by Mike Errico | Jan 23, 2012 | So Good
Chapter three of “But Beautiful,” by Geoff Dyer is one of those reads where the subway is sitting at the Coney Island station, empty, by the time you look up. I don’t know if I can recommend it highly enough to fans of writing or fans of jazz. Dyer’s breathless descriptions capture the moments when Powell’s schizophrenia seeps in; when his genius is in full display; and when the best he can do is hold on tight while being hurdled from one extreme to the other. Wow. Just wow. (I picked this clip for the close-ups of his hands and face.) More video accompaniment to the jazz artists in Geoff Dyer’s “But Beautiful”: http://www.errico.com/tag/but-beautiful/ More So Good:...
by Mike Errico | Jan 19, 2012 | So Good
I’m now on chapter two of “But Beautiful,” by Geoff Dyer, and checking out Monk from a fresh angle. Those almost drunken clusters he plays kind of remind me of Tom Waits’ playing, though Tom does it for comedic, or at least theatrical, effect. This guy…I think it’s a lot more complicated than that. Watch the reactions of his band members, who are laying out. This kind of listening was a daily occurrence for them, and they’re still feeling the edge Monk rides. More video accompaniment to the jazz artists in Geoff Dyer’s “But Beautiful”: http://www.errico.com/tag/but-beautiful/ More So Good:...
by Mike Errico | Jan 19, 2012 | So Good
I’ve been reading “But Beautiful” by Geoff Dyer, an amazing book about jazz lives. I’m listening along to the chapters, using Spotify and YouTube. Hearing all kinds of amazing musicianship. Chapter One: I’ve fallen deep into Lester Young. But check out the expression in Billie’s face. Treat yourself to this. “Fine and Mellow” More video accompaniment to the jazz artists in Geoff Dyer’s “But Beautiful”: http://www.errico.com/tag/but-beautiful/ More So Good:...
by Mike Errico | Jan 17, 2012 | So Good
If you have others, I’d love to see...
by Mike Errico | Dec 20, 2011 | live shows, So Good
What are Holiday Omens? The Holiday Omens are “gifts” for each member of the audience. They portend some aspect of their New Year. How does it work? Audience members are given the opportunity to reach into the Omen Bag, pull out one Omen, and pass the bag. At that point, it is up to the recipient to interpret why it picked them. Do YOU know why it picked them? I do not. Does it work? Oh yes. Are the Omens always “good”? Is anything? How would you define your role in distributing the Holiday Omens? They have come to me, looking for directions elsewhere. Does this go against any religions? Technically, yes. To some it equals idolatry, false witness, or a nod to other, darker arts. Audience members do not need to reach in. Have people ever returned an Omen? A large plastic eggplant was thrown at me on stage at New York City’s Mercury Lounge. It was revelatory, for those of a certain mind. Have you ever been given an Omen? Yes. I have been given Omens a couple of times by incredibly generous people. I was deeply moved. When did this tradition start? Long ago. Are tickets still available? Maybe. Maybe not. I’d check. Where? Here:...
by Mike Errico | Dec 13, 2011 | So Good, Video
A few caveats: A) The music industry, now in shambles, has made conversation about music fragmented, confusing and weird. B) A true Best Of list, liberated from genres, agendas and mission statements, reads like Spotify just threw up on your keyboard. C) Spotify did, in fact, throw up on my keyboard, sending me to the farthest reaches of recorded music, only a sliver of which was recorded in 2011. I was lucky to find these gems, and to see some of the bands live. Otherwise I hang on to so-called “common knowledge” only through limited familiarity with the Kardashians. (There are three, one more atrocious than the other.) Battles – Gloss Drop It seems perfectly normal to start an album review with praise for a video, especially when the (literally) trippy “My Machines” (feat. Gary Numan) provides all the gateway drugs required to hook into Battles catalog, live show and angular, restless aesthetic. Drummer John Stanier (ex-Helmet) is a force of nature, and on his foundation hangs a menagerie of Moogs and Marshalls that continue to blur the line between high-minded electronica and knuckle-dragging rock. Vocalists are guests (live, they are relegated to video wall projections), and the choice of ’80s synth pioneer Gary Numan speaks volumes. His disembodied delivery still sends chills, and the rhythm section brings heat. Radiohead – The King of Limbs Thom got…romantic. Or at least this is what I think it sounds like when androids get romantic. It’s lovely, really. All the emotion you’ve come to expect from human interaction, set to the stuttering digitalia you’ve come to expect from alien abduction. Boring choice?...
