quis leget haec

Charles Bradley on WNYC

2012-01-04T13:41:00.012-05:00

America still hasn't lost its soul.
And here's proof.

Find more music from Charles Bradley on Daptone Records.

Check out more videos from WNYC's Soundcheck.

"Pass the fetal learning, please!"

2011-12-13T20:00:00.008-05:00

It's becoming quite the little vlog around here isn't it? That's not intentional, but time does dictate the word count, unfortunately. Here's a little something you might enjoy: interesting facts about in utero learning.

This one goes out to K.A. who's been 'round town for a few trimesters now, pretty much. I hope the lil guy has been having some spicy, good times so we can enjoy habaneros and chili chutney and piri piri when he starts on the solid foods! Ay!

And N.S. I know you'll find this fascinating too. Enjoy.

Nature Speaks for Herself ~ Murmuration

2011-11-12T11:12:00.002-05:00

Behold!

* From the gasping, I gather this was one of those moments when battery life and data capacity really became serious concerns. Then again, there's always the indelible mental image. I'd suggest turning the volume down a tad; the grandeur of this natural phenomenon is enough!

Revien on 11.11.11

2011-11-10T13:31:00.001-05:00

Although the date itself is full of cosmic foreboding, nothing cataclysmic will happen on Friday EXCEPT the new Athens, GA chamber trio
Revien will be playing at Hendershot's Coffee Bar.
Hopefully, jousting string frequencies won't set off a chain reaction which rends a giant fissure in the time space continuum, but Doc Brown has said there's still a chance.

Here's the "gig skinny" from Revien's tumblr spot:

And here's a little taste of Ellington from last time at Hendershot's:

Revien - official site

Revien - on the Book, Face that is.

Live review of Revien's debut - Music-loving Athenians (redundant?), you don't have to go far for quality this high. Don't be saddled with regret; just be there!

The Odd Trio: Lo-Fi Hi-Jump Review

2011-10-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

Although the title cut from The Odd Trio's debut packs a viciously funky wallop, the surrounding tracks also cover a varied topography of tight, avant-garde compositions alongside liberating improvisations. On the whole, Lo-Fi Hi-Jump is an essential jazz fusion tasting menu from a group whose work has only just begun to ripen.

listen to it all right...over...here.

"Do What Now" features the three classically trained musicians on their tippy toes, reaching for the fruits of guitarist Brian Smith's songwriting labors. As a member of the Georgia Guitar Quartet, and now a new psyche-chamber ensemble called Revien, Smith deliberately leaps between tricky syncopation with saxophonist Marc Gilley (the HEAP) and alternatingly liquid yet sometimes heavily-shredded metal riffs. Drummer Todd Mueller (Arasmus Ensemble) drives the trio's evident "interest in shifting meters" deftly holding together this taut theme.

On "Lost Man's River", The Odd Trio most closely approximates its fevered live explorations. According to some succinct liner notes, this spontaneous track was recorded at the group's very first session, yet it already has the feel of years spent together in the discipline of jazz creation. With an utter sense of openess, nothing is lingered upon, no single melodic phrase or rhythm drops anchor, so the entire piece rocks and meanders without ever becoming capricious.

"Indian Summer" serves up a considerable dose of Latin seasoning that underpins floating alto-sax lines from Marc Gilley, Flamenco-style classical guitar accents from Smith, and driving rimshots with shuffling pandeiro from Mueller. On the whole, this one drums up pastels, the art-deco Miami waterfront, choppy Atlantic waves reflecting off chromed rides, at least for this reviewer. The echoing melody contrasts brightly against one of the more understated electric guitar solos of the collection.

With a two-year anniversary on the horizon, there's no indication of letting up for The Odd Trio. The three crafty musicians have, by now, become attuned to one another's nuanced playing, especially in live performance. If anything, what Lo-Fi Hi-Jump tends to hold on reserve is delivered at full amplitude on stage. Expect the recorded catalog to grow; these songs represent just one vintage from a vast cellar of highly energetic, consistently inventive artistry.

Lo-Fi Hi-Jump ~ listen and buy the debut release from The Odd Trio
The Odd Trio ~ the official band page

Fela Soul: 9 from Amerigo Gazaway

2011-10-27T19:18:00.002-04:00

This guy has a way with amalgamation. I couldn't resist sharing this collaboration put together by one Amerigo Gazaway of Gummy Soul, which blends samples of Fela Kuti, from the vaults, along with a handful of other recognizable artists -- Gorillaz, for one.

Kuti started his jazz career on trumpet at London's Trinity College of Music, in case you need more Nigerian horn after hearing the diamonds in Gazaway's tracks below.

Try "Trouble In The Water" which slings a hip-hop arrow carried aloft via a classic afrobeat saxophone riff by Nigeria's legendary native son. "Itsoweezee" slips a skankin' vibe beneath De La Soul's original tune to make, in the words of the late Peter Tosh, a "brand new secondhand".

And so on. Enjoy.

* Please be advised of some rough language right from the start. Ear muffs, y'all little ones.

Chrome Narcissism

2011-10-27T19:06:00.001-04:00

I did it once and I've done it again! It seems like I'm always seeing myself in these classic beauties. Maybe it was the charm and the shine of my dad's Model A Ford -- the one he built piece-by-piece after countless swapmeets and nights in the dimly-lit, dilapidated garage, and before eBay, finding those original parts took some real legwork. I snapped these low-res shots at an Athens, GA car/art/fashion show called "The Mystique of the Automobile".

ⵜⵏⵔⵓⵏ Tinariwen: Making of 'Tassili'

2011-10-06T22:11:00.007-04:00

With the prospect of finally seeing Tinariwen, a Touareg group out of Northern Mali, I went sifting and found this beguiling documentary short which features the band, 'in situ', laying down tracks amidst the wind and sand and crackling fire of Tassili n'Ajjer located in southeast Algeria.

The album, called simply Tassili, promises to entrance listeners as ever, although this time leaning more heavily on acoustic instruments rather than the electrified mesmerizations of the group's past projects. Take a moment to drift with Tinariwen.

For the observant, the guys in this video "thumbnail" are Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe of the American indie rock band TV On The Radio who decided to make the trip over for some desert collaborations on a handful of tunes.

Tinariwen - official website

Tassili - more on this wind-sculpted region, like an Arches or a Zion N.P. of North Africa. Actually, it turns out, because of its amazing rock formations and abundant cave paintings, Tassili is a national park, too!

Paulo Coelho: Follow a Wise Rabbit Down the Hole

2011-09-29T18:45:00.003-04:00

Remarkably, the renowned Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho is a vocal proponent of the piracy of his own works. Piracy has such a powerful connotation that "sharing" may be a more apt description. Coelho's books have been translated by other writers and fans into myriad languages, and now they bounce around in digital form for anyone to enjoy. Like most creators who share their work in this way, Coelho depends upon the premise that those who take pleasure in his writing will eventually buy hard copies. And when this model of dissemination works, it really works.

Read on about the author's views on piracy and much more at paulocoelhoblog.com

Of course, I've read The Alchemist with its intoxicating, timeless narrative. Like any great work, its simplicity and exoticism make it a classic fable. For me, next on deck from Coelho must be The Pilgrimage, which follows his autobiographical journey on the famed Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

This one, O Livro dos Manuais, is a "practical guide for your life" according to the jacket, and I perused the work in it's entirety online, for free. Although you should check it out in .pdf form, it'd be worth buying for the vibrant illustrations alone! Que linda obra de verdade!

Say what?

2011-09-28T21:28:00.002-04:00

The time has come again, as it tends to do without much prompting, to change the name around here. I'd say, based on the length of these posts, that I've not exactly adhered to my previous intent with the title ad rem but at least I can say I've tried to "keep to the point." I can also say, however, that I've probably poached a decent number of hits from the recently defunct rock band of legend -- not that they missed 'em any!

So, onward with the next phrase to go by: quis leget haec?

I'll use this title for a spell because I'm still curious about you. I explore topics that interest me, and it seems others have an interest, too, but you're a woefully silent crew.

Who are you? What do you think? Speak up...please, with a cherry on top?

Hit the "like" button. Oh, whoops! Wrong place.
Use your words like a big boy or girl.
All jokes aside, I value your perspective, for real!

I'm Glad Krulwich Wonders

2011-09-08T19:11:00.001-04:00

These two little oddities come from a great NPR blog called Krulwich Wonders. The author and radio host is better recognized as one half of the team, along with Jad Abumrad, responsible for the always enthralling WNYC show and podcast series called Radiolab. A good while ago, I lumped Radiolab in with a few other podcasts I still enjoy when I can (mostly while walking the poochie), so check those out here.

In the meantime, enjoy this optical illusion from Krulwich's cool post on visual trickery -- "This Can't Be Happening" -- followed by a hypnotizing video from some clever geeks at Harvard.

Here are Krulwich's directions for this first image:

Below, you will see two circles composed of parallelograms. There's a dot in the middle of the image. Focus on the dot. Move your head in, then move it out.

image by B. Pinna

Blues by Sea and by Air

2011-09-01T19:41:00.003-04:00

the late Malian legend Ali Farka Touré

This featured podcast from Afropop Worldwide was right up my ethnographic alley, so I'm putting it here for easy access.

Blues Reflections by Afropop Worldwide

-- listens like an encyclopedia of blues evolution, with all the West African heritage and modern collaborations, while managing to skip the heavier, edgier Chicago blues style. Just the same, it's brimming with names I don't want to forget. Spin it!

Revien Debuts in Athens, GA: Radiohead, Neko Case, Originals and Classics

2011-08-04T07:06:00.016-04:00

With compositions that traverse centuries, Revien is a new trio including members of the Georgia Guitar Quartet, Maps and Transit, and the Odd Trio. While remaining rooted in classical refinement, their original take on chamber music defies expectations and branches out into contemporary, even pop territory, to exquisite effect.

July 16th at Hendershot's Coffee Bar was Revien's "maiden voyage" and it did, indeed, feel like a return to past loves with renewed enthusiasm via compositions by DeBussy, Bach, de Falla, as well as fresh takes on Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Led Zepplin, and Neko Case. Originals by guitarists Brian Smith (GGQ, Odd Trio) and Kyle Dawkins (GGQ, Maps and Transit) round out the group's expansive repertoire, a bohemian stew that's bound to come to a boil as more live shows ensue. Phil Snyder's (GGQ) alternatingly fibrous yet delicate cello ties together the trio's guitar, mandolin, and effects-laden tangents. It is, in part, Snyder's return to his first instrument, his first musical passion, that gives the new group its name, derived from the French "to return" or "to come back".

The three close-knit musicians have honed their musical connection over years touring with the Georgia Guitar Quartet. Still, there's a freshness to the approach. They took liberties with folk pop, like their ethereal version of Grizzly Bear's "Foreground", and reallocated bluesy, bluegrass syncopation to the classic rock of Led Zepplin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"; I'd reckon most in the capacity crowd had never seen Smith wielding a slide over nylon strings, and the result was oddly down-home. Near the close of the first set was Dawkins' "Ants in a Shell", a Maps and Transit piece commissioned as part of Brian Smith's Spring 2011 suite entitled "Daedalus", incorporating brilliant, understated electronic effects and a charming, Eastern-sounding mandolin technique using a drumstick.

Photo by Bob Brussack

Beyond the reinvented modern covers, Snyder captivated to start the second set with two Bach solos ("Sarabande", "Courante") featuring his dexterity and sensitivity. Another gorgeous cello solo, "Standing by the Icarian Sea", was also from Smith's "Daedalus" show at Canopy Studio in Athens. The cellist remarked that Smith's composition was good fun to play--and equally challenging--which was evident as the pony-tailed Snyder smiled lightly amidst heavy concentration. Neko Case's "Vengeance is Sleeping" was a standout arrangement that had an effortless, floating sound like slicing through the first watermelon of summer, knowing life's fleeting sweetness as string textures built up in delicate strata.

Once Smith and Dawkins rejoined their "vocalist", as the group thinks of Snyder's lyrical cello phrasing, the second set unfurled easily with a warm rendition of Radiohead's "Weird Fishes", a deftly arranged Simon & Garfunkel tune, and more classical obscurities from Debussy and contemporary cellist David Popper. The trio's rendition of Manuel de Falla's "La Vie Breve" was a triumphant finale, a harbinger of many stellar performances to come.

Revien ~ the official site; tumble on over so you don't miss out next time!

More Athens music ~ Georgia Guitar Quartet, Maps and Transit, Odd Trio

Seu Jorge: Charm over Virtuosity

2011-07-20T09:01:00.005-04:00

By now, if you've seen Cidade de Deus, or Wes Anderson's eclectically stylish The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, you know about Seu Jorge. He's a tall, handsome fella from Rio de Janeiro, and he's become a superstar of their burgeoning pop culture.

As an actor, he's entirely believable in almost all that he does. He's got charm and an easy going yet intense nature that lends itself to film. In Cidade de Deus (City of God) he plays Mané Galinha (or "Knockout Ned") a favela strutter who's pretty much got it all together amidst the heady drug running and gunning, unfortunately so emblematic of modern Rio. Seu Jorge plays the character with poise and grace, going far beyond the narrative to further draw the audience into a tumultuous but exhilarating world.

A lovely "caricature" by Blake Loosli (a.k.a. Infernovball) on deviantart.com

Jorge plays the cool, reserved mate, "Pelé dos Santos", most effortlessly in The Life Aquatic despite a nearly line-free character other than his set of David Bowie covers sung in Portuguese. Shamefully, my Bowie knowledge isn't deep enough to truly enjoy the lyrics in Portuguese, but the aura he puts off for the ship's crew, adrift at sea aboard the research vessel Belafonte, is especially intoxicating -- a star quality even in a tiny supporting role.

For all this talk of his acting talents, Seu Jorge's (born Jorge Mário da Silva in 1970) growing fame also stems from his music and his role in the re-invigoration of samba. It seems that this part of Brazilian culture pulses through him with an immutable rhythm. Jorge carries the baton with guitar, cavaquinho, cuíca, pandeiro, ganzá --just a handful of the brigade of samba instruments. He is a revivalist and an experimentalist, a living folk hero who mixes influences (like muddling a giant "genre caipirinha") while emulating the masters like Cartola, Zeca Pagodinho, Chico Buarque, Mestre Marçal, João da Baiana, and so many more worth digging up. Listen to Nelson Cavaquinho for some perspective, then try Seu Jorge's version with psyche rock trio Almaz :

My first inclination was to rail on Seu Jorge for what seems like a lack of intonation in his singing and a consistent o.d. of drama in his delivery, but after seeking out some background, I realize that this may be his goal: samba is not a strict form, but rather one that encourages improvisation and giant doses of personality all smothered in unflappable joy. That affable charisma, Seu Jorge has in unending quantities, like an infinite plateau of sugarcane all growing at least a story high.

Juízo Final

Composição: Élcio Soares / Nelson Cavaquinho

O sol....há de brilhar mais uma vez
A luz....há de chegar aos corações
Do mal....será queimada a semente

O amor...será eterno novamente
É o Juízo Final, a história do bem e do mal
Quero ter olhos pra ver, a maldade desaparecer

O amor...será eterno novamente

This version of the classic samba "Juízo Final" is mighty listenable, probably owing to the strangely haunting melody, but the Almaz rhythm section adds plenty, down to the last beats which nearly conjure up James Brown's notorious "Funky Drummer".

His pride as a Carioca (anyone from Rio) in Brazil and internationally is evident in his every appearance on stage. As a samba vocalist, he's carrying on a tradition in a legendary fashion; decades from now, he'll be at the top of a short list of influential Brazilian artists and culture-makers. In fact, he's already there. With trends (for the most part) heading toward the constantly current yet consistently disposable, Seu Jorge makes his countrymen and connoisseurs take notice not with glitz but with a profound respect for the tenets of Brazilian culture: comunidade, orgulho, amizade, beleza, jóia!

Seu Jorge & Almaz - the official site
Interview - a nice piece by Kamille Viola for SoundandColours.com
Mais filmes - complete filmography at IMDB.com

America ReCycled: Pedaling with Purpose

2011-07-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

Brothers can have a rare bond, and the Brothers Hussin are no exception with their creative, two-wheeled endeavor to traverse our great nation in an effort to explore and "restore local culture". I learned about the America ReCycled project via Tim Hussin's excellent photo blog titled Meanderings. His work caught my eye for its clarity and a sense of objectivity. The images read like documents, demonstrative yet intriguing, deftly capturing time and space and sentiment.

Some road gear via thussin.blogspot.com

As for the continental bike trip, Tim and Noah Hussin used Kickstarter.com to gear up for the expedition, and they've been writing and filming the adventure with regular, extensive updates posted to AmericaReCycled.org via their solar-powered laptop. The timeline is a bit fuzzy, but their fundraising "mission statement" indicates plans for posts from the road (many interesting reports are up already), film segments, and later on a book and a feature-length documentary. According to the site:

All across the country, people are finding innovative ways to come together and make revolutionary change on a local level, to regain control of their lives, rediscover independence, and recycle the American Dream.

Follow along on their journey. These guys have an eye for ecclectic, innovative living, and they capture it all expertly (looks like in HD). So far, the project, which documents unique communities, is really worth watching as the brothers reveal, essentially, our own American backyard.

AmericaReCycled - the project site with the first slick video segments!
Meanderings - Tim Hussin's photo blog

Introducing...Revien

2011-07-14T19:14:00.014-04:00

My prolific and talented (ex) neighbor is at it again with a new trio. Based on his growing list of musical adventures, you can tell the fleet-fingered fella is into the numbers: Georgia Guitar Quartet, Odd Trio, and now Revien.

Along with two members of the GGQ, multi-instrumentalist Kyle Dawkins and cellist Phil Snyder, guitarist/composer/arranger Brian Smith forges ahead into exciting new realms. Call it psyche-classical, chamberdelia, or some kind of mystery mezcla; call it music from some super-talents, and call it something you need to hear.

Revien debuts on Smith's go-to stage at Hendershot's Coffee Bar in Athens, GA this Saturday night with a new sound that goes "beyond the traditional chamber music experience, and spans the distance from Bach sonatas to Radiohead; from Duke Ellington to Debussy; from Spanish-flavored guitar and cello music to bluegrass-inspired Led Zeppelin romps."

Sound intriguing?

Mais oui!

8 o'clock, sharpish.

Georgia Guitar Quartet
Odd Trio
Maps and Transit

More Ukiyo-e & Other Prints

2011-06-10T10:01:00.001-04:00

Because it was such a pleasant chore last time, I've decided to reprise my virtual print collecting expedition. Finding a golden trove like Davidson Galleries out of Seattle, WA (last time I went searching for viscosity prints) was a stroke of luck that opened my eyes to the vastness of printmaking as a genre.

Snow in the Countryside (1909) by Kamisaka Sekka

These selections draw from more traditional roots: some Japanese woodcuts and a talented contemporary artist thrown in for contrast. This print by Sekka has all the movement of a fierce winter storm, and it's achieved with so few shapes; it's a testament to the striking simplicity and grace of the discipline. I just enjoy looking at these when I click through, and I hope you do, too.

Of all the Japanese woodcuts, those by Kawase Hasui, in particular, had a way of capturing the essence of fleeting nature, a gust of wind or a snowflake melting on a windowpane, that could transport the viewer into the moment, into the light of the past. The glowing grey-blue gradation in this Shōwa-era print deftly depicts the rising crystalline moonlight. One can almost imagine the feel of the cold granite in the foreground, smoothed over centuries by nightly winds rushing through the valley below.

Kiyomizu Temple Kyoto (1933) by Kawase Hasui

Now I realize the last image here is not strictly a print, but the concept of remaking Ukiyo-e via digital photography -- and executing it so immpecably -- meant I had to include it. The Canadian artist, Jeff Wall (1946 - ), is a master in a highly orchestrated, directorial style of photography. According to Greg Fallis of Sunday Salon, hosted by Utata.org:

A great deal of Wall’s work seems to be an attempt to be such a “painter.” He even recreates the work of painters he believes met Baudelaire’s standard. For example, Wall is quite taken with the woodcuts of Hokusai, a Japanese artist who lived in the late 18th and early 19th century. In the following woodcut, Hokusai depicted a sort of Cartier-Bresson moment…a decisive moment.

Wall recreated the scene on a cranberry farm in rural Canada. In keeping with his obsessive, directorial style, he staged the photograph with great care. He selected the location to match Hokusai’s wind-bent trees. He had the subjects crouch and hold their hats similar to Hokusai’s. He recreated the hat that was blown away, and the scattering of papers. And yet he made it a completely contemporary image by setting it in a Canadian landscape and including the line of telephone poles.

Wall’s photo has all the drama and spontaneity of Hokusai’s woodcut. There is a wonderful sense of immediacy and tension. How was he able to create such an atmosphere and still reproduce Hokusai’s image so faithfully? By using the magic of digital imagery. Wall’s image is actually a composite of more than 100 separate photographs taken over two winters.

Fallis continues to explain how huge these prints are on display, taking up an entire wall of a gallery on a lightbox, but beyond this reincarnation of a great Hokusai print, its accuracy and emotion, I find the philosophy behind the work to be inspired and thoughtful. Just as in the prints by Hasui and Sekka, the everyday is elevated to historical significance through the remarkable rendering of these scenes.

Chicken's Last Road Trip

2011-06-08T09:12:00.001-04:00

I passed a truckload of chickens this morning before the Southern heat became a swelter this afternoon. In their rolling cages, their dingy feathers fluttered and revealed a bright white underpinning that'd soon need scalding and plucking, no doubt; well, could've been a layer I suppose, so maybe there's some doubt. Anyhow, somewhere I learned that chickens in transport are drugged beforehand to calm their nerves, possibly to keep their meat from spoilage by some version of "junglefowl" adrenaline -- maybe it's the same good old adrenaline regarldess of species, but I'm no zoologist.

Most of these unlucky cluckers stared out at the passing countryside bleery-eyed; who knows their focal length -- they're certainly not old enough for cataracts in the factory system. One bird, however, seemed more alert than the rest, and this one clung to the edge of the truck, outside its cage in a little alcove, peering out at me as I passed. The plump, billowing chicken was nearly immovable in the gusts of transit, but I'd seen his ilk, as have we all in Perdue's and Tyson's and Gold Kist's North Georgia, flattened and wasted on the ashphalt, dinner's 2-d version.

With Dr. Kevorkian's death this week, I began thinking, "What's stopping this one Houdini chicken from briskly flapping to a glorious, high-speed demise in place of a putrid, yet USDA certified, factory slaughter down the road?" All chickeny rationality aside, this specimen's last ride was akin to the Thelma and Louise of poultry production. There he/she was in the open air, feathers ruffled, gazing out on unknown fields chock full of worms and hoppers and beetles of deep, nether-tasted flavors. For as flavorless as its meat or eggs likely were, that 'James Dean' chicken may as well have scooched its floppy body, albeit completely lacking in muscle tone due to lifelong confinement, and tumbled on up to the chicken-God on high, issuing forth a glorious plume of feathers with a final liberating squak -- all at highway velocity and not a tap of the airbrakes from the trucker.

I reckon, here ends this comment'ry on the self-determination of captive 'Merican poultry. Amen.

500 Words on Pictures: Make It Then, Now Take It

2011-05-26T09:46:00.001-04:00

Walking the dog this morning, a young guy passed in front of me, backlit by the morning sun on the thoroughfare. He had on a short-billed cap with a hood pulled up half covering his head, and he wore a narrow goatee that he stroked pensively as he strode on. Because I was listening to a podcast and had the capability in my pocket, the thought flashed through my mind to take his picture.

Most people don't want to have their picture taken by a stranger without permission, so I wondered if asking would do any good. All this came to mind in the few perpendicular steps it took for him to exit my view and continue on with his morning. I realized, as I turned the corner, that today we truly take pictures as opposed to one-hundred-plus years ago when pictures were veritably made.

Some cultures believe that the snapshots take a piece of the subject's soul; the photographic process itself, for these peoples, is a way to rob time or a slice of the spirit from a subject, even if permission is granted. It's no wonder, beyond the pain and suffering of persecution, that photos of Native Americans in the late 1800's portrayed grim faces and steeled eyes, expressions of disdain, sometimes with a glint of fear, and almost always a sense of contempt.

photo: library.buffalo.edu

To make a photograph used to be such an undertaking, as well. The laborious process was methodical and painstaking, yielding a product that was a fine record of a moment but only after great effort. Materials were rather costly, and venues for portraiture were relatively few (not the Glamour Shots in every mall or the portable digital ease of today). But, the result of having your picture "made" was a lasting sliver of a life at that particular moment and something to be cherished.

Now we "take" pictures because it's just that simple and quick. For the most part, there isn't any thought given to the process. Of course, in terms of quality and realism, with the addition of color and high-defintion resolution, the photographs taken today can even venture into hyper-realism. Even so, what are all those pixels worth if we can no longer see ourselves?

Would this kid be happier in hi-def?

photo: nationalcowboymuseum.org

I recently had a chance to sit for a portrait. The process made me think about how I look to the rest of the world, how the mirror is only an estimation of my face, my identity. I recall a Paul Simon lyric to that effect: "...how I look to a distant constellation that's dying in the corner of the sky" or thereabouts. Maybe this is is what the Native Americans sensed; it was better to be as one was, without seeing from the outside, rather sensing oneself through the mind's eye instead of the camera's.

Thai Funk Gems : สามอัญมณีไทย

2011-05-18T08:33:00.009-04:00

Our relatively local college radio station, WRAS (88.5) out of Georgia State University, has put a couple of Southeast Asian compilations, called Thai Dai and The Sound of Siam, into fairly heavy rotation lately, and I've been loving their power to transport and amaze.

The following selections are considered luk thung, a brand of Thai pop that incorporates plenty of emotive, vibrato singing, but these picks do it with a distinctive flair, blending many international influences. Mighty entertaining!

Sroeng Santi -- an unforgettable style that most modern hipsters would die for!

Sroeng Santi covers Black Sabbath and manages to non-rhyme better than Dylan.

Sangthong Seesai -- some playful English thrown into this one! Happy!

ดังนั้นจึงน่าเกรงขาม!

المغرب العربي | Amazigh Kateb

2011-04-15T08:34:00.025-04:00

With so much tumult in the Mahgrib of late, Africa's crown of arid nations seems a land rife with struggle and grief. Be that as it may, there have been victories and progress in places like Tunisia, and in Morocco leaders have managed to avert public discontent through stable governance. Despite all this, I have a sense that the peoples of the vast Sahara's borders are resilient and joyful in the face of all the changes.

In terms of music, I've always been enamored with the mystical sounds of this much romanticized region. The sand and the wind seem to permeate the textured voices of Tuareg singers telling stories of ancient oases and modern lives amidst the harsh landscape. Instruments like the gimbri and rabab with their droning strings add to the magic of crackling cold evening air after the sweltering heat of day has subsided.

Odd (but not that odd) to see a banjo amongst the legendary Nass El Ghiwane

When these sounds migrate to Europe and beyond, the qualities that define the old ceremonies and celebrations have been transmuted and fused with modern beats from the African Diaspora. There is no better example of this thrilling mixture than the music of Amazigh Kateb, the son of the Algerian literary great Kateb Yacine who said that revolutionary writing "must transmit a living message, placing the public at the heart of a theater that partakes of the neverending combat opposing the proletariat to the bourgeoisie". Although my French is essentially non-existent, I gather that Amazigh Kateb uses his music in this same tradition to give a voice to the agents of political change.

Making some kids smile with Gnawa Diffusion

I came to discover Amazigh -- whose name means "free man" in Tamazight -- via his now defunct band called Gnawa Diffusion, which specialized in blending the varied musical ingredients of Northwest Africa with reggae, funk, and hip-hop. Based out of Grenoble, France at the turn of the century, the Gnawa Diffusion mix is infectious and I can't seem to devote my full attention to much other music right now when the earbuds are in! Author Radu at BABE(B)LOGUE explains the roots of the band's name:

The group's name is a reference to the Gnawa, a tribe from Western Sudan who were deported to North Africa in the 16th century by the rulers of Fes and Algiers. While the Gnawa were officially converted to Islam by their new masters, they continued to worship their own African gods in private. The way Gnawa Diffusion see it, this historic tale of people uprooted from their homeland and forced to begin a new life in a foreign land, is remarkably similar to the lives of modern-day immigrants growing up in France.

Beyond hyper-relevant themes like immigration and equal rights, Amazigh's music is rhythmic, exotic yet accesible, and, as I've found, absolutely habit-forming, or at least that's been my case with the Gnawa Diffusion album titled Algeria (thanks, DCT!). Now that I'm hooked, I hope it's just the first step in long march of exploration into this region's music and all the cultural exchange that goes on in France.

Find out more about Amazigh, Yancine Kateb, and Gnawa Diffusion:

Listen - hear Gnawa Diffusion and check out the discography
Listen - of course, Gnawa Diffusion on Myspace
Listen - interviews and music on Babel Cafe radio (sorry, Français only)
Read - a fine interview with Amazigh by Fayçal Chehat
Read - the entire Gnawa post by Radu at BABE(B)LOGUE
Watch - Amazigh Kateb & Safwane Kenani in a "green room" maybe
Explore - Amazigh Kateb's official site

Brian Smith (of Odd Trio, Georgia Guitar Quartet) Speaks: "Daedalus" @ Canopy Studios

2011-03-16T21:19:00.000-04:00

If you're listening to the news, it's hard to disagree with the sentiment found in Chinua Achebe's title for his 1958 masterpiece "Things Fall Apart". While all is in flux half a world away, in our own backyard musician and composer Brian Smith has been busy bringing worlds together with the premiere of his latest musical suite titled "Daedalus".

On Saturday, March 19th at 7pm and again on Sunday, March 20th at 3pm, Canopy Studio at the Chase Warehouses in Athens, GA will host a remarkable union of original music and gorgeous aerial artistry, joined under the vision of composer Brian Smith with his troupe of talented musicians (including wife-flutist-trapeze artist, Natalie Smith, members of Georgia Guitar Quartet, Odd Trio, Maps and Transit) and aerialists performing on trapeze, silks, hoops, even bellydancing!

Brian was kind enough to discuss "Daedalus", his inspirations and his process, in a recent interview:

AT: What was the inspiration for this particular suite of compositions? I know that the Greek myth is the central theme, but is there any other driving force or catalyst that led you to create this work? Does it help push you that not many people are doing this kind of avant-garde, chamber music performance in the indie-rock dominated landscape of Athens, GA? You're part of an impressive network of very talented musicians, and it's got to be exhilirating to join forces in this way.

BSmith: The inspiration for this work came about at the last Canopy show actually. Julie [Phillips] was performing a silks piece to a duet that I wrote for Natalie [Smith] and myself and the silks looked like wings and there was a big drop in the piece. It made me think of Icarus and I thought it would be neat to write a piece for Julie to perform based on Icarus. When rereading the Icarus story, however, I noticed that I felt more of a connection to Daedalus rather than Icarus. I really felt the tragedy of a father losing his child now that I’m a father as well. Also, Daedalus appears in so many other well known Greek myths and in most cases is the catalyst, so I thought it would be interesting to follow his story.

Here in Athens, there are so many great musicians doing so many great things, I feel like a drop in the bucket. I think everyone here pushes the envelope and blurs the lines of style and concept. It’s very inspiring to be immersed within such a place. As a composer, I feel like I just have to do what I do and hope someone likes it.

It’s absolutely exhilirating. I feel so lucky to be able to work with so many amazing musicians and aerialists and dancers and it’s even better to know that they are all good friends. It’s nice to have a reason to get all these folks together in one place. I like to think that I’m just creating a platform for all of these great artists to shine and have a good time making music.

AT: In previous discussions, you've mentioned mathematics and number theory -- like the Fibonacci Sequence that describes nature's spirals as in a sunflower -- as those relate to music. How do you use number theory to inspire your pieces, and are there particular rhythmic patterns that the audience can listen out for during the upcoming performances of "Daedalus" ?

BSmith: Absolutely. Over the past few years I’ve been developing my writing style using what I call “numerical symbology”. I got the idea from Carl Jung’s and Joseph Campbell’s idea of the collective unconscious, wherein universal archetypes are similarly expressed throughout human culture worldwide. Joseph Campbell discusses the idea of archetypes within world mythology characters and symbols. I think people have the same universal symbolic perception and experience about numbers, their shape, sound and meaning. I have tried to craft the pieces using some basic number symbols as well as more deeply hidden symbols for those who care to study the score more closely. I also think that there are certain musical mathematical symbols expressed in pitch, harmony and rhythm. Whether someone considers themselves “musical” or not does not matter in terms of their perception of these symbols. It is the people’s like or dislike of the music itself that illustrates the symbol’s success. With this work, I tried to pull many cords within people’s psyche. We’ll see if it come across.

AT: The Cretan labyrinth is part of the story of Daedelus. Is there any purposeful misdirection in the work, at all? Do you want the listener to feel a sense of confusion at any point on the way to a deeper resolution, that epiphany moment when the puzzle is solved?

BSmith: I found the labyrinth story of Daedalus to be the big connector of the entire story. In this work, the piece “Labyrinth” is the big connector of the work as a whole. The piece is subtitled “Puzzle Piece” and the piece itself is a big puzzle. If someone studies the score, the piece can be solved. I created 3 “tries”, basically 3 different scores, that help in solving the puzzle.

For the listener, there are big chunks missing in the piece and recognizable melodies arise that help determine the solution. The epiphany moments will perhaps come after the concert is over. All the pieces of the work draw from the “Labyrinth” and all the pieces lead to the “Labyrinth” in some way. It’s a cornerstone.

AT: Based on some of the main character's actions, I'm not sure he's such a friendly mythic hero. Are there certain melodic devices or key signatures that you prefer to use to depict that feeling of fleeting malice or impropriety? Not a nice Uncle, really!

BSmith: Actually, I felt like Daedalus was a sort of tragic hero, a very human figure. He’s also one of those characters that really undergoes a change over the course of his life and suffers greatly for the folly of his younger days. I think he really tries to do the right thing for the most part, but due to his past transgression with Perdix, he always seems to end up in tragic situations. But, he also helps a lot of people on the way, stands up against the wicked rule of King Minos, is respected at his craft and is well taken care of by the generosity of others. Overall, he’s quite a balanced figure symbolically. I use octaves to represent Daedalus as well as the key of b-flat. All the characters have their own musical gestures, pitches, intervals and keys. (i.e. - Icarus is chromatic falling gestures, the notes f and f#, 9ths and the key of F) As a dad, I think Daedalus does what he has to do in the given situation. Well aware of the risks, but without many options. Fatalistic, I guess.

AT: I realize that composition and arranging are arduous processes; are there modern tools that make the job a little less painstaking, or is it still a lot of sharpening the quill, mending holes in the parchment, cleaning up spilled ink and managing frustration, fending off mental illness? I know you know the image I'm drawing from: Amadeus, the scene with the cue ball on the billiards table, repetitvely banking off the cushions and back into Mozart's hand as he fervently scratches away at a masterpiece.

BSmith: Ha! Well, for me personally, I fret and stew and tweek and change pieces a lot before they get printed and I’m usually still making changes at rehearsals. I spend a lot of time in my head going over and over things. Probably get a little too obsessive at times. By the time I get to the computer, things move pretty fast. I like the speed of entering the music on the computer and I like not having to use a pencil or pen to make everything look pretty. I have poor penmanship and it hurts my hand to have to be that meticulous. I think all musicians stew over their work and are probably never completely satisfied. I think you just try to make each piece you write the best that it can be and when it’s time to let it go you have to let it go, warts and all.

Thanks to the composer for the insights that will make the experience of "Daedalus, a work by Brian Smith" all the richer. For more details about the two shows on March 19th and 20th at Canopy Studio, follow links below:

The MusicSmiths
Canopy Studio
Georgia Guitar Quartet

Afro Soul Descarga

2011-03-10T14:59:00.025-05:00

Sometimes a virtual discovery can feel as real as any record store find. Today I found a bevy of radio sets from Afro Soul Descarga. It's cool that the D.J. -- James Stewart of RAJE in France -- is able to share the whole playlist so easily via Soundcloud waveform. Set # 10, below, is two hours of rare music, most of which you wouldn't find elsewhere.

Standout tracks:
Part 1 - track 6. (37:20) Segun Bucknor plays "La La La Acoustic" with some pretty wild organ sounds from Nigeria.

Part 2 - track 9. (101:00) Sun Ra's "Nuclear War" is a classic anti-proliferation anthem: "If they push that button, your ass gotta go...watcha gonna do without your ass?" Good question.

Part 2 - track 10. (110:35) These four or five poems by Langston Hughes with punctuation by Charlie Mingus and co. are real swell, too. Said Hughes, "Dig and be dug in return."

Soul Descarga n°10 "Eastern Rebellion" part 1 by James Stewart on Mixcloud

Soul Descarga n°10 "Eastern Rebellion" (raje) part 2 by James Stewart on Mixcloud

Just to be fair -- for DJ gigs/ pour les soirées contact James : dimensionmusiques@gmail.com

For the full track listing and so much more music: afrosouldescarga.blogspot.com

Attention International Visitors:

2011-03-04T11:39:00.003-05:00

To any and all visitors -- especially those from abroad:

Over the years, I've noticed hits coming from many different parts of the globe, and I'm wondering what's bringing you here. Many posts I've put up involve subject matter of interest to international readers, and that's probably because I'm into other cultures and other peoples.

"World Map", 2010, oil/collage on board (3 of 3) by Inez Storer.

Find more work by this artist at www.inezstorer.com

Let me know what you think in a comment some time: What do you like? What interests you here? What would you like to know more about? You name it --whatever!

Thanks for visiting!

NPR's "From The Top" @ UGA

2011-03-02T08:07:00.004-05:00

Out of sheer happenstance and the kindness of friends, I had the recent pleasure of attending the taping of NPR’s “From the Top” at Hodgson Hall on the University of Georgia campus. The show, which was recorded live on Sunday, Feb. 27th, will be broadcast on March 22nd at 8:00 pm on WUGA 91.7 and 97.9 FM.

Hosted by the renowned concert pianist, Christopher O’Riley, “From the Top” is a national showcase for young, ultra-talented classical musicians. O’Riley leads the way with his experience (he was also a child prodigy) spotlighting brilliant instrumental soloists and often collaborating with the young virtuosi as they wow crowds across the country, week in and week out. Toss in a little banter with the kids, and the recipe becomes wholly entertaining, always full of emotional performances.

The first of the featured musicians was Arianna Smith (17 yrs.) on viola, who played a piece penned by her private teacher Paul Coletti, accompanied by Christopher O'Riley on a grand Steinway & Sons. In a black formal evening gown, Ms. Smith looked -- and sounded -- the epitome of professionalism as she swayed emotively to the composition's gypsy rhythm.

A slight, lanky boy took the stage next and proceeded to mesmerize the crowd with his passionate piano playing, this time a piece by Brahms. Nicholas Allgeier, from North Carolina, waivered deftly on the bench as he brought some in the audience near to tears, his hands, arms and entire person emanating the soulful interpretation; it was a memorable performance with some impressive power, and all this from a 12 year old kid whose favorite pets are his chickens, he shared.

Sunday’s radio taping at UGA offered one (huge!) added bonus: the presence of flute master Sir James Galway, a man regarded by most, including host Christopher O’Riley, as the very best in the world. Galway’s duet with O’Riley on piano in the first third of the show was a telling highlight, with the bearded master commanding the crowd’s attention as he lithely sauntered through an allegro by Poulenc. His rotund gravitas notwithstanding, Sir James Galway seemed on the verge of lift-off by way of soaring glissandos, while simultaneously anchoring the sentiment of the Allegro malincolico with dark and husky, low-register musings. The crowd's fervent applause verified that we were all aware of the presence of a great master of his art -- the man with the golden flute. And he did a damn fine chicken impression, as well (tune in to WUGA for that)!

For a "halftime" treat, O'Riley professed his love for Athens' own R.E.M. and he did so with an interpretation -- rather freshly arranged -- of the pre-release track "It Happened Today" from the group's upcoming album Collapse Into Now. It was a rumbling, glistening few minutes of intricate chords with a deceivingly simply melody floating atop plenty of roiling left-hand action. This was a beautiful moment, a fleeting ode that O'Riley dedicated to R.E.M.'s advocate Bertis Downs.

Rounding out the program was a gorgeous piece of harp playing by Atlanta's own Angelica Hairston (18 yrs.) a "Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist". Her hands where as lively and precise as any classical guitarist, and her artistry absolutely charmed all in attendance.

The last piece of music was a trio led by Sir James Galway, which included the young Ms. Smith again on viola, as well as an award-winning violinist from San Franscisco, Kenneth Renshaw. Their rendition of an Adagio - Allegro Vivace Disinvolto by Beethoven was sinuous yet energetic, and featured some sophisticated interplay between the teenaged string players, all while Sir James, with his immpecable flute, used his grandfatherly musical arms to embrace and guide the young talents; the crowd erupted in deafening applause that lasted and lasted until the musicians finally cleared the stage at Hodgson Hall.

Find the full program notes at fromthetop.org and be sure to tune in to WUGA on Tuesday night, March 22nd, to hear the show. These NPR programs are well worth their funding -- don't forget to tell your member of Congress if you agree.

Cradle Wave

2011-02-16T09:01:00.006-05:00

This wave is a momentous force
Bound always forward
In the cradle of civilization
It rushed toward the shore, toward disintegration

Inevitable is the crash, the foam
The roiling erosion of stone
Receding or proceeding
It carries away bones and misery, or

Inundating the land and the people
The wave risks all,
Never returning to the sea
Souls thrash under the flood

Grasping at freedom and anarchy
Yet hope and liberty remain submerged
For now looking up from below, still
Yearning for what they have not

The Western horizon trembles softly
Cowering with unknown contingencies
The fear of losing control, Revolution wrought by
The critical mass of inequality

Kyle Dawkins (of Maps and Transit) Speaks!

2011-02-15T16:00:00.009-05:00

According to the Maps and Transit site, "Kyle Dawkins has released two solo recordings under his own name, Conasauga (2002) and Walls became the world.(2004) and is a member of acclaimed chamber ensemble The Georgia Guitar Quartet. He lives and works in Athens, Georgia."

Collaborator and wife Julie Phillips is "a trapeze and aerial silks instructor at Canopy Studio and is a member of their acclaimed repertory company. She is also a bassist, percussionist, and writer."

The following is an email interview with Kyle Dawkins conducted in late 2010 after the release of the Maps and Transit project Songs for Divining in September, 2010.

AT: The instrumentation on the album is so unique and was dubbed "folktronica" at some point. How much of the sound is guided by the instruments themselves, or is it the sound in your mind's ear (so to speak) that dictates those choices? Can you recall any "happy accidents" as far as combining instruments to achieve a brand new quality of sound? Which instruments might be on your "dream list" regardless of cost -- is there a sound you're chasing that you could harness with a little help from Bill Gates?

KD: Many of the "happy accidents" happened as a result of the unpredictability of the stringed instruments that I was using. I've got some old mandolins and other stuff that have these really idiosyncratic, messed-up tones as a result of warped necks, frets, etc. I thought it gave the songs a sort of creaky, homemade feel. I love the sound of really antiquated or broken-down acoustic instruments. You can get sounds out them that you couldn't get otherwise if it was a new instrument off the shelf somewhere. Lately, I've been really into mellotrons. I love the often out-of-tune, fluctuating tape loops and it's spooky sort of canned sound. I used a bunch of "virtual" mellotrons from different sound applications on my computer but it's really hard to approximate the sound of a real one which I've yet to even try out. So yeah, I'd like a mellotron from Santa or Bill Gates.

AT: I'm sure this varies greatly, but how long does it take you to create a song in this way, with all the layers and pieces? Also, do you give express consideration, as you work out a new track, to how it might be performed live?

KD: I'll usually write the songs and then Julie and I will listen to it and figure out ways to juggle the parts using a combination of samplers. Usually the parts that would be interesting to see played live are the ones we rehearse and the more textural sounds we farm in using the samplers. The sampler parts are usually the ones that are more computer-based and aren't necessarily playable on guitars or mandolins or whatever. Usually a song will take me a day or two to write and a couple more days of Julie and I rehearsing and listening. Some songs seem to take forever though for whatever reason. Lately, we've been in the process of planning more collaborative song writing processes where we build the songs up as a duo instead of a composition that was written on a computer and figured out later as a band performance.

AT: Besides Applachia, which other regions of the world seem to contribute to these compositions. Is the Celtic tradition something you look to or particularly enjoy outside of writing and performing?

KD: I sometimes draw a lot from Asian and mid-Eastern folk instruments and melodies, some Sufi, and Indonesian music too. The Celtic influence is there mostly as a point of reference for certain melodies.

photo courtesy of Georgia Guitar Quartet

AT: You both are into fine art and design (and you've collaborated with painter Chris Wyrick in the past), so if you were to assign a color scheme to this album, what would it be? To put it another way, what is the "look" of your sound?

KD: I wanted some parts of the album to have a murky, underwater, brambles-and-vines-everywhere kind of texture combined with the feeling of hearing music from the inside of a dusty music box. Those aren't colors exactly but they're places. I don't usually get a sense of color when I'm writing music as much as a sense of texture or place.

AT: As I listen to your album, I see so many images in my mind, and I know that response is individual to the listener. Have you ever been approached by filmakers who want to use your music as a soundtrack to a "talkie" ?

KD: I haven't done any soundtracks but it's something I've always wanted to do. Filmmaker anyone? Email me at kyledawkins75@gmail.com

Image by Bob Brussack courtesy of Athensview.com

AT: Along those same lines, it would be amazing to see some of your aerial artistry set to this music (and I have live at Canopy Studios!). Have you considered making a music video incorporating your other artistic endeavours?

KD: We've been in conversation about doing something like this with different people around town so yeah, hopefully something will be in the cards soon.

Songs for Divining ~ listen and download
Maps and Transit on Myspace ~ listen and enjoy

* Take note of an upcoming event featuring Julie Phillips' aerial work and Kyle Dawkins' guitar:

The Canopy Studio performance will feature aerial artistry on trapeze and silks with accompanying compositions by Brian Smith (Georgia Guitar Quartet) with Dawkins on guitar, among many other talented musicians. It's bound to be an enchanting, memorable event that shouldn't be missed. If you can be in Athens, GA, score some tickets!

Two shows plus an open house prior:

Saturday, March 19th @ 7:00 &
Sunday, March 20th @ 2:00

Sunday, March 6th @ 4 - 6 pm Canopy Studio open house

Maps and Transit ~ Songs for Divining

2011-02-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

Kyle Dawkins' string work is precise and warm like a distant voice emanating from a light-soaked church. His musical partner and wife, Julie Phillips, adds clarity and depth with xylophone and bass to make the most recent project from Maps and Transit feel gently sculpted, more manually hewn than digitally. Its sound gives a cinematic impression, painterly and full of atmosphere; even the air in the room where you listen seems to change -- though almost imperceptibly -- from the very first notes. The handy term "folktronica" has been used to describe the overall impression, but such labels only limit the scope of the duo's latest work, Songs for Divining, released on Camomille Music.

More than pairing strings and percussion with laptop beats, the pair has created an amalgam of timbres to make an ethereal whole beyond categorization. Nevertheless, with a fisheye view, the organic sound at its heart envelops influences from chamber music to hushed rock to jangly mountain field recordings.

Songs for Divining ~ cover art by Vincent Fugere

The album's electronic sounds, far from evoking cold circuitry, resonate as naturally as the analog instruments. Subtle beats, faint tones, and counter-rhythms trickle down from the Appalachian terminus, only an hour's drive from the heart of Athens, GA, where Maps and Transit makes its home. Sonic textures sizzle and fizz beneath bent banjo notes and mandolin tremolos, held together by a windy backdrop, realizing what Dawkins refers to as a "brambles-and-vines" landscape that gives the project a vast root system and a distinct sense of place.

Polyrhythmic galloping and Celtic guitar lines in 'Three Pendulums' help envisage a wide green plain unfolding before a group of haggard wanderers. As a glistening sea rises in the distance, the mood lightens, hopeful yet cautious. The sauntering cycle of the tune seems to skirt the cliffside along the way, pushing a tenuous fragility that's quietly thrilling.

During 'Ponds', Dawkins' nylon strings zing like a faint sitar, but once layered with counter-melodies, the guitars swirl, falling into banjo as snare and hi-hat add accents. Later, one hears rustling cicadas on a nightbreeze, somehow welcomed from thin air yet completely native. These are the often subtle qualities that make Songs for Divining transcendental, intoxicating, and resistant to genre pigeonholes.

Further on, crows create a chorus that binds 'Mr. Arrowood' to an hour of fading light, just as the table is set for a rollicking, quasi-funk patch which features Phillips' talent for adding timely percussive accents as well as driven bass guitar. Time shifts and shuffling, courtesy of a beat-up mandolin, keep things off-kilter contributing to a brief extraterrestrial notion. Here the pair lithely tramps a route seemingly bushwhacked by the likes of electronica heavies Aphex Twin or Amon Tobim. Without straying too widely, though, the song is resolved with a familiar, delicate banjo as birds again take wing.

These nine compositions by Maps and Transit flow down and through a riparian zone, like a creek bound to join its kin, less a riled river and more a hundred life-supporting rivulets finding their entropic course. The listener, too, can find a route through time and terrain, first in the blind, then sensing the way under the quiet guidance of this duo's thoughtful musical vision.

Maps and Transit released Songs for Divining Sept. 17, 2010 on Montreal's Camomille Music.

Academy Awards Contest ~ Take Two

2011-02-02T12:57:00.020-05:00

Calling all cinephile prognosticators!

The 83rd Annual Oscar Nominations were announced last week, and I figure since it was so much fun last year, why not do another "stab-in-the-dark" contest? Who's got the time to see all these films? Who's got the plain old intuition? Let's see...

If you want in, post your picks as a comment below this post. I'll go first, but I wouldn't recommend following my lead -- I haven't a clue this year.

Good luck to one and all!

And the nominees are:

Best Picture ~

“Black Swan”
“The Fighter”
“Inception”
“The Kids Are All Right ”
“The King’s Speech”
“127 Hours”
“The Social Network”
“Toy Story 3″
“True Grit”
“Winter’s Bone”

Best Direction ~

Darren Aronofsky for “Black Swan”
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for “True Grit”
David Fincher for “The Social Network”
Tom Hooper for “The King’s Speech”
David O. Russell for “The Fighter”

Actor in a Leading Role ~

Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
James Franco in “127 Hours”
Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”

Actress in a Leading Role ~

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Actor in a Supporting Role ~

Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”

Actress in a Supporting Role ~

Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Adapted Screenplay ~

Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for “127 Hours”
Aaron Sorkin for “The Social Network”
Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich for “Toy Story 3″
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for “True Grit”
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini for “Winter’s Bone”

Original Screenplay ~

Mike Leigh for “Another Year”
Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington and Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson for “The Fighter”
Christopher Nolan for “Inception”
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for “The Kids Are All Right”
David Seidler for “The King’s Speech”

Animated Feature ~

“How to Train Your Dragon”
“The Illusionist”
“Toy Story 3″

Art Direction ~

“Alice in Wonderland”: Robert Stromberg (Production Design), Karen O’Hara (Set Decoration)
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1″: Stuart Craig (Production Design), Stephenie McMillan (Set Decoration)
“Inception”: Guy Hendrix Dyas (Production Design), Larry Dias and Doug Mowat (Set Decoration)
“The King’s Speech”: Eve Stewart (Production Design), Judy Farr (Set Decoration)
“True Grit”: Jess Gonchor (Production Design), Nancy Haigh (Set Decoration)

Cinematography ~

“Black Swan”: Matthew Libatique
“Inception”: Wally Pfister
“The King’s Speech”: Danny Cohen
“The Social Network”: Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit”: Roger Deakins

Costume Design ~

“Alice in Wonderland”: Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love”: Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King’s Speech”: Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest”: Sandy Powell
“True Grit”: Mary Zophres

Documentary (Feature) ~

“Exit through the Gift Shop”
“Gasland”
“Inside Job”
“Restrepo”
“Waste Land”

Documentary (Short Subject) ~

“Killing in the Name”
“Poster Girl”
“Strangers No More”
“Sun Come Up”
“The Warriors of Qiugang”

Foreign Language Film ~

“Biutiful”: Mexico
“Dogtooth”: Greece
“In a Better World”: Denmark
“Incendies”: Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)”: Algeria

Music (Original Score) ~

“How to Train Your Dragon”: John Powell
“Inception”: Hans Zimmer
“The King’s Speech”: Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours”: A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network”: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song) ~

“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Visual Effects ~

“Alice in Wonderland”: Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1″: Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter”: Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
“Inception”: Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Iron Man 2″: Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Check back some time after the show for the winner; I'll post it in the comments!

Thanks for playing!

Odd Trio: Now with Caffeine!

2011-01-31T13:57:00.003-05:00

Seriously, it (read: jazz-fusion by ultra-gifted, classically trained players) is a good time, and that can't be denied. I'm not just being neighborly when I say that hearing Athens' own Odd Trio makes for a night of level eleven, funk-shock treatment, delivering all the positive, residual effects only that kind of instrumental intensity can provide.

Check out my latest review of the gig on Athens Music Junkie.

Find the Odd Trio @ Facebook

Kerouac to Brando: "...put up your dukes and write!"

2011-01-23T10:51:00.006-05:00

The following letter was a plea from a counter-culture idol to a budding star of the gritty, NYC film culture to get something done, to get (more) famous, to get rich. Kerouac uses words like "wanta" and calls the American movie industry an "outmoded dinosaur" as he goads Marlon Brando into turning On The Road into a feature.

letter hosted on boingboing.net

Thanks to legend-in-the-making, singer/songwriter/producer/bizarro West Coaster Chuck Prophet for posting this via Twitter or Facebook or some such socio-digital vehicle. Cheers, Chuck!

Portlandia: Smart, Funny, Timely TV

2011-01-21T10:09:00.014-05:00

Portland map art via chemofski

This new series on IFC was featured at the close of NPR's Morning Edition. It seems like NPR is sort of the "exposure machine" to rival the Kodak Brownie in its day. Fred Armisen (of Saturday Night Live fame) and Carrie Brownstein (of the band Sleater-Kinney and an NPR alumna) riff on what it means to be a Portlander, with all the granola pride and flakey-punk goodness that entails.

This is the kind of comedy that we could use a little more of in the mainstream. Enjoy!

Have you ever been engaged in one of these "one-upsman" kind of conversations about art or books or music? I absolutely love how they literally devour the written word at the end. IFC's Portlandia is a spin-off of a shorts project found at THUNDERANT. Another irrevrent segment, "Dream of the 90's" is hilarious, too, in a Flight of The Conchords vein -- check it!

Drip Drop

2011-01-13T17:12:00.009-05:00

Since the snow and ice event on Sunday, the South has been slowly, very slowly thawing out daily only to completely refreeze again by sundown. So far, schools have had an unprecedented 4 consecutive snowdays! We're calling it

"Snowcation 2011".

I saw these thousand icy fellows, and they reminded me that it's not so chilly everywhere especially at the poles, forgotten places that are supposed to be solid, untouchable geographic constants. This installation by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, sought to highlight that environmental fragility. These little guys say so much by simply sitting there dripping!

Nele Azevedo's Melting Men on the Concerty Hall steps at Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin:

unurth.com

one fresh Melting Man in Berlin from unurth.com

fisheye view of Azevedo's Melting Men greenupdate.wordpress.com

The little fellows can be seen in photos from around the world spreading awareness about climate change.

The Tones Between: Photographs by Greg Seman

2010-12-27T18:42:00.018-05:00

In 2008, I made a point to present some of my favorite images by photographer Gregory Seman. Since then, my old friend's profile has grown higher while his work continues to delve deeper into the subtle quietude of landscapes we foolishly careen past so much of the time.

Marquette Rooftops, 2008 : Greg Seman

The places are beautiful, but more than place, Seman is capturing time and light in a way that the old masters would revere. He's represented by the Halsted Gallery in Bloomington Hills, Michigan, as well as in the cloud at Greg Seman Photography. At Halsted, his name appears alongside the greats: Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier Bresson, Wynn Bullock, Imogen Cunnigham, Yosuf Karsh, Michael Kenna, Andre Kertesz, Edward Steichen, Jerry Uelsmann, all those Westons, Minor White -- among well-renowned others and some whose work I still should seek out.

a favorite by Minor White (1908 - 1976)

Today, I'm so proud to have, by chance, found a Greg Seman image in the February 2011 Special Issue of B + W. I picked it up as I do on most book store stops, and as I flipped through the images within I thought, "Maybe I'll just glance at the table of contents just in case..." and, in fact, there it was on page 139:

Ice Flows, Frankfort Pier, 2009 : Greg Seman

The 'Merit Award' shot, taken along the Lake Michigan shore, is emblematic of his compositions -- dynamic nature, refined vision, impeccably smooth tonalities, juxtaposed textures, pristine printing technique -- and the result is a sense of that spot at that moment, something that couldn't be recreated if a person gazed out from there, even an hour later. The skill and diligence it takes to craft such a vision is laudable and worthy of the respect that's begun flowing just like the ice pictured above.

Moonlit River, 2007 : Greg Seman

Basquiat & Os Gemeos | Banksy & Guetta

2010-12-14T14:09:00.064-05:00

Street art is not what it used to be.

image of Jean Michel Basquiat: kunstchau.netsamurai.de

Grafitti: unappreciated by the masses, produced by so-called "street urchins", miscreants and punks, disdained by the authorities, loathed by real estate agents. It still exists in this form. Just look around on the train, the warehouse, the stop sign; what's in that kid's backpack anyway, and why is he running? Maybe you should get a phone number, then give the kid some time to get famous.

A Basquiat sold by Phillips de Pury & Company:

a song at $4, 562, 500 US

Today, Os Gemeos of Sao Paulo, Brasil, lead the new guard of street artists turned gallery darlings. Count the late Jean Michel Basquiat (a.k.a Samo) as one of the first to make the lucrative transition, however deadly that shift may have been for him.

Os Gemeos work on the street in Sao Paulo: Dailyserving.com

Now Banksy, the subversive street artist, lampoons the entire affair in a new film called Exit Through The Gift Shop. The film details the travails and artwork of one Thierry Guetta, a Frenchman of substantial eccentricity and at least some talent.

a more literal work by London-based Banksy: blog.advance.dk

In the vein of many 'mockumentaries', it's hard to tell the real from the invented in Guetta's story (essentially the story of Guetta filming Banksy at work on the street). Is the film a document of Guetta's rise in the fine art circles or is it an intricate fabrication meant as hype, at once skewering the highbrow collectors and bandwagon trend-surfers? It's hardly a risky game for Guetta whose work is somewhat derivative anyway -- he rips off Warhol without shame and splashes paint around like Pollock. At the hands of Banksy, established cynic of the pavements, he's in for a catapult ride into the stratosphere of high-art superstardom, earned or not.

Guetta's "Le Bistro" signed by Mr. Brainwash, an alias: ukstreetart.co.uk

In any case, Exit Through The Gift Shop is supposed to be a visual treat. So we'll see: who's famous, who gets famous, or who's a famous fake.

The trailer - banksyfilm.com
Guetta's purposely confusing site - mrbrainwash.com
Here's Banksy! - banksy.co.uk
outlines the film's conjured "controversy" - markphilipvenema.worpress.com
a review - slugmag.com
another Basquiat painting (just because) - markphilipvenema.wordpress.com

One more review & one more typo

2010-12-14T12:24:00.006-05:00

I done done it, again!

After listening to a solid solo set at a local coffee shop / bar / music venue, I was inspired to write a little something about the performance by Athens' troubadour Don Chambers. So, I did. Here it is on AthensMusicJunkie. Head over and enjoy.

Name Time ~ Name Place

2010-12-09T16:05:00.013-05:00

It's that time again. The name here has grown old, and its meaning was somewhat convoluted to start. Res ipsa loquitur was supposed to drum up some discourse, and as a "lucky charm" of sorts, it failed, but I'm not giving up -- on to the next name!

In the running were these little Latin gems:

* absit invidia or "let ill will be absent" - just so warm and affable a sentiment

* audi, vide, tace or "hear, see, be silent" - the Czech secret service's motto, sort of ominous

* aut viam inveniam aut faciam or "I shall either find a way or make a way" - so positive!

* carpe vinum or "cease the wine" - why? why not (I resisted an easy pun with that one!)

* esto quod es or "be what you are" - sort all inclusive and touchy feely

* quantum libet or "as much as you wish" - read now, read on, read later, whatever

* quis leget haec? or "Who will read this?" - yep, I know at least one guy

In the end, after a pleasant perusal of useful, artful, and otherwise entertaining phrases, I'll land on ad rem for its rather succinct meaning, something I aspire to be: "to the point"!

Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims

2010-12-06T08:20:00.018-05:00

Featuring Brian Smith, one of the musical neighbors from across the street:

Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims from Paul Hamilton on Vimeo :
I [created this] brief demo with the Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims.

As a pianist I have collaborated with Robert since 1997 - we are long time friends/colleagues. His talent is immeasurable. In 1999 he won the Gold Medal in the American Traditions Competition, in Savannah, Georgia. He also made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2005, and returned to Carnegie Hall in 2009 as a guest of Jessye Norman, as part of her HONOR! festival. I was fortunate to play the piano for him on his second appearance, and this was my Carnegie Hall debut. We're performing together in Gibraltar this month (Dec. 20)!

His new partnership with the GGQ is nothing less than extraordinary.
Their arrangements are completely original: with Southern twang and classical
arch! Their artistry is of the highest calibre.

Caleb Vinson (Vimeo user) and I filmed this with two Canon 7D's, in Dekalb, Illinois. The audio was recorded live.

Caleb's exceptional camera moves are his trademark. I have not seen anyone use a DSLR the way he does: it proves that with practice and discipline it is possibe to achieve extremely fluid and unique moves. Well done Caleb!

We're both proud to have captured this short rehearsal with the GGQ and Robert!

Please support these exceptional musicians, you can purchase the music here:

Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims

Find out more:

The Georgia Guitar Quartet - classical guitarists and more

Robert Sims - the superb lyric baritone

The Musicsmiths - flute and guitar duo

The Odd Trio - jazz, funk, original compositions, varied freakouts

Maps and Transit - ethereal folk and electronic music

In the Land of the Maya...

2010-12-01T17:28:00.024-05:00

...activists at the Belizean "Reef Summit" ask if this is...

image provided by: New Scientist

...at least for their beloved coral wonder. Even as world leaders meet in Cancun for climate talks this week, this sandy but hearty group, and indeed all the world's environmentalists, consider what the future holds if climate change is not addressed earnestly and pro-actively. The ancient Maya predicted that 2012 -- or Decemeber 21st to be exact -- would represent a moment of "great change" for the world and all her children. We'll see...

Hunt around for yourself; it's practically impossible to read anything online that isn't coming from the New Age sects, Christian fundamentalists, or good ol' doomsday fanatics -- some of whom are one in the same!

image from lamanai.net

However, I can proudly say that the first I learned of the Mayan astrological predictions was on a visit to Lamanai, a grand Mayan ruin within the Belizean rainforest, then accessible only by boat. The Mayan curator of the site's tiny but fascinating museum explained the ancient warning signs of an impending disaster in 2012.

He spoke of:

* drinking water relagated to "egg-shell containers" -- bottled water perhaps?

* "noisy, giant dragonflies carrying men" -- helicopters he surmised.

* and finally the acceptance of "one world currency" -- could that be the dollar?

Emily Pilloton: On a Brand New (Design) Tack

2010-11-14T18:10:00.035-05:00

It's exhilarating to discover someone whose work is making a real difference. This could be a giant like Muhammad Yunus, your fourth grade teacher, or someone like Emily Pilloton. Her work with Project H Design, the charitable organization she founded, "supports, inspires, and delivers product design initiatives for Humanity, Habitats, Health, and Happiness."

The initiatives and the sustainable ideals behind all aspects of this grassroots work are so admirable and will undoubtedly become a precedent for educational design -- fingers crossed that someone is watching and paying attention.

As the project gains steam, Pilloton and cohorts reap the rewards of higher-exposure which amplifies the project's core tenets:

1) There is no design without (critical) action.We are not a social club, nor do we host green drinks events. We do projects that exist in the real world, that have partners, impact, and results. We work as a team, rather than for individual glory.
2) We design WITH, not FOR.We work with partners, not for clients. We bring end users to the table from day one, making them fellow designers. We co-create with unexpected partners, and listen/learn first about social issues we may not fully understand.
3) We document, share, and measure.We record all work as a means to measure qualitatively and quantitatively, and ask for feedback as a means to constantly improve. Our designs are never "done." We share practices between project teams so that we never have to start from zero.
4) We start locally, and scale globally.Our projects are local responses to global problems, and are designed to serve as models for broader application. We look first to our own back yards, with the ultimate goal of scaling and improving products as systems that can work anywhere.
5) We design systems, not stuff.We create solutions and systems that are not driven by material or consumption. We "take the product out of product design" to question the traditional models, and design solutions that enable something greater than the object itself: enterprises, impact, etc.
6) We build.We get dirty. We tweak and prototype and test and bend. We know how to work in a woodshop, and how to weld, mill, and machine. We believe that knowing how things are built makes you a better designer, and that understanding the design process makes you a better builder. We make sure our ideas come to life.

This approach shouldn't be limited to design. Sensitivity to place and culture is something that's conspicuously lacking throughout our society, from the strip mall sprawl beyond the Beltway to the one-size-fits-all standardized tests we force upon anyone and everyone. Change is incremental, and Pilloton, with her team of innovators, is assuredly a leader to watch--and hopefully emulate--in the future.

Project H Design - the main thing on her plate
Inhabitat - a vast design site / Pilloton is managing editor
Dwell - an insightful interview by Alissa Walker
TED - read her profile / find other inspiring talks!

"Shake it to the Left; shake it to the Right!"

2010-11-11T18:01:00.016-05:00

The System comic from notquitewrong.com

Now from a 2004 interview with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air :

"The only thing I like about the Left versus the Right is that the Left seems to care more about people, and the Right seems to care more about property, as a generalization." -- George Carlin

Kenosha Kid ~ 'Land of Obey'

2010-10-28T08:19:00.005-04:00

For a series of evenings in the winter & spring of 2010, Kenosha Kid took up residency at the Flicker Theatre in downtown Athens, GA and the result is a wildly varied, deeply grooved and finely blitzed collection of live cuts called Land of Obey out on Nowt Records.

There, property taxes are fair, rents are reasonable if you choose to play by the rules which Kenosha Kid rarely do. Instead, guitarist Dan Nettles, bassist Neal Fountain, and drummer Marlon Patton take liberties and own each theme, each variation, each breakdown because they've built it brick by brick, phrase by phrase to deliciously seamless effect.

To open, 'Fanfare' flings listeners into a gorgeous landscape with an arpeggio in the vein of Zappa's 'Adventures of Gregory Peccary' and from then on the vistas are serene and spacious. You feel you're in for something vast, something beyond definition, beyond the limitations of genre or label. The listener is fully primed to slide comfortably into a bluesy, ash-tinged groove.

The next track, 'Muddy Waters', is like a couple sitting over a plate of catfish with a bayou steam rising all around. At first, diners pick out the bones, isolating morsels to share, but soon enough their real intentions begin to pile up. The lovers glance at one another less and less and devour the flesh more and more until what's left is a heap of a memorable carcass and a slow burning, blues-induced fog around the gut and the head. It's not straight blues -- maybe Lightnin' Hopkins tripped over Duke Ellington's cane -- but it is one of the album's best examples of Kenosha Kid's refined handling of myriad influences.

'Out the Window' is an atmospheric journey over sand and space. The 'window' might be the door of a saharan Tuareg dwelling, tanned goatskins flapping in an arid but welcome breeze. Like a contented nomad, bassist Fountain pulls but not too forcefully, instead preferring to tug the ropes from the middle of the pack like a tuneful Jaco Pastorius without the fatal chip on the shoulder. There's no hurry. From Patton, a shimmering oasis of cymbals ripples on the horizon, receding ever, arriving never. The whole shifting thing swirls shadow and smoke with glinting stars above.

'Take What You Want' features the warmest of Nettles' guitar themes, with its subtle country lilt as a tambourine keeps time in an Aquarian throwback. It's all nostalgia and echo and occasional goosebumps at the memory flood, like golden light through a pinhole camera.

'Pleasure II' blends easy psychedelia over a sycopated shuffle that keeps limbs akimbo. All along Patton's drums and Fountain's bass interplay with childlike verve, and Nettles' guitar lines swoop, bend, and creep, pushing an imaginary edge.

Other tunes find guitarist Dan Nettles clawing his way up a ragged mountain range even as the scree underneath starts an undeniable avalanche. The trio tumble end over end in slow motion and somehow, out of thin air, find extemporaneous footholds. Soon it's the mountain itself that stretches under the centrifugal force with Nettles, Fountain, and Patton standing firmly at the center of an unearthly orbit. This is not easy music to make live. It's organic chemistry and the students have become the professors: swirling guitar peels, profound bass hues, with alternatingly austere yet firm beats punctuating a disitnctly cinematic set of compositions.

The multi-faceted Nettles, Fountain, and Patton. Photo ~ Nowt Records

Neal Fountain consistently offers deep, chorded bass foundations massaging the fretboard with tenderness to see what stresses sublimate into the atmosphere, that is, when he's not subtly funking things up. He and Nettles seem joined by a lobe as they share the residence of melody and craftily structured harmonies, always spontaneous yet fitting. Patton's drumming is at once immpecably tight and full of quiet personality. Cymbal flourishes, striding hi-hat and snare, and speed metal toms and bass drum combos make a sturdy framework for the others' lyrical musings.

The album's cover paints little circular windows into the heads of these innovative musicians, sonic construction workers who rely upon very few fandangled materials; except for Dan Nettles' effortlessly layered loops, the building blocks are the same that Wes Montgomery used, the same as Max Roach or Bill Frisell or Mingus. Ample stage time, too, has done Kenosha Kid and their listeners an epic service: superb communication, generosity, skill and joy blend together then emerge as the transcendental Land of Obey. Find your own path there -- they've flung the gate wide open!

KenoshaKid.com - Preview . Purchase.

Nowtrecords.org - Listen . Explore . Expand your scope.

10,000 Thanks !

2010-10-18T12:31:00.015-04:00

Back in 2008, I started out with a few posts with no idea where this was going. Today, I thank you -- all those who've come by, clicked through, read, listened, watched, pondered, or smiled along the way. It's been a joy to keep adding to this space, like building a Tibetan mandala, one grain of sand at a time.

photo by Samm Bennett

Share the joy with me. Make a comment. I cherish them, and you, for visiting!

"Mil gracias!" or "Grazie mille!" or "tausend Dank!" or "Mil obrigados!" x 10!

Next stop, 20,000 hits!

Kenosha Kid @ Caledonia Lounge | 'Land of Obey' Release Show

2010-10-10T16:30:00.036-04:00

In case you ever doubted they would, Kenosha Kid strikes again with a blazing-hot brand to last you all the way through pigskin season and beyond!

Melodies that sooth like Icy-Hot (or Vapo-Rub, whichever Mama gave ya!), searing instrumental improvisations, rhythmic sizzling behind ethereal bass foundations -- it's all in store for the hearty, the brave, the future residents of Kenosha Kid's newest release: Land of Obey.

So, if you're in Athens this weekend, "put your face on" and then prepare to have the layers peeled off at the hands of Kenosha Kid this Friday night at the Caledonia Lounge!

Listen up: you don't have to swagger into the Caledonia blind. Use your x-ray ears and get into Land of Obey before it hits the streets like a magical frog fallen from the heavens. You'd be a fool not to get a little preview, Dawg!

chimp listener image from athensmusicjunkie

K-I-T-E Still Spells Fun

2010-10-05T14:59:00.020-04:00

Spinning tops, electric trains, chemistry sets, kites -- all these used to stipple childhood landscapes virtually everywhere. That last, the ubiquitous, dream-inspiring, floating, soaring wonder of paper and dowel, seems to me the most universal plaything of yesteryear which has all but disappeared for American kids today.

Not so in the developing world, though, as the kite seems to have never left places like bustling Rio de Janeiro (where it's still used as a signalling device for narco-traffickers...oh well), gusty seaside villages in the Caribbean, windblown and dusty streets in the Middle-East, and the crimson, hard-packed streets of East African coastal towns. Almost everywhere in between, there they are, little ones running fervently to race one another and the wind itself, to maneuver their swooping, slicing hopes across the sky at dusk's fading. Then the breezes still, dinner calls come and kite flying subsides to kite dreaming until the next day brings another chance at glory.

ancient chinese kite from traditions.cultural-china

It's still the cheapest way to resolve that everpresent question on little boys' and girls' lips: What's it feel like to fly? At the end of the kite string vibrates the answer, in all its dashing and diving simplicity. Out there in the breeze, sensing their surroundings, paying attention to nature's dynamism is where kids have a first chance to learn how we as humans are connected to our environment, even if the whole blustery galavant ends in tears with the kites slashed amidst menacing oak branches or utterly blown to bits after a fatal, Earth-bound kamikaze dive. Still, from this a kid would learn consequences, the action and reaction, the cost of heavy-handedness and hesitation, and the joys of surrendering control to nature.

...to be continued, depending on the winds...

Tres Selecções Brasileiras

2010-09-08T16:57:00.011-04:00

Sometimes I find myself in a mood, and there is a sound that accompanies it. Other times, it's the sound itself that dictates the mood or deepens it. Enjoy these three selections, old classics captured for the masses, to put you in a state or bring you out of one.

The vintage styles here are pretty bold -- some might say gaudy -- but these must be two of the most relaxed singers in this genre, regardless of wardrobe issues!

The dog barking in the background is so sweet, and the last line gets a little cheeky smile out of Caetano Veloso, when Chico sings, "And I'm just a woman."

Here Almeida's right hand is superiorly fast and smooth; it all blurs together as he introduces Antonio Carlos Jobim's famous "Samba de Uma Nota Só".

And the crowd shows some appreciation after some nice solos and a fine fade away.

Finally, a legendary take from the willow-voiced João Gilberto proves why the world became so infatuated with bossa nova in the 1960's.

A scat to rival even Ella Fitzgerald! Another Brasilian band, Novos Baianos, does another rendition with a solid scat and an even bouncier tempo. Bem bom!

David Byrne: Housing Sound & Music

2010-08-31T14:09:00.011-04:00

Here's a lecture from David Byrne, the greatest college professor you never had! Recording for TED, below is his lecture about the relationship between sound and its contextual space.

He travels sonically from grimy New York nightclubs to West African al fresco drumming to organ-filled European cathedrals to the booming trunks of what folk-singer Greg Brown calls "thump-thump" cars and finally into the forest canopies.

Byrne is knowledgeable and relaxed, oddly handsome and totally enthralling. He's wise and experienced, yet he remains energetic and humorous, and based on his practiced delivery, he's done this talk a few times. Enjoy.

* TED is "a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design."

You'll find so many more intriguing and informative segments. Go. Learn. Enjoy.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ~ Shahen-shah-e-Qawwāli

2010-08-16T13:23:00.058-04:00

On the 13th anniversary of his death, it is with great reverence that I memorialize one of the most significant traditional musicians on modern record. He was the shining star of a six centuries old line of mystic Sufi devotees who, to this day, comunally worship Allah through ecstatic musical flights during marathon sessions. He was Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948 -1997), a Qawwāli master, among the most gifted vocalists ever to sing the sacred poetry of Islam.

Cover of his 1st international release on the Real World label: Shahen-shah

photo courtesy of Bluesmen's World (Music)

According to his biography, the young Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (نصرت فتح على خاں) aimed to become a "doctor or an engineer" but soon after showed a fledgling interest in the family business of Qawwāli and began his subsequent tutelage under first his father, studying tabla, and then his uncles Mubarak Ali Khan and Ustad Salamat Ali Khan.

The young Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's rise to greatness was rapid and steady, starting with his first performance, called chehlum in Urdu, forty days after his father's death. Decades of performance followed starting with a broadcast on Radio Pakistan in 1971 known as Jashn-e-Baharan, his first as the leader of his family's Qawwāli "party", featuring devotional singing "mainly in Urdu and Punjabi and occasionally in Persian, Brajbhasha and Hindi."

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's first performance outside Pakistan

Beyond traditional Qawwāli performances in the company of his "party", Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gave his ancestral form of devotional music a brand new face through various successful collaborations with Western artists and other musical masters of the sub-continent.

One of the most recognizable contributions for Western audiences is his duet with Eddie Vedder for the Dead Man Walking film soundtrack. Vedder's unmistakable, grimaced croon is paired with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's soaring, airy tones, the ethereal tambre of which carry the compostion to a spiritual plane. The two voices, the anthemic power of Pearl Jam's frontman and the veteran Qawwali's controlled rising and falling, together create a texture that seems chiseled of the same ancient stone. As it fades into the landscape of the film's narrative, the track titled "The Face of Love" transcends any moral implication and becomes itself an effortless message of multicultural harmony. It is but one example of Nursat Fateh Ali Khan's absolute commitment to promulgating Qawwali music as classically-honed forms joined modern media.

photo credit: Tim Hall of Redferns Music Picture Library via bbc.co.uk

Today, the Qawwāli tradition continues in Pakistan and around the world, thanks to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's great genius and pioneering perserverance. His nephews Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan have their own party as does the reknowned Ustad Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. These practicing Qawwāli also do not shy from collaboration with Western artists.

Fortunately for us, a grand legacy of Qawwāli expertise has been left to enjoy. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's body of work is vast and much of it is still available for purchase. However, one need not search far for examples of this modern master's unequalled talent, and his unadulterated devotion to Allah as well as to his people's singular musical traditional. This is Qawwāli!

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan introduces a "qual" called "Man Kunto Maula"

"The Spirit of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan" - interview by Andy Carvin
Nusrat.org - comprehensive tribute site
Live Performance - a "qual" titled "Ah Jaa Tenu Akhiyan Udeek Diyan" with Englsih subtitles
Nusrat.info - many, many music samples, translated lyrics and more
"NFAK: How the World Discovered Qawwali" - nice article with many links
Sufi Kalam - article about NFAK's biography by Dr. Pierre-alain Baud

Relief for Drowning Pakistan

2010-08-13T15:26:00.014-04:00

When disaster struck in Haiti, in the form of a hurricane, the US government and citizenry rallied to support the devastated population there. After all, Haitians live all over this country, and they are our neighbors.

photo credit: read-news.info

As disaster strikes again, this time in Pakistan in the form of massive floods, we should realize how important it is to support the suffering population there in whatever way possible. Here's one way:

Donate to UNICEF

Due to the very real threat of water-borne diseases, there is no better time to give to aid groups in the region, no matter what you hear in the news about how charitable monies are spent. This flooding will affect at least 20 million lives; if there's even a remote chance that your dollars could help Pakistan's people, then the time to give is now. Below are some other avenues:

USAID Pakistan

Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency

World Food Programme

Mercy Corps

Listen: It's Unwinese

2010-08-07T12:14:00.019-04:00

Ever hear of Stanley Unwin (1911-2002) and his invented, modified English gibberish called Unwinese? Well, neither had I until a friend (a Brit and a Burger -- from Luxembourg, that is) shared with me this golden folly of yesteryear. Remarkabold!

The fact is this Unwin, a workingman and a family man prior to achieving comedic fame in the 1950's , was a natural voice actor awaiting discovery. Just have a listen to any of these tracks from StanleyUnwin.com. His sound effects, too, are perfectly timed and you'll wish his stories would never end.

photo courtesy of LiberalEngland

It all started at the request of his children around bed time. Just like any good dad, he obliged nightly, but in doing so he began to entertain even himself by telling his stories in a fanciful, rollicking, mixed-up language. The mystery is that Unwinese is completely 'understandabold' because the changes in each word seem to preserve the original just enough. Imagine falling asleep to this!

To see this Unwinese in print is another way to appreciate its complexity. The word combinations, although sometimes befuddling, seem to make sense after some cursory consideration. Open your ears to the sound of your own voice with this 'politito' analysis, again from LiberalEngland:

Fundamold to this new Europe is the swap and trade it. At first we have it all back and forward across the borders with “please have your passy portit open for inspection”.

And this is of a great waste of time, with estimate have it and 20 billion Euro a year – and that’s without the countit and the declimly point in the wrong place!

Unfortumost – all shame and sobit – the Britly people are not keen and soldy. What they ask of the Britly passport? What of the pound and perch and of the Queen and reignit herself?

Hear their cryimost: give me bendy bananas or death and end it!

Find out plenty more about Stanley Unwin, his rocky beginnings, and his unconventional path to English comedy legend in this obituary from the Guardian. Or, as a final throwback, enjoy this clip of dear, dear Prof. Unwin advertising a fancy little piece of technology in its day:

"Talkin' nomenclature, man!"

2010-08-03T12:31:00.016-04:00

Again comes the time to rename / rebrand the blog. No, it's not for marketing purposes; it's simply to infuse some vigor into the little spot I've carved out of the crowded cloud. So, I'm moving on from 'mutatis mutandis' and I'm adopting this new name: 'res ipsa loquitur'. The phrase typically refers to legal negligence of some sort, some glaring oversight on the part of a defendant which is evident to all actors in the court.

The translation from the Latin is "the thing speaks for itself" and could be followed by (and I like this bit!) another phrase: 'sed quid in infernos dicit' which roughly means "but what the hell does it say?" So, maybe the negligence isn't quite so obvious after all!

My wise friend would be so pleased that I'm nabbing such a legal term. Of course, I always twist the meaning somewhat for my own purposes, and I'm going to deem that "just fine!" What you find here is self-evident. Whether you read just one post or search back through the years, maybe you'll be able to discern the 'quid in infernos dicit'.

Chucho Valdés: 'El Maestro' del Jazz Cubano

2010-07-27T11:06:00.017-04:00

From my bootleg vault, here's a live selection recorded at an inspiring concert in Marquette, MI in the Winter of 2003. The legendary Cuban pianist Jesus "Chucho" Valdés leads a group of young jazz players whose ages perhaps just add up to that of Sr. Valdes at the time.

Chucho Valdes --2-- Live by afctank

El Maestro's work can be found in so many manifestations from his recent recordings with his father Bebo Valdés all the way back to the groundbreaking Afro-Cuban jazz project with the supergroup he helped form in 1972, Irakere.

From the abridged Irakere discography by Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews:

In 1979, members included Jesús "Chucho" Valdés, piano; Enrique Plá, drums; Carlos Emilio Morales, guitar; Paquito D'Rivera, clarinet and sax; Arturo Sandoval, trumpet; Carlos Del Puerto, bass; Oscar Valdés, vocals and percussion; Carlos Averhoff, flute and sax; Jorge Varona, trumpet; Jorge Alfonso and Armando Cuervo, percussion. D'Rivera and Sandoval left 1980; José Luis Cortés joined.

Various laudatory comments for Irakere on FlyGlobalMusic:

“One of the finest jazz ensembles in the world” LA Times

“One of the best big bands in the world” Itunes

“Among Cuba’s most influential bands” Discogs

“Chucho Valdes is the greatest jazz pianist in Cuba, perhaps one of the greatest pianists in the world” Time Magazine

“Arturo Sandoval is arguably the most prodigious trumpeter of his generation” The Guardian

The Art of...?

2010-07-25T15:57:00.004-04:00

This existential street art is located in the Mission District of San Francisco. The alleyway is famous for its graffiti, admittedly of a wide-ranging quality. The view of the alley itself is pictured within the figure at center.

Do you know this piece? Do you know its maker? I do not. Please help me to solve the mystery.

Burma VJ ~ Another Secret Worth Exposing

2010-07-24T17:11:00.017-04:00

DVD Review
BurmaVJ: Reporting From a Closed Country
Another Secret Worth Exposing by Alexander Tank
July, 28 2010

Generally, the Academy Awards ‘Documentary Feature’ category comprises an intriguing and often highly entertaining cross-section of the world’s most fascinating narratives. This year’s winner, The Cove, let viewers into a secretive world of animal abuses and the vying parties who respectively seek to conceal or expose the heinous, brutal crimes, in this case against wild bottlenose dolphins. Despite The Cove’s ultra-high production values and engaging, spy thriller plot lines, another film in this category deserved the international attention that only an Oscar can provide: the risk-taking political reportage and the breathtaking bravery of protesters in BurmaVJ by Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller.

Whether it’s called Burma or Myanmar, the oppressive military regime ironically named the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has quietly cultivated an environment of political repression since seizing power after violently crushing a student uprising in 1988. The gripping film is narrated by the founder of a street journalism collective, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), appearing in the film under the alias “Joshua”. For most of the film, Joshua communicates with a team of street journalists armed with only video cameras and their remarkable courage. Cleverly concealing their cameras, their ultimate weapons to expose the military junta, the video journalists covertly document what has become known as the “Saffron Uprising” beginning in August of 2007 as a response to rapidly rising fuel costs brought on, after decades of oppression, by the government’s removal of protective subsidies.

The protests continue into the fall, and as students and demonstrators for the opposition are arrested and detained, throngs of Buddhist monks, voicing messages of peace and kindness in their billowing traditional saffron robes, join the non-violent effort to loosen the SPDC’s suffocating grasp on the lives of the Burmese people. With Nobel Prize winning democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi sequestered in a heavily guarded compound, the monks gradually escalate their protest and are quickly joined by students and the Burmese citizenry, all under the watchful eye of the junta’s generals via soldiers and plainclothes police in the streets. Over the course of days, a Buddhist monastery is raided by government agents and tens of monks are arrested in the bloody, repressive sweep. The mass of the uprising only increases as the daily protests gain momentum.

All the while, the DVB’s video journalists bravely capture the tumultuous and disturbing events on film. The internet, too, is a major player in the story as journalist leader Joshua works to disseminate the shocking images from a temporary outpost in neighboring Thailand. When a Japanese journalist is killed while filming the people’s peaceful revolt, that video is also leaked to the global media and the government’s taut cover of silence is temporarily broken, but the fight to spread the truth about the SPDC continues even under mortal threat to the video journalists and the protesters they capture on camera.

Despite its ramifications, with its documented human rights abuses and egregious military repression, BurmaVJ was passed over for an Academy Award in favor of a story about animal rights. This is perhaps the most telling aspect of 2009’s Oscar cycle: While important in its own right, a film about dolphins prevailed over a film about people whose lives and livelihoods are daily threatened by a violent and secretive military regime that actively engages in fervent censorship, keeping this unbelievably important secret from the rest of the world. Joshua and the DVB’s VJ’s, the Buddhist monks, and the Burmese people deserve for their story to be known and BurmaVJ is the ultimate conveyance for their ongoing struggle.

photo courtesy of lib.hku.hk

Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country - the official site

Free The VJ's - take action

NY Times take on Burma VJ - review with interviews, by John Anderson

Why, I say "Howdy"

2010-07-16T10:54:00.012-04:00

I've never been a Texan. Of course, I've been there, driven across its endless width, bored silly until reaching Big Bend National Park and the darkest, star-filled sky I've ever gazed upon, but that's beside the point I'm making. Even though ranchers and barbecue and football aren't all that important to me, the greeting I seem to default to is one used by some folks with those interests (yes, I'm fine with a bit o' the ol' stereotyping here!). Dangit, I like to say howdy! In fact, it's my preferred salutation, and I had to consider it before I could figure out why.

If you say, "How are you?" there's bound to be some sort of potential answer there. In passing, this could lead to a Larry David-coined "stop'n'chat" of an often undetermined length. I'm just so busy that I can't take that chance.

If you say a simple "hi" or "hello" you'd better accompany that with a genuine, friendly smile or at least a little eye twinkle or you may come across as rather terse. In the end, a more succinct head nod with a slight curl under of the lower lip and chin might serve just as well. Think of Jerry Seinfeld in the bakery waiting for Elaine's number to be called. She waits anxiously as Jerry bides his time with a black-and-white frosted cookie, snacking in silent solidarity with the stoic but friendly-faced black man across the store who's engaged in the very same. The knowing glance -- the head nod, lower lip purse -- is all they need.

Why not try a "What's up?" or a slightly hipper sounding "wussup?" Still, there's an imbedded question there, even though it's a fairly typically dismissed piece of punctuation. I don't need to hear "nothin'" or "not much" because I can gather that much without asking.

How about a simple and to the point "Yo." If it's not too intensely delivered, this can work well, but there is the ring of the poseur in it. No, I didn't grow up on Flatbush Ave. and yes, I do have some favorite hip hop tracks, but alas it's not what my parents taught me as an appropriate greeting -- sort of prompts the same reaction as the classic "Hey is for horses" if delivered too abruptly.

This brings me back to good ol' trusty "howdy". As a shortened version of the far more cowboy "How do?", I feel it does the job of acknowledging others without implying "pardner" for the most part. Also, it invites not in the least, any length of stop'n'chat because, without any inflection at the end, a solid "howdy" successfully loses its original inquisitive ring.

So, if you can't pause and have a real conversation, and if you just want to be friendly to strangers, try a "Howdy" once in a while. Better yet, some good, old-fashioned eye contact might do the trick; "pardner" that with a toothy smile (or even a toothless smile) and you've got yourself a polite enough greeting for almost any scenario, not that you needed my help with that!

Remember Harvey Pekar

2010-07-14T08:25:00.018-04:00

photo credit: RhymesWithChoice

The Original (Goodbye Splendor) by Anthony Bourdain ~

Still stubbornly latched on the fringe himself, Bourdain eulogizes Cleveland's underground comic book legend, jazz writer, & blue-collar cultural icon, Harvey Pekar.

image courtesy of Ben Temple Smith

Fresh Air from WHYY ~ Terry Gross and the crew pay tribute to the late Pekar in various interviews, one with wife Joyce Brabner, from 2003 and 2005.

Unmistakable authenticity and an unpretentious demeanor contradict his own self-criticism. While before him Kerouac and Warhol pranced, showered in compliments, this fella trudged the daily path of an artful life, like living the best runs of an inspired improvisation in between all the pops and scratches in the cut.

"Everybody's like everybody else, and everybody's different from everybody else." ~ Harvey Pekar

Tenzin Gyatso turns 75

2010-07-06T12:37:00.025-04:00

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy."

photo courtesy of bbc.co.uk

Images to commemorate the 75th birthday of the
14th Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso

"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness."

"We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves."

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck."

photo courtesy of allydirectory.com

Lhasa De Sela

2010-06-13T12:10:00.014-04:00

This clip features a very appealing animation style, and the song by Montreal-based artist Lhasa de Sela is subtly beautiful yet melancholic, managing to avoid the suicidal tendencies of so much contemporary art/folk pop -- sleepy and gorgeous! The old world, harp-fed sparkles add to the ambiance, as though the streets of the French-Canadian landscape were translated to the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Other tracks from her self-titled album Lhasa carry the same drifting style, making you feel as if you're in a row boat with her, lolling in the tide of life's irrational regularity. Even in the mundane, there is mystery, and Lhasa's soulful timbre helps take you there.

Link to Lhasa De Sela's official website & MySpace to listen to other tracks. Her biography reveals the roots of her ethereal, spiritual sound. Explore!

Well said, Kid!

2010-05-31T15:02:00.007-04:00

After all the heavy subject matter here, I've decided some levity is in order. This track, a mash-up of sorts, was recorded in Michigan in 2005 or so (can't say for sure). The utter cuteness was too much for me to keep to myself. Enjoy Lea's extemporaneous interpretation of Dr. Seuss!

LeaPhraseMash by afctank

Crude | Blunders | Continued

2010-05-31T12:50:00.013-04:00

The fact that I'm even following up on the earlier post about the Gulf oil spill is worst of all. The hope was that the gushing, collosal engineering mistakes 5,000 ft below the shimmering Gulf's surface would have been capped by now. It is simply flabbergasting that BP and its host of collaborators have yet to stop or even slow the flow of oil and natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico. There is hardly an upside to this epic environmental disaster, but one is there nonetheless.

There was "top hat", then little "top hat", then the "junk shot" and the "mud shot" and of course, the "muddy junk shot"; however, the most important word I've heard bandied about is this: moratorium. Halting deepwater drilling projects and taking time to investigate the Murphy's law circumstances that led to the deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion are prudent (gladly taking that word back from a previous administration) steps at this critical juncture (reclaiming that one, too!). In the meantime, President B.H.O. should gather up his favorite back-pocket legislators, grab Dr. Steven Chu and get crackin' on renewable energy options and green-jobs creation--these were some decent sized planks in the platform, remember?

If the deaths of those Transocean employees could do any good, it will be in forcing the Obama administration, the Interior Department, and fossil fuel interests to go about their business in a safer more considerate way. No longer will the surgeon slice and dice without thinking about sewing Mother Earth back up again. If these companies can't prove their effective contingency planning, then they plain aren't invited into the operating theater! No swim daiper? Then, sorry, baby can't come into the pool; uh, BP, now we know you're not wearing your swim daiper.

photo courtesy of The Guardian

Jon Stewart (a.k.a. Stewbeef) runs down the clean-up debacle in a hilarious segment from The Daily Show, May 13, 2010, especially enjoyable due to its clever jabs at the always piss-poor Detroit Lions and astute recognition of Mayan endtimes indicators. Enjoy!

Crude | Coal | Dangers | Blunders

2010-04-28T13:14:00.038-04:00

Warning: This is the start of a diatribe, and I'm even going to criticize...the President! No, I'm not a right-wing nutcase, and no, I'm not a bleeding heart liberal (or what Libertarian radio nut Neal Boortz would call a "bed-wetting Liberal"). I'm simply someone with an opinion, and this is my forum, so here we go!

Close on the heels of a disastrous coal mine accident in West Virginia, the Gulf of Mexico is now becoming a vast oil slick thanks to our pals at British Petroleum. The spill -- which is still emanating from the well-head deep in the Gulf -- is the result of a massive explosion that cost several employees their lives. Just as in the case of the coal mine in West Virginia, the loyal workers were after energy to be harvested for our consumption.

photo courtesy of The Guardian

Very recently our fine President attended a memorial service in the mourning coal-mining region of Raleigh County, West Virginia to pay his respects for the lives lost in the mine shaft collapse at the Upper Big Branch Mine owned by the Massey Energy Company. Commentators emphasized that mining for high quality coal in extremely deep mines is highly dangerous and the companies (and presumably the employees doing the real work) understand the heightened degree of risk. Pockets of volatile methane gas, as were thought to be the deadly culprit in this incident, can turn a typical underground workday into tragedy for miners, several of whom have gone on record saying that they would never recommend mining as a profession to their children.

I don't recall the timing, but President Obama's announcement that a widened area in the Gulf would be opened to offshore drilling, such as BP's debilitated Deepwater Horizon outfit, could not have been more insensitive considering the freshness of the WV accident. Instead of admitting the potential dangers of continuing on a path of home-harvested fossil fuel consumption, Obama in essence has given Big Oil a free pass to do as it will in our coastal vicinity. No, we may not ever see the drilling platforms because they'll be situated more than 125 miles from any Gulf coastline, but that does not make the inherent threat of man-made disaster any less frightening.

So, as BP's busted Deepwater Horizon well continues to gush black gold, at a depth of 5,000 feet below the Gulf's now slick surface, executives have admitted that the "containment dome" technology they're employing may or may not even work to minimize what may eventually be recognized as the most severe environmental disaster of this century thus far. Take a look at these Nature Conservancy photos of the Gulf Coast because chances are we won't see this kind of pristine coastal wetland habitat for a very, very long while.

Even though it is a desperate environmental situation on a grand scale, there are ways to help. There are individuals and groups (including BP, of course) doing the arduous work of cleaning up the spill, but they embark on a years-long struggle.

photo courtesy of Reuters

Now I wonder, is this what President Obama had in mind when he approved the expansion of the drilling zone in the Gulf? If this isn't a clear enough omen, then a more dire warning will never come. The eased "Drill, baby, drill!" restrictions are exactly what Obama opposed in his Presidential campaign, and his propensity toward compromise, while admirable and effective at times, in this case has proven him a fool in eco-political terms. Where is the "green energy" sector he spoke about so enthusiastically for all those heady months? Was all that simply rhetoric -- just one big "read my lips" ploy? I hope not.

Listen up: I'll venture to say that the majority of Americans don't want sullied coasts, unswimmable seas, dead wildlife, dead workers, nor do we want impervious, ungovernable corporations profit-making in our waters without regard for the safety of the American citizenry or our delicate North American ecosystems.

Check out the progress of the clean-up effort and the extent of the environmental damage with these Coast Guard updates.

Hopefully, this Gulf coast oyster reef restoration work by The Nature Conservancy was not in vain.

I'll Still Take Conan...Even on the Move

2010-04-26T16:40:00.022-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Conan O'Brien finally found a spot to park his late-night genius and that spot will be on the TBS network. Typically a cable channel used for reruns and relatively low-budget comedy series, TBS will be home to the new, 11pm Conan O'brien show starting in November 2010.

photo credit: Variety

Here's my editorial snippet: Conan O'Brien and manager Gavin Polone have made a solid decision by moving to the land of cable instead of continuing on the network path. He'll be freed up to do the edgy kind of comedy that propelled him to success in late-night slots, first as a writer on Saturday Night Live, and most famously as the host of NBC's Late Night.

The main concern, had Conan stayed on with NBC, would have been how to keep himself and his show from slipping into the stodgy, overwrought, overproduced grey area of "unfunny" that Leno occupied so well for so long. After years on The Tonight Show, even Jay was looking to reinvigorate his act through stand-up tours; it didn't work, however!

How did all this happen? Find out here.

Congratulations, Consey! See you at 11 o'clock if I sign up for cable -- just for you!

The Skies Are Alive

2010-04-16T12:28:00.027-04:00

A pair of stories caught my eye today and both concern the skies above.

Europe is in limbo right now, hovering in the delicate time between a major Icelandic volcanic eruption and the inevitably troublesome "fallout" of that event. According to the news, the eruption spewed forth towering billows of ash and steam from its source deep beneath an Icelandic glacier, one of those retreating, climatic barometers for our troublesome environmental times.

Although I come from a family dominated by scientists, I can't confidently say that this amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere will have a cooling effect on the Earth's atmosphere, at least on a temporary basis, but I have read about "cloud seeding" and "geo-engineering" and this diffusion of the sun's energy is the main goal of those still controversial methods.

photo courtesy of CSMonitor.com

So, while European asthma sufferers will probably suffer more in the coming months, in essence the atmosphere, in its search for equilibrium, may react favorably to the injection of these shadow-inducing particles. If this all sounds too neat and tidy to follow a natural disaster, then I'm going to have to get a volcanologist (or vulcanologist, whichever seems logical) to explain further -- in fact, I know a guy, so check the comments below soon!

The other story I came across reminded me of an event from my childhood in Michigan. There were several reports of a meteor careening through the atmosphere over the state of Wisconsin on the evening of April, 14th. Witnesses describe a glowing orb moving quickly and steadily, flickering toward the horizon accompanied by a sonic boom; shucks, you might as well see this video:

These stories come up once in a while, followed by a deluge of bizarre, sometimes conspiratorial commentary thanks to freeing anonymity of the Internet, but the fact is as we go hurling through the galaxy, we do cross paths with asteroid fields such as the Virginid complex which may have been the cause for this most recent "fireball" (and, yes, that's the official term used by astronomers!).

When I was just about middle-school age, one of these "fireballs" came streaking down my street, literally! The flash and glow I recall was an electric green color and other kids reported seeing it, too. My street ran East-West and so the green "fireball" of my memory seemed to glow more and more intensely, seemingly hovering at the West end of the street. It didn't really move, as such, but rather just produced a lingering green luminescence (no sonic boom though) lasting no more than five seconds or so. I remember telling a kid who'd been visiting family in Chicago at the time, and he described the same green flash!

The skies above are indeed alive, and all one has to do is look up once in a while to be reminded.

"When I look down, I miss all the good stuff. When I look up, I trip over things." ~ lyric by Ani DiFranco

Great -- but small -- American Venues

2010-04-07T11:10:00.046-04:00

There's no need to remark on the Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Centers of the land; that would be like reminding folks that Buffet is a billionaire or that Tyson is a tough cookie with a squeaky voice!

Instead, I'd rather focus on those smaller, more immediate venues for live music that may have gone unnoticed, sometimes even in our own hometowns. There are so many well-designed, intimate spaces that afford the attentive audience a chance to not only listen and see live music in its most pure form, but also to become part of the experience. In these special musical spots, your clap actually matters and when you whistle and holler, the artists feel it and feed off it to everyone's benefit. What follows is only a tiny selection of magical venues to explore:

The Ark in Ann Arbor, MI - Back in the U of M days, this is where I got my first taste of music performance in-the-round listening to the songs and stories of legends like Greg Brown along with new guard of folk acts like Steppin' In It (don't know them? well, you better!). It's a nationally known stop for singer / songwriters and for jazzheads to catch the likes of John Scofield and Medeski, Martin, and Wood. Despite the notion of "flyover country", the Ark is one venue not to miss if you're in the midwest.

The Rialto Room at Hotel Indigo, Athens, GA - Although Hotel Indigo can be a bit pretentious (the hipster/frat quotient is high!), the Rialto Room is a space that was designed for intimacy and quality acoustics using "state-of-the-art equipment". It so well-planned that you feel like the artist is playing practically for you alone. It's remarkable what good design can do to showcase the art that the acts bring to town, admittedly one frequently flooded with quality music.

The Bottom of The Hill in San Francisco, CA - I hear good things about this spot, but I've yet to get there -- in due time. Based on the schedule, this small venue caters to acts on the rise and established artists, as well in various genres including "alternative, rock-a-billy, punk, and hard-rock" with a bit of "folk, punk, and pop" mixed in. Rolling Stone considers this "the best place to hear live music" in SF which is seriously saying something (RS 813).

The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA - This is another "must play" venue for acts small and medium in addition to those legends who recognize the value of seeing the whites of the listeners' eyes. You can sit movie-theater style; you can smoke in the dedicated "smoker's alley" (although you shouldn't 'cause those buggers will eventually end up smoking you!) or you can dance it up close to the stage. I've seen many greats shows at the Variety and the neighborhood of Little Five Points is funky and fun for before and after!

The Highline Ballroom in NYC - If this one is anywhere near the new Highline Urban Park, then it's worth a visit; not to mention, it seems like every band / artist I watch out for is playing this ballroom on tour. Big reputation!

Johnny Brenda's in Philidelphia - Just one that I discovered in my searching, and it looks like one to check out in Philly. Anytime the name is one of those "man-lady" combos, you can bet it's a place where the love sows the seeds of musical adventure! Been there? Tell us about it.

How about your area? Is there some spot where you go to see live music that's not a stadium sporting a corporate moniker? Tell me about it: Post a comment and I'll put it on the bucket list.

To close, I leave you with the lyrics to a classic Dan Hicks tune that makes my point about heading to these wonderfully inviting, small venues to get yourself in tune with live musical energy!

CANNED MUSIC
Dan Hicks

Canned music, canned music, playing on the radio
Canned music, canned music, with out a doubt it doesn't go
Favorites on the jukebox are only half the show when it's
Canned music, canned music

A little before she left me, I asked her what it's all about
She said I feel like dancin', She feel like stepping out
I took her with the van, where the band was on the stand, playin'
Live music live music

She got us on the dance floor, to me it was a sight
I never seen my baby movin', like the moves she made on me that night
I did not have a chance the way that music made me dance, it was ah
Live music, live music

The rhythm was all around us, we was really steppin' out
My baby said I'm livin' for this music, I asked her what it's all about
She said I'm just a silly girl, this stuff has got me in a whirl
It's just some live music, live music

And that was the night she left me, danced herself into my memory
My baby had to leave me for the drummer, I guess I'll never solve that mystery
I think I've learned my lesson just don't get too near the band when it's
Live music, live music

A little before she left me, I asked her what it's all about
She said she feel like dancin', she feel like steppin' out

Avoiding Heavy Metal... in Seafood

2010-04-05T12:32:00.020-04:00

After seeing the Academy Award winning documentary for 2010, The Cove, I swore to write off sushi forever. I think I knew about dangerous mercury levels in certain fish like bluefin tuna (and even large, fresh water fish species) before seeing the film which focuses on the plight of dolphins, specifically those cetaceans being slaughtered in Taiji, Japan (which continued at least until the film's release in Japan this year). However, I've enjoyed many a sushi marathon in various states, and I admit that it's a dining pleasure that has not been easy to forsake.

Diagram provided by usgs.gov via southernfriedscience.com

For Earth Day's 40th anniversary, The Nature Conservancy is making an effort to address the problem of mercury in the seafood we consume. The only way to avoid mercury build-up in humans is to avoid eating those sea creatures with high-levels as a result of predation which acts to concentrate the toxin in organisms' flesh.

Of course, enjoy the sea's bounty, but be careful what you buy and what you order! Here are some links to help aid in the tricky seafood selection process:

FishPhone - a clever little text-message service to help you choose which fish...

Seafood WATCH - Monterrey Bay Aquarium's downloadable pocket guides for seafood shopping

The Nature Conservancy - go directly to the article by Kate Frazer, "From Sea to Plate"

Jai Alai : The Original Basque Ball

2010-04-05T12:20:00.016-04:00

Over the Easter holiday, I had the opportunity to witness firsthand the fast-paced sport of jai alai. Stepping into the Orlando Jai Alai Fronton (that's was the arena for the sport is called) was like walking into a sliver of Miami Vice-era Florida with plenty of colorful characters lurking about each with a glimmer of hope for the upcoming match. I posted a few bets, nothing ambitious, but the main draw was to witnesss the game play itself -- to verify why they call it "the fastest game in the world"!

The height of jai alai's popularity ---> the moustachioed 70's

photo courtesy of brooksfile.files.wordpress.com

According to historians, jai alai was originally played bare-handed against the wide and tall church walls in the Basque region of Northern Spain. The game comes to us via Cuba and then Miami and eventually the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. as well as gambling centers in the American West. Now a significant draw for wagerers, it seems that wherever the colonizing Spanish went, jai alai, or any of a handful of other "ball and a wall" games followed.

It's tough to get a true sense of the speed, agility, and coordination required of the players, but this video does a good job illustrating the dimensions of the game and the ever-present element of fear. The fundamentals of the catching and throwing are not that difficult to master; the real challenge is to muster up the 'cojones' to get in front of the speeding 'pelota', to scoop it and whip it, and at an angle that will make it hard to field on the rebound!

The History of Basque Pelota in The Americas - a comprehensive work on the history of jai alai from its origins in Spain by Carmelo Urza of the University of Nevada, Reno.

National Jai Alai Association - the skinny on the sport and its history from the pros in 'los estates'

H2G2 at The Beeb - a decent little "guidebook" write up about modern jai alai for the curious few

Florida Gaming Corp. - what the gamblers have to say about jai alai history

Yet Another...Nomen

2010-03-29T13:54:00.005-04:00

While the reasoning behind choosing the blog name 'vade mecum' was decent, it turns out that I only fixated on one part of the phrase's meaning. In truth, 'vade mecum' refers to an indispensable "handbook" (something of value and wisdom) that one takes along on every jaunt. Although I'd love to say that this is indeed that, I can't lie; while entertaining, nothing here is truly indispensable, so I'm moving on to the next title.

This time around I've honed in on 'mutatis mutandis'. No, it's not about any kind of District 9 style alien colonization. Mainly, the new title reminds me that thus far I've taken various tacks in this cloudspace and that I should continue to branch out. I'll be including more music clips, interviews, and remembrances, but I'm also not throwing out the bathwater yet, so to speak.

Thanks for checking in and looking about!

Thanks to Stuart Udall

2010-03-27T17:34:00.022-04:00

photo credit: historycentral.com

Thanks to Ken Burns and PBS, I'd heard of Stuart Udall before he died recently at the age of 90. In career terms, Udall was the forward-looking conservationist who served as Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Under his tenure, our nation expanded a mandate of stewardship for our natural surroundings that began with John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt. This excerpt from the New York Times article by Keith Schneider and Cornelia Dean illustrates his legacy:

Few corners of the nation escaped Mr. Udall’s touch. As interior secretary in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, he presided over the acquisition of 3.85 million acres of new holdings, including 4 national parks — Canyonlands in Utah, Redwood in California, North Cascades in Washington State and Guadalupe Mountains in Texas — 6 national monuments, 9 national recreation areas, 20 historic sites, 50 wildlife refuges and 8 national eashores. He also had an interest in preserving historic sites, and helped saved Carnegie Hall from destruction.

Having visited certain of these treasured lands, I feel a direct debt of gratitude to Udall and his compatriots who recognized that his generation (as does ours today) held the power to preserve this continent's natural history for forthcoming Americans even in the face of strident opposition.

His descriptions of the Guadalupe Mountains hit home for me and helped to conjure up memories of days and nights spent at the foot of that great, monolithic ship's prow in Texas: the feel of the cool air, the sound of crunching footsteps as they echoed up canyon walls, and the magic of the life-giving streams trickling down the valley. Stuart Udall saw the grand value of these now heralded places before most others, and we should consider ourselves lucky that he did.

"Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man." - Stuart Udall

Throw Down Your Heart | Bela Fleck

2010-02-19T12:01:00.014-05:00

Bela Fleck's enthralling documentary film retraces the
evolution of the banjo from its roots in Africa. When I saw the film, I knew I had to write about it if only to alert all my many banjo playing friends out there (the number keeps growing!).

As it turns out, Marc Gabriel Amigone at the Afrobeat Blog has already done a fine review, so I'll just let you get it from there. Self-dubbed 'Afro Marc' has an excellent thing going, and his spot seems to be the place to get your finger on the pulse of Afrobeat music's history and its recent resurgence.

Here's a little taste of what makes Throw Down Your Heart so special (Fleck meets Anania Ngoliga in Tanzania, finding the first in a string of musical soulmates):

ThrowDownYourHeart.com

Fluxus via Beck

2010-02-16T17:06:00.016-05:00

Sometimes it's surprising how a random search, a click, a series of intriguing words can lead to an unexpected place. This is what led me to discover the Fluxus Movement, oddly enough, by way of recording artist Beck.

I've always been a Beck fan (saw him live once in Vegas) and decided to find out if that rumor -- the one where Beck is purportedly the older brother of the all-in-the-family, teeny-"mmm-bopper" group Hanson -- is actually true. As it turns out, he's not a Hanson brother although his surname is Hansen (tiny difference there, eh, like the difference between Swedes and Norwegians). Beck is, however, the progeny of a quietly heralded but influential artistic family.

Chicago Gat by Al Hansen, 1966

Hershey bar wrappers, painted wood, 11 3/4 x 11 3/4

photo credit: banffcentre.ca

Beck's grandfather, Al Hansen, while not credited as a co-founder, was one of the early artists to join George Maciunas, who is credited as the founder, in establishing and disseminating the essential vibe of the largely "d.i.y." Fluxus movement. Beyond that, Beck has said that his grandfather Al was a talented jive-talker and who better to spout-off, in slick but sometimes archaic, street-wise lingo, the virtues of this new, experimental movement. Until recently, Allen Bukoff, a founding member himself, was the most active mouthpiece for Fluxus; check the "Dear Fluxus" link below to find out if that's still the case.

To define Fluxus is a bit tricky; not even the founders could really tell you what it was (is). Good ol' Wikipedia describes the beginnings of the movement in terms of "event scores and Fluxus boxes" the latter of which were diorama-type assemblages of found materials (nothing too complex allowed -- no gold leaf, Gustav!). They may also have simply pointed to the top of a building just as a grand piano was sent careening to an explosive death by gravity. However it looked or sounded or felt, most agree that Fluxus was riding a wave that composer John Cage set in motion with his avant-garde works on mysterious, invented instruments. So, you see, looking into Fluxus becomes a kind of Pandora's Box -- watch out below!

photo credit: museum.mit.edu

You can easily find out more about the Fluxus Movement if you only try:

Audio interview ca. 1977 with Allen Bukoff & George Maciunas -- fascinating, bizarre ramblings from the founders themselves.

The Manifesto is here and now and has been since Maciunas birthed it in 1963.

Fluxus' home in the 21st century.

Dear Fluxus open letter to "the founders" -- Bukoff is off and done and gone according to these only slightly cynical, severely scathing sentiments! Please, let us not grow old and bitter.

Ward Shelley Walks the Timeline

2010-02-15T16:13:00.018-05:00

Sometimes art can convey a message in such a way that it's hard not to react. The following is art that needs to be engaged with, examined, studied, pondered, and digested; it's not going to simply hang on a wall and look pretty.

Ward Shelley is an artist who presents material in a very specifically framed manner; the pieces I've been drawn to are his unique timelines with their extravagant detailing and vast yet pidgeon-holed content. I'll let an excerpt from the artist's own "mission statement" do the explaining:

My paintings/drawings are attempts to use real information to depict our understandings of how things evolve and relate to one another, and how this develops over time. More to the point, they are about how we form these understandings in our minds and if they can have, in our culture, some kind of shape. Usually I choose topics from art or cultural history, such as the arc of an artist's career and its influences, or the effect of particular ideas in an aesthetic or political movement. They are "wide-screen", with all information available to the interacting eye at every moment.

Ward Shelley, Who Invented the Avant Garde, ver. 3. Oil and toner on mylar, 159 x 72 cm.

The format of the work seems to be inspired by botanical diagrams, scientific manuals, biological illustrations, and the long tradition of charts and mapping. From the outset, Shelley appears to be an engineer at heart, one who refused to choose the cubicle.

The connectivity of all the distinct bubbles and bits of information is the fascinating part. By showing us a macro view of a topic, Shelley let's the viewer filter out distractions and zoom in on the facts that propel the eye (and the mind) forward in time and in two-dimensional space while never quite letting us escape the weight of the "whole".

The very best examples I could find (with the finest resolution) are at the artist's webiste. The piece above, among others, is discussed in full in a press release issued by the Pierogi Gallery.

I came across post about Ward Shelley's timelines at kottke.org and that piqued my curiosity. There's plenty else to be interested about on that blog, as well, so give it a look.

Find out more at the Lawrimore Project with its close-ups of timeline details.

Read an interview by Chen Tamir found at TreviFlashArtMuseum.org

Visit Ward Shelley's official site at WardShelley.com

Dan Nettles (of Kenosha Kid) Speaks

2010-02-08T14:11:00.046-05:00

image courtesy of nowtrecords.org

This was the project, from Kenosha Kid founder Dan Nettles, that brought the Athens, GA guitarist into my view. His invigorating reimagining of the soundtrack for Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill was an indication that Nettles was frying bigger jazz fish than other, more pop/rock oriented crews in the sonically legendary area of Northeast Georgia.

Treat yourself to a truly revelatory cinematic experience and catch the Robert Osborne Film Festival's screening of Steamboat Bill Jr. with Kenosha Kid providing the live soundtrack.

Saturday, 4:00 PM The Classic Center, Athens, GA
Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill Jr. (Silent Film - 1928) with a special live music accompaniment by Kenosha Kid

As it turns out, Dan Nettles does an equally fine job expressing himself and his vision with words as he does with his guitar in his ensemble Kenosha Kid. Check out the Q & A below, and enjoy the Steamboat Bill video to get an audio-visual sense of the group's style:

a.f.c.tank : Another Georgian, the iconic James Brown, was famous for his band leading techniques, with all the kicks, and stomps cueing the band to "hit it" or "quit it". So, when you direct other musicians in an ensemble, do you use your guitar neck like the conductor's baton or is the unity between instruments achieved mainly through the rehearsal process?

Dan Nettles : it all comes from playing together and learning to read one another. of course, that can be quite difficult in the dark during a movie for instance, but over time we get a pretty good idea of where each of us is headed musically speaking. after all, in bands that have a great "band sound", the music is all about a unique vocabulary that only that band speaks. i also have the incredible fortune to play with musicians who have impeccable instincts. there ARE two important body cues that get used a lot... one we all use is the "end of solo face" (meeting the eyes of bandmates, bugging them slightly, sticking out tongue, things like that), and the other is called "the foot" (when i wave a foot in the air, on the next big downbeat we move on).

a.f.c.t. : Is there an influence who you consciously have to keep yourself from emulating or do you find that kind of "quoting" a way of paying homage to forebearers?

Nettles : over the past ten years or so, i just try to keep the creative juices flowing. if something sounds good to me, i run with it as far as i can. i rarely worry if it "sounds too much like.." or "i need to make it sound different from..." simply because EVERYTHING has been played before, and probably better than i can do it. the few exceptions might be that during the writing process i may tweak the compositionin a particular direction, but usually i try to hold off from any over-editing until the thought is complete.

as far as homage to forebearers, what have they ever done for me?? haha, i joke... BUT in a way all the music we play is a nod to the great music gods out there, who are surely listening. if only they could also pay the band...

a.f.c.t. : Describe your sense of time during the act of composing / rehearsing / performing? Is there a kind of time warp when you find that zone?

Nettles : composing: time stretching can occur, usually in correlation to how much fun i am having. it definitely re-wires my brain, and after 4 or 5 hours writing it is difficult to re-enter the real world and converse with people sometimes. my vices of coffee and cigarettes also ensure that ever couple hours i step back and reflect.

rehearsing: any rehearsal is too long!

a.f.c.t. : Do you feel like jazz is becoming more or less accesible to the audience or is it veering more toward the esoteric side with time / key signatures that are just too tough for the average listener to grasp? Is it easier to set off composing a new work when you have a specific public in mind?

Nettles : ever since bebop, jazz seems to have remained a fringe art form. content like rhythmic or harmonic density seem to be a factor... most listeners just don't like (or never got a chance to like because they never get to hear it) complicated music. just look at all the crappy, content-free, smooth jazz record sales! on the other hand, the music should be fun, and full of life, and not complicated for its own sake. again and again, if you go to a fusion show, or a prog-rock show, or a "guitar god" show, the audience is made up of guys with their arms crossed "assessing the technique/gear" and their bored-to-hell girlfriends. it can become adolescent, boring and athletic... none of the reasons i got into making music! another thought: jazz very often becomes the victim of its own traditions, dogma, or history. jazz "went to school" after it left the clubs, and that set up the performers and audiences with a whole list of expectations that miles or coltrane would probably find quite amusing.

hmmm... usually my starting point is more involved with "who is playing" over "who is listening". i absolutely must write music that the band likes to play! if they didn't, who in their right mind would put up with all the BS that comes along with it? plus, an audience ALWAYS can tell when the band is enjoying what they are doing. they may never know what's going on, but they always respond to us when we are really giving all we can to the music.

a.f.c.t. : Is there a favorite lick that you tend to use frequently or it is always fresh and different every time? That has to be a challenge when you're playing out all the time, having to reinvent your vocabulary again and again.

Nettles : new vocabulary comes in and out, and also there're the moments of true improvising when i get to work completely in the moment. i also rely a lot on my bandmates to "feed me" with unexpected material to work off of. some nights might be a great show where i just basically played my parts right and let the band go crazy, or vice versa. it's all agive and take, and i don't mind using words... sentences... stories...that i've used before to say something meaningful. and hell, it's always a new day, and we are all different people than we were yesterday.

a.f.c.t. : Most nights you've got some pretty tight curls going on up there under your headband. Who gave you your notoriously kinky locks?

Nettles : haha! laziness. for a period of time i just stopped thinking about getting a haircut. it got too long to see, and i just tied it up, and it's been that way for a while now... who knows, maybe i will get ashampoo sponsorship?

Find more music videos from Kenosha Kid on Youtube.

Thanks go to Dan for his gracious participation and for keeping jazz alive in Athens, GA! Kenosha Kid's official site gives the feeling that Dan Nettles and his crew are up to plenty besides inventing soundtracks to classic silent films, so head over and have a look and a listen!

Take a Stab at Oscar ®

2010-02-02T15:38:00.023-05:00

Despite having had very little success in the past, I'm still going to have a guess as to the winners in a handful of Academy Award categories -- only the biggies!

Give it a try yourself as a comment (that's where I'll record my picks). Check back after all is said and done and see how you've made out. Number your choices and see if you can best me --> Challenge!

...........................................................................................................

Complete Nominees List: The 82nd Annual Academy Awards
by The Associated Press
February 2, 2010

1. Best Picture: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air.
2. Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart; George Clooney, Up in the Air; Colin Firth, A Single Man; Morgan Freeman, Invictus; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker.
3. Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side; Helen Mirren, The Last Station; Carey Mulligan, An Education; Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' by Sapphire; Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia.

4. Supporting Actor: Matt Damon, Invictus; Woody Harrelson, The Messenger; Christopher Plummer, The Last Station; Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones; Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds.

5. Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Nine; Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart; Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air; Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire.

6. Directing: James Cameron, Avatar; Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker; Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds; Lee Daniels, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire; Jason Reitman, Up in the Air.

7. Foreign Language Film: Ajami, Israel; El Secreto de Sus Ojos, Argentina; The Milk of Sorrow, Peru; Un Prophete, France; The White Ribbon, Germany.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9; Nick Hornby, An Education; Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, In the Loop; Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire; Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air.

9. Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker; Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds; Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, The Messenger; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man; Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Tom McCarthy, Up.

10. Animated Feature Film: Coraline; Fantastic Mr. Fox; The Princess and the Frog; The Secret of Kells; Up.

11. Art Direction: Avatar, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, Sherlock Holmes, The Young Victoria.

12. Cinematography: Avatar, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, The White Ribbon.

15. Original Score: Avatar, James Horner; Fantastic Mr. Fox, Alexandre Desplat; The Hurt Locker, Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders; Sherlock Holmes, Hans Zimmer; Up, Michael Giacchino.

16. Original Song: "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman; "Down in New Orleans" from The Princess and the Frog, Randy Newman; "Loin de Paname" from Paris 36, Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas; "Take It All" from Nine, Maury Yeston; "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from Crazy Heart, Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett.

17. Costume: Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Nine, The Young Victoria.

18. Documentary Feature: Burma VJ, The Cove, Food, Inc., The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, Which Way Home.

Haiti | Paste Magazine | Donate | Listen

2010-01-27T17:13:00.008-05:00

Paste Magazine, well known as a source of indie "cool" in the music world, has made donating to disaster relief for beleaguered Haiti even easier. The initiative offers free music downloads from a vault of 250 songs to those who donate via the Songs for Haiti drive, and, rather remarkably, as a thank you gift to those who have contributed via other organizations.

This does not mean helping should always be rewarded. This is technology working for the greater good. It is "on your honor" so please don't abuse it; just use it to do some good for our neighbors in El Caribe.

Songs for Haiti

By Another Name...

2010-01-27T13:39:00.005-05:00

Again, it's high time to change this space's name, if not for you then for me. The last cycle was an attempt to 'audi alteram partem' which was meant to give rise to commentary around here. Well, I'm not sure it did that, but in any case, I think traffic was up due to a great respect for German automotive engineering (a nice trick to emply now that I know it!).

So, this time I'll go with the title 'vade mecum' which roughly translates into "go with me" but that take on the Latin phrase could be a little misleading. It's not a plea; instead it's a definition for what this gathering of tidbits has become to me. It's something that's following me around; conversely, sometimes I'm the one following the interests that arise. In the sense that a journal or a handbook goes with you, so too does this blog 'vade mecum'.

However I dissect it, this place is slowly evolving into something, and I suppose I'll try to take a little pride in that. My continued thanks to those of you who come around to visit, read, listen or otherwise open your minds here.

Jean Baptiste Reinhardt

2010-01-25T16:37:00.025-05:00

...that's Django to you and me!

photo courtesy of samarati.biz

The man, the legend would have turned 100 this weekend and don't I just wish he had had the longevity of masters (genre jumping here) like Chucho Valdés or Doc Watson. There are many out there who've researched and written on the world's most respected and most emulated Romany, so follow the links below to read more and listen to Django's recorded legacy.

photo courtesy of fgmrecords.com

For more info and a chance to listen:

Musical Interlude - excellent article for bmj.com

Django Reinhardt - Joseph Dinkins article for redhotjazz.com

Sample tracks - some samples from 7digital.com

Django Radio - all gypsy jazz on last.fm

The Cove

2010-01-19T14:19:00.022-05:00

Typically, if I'd come across a film about dolphins and activists, I'd probably dismiss it thinking, "It's been done. We all know about Greenpeace." However, The Cove, from director Louie Psihoyos in coordination with the Oceanic Preservation Society, is far from the conventional stories we've all heard about "Flipper" and his (and her actually!) fellow cetaceans.

With extensive interviews from Ric O'Barry, original trainer to television's "Flipper" and a dolphin activist ever since, The Cove is perhaps the most unnerving, disheartening yet exhilarating and enthralling documentary film you're likely to see.

By the end, if you have even a sliver of a heart, you'll be deeply sympathetic to the plight of the world's dolphins but also to the state of the oceans in general. Just by shedding light on one dolphin "killing cove" in Japan, the film's organizers have opened the flood gates of international compassion, and hopefully action as well, that will lead to end of these abhorrent practices.

Despite the inherent weight of the work's message, the OPS team has produced a captivating spy tale full of cat-and-mouse reconnaissance, covert operations, breathless near misses, and triumphantly OO7-esque surveillance. Put all this together and you have what deserves to win the Oscar for best documentary film of 2009.

Some of the scenes involving a pair of champion free divers are quite breathtaking. In an underwater world that is made up essentially of sound and sound alone, dolphins and whales are generally perturbed by s.c.u.b.a. equipment, so these especially gifted divers are able to commune with the creatures without restrictions -- just beings sharing an environment together.

There are so many ways you can help: One way is to completely avoid consuming large fish species in foods like sushi and sashimi (your neurons will thank you for keeping them free from mercury exposure which is a central theme of the greater environmental issues presented in The Cove); another way is to start with the Internet and find out how to contribute in any way possible.

TheCoveMovie.com
SaveJapanDolphins.org
TakePart.com
Facebook.com/causes
OPSociety.org

MLK: In His Own Words

2010-01-18T13:52:00.011-05:00

It is a beautiful, sun-filled day in the South. On this day, our country honors the memory and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His own words speak best to his mission of equality and justice which continues to this day.

Today's Christian Science Monitor has published a collection of quotes:

• Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

• I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil
triumphant. –Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Dec. 10, 1964

• Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.

• Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

• I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

• When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.

• Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. –letter from Birmingham jail, April 16, 1963

• The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers. –"Strength to Love"

• I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered
something he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

• The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. –"Strength to Love"

I'll Take Conan, Please

2010-01-12T17:12:00.016-05:00

With its sale to Comcast, NBC has clearly been desperate for a good, long while. Now, this business with shuffling late-night hosts and line-ups has made it even worse. Moving Jay Leno to a talk show slot before the 11'o'clock news was a mistake and not simply because of the time slot; Jay may have been funny once, but he should move along and make room for some fresh minds -- oh, wait...but he already did!

In light of all this, should Conan O'Brien, who has earned his comedic reputation and his new 11:35 pm spot with years of hilarity, have to step aside for the leader of the old guard who, for whatever reason, couldn't make it work in primetime?

If anyone at the network had any vision whatsoever, someone in charge would realize that Conan O'Brien is the single biggest talent in their stable followed closely by Tina Fey. Is there a trend developing? Good comedy and quality entertainment on the National Broadcasting Company comes straight out of the Saturday Night Live comedy finishing school / farm team / college for the performing arts. Why not let Lorne Michaels run the entire network!

Most of the chatter indicates that this will be the end of O'Brien's remarkably short run as Tonight Show host. In his own words, Conan was hardly given a chance to get the historical show back into the late night mix with his inimitable brand of comedy, one heavy on humility and self-deprication. He's a star and a favorite personality of most people my age and to let him go because of what are essentially logisitcal difficulties is short-sighted and just more evidence that NBC is a sinking ship operating with a braindead, skeleton crew.

If Conan O'Brien can find another network to support his efforts to entertain us, then we'll get to smile again and I sincerely hope he does just that.

Fotos dos Campos de São Paulo

2010-01-06T14:35:00.012-05:00

My Brasilian "cousin" (then later my "brother" in Michigan) from my days as a Rotary exchange student sent these colorful shots from his current hometown of São Jose dos Campos in São Paulo state. The more rural image was taken at a family gathering in the gently rolling hills nearby.

Bem visto, Fernando, e obrigado por os compartir!

Impeccable timing, really, to catch that lightning -- parabems!

I like this next shot because I can spot where all the great "churrasco" is made, outside, in the fresh air with family and friends. Que saudade!

Humming a Different Tune

2009-12-21T10:10:00.011-05:00

While it may be new compared to the song of Kyoto, the new Copenhagen Accord on climate change regulation may not be exactly the kind of progress we needed, but at the least it sounds like a secondary step in a positive direction.

Sunday's New York Times editorial sums it up and at once highlights just what I thought was wrong with the media's treatment of the conference and its goals despite the intense preparations made by participating factions:

The global climate negotiations in Copenhagen produced neither a grand success nor the complete meltdown that seemed almost certain as late as Friday afternoon. Despite two years of advance work, the meeting failed to convert a rare gathering of world leaders into an ambitious, legally binding action plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It produced instead a softer interim accord that, at least in principle, would curb greenhouses gases, provide ways to verify countries’ emissions, save rain forests, shield vulnerable nations from the impacts of climate change, and share the costs.

Now, after the fact, it seems fine to pin a good deal of the credit on Mr. Obama and his eleventh hour efforts to save the disintegrating negotiations from failure. This new accord may be a save of sorts, but the article overstates the case that our man in Washington was the main catalyst.

President Obama deserves much of the credit. He arrived as the talks were collapsing, spent 13 hours in nonstop negotiations and played hardball with the Chinese. With time running out — and with the help of China, India, Brazil and South Africa — he forged an agreement that all but a handful of the 193 nations on hand accepted.

Nonetheless, the heavy-hitters (or more aptly named, "heavy smokers") are now further obligated to make significant changes in climate regulation in their home countries, although I won't qualify the U.S. target of 17% reduction by 2020 as any kind of glorious illustration of leading by example. At the very least, we and all the rest of the most noxious emitters are dancing to the same tune for now, and it seems that the world's leaders can agree that this climate cycle is, for the most part, man-made and should thus be addressed and ameliorated by the same guilty party.

So, even after months of negativity and doubt, there is an accord, with real emissions targets on the horizon, to which governments and corporations must adhere. This should be the christening needed to send a new, greener ship on an inter-continental voyage to sweep fossil fuels, hopefully along with last century's other environmental ills, right out the back door like so much useless grit.

Produce: Labor's Fruits

2009-12-14T13:29:00.008-05:00

As I paused to let a garbage truck turn clumsily in front of me, I caught the a scent-memory of photo fixer in my nose and it slipped me back years in time, back into the darkroom on a day reminiscent of this misty, muggy day. I'd spend hours with that familiar smell wafting into my head, my mind transfixed on images and processes and exposure times and light. By the end of such a day, I'd have a stack of dried down prints to marvel at, nitpick over, and sometimes actually enjoy. But the day had sure enough satisfyingly slithered away from me like a venomless snake through leaf litter.

Now, the days slip by but I've little concrete to show for those days of long work. My eyes become a filter and what does not belong deserves mention, a discussion, a suggestion, a lesson. The students glean something from every session, but in the end what exactly that is eludes measure.

What scent will trigger these days? Will this be a fond recollection of good work and satifaction? My wish is only this.

Copenhagen | Hopenhagen

2009-12-08T16:12:00.015-05:00

The climate talks in Copenhagen: It's clearly an "all your eggs in one basket" kind of deal. However, it's better that the "eggs" ride along in any basket as opposed to being kicked around like golf balls "foot-wedged" from the rough. If we leave it up to lawmakers alone, though, we may end up scrambled anyway, but that's an entirely different discussion.

Admittedly, the Kyoto Protocol has served the world's governments as a framework within which they can build and implement environmentally conscious policies. What has been disturbing about all the lead up to the Copenhagen talks is that most new agencies and media figures have been repeating their skepticism at reaching any kind of binding climate agreement.

Even as the talks get underway, the media is poisoning the diplomatic dynamic, one that is inherently fragile and often emotionally charged, by continuing to convey only the doubts surrounding the summit. The media should report on the talks day-to-day, bringing the public a snapshot of a restricted, influential slice of the democratic process; leave conjecture to the think-tanks and just see what happens instead of jinxing the whole affair with negative projections.

As a media leader, The New York Times is doing the prescribed job at least: the organization is trying to present a multi-faceted look at Copenhagen while using Kyoto as a reference point (maybe the only one available). Check out the piece on the Kyoto Protocol's effect on carbon emissions and we begin to see from where the negative outlook for results in Copenhagen sprung forth. The interactive page-by-page diagram is particularly informative.

For the most part, the media has put a figurative "dark cloud" over Copenhagen where a literal cloud has already formed -- over there and over here and everywhere in between. My hope is that humanitarian vision and idealism will prevail over the practicalities of economic strength and profit trajectories as related to emissions legislation. Our leaders need to see that, in addition to supporting bottom-up, grassroots conservation efforts that keep local economies thriving and green, they need to put the U.S. in a political and economic position to lead by example and let that ecologically-minded position trickle down to developing world where the environmental battles can still be fought and won, as well.

We all have a responsibility to "quit smoking" fossil fuels, as we've learned to do so well since the Industrial Revolution, and begin sipping green energy to the benefit of the entire earthly system. Let's hope that those in Copenhagen can find a path through the concrete jungle of rhetoric and greed to a healthier planet for us all -- one where human rights, economic fortitude, and environmental impacts all still matter.

Friday Night in San Francisco

2009-11-24T13:02:00.012-05:00

Of all the great vinyl that I listened to as a kid, this album was the epitome of that crackly, hissy but markedly vibrant set of experiences.

By now, the cover art and the font here seem trite and dated, but the music captured on this inspirational night in 1981 is by the far the highest level acoustic performance I've yet heard recorded. Each player comes through on his individual channel with John McLaughlin playing from the center.

Sure, there are probably a handful of classical guitarists out there who could top the technical skills of any of these three men; however, I'm confident that never before had three towering talents all converged for one evening at the vortex of style, technique and passion, leaving the crowd in wild ecstasy while leaving behind a record of rhythmic and melodic nonpareil. These guys were flamenco/classical rockstars at the time and it's easy to discern the source of their legend as you listen to each serendipitous mounting of theme and improvisation, each phrase that seems to threaten to take the whole ensemble irrevocably over some precipice of control and reason. The result is a tension-filled frenzy of fingers and breath and chills that leaves the listener enraptured and jealous of the audience on that inspired night in San Francisco.

Check out Walter Kolosky's article about this historic recording at AllAboutJazz.com

Photography: Roy DeCarava

2009-11-09T17:29:00.020-05:00

Other Roy DeCarava links of interest:

NPR blog picture show - nice overview of images

Minneapolis Institue of Arts Retrospective - bio info & images

NY Times blog - good series of photos

LA Times obituary - died at age 89

The National Public Radio story following the death of photographer Roy DeCarava does a fine job with the biography of the relatively unknown artist. Just a glance at a very few images, though, gives one the notion that he had an unrivaled power of observation and immpecable timing to capture the essence of African-American life in the mid-20th century.

photo courtesy of www.dpgr.gr

DeCarava's subject matter was what he found around his home, the people in the streets or on buses and trains, and with his remarkably keen eye, he was able to capture certain fleeting but very telling moments that most of us would never even notice. A fine example of his astute observational skill comes in the form of this famous image of a subway platform, one in which race plays a central role but is emphasized by space rather than color.

photo courtesy of web.ncf.ca

DeCarava's photographs of jazz legends are some of the finest in the genre. There were others who sidled up to the likes of Duke Ellington and Thelonius Monk, but Roy DeCarava's shots genuinely seem to evoke sound, smoke, heat and excitement, the kind found right there at the foot of the stage (Decarava's Coltrane photo courtesy of stage.ebonyjet.com).

Whether historically accurate or not, my inclination is to put DeCarava in an elite category with another lover of the street, the patriarch of spontaneity in photography, Cartier-Bresson. And Gordon Parks, that renaissance man of visual, sonic, and written language, is also of DeCarava's era and the two have complimentary styles which are worthy of comparison.

Odilon Redon

2009-10-29T15:51:00.008-04:00

The Buddha (1905) ~ Bertrand-Jean (Odilon) Redon

image courtesy of artinthepicture.com

This image is one of my favorite oil paintings from any time period. I'm not sure why I enjoy it so much, but I think it's something in the way the objects and figures seem to float on top of the lush backgrounds, appearing separate from the landscape but not completely detached.

The effect is surrealist, in a sense, but Redon's subject matter, mostly still-lifes with plenty of natural themes, lends a calming tone to the work overall. The fact that the French artist was a skilled printmaker draws me in further. There is much more to discover about this underrated master.

This vision of the Buddha with the Bodhi Tree is one that appears in a few of Redon's paintings and I appreciate the Buddhist mythology, the serenity of the classic pose, as well as the vibrant but earthy color palette.

For more exquisite paintings by Redon, visit Odilon-Redon.org. Another site, OdilonRedon.net, can provide some more detailed biographical info.

Wave Action

2009-10-21T14:10:00.019-04:00

The scientific principle behind these videos captured my attention as I was exploring the Objectified blog (a recent documentary film by Gary Hustwit). The images do a far better job expressing the wave phenomenon than I ever could.

Enjoy...but before you do, turn down the volume because the frequencies used to create these patterns are somewhat obnoxious!

This next one is a cool, practical application for the same resonant effect.