Quick thoughts.
The US beat Italy for the first time ever. In Italy. And I believe just the fifth goal against Italy ever? Yes, I know it was a friendly. But it is still a win, against a team gunning up for the Euro Champinships this year. The defense looked strong, which hasn't been happening too consistently. The mid stood tall (Bradley is a beast, changing defense into offense). And it was without Landon.
Dempsey is sure having one hell of a year . . . A bit giddy, I will admit.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Two Nights of Times Square Umphrey's, Including a Birthday Show
01.20
Jazz Odyssey > Booth Love > Rocker Part 2, Conduit > "Jimmy Stewart" > Conduit, Tribute to the Spinal Shaft > Passing > Utopian Fir
40's Theme, Der Bluten Kat > drums^ > All Night Long^ > Der Bluten Kat, The Linear > "Jimmy Stewart" > The Linear > Ringo
Divisions
The London Souls opened
^ with Jake on percussion
- JO was a bit heavy
- Booth Love had a great jam, very Floyd-ish at the end
- Heavy/bluesy jam in Rocker, with lots of hand signals from Jake
- Conduit had two or three sections to it, ending on a bit of a hip-hoppy vibe
- Happy Birthday to some guy before the Tribute ;)
- Really enjoyed the Tribute jam out of the breakdown, which had Joel on Rhodes and Jake repeating this riff; the band dropped out at some point to have Jake repeat on his own, before relaunching into a more dancey version of the same riff
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160561075031511041
- Passing dissolved into Fir
- 40's Theme seemed a bit more patient than usual
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160576419339051008 (Waful at the end of 40's)
- Der Bluten Kat was introduced as one of their earliest songs
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160577810690347009 ("50 lighters!")
- Drums was really good, actually; not too long > All Night Long (could hear that coming pre-drums)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160580089929678849
- Second jam in DBK was one of my favorites of the night. Started a bit as a dancey Run Like Hell and then transitioned into this great Middle Eastern jam. Jake continued with the theme on slide and the drummers really drove the jam hard.
- The Linear was huge, at least I felt that way last night. Just great. Big and focused and heavy.
- Ringo was good, but nothing like the one from last year's Brooklyn Bowl.
- Divisions was cut from the second set and played as the encore. Strong version.
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160594552149917699 ("All my thoughts divided.")
____
01.21
Jazz Odyssey > Domino Theory > "Jimmy Stewart"* > Domino Theory, Intentions Clear > Voyager$ > White Man's Moccasins > Forks, August, Second Song > Puppet String
Miami Virtue > "Jimmy Stewart" > Glory, #Bridgeless > "Jimmy Stewart"* -> The Floor, Pay the Snucka, Hollywood Nights > Bridgeless
At Last$$, JaJunk
The London Souls opened
* with lyrics
$ first time played, Daft Punk
# with Bob tease
$$ first time played, Etta James, in tribute to her recent passing; with Jen Hartswick on vocals
- Jam out of Domino Theory was a bit of a 180 from the heavier focus of the song, taking more of a Yacht Rock vibe. Really enjoyable. The vocal stew that came out of the Jam had a bit of a different feel from the Yacht sound. Fans claim it was a repeat?
- Intentions Clear dissolved slowly with guitars and texture from Joel as the drums had a shuffling beat . . . before Daft Punk's Voyager emerged and took the room to another level. So much fun. And Waful was so on point with his lights.
- Still without a pause, White Man's Moccs appeared. And then out of White Man's, Forks emerged. As I have made known, I am a big fan of this new song. I love it's vibe and I think it fills a bit of a gap in UM's catalog (this linear song with a specific feel and atmosphere).
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160921791290802176
- August had a little of pony goofing off before the known bass intro. This version of August featured a great rocking Stew. A rock riff, with the band breaking down a bit, Ryan picking up the riff on the bass, and then back into the jam.
- After band intros, UM covered TV on the Radio's Second Song for the second time. I wish the crowd was more into it, as I like this cover. Particularly the falsetto singing.
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160925707709583360 (Waful painting the ceiling)
- Cut as the encore from the night before, Puppet String was an energetic closer
- Dominio opening the first, why not Miami for the second; really entertaining jam that featured some syncopation between Jake and BB, that turned "proggy and chunky" into a dance beat
- Maybe 20 minutes of Domino faded into a beautiful Glory -- so beautiful that after it was done, Ryan took to the mic and admitted to tears in his eyes, thanking Jake for the solo and song and the crowd for allowing UM to do what they do
- The Bridgeless > Stew > Floor section was really entertaining; the jam out of Bridgeless featured Jake scratching away on his strings and Joel laying on the Hammond, building to this thick funky jam; which then lead to the second lyrical Stewart from Brendan, that had a bit of a rap feel (and allowed for Kris to also jump in vocally); and then the segue into The Floor was incredibly smooth
- Pay the Snucka had a few moments of improv, small ones
- Hollywood Nights was great and rocking, almost felt like double-time (Bright Lights was cut before Nights); Jake was loving the vocal duties
- And of course the return to Bridgeless ended the show on a high note
- I always love when Jen Hartswick sits in with Umphrey's, and this was no different; a beautiful tribute to the recently passed Etta James
- JaJunk was a fun closer, with a small dancey jam; Jake was using his mic stands as a bow for his guitar and was playing with those sounds (he needs a real bow, I think)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160955451847098368 (Jake using his stand)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160958040630239232 (band thanking the crowd)
All in all, two wonderful shows from Umphrey's for the sold out crowd. They are firing on all cylinders right now, honestly. Showing patience where needed, communicating. Jams feel effortless. And just about any song can get blown wide open, which keeps things fresh and exciting. I had a wonderful time celebrating my birthday and Umphrey's birthday. Couldn't have asked for anything more . . .
Jazz Odyssey > Booth Love > Rocker Part 2, Conduit > "Jimmy Stewart" > Conduit, Tribute to the Spinal Shaft > Passing > Utopian Fir
40's Theme, Der Bluten Kat > drums^ > All Night Long^ > Der Bluten Kat, The Linear > "Jimmy Stewart" > The Linear > Ringo
Divisions
The London Souls opened
^ with Jake on percussion
- JO was a bit heavy
- Booth Love had a great jam, very Floyd-ish at the end
- Heavy/bluesy jam in Rocker, with lots of hand signals from Jake
- Conduit had two or three sections to it, ending on a bit of a hip-hoppy vibe
- Happy Birthday to some guy before the Tribute ;)
- Really enjoyed the Tribute jam out of the breakdown, which had Joel on Rhodes and Jake repeating this riff; the band dropped out at some point to have Jake repeat on his own, before relaunching into a more dancey version of the same riff
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160561075031511041
- Passing dissolved into Fir
- 40's Theme seemed a bit more patient than usual
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160576419339051008 (Waful at the end of 40's)
- Der Bluten Kat was introduced as one of their earliest songs
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160577810690347009 ("50 lighters!")
- Drums was really good, actually; not too long > All Night Long (could hear that coming pre-drums)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160580089929678849
- Second jam in DBK was one of my favorites of the night. Started a bit as a dancey Run Like Hell and then transitioned into this great Middle Eastern jam. Jake continued with the theme on slide and the drummers really drove the jam hard.
- The Linear was huge, at least I felt that way last night. Just great. Big and focused and heavy.
- Ringo was good, but nothing like the one from last year's Brooklyn Bowl.
- Divisions was cut from the second set and played as the encore. Strong version.
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160594552149917699 ("All my thoughts divided.")
____
01.21
Jazz Odyssey > Domino Theory > "Jimmy Stewart"* > Domino Theory, Intentions Clear > Voyager$ > White Man's Moccasins > Forks, August, Second Song > Puppet String
Miami Virtue > "Jimmy Stewart" > Glory, #Bridgeless > "Jimmy Stewart"* -> The Floor, Pay the Snucka, Hollywood Nights > Bridgeless
At Last$$, JaJunk
The London Souls opened
* with lyrics
$ first time played, Daft Punk
# with Bob tease
$$ first time played, Etta James, in tribute to her recent passing; with Jen Hartswick on vocals
- Jam out of Domino Theory was a bit of a 180 from the heavier focus of the song, taking more of a Yacht Rock vibe. Really enjoyable. The vocal stew that came out of the Jam had a bit of a different feel from the Yacht sound. Fans claim it was a repeat?
- Intentions Clear dissolved slowly with guitars and texture from Joel as the drums had a shuffling beat . . . before Daft Punk's Voyager emerged and took the room to another level. So much fun. And Waful was so on point with his lights.
- Still without a pause, White Man's Moccs appeared. And then out of White Man's, Forks emerged. As I have made known, I am a big fan of this new song. I love it's vibe and I think it fills a bit of a gap in UM's catalog (this linear song with a specific feel and atmosphere).
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160921791290802176
- August had a little of pony goofing off before the known bass intro. This version of August featured a great rocking Stew. A rock riff, with the band breaking down a bit, Ryan picking up the riff on the bass, and then back into the jam.
- After band intros, UM covered TV on the Radio's Second Song for the second time. I wish the crowd was more into it, as I like this cover. Particularly the falsetto singing.
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160925707709583360 (Waful painting the ceiling)
- Cut as the encore from the night before, Puppet String was an energetic closer
- Dominio opening the first, why not Miami for the second; really entertaining jam that featured some syncopation between Jake and BB, that turned "proggy and chunky" into a dance beat
- Maybe 20 minutes of Domino faded into a beautiful Glory -- so beautiful that after it was done, Ryan took to the mic and admitted to tears in his eyes, thanking Jake for the solo and song and the crowd for allowing UM to do what they do
- The Bridgeless > Stew > Floor section was really entertaining; the jam out of Bridgeless featured Jake scratching away on his strings and Joel laying on the Hammond, building to this thick funky jam; which then lead to the second lyrical Stewart from Brendan, that had a bit of a rap feel (and allowed for Kris to also jump in vocally); and then the segue into The Floor was incredibly smooth
- Pay the Snucka had a few moments of improv, small ones
- Hollywood Nights was great and rocking, almost felt like double-time (Bright Lights was cut before Nights); Jake was loving the vocal duties
- And of course the return to Bridgeless ended the show on a high note
- I always love when Jen Hartswick sits in with Umphrey's, and this was no different; a beautiful tribute to the recently passed Etta James
- JaJunk was a fun closer, with a small dancey jam; Jake was using his mic stands as a bow for his guitar and was playing with those sounds (he needs a real bow, I think)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160955451847098368 (Jake using his stand)
- Photo: https://twitter.com/#!/Jwelsh8/status/160958040630239232 (band thanking the crowd)
All in all, two wonderful shows from Umphrey's for the sold out crowd. They are firing on all cylinders right now, honestly. Showing patience where needed, communicating. Jams feel effortless. And just about any song can get blown wide open, which keeps things fresh and exciting. I had a wonderful time celebrating my birthday and Umphrey's birthday. Couldn't have asked for anything more . . .
2012 Winter Jazz Fest, Friday Night (01.06.12)
I was not able to attend Jazz Fest last year, but I thoroughly enjoyed the event two years ago. So I was excited to go this year, even if it was only Friday.
Tickets (wristbands) were being distributed across the street from Le Poisson Rouge, and I headed to Kenny's Castways to start the evening off with a few songs from Ben Allison, backed by Jenny Scheinman on violin and Steve Cardenas on guitar. I really like Ben's playing, and, well, I love just about everything Jenny does. So it was a good way to start . . . After two tracks (Fred and Roll Credits), I headed across the street for some solo Medeski.
When I got there, it was certainly avant garde, solo piano. High paced for the most part. But then he started playing this didgeridoo-like think while playing the piano. He could control the pitch by sliding his hand along the length of the instrument. He then stood up, and started playing while he paced the stage, including moments where he lifted his foot to close off the end of the instrument. That section actually had more melody and structure than his previous piano work. Really quite interesting.
The ending, though, featured some more out there piano work that finally slowed down . . . to the point that he was playing the strings of the piano (there must be a term for this). The then took to what I think was a harmonium and placed that on the strings and started to get it going. Then, he took out his melodica. So he had the harmonium droning, the melodica, and the low end of the piano. Really something to see and hear.
(Before settling in for Medeski, I did grab a pint of Spontaneous Combustion, Six Point's brew for the Jazz Fest. Smokey, slightly sweet. An interesting beer. Happy I tried it . . . )
As soon as John was done, I worked my way closer with my sister and settled in for the next few hours. Up next was the Nels Cline Singers, featuring Nels, Y. Honda on keyboards, Trevor Dunn on bass (whom I have seen with Zorn's dreamers), and Scott Amendola. What I know of the Singers, I was prepared for some more avant garde playing. But to be honest, there was enough . . . structure? that it held my attention. My favorites were the more mellow B86/Inkblot Nebula, the nod to Sonic Youth Thurston County, and whatever the last song was that seemed to channel Bitches Brew and Eddie Hazel. Honda was a bit tough to hear, but Trevor and Scott were such an amazing rhythm section.
Up next was my second dose of Jenny Scheinman with her band Mischief & Mayhem. Cline and Dunn stayed put, and Jim Black was on drums. I moved even closer, leaning against the stage under Nels' guitar. Their set was really quite wonderful. As I have already mentioned, I am a fan of Jenny's music, regardless of the other musicians. I was able to see her with Frisell just a few weeks ago at the Vanguard, and was blown away. This time around, she was in a more of a leader. Although, I must say that it seemed like Nels took more of a leading role this time around compared to the few other times I had seen them together. Which isn't a bad thing -- he seemed to push Jenny a bit and she more than stepped up, being a bit more demonstrative in her playing. (The setlist was something along the lines of: Junius Elektra, A Ride with Polly Jean, Blues for the Double V, July 4th in 3/4 > Ali Farka Touche, ???, The Mite). I really enjoyed the middle eastern sounding Ali Farka Touche, which will be on their upcoming album to be released in March. And The Mite almost seemed like a carry over from Nels Cline Singers -- just that heavy and disjointed.
Up til that point the music was more than worth it. So the rest was just extra. Steve Bernstein's MTO was next to play the music of Sly & the Family Stone. It was similar to the set that I saw last year (with the Darcy James Argue double bill). It was fun, but a bit loose and not as impressive as the other sets. I did like having Medeski sit in as a guest right in front of me. (The band also included Dean Bowman on vocals and Peter Apfelbaum on sax, among others.)
As I was leaving, my friend Richard suggested I head back to Kenny's Castaways to see some of Rudresh Mahanthappa. Part of going to a festival is deciding between music you know that you will enjoy, and new artists. Thankfully, I had a push to check out something new. And I am so happy I did. Rudresh plays alto sax in this great, energetic fashion, with some blistering runs. Backed by a guitar, bass, and drums, the music hinted to his Indian heritage. (In doing some research today, I have found out that he has released music with Vijay Iyer. I would love to see that collaboration.) It was after midnight, and Kenny's was packed for Rudresh -- gotta love music fans in New York. After about three or four songs perched on the stairs, I headed over to The Bitter End for just a bit of Burnt Sugar, a "collective" that I hadn't seen for about four or five years.
Tiring out and hungry, I finished the night with a Minetta Tavern burger.
Tickets (wristbands) were being distributed across the street from Le Poisson Rouge, and I headed to Kenny's Castways to start the evening off with a few songs from Ben Allison, backed by Jenny Scheinman on violin and Steve Cardenas on guitar. I really like Ben's playing, and, well, I love just about everything Jenny does. So it was a good way to start . . . After two tracks (Fred and Roll Credits), I headed across the street for some solo Medeski.
When I got there, it was certainly avant garde, solo piano. High paced for the most part. But then he started playing this didgeridoo-like think while playing the piano. He could control the pitch by sliding his hand along the length of the instrument. He then stood up, and started playing while he paced the stage, including moments where he lifted his foot to close off the end of the instrument. That section actually had more melody and structure than his previous piano work. Really quite interesting.
The ending, though, featured some more out there piano work that finally slowed down . . . to the point that he was playing the strings of the piano (there must be a term for this). The then took to what I think was a harmonium and placed that on the strings and started to get it going. Then, he took out his melodica. So he had the harmonium droning, the melodica, and the low end of the piano. Really something to see and hear.
(Before settling in for Medeski, I did grab a pint of Spontaneous Combustion, Six Point's brew for the Jazz Fest. Smokey, slightly sweet. An interesting beer. Happy I tried it . . . )
As soon as John was done, I worked my way closer with my sister and settled in for the next few hours. Up next was the Nels Cline Singers, featuring Nels, Y. Honda on keyboards, Trevor Dunn on bass (whom I have seen with Zorn's dreamers), and Scott Amendola. What I know of the Singers, I was prepared for some more avant garde playing. But to be honest, there was enough . . . structure? that it held my attention. My favorites were the more mellow B86/Inkblot Nebula, the nod to Sonic Youth Thurston County, and whatever the last song was that seemed to channel Bitches Brew and Eddie Hazel. Honda was a bit tough to hear, but Trevor and Scott were such an amazing rhythm section.
Up next was my second dose of Jenny Scheinman with her band Mischief & Mayhem. Cline and Dunn stayed put, and Jim Black was on drums. I moved even closer, leaning against the stage under Nels' guitar. Their set was really quite wonderful. As I have already mentioned, I am a fan of Jenny's music, regardless of the other musicians. I was able to see her with Frisell just a few weeks ago at the Vanguard, and was blown away. This time around, she was in a more of a leader. Although, I must say that it seemed like Nels took more of a leading role this time around compared to the few other times I had seen them together. Which isn't a bad thing -- he seemed to push Jenny a bit and she more than stepped up, being a bit more demonstrative in her playing. (The setlist was something along the lines of: Junius Elektra, A Ride with Polly Jean, Blues for the Double V, July 4th in 3/4 > Ali Farka Touche, ???, The Mite). I really enjoyed the middle eastern sounding Ali Farka Touche, which will be on their upcoming album to be released in March. And The Mite almost seemed like a carry over from Nels Cline Singers -- just that heavy and disjointed.
Up til that point the music was more than worth it. So the rest was just extra. Steve Bernstein's MTO was next to play the music of Sly & the Family Stone. It was similar to the set that I saw last year (with the Darcy James Argue double bill). It was fun, but a bit loose and not as impressive as the other sets. I did like having Medeski sit in as a guest right in front of me. (The band also included Dean Bowman on vocals and Peter Apfelbaum on sax, among others.)
As I was leaving, my friend Richard suggested I head back to Kenny's Castaways to see some of Rudresh Mahanthappa. Part of going to a festival is deciding between music you know that you will enjoy, and new artists. Thankfully, I had a push to check out something new. And I am so happy I did. Rudresh plays alto sax in this great, energetic fashion, with some blistering runs. Backed by a guitar, bass, and drums, the music hinted to his Indian heritage. (In doing some research today, I have found out that he has released music with Vijay Iyer. I would love to see that collaboration.) It was after midnight, and Kenny's was packed for Rudresh -- gotta love music fans in New York. After about three or four songs perched on the stairs, I headed over to The Bitter End for just a bit of Burnt Sugar, a "collective" that I hadn't seen for about four or five years.
Tiring out and hungry, I finished the night with a Minetta Tavern burger.
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