We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Jason Palmer & Tucker Antell!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2020 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
We are going to end the month of our focus on Jazz with a random youtube find. It is a full show from November 24th last year at The Press Room in Portsmouth, NH performed by Jason Palmer & Tucker Antell with Ryan Parker - Piano, Max Ridley - Bass, Tyson Jackson - Drums. The quintet plays a dynamite acoustic jazz set an while they are new to us, Palmer and Antell have been very active in the Boston Jazz scene.
This show right here is why we keep doing this monthly focus year after year, we keep finding amazing artists who worth checking out.
One camera angle, but it is all that is needed as the sound is top notch and the band is excellent. Enjoy and thanks for spending the month with us and our Jazz focus. RtBE will return to regular programming in February.
The New York based collective Brass Against second full length release mixes up their interpretations of prog-rock, funk, folk and hip hop artists with blasting horns and heavy metal explosiveness, all the while delivering those artists politically charged lyrics.
The main players are Andrew Gutauskas- Bari Sax/Arranger, Brad Hammonds- Guitar, Mariel Blidstein - Trombone but the band grows from song to song. The album begins with the bands rendering of "Lateralus" by Tool, stretching out and winding around the ominous prog-rock with bass and gloom just around the corner while they manage to make Audioslave funky with their heavy handed horns on "Show Me How to Live".
The best of the bunch may just be "Gasoline" which finds Amanda Brown delivering a more soulful approach to the tune, moving further away from the original in winning fashion; a clear album highlight. Not every cover is a success as "War Pigs" feels stilted, especially in comparison to say Brownout's better suited horn based cover of the tune and Jane's Addiction "Mountain Song" loses it's core bass rumbling, substituting a thinner sound.
The band's main source of inspiration and best delivery comes from Rage Against The Machine's catalog. "No Shelter" is grooving hip hop based around Sophia Urista's take on Zach de la Rocha's rhyming while "Know Your Enemy" delivers banging horn charts and solos around Urista's shouts.
The record wraps up with a cover of Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" which is clearly inspired by RaTM's take of the song but manages it's own pumping spin on the classic tune of rebellion. More than jut a straight cover albumBrass Against II infuses the originals with a vibrant sense of 2019 aggressiveness for divided political times.
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Support the band, buy the album and peep some video below:
With all the hectic happenings at the end of the year, things can be missed. This is just a catch up post to point out a few of our favorite things from 2019 that shouldn't go unnoticed. There were many strong releases, great live shows, amazing musical moments....2020 has a lot to live up to.
Before we jump into what was hot from last year (and last decade) we should point out we went back in time even further during 2019 and did a monthly focus on our Masters Series. Each month we discussed an artist/group we respected and who formed RtBE tastes (as an example June was for Jimi). Feel free to check each of those out as well.
Now...in case you missed it here are our Best of 2019 series of posts...
Our picks for best album art of 2019, where we check out some creative album art from the last year.
Our picks for best live show of 2019, what an amazing year for live tunes...all of these were jaw dropping nights in their own ways.
Feel free to let us know your choices for all of the above in the comments and thanks as always for reading and exploring...as the patron saint of this site stated:
What are those of the known, but to ascend and enter the Unknown?
The fantastic drummer Allison Miller leads a group of experimental jazz players on Glitter Wolf, a diverse, constantly exciting and instantly enjoyable jazz offering. While never easy, this dense and powerful record propels forward with unique arraignments and Miller's driving force.
Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom includes Miller, violinist Jenny Scheinman, cornetist Kirk Knuffke, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, bassist Todd Sickafoose and pianist Myra Melford. The group was touring for two years together before entering the studio to record the ten songs presented here.
Opener sets the tone as "Congratulations and Condolences" kicks off the record on a high note with killer drum beats, group interplay which allows for soloing and locking in as needed. The loose acoustic bass thumps from Sickafoose and beefy clarinet blows from Goldberg stand out but the whole collective cooks.
The piano and killer groove light the way for "Malaga" which gets the head bobbing with Latin flair while "Zev-The Phoenix" is a more restrained reflective piece. The whole band locks in for the bebop start of "Daughter and Sun" before moving into scenic wide open spaces while album closer "Valley of The Giants" works with layers of various percussion to wrap up the record.
Things can become a bit cluttered at times, "The Ride" feels like five different songs in one and the changes can be jarring as when Miller completely drops out and leaves Scheinman's strings alone. While those transitions can be clunky, when the group is up and running the rough patches are easily forgotten.
Miller's drums are dynamite throughout as she leads from the back on tunes like the double wolf combo of the expansive "White Wolf" and the stop/starting of the title track. The odd funky groove of "Welcome Hotel" is just one more showcase for Boom Tic Boom's collective style as Miller and company shine bright throughout.
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Support the artist, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:
The group Dopolarians is a coming together of jazz legends to play in a free form way on Garden Party. The music moves from soothing to angular and challenging as these long time associates traverse a wide range of sound on this collection of tunes.
The band are Alvin Fielder — Percussion, Kidd Jordan — Tenor Saxophone, William Parker — Bass, Christopher Parker — Piano, Kelley Hurt — Voice and Chad Fowler — Alto Saxophone, Saxello and almost all have played together in some way in the past, but most had not done so in quite some time. The album is a Southern affair, being recorded in New Orleans (only having the bassist Parker from New York) and the relaxed tone speaks to the south but the adventurous playing speaks to everyone.
Opener "C Melody" starts sparse moves to loud, avant-garde style of sounds, lead by percussionist Fielder who doesn't even touch his cymbals until about three and a half minutes in, just thumping the path for all to follow. Unfortunately this would be Fielder's last album as he passed away in 2019, but it is a worthy legacy.
"Dopoloria" is a smoother workout, but still has jagged edges as things squeak and squawk around as pianist Parker moves along under Kelley Hurt's vocal ooh and ahh's dripping directly into the following effort "Father Dies; Son Dies" which keeps the energy while kicking up the rhythmic vibe.
Hurt's poetic/spoken word vocals are the focal point to start "Garden Party" before the squealing brass and brushed percussion join as the song moves into a more light jazz direction, however, with this group sonic chaos is always just under the surface.
The band plays "Guilty Happy" repeating a motif until happiness almost resembles madness while album closer "Impromptu" moves into free-bop range spiraling all over the place as Jordan's sax and Fielders drums skitter all over the place wrapping up a searching outing, proving there is always more to say in jazz and never enough time.
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Hudson playing "Lay Lady Lay"
Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan in a Jazz vibe, can you dig it daddy-o?
Thoughts on Original: From the first time we addressed a cover of this tune:
Excellent track and the first time the world heard Dylan's new singing style, which would only last for Nashville Skyline. This song is the standout track from this album, it is a classic and so simple, yet sweet and timeless. One of Dylan's best tracks, this phase was the the closest to "country" he ever got and "Lay Lady Lay" is an overall fantastic piece of music. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We first found out about this Hudson release earlier this year, and have been digging on the album. Some of RtBE favs are inthe band so why wouldn't it be great?
Thoughts on Cover:
A less adventurous cover than "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" but a fun, light airy take on the track which has an almost Caribbean breeze to it. Medeski's keys and Scofield's guitar lead the way bu the drums and bass lock things down expertly.
We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Linda May Han Oh!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2020 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
Bassist and band leader Linda May Han Oh directs her players in this engaging musical adventure. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, full set list and information below. Enjoy:
This concert was recorded at NPR's Studio One in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2019.
SET LIST 00:00 - "Kirigami" 10:44 - "Song Yue Rao (Moon in the Pines)" 16:02 - "Aventurine" 22:13 - "Lilac Chaser" 28:11 - "Yoda" 33:05 - "Lucid Lullaby" 45:40 - "Broome We Are Here" 47:33 - "The Sirens Are Wailing" 55:46 - "Ebony"
MUSICIANS Linda May Han Oh (bandleader, acoustic and electric bass) Greg Ward (soprano and alto saxophones) Matt Mitchell (piano) Ches Smith (drums and vibraphone) Fung Chern Hwei (violin) Curtis Stewart (violin) Benni von Gutzeit (viola) Jeremy Harman (cello)
The first single from Pearl Jam's upcoming album Gigaton has been released. It is titled "Dance Of The Clairvoyants (Mach I)" and you can listen below.
The tune has a huge Talking Heads influence which was completely unexpected. The over produced drums and groovy bass line make this a rare dance track in Pearl Jam's catalog. Honestly RtBE holds little hope for a new Pearl Jam studio record, as their last one was dull, but this slight switch in style makes us more intrigued.
No matter their studio output Pearl Jam are one of the last great rock bands playing these days and tickets for their North American tour go on sale to the general public tomorrow on the evil Ticketmaster.
Chronology Of A Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard
**** out of *****
On his Jon Batiste's first release from his 2018 Village Vanguard residency, titled Anatomy of Angels, he delivered a more traditional jazz record in a tribute to one of his musical heroes Thelonius Monk. Now comes the second release from that residency titled Chronology Of A Dream and it is a richer, fuller representation of the artists skills and charisma, blending genres, incorporating new styles and remaining true to his own sound.
From the soulful scat singing on the opening rollicking "BLACCK" to the tambourine shaking New Orleans tribute of "PWWR" the vibrant energy is palpable through the speakers as Batiste leads the crowd through some Who Dat? Saints inspired cheering around gorgeous high tempo and soft piano playing to fade out. His hometown of New Orleans is never far from his mind as "KENNER" gets the gumbo bumbling with hints of James Booker and Professor Longhair while one of Batiste's friends and mentors Roy Hargrove gets a tribute during a cover of his "SOULFUL".
The core group of players are drummer Joe Saylor, bassist Phil Kuehn, percussionist Negan Santos, trumpeter Giveton Gelin, saxophonists Tivon Pennicott and Patrick Bartley, tubist/trumpeter Jon Lampley, and guitarist Louis Cato but it is Batiste's record. The groove may march the way forward during the popping "BIRTHE" but it is Batiste's piano work which shines above the funky head bopping lines.
Chronology Of A Dream is just a ton of fun and as it was taken from the same set of shows as Anatomy of Angels, this is clearly the livelier record and better representation of his sound. That said, getting to see both sides of Batiste, the classical trained jazz professional and the lively party time band leader, on the same night makes him a special talent and one never to be missed on the live stage or live album.
Our second New Orleanian jazz artist we are lucky enough to talk about (and talk to) on RtBE today as we direct you to our interview with Stoo Odom which Glide Magazine was nice enough to publish.
We have known Stoo for a few years now and after a recent trip south we discussed his new album coming out, as well as his upcoming tour of Japan. This was a perfect time to conduct a formal interview with Mr. Odom and include it both on Glide as well as RtBE'sJazzy January.
Following up the excellent and huge in scope Centennial Trilogy, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah goes even further away from traditional sound, pulling his self proclaimed "Stretch Music" as he explores lyrical passages, less and less horns and more and more variations on percussion and just odd soundscapes with Ancestral Recall.
The album opens with layered clapping leading into the most gorgeous and complete piece delivered this go around as "Her Arrival" is a stunner. Propelled by rhythmic drumming, trumpet blasts and a sense of purpose with band mate Elena Pinderhughes contributing on flute . "Before" (also featuring Pinderhuges) is a wonder as well as the natural sounds morph as the horns and flutes rise into a deep drum groove which enchants and could roll on forever; tracks like these are wonderful and point to CSaA's immense talent and ear for combining sonic worlds.
It must be noted though for all of the tracks success other times on the record, such as "Diviner [Devan]" and digitally repetitive "Prophesy", things feel as if they are just sonic experiments, not meant to really go anywhere, like all experiments, some are more successful than others. Vocals are now a clear part of CSaA's attack as his friend Saul Williams arrives to deliver his spoken word poetry over digital beats on "I Own The Night" and the incredibly percussive title track while "Forever Girl" invites MC's Mike Larry Draw and Chris Turner to rhyme and sing over the playing.
"Songs She Never Heard" pushes the groove but also incorporates soaring sax work from Logan Richardson and Lawrence Fields piano before distorting the sound with various filters and production tricks. A track like "Overcomer" feels like a natural progression as it incorporates breathy chanting, a deep bass groove and soaring solos, but the filters/production again shellacs the horn with distortion, diluting it's sound and impact. These production add on's seem to be the work of a restless ear and while certainly unique, they tend to detract from the overall style. Scott has said he makes his own horns because he disliked the sound of the trumpet and that coloring of the main instrument can be both exciting and off putting.
Also at times his horn work doesn't feel like main instrument on Ancestral Recall as the bass and drums in various coloring's are put in the forefront. Frequent collaborator Weedie Braimah percussion is all over the album as is the synth percussion from CSaA himself. "Ritual (Rise of Cheif Adjuah)" pairs that production with swirling sounds and horn work before petering out with weird synths then rising again around percussive hand drums.
Ancestral Recall is a challenging album and one that continues the push for blending everything into the sonic whole, and while not always successful, it is never boring. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is constantly trying out new scopes and spaces for sound and is tied to no musical boundary. This can be classified as jazz because what else can it be? The best answer is the one CSaA gave years ago, "stretch music" as he continues to explore and see how far he can take the sound and RtBE will certainly be along to enjoy the ride.
It is of Algiers newest release, There Is No Year.
Produced by experimental artists like Randall Dunn [Sunn O))), Earth] and Ben Greenberg [Zs, Uniform] the band tries to scale back their rock sound and push minimalist industrialist sound. The band has been better, but definitely check them out for yourselves.
The first of two live albums from Jon Batiste recorded during his 2018 six night residency at The Village Vanguard in New York City, Anatomy of Angels captures Batiste and his band as they move through elegant passages of sound and scope.
Opening with his original composition "Creative" finds Batiste leading things as his Stay Human bassist Phillip Kuehn and drummer Joe Saylor support in acoustic trio fashion. The tune shows Batiste elegant piano leads before shaking stomp breaks, complete with tambourine shakes, lively up the number.
The first guest is invited to sing on a version of Ray Noble's classic "The Very Thought of You" as Lake Street Drive's Rachael Price delivers the standard in a smooth and understated manner. The torch song breaks up the rivers of flowing piano keys and adds a different dynamic to the short record.
Unlike some of Batiste other offerings, or his Late Show television theatrics, Anatomy of Angels is old school jazz (no R&B or hip hop here) in the vein of his musical idol Thelonious Monk. Batiste pays tribute to Monk's style with his own tune "Dusk Train To Doha" before expanding his band to an eight piece and tackling Monk's own "Round Midnight" with grace and power.
The extra players (trumpeters Giveton Gelin and Jon Lampley, saxophonists Patrick Bartley and Tivon Pennicott) stick around for the most successful effort, the adventurous and flowing title number. After a blissful start a flurry of keys begins to quicken the pace as tempos shift and adjust around the excellent drumming and trumpet work. The most natural and exciting number presented on this live album.
Even with an expanded band Batiste remains the focal point, as his piano runs are loud and constantly moving, giving the supporting players the notes to rally around. Batiste easily slips into the role of bandleader, and after his huge Hollywood Africans release this lighter throwback live album is a mellow listen.
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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Gary Burton Quartet playing "I Want You"
Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan in a Jazz vibe, can you dig it daddy-o?
Thoughts on Original:
(From the first time we tackled a cover of this song)
A song that fits the Gemini Dylan like a glove; direct lyrical yearning chorus with verses that meander about introducing characters like roadblocks in the way of true love. It was the last tune written for the mega Blonde on Blonde and a song he and others (it was Al Kooper's favorite) admired so much he almost titled the album after it. Never a track that jumps to the top of peoples "favorites" or "best of" Dylan lists but one that really nails what the artist is all about in some of the simplest terms. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
The vibe player Gary Burton and his Quartet are solid jazz men but also new to RtBE, we will have to dig a bit deeper on them in the future.
Thoughts on Cover:
The group gets after it as they play an energetic and bass driven attack on the tune. Very melodic and grooving this is a damn good cover for our Jazzy January taken from the band's live Carnegie Hall concert.
This is a tradition here at RtBE. While we are including this in our Monday Dylan series, this is a necessary break from the routine.
We here at RtBE have lots of heroes and most stem from America's hard fought past. We have talked about the godfather of this site, we will probably touch on Lincoln at some point, but the man who we celebrate today is right up there both of them. Martin Luther King Jr. is an American who deserves to be honored right alongside the greatest our country has ever produced.
We are happy to dedicate this Monday to him and to help celebrate the day we will post a 10 minute clip of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others performing songs at one of the most monumental days for democracy, the1963 March on Washington DC.
Dylan plays "When The Ship Comes In" with Baez helping out, "Only A Pawn In Their Game" solo and joins a group for "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize".
Have a great day and make sure to watch this, MLK's last prophetic public words:
It is still so incredibly moving.
The full speech is located here and worth listening to as well and you can read this amazing writing which unfortunately is still relevant today from King as well:
We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Herbie Hancock!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2020 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
We are showcasing one of the legends this week as Herbie Hancock takes the stage to deliver some funky jazz offerings from 2006. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, full set list below. Enjoy:
● Tracklist: 1. Actual Proof 2. Watermelon Man 3. Stitched Up 4. Maiden Voyage 5. Virgin Forest 6. Cantaloupe Island 7. Chameleon
● Personnel: Herbie Hancock - piano, keyboards Lionel Loueke - guitar, vocals Nathan East - bass, vocals Vinnie Colaiuta - drums
The first solo offering from Los Angeles-based Australian artist, Mel Stirling is titled Standing to Fall and it is a rocking effort that soars with arena ready riffs and singalong hooks.
A throw back to an alt-rock 90's sound the record is chock full of ringing guitars, layers of production and metallic heaviness. Stirling's voice rises above it all with clear power as the EP kicks off with "Slipping Slowly", a straight ahead grungy rocker which adds layers of distortion and power to close while "Leave It Behind" switches gears and moves to pop rock with an upbeat strum, synths and a bouncy low end.
The title track is the most nuanced on the EP as pianos and army of guitars (acoustic and electric) overpower everything but Stirling's soaring vocals; if anything there is too much crammed into the song resulting in an extra weighty five and half minutes. "Pain and Waiting" stays dramatic, but is more successful as it strips back the guitar layers and increases the piano work, ominous undertones and soaring vocals.
The production is top notch, having been recorded and mastered at Alchemix Studios in Brisbane’s West End, Australia. Stirling's voice is the clear star, however sometimes the overloaded musical backing takes away from her strength on the record.
"Kamikaze" calls to mind some of the rock epics from Guns N' RosesUse Your Illusion days with drawn out drama over heavy drums and increasing instrumentation before album closer "Here And Now" wraps up Standing to Fall back on the pop rock front with shimmering guitar lines proving Mel Stirling can go both direct or over the top with her alt-rock style.
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Support the artist, buy the album and stream it on her site, also peep some video:
Here is the video with the classic Dr John jam "Right Place, Wrong Time" as the soundtrack:
We got a few of our predictions right and a few wrong (Can't believe we forgot about the Black Crowes reunion), but this year seems really solid top to bottom.
Here are a few artists playing to get you in the mood:
Banford Marsalis has been crafting excellent acoustic jazz for decades now and his newest release continues this trend. The Secret Between The Shadow And The Soul tackles originals and covers with a relaxed cool, even when things really get out there.
The quartet, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner have an easy going musical understanding and while Marsalis may be the marquee name, this is clearly a collective as each artist is vital to the songs.
The most adventurous number kicks off the record as the band tackles the Revis written tune "Dance of the Evil Toys". The piano and bass set the tone before Branford's horn enters, the tempo picks up and chaos pokes it's head in and out as the track rumbles forward. Calderazzo's piano solo towards the finale is the highlight of the opening effort and the veteran piano player is truly the standout MVP of this record, writing two numbers and playing brightly on all of them.
His smooth piano work is showcased during both his original ballads "Conversation Among The Ruins" and the mellow mood piece "Cianna" which displays a Spanish flair. A take on Eric Hill's "Snake Hip Waltz" is yet another successful outing as again Calderazzo shines along with the vibrating bass work of Revis. Marsalis and Faulkner come alive during the pumping "Nilaste" which is a whirlwind of sound as yet again Calderazzo's piano puts a pin in things.
The Marsalis led blues infused "Life Filtering from the Water Flowers" is a somber piece with some direct playing from the saxophone legend but the album closing rendition of Keith Jarrett's "The Windup" finds the band having the most fun out of any of the tracks here.
Starting with lively piano work the drums kick up as bebop horn fills flow effortlessly. The band navigates sharp angles, musical changes and groovy passages as it spreads its wings and really get after it to close this excellent record.
Over the hour of exciting music presented on The Secret Between The Shadow And The Soul the Branford Marsalis Quartet prove they are game for anything and experts in the smooth, rough and all textures in-between.
(This album also made Glide Magazine's Top 20 Jazz Releases of 2019)
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Support the band, buy the album and peep some video below:
Actually no we don't...but since it is fun to predict, lets look into the crystal ball and guess who will be and who should be playing.
We will exclude the brass bands and local acts (even though they are truly the main reason we go) including nationally touring NOLA acts like Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins, Big Sam, Galactic, Trombone Shorty all the Brass Bands who will all be there.
Also we are obviously skipping the great jazz, blues and gospel acts who will be the foundation of the festival in their respective tents. Lets just talk about the bigger national touring artists for now....We will focus more on locals closer to the show.
To get in the southern festive NOLA mood, here is a great video done by Jeronimo Acero that my friend the fantastic Lu Brow sent north to warm me up during the winter.
