This is My Kludge.
All political rancor aside, a restful and reflective Memorial Day to you all.
The past two weeks have been full-up with music – filing away and listening to. I sound like a nincompoop every time I pull out a recording, look at it and say “I have this? I forgot I had this!” To me it means I should mine my library more deeply and often. But I had a big night out listening to music with my significant bud to see o Bruxo, the Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo at Le Poisson Rouge on Bleeker St. in NYC.
Before the show, we had THE BEST sushi and sashimi we’d ever had at a spot called Okinii. Afterwards, my bud needed caffeine and something sweet, so we found Caffe Reggio. I tried his cappuccino, and it was like someone sent a firecracker down my throat. My God was it strong! The chocolate mousse was brick-thick and delicious. It was just the fuel we needed to get to the venue.
Presented by World Music Institute and Art Don't Sleep in collaboration with Jazz Esta Morto, which translates to Jazz Is Dead (not the band – the label co-founded by producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad), the place was sold out with a body-to-body crowd (too close for my use.) Maestro Pascoal slowly strode unto the stage and did his other-worldly conjuring at the keyboard. Part of a sextet, when he wasn’t playing, he sat and listened with us to Jota P. a-wailin’ on saxophone and the rest of the band (that included his son on percussion, Fabio.). Mr. Younge was in attendance, looking West Coast cool, wearing what I think was a Panama hat, camera securely in hand as he maneuvered through the thicket of folks. Now, I’m 5’7” and was on my tippy-toes to see the stage – I’m assuming that saxophonist Chris Potter had to have been doing the same thing. Not of towering height, he stands tall in the Jazz arena. We lasted as long as we did by wearing supportive footwear with cushiony inserts. Folks at the back of the venue were standing on concrete – “ouch” says my back to that and “sorry” to them folks.
A very fabu night out…
Now, what my ears have randomly grabbed onto lately…
Tom Teasley/The Breath [T2Music] – one of my most pleasurable listening experiences of the last two weeks is this percussionist’s latest on his T2Music label. From the liner notes, he says that “this collection exemplifies my multi-cultural experiences touring for the US Department of State”… and he goes on to describe the various acoustic and electronic keyboard and percussion instruments he performs on. If you’re in need of a cerebral balm, try some o’ this.
Gerald Cleaver/ 22/23 [577] – no words, no lilting melody to carry you away to a gentler time….just sounds of varying pitches, pulses, and timbres. Plus, the drummer and electronics artist named a tune after me – “Early Riser”. What’s not to like here?
Joanie Pallatto/Accidental Melody [Southport] – Who better to sing her songs than Ms. Pallatto? Her lyrics float upon the strings of guitarist Fareed Haque.
Audible Spirits/Audible Spirits [Diskonife] – And spirited it is…with a devil-may-care approach by vibraphonist Matt Moran, vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles, and trombonist Curtis Hasselbring. I mean, creatively constructing music using the sacred Jamey Aebersold Play-A-Long recordings?
Welp, the day is whizzing by and that potato salad is not gonna make itself, so I need to scoot here.
Keep in touch and keep the faith.