tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276963122024-03-07T15:16:44.395-05:00Philip Booth's Scribe LifeMusings on Music (jazz + more), Film, Books, Writers + Writing, and Pop CulturePhilip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.comBlogger503125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-76601641240098902402010-01-13T12:44:00.006-05:002010-01-13T12:57:23.082-05:00Please Join Me at my new/old blogs - Between the Grooves, and Flickers & LItAfter a period of returning to Scribe Life for all of my music AND film coverage, I am reverting back to two separate blogs, both on WordPress. <br /><br />Why? Because 1)Covering the waterfront on one blog tends to annoy/confuse readers; and 2)Wordpress is a superior blog publishing application, more easy to use, embed media, and update, and more likely to show up in searches. <br /><br />So I'm mothballing Scribe Life, at least for the time being.<br /><br />for music - <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.betweenthegrooves.wordpress.com">Between the Grooves</span> - http://www.betweenthegrooves.wordpress.com</a><br /><br />for film/books - <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.flickersandlit.wordpress.com">Flickers and Lit </span>- http://www.flickersandlit.wordpress.com</a><br /><br />THANK YOU for reading Scribe Life, and please join me at the above blogs.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-81741665131906989162010-01-07T00:18:00.004-05:002010-01-06T22:33:57.977-05:00Florida/New York Singer Whitney James Celebrates Her Debut CD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8efC5gR7R619UY-yGA3_pfC-RZuNN0kCmJN6hqU3UUFW0MHZn2OlzL3sXGEdooWFSQ24KULJnIgoE9T_48DwhPKiT43rx9-7ToGt7_l2vODimPbpXwlOOx9_b02rmtBO5HGf/s1600-h/wek_whitneyjames010_101723d.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8efC5gR7R619UY-yGA3_pfC-RZuNN0kCmJN6hqU3UUFW0MHZn2OlzL3sXGEdooWFSQ24KULJnIgoE9T_48DwhPKiT43rx9-7ToGt7_l2vODimPbpXwlOOx9_b02rmtBO5HGf/s400/wek_whitneyjames010_101723d.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423833847506413842" /></a><br />Rising-star jazz singer <span style="font-weight:bold;">Whitney James</span>, who splits her time between residences in Tierra Verde (the Tampa Bay area) and Astoria, Queens, has just released a startlingly impressive and mature debut CD, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Nature of Love</span>, which also features the playing of acclaimed trumpeter and flugelhorn player Ingrid Jensen.<br /><br />My feature on Whitney runs Thursday in the <span style="font-style:italic;">St. Petersburg Times'</span> Weekend entertainment section. <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/music/article1063405.ece">Click here to link directly to that story.</a> <br /><br />Or see below for the extended "director's cut" of the piece:<br /><br />A dance student since age five, and a musical theater enthusiast since the days when she and her sister and neighborhood kids put on shows and charged a dime a seat, singer Whitney James first took the stage at age nine. That's when she played Dorothy in a children's production of "The Wizard of Oz." <br /><br />The Chicago native, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, switched her focus to singing at age 10, when she embarked on classical vocal lessons with an opera singer.<br />But the jazz bug bit hard when James was 13, courtesy of her mom, who bought the budding vocalist a pair of cassette tapes by legendary jazz singer Sarah Vaughan and bebop saxophonist Charlie Parker. <br /><br />"I absolutely fell in love with Sarah Vaughan. I couldn't get enough of her sound," said James, a Tierra Verde resident since relocating to the Tampa Bay area from Seattle in 2007. "The songs were so romantic and the lyrics were beautiful. <br /><br />"That tape really set me on the jazz path," she said. "You had to be yourself and interpret the lyric, certainly, but you also had to infuse yourself into the song. That way, you can really expand and explore the boundaries of your voice. Charlie took a little longer to grow on me. Sarah Vaughan and Charlie Parker were my gateway drugs to the jazz world, if you will."<br /><br />James demonstrates her allegiance to the jazz vocal tradition -- she also cites Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McCrae and Shirley Horn as major influences -- on her just-released debut CD, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Nature of Love</span>. <br /><br />She's joined by New York jazz heavy hitters, including trumpeter and flugelhorn player Ingrid Jensen and a rhythm trio led by pianist Joshua Wolff, on a set of standards including "How Deep is the Ocean" and "The Very Thought of You." The singer also offers smart readings of a challenging Jimmy Rowles ballad, "A Timeless Place (The Peacocks)" and Benny Golson's hard-swinging "Whisper Not."<br /><br />For her CD-release concert, Friday night at the Palladium in St. Petersburg, James will be backed by Wolff and three stand-out local musicians -- saxophonist Jeremy Powell, bassist Alejandro Arenas and drummer Mark Feinman. <br /><br />Although continuing to embrace recordings by jazz singers, James eventually rebuilt her jazz-singing concept on the sound of instrumentalists, she said. <br /><br />"Miles is a huge influence -- his tone and the way he plays is so gorgeous, so transformative," she said. "And I love Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett, and Dexter Gordon. I had soaked myself in a lot of jazz singers, including Dinah Washington and Etta James. But I made a very conscious effort when I was 17 to stop listening to singers and start listening to horn players and guitar players and piano players."<br /><br />James continued her music studies at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, where she studied with singer Jay Clayton. She stayed in the Pacific Northwest for 13 years, finding her way to jazz and neo-soul gigs, along with opportunities to record commercial jingles.<br /><br />Clayton, who served as the CD's artistic consultant, suggested that James ask the Canadian-born Jensen to play on the recording. It made for a rather organic process, as James had worked with pianist Wolff and Jon Wikan, the CD's drummer, around Seattle. And Wikan is married to Jensen. James also has spent much time in New York in recent years, as she and her husband have a second home in Astoria, Queens.<br /><br />James spent one day rehearsing with the rhythm section and a second day with the band joined by Jensen before heading to the Brooklyn studio, where the group recorded live, playing no more than three takes of each tune.<br /><br />Jensen wound up on five of the CD's nine tracks, and the singer and the trumpeter come off as natural-born foils, particularly on the extended, open-ended conclusions of "Tenderly" and "How Deep is the Ocean."<br /><br />"The interplay between the voice and the horn is very special," James said. "I wanted someone to feature, as well as to complement what was going to happen vocally. I was very lucky to have her. When you play with players like that, they really bring out the best in you."Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-79802523239631946072010-01-06T21:37:00.000-05:002010-01-06T21:57:46.415-05:00Let the Right One In: More Love From UK Critics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw-XVjqjYKDRtQedFsc0STZUJQU73O6Qn1DVNHE1Bit5my-LHGSKqkkhQiPZE5JCr3D5tHVeLOYmX-YidcXHe80xZ7grJtJV4ml2W4OuB-TDqSVlH1-nWkv_O7BDNi9SaCPIp/s1600-h/right+one.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfw-XVjqjYKDRtQedFsc0STZUJQU73O6Qn1DVNHE1Bit5my-LHGSKqkkhQiPZE5JCr3D5tHVeLOYmX-YidcXHe80xZ7grJtJV4ml2W4OuB-TDqSVlH1-nWkv_O7BDNi9SaCPIp/s400/right+one.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423825784655069634" /></a><br />Released in the U.S. to wide acclaim in 2008, Swedish horror shocker <span style="font-style:italic;">Let the Right One In</span> (see my below posts) apparently didn't play many UK theaters until last year. <br /><br />And the critical reaction to the film, across the pond, was similar to the reaction it received stateside: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Tomas Alfredson</span>'s alternately tender and violent tale of pre-teen angst, masquerading as a vampire flick, landed at No. 5 in <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/exclusive/films_of_2009_intro.php">the year-end poll of 60 critics conducted by the British Film Institute's <span style="font-style:italic;">Sight & Sound</span> magazine.</a><br /><br />The full list (of 10), as might be expected, is a bit Eurocentric, with the French-Italian <span style="font-style:italic;">A Prophet</span> at the top. Two entries are from <span style="font-weight:bold;">Claire Denis</span>, and also included is <span style="font-style:italic;">Antichrist</span>, the latest typically provocative film from Sweden's <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lars von Trier</span>. <br /><br />It's reassuring to see <span style="font-weight:bold;">Kathryn Bigelow</span>'s intense and brilliant war film <span style="font-style:italic;">The Hurt Locker</span> land at No.2; <span style="font-weight:bold;">Pete Docter</span>'s animated comic drama <span style="font-style:italic;">Up</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Quentin Tarantino</span>'s cheeky WW II historical rewrite <span style="font-style:italic;">Inglourious Basterds</span> are the other U.S. productions on the list.<br /><br />But back to <span style="font-style:italic;">Let the Right One In</span>. Check out what <a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/exclusive/films_of_2009">the poll's critics</a> had to say about the film:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Leonardo Garcia-Tsao (Critic, Mexico)</span> - Teenage angst meets vampirism in a meticulously crafted film that transcends genre conventions and finds beauty in alienation. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Ryan Gilbey (‘New Statesman’, UK)</span> - Few pictures have combined tenderness, compassion and extreme bloodletting to such memorable effect. I didn’t realise how protective I felt towards the film until I caught myself grinding my teeth at the news of a forthcoming US remake.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Carmen Gray (Critic, UK)</span> - With a soft spot for vampire films at the worst of times, I was touched by this very human, bittersweet take on the genre.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mark Kermode</span> (Critic, UK)</span> - This year’s Pan’s Labyrinth, in which Alfredson reinvents the vampire genre from scratch. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Derek Malcolm (‘Evening Standard’, UK)</span> - Vampire movies are two-a-penny just now, but this extraordinary Swedish effort is easily the best around — an art film with considerable commercial potential.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Demetrios Matheou (‘Sunday Herald’, UK)</span> - Amid the current craze for horror, this phenomenally well-crafted Swedish vampire film offers more bite than all the others put together. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sukhdev Sandhu (‘Daily Telegraph’, UK)</span> - From documentaries such as Three Miles North of Molkom to the Wicker Man-sampling visuals of Gothenburg’s Sincerely Yours label, I spent a lot of 2009 being ravished by Sweden. Best of all was this exquisitely melancholic and heartbreakingly beautiful vampire love story that also featured my favourite exchange of dialogue: “Will you be my girlfriend?" “Oskar, I’m not a girl.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">David Thompson (Critic and documentarian, UK)</span> - Never mind the reinvention of vampires as soulful celibate lovers, this was a fabulous twist on the genre focusing on the theme of adolescent loneliness.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to revisiting Alfredson's film <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Right-Blu-ray-Lina-Leandersson/dp/B001MYIXAW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1262805018&sr=1-2">on Blu-ray.</a>Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-45907357021295783402010-01-06T15:38:00.003-05:002010-01-06T21:59:47.810-05:00"Let Me In" - Release Date AnnouncedQuick Update: <span style="font-style:italic;">Let Me In</span>, the U.S. remake of Swedish horror film <span style="font-style:italic;">Let the Right One In</span>, is now slated for release on Oct. 1.<br /><br />And director Matt Reeves (<span style="font-style:italic;">Cloverfield</span>) is now taking full credit for the screenplay (see my below post).<br /><br />A rating is yet to be determined; here's hoping that the rough/violent edges aren't smoothed out to get the film to PG-13.Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-21396025475678171712010-01-06T14:05:00.001-05:002010-01-06T22:35:07.367-05:00Will "Cop Out" and "Greenberg" Top the Best Comedies of 2010?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBlhK-PjtqKwjBogklOcBAztTnppIvQ23u8w_lVeEqHPGunulVXHZrIsKC2za2mrpO-52RGCtlNFqg5WhBMPqavOF65UDxP9zG1IevU4mDgIe7JVkoDe_WVBfVPDk7ma5L4H5/s1600-h/greenbergposter.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBlhK-PjtqKwjBogklOcBAztTnppIvQ23u8w_lVeEqHPGunulVXHZrIsKC2za2mrpO-52RGCtlNFqg5WhBMPqavOF65UDxP9zG1IevU4mDgIe7JVkoDe_WVBfVPDk7ma5L4H5/s400/greenbergposter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423648105306972178" /></a><br />Too early to gauge which comedies will be the best of 2010?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Paste</span> mag takes a stab, and several good directors and writers are on the list, including Kevin Smith (<span style="font-style:italic;">Cop Out</span>), Noah Baumbach (<span style="font-style:italic;">Greenberg</span>), Neil LaBute (<span style="font-style:italic;">Death at a Funeral</span>, a remake of the Brit movie of the same name), and Todd Phillips (<span style="font-style:italic;">Due Date</span>). <br /><br />And Zach is back. Galifianakis, that is, a co-star of Phillips' breakout comedy <span style="font-style:italic;">The Hangover</span>, and an inspired second fiddle on HBO's underappreciated comic noir series "Bored to Death." He's in the casts of <span style="font-style:italic;">Due Date</span> and Jay Roach's <span style="font-style:italic;">Dinner for Schmucks</span>. <br /><br />For the picks, with video clips<a href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2010/01/10-comedies-to-look-forward-to-in-2010.html">, click here. </a>Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-87833522600853729992010-01-06T08:24:00.006-05:002010-01-06T09:48:05.443-05:00Movie Remake Fever (2): Another Dune<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpIMy5uyGDBjhitHqUfs83G65WOM8kyopD98V7hYKx7cg6dlNttbagZEDCI7p0_89nKfdtk2Z6VLTytv28n5s6grsqIKmbAjx_P37lvlCZ550hBxQw4sggHx2AdLaEpdEfMnB/s1600-h/dune.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpIMy5uyGDBjhitHqUfs83G65WOM8kyopD98V7hYKx7cg6dlNttbagZEDCI7p0_89nKfdtk2Z6VLTytv28n5s6grsqIKmbAjx_P37lvlCZ550hBxQw4sggHx2AdLaEpdEfMnB/s400/dune.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423638646858149426" /></a><br />David Lynch's sprawling sci-fi flick <span style="font-style:italic;">Dune</span>, intriguingly photographed and ambitious if overlong and convoluted, was given a mostly lukewarm reception by critics upon its release in 1984, and died at the box office.<br /><br />The film, adapted from Frank Herbert's book of the same name, the most popular sci-fi novel in history, and featuring the likes of Kyle McLachlan, Brad Dourif, Max von Sydow and Sting, became an expensive failure for both director and studio. <br /><br />"Dune" was reborn in 2000, as a three-part, six-hour miniseries on the Sci Fi Channel, with a cast including William Hurt.<br /><br />Third time's a charm? Herbert's 1969 novel is coming back to the big screen, with a film adaptation helmed by French director Pierre Morel, responsible for violent blockbuster <span style="font-style:italic;">Taken</span>. <br /><br />The screenplay reportedly is by rookie Joshua Zetumer, who contributed to the <span style="font-style:italic;">Quantum of Solace</span> script. Peter Berg (Hancock), who was said to have worked on an early version of the new screenplay, was originally set to direct. <br /><br />In October, <a href="http://www.filmshaft.com">FilmShaft</a> reported that "New Moon" teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson was being considered for the lead role in the new "Dune." <br /><br />For more about other, failed attempts to adapt "Dune," including a once planned 10-hour miniseries with Orson Welles and others, check out <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jan/05/dune-pierre-morel">Ben Child's story in the Guardian (UK). </a>Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-68453135991971843302010-01-05T13:48:00.008-05:002010-01-07T13:40:53.227-05:00Remake of Swedish Vampire Classic: Will Reeves Let the Wrong One In?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCmHqOr5jpsxG6bJVBkJZ6qsQbDzHVssaiWdxZ85UPTj1Y3VC9vDOgyVoskexR9YMHn0B-9he06k23kHPJMELPrxQv7vgkWWNpbf0uJ-_gbe8gtfqAs65Y-aMtUTFhSuLPJPo/s1600-h/therightone_300x169.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCmHqOr5jpsxG6bJVBkJZ6qsQbDzHVssaiWdxZ85UPTj1Y3VC9vDOgyVoskexR9YMHn0B-9he06k23kHPJMELPrxQv7vgkWWNpbf0uJ-_gbe8gtfqAs65Y-aMtUTFhSuLPJPo/s400/therightone_300x169.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423343532284426354" /></a><br />A recent vampire classic from Europe based on a popular novel is being subjected to a Hollywood makeover. So will it, uh, suck?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Let Me In</span>, Cloverfield director Matt Reeves' adaptation of <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139797/">Let the Right One In</a></span>, the Swedish shocker released in the U.S. in late 2008, is slated for release this fall. <br /><br />The original movie, detailing the relationship between a bloodthirsty vampire taking the form of a 12-year-old girl, and a bullied boy of the same age, counts as the best horror film of the decade, and one of the creepiest and most chilling movies I've ever seen; its penultimate sequence struck me as deeply disturbing. <br /><br />Director Tomas Alfredson, working from a script which John Ajvide Lindqvist adapted from his novel, makes great use of the snowy environs, in and around the generic apartments and stores of suburban Stockholm. For those brave enough to venture even farther into the world created by Alfredson and Lindqvist, I'd recommend the book -- it's twice as explicit, graphic, kinky, and frightening.<br /><br />It seems impossible that <span style="font-style:italic;">Let Me In</span> won't be disappointing, given the brilliance of the original. <br /><br />But there are several good signs, including the casting of Kodi Smit-McPhee (<span style="font-style:italic;">The Road</span>) as the young boy, whose name is now Owen, rather than Oskar. The cast also includes Chloe Moretz, of <span style="font-style:italic;">(500) Days of Summer</span>, as young vampire Abby (formerly Eli), the great Richard Jenkins as Abby's aged caretaker, and Elias Koteas.<br /><br />Why did Reeves go for the remake, particularly so soon after the release of an original that was so well received?<br /><br />Because of how it resonated with his own feelings about the yearnings and fears associated with adolescence, <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/06/cloverfield-director-sinks-teeth-into-swedish-vampire-tale.html">as he told the <span style="font-style:italic;">Los Angeles Times</span> back in June</a>.<br /><br />"I was so taken with the story and I had a very personal reaction," he said. "It reminded me a lot of my childhood, with the metaphor that the hard times of your pre-adolescent, early adolescent moment, that painful experience is a horror.<br /><br />"There's definitely people who have a real bull's-eye on the film," Reeves said, "and I can understand because of people's' love of the [original] film that there's this cynicism that I'll come in and trash it, when in fact I have nothing but respect for the film. I'm so drawn to it for personal and not mercenary reasons, my feeling about it is if I didn't feel a personal connection and feel it could be its own film, I wouldn't be doing it. I hope people give us a chance."<br /><br />Let Me In is set in Colorado during the '80s, according to the <span style="font-style:italic;">L.A. Times</span>. And <a href="http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/01/let-the-right-one-in-remake-gets-its-cast/">it was shot in New Mexico, reports web site Cinematical.</a>Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-79232837829118001602010-01-04T14:20:00.007-05:002010-01-05T13:27:48.393-05:00Bad Movies Clogging Up the Multiplex? It's Not Just Your ImaginationYes, there are exceptions to the rule. And thanks to the year-end push for critical favorites, there's a good chance a film as smart and funny as <span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span> can be found on multiple screens in your neighborhood, at least for a couple more weeks.<br /><br />But for those wondering why awful flicks like <span style="font-style:italic;">Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Watchmen </span>and <span style="font-style:italic;">G.I. Joe</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">The Ugly Truth</span> so frequently squeeze worthwhile movies out of the multiplexes, here's a stat I just came across, from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/movies/20dargis.html">NY Times critic Manohla Dargis's round-up of the 2009 movie year.</a><br /><br />"The question of consumer choice becomes all but moot <span style="font-weight:bold;">when the Top 5 box office movies are playing on more than one-quarter of all the screens in America,</span> as was the case during the first weekend of May, when “Star Trek” opened. That weekend <span style="font-weight:bold;">10 movies dominated 67 percent of the country’s screens.</span> Three of those titles were released by Paramount. Warner Brothers and Disney had two movies each; 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures and the independent company Summit Entertainment each had one."<br /><br />As Dargis points out, when the mega-budget, over-promoted movies are released, they hog practically all of the space available for movies: <span style="font-style:italic;">Revenge of the Fallen</span> opened simultaneously on 4,000 screens in the U.S., and <span style="font-style:italic;">Angels & Demons</span> opened simultaneously on 3,500 screens.<br /><br />So, the upshot: More big screens for fewer movies made by fewer companies. That's the wrong kind of math, I think.<br /><br />One obvious benefit to movie companies and distributors of so quickly spreading bad movies so far and so wide is that it makes those films even less immune to the slings and arrows of film critics, a group whose size and power seems to be diminishing by the day.<br /><br />There are alternatives, of course, like tuning in to the Independent Film Channel (IFC) or the Sundance Channel, and pay-per-view, if you have cable; and keeping up with Netflix and pay-per-view offerings. I could always upgrade from my 32-inch flat screen to something gargantuan (if/when I have the funds). <br /><br />But it's hardly the same thing as having access to first-rate films on a big screen, with good sound, in a theater, surrounded by other filmgoers.<br /><br />Bonus overtime comment from Dargis, on Paramount Pictures' very good 2009: "Two of the year’s biggest hits, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” have helped the studio climb out of its financial hole with a combined domestic take of more than $500 million. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Both movies are deeply stupid, often incoherent and hinged on the principle that the spectacle of violence is its own pleasurable end. “Transformers” is also casually racist. </span>But hey, that’s entertainment."Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-66041383437763647492010-01-02T20:24:00.003-05:002010-01-03T20:34:05.351-05:002009's Fallen: The Musicians<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqCHfXeKlJROML0cH2_3GQqYGT-RiCDQUsrX15aRZImLTf7SBuH29ba64HpP63hDQf_2gExZwUioN3VOuf-HPyaf1lJedjCeMgkbCCo28G_GA_hOycy2Y6YGGImLG0dLN0G3u/s1600-h/les+paul.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqCHfXeKlJROML0cH2_3GQqYGT-RiCDQUsrX15aRZImLTf7SBuH29ba64HpP63hDQf_2gExZwUioN3VOuf-HPyaf1lJedjCeMgkbCCo28G_GA_hOycy2Y6YGGImLG0dLN0G3u/s400/les+paul.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422690758239357522" /></a><br />R.I.P., guitarist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Les Paul</span>, drummer <span style="font-weight:bold;">Louie Bellson</span>, saxophonist <span style="font-weight:bold;">David "Fathead" Newman</span>, singers <span style="font-weight:bold;">Koko Taylor</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Chris Connor</span>, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Ali Akbar Khan</span>, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Michael Jackson</span> and too many more great musicians who passed away in 2009. <br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121776270&sc=nl&cc=mn-20091230"><br />NPR Music remembers, with short tributes and audio clips. </a>Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-19001779769635967222009-12-30T23:55:00.006-05:002010-01-01T13:12:29.779-05:00The Best Jazz Discs of 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggg807co9zjuxyZ2gFiWAwm96BfKjGsftmWW1G9xaHHnaaYujaulJW-_wU1ug10bE-W1WzUMA9cW68hAtA99p6AILrATDldUOTkuTFsLXgcTEmuRIRSgTEjC72i34mPyfBDbww/s1600-h/allan.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggg807co9zjuxyZ2gFiWAwm96BfKjGsftmWW1G9xaHHnaaYujaulJW-_wU1ug10bE-W1WzUMA9cW68hAtA99p6AILrATDldUOTkuTFsLXgcTEmuRIRSgTEjC72i34mPyfBDbww/s400/allan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421456707555539826" /></a><br />Jazz in 2009 meant the continuing dismantling and irrelevance of major-label homes for the music; the growth of vital indie jazz labels; the decision of many artists, including major jazzers, to take charge of recording, packaging and distributing their own work; and the emergence of a variety of strong new voices in jazz.<br /><br />Gloomsaying to the contrary, jazz is in very good shape, at least on the recording front. Now, about places for all those artists -- and younger players, graduating in droves from still-proliferating college jazz programs -- to play .... <br /><br />As promised, here are links to <a href="http://hullworks.net/vv/ballots-2009-01.php">my list of 2009's best jazz discs,</a> as published in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Village Voice</span>, the Voice's <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-12-29/music/2009-voice-jazz-critics-poll-the-results">complete jazz poll results</a>, and <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-12-29/music/vijay-iyer-tops-the-fourth-annual-village-voice-jazz-poll/3">Voice critic Francis Davis's overview of the year in jazz recordings.</a><br /><br />My own list of the year's best jazz recordings, with one-line descriptions, <a href="http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2009/12/31/music/stories/iq_33320382.txt">as published in <span style="font-style:italic;">Las Vegas City Life</span></a> (but slightly expanded here):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Allen Toussaint</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Bright Mississippi </span>(Nonesuch) - The old-school R&B hitmaker digs deep into jazz roots, applying elegant piano to New Orleans chestnuts and pieces by Monk and Ellington.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Comet's Tail</span>: Performing the Compositions of Michael Brecker (MAMA) - The Florida-based big band revisits and reinvents the music of late saxophone great Brecker. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">David Binney,</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">Third Occasion </span>(Mythology) - The underappreciated alto saxophonist offers ambitious, expansive originals, with his quartet joined by brass. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tom Harrell</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Prana Dance</span> (Highnote) - The trumpeter leads his tight-knit quintet on compositions that are brainy yet emotionally engaging. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Reflections </span>(Wommusic) - The most gifted jazz guitarist under 40 takes a break from his edgy originals for brilliant, shimmering readings of standards by the likes of Monk and Wayne Shorter.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">John Patitucci Trio</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Remembrance</span> (Concord) - The bassist's heavyweight pianoless trio, with saxophonist Joe Lovano and drummer Brian Blade, bring piercing original compositions replete with surprising detours. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fly</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Sky and Country</span> (ECM) - Saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard turn in fertile modern-jazz explorations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Joel Harrison</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Urban Myths</span> (Highnote) - The guitarist again draws from fusion, funk and blues for smart, multi-textured jazz originals.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">John Scofield,</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">Piety Street</span> (EmArcy) - Sco wields his tangy overdriven guitar for hard-grooving gospel pieces, driven by Meters bassist George Porter, Jr.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">New Orleans Nightcrawlers</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Slither Slice</span> (Threadhead) - The veteran brass band returns with horns chewy enough and funk deep enough to blast the competition.<br /><br />Vocals: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Roberta Gambarini</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">So in Love </span>(Emarcy) & <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gretchen Parlato</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">In a Dream</span> (Obliqsound) & <span style="font-weight:bold;">Tierney Sutton</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Desire</span> (Telarc)<br /><br />Debut: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gerald Clayton</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Two-Shade</span> (ArtistShare) & <span style="font-weight:bold;">Michael Janisch</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Purpose Built</span> (Whirlwind)<br /><br />Latin: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Arturo O'Farrill</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Risa Negra</span> (Zoho) & <span style="font-weight:bold;">Dafnis Prieto</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Live at Jazz Standard NYC </span>(Dafnison Music) & <span style="font-weight:bold;">Omar Sosa</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Across the Divide </span>(Half Note)<br /><br />Reissues: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Scott LaFaro</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Pieces of Jade </span>(Resonance) & <span style="font-weight:bold;">Medeski Martin & Wood</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set </span>(Indirecto) & <span style="font-weight:bold;">Eddie Harris and Ellis Marsalis</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Homecoming</span> (ELM). <br /> <br />And 10 more of the year's best jazz recordings:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Vijay Iyer</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Historicity</span> (ACT)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Joe Lovano</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Folk Art</span> (Blue Note) <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Joshua Redman</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Compass</span> (Nonesuch)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gary Burton-Pat Metheny-Steve Swallow-Antonio Sanchez</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Quartet Live</span> (Concord)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gary Peacock-Marc Copland</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Insight</span> (Pirouet)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Bad Plus with Wendy Lewis</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">For All I Care </span>(Heads Up)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Robert Glasper</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Double Booked</span> (Blue Note)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cedar Walton</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Voices Deep Within</span> (High Note)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Christian McBride</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Kind of Brown</span> (Mack Avenue)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">James Carter-John Medeski-Christian McBride-Adam Rogers</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Heaven on Earth</span> (Half Note)Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-68070215821710392992009-12-28T21:52:00.002-05:002009-12-28T22:08:28.542-05:00Vijay Iyer Trio Tops Village Voice 2009 Jazz Poll<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKX5E_a99ijWLgkt8_i2mfL3TJthGkJeQCeByBhTZ9V0DXNy6rqDDvkpvYALcMhFQb38dpOG8PpF6xJRwWOlJwpb9NUgbJKKvwYXhjdCRQ6yGMemh9NsE-Y_3v99HG5asMVJHR/s1600-h/vijay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKX5E_a99ijWLgkt8_i2mfL3TJthGkJeQCeByBhTZ9V0DXNy6rqDDvkpvYALcMhFQb38dpOG8PpF6xJRwWOlJwpb9NUgbJKKvwYXhjdCRQ6yGMemh9NsE-Y_3v99HG5asMVJHR/s400/vijay.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489675791057602" /></a><br />Acclaimed pianist Vijay Iyer's <span style="font-style:italic;">Historicity</span>, a forward-thinking trio outing, has been named Album of the Year in the 4th annual <span style="font-style:italic;">Village Voice</span> Critics poll. <br /><br />I reviewed the CD earlier this year for <span style="font-style:italic;">Down Beat</span>. Here's what I wrote: "A kind of dialogue -- ever in flux, constantly probing, frequently morphing, informed by disparate traditions but pushing toward new paradigms -- is at the heart of the performances on pianist Vijay Iyer's trio outing with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore. In the liner notes, Iyer describes that dialogue, on the cover tunes, as 'a conversation between the original work and something else entirely.' But there are also conversations here between form and freedom, light and dark tonalities, and, as the title suggests, jazz history and future jazz." <br /><br />Also among the winners in the poll, surveying the best jazz releases of the year, as chosen by 99 jazz critics from around the world (including me) are the following:<br /><br />Vocal: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gretchen Parlato</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">In a Dream</span> (ObliqSound)<br />Debut: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Infernal Machines</span> (New Amsterdam)<br />Latin: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Miguel Zenon</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Esta Plena</span> (Marsalis Music)<br />Reissue: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Louis Armstrong</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Complete Decca Recordings, 1935-1946</span> (Mosaic)<br /><br />Full poll results will be published in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Voice</span>'s Dec. 30 issue, and will be available online as early as Tuesday night. I'll follow up with a subsequent post, and include links to the results along with a link to my list.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-34733618123509797742009-12-26T14:56:00.002-05:002009-12-26T15:09:37.451-05:00Happy 40th Birthday to ECM Records<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Su8s894GVNTjQtT1AbrKYTsNsEVRivvdI1Pdw7qfROOfHfD9pMn0C8KlGyG1ZSIUqShZq1v9QTzUp4SbnO8ISk1rs3qEzWiTJGDfDBjTRfBPhRghD2Z9kGCDEFko9M-dhsA1/s1600-h/eicher.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Su8s894GVNTjQtT1AbrKYTsNsEVRivvdI1Pdw7qfROOfHfD9pMn0C8KlGyG1ZSIUqShZq1v9QTzUp4SbnO8ISk1rs3qEzWiTJGDfDBjTRfBPhRghD2Z9kGCDEFko9M-dhsA1/s400/eicher.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419639499386735698" /></a><br />Has it really been four decades since German bassist and jazz LP collector <span style="font-weight:bold;">Manfred Eicher</span> (photo, above) launched the ECM label with pianist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Mal Waldron</span>'s album Free at Last?<br /><br />Yes, believe it or not, in 2009 ECM is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In a <span style="font-style:italic;">New York Times</span> piece published earlier this week, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Steve Smith</span> writes about the origins and legacy of the noted classical and jazz label, home to pianist Keith Jarrett's great Standards Trio with bassist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gary Peacock</span> and drummer <span style="font-weight:bold;">Jack DeJohnette,</span> among many other artists.<br /><br />Writes Smith, " 'A music producer, as I understand it, should be a trained musician in order to work with musicians, the psychological aspects,' he (Eicher) said. 'To be in front of the microphone, alert to things, and be able to talk about intonation, phrasing and musical structure is very helpful. If you are a musician changing from one side of the microphone to the other side, to the control room, you’re a good listener, a patient listener.' "<br /><br />Read the rest of the piece <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/arts/music/27eicher.html">here.</a>Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-68510117218883875002009-12-24T09:35:00.005-05:002009-12-24T10:39:41.502-05:00Christmas Music: Jazz and More<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LsKRrR8V-oSPQHfoTThTAeGMEmk4eiIcVjLjOK8cDVOWgQVt1KFeRceYCypfAXmiJSMiFefyOiYpAyGQnQ4Tn6cUv7Dw3ifN4qTJEUTiOx6gQWocesd9MZvHK7b7Wpn86x8-/s1600-h/threadheads+christmas.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LsKRrR8V-oSPQHfoTThTAeGMEmk4eiIcVjLjOK8cDVOWgQVt1KFeRceYCypfAXmiJSMiFefyOiYpAyGQnQ4Tn6cUv7Dw3ifN4qTJEUTiOx6gQWocesd9MZvHK7b7Wpn86x8-/s400/threadheads+christmas.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418827708513446242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4fFI5H3nQQQWKHmksIZjKq9g6srvvfeZ6w_WoXHJYxq_dSJcTlJjKE2VBSlVZS3MqgsDgWH_EId4e32wxCKZUAGDc7LB0f1vqfRigjsS5RaH-I-kpRkkl47NNTFd8rfA0fWw/s1600-h/trio+west.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4fFI5H3nQQQWKHmksIZjKq9g6srvvfeZ6w_WoXHJYxq_dSJcTlJjKE2VBSlVZS3MqgsDgWH_EId4e32wxCKZUAGDc7LB0f1vqfRigjsS5RaH-I-kpRkkl47NNTFd8rfA0fWw/s400/trio+west.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418827288836520002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWXTCOTcfQgAFC6SgKtvRwu0NvXKfOM5OS8GF53bykRb7YS-rOLTs5tHlIhgDEou9m59ORMXAO_3mekZvH3Ww7gY9Tqx1eqhCo24ecTalH4fq2Ooi3z68hLsoXA_WStp1hZQz/s1600-h/putumayo+xmas.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWXTCOTcfQgAFC6SgKtvRwu0NvXKfOM5OS8GF53bykRb7YS-rOLTs5tHlIhgDEou9m59ORMXAO_3mekZvH3Ww7gY9Tqx1eqhCo24ecTalH4fq2Ooi3z68hLsoXA_WStp1hZQz/s400/putumayo+xmas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418827136023954658" /></a><br />There haven't exactly been sleighfuls of great Christmas music released this season, although Bob Dylan's holiday album has to count as the most surprising holiday oddity of this season or many others.<br /><br />Several yuletide recordings, though, have risen to the top, including the following:<br /><br />The Putumayo folks have again applied their big ears to a search for eclectic holiday music, and they've come up with another keeper, <span style="font-weight:bold;">A Family Christmas</span>. As per Putumayo tradition, the sources are diverse and the music generally falls into the category of rootsy/earthy. Highlights: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Big Bad Voodoo Daddy</span>'s sassy, swinging "Is Zat You Santa Claus?," <span style="font-weight:bold;">Leon Redbone</span>'s sly, laidback "Let It Know," <span style="font-weight:bold;">Brave Combo</span>'s polka-hopping "Jolly Old St. Nick" and the bluesy "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus," from <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Christmas Jug Band featuring Angela Strehli and Maria Muldaur</span>. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Family-Christmas-Putumayo-Presents/dp/B002MT3BM6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1261667112&sr=1-4">Sample here.</a> <br /><br />Threadhead Records, the fan-funded label created by devotees of the <a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com">New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival</a>, this year offered its first yuletide collection, <span style="font-weight:bold;">A Very Threadhead Holiday</span>. It's a uniformly terrific collection of originals and classics. Picks: Bonerama leader <span style="font-weight:bold;">Craig Klein</span>'s "Christmas On My Mind," a Fats-style brassy gem; <span style="font-weight:bold;">Debbie Davis</span>'s ukelele-driven version of '50s-vintage "Hanging Up My Stockings"; <span style="font-weight:bold;">Matt Perrine</span>'s tuba choir on "Carol of the Bells"; <span style="font-weight:bold;">John Boutte</span>'s romantic, soulful "Holding You This Christmas"; trumpeter <span style="font-weight:bold;">Shamarr Allen</span>'s trad-jazz "Santa Passed My House Up"; and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Alex McMurray</span>'s bluesy, boozy "Santa, Let Me Call You a Cab." It's a real collaboration, as these dozen tracks feature much mixing and matching of great NOLA talent. <a href="http://threadheadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-very-threadhead-holiday">Downloads here. </a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Trio West</span> takes a second trip to the Christmas stocking with <span style="font-weight:bold;">Plays Holiday Songs, Vol. 2 </span>(Yummyhouse Records), another set of tightly constructed familiarities played by pianist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Eldad Zvulun</span>, bassist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Neal Miner</span>, and drummer <span style="font-weight:bold;">Tobias Gebb</span> (who arranged the tunes and produced the session). The three turn in a funk-edged "O Tannenbaum," a samba version of "Silent Night" and a gently grooving "We Three Kings Waltz." The group clearly was aiming for breezy get-in-and-out-of-the-tune brevity, but it would have been nice to hear these simpatico players stretch out more. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trio-West-Plays-Holiday-Songs/dp/B002RM19YU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1261666779&sr=1-3">Downloads here.</a> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jazzy Brass for the Holidays</span> (DBCD) is halfway brass choir, halfway straight-ahead jazz, with pleasant arrangements of seasonal chestnuts played by an all-star group frontloaded with brass -- trumpeters <span style="font-weight:bold;">Eddie Allen</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Cecil Bridgewater</span>, trombonist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Clark Gayton</span>, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">W. Marshall Sealy</span> on French horn (yes, he improvises, too). Latin jazz is in the mix, with "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and it's all driven by a pianoless rhythm section, with bassist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Kenny Davis</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Carl Allen</span> on drums and glockenspiel.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-46672638285973065802009-12-23T17:44:00.003-05:002009-12-23T17:49:30.460-05:00Christmas Tune of the Day: Sharon Jones' "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorhjDDAAhJWB9ExPImZabWwXecVjkYmHw1cxPDWo9J0v6IvSXhbfySScsmax-sWMo_mmhQVtZqW5HsPyU_AC3KDWhHQphGiVel31oLu7w4z-gZZh5KFlY60imeTFl7qHpL5KQ/s1600-h/sharon+jones.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorhjDDAAhJWB9ExPImZabWwXecVjkYmHw1cxPDWo9J0v6IvSXhbfySScsmax-sWMo_mmhQVtZqW5HsPyU_AC3KDWhHQphGiVel31oLu7w4z-gZZh5KFlY60imeTFl7qHpL5KQ/s400/sharon+jones.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418567417360591474" /></a><br />I'm cranking up the soulful vocals, old-school R&B groove, and popping horns of "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects," from <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.daptonerecords.com/sharonjonesandthedapkings.html">Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings</a></span> - one of the highlights of this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.<br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121804437&sc=nl&cc=sod-20091223"><br />Listen here (thanks to NPR).</a>Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-18236936520452936292009-12-21T13:18:00.003-05:002009-12-21T13:32:24.072-05:00Florida Critics Honor "Up in the Air"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbNhQE4leKUd11U3LfhK-12DR9k8PVGvfQt_yXV7HzTp2WJONctDrNnwaCYdtbKteckQ9ttem_BKTGv5aBoELhg7o7SXb0xM4KOWWJxB7TZGAvxUPO6UE965C2ztO1wTD_rDO/s1600-h/UpintheAirposter1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbNhQE4leKUd11U3LfhK-12DR9k8PVGvfQt_yXV7HzTp2WJONctDrNnwaCYdtbKteckQ9ttem_BKTGv5aBoELhg7o7SXb0xM4KOWWJxB7TZGAvxUPO6UE965C2ztO1wTD_rDO/s320/UpintheAirposter1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417759093070594898" /></a><br />Jason Reitman's comic drama <span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span> has landed top honors in this year's <a href="http://floridafilmcriticscircle.webs.com">Florida Film Critics Circle </a>(FFCC) Awards, with prizes for best picture, Reitman's direction and George Clooney's performance as a corporate axeman.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Precious</span>, the FFCC's other big winner, a disturbing inner-city drama directed by Lee Daniels, won two top acting honors -- Gabourey Sidibe, best actress, and the group's Pauline Kael Breakout Award, in the title role; and hip-hop star and TV personality Mo'Nique, for best supporting actress.<br /><br />The complete list of winners:<br /><br />Picture: Up In The Air<br />Actor: George Clooney, Up In The Air<br />Actress: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious<br />Supp. Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds<br />Supp. Actress: Mo’Nique, Precious<br />Director: Jason Reitman, Up In The Air<br />Screenplay: Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, (500) Days of Summer <br />Cinematography: Mauro Fiore, Avatar<br />Foreign Language: Sin Nombre<br />Animated Feature: Up<br />Documentary: The Cove<br />Breakout: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious<br />Golden Orange: No Award<br /><br />Founded in 1996, the Florida Film Critics Circle is comprised of 17 writers from state publications. Dan Hudak of hudakonhollywood.com has served as chairman since March 2008. For more information on the FFCC, visit floridafilmcriticscircle.webs.com.Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-37325938460126375012009-12-18T15:54:00.006-05:002009-12-18T16:45:02.031-05:00Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: New CD and National Tour in 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAdSbQFcpq77Z68OzqQfJ2efuYDgseiVwiU35BxK6th8MIdNQqcyPvgajG9M-I4jP8325YHSlEXWBlJq6L4MmAvA3qUoLEJhIj9B0OmqO62mRB7peiySvaw43VEWCBJeEd_tk/s1600-h/jalc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAdSbQFcpq77Z68OzqQfJ2efuYDgseiVwiU35BxK6th8MIdNQqcyPvgajG9M-I4jP8325YHSlEXWBlJq6L4MmAvA3qUoLEJhIj9B0OmqO62mRB7peiySvaw43VEWCBJeEd_tk/s400/jalc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416693979482244354" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXPrPKl1jb5b6Bg2EF_tF_gyK15_v55L9XZXL9vfPDmw83w2wWS2WFo2x1KqHAlco6-R5tkMac4bvcslvSiifQKP7C-sy-uEzEZVoxBgt4OHNZvigm-EZVvdToUQtd4e2my1D/s1600-h/DSCN5833.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXPrPKl1jb5b6Bg2EF_tF_gyK15_v55L9XZXL9vfPDmw83w2wWS2WFo2x1KqHAlco6-R5tkMac4bvcslvSiifQKP7C-sy-uEzEZVoxBgt4OHNZvigm-EZVvdToUQtd4e2my1D/s400/DSCN5833.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416692593181252498" /></a><br />Aside from a decade or so when big bands were all the rage, keeping a large jazz ensemble in top playing shape, ensuring that the group has the right players for the right positions, matching the band with the appropriate arrangements, and dealing with all the logistical and organizational challenges has always been an iffy proposition.<br /><br />Taking a big band on the road and/or taking care of all the detail work required to record, package and properly distribute a big band CD can be even more challenging, particularly in a financial contraction as profound as the one we're now facing.<br /><br />The <a href="http://jalc.org/concerts/c_orchestras09.html">Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra</a>, led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, nevertheless has plans to hit all of those targets in 2010 (yes, it's true that federal funding helps keep J@LC alive, and I'm glad of it, no matter <a href="http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/jazzblog/archive/2009/12/16/but-jazz-also-got-a-dissing-from-john-mccain.aspx">what John McCain or anyone else has to say about it</a>). <br /><br />First up is <span style="font-style:italic;">Portrait in Seven Shades</span>, the JLCO's first widely distributed studio CD since Don't Be Afraid: The Music of Charles Mingus (Palmetto), released in 2005. <br /><br />Due Feb. 2, 2010, the recording features saxophonist Ted Nash's titular suite, with seven movements, each inspired by the work of a modern art master -- Chagall, Dali, Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Pollack, and Van Gogh. <br /><br />Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, on tuba, violinist Nathalie Bonin, and accordionist Bill Schimmel will make guest appearances on the recording, the group's first to be distributed by The Orchard.<br /><br />Next up are the debut performances of the concert, with the orchestra joined by Bonin, Schimmel, and Clark Gayton on tuba, Feb. 4-6 at JALC's Rose Hall. The music will be augmented by lighting design and projections of the CD's artwork.<br /><br />Finally, the JLCO gets back on the road, with a U.S. tour slated to open March 1 in Washington, D.C., and close with a performance March 29 at Lee Hall on the FAMU campus in Tallahassee, the closest this particular tour gets to my area.<br /><br />Music from the new CD and compositions by Count Basie and Mary Lou Williams, among other artists, will be included in the repertoire for the touring show.<br /><br />Last time I caught Wynton and the LCJO was at this year's Jazz Fest, when they performed the "Congo Square" suite, with guest African drummers, on the Congo Square stage. It was a texture-rich, sometimes moving (if overlong) exploration of jazz's roots in African rhythms, and the music's development in New Orleans and beyond. The concert pic, above, is one I shot at that performance.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-59083523632721168362009-12-16T22:24:00.003-05:002009-12-16T23:21:41.259-05:00U.S. House Salutes Miles and Honors Jazz; Will Words = Action?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF2hKGjQmF04GNCBeRoMOFhXxRx43QgN26TSn9L7nWjSkOqQqYzuTtQ_HiYj3bAhNqAflbT5LtT3YDxUbCt-iYFB29JThjq0oPL6Doznhpqvs93Xvf2ye5CimCrDT6XqS32Sg/s1600-h/413ZEon91GL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF2hKGjQmF04GNCBeRoMOFhXxRx43QgN26TSn9L7nWjSkOqQqYzuTtQ_HiYj3bAhNqAflbT5LtT3YDxUbCt-iYFB29JThjq0oPL6Doznhpqvs93Xvf2ye5CimCrDT6XqS32Sg/s400/413ZEon91GL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416055528067664962" /></a><br />Get Miles?<br /><br />The U.S. House of Representatives apparently does (or is striking the right pose), and hopes that you do, too. <br /><br />By a vote of 409-0, the House on Tuesday approved the passage of H.Res.894, which honors the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis's classic <span style="font-style:italic;">Kind of Blue</span> album and calls jazz "a national treasure." <br /><br />Yes, it's never too late to salute the modal masterpiece, which has Miles' moody trumpet topping textures supplied by pianists Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly, saxophonists John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb. A two-disc <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kind-Blue-Legacy-Miles-Davis/dp/B001KL3GZO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1261021267&sr=8-2">Legacy edition of the album,</a> with alternate takes and an extended live version of "So What," was released in January. <br /><br />In the "whereas" prelude, remarkably enough, the resolution points out that the album was certified quadruple-platinum (4 million copies sold) last year by the RIAA; that it was recognized as the best-selling recording in jazz history; and that it "continues to be the standard masterpiece of jazz for American musicians and audiences." <br /><br />Nicely stated, and mostly true.<br /><br />Here's what the resolution does:<br />(1) honors the 50th anniversary of `Kind of Blue’ and recognizes the unique contribution the album has made to American jazz;<br />(2) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit enrolled copies of this resolution to Columbia Records;<br />(3) encourages the United States Government to take all appropriate steps to preserve and advance the art form of jazz music;<br />(4) recommits itself to ensuring that musical artists such as Miles Davis and his Sextet receive fair protection under the copyright laws of the United States for their contributions to culture in the United States; and<br />(5) reaffirms the status of jazz as a national treasure.<br /><br />The resolution was sponsored by Michigan Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat, who said Miles' group "made musical history and changed the artistic landscape of this country and in some ways the world." <br /><br />As Seattle trumpeter Jason Parker suggests on his <a href="http://oneworkingmusician.com/">One Working Musician</a> blog, it's great when important people say nice things about jazz. But lip service ain't enough.<br /><br />Parker offers several good strategies to help the House -- and oh yeah, where's the Senate? -- turn words into action, including getting more of that governmental arts funding directly into the hands of local arts organizations, and making sure that jazz isn't left out of the mix when it comes to arts funding.<br /><br />How else can jazz lovers with power and/or deep pockets help honor jazz? Here's one way: Launch an organization, with an affiliated international conference, that's as large and influential as the International Association for Jazz Education once was.<br /><br />The IAJE, previously known as the International Association of Jazz Educators, served as a global clearing house and common ground for jazz educators, musicians, recording labels, radio people, critics, managers and practically everyone else with a stake in the future of jazz. And then, a couple of years ago, the organization imploded over fiscal irregularities, to say the least. <br /><br />It's time for the rise of another jazz organization as ambitious and jazz-connected as the IAJE. And maybe Conyers' resolution will give that cause just the boost it needs.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-37760246651788165082009-12-16T07:55:00.013-05:002010-01-09T16:19:51.190-05:00Tampa Bay Area Music Calendar (An Entirely Subjective and Selective Listing)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhHUtX6lwO3MLzlIZghXM5eYjR1jB8FTWPVWJTUWMnq8TNLdDJo9Ck6eRvJsdS4AGCMTzpxkru45RKs_WVIcLjb9Xh2iseOSLAOukbwPVELM6Hh63isqybfcC5NSv_rqTgbgz/s1600-h/large_Shorty.snow.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhHUtX6lwO3MLzlIZghXM5eYjR1jB8FTWPVWJTUWMnq8TNLdDJo9Ck6eRvJsdS4AGCMTzpxkru45RKs_WVIcLjb9Xh2iseOSLAOukbwPVELM6Hh63isqybfcC5NSv_rqTgbgz/s400/large_Shorty.snow.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422684864816276962" /></a><br /><br />Parameters for this list: All the shows I'd want to see, given all the $$ and, mostly, time, in the world. Feel free to send concert info, but please understand that this list is not intended to be comprehensive. Got corrections/updates? Send them.<br /><br />Trombone Shorty (photo, above) w/ Elliott Cohn's Cosmic Sweat Society - Saturday, Jan 9, Skipper's, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Zach Deputy w/ Rob Anthony - Sunday, Jan. 10, Skipper's, 5 p.m.<br /><br />James Gibbs III/Jordan Richardson Quintet - Jan. 15, Mahaffey Theater, 7:30 p.m.<br /><br />Marcia Ball w/ The Venturas - Jan. 17, Skipper's, 6 p.m.<br /><br />Statesmen of Jazz: Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar), Bob Wilber (clarinet/sax), Rosanno Sportiello (piano), Antii Sarpila (sax), Nicki Parrott (bass), Jeff Barnhart (piano), Ed Metz, Jr. (drums) - Jan. 20, Palladium Theater, 7:30 p.m. <br /><br />Gov't Mule - Jan. 21, Ritz Theatre, 8:30 p.m.<br /><br />Subdudes w/ Beth McKee - Jan. 29, Skipper's, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Big Sam's Funky Nation w/ Rosie Ledet - Jan. 30, Skipper's, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Boogie Woogie/Blues Piano Stomp: Bob Seeley, Liz Pennock, Ricky Nye, Barry Cuda - Jan. 30, Palladium Theater, 8 p.m. <br /><br />Ira Sullivan - Jan. 31, HCC Performing Arts Building Theater, Ybor City (details TBA; <a href="http://tampajazzclub.com/schedule.html">Tampa Jazz Club</a> show)<br /><br />B.B. King & Buddy Guy - Feb. 5, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Harry Connick Jr. - Feb. 12, Ruth Eckerd Hall<br /><br />The Wailers - Feb. 12, Ritz Theatre <br /><br />Yonder Mountain String Band - Feb. 13, The Ritz, 9 p.m.<br /><br />Whitney James - Feb. 13, Palladium Theater<br /><br />Willie Nelson - Feb. 14, Busch Gardens<br /><br />Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk w/ The Jim Morey Band - Feb. 21, Skipper's<br /><br />Dave Alvin & Two Guilty Women w/ Amanda Shires - Feb. 27, Skipper's, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Ladysmith Black Mambazo - March 2, Mahaffey Theater, 7 p.m.<br /><br />Roy Book Binder - March 5, Palladium Theater, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Chuck Prophet w/ Peter Mulvey - March 13, Skipper's, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Zakir Hussain - March 18, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Ferguson Hall, 8 p.m.<br /><br />Wilco - March 23, Ruth Eckerd Hall<br /><br />G. Love and Special Sauce - March 26, Ritz Theatre, 9 p.m. <br /><br />Pat Metheny - April 9, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 8 p.m.<br /><br />VENUES--------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mahaffeytheater.com/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mahaffey Theater @ Progress Energy Center for the Arts</span>,</a> 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg; (727) 892-5798<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/newworldbrewery">New World Brewery</a>,</span> 1313 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City (Tampa); 813 248-4969<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://mypalladium.org/">The Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College</a>,</span> 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg; 727 822-3590<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ritzybor.com/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Ritz Theatre</span>,</a> 1503 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City (Tampa); 813 247-2555<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.rutheckerdhall.com">Ruth Eckerd Hall</a></span>, 1111 N. McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater; 727 791-7400<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.skipperssmokehouse.com">Skipper's Smokehouse</a></span>, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa; (813) 971-0666Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-42256768747757861682009-12-15T07:49:00.005-05:002009-12-15T08:55:32.080-05:00Allman Brothers, Pearl Jam, My Morning Jacket, Elvis Costello, Jeff Beck, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, B.B. King Among Headliners at Jazz FestLet the FOMS (fear of missing something) begin. <br /><br />The lineup for this year's <a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com">New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival</a> was announced early this morning, just after midnight. And the mix of major national pop/rock acts, New Orleans and regional Louisiana acts, and top-shelf jazz and world-music performers is as impressive as ever.<br /><br />The upshot: Jazz Fest fans, and first-timers, are going to have a tough time deciding which weekend to attend - April 23-25 or April 29-May 2. It's a good problem for the fest to have. <br /><br />As a likely first-weekender, thanks to the Allman Brothers, I'm particularly excited to see a couple of acts that I had hoped/"predicted" would make it - Levon Helm, the Black Crowes - plus tons more.<br /><br />Also among those I'm most excited to see first weekend:<br />Jazz (from New Orleans and elsewhere): Joe Lovano Us Five, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra,, the Guitar Woodshed Featuring Steve Masakowski, Todd Duke, and Jake Eckert<br />African: King Sunny Ade, Baaba Maal<br />Reggae: Steel Pulse<br />Gospel: Blind Boys of Alabama<br />Funk: George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic<br />Modern rock: My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses<br />New Orleans/Louisiana regional: Dr. John, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Papa Grows Funk, Terrance Simien, Bonerama, Theresa Andersson, Big Sam, Davell Crawford and One Foot in the Blues With Dr. John and Jon Cleary, Funky Meters, Voice of the Wetlands, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Davell Crawford, Irma Thomas' Tribute to Mahalia Jackson.<br />Not to mention the act TBA: Great if Paul McCartney or Tom Petty, big so-what (IMHO) if Buffett.<br /><br />Second weekend's notables:<br />Jazz (from New Orleans and elsewhere): Wayne Shorter Quartet, Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band, Stanley Clarke Band, Astral Project, Ellis Marsalis, Henry Butler, Marcus Miller, Shannon Powell's Organ Combo Featuring David Torkanowsky and Charlie Gabriel, Gil Scott Heron, Take Six<br />Classic rock/modern rock: Pearl Jam, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes <br />Jamband: Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler<br />Blues: Derek Truck & Susan Tedeschi, B.B. King, Sonny Landreth, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bernard Allison <br />World music: Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Kora Konnection Featuring Morikeba Kouyate of Senegal and Theirno Doubate of Guinea<br />New Orleans and Louisiana regional: Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Allen Toussaint,Galactic, the Radiators, Trombone Shorty, Kermit Ruffins, Beausoleil, Beausoleil, the Iguanas, Russell Batiste, Kirk Joseph, Paul Sanchez, Rebirth Brass Band, Anders Osborne, Cyril Neville, Aaron Neville, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk <br />Other: Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Richie Havens<br /><br />One quibble: "Jazz" is part of the festival's first name, so to speak. And despite the number of great jazz acts from New Orleans, the list of world-class jazzers from elsewhere is shorter than in previous years.<br /><br />For the full lineup for each weekend, go to the <a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com">Jazz Fest site</a>. The "cubes" - day-by-day, hour-by-hour schedule - are due in January or February.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-74071392806137255362009-12-14T16:00:00.004-05:002009-12-14T16:09:36.450-05:00Jazz Fest 2010 Lineup Announcement: Tonight after Midnight (Central Time)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmHcvawlrB2yS81RaOc2Z-xI19WjHRWh7uld7V15YL2Xab26yZV-ly0glwgwLxacUcDdkrGI2BVebuInVZ_TtYpCyWV9ygIQrOir19bW6X9nOYqg-f2SQp3WGVTr9hZhUMfNx/s1600-h/thank-you.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmHcvawlrB2yS81RaOc2Z-xI19WjHRWh7uld7V15YL2Xab26yZV-ly0glwgwLxacUcDdkrGI2BVebuInVZ_TtYpCyWV9ygIQrOir19bW6X9nOYqg-f2SQp3WGVTr9hZhUMfNx/s400/thank-you.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415201844489198946" /></a><br />Can't wait until tomorrow to check out the talent headed to the Crescent City for next year's 41st annual <a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com">New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival</a>?<br /><br />The list of artists playing each weekend at the fest, April 23-25 and April 29-May 4, will be available tonight just after midnight, New Orleans time (1 a.m. EST) at the online companion site to Offbeat, the great monthly NOLA music magazine. So when the time comes, <a href="http://www.offbeat.com">click here.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.offbeat.com/2009/12/14/door-crasher-special/">Here's Offbeat's note </a>about its plans for unveiling the lineup.<br /><br />For the list of artists rumored - or definitely scheduled - to play Jazz Fest, check out my post from last week.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-51132660689058824042009-12-14T15:18:00.007-05:002009-12-14T15:45:33.534-05:00Up in the Air Tops Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-mS4TiBJMtA5VDSvsxm3Ze-Mghmg2FiW8v-nuWg6r4_wrqpm1TXyoVmNSlurE20-quekshBm-Rv91oWqZn6pRvdDK5x6pGoiozD7cuhjBfMdpmhHh4mtYSmosH77cKcdDHuI/s1600-h/UpintheAirposter1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-mS4TiBJMtA5VDSvsxm3Ze-Mghmg2FiW8v-nuWg6r4_wrqpm1TXyoVmNSlurE20-quekshBm-Rv91oWqZn6pRvdDK5x6pGoiozD7cuhjBfMdpmhHh4mtYSmosH77cKcdDHuI/s400/UpintheAirposter1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415194424839703202" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span>, Jason Reitman's alternately funny and surprisingly touching comic drama about the misadventures of a corporate axe man, was named best picture of the year in the 18th Annual <a href="http://www.sefca.org">Southeastern Film Critics Association</a> Awards.<br /><br />The film also scored awards for George Clooney, for best actor, and Reitman and Sheldon Turner, for their adaptation of the Walter Kirn novel.<br /><br />Kathryn Bigelow was named best director for her work on the intense and disturbing <span style="font-style:italic;">The Hurt Locker</span>, set in wartime Iraq.<br /><br />The other major acting awards went to Meryl Streep (best actress), who portrayed celebrated cook Julia Child in <span style="font-style:italic;">Julie & Julia;</span> Christoph Waltz (best supporting actor) as a frighteningly sly SS officer in <span style="font-style:italic;">Inglourious Basterds</span>; and hip-hop star Mo'Nique, as an emotionally abusive mother from hell in <span style="font-style:italic;">Precious</span>.<br /><br />The funny and romantic <span style="font-style:italic;">(500) Days of Summer</span> won for best original screenplay, for a script co-written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, while Pixar's <span style="font-style:italic;">Up</span> barely edged out Wes Anderson's stop-motion gem <span style="font-style:italic;">Fantastic Mr. Fox</span> for best animated feature. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Food, Inc.</span> won for best documentary. Writer-director Scott Teems’ <span style="font-style:italic;">That Evening Sun,</span> featuring Hal Halbrook's sterling portrayal of an aging, bitter Tennessee farmer facing the loss of his home, won the Wyatt Award for the most outstanding Southern-themed film. <br /><br />I was one of the 44 critics who participated in this year's voting, and I'm happy to report that so many of my favorites -- including <span style="font-style:italic;">The Hurt Locker</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span>, and many of the below mentioned films -- landed in the Top 10 or otherwise gained attention.<br /><br />BEST PICTURE<br />1. Up in the Air<br />2. The Hurt Locker<br />3. Up<br />4. Inglourious Basterds<br />5. A Serious Man<br />6. (500) Days of Summer<br />7. Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire<br />8. The Messenger<br />9. Fantastic Mr. Fox<br />10. District 9<br /><br />BEST ACTOR<br />George Clooney – Up in the Air<br />* Runner-up: Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker<br /><br />BEST ACTRESS<br />Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia<br />* Runner-up: Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by<br />Sapphire<br /><br />BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR<br />Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds<br />* Runner-up: Woody Harrelson – The Messenger<br /><br />BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS<br />Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire<br />* Runner-up: Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air<br /><br />BEST DIRECTOR<br />Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker<br />* Runner-up: Jason Reitman – Up in the Air<br /><br />BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY<br />Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber - (500) Days of Summer<br />* Runner-up: Mark Boal – The Hurt Locker<br /><br />BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY<br />Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner – Up in the Air<br />* Runner-up: Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach – Fantastic Mr. Fox<br /><br />BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM<br />Summer Hours (France)<br />* Runner-up: The White Ribbon (Germany)<br /><br />BEST DOCUMENTARY<br />Food, Inc.<br />* Runner-up: The Cove<br /><br />BEST ANIMATED FEATURE<br />Up<br />* Runner-up: Fantastic Mr. Fox<br /><br />WYATT AWARD<br />That Evening Sun<br />* Runner-up: Goodbye Solo<br /><br />The Southeastern Film Critics Association is comprised of journalists<br />from nine states in the Southeast.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-79166151319515599022009-12-11T10:45:00.004-05:002009-12-11T11:03:27.821-05:00TubaChristmas Drops Anchor at The Pier in St. Petersburg<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Yy7osb-px8n69m8bJ5iqAVGS4JLfGnm4eg2q0Dwl3nlBQbXkioqYKkCFOT5si_pVvA_fzLpOUIBqQ5Btlx0q9-Pzv-uAUDvp6CFAmvCG7z7n8SfMG3uOWYUDnhPqHr-UdF0K/s1600-h/christmas-carol-2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Yy7osb-px8n69m8bJ5iqAVGS4JLfGnm4eg2q0Dwl3nlBQbXkioqYKkCFOT5si_pVvA_fzLpOUIBqQ5Btlx0q9-Pzv-uAUDvp6CFAmvCG7z7n8SfMG3uOWYUDnhPqHr-UdF0K/s400/christmas-carol-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414009610034669458" /></a><br />The tubas are coming!<br /><br />As many as 50 tuba players, including professionals, students and hobbyists from around the Tampa Bay area, are descending on The Pier in St. Petersburg for Saturday night's <span style="font-weight:bold;">TubaChristmas.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">David Manson</span>, trombonist/composer and St. Petersburg College music prof, will conduct the low-brass players on "The First Noel," "The Wassail Song," "Deck the Halls" and other Christmas favorites, arranged by <span style="font-weight:bold;">Alec Wilder</span> and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Norlan Bewley.</span><br /><br />St. Pete's concert, coordinated by <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lisa-Marie Leihy</span>, is one of nearly 250 TubaChristmas events around the world, Manson says.<br /><br />"The event began in 1974 and continues as a tribute to <span style="font-weight:bold;">William Bell,</span> the great father of tuba who was born on Christmas Day in 1902," he says. "This year, 248 cities are participating."<br /><br />The concert is at 7:30 p.m. at the Waterside Courtyard at The Pier, (under a canopy) 800 Second Ave., N.E., in St. Petersburg. Admission is free.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tubachristmas.com/">Click here </a>for more info on the worldwide TubaChristmas concerts. St. Petersburg's concert is reportedly one of six TubaChristmas events this year in Florida.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-75998799666799495772009-12-11T09:19:00.010-05:002009-12-11T10:19:47.073-05:00Weirdest Jazz Story of the Year: Spain's (Sort of) Jazz Police Investigate Saxophonist Larry Ochs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhccxbIvsethvETOVcgzNjQ7QcFdWpeA_keZHZnUt70J9Tnz7NwmN-UM977f8Eok5yl678Pi1F-DtNu2Ve1G2vFyeCQ5hVfzqRMDCRVqO6BCaEFuEnH2NDBaaA1hsNna1M00t/s1600-h/DRUMS5+collageSYNTH.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhccxbIvsethvETOVcgzNjQ7QcFdWpeA_keZHZnUt70J9Tnz7NwmN-UM977f8Eok5yl678Pi1F-DtNu2Ve1G2vFyeCQ5hVfzqRMDCRVqO6BCaEFuEnH2NDBaaA1hsNna1M00t/s400/DRUMS5+collageSYNTH.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413997446631743346" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kenny G</span> wields his chirpy soprano sax for bland instrumental pop, markets it as jazz, makes a mint, and nobody bats an eye. Aside from, you know, curmudgeonly music critics (like me).<br /><br />So it's odd, and more than a little amusing, to hear that <a href="http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9fuxq9gldfe"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Larry Ochs</span></span></a>, the first-rate, highly creative saxophonist was hassled in Spain on Monday night by a festivalgoer who contended that the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Larry Ochs Sax and Drumming Core</span> erred on the side of being too contemporary, and not adequately jazzy.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/09/jazz-festival-larry-ochs-saxophone">a story in the UK's Guardian newspaper</a>, Spanish police raided the Siguenza Jazz Festival after a concertgoer complained about Ochs' music.<br /><br />Where are the Jazz Police when you really need them? They'd really come in handy when a <a href="http://www.clearwaterjazz.com">certain local festival</a> turns over all its headlining positions to boring "smooth jazz" acts. I'd welcome the Jazz Police to help keep incessant talkers and noisemakers from rudely ruining my enjoyment of concerts. <br /><br />And maybe pianist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Keith Jarrett</span> would cease his godawful audible humming -- which sometimes spoils otherwise brilliant solo and trio performances -- if there were a chance that the Jazz Police would intervene.<br /><br />By the way, Ochs' group played the <a href="http://emitseries.org/fr_index.cfm">EMIT series</a> at St. Petersburg's Dali Museum on Oct. 10. Thanks to EMIT director and trombonist/bandleader <span style="font-weight:bold;">David Manson</span> for reminding me.<br /><br />For more info on the Larry Ochs Sax and Drumming Core, <a href="http://www.ochs.cc/groups/drum_intro.html">click here</a>. Listen to the group's tune "And Nothing But" <a href="http://s0.ilike.com/play#Larry+Ochs+Sax+%26+Drumming+Core:And+Nothing+But...:25568607:m11687883">here.</a> <br /><br />The full text of the story is below:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Spanish fan calls police over saxophone band who were just not jazzy enough<br /><br />Festival-goer claims it was 'psychologically inadvisable' for him to hear Larry Ochs Sax and Drumming Core perform<br /></span><br />Jazzman Larry Ochs has seen many things during 40 years playing his saxophone around the world but, until this week, nobody had ever called the police on him.<br /><br />That changed on Monday night however, when's Spain's pistol-carrying Civil Guard police force descended on the Sigüenza Jazz festival to investigate allegations that Ochs's music was not, well, jazz.<br /><br />Police decided to investigate after an angry jazz buff complained that the Larry Ochs Sax and Drumming Core group was on the wrong side of a line dividing jazz from contemporary music.<br /><br />The jazz purist claimed his doctor had warned it was "psychologically inadvisable" for him to listen to anything that could be mistaken for mere contemporary music.<br /><br />According to a report in El País newspaper yesterday, the khaki-clad police officers listened to the saxophone-playing and drumming coming from the festival stage before agreeing that the purist might, indeed, have a case.<br /><br />His complaint against the organisers, who refused to return his money, was duly registered and will be passed on to a judge.<br /><br />"The gentleman said this was not jazz and that he wanted his money back," said the festival director, Ricardo Checa.<br /><br />"He didn't get his money. After all, he knew exactly what group he was going to see, as their names were on the festival programme.<br /><br />He added: "The question of what constitutes jazz and what does not is obviously a subjective one, but not everything is New Orleans funeral music.<br /><br />"Larry Ochs plays contemporary, creative jazz. He is a fine musician and very well-renowned."<br /><br />"I thought I had seen it all," Ochs, who reportedly suffered a momentary identity crisis, told El País. "I was obviously mistaken."<br /><br />"After this I will at least have a story to tell my grandchildren," the California-based saxophonist added.Blog Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10608446112087286976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-68716372702838094992009-12-10T17:46:00.003-05:002009-12-10T17:55:16.398-05:00The Garden in St. Pete is NOT closingGreat news: It looks like the longest-running jazz gig in the Tampa Bay area is going to keep on keeping on.<br /><br />The Garden, in downtown St. Petersburg, is changing hands but staying open, and ex-Ellington trombonist <span style="font-weight:bold;">Buster Cooper</span> is keeping his gig. That's according to Laura Reiley's story in the St. Petersburg Times. <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/restaurants/garden-restaurant-in-downtown-st-pete-wont-close-after-all/1057652">Click here to read.</a><br /><br />The new owners, according to the story: Bill Edwards and brothers Tommy and Vagelis Varlas. Reiley writes, "Edwards is also partner with Jannus Landing's new minority owner, Jeff Knight; the Varlas brothers have been in the restaurant business for many years, most recently in St. Pete Beach." <br /><br />Tommy Varlas told Reiley about several planned upgrades to the eatery, located in a building dating back to 1890: "Effective immediately, we're putting money into it, giving it a facelift with new lighting and updated bathrooms." <br /><br />Thanks to blog reader Headless Hornman -- also a fellow chatter on the <a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com">(New Orleans) Jazz Fest</a> board -- for pointing it out.Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27696312.post-1823776342423166842009-12-10T11:41:00.006-05:002009-12-10T12:08:59.251-05:00Up in the Air: Best Film of the Year? (movie review)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlKDjziLB_Rx9ZPdcJR6V3Y0UFOmdAQaPfotYoZZrbwGQp3eGpStl-kx6izFFC3vzPPygaal0In7sQA2x3JExou1uffXB2bAgWd0erBls6OARtsZEs486kZDXwGIH6z3mEe3m/s1600-h/UpintheAirposter1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlKDjziLB_Rx9ZPdcJR6V3Y0UFOmdAQaPfotYoZZrbwGQp3eGpStl-kx6izFFC3vzPPygaal0In7sQA2x3JExou1uffXB2bAgWd0erBls6OARtsZEs486kZDXwGIH6z3mEe3m/s320/UpintheAirposter1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413652732756610514" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span>, a terrific and timely comedy directed by Jason Reitman, has opened in several cities nationally, and will open soon in the Tampa Bay area (the 12/11 opening has been bumped). My review will be published in <span style="font-style:italic;">Folio Weekly</span>, and I'll link to it here. Meanwhile, here's the full text.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span> Stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick. Directed and written by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, adapted from the Walter Kirn novel. 109 minutes; rated R.<br /><br />Anyone ever fired, thereby joining a club whose membership has lately expanded at an alarming rate, understands that losing a job is a bit like experiencing a death. In one fell swoop, you're suddenly separated from the people, the place and the professional obligations you've come to know so intimately for months or years or decades, not to mention the income that has supported your way of life.<br /><br />That reality takes center stage, thanks to a series of interviews with real-life laid-off workers mixed in with cameos by such actors as Zach Galifianakis and J.K. Simmons, in <span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span>, filmmaker Jason Reitman's follow-up to 2007's critically acclaimed <span style="font-style:italic;">Juno</span>. "This is what I get in return for 30 years of service?" one man asks, in disbelief. <br /><br />Those montages make for humane, poignant touches, adding to the topical currency of a movie that's as funny, smart and sexy as any American film released this year. No matter if the ending is a little pat, and viewers are left feeling somewhat less than emotionally engaged by any of the characters in Reitman's script, adapted from the Walter Kirn novel of the same name.<br /><br />The angel of career death, regularly descending from the unfriendly skies to drop the axe, is Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), road warrior for a company whose employees do the dirty work for clients unwilling to handle the nasty chore of firing employees. The movie's opening sequence, all split screens and overhead shots of cities and farmland, deserts and mountains, charged up with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' soulful, hard-grooving R&B version of "This Land is Your Land," defines the protagonist's territory. <br /><br />Delivering the bad news -- "You have an opportunity here, Bob. This is a rebirth," he tells the just-fired aging worker played by Simmons -- the coolly efficient, smooth-talking Bingham is bad, and nationwide: He flies to Dallas, St. Louis, Wichita, Kansas City, Des Moines, Detroit and all points between, occasionally touching down in Omaha to visit the home office of the optimistically named Career Transition Counseling. In voiceover, he says that last year he spent 322 days on planes and in Hilton hotels, rental cars and airport bars, and the worst part of it all was those 43 days he was stuck at home.<br /><br />Bingham's itinerant lifestyle is threatened by the arrival of young go-getter Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), who convinces their CTC boss (Jason Bateman) to agree to a new scheme, a plan allowing the company to accomplish the firings via video link, thereby cutting the travel budget by 85 percent. <br /><br />But prior to the launch of the new system, Bingham is asked to take his young colleague on a road trek to experience the firings first-hand. At the very least, he figures he'll keep moving toward his goal of notching 10 million air miles. <br /><br />When Bingham isn't bickering with Natalie or working toward a grudging respect for her, he's spending his emotional and sexual energy on leggy, attractive Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a female road warrior who knows and loves the language of elite-status cards. <br /><br />The two meet cute in a hotel lounge, weave sexual double entendres into a discussion of frequent-flier miles, and continue to let the flirtation heat up in his room. Later, she sets relationship ground rules: "I am the woman you don't have to worry about," says Alex, who comes off as the perfect match for a man who does seminars on avoiding personal commitments. "Sounds like a trap," he retorts.<br /><br />Like its lead character, who likes to say "the slower we move, the faster we die," <span style="font-style:italic;">Up in the Air</span> moves at a brisk clip, seamlessly jumping from scene to scene, slowing down only during a section set in Wisconsin, where Bingham travels to attend his younger sister's wedding. <br /><br />Emotional breakthroughs play a part here but, as might be expected from the director of <span style="font-style:italic;">Juno</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Thank You for Smoking</span>, the storyline moves in some entirely unpredictable directions. <br /><br />Anyone counting on a straight-out romantic comedy, as some of the movie's ads have suggested, will be disappointed. The rest of us will leave satisfied by the vibrant performances, intelligent script and sure direction of a film with few noticeable flaws and plenty of sour-sweet appeal.Philip Boothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15082363500641853690noreply@blogger.com0