Monthly Archives: September 2007

Today was a beautiful day for a battle…..a civil war reenactment that is. At a local park just outside of Madison city limits, the Union and the Confederate soldiers clashed. In the real event, the fighting started around 4:30 in the morning and lasted after the midnight hour, until the battlefield fell silent. The confederates retreated to a new line of works 800 yards to the rear. Suddenly the silent post midnight air was broken by the sound of a Confederate band playing “The Dead March” from Handel’s Saul, followed by a Union band playing “Nearer My God to Thee“. The Rebel band answered with “The Bonnie Blue Flag” with the South proudly sharing “Dixie Land” and the North ended the concert with “Home, Sweet Home,” which brought a tear to many an eye. The numbers of dead, wounded and captured combined for over 20,000 people for this one evenings battle with the fighting lasting about a weeks or so, with the numbers of those lost upwards to 70,000. The best part for me was that I arrived early and was able to stroll around both camps and pick the brains of the participants, and they were quite convincing in their roles. I learned about the many behind the scene aspects of equipment, artillery and certainly most of interest to me were the people and their facts….

“In the future, there will be so much going on that no one will be able to keep track of it,” David Byrne says during the final song from The Knee Plays, a series of vignettes backed by brass band orchestrations composed in 1985 for Robert Wilson’s opera the CIVIL warS. Perhaps this prediction is best applied to the “Rennaisance Man of Rock” himself, who – in the span of a single week – will soon host an event dedicated to New York Bikers (Oct 6) and contribute to a public discussion with evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller (Oct. 10). And on Oct. 30, the very Knee Plays that doubt us will be available on CD, courtesy of Nonesuch, for the first time. Originally conceived as interludes for a multinational, six-part work inspired by Matthew Brady’s American Civil War photography, intended for use during 1984 Olympic Games, featuring music from Philip Glass and other composers, Music For The Knee Plays was eventually released on vinyl after Wilson’s opus failed to transpire in its entirety. However, Byrne performed the largely instrumental pieces a handful of times, with one London concert recorded by the BBC and — happily yet probably illegally — available almost in full on YouTube. Here’s play four, titled “Social Studies,” in which he considers the effects of stealing other people’s groceries.
According to Talking-Heads.net, the liner notes for Knee Plays states “This music was inspired by the Dirty Dozen Jazz Band of New Orleans” — a claim more apparent on songs like “In the Upper Room.” The upcoming CD will include eight unreleased cuts and a DVD with 400 black & white photographs of the production by JoAnn Verburg.

Music for the Knee Plays track list:

1. “Tree (Today Is An Important Occasion)”
2. “In the Upper Room”
3. “The Sound of Business”
4. “Social Studies”
5. “(The Gift of Sound) Where the Sun Never Goes Down”
6. “Theadora Is Dozing”
7. “Admiral Perry”
8. “I Big You Goodnight”
9. “Things To Do (I’ve Tried)”
10. “Winter”
11. “Jungle Book”
12. “In the Future”
13. “Tree (Reprise)” (previously unreleased)
14. “I’ve Tried (Things To Do)” (previously unreleased)
15. “Tic Toc 2 (In the Future)” (previously unreleased)
16. “Whisper” (previously unreleased)
17. “Misterias” (previously unreleased)
18. “Faust Dance” (previously unreleased)
19. “Ghost” (previously unreleased)
20. “Super Natural” (previously unreleased)

DJ Sara – 8 years old
DJ Ryusei – 5 years old

Ummmmmmmm…What can I say?

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Pioneering Austrian jazz pianist Joe Zawinul was one of the front runners in the development of jazz fusion along with Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and Miles Davis. Best known as the founder of the band Weather Report, with Miroslav Vitous and Wayne Shorter with whom he had previously recorded two albums as part of Davis’ studio band, in his final years he headed the ensemble called The Zawinul Syndicate.Mr. Zawinul is often credited with aiding revolutionary fretless bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius rise to popularity by giving him the position as bassist for Weather Report in the mid 1970s. Pastorus debuted on the track Cannonball, which is a tribute to Cannonball Adderley.Several artists have honoured Zawinul with songs, notably Brian Eno‘s instrumental “Zawinul/Lava”, McLaughlin’s instrumental “Jozy” and Warren Cuccurullo’s “Hey Zawinul“. Zawinul, along with Corea and Hancock, was one of the first to integrate electric pianos and early synthesizers like the ARP 2600 in 1973′s Sweetnighter. He was among the first to use a Fender-Rhodes with a Phasing effect and a Wah-Wah pedal. His creativity and attention to detail resulted in a very contemporary and modern sound. He also has played the kalimba on Weather Report’s Mysterious Traveller and Mr. Gone. Classically trained at the Vienna Conservatoire, Zawinul played in various broadcasting and studio bands before emigrating to the U.S. in 1959, where he played with Maynard Ferguson and Dinah Washington before joining the Cannonball Adderley Quintet in 1961. Zawinul’s biggest commercial success [citation needed] came from his composition “Birdland”, a 6-minute opus featured on Weather Report’s 1977 album Heavy Weather. “Birdland” is one of the most recognizable jazz pieces of the 1970s, covered by many prominent artists from The Manhattan Transfer to Maynard Ferguson. Even Weather Report’s version received significant mainstream radio airplay — unusual for them — and served to convert many new fans to music which they may never have heard otherwise.

Zawinul was hospitalized in his native Vienna on August 7, 2007, only one week after concluding a six-week tour in Hungary. He died of cancer on September 11, 2007.

Mr. Joe Zawinul

Two unbelievable performers in a nearly flawless performance. This is just something to behold and hold onto tightly.

Thanks for taking the time to be a part of it.

The power of music and sound? A reverse of the forward ways? Philosophy Major? Just follow the bouncing ball.

misterG

I really dig this video. I always wished to have had the chance to see Tito Puente play live. That wish never quite came true. I have seen Sheila E. in a live setting and she is more talented than stunning. I hope this drumming sequence fills your Latin Jazz amazement fix for the day.

And don’t forget…tomorrow is yet another day.

MisterG