Hiromi's Sonicbloom

Hiromi's Sonicbloom: Time Control



Hiromi's back, y'all. The new album Time Control dropped March 27. Haven't heard it yet, but the video above would indicate more of the energetic angularity that was so pleasant on last year's Spiral. (The video would also indicate that beneath all that jazzfire she's also an endearingly dorky young woman-person).

Instead of the trio, the ensemble this time is Hiromi's Sonicbloom. Not to be confused with the appetizer at Outback Steakhouse. Ms Uehara's site has this to say:

Recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville in October 2006, Hiromi’s Sonicbloom includes British bassist Tony Grey and Slovakian drummer Martin Valihora, and features a more explosive sound, thanks to special guest David “Fuze” Fiuczynski, the iconoclastic jazz-rock guitarist from Screaming Headless Torsos, KIF, Lunar Crash and Black Cherry Acid.

All rightee, then. I'm intrgued.

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.