26th August 2011

Well there she is – I can’t believe this whole year is over already.  I learned SO much, not only about musicological concepts, but also about jazz, myself, and the dangers of black pudding.   I had the unbelievable opportunity to talk several times with Jim Hall, and I had the time to transcribe the album and listen to/analyse it about 9000 times.  The result is a 112 page book – and I’m actually proud of it (a change from my own typical blasé reaction to everything I create).

Sorry I forgot to post about our trip back to the Union – I got caught up in the dissertation madness I guess.  America was great:  hot as balls, sunny, pals, family, my cats, sloppy joes, etc..  It actually put a lot of things in perspective… not necessarily that one way of living is better than the other, but going back after not being there for so long just made me see things with a new set of eyes.  America is a goddamn great place to be, depending on what you want out of life (except for the south, sorry Matty Monk, old pal).

My gig in Columbus was pretty nice: starring Michael Cox (saxophones), Nate Smith (bass), and Max Button (drums).  I felt good about the gig in general, though nobody knew the tunes I wanted to do, so all the cool stuff I worked out went unheard.  Going back and playing a gig Columbus after so long sort of clarified a lot about what I like and dislike about the scenes in both Columbus and Edinburgh.  Different ups and downs for sure.  I really like where I am going as a guitarist, which may or may not change in terms of perceived direction or favor; however, I’m not so sure I fit in Columbus as the kind of guitarist I want to be anymore, for a lot of reasons.  Who knows…

Currently, I am doing a lot of playing – duos (as you can imagine), an Annette Hanshaw/early Billie/Tin Pan sort of thing, and various other ‘bits n bobs’.  I really have a nice thing going here, and I’d like it to continue.  All this practice might pay off once I’m allowed to be self-employed!  Until then, I think McDonald’s is accepting applications… I do have experience.

Speaking of – time is running out for staying, and we are working out what to do and how to do it.  This could mean staying, moving somewhere else, going back home, or living a life at sea with Nordic pirates.  Either way, I don’t like being in between the comfort of knowing and the discomfort of not knowing.  It’s a nebulous sandwich and I am the egg.  Or whatever.

Oh, and for godsakes, check this out:  I am usually anti-this-sort-of-thing, but Singers Unlimited doing “Emily” is just unbelievable… strap on those headphones and get next to this….The Singers Unlimited

Ok bye!

Crikey (16 June 2011)

Hi!  First order of business, I did pretty well on my research!  The papers aren’t good enough to post on here, but I’ll still be sharing with those that have asked.  I’m maintaining distinction so far, and – although probably relatively meaningless in my field and in the US, of course – I’m pretty excited that I accomplished my goal of staying in the top 5% or whatever of UK postgraduates.  Blah blah blah. I got some very useful feedback which will hopefully make my dissertation unbelievable. Speaking of…

I finished it.  Not the dissertation, but the main urtext: The transcription of the entire “Alone Together” album by Jim Hall and Ron Carter.  82 pages of the slickest jazz by the slickest dudes.   Mr. Hall has all of my rough drafts in his possession by now, and he’s being very accommodating to my questions (and seemed to really appreciate the work I’ve done so far).   We’ll have a wee chat on the phone when I get home next week to discuss.  Very excited.  (!)  The accompanying 15000 (thousand)- word dissertation will focus on the improvised interaction between two musicians in a duet, as well as the combined musicians’ interaction with pre-composed elements of the music (e.g., the tune, style, conventional expectations).  Then after that section (largely a literature review) by juxtaposing the general academic analyses with Mr. Hall’s insights.  THEN, comes the meat and potatoes:  The analysis of improvised interaction as it exists on this particular recording.  I have about 7 weeks to do this…  I guess I’ll stop practicing for the time being.

Next, I will remind you that I’ll be home from June 21 to July 5th.  Come say hi.  I’ll be playing at Dick’s Den in Columbus, Ohio on June 29th (Wednesday) from 10p-2a (I WILL practice for this, no worries).  It’s gonna be pretty gnarly, as I’ll be sharing the stage with Nate Sourdough Smith on the double bass, The Curious Case of Maxwell Button on the drums, and a fourth crony yet to be decided upon.  I’ve been focusing a lot on new (to me) repertoire, so I’ll play some old favourites of mine, but also quite a few standards that my fellow Columbus-onians (?) have never heard me play.

I’m looking forward to seeing anybody that’s looking forward to seeing me, and I’m sure they know who they are. People from outside of Columbus: I will tell you that you won’t be disappointed on your own time if you come visit.  My sources (em… wikipedia) say that Columbus “was ranked as the No. 2 most sexually satisfied city in the country in 2008″.  So you know, see how that goes for ya and report back.

More to come (including pictures of America stuff).

Summer? but she was your sister!

Ok.  First of all, spring in Edinburgh is just great.  The sea fog covered the city, creating this fantasy land day and night.  When it was gone, we had/have long sunny days and nice 12-15 degree temperatures (whatever that means to us Farenheit lubbers).

In the meantime, I finished my semester’s work, described in general below:

1.  Ethnography of open and closed jam sessions in Edinburgh (sounds easier than it was)

2.  A research project that combined Chomskian linguistics, Schenkerian analysis, and rhythm to find a deep melodic structure in jazz solos that relates to a deep melodic structure of the melodies from the tunes that the solos are on, blah,  blah, blah.  It all came from that quote in the Miles Davis autobiography when he remembers Monk telling him to improvise so he could “hear the melody.”  I actually came up with a sweet x/y graph that juxtaposed a melody and subsequent solo – and they were pretty close.  boom shaka laka.  if only it was useful or intelligent….

3.  A research project attempting to categorize, analyze, and interpret the use of nonverbal gestures between familiar and unfamiliar jazz duo partners.  Lots of video recording and analysis – and more graphs.  40 pages total.  an additional ‘laka’  – boom shaka laka laka.

We’ll see how that goes.  Now I am working on my dissertation and drinking Kronenbourg like it’s going out of style.  This may be old news, but I’ve been in contact with Jim Hall via his daughter for a large portion of my proposed dissertation topic, and she sent me a recording of him musing over my interview questions!  Not bad.  I had a minor stroke from listening to it so many times in a row.

In other news, I’ve been really doing it to it in cool ways – more on that through telepathy.

ALSO, Lauren and I and our pal from the Emerald Isle, Brian, are going on a Scandinavian adventure next week:  First flying to Stockholm, Sweden – then taking a ferry across the Baltic to and from Helsinki, Finland.  I really wanted to take an additional sidetrip from Helsinki to Tallinn (Estonia) just to get that much closer to Russia – but we just don’t have enough time or money for it.  Not to mention Fievel the mouse had some serious issues with Russia’s pogrom-cats (see below)  (!)

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And speaking of mice – our little pal from the darkness in between the walls is getting bold.  We almost got him after I saw him jump off Lauren’s desk – we shall be the victors yet….

Some books I’ve been reading:

Robert Hodson “Interaction, Improvisation, and Interplay in Jazz” – Some good ideas in here.  Similar to most jazz research I’ve read, it seems like the authors are writing from the outside, rather than from the inside.  Even Paul Berliner’s monumental ethnography,”Thinking in Jazz”, is at least once removed from the real thing. 

Derek Bailey “Improvisation” – I’m not so sure about the author’s commentary, but I really enjoyed the musician interviews.

Ingrid Monson – “Saying Something” – A cool ethnography that deals with interaction and social rapport between rhythm section players.  Very in depth from an author very close to Berliner-level. 

Narmour  “Beyond Schenkerism:  The Need for Alternatives in Music Analysis. “  – I can’t even say.  So heavy.  So esoteric.  I feel dumb.

Albums:

Derek Bailey “Ballads”  -  You call that ‘Gone with the Wind’?  I get it, it’s free expression man.  Big deal – it’s also horrible. 

Paul Desmond w/ Jim Hall “Take Ten” – lovely.  Their version of ‘Nancy with the Laughing Face’ is so swinging.  I never used to like Paul Desmond for that sweet clean sound of his, but man he plays all the right notes in the right order and at the right time.  Can’t argue with that.

Fred Hersch “Passion Flower” – It’s Fred Hersch, so yeah.  Stand out track is “Ballad for Very Tired and Very Sad Lotus Eaters.” 

Concha Buika “La Niña de Fuego” – The title track is such a cool tune.  Flamenco guitar, cool melody/chords, nice trumpet, and with the smoky voice of a Spanish lady.  That pretty much does it for me.  I have no idea what the song is about, except for that a girl may be on fire somewhere. 

Finally (I know, thanks for making it this far):  I can’t get this out of my head, and I can’t stop playing it over and over.  This Swedish band Dirty Loops covering Lady Gaga’s Just Dance. 

I know, I know it’s not even that cool.  All avant-garde aficianados will be chastising me for hating Derek Bailey and loving Swedish pop.  What does it for me is the little punch at 1:00 in to the song.  So tight.  So delicious.   TWSS.

Harry Houdini? I barely knew-dini

I guess it’s his birthday today – thanks for keeping me informed, google!

It is now the end of classes for me here in Edinburgh – all that’s left is an essay, two research things (one of which is the dumbest thing I’ve ever come up with, besides that idea for a video game where you can do anything you do in real life but in videogame form…), and my dissertation.  I’m actually really excited for all of these projects, ESPECIALLY the dissertation…  I’ll share the details when I actually get moving a little more.  Let’s just say, “I’m not worthy”.

Anyways go ahead and buy this album Brian Kellock Trio – Live at Henry’s..  Some fine piano trio playing from Scotland’s finest pianist.  That I know of.

Things are really starting to pick up musically around here – subs and sessions and recording and sit-ins and lots more… To be frank I don’t have much more to share (musically), as I keep listening to the same artists over and over again.

In other news Lauren and I be back in the land of the free (-ish) from June 21 to July 5.  That’s right, all the things that are good happen around that time – hot, fourth of july, closet patriots come out and get pissed (off), cookouts, hotdogs, Comfest, hot, hot, shirtless bicycle riding, shirtless general patronage, shoeless outdoors, hot, etc…Maybe I’ll even sweat some of this alcohol out of my system… my liver probably looks like a moldy tea bag covered in mustard.

Have a couple of gigs lined up for that time, one at Dick’s Den in Columbus, Ohio, which will be a blast.  Any folks in Indiana or Ohio that need a day off – I’ll be packin some fly lap steel licks….  Willy Nelson Mandela reunion?  Let’s hope so.

In other news (again) – let me introduce you to the biggest contributor to the mismanagement of my time (besides lack of willpower) The Map Quiz here.  I can do it with 6:03 remaining, no big deal.  EDIT:  6:14 (Get some)

Finally, THIS is one of the best things ever.  to me.  Thanks for making it this far.

In Other Words – “Merry Christmas”

this is a google voice transcript from my sister Lauren calling to say “Merry Christmas”:

“Hey on.

I mean I’m using.

They are, bye.”

Apparently she’s gone to the dark side! Poor girl

Merry Christmas 2010

Well there seems to be some time missing in between my blog entries… I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.  You understand, surely.  Well, it is Christmas time.  A semester of studies has gone by, and I am still working on my three essays that are due when we come back in January.  We will be graced by the visitations of the illustrious Matt Price and Alessandra Zahran.  Then we will have the pleasure of accommodating Lauren and Tomi.  Should be a good holiday season, topped off with Skypes with all branches of the family.

Musically, I have been a guest on a number of gigs and jam sessions throughout Edinburgh, and in Glasgow and Newcastle.  I’m not allowed to be a professional, so I have to settle for tagging along – but it’s still educational and fun.  From ‘out’ to ‘in’ to swing to bop to legit tin pan alley, it’s been very lively.  I might just get better at guitar after all.

Academically, my projects to complete over break are:

1) For class about rhythm that I audited – an essay describing the rhythmic aspects of the mutual symbiosis of jazz and American popular song in the first half of the 20th century.  I am trying to illustrate the nodal points wherein the two things briefly intersect and take something from each other (possibly causing the delineations of their ‘eras’), stopping where bop and the sweet orchestras of popular song reunite in 1949 with Charlie Parker w/ Strings.  Rhythm – what a great, everywhere sort of ambiguous thing to write about.

2) For musicology – an essay trying to argue the status of ‘Romantic’ hero in the music and persona of [pianist] Bill Evans.  This is a a super stretch, and you can argue this kind of thing for anybody I think.  BUT, if someone can do a phD on the romanticism of loneliness and urban masculinity in the music of Frank Sinatra, I think I’ll be fine.  (yes it happened…. he does have like 4 songs with city names in the title and some of the album covers make him look lonely.  THE END.  That was an hour and a half of my life gone… yikes)  In all seriousness – even if it’s a dumb thing to try to connect, it is fun (and I did this to myself).

3)  A research methods essay not even worth describing, but it does mean I get to research Coltrane’s 1961 Vanguard performances…

The program here is interesting because we learn all of this stuff – and then we figure out how to use it, however it suits our individual interests.  The thrill of finding that hidden affirmation of an idea in some random source text, or a life-validating quote somewhere in the depths of the library is really wonderful.  I’d apply for phD funding if I wasn’t so sure that I have nothing to contribute to society.  I do have an idea, but: first) I can’t tell you, lest you steal it and ruin my dreams; second) It’s already been done in a way, but whatever ‘it’ is is slightly irrelevant; and third) It’s a really dumb idea, because if someone were to actually accomplish this thing, they would have their name raised to canonical levels (can you imagine Tom Davis as chapter X in your student’s music books??  HA!)  So actually, in a really sort of superman cartoon way, it’s a brilliant idea.  If, in 2012, you see me hunched over a peeber in Tip Top looking really depressed, you’ll know what happened (or rather, you’ll know that something didn’t happen!)

Also, I’d like to point out that Lauren took me to Malta for my birthday… sweet.  What a doll!(See the sun??  yeah, buddy)

All we did all day was drink coffee and ride the nutso buses around to different cities, including some sort of walled medieval fortress-city called Mdina, inhabited by less than 300 people I think.  I consumed what seemed like an entire octopus and a rabbit, which was equal parts delicious and terrifying.  We also heard Malta karaoke…  I tried to upload the video but I cannot.  I had a really good version of the Maltese version of Vin Deisel singing “Like a Rhinestone Cowboy”.  (!)

OK, we’ll check ya’ll partners next time, ya hear?

P.S. Yes, all the street corner bagpipers are playing Christmas music now.

“Gone Fishing”

Sorry,  I can’t just leave you with my last post – A video of Steve Vai painted silver and the intro to Count Duckula.  I lost my mind.

I share a sentiment with Bill Evans – I love classic popular song.  I’d rather play “Moonlight Becomes You” than “Bright Size Life.”  I like to play and listen to the latter kinds of tunes, but I find the greatest joy in the former.  I thought that, as I leave my station for awhile, my “gone fishing” sign will be a larger sign that contains this quote from Bill Evans (from the film, The Universal Mind of Bill Evans).

“It’s very important to remember that no matter how far I might diverge or find freedom in this format [The Great American Songbook], that it is only free in so far as it has reference to the strictness of the original form. And that’s what gives it its strength.In other words, there is no freedom without it being in reference to something. You take this form, this strict form,and you find some way to get away from it, and that gives it meaning . . . when I play, I’m playing everything I play against the strict squareness of the original form.
…    I can remember coming to New York to make or break, you know, in jazz, and saying to myself, how should I attack this problem of  becoming a jazz musician, of making a living and so on. And ultimately I came to the conclusion that all I must do is take care of the music, even if I do it in a closet, see. And if I really do that, somebody’s going to come and open the door of that closet and say, hey, we’re looking for you.
. ..    Otherwise, if I spread myself out all over the place I would have lost sight of everything. It’s like, you say, isn’t it terrible that there’s a war here and starvation there and poverty and what am I going to do as a human being about this whole thing, you know? Well, gosh, if you try to accept every problem you’re just going to go insane. So you have to choose some field in which you will operate at your best capacity and which will then serve as an influence to deter all those other things that you’re worrying about. So I figure if I take care of the music as best I can, with my truest belief, than all these other things will be affected as I desire them to be affected,as much as I can affect them.”

(The Universal Mind of Bill Evans, produced by Charter Oak Telepictures, Inc., in association with Helen Keane. Directed by Louis Cavrell (New York: Rhapsody Films, 1966).

(Quotation lifted from:  Kodat, Catherine Gunther.  Conversing With Ourselves:  Canon, Freedom, Jazz. “American Quarterly.”  Volume 55:1 (March 2003), p. 21.  John Hopkins University Press.)

I’ll leave it up to you to interpret your own meanings.  What I take away is still changing ever so slightly every time I hear him say it.   The film is in parts on youtube.com, although the order is all over the place.  Here’s one to get you started…  [B^D (not a bad attempt at a Smiley face with sunglasses and a hat..)

Cheers!