Hal Willner talks about the variety show

On last night's episode of Morricone Island on WFMU, noted hero of the blog Hal Willner used the term "variety show" while speaking with host Devon E. Levins about the "extravagant, cross-genre" tribute albums he's produced over the last four decades or so, as well as the episodes of "Night Music" he produced around 1990.¹ I may start using that term to describe the webcast, as they are directly influenced by these albums.

Willner was promoting a live presentation of the first of those albums, "Amarcord Nino Rota," which is happening in New York this week, but also talked about his entry into his unique spot in the music biz, as well as some of the other albums he's produced. All around an interesting program.

RIP Paul Bley

 

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 I woke up January 5th to discover that two of my musical heroes have died. I'll post something about Pierre Boulez later (and David Bowie, too), but here are some thoughts about Paul Bley

Paul Bley was a pianist I easily admired. A probing mind and a creative restlessness. I don't remember what of his I first heard. Possibly the album he did with the really young Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius. The introduction was complete seeing the reunion concert in 1991 of the classic Jimmy Giuffre Three (Giuffre, Bley, and Steve Swallow) playing their chamber-jazz concept at MIT's Killean Hall, music largely off the radar at Famous Music College. This was jazz which added a European flavor to the liberation Ornette Coleman brought to jazz harmony/rhythm/form etc. I think I've not really dug into Bley enough, other pieces I've read mention records I've not heard of. Besides the Giuffre records I also love the studio album Memoirs and the live Montreal Tapes that Bley recorded in a trio with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian.

Here's a tribute program from WFMU's John Allen.

Lonlier Woman

 

There are days when I'm afraid this is tuning into a WFMU fan blog. And I can't deny it's influence on the webcast, even if it's just in a "I heard it there first" way or even in a "if they can do that, I can too" way. But I must admit I had no idea last summer when I had the notion to devote most of the second hour of the program to five versions of Ornette Coleman's Lonely Woman that the November 23, 2012 episode The Long Rally with Scott McDowell devoted it's whole three hours (minus the theme) to twenty such performances. Four of my five choices are included, along with the Kronos Quartet version I forgot about.

Too hot to blog

Yeah, that's my excuse, it's too darn hot. I blogged more when there were snowstorms. So, I'll just throw a bunch of links at you.

Do us all a favor.

Do me a favor and listen to the first three minutes or so of Thusrday's episode of Busy Doing Nothing with Charlie on WFMU's Give the Drummer Radio stream. I believe you'll enjoy it. Especially if the fact that it's snowing on the first day of spring has you down. 

Do yourself favor and listen to the whole episode. It's Charlie in top form. (And I'm not just saying this because my name is mentioned and I win a prize.) 

And do WFMU a favor and drop a few coins to WFMU before their fund-raising drive ends Sunday night.

 

A welcome and triumphant return

One of my radio heroes, Charlie (of Busy Doing Nothing on WFMU's Give the Drummer Radio stream) recently returned to the fiber-optic waves after taking a year or so off, and has quickly returned to top form with a show dedicated to the shopping insanity that consumes (no pun intended, but there it is) America all year long, but particularly in December.

Not everyone can segue from Philip Glass to Fannie Flagg without flinching (or causing flinching), but including this in a set that also includes Nat King Cole, the Monkees, Biz Markie, Hank Williams, Paul McCartney, motivational speakers, and an story about the racist packaging of frozen vegetables (among other things),  all while making a sharp sociological commentary, I can only hope to ever do something like this.

Bravo. Welcome back.

No. 1 for September 2, 2014

I had toyed with the idea of doing a Labor Day themed program for last weekend, as I had done for Memorial Day and the 4th of July, but I ironically got lazy or too distracted to put together a tribute to the working man (and ladies, too). Have no fear, the wonderful DJ Therese over at WFMU put together a fine Labor Day playlist. I've only had a chance to listen to the very beginning (I'm assuming Sonic Youth's "Swimsuit Issue" is a request from Senator Gillibrand), but perusing the list, it's far better than what I would have presented (and that's why she's there and I'm here)

Top 3 for August 27, 2014

Again today, because consist... oh shut up about that.

Bud Powell  - Chick Corea and Gary Burton

From In Concert - Zurich, October 28, 1979. Recorded, oh... right
Chick's knotty little tune to one of bebop's greats gets a cool but swinging performance in cool but swinging Zurich.

Diversion for March 31, 2014

Waiting for the subway this morning, I was listening to a particularly poor, commercially made MP3 and was bemused by how the Man feels there are certain frequencies I don't need to hear, so they can make the file smaller. Then, lo and behold, while listening at work to the archive of last Friday's Miniature Minotaurs program, host Kurt Gottschalk referred to this article [link now missing] by an artist who makes new music using the frequencies the MP3 leaves behind, along with a brief history of this confounding product, which makes music much more portable and transferable, at the expense of a richer sonic experience.

Top 6 for March 11, 2014

Sister Marie by Harry Nilsson from Ariel Ballet

A surprisingly edgy tune with heavy beats and guitar effects that stands out from the rest off this otherwise mostly pleasantly poppy album.

Led Zepplin – Irwin with the Hoof and Mouth Sinfonia

From the finale of WFMU's 2013 Fundraising Marathon, this group of middle-aged DJ's play this tribute, originally by the group Carey's Problem, which was delivered from the point of view of a swooning teenage girl (one of series of songs portraying a contrived premature decadence that gets old fast) over a tricky 5/4 groove. I'm intrigued by the absence of any reference to Physical Graffitti, both in the verse that ticks off the Zeppelin albums otherwise in sequence, but also in the list of song titles that makes up the majority of the lyrics.

No. 1 for March 3, 2014

The Joy of Noise by RIAA as heard on Do DIY with People Like Us on WFMU

A mash-up of Bring the Noise by Public Enemy on top of Joy by Apollo 100, and that only begins to describe it.

Happy Birthday Robyn Hitchcock!!

Top 6 for February 27, 2014

Mea Culpa by Brian Eno and David Byrne

Some things never change. Catch the Chris Christie remake!

Düdül - Ensemble Oni Wytars, Ensemble Unicorn from Time of the Templars - Music of the Mediterranean

Hand drums and bagpipes, super funky Traditonal Turkish music from the Middle Ages

Top 3 for February 26, 2014

Another Small Thing In Her Favour and the Snow Goose by Richard Thompson 

as heard on Irene Trudel's show on WFMU

Sub-Jump from Hamiet Bluiett's Clarinet Family

No. 1 for November 1, 2013

Stephanie Says – Lady & Bird as played on This is the Modern World on WFMU

A cover of one of those unreleased Velvet Underground songs that everyone seemed to know regardless, lovely. I had wanted to put a Lou quote in memorium on my whiteboard at work but could only come up with sardonic things like “Today is a perfect day, and I'm going to spend it with you?” Hearing this at work, I see “Stephanie says that she wants to know why she's given half her life to people she hates now “ would have fit that same bill. Never heard of this group, a collaboration between and Israeli and Icelandic musicians I've never heard of either.

Top 4 for October 30, 2013

Big River – Johnny Cash from Johnny Cash at San Quentin

Middle Cyclone – Neko Case from Middle Cyclone

If only for “Can't scrape together quite enough to ride the bus to the outskirts of the fact that I need love”

Theme de Yoyo – Art Ensemble of Chicago from Les Stances a Sophie

From their French sojourn, the first recording, I believe, with Don Moye. [Well, no it isn't. But they did meet Don in France] Someone named Noreen Beasley claims on the internet to have written the lyrics, but I wouldn't protest too loudly. I was of course sold by the form of 8 measures of funky soul / 4 measures of free jazz / return to four measures of funky soul.

Top 2 from October 29, 2013

You were only fooling by Patsy Cline, heard on This is the Modern World with Trouble on WFMU

“I was making love but you were making believe”

Going Underground by the Jam from same