Although the “Mother of all Funk Chords” video hits way closer to home in content, I’m going to feature this one because I CAN’T STOP LOVING the groove.

This is truly some virtuosic film and audio editing, but it starts from a fantastic idea. As far as I can tell, the constituent videos’ authors have made their initial recordings with no intention of having them used thusly; we can thank the producer for bringing them together. 

The two things that strike me most about this:

How effective the production is even though it is for the most part recorded through terrible on computer microphones. It’s safe to assume Kutiman has done some serious crunching and EQing, but even so… as much of an audiophile as I am I have to admit not being to bothered by the poor quality of some of the samples. It even gives it a somewhat rugged authenticity.

and:

What this type of thing means for collaborative production. Everybody remembers the Postal Service, but soon and very soon distance will simply NOT be a barrier anymore, in any way. I imagine this will result in a lot more and a lot better music and art in general, or at least I would hope this to be the case. It will be an enlightening time for those who choose to utilize it.

I wonder what tunes TC would write. Probably the sequel to "I'm On A Boat," titled "I'm On a Plane."

A little while back, Public Radio did an excellent series of programs on American Music, called “American Mavericks.” Fortunately for us, you can read and listen to the great stuff online, even if you missed the radio broadcast (as many of you probably did).

Ironically enough, many of these programs were used in my American Music History class. Now I’m actually doing the readings…

If this video is as advertised, it’s fascinating to listen to.  It’s got schmaltz dripping from it in ways that many would find truly cringe-worthy, especially given the way that people tend to hear this work played today.

Just how serious a work is this to be considered?  Almost a symphonic composition, almost a piano concerto, almost a jazz work.  But a fantastic part of the American canon nonetheless.

Also plays songs that people know, like Sweet Home Alabama.

Song selection is tricky business. It might not make or break your group, and each individual song choice might not matter that much, but a group’s audience and reputation are largely determined by the catalog of music they present. So before you decide on your group’s lineup for the year, or the semester, mull over your priorities.

Who are you singing for?

As a case study, when I was in my second year with the UNC Loreleis, we won a great battle: Major Sponsorship. The UNC General Alumni Association decided to sponsor us, giving us a lump sum of money every year, full access to their printer, free labor of their webmaster, and rehearsal space. In exchange, we would sing at many GAA-held events for “free.” This meant singing for a lot of old people with old memories and deep pockets. It was in our interests to make them smile, so I tried to include a couple songs in the set list that they were feasibly familiar with, as well as a few newer songs that would at least make them smile.

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His general lack of available recordings has made him a less celebrated pianist than perhaps he deserves, as well as his unwillingness to fit squarely into the burgeoning bebop style of his contemporaries.  Jeff would certainly whine about Lennie’s big fat 10-note piano chords, and this recording showcases plenty of these in all of their crunchy glory.  What’s maybe most interesting to me about this particular recording (and I don’t have a title for it) is the way that Lennie’s chords are so very dense that they almost constitute entire modes or scales played at once.  The motion between them is difficult to decipher, but the movement is clear.

His melody lines are clearly articulated but tend to refuse to gravitate to the usual tonal homes of bebop.  I enjoy how chromatic his playing is; it certainly foreshadows his atonal ventures to come.  Such a strange syncopated jaunt this is!  And though it’s clearly in C minor, do I hear an Eb as the final bass note?

Also, seriously, is that drummer playing straight eighth notes?  Those wacky Germans!

I will have to study his educational methods more fully very soon.

Jazz Jam etiquette!

SUMMERTIIIIIIIIIIII.......

The first time I read this, I laughed so hard I cried. It’s as if the institution of the jazz jam is some long running epic drama that plays out on different stages with different people all over the world but always follows the same basic script, and it’s obvious the author has been to his fair share.

The open jam is a longstanding jazz tradition, and serves a unique and important purpose within the community. It allows seasoned players to stretch their chops against one another and the less experienced an opportunity to play in front of actual people and with better players- two of the most effective ways to improve. But it can also be very stifling.

Non-musicians are often flabbergasted to learn that jazz jams are carried out with little to no group preparation, and that horn players whom no one has even seen before can sit in with the regulars with no problem. But this all hinges on the assumption that the musicians share a common repertoire and harmonic vocabulary. What can seem so free and unfixed from the outside in is actually governed by a rigid set of conventions that don’t tend towards variance. The things that make these musical conversations possible can be the very things that keep them from expanding. Then again, if I may refute myself, any community of players reserves the prerogative to collectively explore new musical dialects together- but for the most part jams follow a very traditional mold.

The session is an enculturating tool, it is inherently conservative. It serves a wonderfully specific purpose and does it very well. Jazz improvisers who can navigate a jam should be proud that they exist in that tradition. It’s a great place to hear good music, to meet like minded people, and to test your skills against the community you find there. If you’ve never been to a jam, you definitely owe it to yourself to check one out. They can be a lot of fun, especially if you follow the advice in the above linked to guide.

And try the veal… tip your waitress.

It is the most successful solo jazz album of all time, but Keith Jarrett wants to see each of the 3.5 million copies of “The Köln Concert” stomped into the ground.

(via Metafilter).

Bizarrely, this type of music eventually made a comeback to the mainstream to become part of a major label push towards a swing revival.  The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, with Zoot Suit Riot, helped lead the charge as kids around the nation found their parents’ dancing shoes to be quite comfortable indeed!  However, the secret of this movement is that before it was polished up and dressed in expensive suits, it was a sweaty, shirtless, punk rock outgrowth, formed out of University of Oregon dropouts.  Here are the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies in Eugene, Oregon in 1993… the video is rather raw.  I feel like I could catch Steve Perry’s buzz through the interwebs and across 15 years:

And here’s a video using their studio version, which sounds most authentically swing of their tunes — it’s the original arrangement, after all.

More here.