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15th Annual Joshua Tree Music Festival

this entry has 0 Comments/ in REVIEW, ARTSEARTH WRITER, Event Reviews, ARTICLES, Music / by Blanton Ross
May 31, 2017

article by Blanton Ross for ArtsEarth | photo by Bon Nielson

When ArtsEarth contacted me about bearing witness to JTMF I became possessed with a flurry of curious expectations counting down the hours to the opening of the 15th annual festival. Many sources will tel you this is not the average festival. Where as Coachella bathes in glitz, plastic, consumerism and pop elitism, JTMF maintains an ethos of earthiness and unity that is the spirit of the High Desert. Starting with the founding fifteen years ago, those who become involved become family returning time and time again to contribute art or music or lend skills in carpentry, sound and administration. The yearly themes “Teach Peace”, “Love Everybody”, and “Music Is The Spirit Of Life”,  advocate a global unity. Artists like Bret Philpot leave lasting homages to these themes on the walls which can be found all around the venue.  The importance of community is palpable at this festival.  Passes are offered to volunteers in exchange for time in the preceding weeks clearing the grounds of weeds and desert brush growing between the Bi-Annual festivals, taking care of patrons thought the weekend, and cleaning up afterwards. Among the security, the parking attendants, will call attendants and engineers, there is a sense of camaraderie, familiarity and cooperation. Its not uncommon to recognize the person dancing in costume one day donning the orange vest and greeting you at the gate on the next. The festival promises to always be small, restricting ticket sales to no more than 450, in order to maintain the family friendly ineffable JTree-an vibe that larger festivities lose with restrictions, VIP access, and the other concerns that come from thousands of people gathering together. Instead you are rewarded with something spacious and uncrowded like the surrounding desert, you never feel that you need to miss anything though many things are happening all around suiting the varying interests of different people. In hindsight, I’m inclined to suggest Burning Man’s origins encapsulated in a tiny permanent installation and carefully maintained as a bonsai tree is an apt description.

The location is as much a part of the festival as the event itself. Starting with the allure of Joshua Tree major, the desert, the park, the quirky little town, the long thin road winding away from the main highway towards an uncertain destination, the house with the strange rust patina metal sculptures, the large swoop arrows saying “All Stop Here”. Upon passing through the metal gate one is let loose inside a wonderland of wood, sticks, sand, concrete, metal, crafted with care one stage or dividing wall at a time, each nook and cranny filled with some artistic flourish. Rumor has it there is a portrait of founder Barnett English in pirate regalia in a back stage greenroom. The lake, which also hosts the local astronomy club, was all that existed in the early days, a single stage where now all day yoga classes are offered next to a sanctuary dedicated to well being. One is Invited to wander around the lake and taking in the fauna, flora, and artwork displayed in various enclaves about the premises. We cut through the layout of stages in the music bowl and back to the Boogaloo stage which looks like something out of Peter Pans favorite dreams in which the lost boys are all cowboys in a Sergio Leone western. The area traditionally reserved for a mosh pit is filled with small children chasing bubbles in the lights.  Here exist the Travelers, Vagabonds, Nomads and Burners, time worn hippies, the smell of dank and pachouli, tie die and dreadlocks, sandals and hiking boots, costumes, fancy dress, bikini tops and harem pants, hula hoops and poi, bare skin and headscarves along with a smorgasbord of hat wear from all over the world. The attendees gather alongside the listed acts, each performing in some small or large way against the back drop of an eclectic music festival. The bowl becomes a staggered call and response drawing the active crowd from stage to stage while some settle their chairs near the center sheltered under the shades and rotating towards the active stage and migrating slowly as the familiar desert sun crosses overhead. Carpets are placed upon the sand before each stage beckoning for attendees to relax on the ground indian style or lounge back on elbows as they meditate with the music. Without fail a dancing swarm moves in upon the space and the sitters may either rise and join or be displaced to an outer edge.

The set list features 9 bands with elements from international countries and representatives from all over the west coast. There is also the pick of local talent, a growing pool of creative imports drawn like iron in the sand to a magnet from across the country and beyond the sea. The Desert has a way of knowing its own, roots are taken or the dust and sun withers or chases away that which does not belong. Amongst the local acts a fair amount of musical intermingling plays out, individuals share the stage with one another in a multitude of configurations sharing the limelight and jamming as they often do on the the stages of many of the local establishments and smaller house and desert parties occurring through out the year.

Thursday Night: The night of reconnaissance, I really had no idea what to expect, or how to find the place for that matter. The familiar face, Chris Unck wore a blue jacket and dollish wig with a little red ribbon bow and pounds away at his Gibson SG, backed by a spanish guitarist in flat top hat and sash who would trade to bass and electric guitar loops, along with Wally who would yet become the traditional percussion bearer for much of the local talent.  The early crowd made itself known as big fans of Reggae. The children owned the area, eventually giving way to excited older dancers eager to kick off the festivities.   Sasha Rose of Liberation Movement played three DJ Sets, and Down North took the late prime spot with their groove rock. Along the edge of the lake we found our friend Cain Motter setting up lighting for his installation of strange desert treasures mounted on a wooden fence. He is one of many making final preparations for the weekend. It has become dark and knowing that much will reveal itself in light and completion, we drove the long strait ribbon of quiet road back to the highway and found our beds for the night to get an early start.

Friday Morning: We meander around the lake to see the installations that have blossomed over night, rough sketches on canvas to be filled in by live painters through out the week, a class of yoga being taught to a group of 30 or so attendees would later be found to be a continuous staple rising and falling in attendance as festival goers found new and exciting things to do before returning for more rejuvenation. By the cafe, Bad Jamma explores Loop performance and multi-instrumentalism. A toddler runs through the crowd down to the front and waving a white ribbon as Shea Freedom advocates togetherness, personal empowerment and transgender issues while singing campfire songs with the soulfulness of a young Tracy Chapman. Hidden back on the Boogaloo Stage local artist Philip Rosenblum presents a soft acoustic instrumentation and whimsical twisted lyrics like something out of Alice in Wonderland.  The familiar sounds of the locally popular Adobe Collective are followed by Myshkin who’s ensemble of circus performers propels the music in to something much more. La Inédita from Peru follows bringing dance with their latin/rap fusion sounds. Next, Kraak and Smaak return from the Netherlands for a dance party that starts in daylight with something reminiscent of Deee-lite and ended in full stage lighting and surprising industrial pounding.  In the midst of that set while resting on a bench I met a man with a Don Quixote tattoo, he tells me why he became a clown after using laughter to cure himself of cancer. He travels every year from Colorado because the festival offers him time with his daughter and grandchildren who live in San Diego. I begin to understand that this festival is about more than just music and art to many attendees, that community becomes a reason to return again and again.  The now sufficiently pumped crowd migrates to a performance of dazzlingly exceptional tightness by Joshua Tree’s very own “Prince”, Gene Evaro, Jr. who switches with virtuosic funk from guitar to keys, grinning and dancing backed by a horn and solid rhythm section recently off tour. Next up is Liberation Movement in an adventure of lighting, costume, theatrics and dance blended to strange world music sounds and deep dub beats. They take us late into the night into a night closed by Marques Wyatt and Wiskerman.

Saturday Morning: Starts out soft with the vocal harmonies of Sirens of Soul. I’m late to arrive, held by locals at the entrance grumbling over the one day admission. “Last time I was here it was cheaper… nit picky charges, like extra for parking and more for ins and outs… what happened to a local discount?”  The previous night has taken some pep out of the early morning step but the crowds are back on the dance carpets for local act Desert Rhythm Project. A girl is naps on the ground, making it through an hour and a half of that set and the following set by singer/songwriter Tom Freund who switches from guitar to ukelele to upright bass song to song backed by the previously mentioned and now featured Wally Ingram on percussion, with a lady fiddler and steel guitarist. I venture from the sitting area to get a better look at the collection of continental (Pakistan/UK) Baraka Moon. As the lead singer teaches the audience to “Send Love” in the outstretched hand waving motions of balinese monkey chanters, I am overcome by the smell of Indian food lingering over the fest and think with all this SaReGa going on there will never be a better moment to get a pair of $5 samosas. I wait in line and hand the guy my twenty, he offers samosas and a five. I say “I gave you a twenty.”  He shows me a ten retorting “You gave me a ten.” Back and forth we go until I in frustration I call him thief and take refuge in my $15 snack, consoling myself with “what is a little sacrifice? I have been well taken care of here on the whole.”  When I return the sleeper has risen and wandered off,  my friends have vanished and strangers have taken over their chairs.  Aerialists take over the western area in front of the vendor booths, backlit in gold by a sinking sun.   Jambanai from South Korea peaked my interest early on from their description. The opening noise drone using a reed woodwind of traditional origins rang out across the bowl at a tremendous volume bringing a joyful ecstasy at the idea that this disquieting jolt of timbre might sustain indefinitely. The audience churned and many didn’t know what to make of it, until the sound swarmed into writhing distorted guitars and broke into zithers and traditional bowed Korean instruments. The effect transported all into a far unfamiliar place in the end holding the audience captivated.  The rising and falling texture welcomed in the night and the California Honeydrops and Orgōne, concluding in the early hours of morning with the local burlesque sensation Cactus Wine Experience surprising all with fantastic catwalk cameos of the rarest form.

Sunday Morning: I am left to find my own parking spot, the day’s first sign of the shift towards the events coda. Only the main gate attendants occupy their posts. A calmness has displaced the buzz that peaked first on Friday and built roughly again towards Saturday night. Sunday seemed a day of soul searching, sound checks and sunburns. The auction benefiting Joshua Tree Living Arts brought together the final live paintings from the scattered locations throughout the festival. The atmosphere carries the same consolidation.   Edith Crush plays guitars and sings drifting into and out of French as she holds down a steady beat of kick drum tambourine with her feet.  She is joined temporarily on stage by Teddy Quinn of Radio Free Joshua Tree for a song with pious overtones. Megan Hutch follows on the Boogaloo stage. Seeking the spirit of stillness I wonder to find Steven Morris doing a repeat performance of his hand pan set in the The Vibration Station, a shaded henge of painted walls offering an opportunity to interact with artists away from the main stages in a more intimate setting. Here is a place of creative/mindfulness talks, sing alongs and drum circles. Most things on the lake side involve interactivity, children paint, a golf cart continuously circles dragging a literal boat full of children shouting with glee at the prospect of high fives from strangers as they roll past. Trevor Green is first to take one of the major stages, he plays acoustic guitar and didgeridoo with the familiar Wally and a violinist with a subtle calmness. There are a few new faces in the crowd, interlopers on the weekend’s established culture, uninitiated, shall we say? Superbowl Backyard BBQ types. In the spirit of togetherness and equality it seems strange to single them out. Especially as Trevor sings of sacred nature and global harmony. The dancers build to the side, chairs have been placed directly down center in disregard of festival etiquette. I sit, straight spine, eyes closed, migrating slowly to the center, half pushed half by choice into the vacuum of a departing family. At the end of the set a kid pulls me out from myself, “Hey, You want to buy me lunch?”, I say “No thanks”, I’m still holding a grudge about being ripped off by the Indian food vendor the day before and I tell him to take it up with him “He owes me…” As I turn to leave he sulks and says quietly “I’m starving”… I ignore him and wander off to be truly alone for the first time the whole weekend, processing, seeking some transcendental thread I can hold on to, trying to figure out what is to be said of all this. Stopping to refill my water bottle at the hydration station, I contemplate whether any of it has changed me, what I will take away from all of this, the music is a backdrop to a bigger picture, hardly a thing to define the festival by. I’m feeling the judgy nags of sobriety, I can hear a sound check back in the bowl. When I get back to the Indian Cove stage I am greeted by a beautiful kora and get caught up once again in another sound check  only to find hungry kid sitting next to me again, saying to some other person how hungry he is. I say something along the lines of “haven’t you found something to eat yet?“ He pitches the goods on me again and we banter refining processes of tree bark, definitions of natural, chemistry and I exercise extreme self control, when I give him the left over $5 from my samosas and say go get some pizza. I want to offer some kind of meager generosity. The kid takes his leave and Dirtwire takes the stage in all black playing an eerie harmonica solo over Charlie Chaplin’s poignant monologue from “The Great Dictator”.

“We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in man; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all.”
— Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator

The overall vibe has coagulating into a texture almost physical. I am the silent watcher on the outside looking in upon the vibrant entanglement of youth, dancing, hoola-hooping, spinning sticks and poi. Mokembe from Zimbabwe takes the stage, Sound checking in little virtuosic bursts. The MC prophesies, “those sitting won’t be for much longer”, and within 45 seconds it has come to pass. The dance area erupts as the sounds of high life cut through the air. I marvel at the interplay between the bass and guitar player as they dance along side the vocalist. Shadows stretch long upon their faces as the mid afternoon sun begins to burn in from the edges of the canopy. The temperature has risen steadily as the days have gone by. I skirt the congregation bouncing to African rhythms reminiscing on the wonder of sounds from a vast world melded into the psyche of the global tribe. Each has an individual experience, committed in their own way, choosing what to offer and receive in return, some put in work, some join the family, some graze the surface, some opt for full immersion. Participants in a ritual as old as time. A gathering, a celebration. The bearers of the festival’s quintessence are burnt from days of partying in the sun and cool nights of dancing, yet still they persist, holding on for the conclusion of the very last acts before packing up tents and heading once again into the real world. They alone truly own the experience of each and every moment. They have made new friends, stretched the boundaries of themselves, they have heard expressions of sound previously unknown to them. This tiny microcosm, for the chosen, has opened a gate to a much larger world. Turning to sneak away, some where amongst the rabble, I over heard someone say “I lost my friends but I found something else.”

MAY 18-21, 2017: Joshua Tree Music Festival – 15th Annual Spring

Spoke Art – Miyazaki

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Multimedia, Exhibition, REVIEW, ARTSEARTH WRITER, Visual Arts, ARTICLES / by artsearth
February 14, 2017

article & photos by Meaghan Alfonso for ArtsEarth

One of Japan’s greatest animation directors, Hayao Miyazaki, has been an international inspiration. As Co-Founder of Studio Ghibli, his career has spanned for over five decades as this masterful storyteller. From “Kiki’s Delivery Service” to “Spirited Away”, his movies have touched so many hearts. He is what they call, the “Japanese” Walt Disney.

FEB 4-25: Miyazaki – An Art Show Tribute | Spoke Art, San Francisco, California

I have visited the Spoke Art Gallery in San Francisco a few times, because my younger sister’s dorm was right next to it. When I found out that Spoke Art is having a tribute to Miyazaki and his films, I was super excited! Might I say though, I did not expect what was going to happen the day of opening reception. Underestimating how many fans would be there, let alone on a Saturday night, I wasn’t able to see the show. The number of people lined up to see the artwork was mind-blowing. The line literally went around the entire block! It would have taken hours until I would finally get to see the show. So sadly, I had to wait until Tuesday when they were opened up again. But, it was well worth the wait!

Spoke Art has over fifty artists from around the world that are contributing to the show. They had paintings, sculptures, and prints of each artist’ interpretation of Miyazaki’s stories and characters. I loved all of the different styles that contributed, especially the adorable vinyl toys by Zard Apuya. Every single “munny” doll was a tribute to one of Miyazaki’s films. The collection of all the Miyazaki inspired Japanese food that he placed in this “bento box” was so creative! The little sculptures were simple, yet together they all looked deliciously good enough to eat. My favorite: The “Miya-zuki Buns & Matcha Shaved Iced”. I now wish they had a restaurant that sold these cleverly named treats. Another exciting part of the show was the Susuwatari dressed walls, which ran across the door hinges and corners.

I don’t want to spoil the rest of the show for you, but the event is a definite must see! All of the pieces will definitely make you smile and feel nostalgic. There was a great amount of talent on the walls, and leaving the gallery made me want to watch all of Miyazaki’s films.

FEB 4-25: Miyazaki – An Art Show Tribute | Spoke Art, San Francisco, California

Membership | The Bach | Share Your Enthusiasm for Bach Society Performances

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this entry has 0 Comments/ in Music / by artsearth
December 2, 2013

Happy Holidays and Consider a Membership to The Bach/Douglas Beach House as a Gift

You receive the tax deduction and they receive four tickets and one-year priority reservations. The tickets can either be sent to you or to the recipient in your name with a brochure, calendar and explanatory letter. Individual tickets can also be purchased for open seating, good for any performance.

  • Become a Member for $250.00 a year. Members receive four $35 tickets, guaranteed Priority Seating for up to four people, and a $110 federal tax deduction. The tickets are transferable.
  • Add a Donation for any amount. You will receive a tax deductible receipt for the amount above the cost of four tickets.
  • Become a Contributor by adding $200.00 or more with Membership and receive specific seat assignment privileges – a $310 tax deductible contribution.

Contact Linda Goetz with credit card information at [email protected] or  +1 650-726-2020.

The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization for the musical arts since 1964.

___

Please write a comment below and any feedback is appreciated.

RELEASE: Daniel Rosenboom | Book of Omens

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this entry has 0 Comments/ in Music / by artsearth
July 9, 2013

Friday, July 12: Daniel Rosenboom | Book of Omens | CD Release Party
Art Share L.A., 801 E 4th Place, Los Angeles, California

Featuring

  • Daniel Rosenboom – trumpet and flugelhorn
  • Vinny Golia – tenor saxophone, alto flute, contralto clarinet
  • Jacob Vossler – electric guitar
  • Tim Lefebvre – electric bass and FX
  • Matt Mayhall – drums

ABOUT BOOK OF OMENS
Notes by Daniel Rosenboom and Gary Fukushima

Book of Omens is, in essence, a concept album inspired by an original shamanic myth about the cleansing and reforming of a corrupted universe. The album presents a new sonic zodiac, with 12 distinct chords representing 12 different symbolic “omens” or zodiacal signs, each chord governing the “harmonic astrology” for an entire piece, resulting in a suite of 12 pieces, bookended by a prologue and epilogue that state all 12 chords in succession.

As writer and pianist Gary Fukushima put it: “The music is cataclysmic and chaotic, a terrifying sonic prophecy of universal destruction and rebirth. The aesthetics are undeniably metal, but Book of Omens is also expansive and deconstructive, an illustration of time and space falling into irreparable catastrophe, with moments of incandescent beauty amid violent bursts of raucous groove lashing out in their death throes.”

Buy Book of Omens Online

  • iTunes
  • Amazon.com
  • Bandcamp.com
  • CD Baby.com

REVIEW: Borodin Quartet and Dwight Trible (2011)

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Event Reviews, ARTICLES, Music / by artsearth
February 20, 2011
Borodin Quartet and Dwight Trible (2011)

Dwight Trible (2011)

by Greg Cutler, Published: 2011-02-20

On Friday, February 18, I had the extreme pleasure of seeing The Borodin Quartet perform at the Santa Monica Woman’s Club. Let me first say that the club is a very good venue for this type of music. The building was built in 1914 and was renovated in 1961 after a fire. When you approach the building from the outside, go up the steps in front, through the big front doors and into the entryway you feel like you have been transported back to a simpler time. There is a big chandelier in the foyer with stairs on either side going up to the second floor and balcony above the main hall. Going through the doors from the foyer to the main hall, you arrive in a room about 100 feet square. The balcony on the second floor runs all the way around the room. Square posts line the edge of balcony and the floor space extends underneath. I got the feeling that many dance nights with big bands playing on stage had taken place in this auditorium. The stage is fairly large. It provided ample space for a grand piano, drum kit, and four other musicians. The acoustics gave it that perfect concert sound, but it was perfectly intimate enough for chamber music.

The Borodin Quartet played several classical compositions concentrating mainly with Russian composers. The quartet played both traditional classical and atonal pieces with the same intensity and virtuosity. The Tchaikovsky and Handel were my favorites. They performed with an effortlessness and intense familiarity with the material that allows them to improvise and lend their own flavor to each piece. It is an intense privilege to be in the presence of musicians who play so well together and also respond to the audience. I felt a real connection between the music and the audience. The venue was not entirely full which surprised me for such a distinguished and well-known quartet, but the audience members were very warm and receptive; a good time had by all.

The next quartet to perform was The Red Quartet. I wasn’t as impressed with them as The Borodin Quartet and felt they need a bit more experience under their belts with the singer, Marissa Steingold being slightly throaty and attempting to give a breathy, jazzy performance but she didn’t bring the music up from her diaphragm as one would expect. Her jazz improvisation with the guitarist was a bit jerky and not very creative I thought. Of the other musicians within The Red Quartet, the guitarist was the most talented.

The next musician to come on stage was a real treat and if you ever have a chance to check out vocalist Dwight Trible in concert, go see him! He comes out on stage in his cool shades and this knit, orange patterned vestment. The musician on the grand piano starts in with the drummer and a cool jazz style fills the room. Dwight Trible has a voice that starts with a funk vibe and ends in an exasperated cry for understanding in a world beset with cruelty. His blues is our blues and his frustration becomes our frustration. His cadence is unique and soulful; thoroughly entertaining!

If art is intended to create discussion, the evening of music at the Santa Monica Women’s Club last Friday evening featuring vocalist Dwight Trible, The Borodin Quartet, and The Red Quartet fulfilled it’s artful mission. My companion and I had plenty to discuss on our way home that evening. Thank you to all of the performers and people who organized this event.

REVIEW: Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet (2010)

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Event Reviews, ARTICLES, Music / by artsearth
December 6, 2010
Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet (2010)

Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet (2010)

by Greg Cutler, Published: 2010-12-06

Four musicians took the stage; The Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet is Wayne Horvitz – piano, Peggy Lee – cello, Sara Schoenbeck – bassoon, and Ron Miles – muted trumpet. Peggy and Wayne sat on the left side of the stage with Ron and Sara to the right side. Strings on the left, woodwinds and brass on the right. It’s no accident that they sit in this formation.

The Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet plays music that is not so much an exercise in exploring each one’s individual talents as a musician, but rather in creating soft soundtracks to each audience members’ own thoughts and memories; lullabies that sway us into sharply focused internal visual and auditory experiences.

The quartet slides easily into a shifting, swaying melody that brings to mind trips across the country in an old convertible with the crisp, fall wind blowing through your hair. Your friends sit with you in the car. Leaves blow in the trees, coming loose to float to the swishing grass on the side of the road. Clouds float across the sky.

Move on to a halting, atonal, creeping, stuttering exploration of an old deserted house on the edge of a field. Doors squeak. Every turn reveals more emptiness. Melancholy ensues.

Resonating meditations with alternating blips from the cello soothe the listener into a trance, with just enough variation to keep your mind from wandering. The musicians coax the tiniest possible noises out of their instruments. Enchanting!

A rhythmic waltz of piano and cello maintain the slow, deliberate goings on of Berlin in the early 20th century with solos from cello, bassoon, and trumpet each floating above the steady melody.

A hare emerges from her hole. An egret hunts a fish. A loon calls from afar. A mouse scurries down his tunneling path in the reeds. A duck slips into the water. The marsh comes to life. Each instrument takes on the persona of a different animal scurrying about in the marsh doing his or her own thing, but somehow creating an entirely unified illustration. Every now and then the animals come together paw in paw, spin and go their separate ways. They come together in the end to do a coordinated dance.

These are my interpretations of the music performed on the night of Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at the REDCAT, Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater. It was the perfect venue for this great performance!

REVIEW: Angel City Jazz Festival (2010)

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Event Reviews, ARTICLES, Music / by artsearth
October 6, 2010
Angel City Jazz Festival 2010

Angel City Jazz Festival (2010)

by Greg Cutler, Published: 2010-10-06

We missed the first half of Kneebody’s set, but it didn’t matter because having never heard them before we were treated to a musical experience that boggles the mind. We got to hear two and a half songs, but that was enough to place them on a high shelf in my mind’s music library. All of the musicians brought their own brand of awesome to the stage Sunday evening, October 3 2010. Kneebody was playing with 9.0+ points and a 5.3 degree of difficulty. They are not afraid to challenge themselves and each other with intricate rhythms, transitions, and key changes that rolled out effortlessly. Kneebody has a unique system of musical cues that they use to indicate when to change tempo and key. Anyone in the band can cue each individual in the band to play a solo and they have to react on time. It is like watching a game. Nate Wood sits in the back on drums. He steers Kneebody off the edge of the world and the crew comes along for the ride keeping up the pace, blending each of their own unique styles into the music. Great fun!

Vinny Golia Sextet was next. When they came out on stage I thought, “OK, Here’s this grey haired old mentor-type guy with a bunch of his CalArts students.” which turned out to be the right, but in this case what happens is a collaborative, creative, and innovative experience. The older, wiser Vinny was handing down knowledge and talented execution of his amazing compositions to these younger musicians who took the baton and ran with it. I found out later that Vinny’s a prolific composer. He writes many pieces every week. He is constantly coming up with new arrangements and his bandmates are constantly challenged and pushed to innovate alongside him. He really plays the heck out of both alto and bass saxophone. Each piece held us in a trance wondering what would happen next.

Sons of Champignon. Wow! Three guys with the power and enthusiasm of an entire orchestra. Don’t get any stupid ideas about bringing in an actual orchestra because that would ruin it. Tim Berne’s alto saxophone wound and weaved a spider’s web around the electronic maelstrom of Nel Cline’s live guitar experimentation. Jim Black has a unique challenge of melding the two unlikely sounds into one cohesive mix of delight. From smooth airy meditations to loud, rocking’ sound explosions Black concentrated on the saxophone in a flurry of what looked like back-breaking effort, lassoing the guitar and tying it to the saxophone. Cline stood there with one foot in front of the other facing the drums. He’d rock back and forth and at times reel back and balance on one foot only to rock forward again as the music moved him. His guitar was grinding licks into the composition while the drums thundered a double bass extravaganza and Berne wielded his saxophone with intricate passion. Whew! Awesome!

Wadada Leo Smith and his Golden Quartet were the only musicians at the event that I had seen before so my expectations were pretty high. I was not disappointed. Smith leads his band like a general who leads from the from the frontline. His commanding presence influences every move. He is a composer, performer, and conducting an improvisational force of nature. It’s like watching Zeus moving the heavens. Pheeroan akLaff delivers beats that remind me of when I was a child imagining what I would have wanted to sound like if I could play the drums; a mad torrent of flourishing movement and sound, controlled chaos. The complex stylings of Vijay Iyer on keyboard belong in a genre all to themselves. The band could have easily relied too heavily on the melodically textures emitted by Vijay’s fingers, but the keyboard simply blended effortlessly with everything. John Lindberg provided a solid upright bass tempo and underlying melody during the slower parts, but when he gets out his bow – look out! His solo was my favorite of the night. Smith waits for things to get going and then at the proper moment springs into action! There is a conscious raising of the musical pace from gentle beginning to a fantastic crescendo. He blasts his trumpet licks out into our eardrums going from open to muted back to open along with the feel of the piece. Smith demonstrates his ability to play a clean song as well as the balls to get down and dirty. He can manipulate his instrument to deliver a soul-charged grind of sound that speaks to each of us in our internal struggles.

The evening was capped by the impeccable stylings of none other than Ravi Coltrane. He too, I had never had the pleasure of seeing live. Boy, were we all in for a treat. Even though it had gotten a bit chilly in the venue, my guest and I could not wait to see Coltrane and Ralph Alessi kick out the jams … and by God they did! As the set unfolded, Alessi’s smooth, crisp playing set the tone. As Steve Hass’ amazing technical ability got the audience moving and jiving to his swinging beats, Coltrane came sliding into the already well padded landing zone furnished with mellow guitar blends and bass tones provided by Larry Koonse and Derek Oles respectively. Even though I was sitting outside in the clear night air at Los Angeles’ Ford Amphitheater I felt teleported into a small intimate jazz club perhaps in Manhattan, NY. And then, it was as if the club was sitting on top of a double decker bus and we were all rolling along through the streets of New York sampling the landmarks and skyline. Slowly, Coltrane brought us easily out of this trance and back to reality. A fitting end to an otherwise entirely memorable evening of incredible jazz performances. No matter who shows up next year, I will make sure not to miss the Angel City Jazz Festival in 2011!

REVIEW: Pilar Díaz, Le Butcherettes, Los Murderachis (2010)

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Event Reviews, ARTICLES, Music / by artsearth
August 9, 2010
Pilar Díaz Rocks the Plaza Tres Agaves, SF!

Pilar Díaz (2010)

by David Leikam, Published: 2010.08.09

On Saturday, July 17, 2010 in San Francisco, CA as part of the 14 Annual Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival – Convergence MMX, Pilar Díaz lay siege with a rocking live trio music set at the Plaza Tres Agaves at 130 Townsend Street. Featured on the bill, in order of performance was Gema de los Deseos, Los Murderachis, Pilar Díaz, and Le Butcherettes.

All groups performed well though the latter three music sets made quite an impression on me! San Francisco’s own Los Murderachis took the stage and started in on a few Mariachi tunes that were good, then they revved it up with an added heavy punk rock element that made a fine balance for the rest of their set that was more engaging with the audience though both performed well and interesting.

Next up was Pilar Díaz (former singer for Los Abandoned) with her trio making a rare San Francisco appearance featuring Fernanda Ulibarri on guitar/keyboard and Anthony Reyes on drums. Their set began with Pilar’s Friday The 13th/Trece that sparked the audience with pledges of their love and marriage to her. She definitely has a core fan base even outside of her current native Los Angeles, CA residence. The second song up was entitled Piñata where Pilar invited the audience to come closer to the stage and the audience crowded around the trio in eager anticipation! Once the first beat hit from Anthony and Pilar started singing, the crowd was dancing steadily throughout the rest of their set*. At the end of their set, the crowd demanded an encore and Pilar wasn’t sure if she should but with the roar of the crowd, she laid it down with Perdido. Pilar is one of the great singers alive today and a commanding frontwoman redefining music in the Spanish language Rock/Pop genre while Anthony establishes a sold and interesting rhythmic foundation for Fernanda and Pilar’s melodic resonance to dance upon with a fire unique in the present music scene complete with amplified ukulele from Pilar Díaz!

Le Butcherettes finished off the concert evening beginning with frontwoman Teri Gender Bender in a hooked nose masquerade mask, bloodied 1950’s nuclear family styled dress, and hand duster sweeping the stage/audience areas politely in silent. The band took the stage theatrically and from the first Teri expressed and very unique stage presence reminiscent of Diamanda Galás with the stamina of the best hardcore punk musician/singer where I was thinking, “She is still going full steam on that electric guitar (with heavy power riffs) three fourths of the way into their set and singing beautifully macabre lyrics to boot!” Quite an electrifying concert, transfixing the audience thoroughly and one of the best music concerts that I’ve been to in years.

Pilar Díaz’s Pilar Díaz (2008 debut album)

*Pilar Díaz’s 2010-07-17 SF Set

  • Friday The 13th/Trece
  • Piñata
  • Tu y Yo
  • Quien Eres
  • El Otro Yo
  • I’m Not Awake
  • Novia De Soldado
  • Ilegal En Estyle
  • Te Amo Te Amo (cover)
  • Encore: Perdido

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