country club emerged with a bic and the ritual proceeded. the judge who married the blissful couple had this great radio dj voice (no, not like that over-saturated homeless dude). as he introduced the next reading, some weird dance metal synth music hijacked the air waves and started blasting it's infectious dance groove while the deep vocals barked "apache". the reader approached the front of the room, busting a spontaneous and hilarious dance move before immediately switching into a deadpan reading of some biblical passage once the music stopped.

i remember hearing my friend pete play con alma at a college jazz festival. his loose ligature resulted in him squeaking every other note, leaving us in stitches. ethan iverson sang a really out version of my funny valentine when i saw the bad plus back in 2002 at the dakota. my college buddy geoff mocked the schmaltzy ending to a voicesiowa rendition of body and soul, one in which they sing the eddie jefferson vocalise set to the famous coleman hawkins solo. bean rips through the end, and the singers make it a big emotional ritard.

however - there are also gems that happen in both weddings and live music that are longstanding memories for me. one of emily's readings reminded us that, in marriage, the little things are the big things. i once saw the mingus big band play duke ellington's sound of love without any rehearsal, which became obvious when they hit a fermata towards the end of the tune. leader steve slagle looked to his right and quietly uttered "potter", asking the tenor saxophonist to finish it up. chris potter stood up and delivered an earth moving impromptu cadenza.

i like going to weddings. i know i probably shouldn't need it (and hate to admit it), but i benefit from being reminded of the importance of true love, the perils of marriage and their tremendous rewards, and the understanding that your village of friends and family is the net underneath the couple that is traversing the world together.

i like hearing live music. i know i probably shouldn't need it (and hate to admit it), but i benefit from being reminded of the importance of genuine artistry, the responsibility of understanding the musical heritage that has come before while surging forward with a fresh approach, and the awareness that keeping your head up while hammering away at your art will keep you inspired and encouraged to keep on keeping on.

dig this video of the wedding gig drummer

jeep, rabbit, and squatty roo

2011-01-18T04:16:00.000-08:00

i don't listen to a lot of saxophone. well, let me rephrase this - i listen to a bunch of people play the saxophone all of the time, but i don't come home from work and put on a recording of somebody playing the saxophone. in our house these days, i hear a lot of marina piccinini, taio cruz, chris potter, bruno mars, dan patrick, and recordings of current projects that the wife and i are tackling.

i check out a bunch of new music too. some of my friends (bart, russ, joel & abe in particular) and several students keep my inbox full with cdrs of stuff they either bet i'll like or think i should hear. recent additions include tom rainey, michael formanek, dawes, and flying lotus. i'm doing everything i can to keep up with what my friends are digging, let alone what's pumping through my kids' stereos or who is making noise on the late night talk shows. i attempt to read tweets and reviews and updates and blogs from jazz artists, but struggle to stay on the horse with all of that new music. it's stressful too, knowing that so many great things blossoming everywhere are flying under my radar.

last night i gave a lecture on the legacy of alto saxophonist johnny hodges. i intended to put modest effort into the research, but ended up with a stack of books at my bar (that's right, i've got a bar in my house, and it's actually the best place to do any studying or writing) (or getting my drink on).

hodges is an interesting character. he was with ellington through four decades, was reluctant to talk with fans because he had a limited vocabulary, and was a unique voice amongst virile saxophonists. man, he sounds amazing. his tone and pitch and nuance are all on point. hearing him play hit me with the epiphany that, while i'm scrambling to stay current with new music, i'm ignoring a bunch of gems from yesteryear.

hodges on the 1956 ellington at newport live album is incredible. gonsalves steals the show, both in lore and actuality, but hodges stays so poignant as he delivers an amazing version of i got it bad and that ain't good. i had forgotten how good the small group stuff sounds, how true his understanding of the blues is, and how genuine his improvisations come across.

and then there's this...

big ole butt

2011-01-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

when i was a kid, i had posters on my walls. posters i bought with my own dinero. i had magic johnson, dwight gooden, and walter payton posters, both of them those autographed sports illustrated posters. i had a small paula abdul poster next to a janet jackson pull out poster from some magazine. i had a cool dj jazzy jeff & the fresh prince poster one on wall, and a breakdance how-to poster on the back of my door.

but the crowning jewel was an awesome ll cool j poster. he was rocking the kangol, the four finger ring that said Cool J, and a fat gold chain. (which has become an inside joke in our family) (we've got a lot of these).

i taped i need love off the radio and pumped it in my walkman until the cheap tape wore out. i bought bigger and deffer from easters (the catch-all store in town, with groceries and all sorts of and other stuff). i was taken with the cool kangol and bought into the rivalry with kool moe dee. walking with a panther was next on cassette, and i couldn't stop listening to it. plus, i really wanted those panther contact lenses he was wearing, although i don't wear contacts now because i can't stand to touch my eyeball (or watch others do it either). i bought both cassette and cd versions of mama said knock you out. i got into bench pressing weights after watching uncle L put up stacks in the title track video.

*i need love - when i'm alone in my room sometimes i stare at the wall
*i'm bad - forget oreos eat cool j cookies
*goin back to cali - she says she likes the ocean
*jingling baby - prominent dominant mccoy and i'm real
*around the way girl - with your new edition bobby brown button on your sleeve
*the boomin system - C to the O to the O to the L to the I to the N to the F to the R to the O to the N to the T to the I to the N ... that means i'm chillin

the misnomer in jazz music (and music school shit, btw) is that you have to like that particular type of music exclusively. wanna be an opera star? start listening to pavarotti and callas. jazz tenor player? get some coltrane and dex and sonny and check back in two years. concert pianist? rubenstein and horowitz, but be careful with the gould. YES you should be checking out this stuff so you can know how high the masters have set the bar, but NO need to quit digging the music that turns your crank.

so yeah. i like ll cool j. always have. he turned 42 today. happy birthday james todd smith. i'm still working on that lip lick move.

chasing a different carrot

2011-01-10T21:18:00.000-08:00

i have never been enthralled by big band music. a variety of reasons, i suppose. i admittedly rarely listen to it on recordings, and occasionally check it out live. i don't know a lot about the history of that style. i appreciate the writing and arranging when listening and playing, but have a hard time getting comfortable with the multitude of concepts of time and swing and intonation amongst the players. i like reading, but wish there were more opportunities for blowing. i don't double, and don't plan to start. yet, i enjoy doing big band gigs and get a kick out of leading my own group.

i've got friends that really dig this music, who run their own bands, and i absolutely respect their tastes. i value their friendship and acknowledge their musicianship. nothing personal at ALL ... big band music just ain't my thing. i played it a bunch in college and do some occasionally now, and that's plenty for me. my head is into other stuff.

last night, i had the pleasure of playing with the jazz coalition big band, under the direction of my great friend russ kramer. he is a music nut, a mobile jazz encyclopedia, a clever trumpeter, a quick-witted audio sabelotodo. he has assembled a working big band, with a monthly club date in the sleepy town of mason city and some occasional concert work throughout the state. they play good rep, can fill many solo spots, and keep a regular roster of players that help with continuity and ensemble sound.

this is not a picture of the band.

they don't rehearse. some of the guys are band directors while others have regular day jobs. the gig doesn't pay. we had a false start on a tune. but that's not the point...

the folks in the band are positive. they all seem to truly enjoy being there. nobody is bitching about the money or passing blame onto others when the form gets botched. they hoop and holler for good solos. they laugh at russ's jokes (which are generally pretty funny). they take the gig seriously, but not themselves. they are considerate, sharing solos and deferring to others. they actually give me plenty of solo space and are very supportive of my sonic explorations. their personal stories are interesting too. one gal just got married and talks to me about how to use my digital slr camera. one guy introduced me to his young boy, whom he is raising all by himself. another talked with me about his three sons coming home for christmas. one guy is in his 70s, and his joyful approach to life and music is infectious. these are my friends...

and they can swing too. sure, there are reading mishaps and chipped notes and sluggish tempos every once in a while. but there are also plenty of nice ensemble moments, some authentic and inspired solos, and an encouraging vibe amongst bandmates. they have a large following of appreciative listeners of all ages, who understand the etiquette of jazz performances. they eat, drink, and i even saw one guy turn off the tvs by himself (after the packers game, of course).

i am blessed to have the opportunity to play with these folks from time to time. i drive 80 minutes one way for no money, but leave with a blackened chicken sandwich for the road, a stack of cds that russ has burnt for me, a bunch of new knowledge about the history of this music, and a smile across my face the size of texas.

identity crisis ... already?

2010-12-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

please tell me i'm not the only one that feels this way....

i love so many types of music. i love to play in a multitude of different settings. i like leading and like being lead, learning to convey my musical thoughts yet taking others idea hook line & sinker. i guess my issue is - i'm not sure what type of music i want to play predominantly. am i jazz guy? an 80s pop guy? an experimental soundscape guy? a funk band horn guy? a big band saxophonist?

and furthermore ... do i need to commit to one particular thing? i saw this video of dave king talking about bands and projects and making it as a performing artist. he really is making it, as far as i can see. i am lucky enough that, at the time being, my mortgage and health insurance and loans are being tackled by my teaching gig at iowa state university. this affords me the latitude to not need to be stretched out seven different ways, but does it play into my uncertainty and indecisiveness when it comes to musical taste?

part of the issue pertains to the organizational side of projects (hell, that's ALWAYS the rub.) if i want to do an electro-acoustic thing, i probably need to lead it. who do i want to play in it? who wants to? where is the material? do i need to write it all? where can we play? will this music get butts moving, compensate the venue in drink sales, or attract a buzz amongst the artsy fartsy?

or... do i chase these opportunities that others may or may not provide? should i really bone up on the history of jazz saxophone (bleh), work on my doubling, listen to a bunch of blue note shit and hang out on the proverbial stoop of working big bands and jazz combos, waiting for an opening that's not already spoken for? and do i really want to do this anyway? i don't profess to be a saxophone junky or a jazz head. i don't gobble up every last morsel of jazz history and rifle through patterns in my head all afternoon, and i don't necessarily want to talk with people about that kind of stuff either (i can't contribute to the conversation and lose interest quickly). i'm far more interested in keeping my head open and understanding the process of preparation required for high-end real time composition and coloring. do those things transfer into conventional ensembles that contain saxophone?

man... lots of questions i have for myself. the natural inclination is to not turn down any gigs, for fear of somebody else swooping in and claiming them from hereon out. but... i love the idea of a band; a book of material, recognizable characteristics, continuity musically, commitment (or so you would think), the benefit of being multi-faceted, a following. the trick here, as i have learned, is to get those involved to be okay with the due-paying trials of ensemble progress and growth, patiently waiting for the good money days and the artistically satisfying music. do i want to be a sideman? no way. am i good at hustling work for projects? sort of. am i willing to throw myself into something? absolutely. am i willing to push people a bit in an effort to encourage them to fish or cut bait? kinda.

i am reminded of my quandry when i throw my iPod on shuffle. here's what was blasting through these klipsch buds while i was organizing my thoughts:

* dave douglas "the great schism" - freak in. really cool tune, impressive that dave has so many people at his ready for his gazillion projects (count me in too, dave...)
* tortoise "djed" - millions now living will never die. great band. my first record of theirs. i bought the triple disc set back in '06. i would love to be involved in something like this, and could see myself putting together a band like this sometime. the tunes feel right, not too heady.
* vampire weekend "cousins" - contra. i took a chance on this during a download promotional period on amazon. different than what i usually check out. refreshing in some ways.
* chris batchelor & steve buckley "bracken" - big air. i had never heard of these two dudes, but love myra melford and jim black (both on this record) and was intrigued by oren marshall's tuba work. sounds cool, doable.
* trent reznor & atticus ross "intriguing possibilities" - the social network soundtrack. this is my first exposure to reznor. i saw an interview with justin timberlake, who appears in the movie, and he was saying that the music was incredible. i really like it. not sure how to spearhead a sound like this - a bit electronicy for my head, but i like to practice improvising over stuff like this.
* jimmy smith "the christmas song" - christmas cookin'. i don't really listen to organ, because i usually think it's just way too busy. jimmy has his moment here, but this is pretty swinging. big band in the back is holding it together.
* kurt rosenwinkel "our secret world" - heartcore. this track is nice. man, kurt is something else. really changing the game. not sure many rave about this album, produced by q-tip. kurt's approach is incredible. the designs of his lines and scope of his tunes are thrillingly comfortable.
* sting "when we dance" - all this time. this guy is timeless. i rarely listen to this album. he's so good live, earning all of my respect. i think this concert happened on 9/11. pretty moving when you have that backstory.
* kneebody "break me" - kneebody. fresh fresh sounds. i finally got around to checking out this band. would love to see it live and observe their communication. i love another record by these guys, doing ives tunes with theo bleckmann.

i'm ready to sprint, but am unsure as to which direction i should go. today is new year's eve, a traditional day of reflection and reinvention. i wrestle with this head game a lot. something in my core is thirsting for another artistic fountain. it starts with me - i know this. good thing, because i will reap the most of this work and can control my involvement directly.

four months down

2010-12-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

i've needed to take my health seriously for quite some time now. physical health and mental health, both equally. the latter is on the docket for 2011 (no, seriously... it is). i have begun to get the physical end of things sorted out. after my birthday this july, i took a look at myself and thought "uggh... who am i kidding with this?" i began to see a chiropractor, which has really helped with a bunch of stuff including my eternal battle with indigestion. i got my diet back on track. i started a new workout program. P90X. i've owned it for two years, still in the wrapper. i started out being able to kinda do the exercises, and definitely wanted to quit. i didn't miss any days. i started on august 23rd (jen's birthday - she also tackled this exercise juggernaut) and finished it today on december 23rd. i was pretty sure i wouldn't like the yoga, which turned out to be the best part. i wondered where my abdominal muscles went, and have unearthed them. i did 42 pull-ups my first week and laughed at the thought of doing 120+ like the folks in the video. i maxed out with 124 pull-ups and laughed all the while.

my kid sister won a big contest in nebraska several years back through gold's gym. her before and after pics won her a lifetime membership to gold's (wonder if she'll see the hulkster) and a big sack of cash. her photos were outrageous. i couldn't believe that she a) did the transformation, and b) actually took the pics. i suspended my pride and had sonja shoot me in the front room of our house. i couldn't stop laughing back in august, and couldn't stop beaming today. i learned a lot from doing this too. i plan to continue in january with the next series of dvds, tighten up my diet, and be ready to ... i don't know ... wrestle a bear or something.

well that's embarassing

look out ladies

ok ... now we're talking

i've grown a mustache too

duke ellington - the nutcracker suite

2010-12-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

full disclosure - i have never listened to the real tchaikovsky original, never seen the nutcracker ballet, played this version several times, and am writing this RTR while tucked away in the top corner of the middle school gymnasium bleachers between 6th grade boys basketball games. i'm also not much of a big band enthusiast, although i acknowledge duke ellington's stature in the history of this music and revere billy strayhorn. as i understand it (with some insight from the strayhorn biography lush life), these two gentlemen worked side by side in many capacities. ellington took most of the credit for the band's repertoire, earned and otherwise. he obviously assembled the group and kept things afloat and did his fair share (?) of writing/arranging and band leading. i've always thought that strayhorn was the brains behind the brawn. he was excited to reimagine the nutcracker, and bore the brunt of the burden in the writing and arranging of this suite (man, i'm using lots of words that start with "b"). columbia records chose to feature strayhorn prominently in the art work and the liner notes. it is said that billy preferred to be in the shadow of a dead composer (tchaikovsky), and embraced this opportunity. i love billy, and my heart bleeds for him whenever i think of his struggles.

there is so much joy in the writing and playing. i can't help but love this. toot toot tootie toot has great dry staccatos in the clarinets. peanut brittle brigade is really swinging. the drummer is driving this band. the balance is good, horns are in tune, and the solo moments are in character. the ascending cascade lines in the ensemble are seamless. is this tenor soloist paul gonsalves? i don't recognize his sound, but am guessing based upon the year and personnel. i don't have the knack of instant recognition that most jazz enthusiasts possess. i wish i did. i also wish i played trumpet so i could kiss off those high parts at the end of tunes.

i'm sort of watching a basketball game U12 while writing this, waiting for my son's next game (he plays the winner of this matchup). ellington's band succeeded because of the writing, the integrity of the playing, the era in which they rose to prominence, and the continuity within the ensemble. harry carney, johnny hodges, tricky sam, cootie, and many others stuck with this band for a long time. i imagine that if these kids on the basketball team all stick it out and play for years to come, they will have similar success - founded in continuity and teamwork and leadership and getting better because others in your troop are getting better.

the clarinet playing is dynomite. dynamics that taper away in the entr'acte are to die for. i like how the opening to the volga vouty is abrasive and powerful. great execution, as you would expect. johnny hodges on this solo? sounds like his vibrato, yet without the slippin'-and-slidin'. yeah! #11 at the bottom of the voicing in carney's part. makes me laugh. how many other musical inside jokes am i missing because i don't know the original inside and out? when i have played this (and will do again tonight with my good friend russ kramer's band) i sub soprano saxophone for clarinet. i hate that i do that - the color is totally not right. i need to bone up on my clarinet playing. there's ellington playing the #11 in the bottom several times now in chinoiserie. this confirms my suspicions - i'm definitely missing something.

this recording makes me like swing music. maybe it's like sushi - people think they don't like it, and then try some really good stuff from a high end restaurant and quickly change their mind. does this mean that i'm listening to crappy swing bands playing mediocre material? i also think i'm not in love with playing it either, but do it on occasion to get reacquainted with it in my head and in my chops. russ is really into good big band, but may be my only friend that digs this stuff. he turns me on to lunceford, fletcher, oliver, maria, bobby brookmeyer, woody, and even some kenton. he has really helped me with my own big band, in terms of choosing repertoire and general concepts. all i want to do is improvise and, while there are times for that in this type of ensemble, there are many other things to consider.

russ is allowing me to play the 2nd book on these, which gets me just one solo for the night. but... i get to close the concerts with plenty of space on arabesque cookie. great swing literature and some blowing space - i'm a lucky guy. on a side note - i don't like the original cover for this album. white sweaters? why is billy looking down, forlorn? i guess prefer it over the reissue, with ellington alone on the cover.

buy the album

dave king - indelicate

2010-12-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

dave king is an amazing guy. i know him personally, and he couldn't be nicer. he's hilarious, extremely creative, personable, and professional. i met him when i moved to minneapolis back in 2001. he was a huge deal then, before he blew up internationally. he is the drummer for the bad plus, happy apple, and halloween alaska. each of these projects is unique unto itself, and extremely musical.

this record is all king. he is playing piano and percussion, so i think it's overdubbed. i wonder about the compositional process. are these tunes charted out with specific parameters or do they suggest open concepts? as a solo artist, i would imagine that you have to fight the urge to play that same old shit you always do in that one spot. if anyone can keep those creative lines from blurring, it's king.

these tunes are short. they segue quickly to the next one. i have a difficult time sitting through longwinded songs, movies, stories, books, jokes, solos, lectures, etc. my brain can't focus that long (i know, call it what you will...) the first record i ever had that had short pieces like this was john zorn & bobby previte euclid's nightmare so great. each piece was around one minute in duration. what can you squeeze into that space? what's too much?

bees is really cool. i like the hodge podge of acoustic and electronic instruments. old school electronic drum sound with the arts high boogie sounds great. i like the funky out-of-tune piano. a bunch of repeated stuff here - is he improvising? listening to the unique characteristic of some of these keys? carefully choosing his notes? WHOA... here comes the electronic stuff. super cool. rock jam vibe in the drums, clever and catchy melody. having seen him perform a million times, i can only imagine the joy beaming from his face as he is playing these parts. the mix is interesting to me. did he have these ideas in mind right away or did he deal with it all after the fact? i consider myself to be a rather creative guy but know that i micromanage my music, in search of a very specific thing. is king loose or a dictator? and who cares, when you are managing yourself only?

the song titles are awesome. king is a comedian, and shatters the unwritten rule that songs all need to have some super serious title. bullshit. highly varnished academic realism is a great choice. the tune suddenly goes to this percussion solo thing in the middle, electric and acoustic kits improvising at the same time. king brings back the piano clusters towards the end, revealing a recognizable form to his composition.

he's a pretty decent pianist. does he work on it? does ethan help him out? it seems that several drummers are pretty good pianists. jack dejohnette is notoriously good. does king write from the piano? bill stewart is a good writer, as is matt wilson, as is jim black. i know that brian blade writes from the guitar. how about those other guys? king's tunes are obvious to me in the bad plus set lists. not necessarily thick in the harmony department, but catchy in terms of overall melody/groove/vibe. my friend paul micich once said that tunes like that "have legs". (he was talking about bach).

his cymbals sound great. i wish i could play cymbals on my saxophone. there are times when a well placed cymbal seals the deal musically. indelicate just had some nice sampled cymbal wash, trailing a real cymbal hit, like some jacked up reverb. very inventive. i bet he heard that and than sought to recreate that. i want to feel good does just that for me.

what were his influences for these tunes? has he had them for a while or did he write a bunch of it for this project? i hear some keith jarrett '70s meets tecmo football meets joey baron meets denardo coleman's innocence (when he was 10 with ornette on the empty foxhole). i imagine that he considers himself to be a better drummer than a pianist or electronic musician. which leads which compositionally? are his weaknesses or strengths more important to him?

i love dave's stuff. this record will need to grow on me. it might be his fault, after all. he is fantastic in so many settings that include other people. i am fascinated by how he interacts with others. it's curious to hear a solo album. did it come off like he hoped? would mine if i did something like this? what inspired this writing, this project? does he suffer from the stepping-out-solo problem? lead singers from successful rock bands make their own albums. sometimes they are very successful, sometimes not so much. the composite for me is enough to keep me going.

buy the album check out the website

real time reviews

2010-12-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

i like writing. i learn a bunch about myself by doing it. it comes easy to me. i can collect my thoughts, organize them, and see what they are (tough to do when they are elusively whipping around inside of my head). i like grammar too, which has always struck me as bizarre.

i like listening to music. recordings, live, stuff i'm involved with, most styles. what really turns me on, actually, are the thoughts i have about life when listening to music. i often think in musical terms initially (this is boring this is great and here's why) and quickly unleash the hounds of my imagination. i think that the thought process the listener endures is part of the musical experience. not everyone is going to throw their hands in the air when they hear a clever tritone sub or a random bar of 7/8 or an ellington quote or a triple c. in fact, i would venture to say that most listeners don't think in those terms at all (could you imagine what type of world we would be living in if everyone nerded out on double bass pedals and #11s?)

real time reviews are essentially me documenting my thoughts while listening to an album. stipulations:

*must be a complete album straight down, no repeats. in the age of iPod playlists, the art of programming is in risk of becoming extinct. artists painstakingly select tracks for their new recordings while considering flow and style change for the listener. they are more concerned with the overall vibe and not necessarily in love with each track equally.

*must be a new artist each time (not 600 miles davis records). i fear being pigeonholed by outright committing to one style of music. i like a lot of stuff, and they all roll together somehow and make me who i am.

*must be an honest reflection of what's going on in my head. why do this if i'm not being honest? i'm not out to sabotage a recording because of a hidden agenda, and nor am i planning to laud an artist's efforts regardless of its quality. these are instant and fresh opinions on the music and life, and it is crucial that they are innocent and unmolested.

this is how we do it

2010-11-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

to all my neighbors, you got much flavor

i get super excited about the holidays. i've learned to like giving gifts (thanks to my kids), still love getting gifts, and get into decorating the home for whichever festive season is forthcoming. my mother-in-law once stressed to sonja and i that we should decorate our home in the appropriate (as opposed to inappropriate?) holiday trimmings in an effort to create a warm and positive vibe around the house that the kids will remember and pass on to their own families. sometimes i slip up on the 4th of july and st. patrick's day, but am usually good for halloween and thanksgiving and christmas. (i mean come on - hang a flag, wear something green so you don't get pinched. won't that suffice?)

my parents had traditions for christmas. we hung bubble lights on our real tree, that we bought at "the pier". we each had our own stocking (and later, when the santa thing was out of the bag, bought for each other). my sister and i met in my parents' room on christmas morning and waited for my dad to get the video camera going and the shop light in position, then blasted down the stairs and around the corner to get the loot. we baked a christmas tree with a can of rolls on a cookie sheet, and covered it with frosting and oodles of sprinkles. we even had a garbage sack gift, alternating each year between me & my sister. it was the first gift opened, and then all of the wrapping paper went right in that bag (per my dad's neat freak request).

on the heels of all that detailed reminiscing, i'll save you the long version of what we do at our crib. saturday we bought a tree. we always get a real one, always as a family, always from flowerama, and usually with all of us wearing santa hats. the boys always ride in the back seat of the mazda wagon with the tree on the way home. we set it up, string it with a couple strands of lights, hang a special ornament at the trunk of the tree, put our dog angel on top, turn on the christmas tunes, and proceed to deck it out with a boatload of ornaments. we give the boys new ones each year (a tradition from both sides of our families). this season we gave kale a soccer ornament and simon a basketball ornament. last year was rey mysterio and shawn michaels. i've got a mark mcgwire ornament from when i was a kid. our tree is a bit jacked up. personalized, you could say...

at any rate... i was in a cool quartet during undergrad. real time workshop. saxophone, accordion, double bass, and drumset. we played original stuff and interesting standards. we found our niche. we had a following. we pushed a record. and we played the same tune for the end of our shows. our tradition was to always close with mo' better blues. i would introduce the band while we played it out. we looked forward to it every time, and i think the audience expected it too. that tune signaled the end of the night - it was our tradition. in retrospect, i think that idea has a lot of musical value. so many groups get hung up on doing all new stuff, shaking it up for the listener for fear of boring them or becoming unpredictable. bird and trane played a handful of the same licks over and over again in a bunch of their solos, and experts claim that they were codifying their own jazz vernacular. i saw pat metheny several years back, and he opened with bright size life. did he anticipate that the audience was wanting to hear that (because i sure was)?

i want to help shake the stigma that playing the same tunes equals a lack of creative sensibility. it could offer a point of reference for the listener, some continuity to the sets, and create a performance tradition. it doesn't mean your lame. it just means your establishing a foundation.

now excuse me while i go hang up my ups airfreight ornament...

the obligatory

2010-11-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

i'm very fortunate - this i know - for the Bible tells me so (which, although i'm being a bit snarky here and haven't really delved into the Bible lately, does indeed let me know that everything's gonna be alright and God's got my back anytime i need it). i am very thankful on a regular basis, and aware of my blessings. here is my public declaration of gratitude.

my family. my two sons are the best things in the whole world (with caramel corn coming in a close second), willing to watch the same peyton manning snl skit over and over with me. my wife is unbelievably stable and patient, qualities she has definitely put into overdrive since getting to know me. jennifer has become a wonderful augmentation to our family. my folks are into their thing, which drove me crazy forEVER, but now i get it and appreciate that. my kid sister is an amazing woman and living right.

my friends. multiple levels - those that really get me, those that want to get me, those that i've known for years, those that i see only occasionally, those that i have yet to make there acquaintance, and the facebook universe (a very different but pretty cool type of friend).

my health. i can walk. i can talk. i can smell. i can see. i can hear. i can taste. i'm not keeling over in discomfort. my head is kinda screwed up, leaving me with dangerously low lows but rewarding me with unbelievable highs. i can deal with that (actually i can't, but that's a forthcoming post).

my musical experiences, large and small alike. i had the joy of playing a creative gig with the legendary bassist susie miget last weekend, and she made an interesting point to me about improvising. she thought that we were so fortunate to be able to play the most amazing game together - improvising. i never really focus on the joy involved, being preoccupied with the skills i needed and evaluating my real time performance. she is absolutely right. playing with creative folks in wide open situations is so challenging and fascinating and exhilarating and rewarding. i learn so much about myself and the other contributors and how i understand art, and i'm having FUN doing it. i also get access to the inner game of music and art when i listen to others take their hacks. i feel incredibly fortunate.

i'm also thankful for my new camera, the nikon d3100.

i'll be even more thankful when i have any clue how to use it.

treeeeeees

2010-11-16T20:49:00.000-08:00

i am fascinated by certain things in the world. constellations, the smell of a brush fire, slow moving clouds, the taste of brisk winter mornings, and a bunch of other things. at the top of that list, above all else, are trees.

i don't know jack squat about them. you know, what type of tree i'm looking at, why it grows here, or any of its other characteristics. i just know that the design of the branches and the detail in the leaves and the root systems and the rings in the trunk and the way they sway and what they have seen through all of their days is incredibly cool to me.

ne corner of lincolnway and university

here we are mid-november, and these incredible trees are losing all of their leaves. this can only mean one thing - raking. instead of supporting other organizations who are fundraising this time of year, i hire my boys to help me rake. they are increasingly more helpful each year, and definitely more fixated on the dolla dolla beel. we got most of the yard raked up and bagged in about two hours. the boys were pooped, and i was on my way there. twenty bucks is twenty bucks, you know, but hard labor is tough in its own right.

i shared some of my past work experiences with the boys. i used to wait tables, make tacos, sell clothes, deliver mail, donate plasma, assemble coffee pots, deliver newspapers, and bake cinnamon rolls. we talked about eventually finding a job that will pay your bills, take care of your family, and give you some funny money. if you are fortunate enough to get good at something that you love, then you'll never work a day in your life. i'm certainly not getting rich doing music professionally (contrary to popular belief), but still have a hard time believing that i'm able to make it on music alone. i'm thrilled that i get to help students open up their sound, refine big band passages, work on the glazounov concerto, arrange combo tunes, and talk about wayne shorter (i was kidding about the glazounov...)

i like being outside. i like teaching my kids about the value of a hard-earned buck. i like trees and find honor in collecting their leaves. however, no way do i want to cover my monthly expenses by raking leaves or shoveling snow or mowing lawns. my lower back agrees.