dale barlow quintet

the first act for me on the main stage on sunday at the wang jazz festival
2 legends of the australian jazz scene fronting a very appealing lineup
james 'pug' waples on drums again demonstrating the regard in which he is held
favourite-of-mine brother ben waples in charge of the double bass department
and an almost famous chap named bobby gebert tickling the ivories
dale barlow as leader, composer and instigator of this quintet on tenor sax
his old mate bernie mcgann sparring and harmonising on alto sax
so it's a old guard / new guard kind of combination on stage
barlow and mcgann having been strutting their stuff for many years
the waples brothers part of a bunch of young and talented musicians
and thus always good to see them being encouraged by their mentors
not that this is any kind of lip service (groan) that they are being paid
for they are supremely talented and can certainly hold their own
james waples is always a pleasure to watch at work on his kit
a quite hunched posture and unique grasp of his sticks
clearly absorbed and totally focused in the task at hand
always displaying exquisite timing and in the choice of flourishes
ben waples seems to be constantly looking everywhere except downwards
indicating a confident grasp (double groan) on the use of his instrument
bobby gebert - well - brilliant i am sure but kind of side-lined in this outfit
alto saxophonist bernie mcgann is just too solid for words - he delivers
and the man himself always seems to have a great time playing
dale barlow neither a young whippersnapper nor an old pro
not seen much on the circuit but always gives a great show
anecdotes, jokes, retorts, one-liners also rolled out
today he made great use of having an equal on stage with him
these two made it look all too easy as they jammed it up
some superb harmonies in many various tunes with solos to match
a rich, up-tempo, swinging, melodic, comforting sound filling the room (marquee)
which had me with my foot tapping thoughout and head hooked in
though running off on a tangent comparing this to other acts seen so far
there's been some very insistent noise-making improvisors
and an equal number of fresh and experimental combinations
but this kind of outfit sits squarely in the mainstream of australian jazz
mainstream in the sense of centred and totally essential
from which all else kind of hangs off as long as possible
and drawing in elements that can be further enriched
but putting all that aside they are just so easy to watch and enjoy
coming mid sunday afternoon and setting things up nicely
happy now to take whatever else comes my way

way out west

groundhog day at the wangaratta jazz festival of 2008
another midday start at the same stage to see a melbourne based outfit
way out west previously heard of but never actually heard
apparantly they have appeared at a few overseas jazz festivals
this according to the festival program which gave them a big rap
wonderfully atmospheric, intensely evocative - a treat
there's a big crowd in attendance and so the anticipation is high
presumably most of the crowd like myself well sated and into it
following on from a most enthralling day of music the day before
there's wine-sippers in abundance and a few little ones running around
and so a very easy and relaxed atmosphere as the band starts up
all very kind of gentle, groovey, cuban-ish sounding noises coming forth
sax and trumpet up front with 2 percussionists laying in the beat
composer, leader and main man peter knight on trumpet and flugelhorn
paul williamson making a nice deep sound on the baritone sax
dave beck on the regular drum kit now looking far more relaxed
last seen the previous night providing noises to an intense lost and found
ray pereira obscured at back of stage providing the south american percussion
howard cairns stands quietly at the back and plucking away on double bass
and to complete the lineup dung nyugen seated and on electric guitar
the sound is all very nice - an appropriate start to another long day
peter knight takes the time to introduce tunes with some background
on quite a few occasions making reference to their inner-city origins
suggesting a common bond that infuses their music - fair enough
it's all very pleasant latin-jazz-rock-eastern-mixed-up-stuff
though for these ears at this time maybe over-reaching a bit
trying too much to be all things to all people and kind of blanding out
though with a few notable exceptions from the man seated stage left
dung nyugen pulling some exquisite sounds from a precisely tuned guitar
then swapping to a dan tranh - single stringed lap-based instrument
his contributions adding something quite unique to the sound
in the end there was plenty of very polite applause
a lovely way to start the day really
but there's more....

trio apoplectic

part 4 of a continuous stream of a 4 hour stretch of amazing music
and in this case favourite band time at the wangaratta jazz festival
had seen this sydney based outfit just once before in a double-bill
on that occasion i was way impressed with their fine style
apart from looking the part these young chaps make a great sound
legend has it they met at the sydney conservatorium of music and kept going
presumably they welcomed the opportunity to play at this festival
but maybe didn't account for their billing before the megastars across town
lovano and scofield due to hit the stage as these guys finish
but the tyranny of distance presumably kept the crowds away
most i suspect preferring to secure seating there than be here
their loss - making this performance quite initimate and personal
st patricks hall has a nice ambience about it for their sound
dave jackson on a sweet alto saxophone that he has singing
able cross playing the most fluid double bass imaginable
alex masso on drums and percussion filling gaps with style
this is such a well-balanced trio it seems unfair to single out anyone
but dave jackson on alto provides the single largest point of difference
for he makes a floating, melodic, grooving, sweet and hypnotic sound
after a couple of sessions of hardened noise-making this was like manna
just so easy to get completely taken in by their accomplished sound
i'm sure there may not be much difference technically to other acts
but there's a freshness about trio apoplectic that is very appealing
and definitely that over-used cliche is very relevant here
the one about...the whole being greater than the sum of...
not much talk between tunes but the impression is they are all originals
also not much on-stage rapport or communication but not needed
there's a very pervasive sense of respect for each other's part
especially when on occasions a sax, bass or drum part is highlighted
me mr-already-a-fan taking note of the audiences on-going reaction
the first few tunes bringing polite applause from the small crowd
but before long the appluase became louder and longer
leading to a laughable outburst from one enthusiastic listener
as dave jackson pre-announced the last tune of the night
suggesting we would probably all be wanting to get to lovano/scofield
from the audience - to hell with scofield and lovano - this is heaven - i'm staying here
which kind of said it all for me - hard to imagine it getting any better
and so it was that a day of excellent music ended for me on a high
i just hope there was someone in the crowd with some influence
and that this superb performance reaps some reward for the trio
thanks guys - day 2 over and all good

lost and found

part 3 of a 4 part continual string of performances
each starting on the hour at alternate venues
these venues being a good 5 minute sprint-walk apart
so again a walk into a performance (just) underway
in this case there are 3 performers on the large stage
jamie oehlers centre stage and in command of a tenor saxophone
dave beck stage right in charge of drums and percussion
paul grabowsky stage left belting it out on the grand piano
the festival program promised another improvised performance
which in the right hands can be quite exhilarating
mr oehlers is no slouch on his chosen instrument
proof - winner of the world saxophone competition (2003)
the immediate prior performance saw scott tinkler hard at it
my first impression of this show was that of equivalence
a brass player center stage with the ultimate musical freedom
musical colleagues providing support on compatible instruments
but otherwise free to make whatever noise was possible
and in a similar way jamie oehlers gave it everything he had
an unbelievably generous physical performance to say the least
he's a tall and seemingly very fit and athletic chap
his position of choice is knees slightly bent and a straight back
eyes closed and vein-popping exertion of air into his instrument
it's a fairly random sample of sounds he lets rip with
though at times he hooks into an almost-melody that gets repeat play
it's a very commanding performance which dominates proceedings
easy to forget there are a couple of exceptional musos also on stage
paul grabowsky i sensed almost out of his comfort zone
i've only ever seen him performing set pieces for other performers
or presenting seriously complex works of his own composition
his job tonight was mainly to provide relief for the main man
and so as though inspired he gave his keyboards a real bashing
trying and mostly succeeding to be the total free improvisor
dave beck is one of those drummers with an amazing instinctive skillset
not too much indulgence but more a job of sound-filling
adding complementary noises to whatever else was going on
and very much succeeding in filling and not drowning the sound out
a very impressive set by any standard - mental note to get the cd
and as soon as it was over - high tail out of there
the next performance due to start immediately
part 3 - extraordinary - part 4 - coming up

the antipodean collective

walking in late to a performance is not a favourite pastime
but in this case one must-see performance ended as another started
and with the temporary placement of the main stage (tent)
it was a bit of a hot-foot trip through town to this performance
happening in a hall normally next to the regular main venue
(which is currently under re-construction for next year)
the place was almost pitch black and so a gentle tip-toe to the front
found a spare chair (the advantages of gig attendance in solo mode)
then sat down to try and tune into what was coming from the stage
this was a sound like none ever before experienced live
primarily scott tinkler letting rip on trumpet
blasting out every possible noise he could make
mostly full throttled, screaming, stabs of sound
not a melody or any kind of form to be heard
other musos on stage similarly belting it out
now this was a challenge for any audience to take up
improvisation as raw, loud and confronting as it gets
the darkness of the hall and the acoustics adding to the mood
a relatively large audience up for the challenge and taking it in
my thinking that it's a good thing when a musician is so inventive
i'd not seen scott tinkler before but he comes with a reputation
regarded by some as the best trumpet player in the land
and admittedly what had drawn me to this performance
i'm not sure that his medium tonight was entirely embraced
but some vocal audience members whooping it up
for me i found the performance very demanding
in a positive way though as noise is a favourite genre
this performance on this night being a fine example
barely time though to dwell on it at it's conclusion
as it was another dash across town to the next show
gotta love this festival - eclectic performances plus...

bernie mcgann quartet

mr bernie mcgann - he the man
have seen him and this quartet a number of times in sydney
always in a small-ish i.e. intimate venue with usually 30-40 others
so today was an opportunity to see him perform to a much larger crowd
he's on the main stage at the wangaratta jazz festival early saturday evening
my rough estimate would be that there may be 8-900 in the audience
good to see the rhythm section back in their familiar roles
having played part in the opening fiasco of the spare parts orchestra
my opinion entirely and also something way out of their control
ditto with mr warwick alder who was 1 of the 4 trumpet players there
putting the music aside this quartet have a great on-stage comraderie
every other performance i have seen has included plenty of in-jokes
which i think then directly imbibes the music they make together
a sense of the joy of making great music oozes from the stage
today the on-stage chatter was not so discernible
possibly due to the importance and physical size of the stage itself
but that did not have any effect on the quality of the performance
to these ears there is no sweeter sound than their harmonies
bernie mcgann and warwick alder so connected they sound as one
alto sax and trumpet perfectly in sync in timing, key and notes
some quite complex melodies being played but making it look easy
ditto for the rhythm section at the back of stage
while not needing to be so tightly bound they are also very solid
i'm sure bernie mcgann would command the very best performers
andrew dickenson sounds and looks the part for this quartet
nothing at all flashy or even adventurous but delivering the goods
complete with a unique upright seated position, smile and head rotation
making regular eye contact with brendan clarke on double bass
mostly absorbed and concentrating on doing the very best he can
there is no letup for the whole set for this excellent rhythm section
warwick alder and bernie mcgann in some tunes taking turns at solos
allowing the other to be seated or side stage and enjoying the music
bernie mcgann has recorded a heap of albums so lots of material to draw from
though i sense the live performance has been honed down to a regular set
names of tunes recognised as they are announced by the leader
in particular the regular and memorable closing number titled d day
i'm not sure how many appearances bernie mcgann has put in here
probably more than any other single musician or group i suspect
he deserves the accolades as a respected contributor to australian jazz
for me i'm glad i finally hooked into his music in the past year or 2
from here on it's a case of being in attendance at every opportunity
hopefully that means many more shows with this quartet
tonights show being one that brought respectful applause
tick - anything else seen at this festival now a bonus

ilmiliekki quartet

it seems the scandanavians lads were at it again
late on friday night working the cd stall was the first sign
a number of people asking for cds of this group post-performance
they were also the talk of day 2 at the wangaratta jazz festival
a few people i spoke to raving about their friday night performance
drawing comparisons with norwegian group the tord gustavsen trio
who blitzed the festival with 3 stunning performances 4 years ago
the relatively unheard-of ilmiliekki quartet hail from finland
1 other performance scheduled for late saturday afternoon
so i too headed for the main stage with most other attendees
it seems the word travels fast when a new discovery is made
mind you a program write-up referencing radiohead adds appeal also
its a standard drum/bass/piano/trumpet lineup that comes on stage
adding to the appeal is an average age i reckon to be 20-something
i love the old(er) guys but the inventiveness of youth is very appealing
trumpet player verneri pohjola assumes the role of band leader
quietly and politely thanks the crowd and takes it away
leading the band into a set of tunes delivered expertly
the impression being that each note has been rehearsed
the music seems complex and yet quite light and precise
the trumpet particularly sounding very lyrical when in charge
with the other musicians also given time to demand attention
it somehow sounded unlike anything i had heard before
though i couldn't really point to why that was so
tempting to put it down to a generic scandanavian sound
which really is quite a lazy way of describing a group
apparantly they include a few covers in their set
bjork and radiohead being favourite artists to borrow from
so my ears were trying to pick up any known melody
but alas nothing was recognised though highly likely played
each tune was disctinctly different from each other
most memorable though was the last tune in the set
where the trumpet player played a very impressive solo piece
with his instrument pointed well inside the body of the piano
so that the vibration of the piano's strings was picked up
and brilliantly added into the mix of the sound
providing a hauntingly melancholic piece of music
this had the crowd totally besotted and as one
leading to wild and generous applause at its conclusion
this show-closer a ornette coleman tune titled what reason could i give
their whole set justifying the mutterings at the festival
i encountered the band at the coffee stall post gig
thanked them for their eclectic performance
in turn politely and genuinely thanked for being there
methinks that's not the last we'll hear of the ilmiliekki quartet

blow

ted vining has the reputation of being somewhat of an innovator
the afternoon began with his very cool 3 piece the impressions trio
one hour later and that trio is back on stage and now augmented
2 brass players and an additional double bass player now on stage
bob sedergreen has done a 90 degree adjustment to take up electric piano
most interesting about this lineup is the double double bass configuration
as the band was introduced it was announced this was a last minute thing
there was supposed to be a trombone player (simon kent) on stage
but for some reason he could not make it and so ted vining got inventive
went off in another direction and instead filled out the rhythm section
mid afternoon on a quite hot saturday and there's a full house
their record label (birdland) have set up 3 cameras to record the event
so everything is in place for what promises to be a memorable hour
same as before the band kicks in very confidently from the start
dominating the sound is the electric piano at the hands of bob sedergreen
ted vining almost obscured but no doubt quite busy at the back
a very tight and nicely harmonising brass section - sax and trumpet
the double bass department working also in unison very comfortably
which was what held my attention for a lot of the set
having only ever seen a single double-bass player on stage
i had come to believe that mostly they played by feel
always impressively all over their instruments
free to improvise at will as long as the rhythm was there
but today i witnessed 2 players clearly very well rehearsed
almost always playing the same lines but with no cross-reference
which meant there was a solid, rich, fluent rhythm underpinning it all
peter harper on alto sax made the most of all this and let rip
some long, energetic and impressive solos at various times
on more than one occasion leaving him visibly breathless
ian dixon on trumpet also giving his all to the sound
more content i felt to lend harmonies to his foil on sax
i can't recall recognising any tune in particular
though there was a lot of variety in the tunes and delivery
afterwards i had the opportunity to exchange words with ted vining
back at the cd stall where i mentioned the unique lineup
his retort being that he loved the double double bass
would always use it if he had the choice
so we were very lucky to witness it
hope there's a dvd to follow

impressions trio

saturday afternoon at the wangaratta jazz festival
the day starting with a wander off to a side-stage for a gentle start-up
ted vining (drums) is a stalwart of the melbourne/australian jazz scene
i'd seen him previously a couple of years back fronting a serious noise-making combo
memories of a bunch of musicians going randomly hell for leather
probably my first experience of such chaotic live improvisation
and something i now tend to search out and embrace
but today the program's write-up promises something more laid-back
the impressions trio is part 2 of the apparantly legendary ted vining trio
bob sedergreen still at it tickling the ivories - they have played together since 1969
their long-time bass-player (barry buckley) passed away in 2006
his place now being taken by melbournian michael meagher
sure enough the opening tune was gentle, melodic and easy on the ear
those in the crowd sipping on the local wine seemed well pleased
lots of smiles also on stage with the band obviously enjoying the moment
ted vining at centre stage dominates both visually and aurally
nothing too flashy but a solid drumming performance is provided
he seems well happy to be on stage with his old mate stage left
bob sedergreen also content to enjoy the moment and just play
lots of melody, chords, foot-tapping, wine-drinking and smiling
meanwhile stage right is michael meagher laying in the rhythm
looking completely at home with these 2 older jazz proponents
there's a few words from ted and bob at various times
mostly in praise of their newest member whilst mentioning he who is r.i.p.
i suspect the majority of the material was original and even familiar
a very solid mix of piano based up-beat melodic jazz music
the audience lapped it up while i was happy to kick back and relax
a hour long set in the middle and start of a long musical day
nice one - impressions trio - an appropriate name

david murray black saint quartet

wangaratta jazz festival 2008 - headline act number 1

david murray is a well respected african american sax player

founding member of the world saxophone quartet

grammy award winner, prolific recording artist (130 albums), etc, etc
prior to this performance he and his outfit had played at the basement
i had been offered a ticket but declined knowing i would catch them at wang
they came on stage to a rousing reception from a hungry audience
possibly some like me disappointed by the opening show
and presumably also some like me having travelled far and wide
eager to get their ears around some seriously good music
i think about 2 bars of music was all it took to appease
the quartet hit the ground running and never let up
on one other occasion this year i recall the same feeling
witnessing a performance that surpassed all else seen in recent times
interestingly enough that other performance was also a u s performer
with a band dominated by african americans in charge of rhythm
which on this night had me thinking maybe that's the secret ingredient
but of course analysis is not recommended - better to just enjoy
and so it was as i let mr murray's groove slide and glide into my head
he looking and sounding like he had been born with his saxophone
prowling the stage and appearing to effortlessly blast it out
a rich, deep, melodic sound that dominated the large venue
his fellow musicians equally talented and essential to the sound
jaribu shihad on double bass particularly impressive
his instrument, long dreadlocks and leather coat visually intimidating
his command of the double bass laying in a solid backbone
young dummer malik washington all over his drumkit
he too looking like he would be out of place anywhere else
on piano lafayette gilchrist adding in flourishes as required
not so much competing or combining with david murray
but filling the gaps whenever the man took a break
there were a few polite and gracious words spoken between tunes
and by the end of the set an audience demanding and rewarded with more
afterwards i had the pleasure of chatting to the band at the cd stall
as they graciously signed cds for the clamouring crowd
in no hurry to get away and happy to mix it with the fans
i did ask david murray how the gig at the basement went
oh - that was fun - we had a great time
this man genuinely loves his job
the end of day 1 at wang
sounding good

jim mcneely with the spare parts orchestra

sometimes it's difficult to turn down an invitation
a long-time acquaintance lives in the town of wangaratta
runs the local music shop and ditto the shop at the annual jazz festival
so the offer of a free ticket and accommodation was hard to resist
all that was required was a bit of time flogging cd's at the stall
so onto a cheap flight out of sydney and into albury
seated coincidentally next to an acquaintance from sima
(sydney improvised music association)
who just so happened to have a friend meeting him
and so a lift to wangaratta was also provided for me
then another lift to the festival site in a car packed full of cds
the complimentary festival program tracked down and perused
a weekend of music offering a great mix of known and new music
first up for me being jim mcneely and the spare parts orchestra
never heard of the chap myself but hey he's from new york
the spare parts orchestra is a (presumably) hastily assembled combo
local (read australian) musicians again displaying their flexibility
4 trumpet players including sydney based star warwick alder
4 trombone players of unknown origins but presumably melbourne
5 sax players including paul cutlan and kiwi roger manins
the rhythm section of andrew dickeson and bendan clarke
last and consistently seen keeping time for mr bernie mcgann
jim mcneely himself leading the orchestra on piano and mc duties
well it all sounded very appealing and so i was there in the crowd
but, but, but it just did not work all that well unfortunately
sometimes i just sense that there is too much reliance on skills
this outfit had that to spare and in theory should have killed it
but then in my limited experience you have to add 1 of 2 components
either a connection forged from lots of rehearsal or live playing
or a connection and an absolute trust in your fellow musicians
so that improvisation works and comes naturally and easily
uh-oh - in this case, on this night, we had neither component
meaning that it was quite a shambolic, sloppy, unenthusiastic performance
couldn't help thinking the local guys were going through the motions
but trying their very best to lift the performance and make it special
jim mcneely between tunes seemingly trying to redeem himself
constantly name-dropping other concerts or orchestras
blatantly reminding us the audience of his stellar connections
i kept thinking i must have had it wrong - maybe a tuning problem
i.e. my ears not yet tuned into the cavernous space of the main stage
and very used to front row seats at intimate shows in small spaces
i left the concert very underwhelmed by the performance
was still thinking about it the next day in the main street
when i stumbled onto the local school big band doing it's thing
playing with confidence and in unison and making a fine racket
reminding me very clearly of the disappointment of the night before
sorry jim but for me not a successful festival opener

man on wire

a documentary about tightrope walker phillipe petit
based on a book by the man himself titled to reach the clouds
it's a tantalising opening sequence of archive footage
showing some home video of petit practicing his art
he's rigged up a wire in his back yard in paris
a young man with a devoted girlfriend pursuing his dream
plans to conquer the world trade centre even before construction
along the way he takes on notre dame and the sydney harbour bridge
again some great historical footage of those events
but a change in tact is used to tell the main story
a mixture of talking heads and event reconstruction
interspersed with still photographs and amatuer videos
some poignant footage of the building of the twin towers
showing the internal structure seen lately as it came down
understandably there is no actual footage of the main event
being the 1974 assault on the world trade centre
actors and a quirky directional technique filling the gaps
props, lighting, movement, as used on a stage show
most interesting though are the tales of his accomplices
balanced with petit himself recalling the event
a fascinating tale of intricate planning and subterfuge
as a ton of equipment and 4 people are smuggled in
raising questions as to (lack of) security pre 9/11
a reminder of a more innocent, naive and calmer world
thankfully there's enough information to explain the finer details
like how a large, heavy, long cable could be rigged up discreetly
i was also curious to know how a long balancing pole was smuggled in
the film is well paced as it builds to the big climax
luckily we know the happy ending and so do not fear for the man
as still photography and some ground based videos show him at play
incredibly he traversed the wire 8 times between the towers
including laying down on the wire over 400 metres above ground
i was bracing myself for a sense of vertigo creeping in
but fortunately the staggering height involved is not pushed
and it's quite a sense of elation as he completes the deed
though it doesn't end there with some post-event analysis
for petit is directly affected and is now a changed man
his instant fame now put to use with his adoring public
though some sad moments as his friends shed some tears
confirming that as much was lost as gained on the day
so there's more happening in the film than just facts
the music of erik satie and michael nyman most effective
beautiful piano music used to add an emotional resonance
depicting petit as a driven but ultimately lonely artist
and powerfully showing his chosen craft to be quite unique
this against the backdrop of knowledge of what would follow
though thankfully no reference to the other big day for the wtc
leaving us to ponder the significance of his day in 1974
still not sure how they smuggled in his balancing pole
just one of many resonating observations about this film
a highly satisfying and equally uplifting experience

caramel

mixed feelings about the desire to see this lebanese film
one review implying it was their answer to sex and the city
primarily because it has 4 women at the centre of the action
they all work at a hairdressing salon in downtown beirut
the centre of the story and the ladies lives it seems
for their friendship provides the support they each need
as they all struggle in one way or another with other people
mainly the men in their lives or who they want in their lives
family and religious expectations are also quite apparant
but basically it's a simple story of lives being lived
which is the kind of film i particularly like
and of which the best foreign films are all about
no over-paid, over-hyped, over-indulged actors in sight
no unlikely scenarios, cross-brand promotion, excessive costumes
no blatantly over-indulging of material and other desires
but here an opportunity to get in amongst another society
and observe that which may or may not set them apart from our own
the beautiful owner of the salon is played by nadine labaki
she is also the writer and director of this her first feature film
she is having an affair with a man she hopes will be won over
but of course he is in it for one thing only with no such intention
in the meantime the man who really loves her is on her doorstep
the local policeman who observes, pines and suffers for her love
this is one thread in the film that takes us in for its simple honesty
but then each of the other ladies has their own concerns or issues
one is about to be married and has a secret about her (lack of) virginity
a small but significant reference to the problems faced by women
caught up in a modernising society with traditional (male) values
similarly another lady is finding herself drawn to other women
possibly as a rejection of what she has seen as undesirable male behaviour
and the desire instead for a partner offering the tenderness she craves
this then coming to fruition in a totally believable way
but it's not all so serious and as dramatic as it may sound
there's some very good laugh-out-loud moments
usually at the expense of one or more of the salon's visitors
all done in good taste and with relevant empathy also on offer
particularly with an elderly neighbour providing a sewing service
it took a while for me to figure out where the title comes from
but it is in direct reference to the use of a caramel substance
mixed from water, sugar and lemon juice for hair removal
a service offered at the salon and therefore a clever title
a metaphor for what suffering women endure in the world
and also that in this case caramel is a bitter-sweet substance
seems like the perfect title for this very appealing film

guy strazz and matt mcmahon

another visit to the sound lounge on a friday night
this combination promising for a fine night of music
matt mcmahon seen recently at the piano fund-raiser night
then displaying charm, dignity and superb keyboard skills
his sense of melody and deftness making a highlight of that night
i'd last seen guy strazz at wangaratta several years ago
then fronting a large ensemble playing brazilian infused jazz
his role as leader and lead (acoustic) guitarist
so tonight it's a rarely seen piano and guitar duo
launching their latest cd collaboration titled 2 @ 1
quite a decent sized audience in attendance as i showed up
again pushing my luck with a front row seat
yet another single while male jazz fan at a table
with a single empty seat with my name on it
smack bang in front of where guy strazz would be seated
seems going solo to such shows has it's own rewards
the band are introduced and go about their business
matt mcmahon stage left tinkering on the yamaha c7
guy strazz seated centre stage caressing a nylon-stringed acoustic
the first tune brings with it a confirmation of what is hoped for
some lovely harmonising between piano and guitar
a quite beautiful and melodic piece very easy on the ear
mr strazz quite easily demonstating his latin influences
mr mcmahon complementing that with his gentle playing
the interplay such that it is clear that this is not improv
or at least the impression given is of well rehearsed tunes
at tune's end matt mcmahon is as always the dignified host
giving thanks and acknowledgment to the audience
providing brief but interesting information about the tune
and so the pattern was set for the night's entertainment
many tunes played and presumably mostly from the new cd
each tune played confidently and expertly by each musician
a fine balance so that each instrument playing off the other
providing for these ears a new and rich sound experience
the nylon strings resonating superbly with the piano
assisted in no small part by the camraderie of the musicians
guy strazz taking the microphone on one occasion to mention this
telling us that he considers matt mcmahon his musical brother
and confirming for me that this duo is quite special
the end of the performance bringing rousing applause
i hope they sell lots of cds and their journey continues
another outstanding combination of musicians
with a unique sound that would appeal to many
hopefully they will be back real soon now

waltz with bashir

i wasn't so sure about this animated film
not a huge fan of a style usually reserved for family films
but the subject of this film is all but family oriented
it concerns a massacre that took place in lebanon early 80's
in this case from the point of view of israeli soldiers
the director set out to interview some soldiers involved
but their request for anonymity meant animation was an option
the film opens with a quite unsettling pack of dogs
so immediately i'm thinking this is symbolic of the soldiers
but in fact it turns out to be a dream sequence
that of one of the soldiers featured in the film
he's having a beer with an old comrade in arms
and tells the story of the dream and it's significance
a direct connection to an event in the lebanon war
this jars the memory of his now unsettled companion
who then sets off on a journey of discovery
he tracks down other soldiers to seek more information
including a visit to holland where one has retreated
there's constant flashbacks to the war in question
so as the film progresses the gaps are filled in
it takes a bit of effort to get past the animation
close the eyes and the voices are no doubt genuine
unfortunately the need to read subtitles makes this a folly
it is quite a dialogue-rich film so concentration is needed
especially for one as me with little knowledge of the events
i kept thinking this was such a unique film experience
a very serious subject using a quite whimsical technique
not your average serious knitted-brow documentary
a constant mental alarm going off as to the subject
an equally constant wonder at the effectiveness of the animation
and then in the final scenes of the film - the killer blow
a cut to some archival footage of the actual massacre
i don't recall ever being so moved by such footage
full marks to the director/producer/animator
a superb telling of the story in question
and then a jolting return to a sad reality
had me glued to the seat as the credits rolled
another very satisfying and unique cinema experience

marilyn crispall trio

a special night at the sound lounge tonight
another touring jazz musician doing the club thing
a one-off show following on from some opera house shows
anticipation running high for me for one major reason
she records on the eclectic german ecm label
home to some of the best jazz musicians in the world
she herself apparantly regarded as a supreme 'free' pianist
first impressions are she is almost dwarfed by the new yamaha c7
on this tour she has employed 2 of the best locals
double-bass supremo lloyd swanton centre stage and anchor
simon barker stage right and in charge of drums and percussion
my luck held tonight with scoring a great seat
another lone fan had got there early enough
a spare seat available directly in front of mr barker
i had no real expectation of what would happen sonically
though i had been advised that she has mellowed
her days of avant-gardiness now tempered by melody
in the first long rambling piece improvisation ruled
there were 3 consummate musicians belting it out big time
simon barker totally dominating proceedings with his noise-making
demanding attention as he assumed his usual posture
eyes closed, head lifted, hands and arms splaying his equipment
creating an array of noises far beyond beat and rhythm
every piece of every piece of equipment tapped or bashed
tom-toms, brushes, sticks, hands, fingers all interchanged
just an extraordinary percussive performance
which meant it was easy to forget the other musicians
lloyd swanton faultless as usual and also indulging
mostly seen to similarly operate with closed eyes
and the star of the show over there on piano
mostly adding in some fairly dischordant sounds
melody almost totally absent from her contribution
and only occassionally dropping back to a gentle solo sound
the first tune must have been close to 30 minutes
no back-announcement so no idea of its origin or name
then the same with the second and final tune of the set
more noise-making of a confident and appealing nature
a quick thanks from marilyn crispall and time to breath
discussions with my nearby audience members confirming my thoughts
simon barker inadvertently stealing the show from the star
most likely assisted by our front of stage position
the musicians seemed well pleased with the first set
and continued on a more-of-the-same approach in the second set
a few more shorter tunes given an airing this time
but still annoyingly no talk of meaning or origin
which ultimately lead me to think maybe there were none
certainly no sheet music on stage and no long-time association
so in this case tonight it was assumed to be pure improvisation
... not that there is anything wrong with that
in the right hands it can be quite exhilerating
tonight at many times it was as good as it gets
however my overall impression was of overload
probably one long tune too many for me
though happy to join in with wild applause
a standing ovation for some of the audience
(we need to encourage visitors to come back)
the trick being to bring or buy the best
i hope it was all worthwhile for the local lads
for it was them that made her star shine on this night

the visitor

another cold night in this big city
so another trek through largely empty streets
past multiple restaurants in a trendy part of town
and to the art-house multiplex cinema visited last night
you the living lodged in my head and demanding attention
read all sorts of rave reviews about this superb film
then it popped up in the trailers to this evening's viewing
so that also forcing hope of a similar cinema experience
the visitor is a bored (and boring) university professor
his wife has died, his son is abroad, he seems to have no friends
so a visit to new york to attend a conference is undertaken
he owns an apartment there which is being illegally occupied
so mr-straight-white-guy confronts his opposites
zainab is a sengalese woman working at the markets
her live-in boyfriend tarek is a syrian djembe player
both young, happy, carefree, together
professor vale (walter) is drawn to tarek's music
initially watching him perform at clubs or on the street
and then taking a few lessons from him and joining in
but the post 9/11 xenophobia in new york spoils the fun
tarek is arrested for no apparant reason other than his looks
which finds walter leaping to the aid of his 2 new friends
he engages a lawyer and makes visits to the detention centre
in the meantime tarek's mother turns up unexpectedly
and it turns out that tarek and zainab are illegal immigrants
so an interesting and believable scenario is set up
the film is ostensibly about walters re-birth
a changed man now awakened to a different world
and his willingness to trust his intuition
that injustices should be railed against
different cultures and music have a place
and that love is an emotion not to be suppressed
his gradual awakening is handled quite gently
making it and the story all the more believable
it's not a knockout must-see truly enlightening film
but it has a good heart and tells a good story
funny how it's easy to stigmatise american films
this one however avoids all the unreal stuff
tells things as they are in today's world
with the emphasis on the goodness of people
despite all that is imposed upon them
not a bad little film at all really

you the living

a cold night in the current city of domicile
so it seemed almost appropriate to head off to sweden
i had read a couple of quite brief reviews of this film
coming down to love-it-or-loathe-it art-house cinema
the film opens in a sparsely furnished room
a unkempt elderly man sleeping in daylight
abruptly aroused by the noise of a passing train
then telling us of a dream he has had of bombers
cut to a outdoor scene of a woman in despair
telling her partner of her unhappiness with her life
no-one understands her and wants to escape somehow
her partners reaction indicating this is a regular occurence
and so the scenes are set for those which follow
many more equally mundane slices of common life
not a lot of dialogue and even less complexity
mostly a fixed camera used to frame each scene
but each one with some common element with others
some characters appear in more than one scene
there's a young woman in love with her musical hero
members of the local brass band are seen rehearsing
the music of the brass band providing a common element
similarly the bleakness of the city is well conveyed
there is no sunshine and mostly subdued pastel colours
several times it is made clear a dream sequence is underway
with an almost identical method of filming used
so at times it feels like the entire film is a dream
such are the almost absurd situations that are included
there's not a smile to be seen or laugh to be heard
as various people tell their stories of despair
with such deadpan delivery it becomes comedic
i was laughing or smiling throughout this film
a guilty pleasure as sad, simple lives are presented
but done with such impressive yet simplistic style
a great feel for consistency as each scene is presented
lines, shapes, angles, props (or not), colouring all common
but each scene a separate chapter in this story of life
no sledgehammers used but many and various issues covered
e.g. racism, ageing, obsession, commitment, mental-health
there's no happy ending and no resolutions offered
but a very clever ending with a relevant dream sequence
the bombers seen flying over the city we have been in
and a deep feeling of angst hoping they don't deliver
indicating a real attachment to the characters
this film could easily endure repeat viewings
so simple but visually with so much to offer
puts me squarely in the love-it category

jindabyne

the film not the place in this case
another one that slipped by me on original release
so with the dvd in hand home-viewing is next best
laura linney and gabriel byrne are the stars
international stars in this otherwise australian film
i'm not sure why they had to import these actors
the plot does not need irish and american characters
so presumably a marketing ploy for international appeal
maybe films are now so globalised it doesn't matter
or possibly more realistically that's the way of the world
people of all nationalities all over the place
living their lives, reacting, interacting, etc
the film opens with the telling of a murder
a lone woman in a car on a lonely stretch of road
followed then confronted by the local loner come creep
we then are in jindabyne mixing it with the locals
stewart kane (byrne) runs the local garage
his partner claire (linney) is busy raising their son tom
it's a close-knit community where everyone knows everything
stewart and his 3 buddies are heading off fishing
a long drive and hike into kusciosko national park
they stumble across the body of the murdered woman
but delay reporting the find until after their weekend
which is where things really start coming undone
there's a bad reaction all round to their action
the implication being their fun has taken precedence
suggestions that the victim's gender has influenced them
more so that the victim was from the local aboriginal community
which adds a very interesting spiritual twist to the tale
as traditional aboriginal beliefs are introduced to the mix
stewart and claire's relationship sours quite dramatically
many other friendships and allegiances are also tested
religion, sexuality, familiies, race relations all explored
so quite a lot going on in this quite simple tale
the director also wants to show off the geography
many beautiful shots of gorges, rivers, lakes, etc
which basically makes up for a busy 90 minutes
though in the end i think it is quite successful
but i couldn't help also thinking it side-stepped a bit
especially in scenes of confrontation with the aboriginals
where the overseas stars represented the white man
australian actors kept effectively side of stage
couldn't help thinking how powerful that could have been
especially in this year of the apology
but this was made 2 years ago
still - worth a look

evil urges

my morning jacket is an american rock band known for their reverb-heavy sound

their eclectic mix of country rock, indie rock, funk, psychedelic and southern rock styles

...and enthusiastic and energetic live shows

this is the opening paragraph of the band's wiki entry

i've been aware of them for some time but hadn't paid much attention

however their brand-spanking new album is in my possession

and curiousity has got the better of me - so here we go...

evil urges

yup - it's a rock band for sure - big drum sound and straight-up guitar

some interesting electronica in the mix sounding like um?

falsetto voice comes in also sounding familiar - but who?

synth-orchestration also used as the tune builds to something

then a sudden change of key, tempo and a rock-out - not too bad

touch me i'm going to scream part 1

this is going to get annoying - another tune sounding like ?

moog noises, 60's kind of harmonies pointing to influences

snare drum up-front in this quite fast-paced singalong

one striking thing is that there are a lot of channels at use

all sorts of instruments and noise-makers at use - working well

highly suspicious

there's that falsetto voice again - michael jackson-ish

and here we have a heavy-rock dirge type riff dominant

a bunch of fellows repeating the song title over and over and...

electric guitar histronics thrown in the mix just for good measure

quite a catchy tune but also quite annoying - bit of a throwaway really

i'm amazed

nice intro - giving a sense of a singalong tune about to start up

and true enough - off he goes - he's amazed you see

damn - it's another case of a significant soundalike

west coast rock, vocals, harmonies, guitar/bass/drums

it's a rock song with guitar solos and a riff and a chorus

thank you too!

ouch - now we're in 70's soft-rock territory

it's the big ballad complete with strings, electric piano, etc

now sounding so much like a band from way back it's really annoying

this one would be really cringe-worthy except it's quite a tribute

i'm going to wake up in the middle of the night and know who to

sec walkin

country-rock is now the reference - pedal-steel guitar in there

70's production values all over this one also

complete with the call and response female backup vocals

it's so close to a complete piss-take it's almost laughable

but it's not - they mean it - and actually get away with it

two halves

and the theme continues - the 70's rule - alright?

i'm certain there is one famous band that they idolise

actually cheap trick wouldn't be far off the mark - yup that's it

which is quite ironic really considering they were proud plagarists

so the favour has well and truely been returned in spades

librarian

lovely - solo voice and acoustic guitar lead in here

and a very pleasant voice it is too - very clear on the ear

karen of the carpenters singing in the rain - another lovely victim of the mirror

so confirming their decade of choice on this slow build tune

very strong actually - great production and a memorable tune

look at you

uh-oh - must be the middle of the album - ish

not sure what was intended with this one - original or clone?

it's slow, monotonous, and basically a bit of a waste of space

the musicians seem to be going through the (slow) motions

can be totally summed up in one word - filler

aluminium park

resuming cheap trick personnas on this fast and furious tune

another rocker complete with screeching guitars and real piano

which just confirms that the 70's must be making a comeback

or maybe they just like the style of music of that era

my feeling is that this one has been done to death previously

remnants

part 2 of the rock-out segment of the album

sounds just the same to these ears out of touch with that style

sorry guys but this just isn't very original at all

and the producer also shows a distinct lack of originality

enough already - rock is ok - in (smaller) doses

smokin' from shootin'

do you, do you, do you see my smokin' guns - they're smokin' from shootin'

and a bunch of other lyrics as equally silly and trite

do you, do you, do you live your life on the run - runnin' from nothin'

so it's another big shot at a big meaningful ballad

they're now taking themselves seriously enough to be annoying

touch me i'm going to scream part 2

moog sounds, electronica noodling working quite well as an intro

beat picks up and it's quite a head-nodding tune that cranks in

spacey production allows for various instruments to be used

and lots of borrowed techniques - even jean michel jarre gets a nod

in the end it's totally consistent with the 70's sound of all before

summary - a collection of tunes with reference to all things 70's including the likes of cheap trick that with modern recording techniques makes for a very strong and enjoyable album

bringing on back the good times

oh dear - mr-i'm-not-into-nostalgia does a back-flip
youtube strikes again - just an amazing resource
you name it - it finds it - anything and everything
now being the music-nut i am that's what i go looking for
mostly clips of favourite artists and others recommended
also an endless supply of amateur videos using recorded music
this one particularly caught my attention aurally and visually
the tune - well - it resonates with me big-time
i think probably the first song that ever impressed me
got lodged in my head very early on and has stuck there
before this one i hadn't heard much else too exciting
roger miller, the seekers, nat king cole, etc, etc, etc
pretty bland, safe, gentle, inoffensive, nice music
of course this one could now be described thus
but back then (60's) it was like a blast of fresh air
a personal awakening to a world of musical opportunities
apart from all that i think it's just a great piece of music
it surprises me some boy band hasn't made it a huge hit
vocally, lyrically, musically it hits all the marks for me
then to see a viusal presentation such as this clip is v cool
someone has put some thought into showing it in context
with a walk down memory lane of an a-z of album covers
watching them pass by a gentle reminder of a special time
the world of music exploding with genuine originality
ah - those were the days (my friend)
and i'm not even into nostalgia
really - but this is great
the love affair...

disgrace

another book by author j m coetzee now read
this one apparantly given the booker prize in 1999
i saw it raved about on a recent book review show
and so when offered a loan of it i had to take it on
david lurie is a poetry lecturer at a south african university
leads a fairly dull life but for his libido problem
the first part of the book demonstrating this thoroughly
no woman is off limits particularly his young students
who are drawn to his intellect and persuasive manner
but in a classic case of one too far he oversteps the mark
his latest conquest informs her parents who in turn react
leading him to be being sacked and well, disgraced
no sympathy from me as i just don't like him at all
the prude in me says middle-aged blokes should act their age
and not go round luring ('scuse the pun) after much younger women
he also has a less than average relationship with his ex-wives
presumably as they have been caught up in his activities
part one of the book takes us up to the point of his ejection
then in part two he retreats to his daughter's country property
possibly as a reaction against her father she leads a simple life
has a now-absent woman lover and looks after neglected dogs
she eeks out an existence in a poor part of rural south africa
so mr lurie finds himself in a quite hostile environment
but seems to find relief in his absence from the spotlight
he takes to writing an opera portaying the life of lord byron
and in typical coetzee style art-imitates-life-imitates-art
so on the surface this book tells an interesting story
but dig a bit deeper and there's more going on
dogs become quite central to the theme of the story
lurie befriends in his usual style a lady at the local veterinary
then finds himself routinely involved in culling the dog population
those ones now neglected, rejected, isolated and un-loved
so it's not hard to see the parallel of a dog's life to now his own
the hardship of life in rural south africa is also well described
seems violence is never too far away and comes into the story
i'm not entirely sure what the author was trying to tell us
there's nothing too endearing about any of the characters
and life on the outside of society is seen as bleak
but maybe that is the point of the story
disgrace - not a good place to be?

teental (north india)

time now to go back to an old blog exercise
for the sake of completeness if nothing else
songlines (world music) magazine being the inspiration
they published a very interesting article a number of issues back
documenting what they considered to be 50 rhythms of the world
so with the amazing resources of youtube i have gone one step further
for each rhythm i have found an appopriate clip and blogged it
i got up to 45 of 50 ages ago and then lost the plot
but spring is sprung and spring-cleaning is in order
so this project needs to be dusted off and finished
heres what the magazine had to say about teental

teental (north india) - it means a 16-beat cycle - that's 4/4
but there's nothing square about the flying fingers, ingenious cross-rhythms,
competitive exchanges and frantic build-ups
that feature in this most popular of north indian structures
all classical music operates within cycles of various lengths
which are easiest to follow in percussion
the tabla being the dominant instrument
performers often recite their compositions
in rapid bursts of syllables before playing them
traditionally the bowed sarangi accompanies a solo recital

songlines recommends memorable tabla duet by ustad alla rakha and zakir hussain
esne notes womadelaide visitors from a few years ago

the following clip in a short space of time demonstrates the above
furious finger work being the most dominant feature
also the use of the sarangi as accompaniment
my feeling is that this rhythm is best experienced live
late night, outdoors, warm air, altered consciousness stuff
sprawled out on the grass and taken away by this music
fond memories of the last act on many womad days
(46 of 50)

michael clayton

missed this one when it was on the big screen recently
it seemed interesting enough in the trailer
but you know - george clooney - too mainstream
lately america has been well in my field of vision
things are cranking up with the presidential race
so try as i may it's hard to ignore the u s completely
tonight the dvd of the film ended up in my possession
lights out, laptop fired up, big breath and.....action
which starts totally unannounced with no opening credits
m c has a money and gambling problem and is playing poker
is down in his luck and not fussy about playing partners
though paradoxically drives a late model mercedes benz
he's an attorney come problem-solver for a large legal firm
goes where he is needed at any point in time to move things along
the opening scenes see him driving out of town on such a mission
town being the unmistakable and here grimy city of new york
on the way back a bomb mysteriously explodes in his car
at a moment when he has gone off to take in some nature
we're then in flashback mode to 4 days earlier to explain all this
his firm has been working for years on a large class action case
a chemical company is being sued billions for negligence
michael's old friend and co-worker has gone into meltdown
so he is assigned to pick him up and get him through the case
but all it not as it seems which makes things very interesting
tilda swinton impressively plays the chief counsel of the chemical company
way out of her depth it is suggested as she makes some bad calls
including the use of hitmen to take out people causing her grief
the cynic in me had me thinking nah - not likely - it's just a film
but at the same time there's a lot of realism to this scenario
as there's enough diversion from the main plot to back it up
quite a few scenes depict the main characters in their private lives
cleverly used to further explain people's motives and actions
michael clayton himself has a young son who gets involved
in a quite subtle way that ultimately has major consequences
the 4 days of flashback pass and we are back where we started
the opening scenes roll again but now we know what's going on
particularly why michael's car explodes and more so why he is not in it
his decision to engage with nature (horses) now a very moving scene
and from that point on the film moves quite rapidly
all the pieces have fallen into place and he acts accordingly
leading to a powerful and believable conclusion
the final scene sees michael clayton in the back of a taxi
now in a zone where he can finally dwell on events
the camera fixed on his face as the credits are rolled
2 or 3 minutes as his face displays appropriate emotions
making the point that george clooney is a fine actor
as i am snapped back to reality after an absorbing film
even in this case tonight on the little screen

prague

or prag as this film is titled in it's home country
the story is based on a danish couple's visit to this city
danish hearththrob mads mikkelsen plays husband christoffer
i've seen him in a couple of other films - he good
his wife maja here played by unseen-by-me stine stengade
they're in prague to bring back the body of his deceased father
he's a pretty cool (read cold) kind of fellow not given to exposing emotion
they are struggling to make conversation after 14 years of marriage
she there to support him in this closure on this part of his life
though we quickly learn that he hardly knows his father
seems he walked out of his life when he was a 12 year old
there are subtle clues given to the effect this has had on the son
apart from the fear of emotion he seems lacking in confidence
there are just enough clever little pointers to this
like not being able to use a card-swipe on a hotel door
or missing the table as he throws a discarded wrapper at it
this the kind of stuff that i find most welcoming in foreign films
the little things in life that we forget, downplay or ignore
but not this director in this film with a story to tell
the other star of this film is obviously the city of prague
some wonderful scenes highlighting particularly it's architecture
though not in any heavy-handed manner - quite matter-of-fact
as soon as we are comfortable with the characters things get messy
maja has a secret that christoffer confronts her with
this while he is dealing with the issue of his father's death
the expected reaction would be that she would bail out
but she very nobly sticks by him as he does what needs to be done
for she does love him dearly though has tired of his frostiness
so the roller-coaster ride cranks into gear and takes us with it
moments of anger, companionship, rejection, tenderness all mixed up
there are also 2 other strong characters that add major appeal
his deceased father's lawyer has his own secret in the mix
the father's beautiful housekeeper also charges the atmosphere
she speaks czech, the son only danish so another twist in the tale
this film absolutely reeks of real human issues and conflict
the standout scene being when emotions finally come to the boil
seeing the couple arguing aggressively and physically in public
poignant empathy for both as we now understand them well
leading to a quite unexpected and sad conclusion
this is a really powerful human-story film
with some beautiful music in there also
...what did you think david?

berlin

not the place but the album recorded by lou reed
originally released in 1973 and recently revisited by the man
he's put together a huge bunch of musicians and taken it on the road
part 4 of my day at a film festival with the film of the concert on the big screen
i have never owned a lou reed album or given his music much time at all
never liked a walk on the wild side and could never get past it
but curiousity got the better of me and so here i was
with no idea of anything at all that was about to happen
the first surprise was the credits revealing the director
julian schnabel having delivered one of the best films of this year
the diving bell and the butterfly a rich and rewarding piece of art-cinema
in the opening scenes of this film the likeness is obvious
in berlin lou reed has clearly opted to provide a visual feast
with a continual stream of images projected behind the band
the beautiful star of the afore-mentioned film also featured
emmanuelle seigner seems to be well adored by julian schnabel
providing sumptuous imagery in some of the songs from the album
the music itself starts with a feel of a return to a past (musical) time
a very obvious and unmistakeable 70's rock-opera feel coming through
lou reed demonstrating his ability providing the required guitar solos
at times in the first few songs rocking out most convincingly
he has gathered around him an eclectic bunch of musicians
steve hunter also on guitar providing support and lead duties
the usual bass, drums, keyboards doing their jobs well
stage left is a 12 member harlem youth choir
fronted by none other than antony (without the johnsons)
there's an acoustic double bass and a small string section
then over stage right there's a 3 piece brass section
so in some tunes over 20 musicans and singers contributing
to top it off there's a chap seen conducting the whole shebang
lou reed all the time looking his well perfected non-plussed self
but my feeling is he is quite pleased with this show
the camera spends quite a lot of time in close-up on his upper body
quite often there's the smallest of smiles on his now craggy face
in one tune there's a verbal whoop as steve hunter does a stunning solo
and most impressively a clap and acknowledgement of antony's contribution
he really does have a beautiful and unique voice well suited to these tunes
he presumably a fan of lou reed to avail himself for this (and other) concerts
as the tunes rolled on i found myself drawn into it quite completely
the visual spectacle, the performers, the music and the man all combining
at one point i recalled how much more satisfying was this show
than one done by mr jagger and co also using a famous director
here at least the music though quite vintage sounded fresh
and the lead singer had a certain elegance about his performance
assisted by some impressive arrangements of the material
the band letting fly at the end of the film as the credits rolled
sweet jane reminding us of lou reeds more popular tunes
a fine finale to a fine day of four films at this festival

the wave

part 3 of my film festival day was meant to be the orphanage
but the wimp in me was more than a little worried
psycho-horror-thriller-drama stuff always unsettles me
so when the festival program offered an alternative i went for it
the write-up of this german film was quite enticing
based on an real time experiment gone wrong in a californian school
though here relocated to a more appropriate german high school
the opening sees the teacher driving his french car to the school
ramones blasting out of the stereo with their anthemic school song
so an international feel to the film from the opening scene
the premise of the film is that he has freedom of cirriculum for a week
the week to be spent on a project and in his case teaching autocracy
so he very deliberately sets out teaching this in a practical way
this entails the students adopting an emblem, salute and uniform
already sounding a bit derivative but done fairly convincingly
the wave cleverly used as both a salute and emblem
indicating a crashing wave swamping all in it's path
by the middle of the week there's a strong sense of comraderie
and a pervasive sense of righteousness overriding all activities
this quickly includes the application of their emblem all over town
and the marginalising of any student not agreeing to partake
at times i thought the film seemed overly simplistic
possibly not helped by the rapid-fire sub-titles
required to keep pace with this dialogue-heavy film
but at the same time it was difficult to find any real fault with it
the various relationships explored in the film seemed quite plausible
students and teachers reacting unexpectedly as the experiment went on
mostly amongst the students as their personalities quickly evolved
particularly in one case of a previously shy and insecure boy
who's involvement with the wave gave him real meaning in his life
this all pointing very deliberately to how such movements can grow
and in the wrong hands can just as quickly grow out of control
it's no accident that this film is set in germany with it's history
and a mention of current problems caused by unchecked nationalism
in an update on this scenario the use of technology was a warning
with the internet used to spread information and obtain weapons
by the end of the week the teacher recognises the monster he has created
and provides a chilling climax where he addresses his students
firstly as a dictator with full control to make his point very clear
but a full shutdown of the project is not what everyone wants
making for a hugely powerful and disturbing final scene
even if there was no historical parallel it would be telling
but given that perspective and the world today
it's downright scarey what could happen
this one should be mandatory viewing
...especially in schools

the savages

part 2 of a 4 part day of film festival indulgence
the attraction with this one being 4 star ratings from david and margaret
for me a usually reliable guide to the type of films i enjoy
i'd just sat through a very impressive real life story (patti smith)
so even before the film started the fox corporation banner had me reeling
even more with the unexplained opening scenes of aged cheerleaders
but this is because we are in an aged care facility in sun city arizona
seems anything is possible including an old man having some bowel issues
he being the father of john (philip seymour hoffman) and wendy (laura linney)
they live on the east coast living their own struggling lives
she working in casual jobs, writing plays, accomodating a deceitful lover
he a bored english professor and refusing to commit to a loving polish woman
they are brought together with the need to relocate their incapacitated father
it's all a bit act by numbers stuff for these 2 experts i suspect
the first part of the film had me wondering why the rave reviews
and a sense of deja vu of a film that this one seemed to borrow from
a recall of a fine canadian film titled invasion of the barbarians
here too a man is in his final days and reconciling with his family
but frustratingly reconciliation does not take place
there's no doubt the director is no fan of nursing homes
the film is also about the 2 leads and their interaction
a quick falling back to their competitive childhood days
he the pragmatic bloke wanting to sort out his father quickly
she showing female emotion and aware of her past neglect
arguments erupt between the 2 even in the presence of their father
a deliberate and effective way of portraying the loneliness of the aged
the director also determines to introduce a theme of race
some old film footage (fox owned) shown in a nursing home
this film showing a white man applying makeup and a wig
it just so happens that most of the staff are african americans
who naturally take offence at this black and white minstrel show
but there's no development of this bad attempt at a separate theme
except to suggest that african americans make for compliant staff
even more so when one of them is singled out for special mention
he shares a few intimate moments with wendy over her cat
but he too is left in his place and left behind in the film
the cynic in me thinking i'm witnessing overbearing patronising
and so the film works it's way to the expected conclusion
the father also has enough of all this and moves on
leaving our 2 main characters to also return to their lives
though of course they are a little closer for the experience
possibly a little wiser also as each makes some life adjustments
me - well - not a lot to be taken from this film
nursing homes already give me the dreads
don't want to ever visit or live in one
thanks for the reminder

dream a life

patti smith - legendary and iconic american rock musician
i can name one album but couldn't name more than 1 or 2 of her tunes
another artist from the late 70's that i never really got into
largely based on lack of effort rather than lack of interest
she's back on the stage now at the behest of robert zimmerman
this film apparantly has been 10 years in the making
being part of a film festival made it a easy choice on the list
i had read and seen nothing about it prior to this viewing
expectations down to a bunch of old and new concert footage
the film opens with a voiceover from the lady herself
talking us through a list of men in her life that have died
including significantly husband and father of her 2 children
intentionally or not these deaths invoke an empathy with the lady
even more so as she takes up more and more screen time
allowing her sweet down-to-earth personality to be exposed
what is particularly striking with the film is the amount of material
there seems to be any amount of archive footage of the early days
most of the film is grainy black-and-white videocam (?) footage
later scenes and footage also presented in a similar style
so presumably a deliberate intention to make for continuity
35 years of her life is presented in no particular sequence
though a sense of building to a current day climax is always there
the other most impressive aspect of the film is a level of restraint
concert footage is quite minimal and is not strongly featured
in several scenes classical or electronic music plays over the scenes
which then magnifies the strength of the other actual concert footage
the impression being that the film is more about her as a person
so there is a lot of footage featuring her son and daughter
she also takes the camera into the house of her upbringing
a not insignificant amount of screen time spent with her parents
again gently reinforcing the impression that patti smith has a large heart
but she has also lived a unique and indulgent life which is also exposed
patti smith is as much a poet as a singer/guitarist/performer
in one memorable scene she is seen reciting an alan ginsberg poem
live on stage at the poets funeral with philip glass on piano
mr glass being the first of a large number of famous admirers
bob dylan, michael stipe, thom yorke, bono, flea all seen in the film
but most impressively without fanfare and often quite incidentally
though naturally again confirming her place in the musical world
she also uses her fame well - leading a public call for the indictment of g w bush
confidently and convincingly quoting the american constitution
i must admit i had always thought she was a dark almost dour person
but she laughs a good laugh and that also comes to the fore often
most memorably on a beach with flea swapping hilarious toilet stories
as the film headed to it's conclusion i knew i had seen a great film
a piece of art and also very educational and ultimately entertaining
as the credits rolled it occurred to me what the film was about
not so much a homage to an iconic musician from a past time
but more as that musicians homage to her own mentors
and so in that sense explaining her own belief system
one of the best music documentaries i have seen
better get the horses cd i reckon

third

it's been a bit quiet on the music listening front lately
actually have in my possession a bunch of donated/procured cd's
awaiting my listening pleasure so tonight a start is to be made
portishead put out an album in the early 90's that was well loved
though it mostly passed me by - but this one has had some glowing reviews
it comes with the hugely imaginative title for this the 3rd album from the band

silence
you gotta love lo-fi - sounds like a south american radio broadcast
followed by some off-key kind of electric guitar strumming
with some equally harsh sounding electronica, strings, drumbeats
quite a fast beat then in comes that voice - the one and only beth gibbons
did you know what i lost?- did you know what i wanted?

hunter
a slow, slow lead-in with her almost suicidal voice again leading
echo used in the production and some light instrumentation
then electronica cranked up and dropped in the mix for contrasting effect
nothing too original is my thinking but nothing too unpleasant either
after 2 tunes you would suspect they have picked up where they left off

nylon smile
it's all about the voice you see - it's the single obvious point of difference
there's some chaps in there having fun noodling away with electronica
maybe in this case also some real skins in the drum department
the intention is to keep things deliberately monotone-ous while she despairs
i don't know what i've done to deserve you - i don't know what i'll do without you

the rip
ok ease up on the electronica, bring forward the acoustic guitar
stick it in a large room with some echo and again let beth do her thing
then just when it seemed to be predictable wind up the melotrone-like sound
leading to quite a fast-paced tune with the electronica sounding very familiar
yes - there it is - someone with some influence is a joy division fan

plastic
ouch - this one is album-filler material if you ever heard it
get the impression someone has suggested improvisation is kind of cool
which is quite valid in the hands of those who have paradoxically practised it
but here it just sounds like a bit of a waste of time and a reason to avoid it
an out-of tune voice, annoying electronica, and worst of all it probably isn't improvised

we carry on
which is presumably not some tongue-in-cheek title for this middle track
but it is more of the same - echo-production, gibbons-voice, military-drums
joy division-ish guitar so obvious it sounds like a sample but is not
but it's the fingernails-on-the-blackboard electronica that really grates
not happy - i know someone will love this but it isn't me - next!!!!

deep water
oh cute - it's a strummed ukelele with beth laying in the vocals
i've drifted into deep waters - alone with myself - i try not to struggle this time
and then for a complete change a barbershop-quartet style vocal backing
i gotta remember don't fight it - even if i don't like it - deep waters won't scare me tonight
at 1 minute and 37 seconds it's a pleasant relief from what has gone before

machine gun
an obvious name for the rapid-fire fuzz-based electronica at the fore here
get the impression with this one that 2 composers have been at work
she provides the lyrics and the voice on this poem-song
he churns out a very monotonous and unappealing electronic noise-beat
it does sound analogue-ish but boards of canada are much better at it

small
acoustic guitar, echoes, plaintiff vocals - starts interestingly enough
then the monotonic electronic noise machine comes in again and takes over
though also with a real drummer and what sounds like a hammond organ synthesizer
which immediately conjures up memories of a group from the 60's who they are imitating
portishead setting controls for the heart of pink floyd from their early days

magic doors
which is another odd title considering the last tune also gave a huge nod to the doors
a real drum sound and cow-bell leads off on this tune before beth again steps in
some nice piano chords and a dirty production technique make it quite interesting
it's almost catchy except for some odd noise-bridging things happening in the middle
again it sounds like anything but a tune recorded this side of 1980 - intentionally so no doubt

threads
the album closer - could/should be interesting to leave a warm and fuzzy feeling
restrained, slow, melancholic, organic, beth again sounding close to tears
this one again proves that portishead are a trio of very distinctive parts
she on vocals, one he in charge of traditional drums/percussion, other he making noises
this tune almost works thanks to the dominance of drums and held-back electronica

summary
for fans only - not an album to warm to quickly and therefore to be handled with caution - a lot of analogue electronica mixed with an unmistakeable voice