I'm OK, They're OK Go

OK Go has taken a second pass at a video Do What You Want. And why not?

The first video for the song was pleasant enough, but the camera trick made me a little nauseous. The Wallpaper Version is clearly a descendant of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer video with its happy lunacy.

Is it as good as OK Go on Treadmills? Who cares?

Jib Jab nails one

I'm generally not a fan of topical humor set to music. As a loyal public radio monkey it pains me to say it, but The Capital Steps make me want to barf. And much as I love the multi-character political sketches Harry Shearer does on Le Show, his musical numbers bring the same pre-vomitous response to my gorge.

The problem? The chorus. Comdey depends on surprise (among other things) and when you repeat a chorus, the listener knows what's coming and you lose momentum and end up having to pump air back into the bit.

Not with the JibJab above. The part that repeats is blessedly brief and something new always leads up to it. (And all the animated clevage doesn't hurt either.)

End of dweeby comedy-theory pedantry.

I'm OK, They're OK Go

OK Go has taken a second pass at a video Do What You Want. And why not?

The first video for the song was pleasant enough, but the camera trick made me a little nauseous. The Wallpaper Version is clearly a descendant of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer video with its happy lunacy.

Is it as good as OK Go on Treadmills? Who cares?

Long live Joshua Redman

The SF JAZZ Collective plays Kansas City's Gem Theater on Sunday. It could be the concert of the year, although Roy Hargrove's show at the Folly back in January will be hard to top.

The Collective is, let's face it, a supergroup: Joshua Redman, Bobby Hutcherson and Renee Rosnes could all be called legends if they didn't in fact exist. The rest of the group is top notch.

Their first album focused on Ornette Coleman and was one of my favorites of 2005. That's an accomplishment because up until that time I didn't really care for Ornette Coleman. I'm still not slathering fan but thanks to the Collective, I get it (I think).

Another favorite album from Redman that same year was Momentum, which featured the shifting personnel that Redman and his collaborator Sam Yael call the Elastic Band.

The video above is a live performance of Jazz Crimes, which smokes. The excellent Brian Blade is on drums.

Metheney/Mehldau Quartet

Wishes sometimes do come true.

Last year, Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau put out Metheney/Mehldau (on Nonesuch). It consists primarily of guitar-piano duets. It is for the most part introspective, whispery lush and lovely.

But my favorite tracks were the two featuring the remaining two thirds of The Brad Mehldau Trio, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard. I remember wishing at the time that there was a whole album of that stuff. And now there is.

I just got a hold of Quartet today. On the strength of one listen, I can say that I approve. The addition of the rhythm section adds a welcome energy and draws both the pianist and the guitaist away from their noodling instincts.

The Quartet starts a 27-city North American Tour today. Oh, how I wish I lived in one of those cities.

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For more insight on the Metheney/Mehldau melding, check out this notorious interview from WYNC's Studio 360, which includes Mehldau's long-awaited dissing of Bill Evans. Familiarity and comparisons apparently breed contempt.

It's funny because it's true

The kids at Kasper Hauser do a dead-on spoof of This American Life. Why? Because they love (I suspect). The only thing missing is Ira's ostentatious mouth smacks and pops.

And really, doesn't TAL deserve a little poke in the ribs? More than a decade later, the show can totters on the brink of becoming the kind of sacred cow it set out to barbeque. (And isn't it just a little creepy that Alex Blumberg sounds SO much like Ira?)

Anyhoo, can't wait to see the TV version on Showtime. But I may have to.

A year in blogging

One year and 75 posts later I still can't come to call myself a blogger.

Fittingly, I came across this article in the (get this) print edition of the KC Star last Friday (had to go to Monterey for the digital):

Millions of abandoned blogs now littering the Internet

Seems that a lot of bloggers are turning their attention to more productive pursuits. I'd do that, too, if I had the time. Maybe tomorrow.

Latin Side of Miles and Trane

Up to Date jazzup - the list

Here's the list of tracks covered on my most recent stop-by on KCUR's Up to Date. For the first time since we started this almost-monthly feature, we got through everything.

Hear the segment (streaming) - The jazz starts about 40 minutes in. The rest of the show is pretty hot, too.

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Artist: Kerry Strayer Quartet with Gary Foster
Album: Play It Where It Lays (Rhombus Records)
Track: Blues O'Mighty

Artist: Steve Kuhn Trio (Ron Carter, Al Foster)
Album: Live at Birdland (Blue Note/EMI)
Track: Clotilde

Artist: Tia Fuller
CD: Healing Space (Mack Avenue)
Track: Fertile Ground

Artist: Frank LoCrasto
CD: When You're There (MaxJazz)
Track: Troubling Differences
23-year-old LoCrasto is one to watch. This is his debut album, but rather than stepping up with flash and blast, he gets attention with an intelligent and thematically unified offering. You might even say theme and variations.

Artist: Dan Balmer, Gary Versace, Matt Wilson
CD: Thanksgiving (Alt rnativ Ja z)
Track: Rain

Artist: Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson
CD: What's Up: The Very Tall Band - (Telarc)
Track: Squatty Roo
This CD captures the magic on display at a club date at the Blue Note in 1998. OP had only been back to performing again after a stroke in the early 90s left him paralyzed on his left side. A close listen reveals that he was not quite back to full strength. But that close listen also reveals the amazing chemistry these three giants had. Sadly, Ray Brown and Milt Jackson have passed on and Peterson only manages a few performances a year.

Not so helpful

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Recommended because you purchased or rated:
* Romeo and Juliet: BBC Dramatization (BBC Radio Presents)

And I Love You So

In 1969, Don also recorded his first album, “Tapestry”, in Berkeley, CA. The student riots were going on outside the studio door as Don was singing “And I Love You So” inside.

From About DOn page on Don McLEan's AMerican Pie.com

An Up to Date jazz up

Another spate of new jazz is on its way. The Great Kraskini and I will spin and speak to some new CDs.

The Short List:

• Frank LoCrasto - an amazingly gifted young pianist, composer, arranger
  
• Tia Fuller - Leaving Beyonce behind for the love of jazz
• Oscar Peterson, Bags and Ray Brown, too - I'm down with OP, see?
  
• Also, new local from the Kerry Streyer Quartet and loco guitar organ trio
  

When to tune in

• Friday, March 9 at 11:45 Central (or thereabouts)
  

Where to tune in

• KCUR FM 89.3 on your radio
• kcur.org on your interweb dongle

More complete list to come after the show (with links)

An Up to Date jazz up

Hello, long lost blog readers. Long time no post.

Another spate of new jazz is on its way. The Great Kraskini and I will spin and speak to some new CDs.

The Short List:

• Frank LoCrasto - an amazingly gifted young pianist, composer, arranger
  
• Tia Fuller - Leaving Beyonce behind for the love of jazz
• Oscar Peterson, Bags and Ray Brown, too - I'm down with OP, see?
  
• Also, new local from the Kerry Streyer Quartet and loco guitar organ trio
  

When to tune in

• Friday, March 9 at 11:45 Central (or thereabouts)
  

Where to tune in

• KCUR FM 89.3 on your radio
• kcur.org on your interweb dongle

There's also an "appreciation" of Andy Summers's new memoir over at the New Low Down.