I'm not really for new-year's resolutions, because I've never stuck to one. Therefore, I made a fourth-of-January resolution this year: to read 10 Shakespeare plays! I read Hamlet in English last year, and quickly knew it to be the best thing I'd ever read (Polonius's speech in act II scene ii in particular). I also read Macbeth a couple of months ago.
Of course, I decided to continue with the tragedies by reading Othello and Romeo & Juliet over the last couple of weeks - loved them both. I consulted an older 'Speare enthusiast as to which plays to include on my reading list; having listed some obvious ones such as King Lear and Richard III, he concluded by mentioning that I should read Titus Andronicus at some point, but to push that point far into the future. But then reading Harold Bloom's assertion (in his tome Shakespeare: the invention of the human) that "I don't think I would see the play again unless Mel Brooks directed it...or perhaps it could yet be made into a musical," I was far too tempted, and foolishly took it up today instead of King Lear, as I had planned. If it really is a comedy, then it's damn hilarious. Otherwise, I hope I never hear of it again. Any suggestions as to what could quickly cleanse my palet?
January 18, 2010
June 30, 2009
Back in your head
My favourite Tegan & Sara track by a long shot. Sara wrote it. The bassist is Matt Sharp, formerly of Weezer, and it was produced by Chris Walla (of Death Cab for Cutie, of course!).
The bassline in the second half of the chorus was the thing that initially attracted me, but upon further inspection, I think the entire track is ingenious. The bass isn't present during the first verse - the piano hold its place. It enters during the chorus. In the first half, it kind of harmonizes with the melody being played on the piano. Then in the second half, it goes way up the neck into a bloody gorgeous countermelody that makes the entire song, in my opinion. (Plus I like how the end of the chorus hints at a C section that doesn't come until the second time around.)
The pure brilliance comes in during the second verse. The piano is playing the same thing it did during the first verse, that is an F major chord. But here the bass is playing a D underneath it, causing the entire thing to sound as a D minor seventh chord. Essentially, the bass makes us hear the second verse in a different harmonic context than the first verse. It sounds darker and heavier, just as the lyrics become more claustrophobic. Man, I don't know if it was the producer or the bassist (or even Sara) who made this decision, but whoever did, they know a hell of a lot about music.
The recording process is dirge-like, because it's such a thickly produced song that I'm not sure which parts to leave out and which to keep. I might hear some keyboards and go, "Extraneous!", but then I discover that they're contributing to the overall harmony and are thus essential. Listening to the song so many times, I've gotten a bit too ambitious because I seem to have fallen in love with the whole thing instead of just the bassline. Anyway, I'll post what I have so far before I destroy it by trying to cover the entire thing. Hope the beauty of the bass comes through!
The bassline in the second half of the chorus was the thing that initially attracted me, but upon further inspection, I think the entire track is ingenious. The bass isn't present during the first verse - the piano hold its place. It enters during the chorus. In the first half, it kind of harmonizes with the melody being played on the piano. Then in the second half, it goes way up the neck into a bloody gorgeous countermelody that makes the entire song, in my opinion. (Plus I like how the end of the chorus hints at a C section that doesn't come until the second time around.)
The pure brilliance comes in during the second verse. The piano is playing the same thing it did during the first verse, that is an F major chord. But here the bass is playing a D underneath it, causing the entire thing to sound as a D minor seventh chord. Essentially, the bass makes us hear the second verse in a different harmonic context than the first verse. It sounds darker and heavier, just as the lyrics become more claustrophobic. Man, I don't know if it was the producer or the bassist (or even Sara) who made this decision, but whoever did, they know a hell of a lot about music.
The recording process is dirge-like, because it's such a thickly produced song that I'm not sure which parts to leave out and which to keep. I might hear some keyboards and go, "Extraneous!", but then I discover that they're contributing to the overall harmony and are thus essential. Listening to the song so many times, I've gotten a bit too ambitious because I seem to have fallen in love with the whole thing instead of just the bassline. Anyway, I'll post what I have so far before I destroy it by trying to cover the entire thing. Hope the beauty of the bass comes through!
June 25, 2009
Wurlitzer Jukebox!
My two favourite bassists in history are Andy Rourke of The Smiths and Philip Moxham of Young Marble Giants. When deciding which YMG songs to put on my All-Time Favourite Basslines List, I initially just wrote "all of Colossal Youth" (which is an album). Then I narrowed it down to just one song: "Wurlitzer Jukebox!"
This song in particular exemplifies some great aspects of Phil's playing. It opens with a mad bass lead and then segues perfectly into some simple bouncy background stuff. To me, he always seems to perfectly balance all his roles in a song; as melody player, rhythm player, and harmony player.
For my presentation of this track, I started by plugging a pattern into this drum program, the rhythm rascal. Sadly, this program is designed for hard rock, and sounds pretty bad in general. So I decided to put the pattern in backwards, record it, then flip the whole thing backwards again using Audacity. (Audacity is a free recording program I'm using. You can really do a surprising amount of things with it.) In other words, you hear the alternating bass and snare sounds in order, but the sounds themselves are backwards. I played the melody on a bass instead of singing it, since this is after all an exploration of the dark underbelly of this unappreciated instrument.
You can hear the end result, with full instrumentation, here.
You can hear the bassline on its own here.
(You will have to scroll down and download them.)
Keep in mind that the sound is never gonna be perfect because this is the microphone I'm using:
This song in particular exemplifies some great aspects of Phil's playing. It opens with a mad bass lead and then segues perfectly into some simple bouncy background stuff. To me, he always seems to perfectly balance all his roles in a song; as melody player, rhythm player, and harmony player.
For my presentation of this track, I started by plugging a pattern into this drum program, the rhythm rascal. Sadly, this program is designed for hard rock, and sounds pretty bad in general. So I decided to put the pattern in backwards, record it, then flip the whole thing backwards again using Audacity. (Audacity is a free recording program I'm using. You can really do a surprising amount of things with it.) In other words, you hear the alternating bass and snare sounds in order, but the sounds themselves are backwards. I played the melody on a bass instead of singing it, since this is after all an exploration of the dark underbelly of this unappreciated instrument.
You can hear the end result, with full instrumentation, here.
You can hear the bassline on its own here.
(You will have to scroll down and download them.)
Keep in mind that the sound is never gonna be perfect because this is the microphone I'm using:
June 24, 2009
Mnth Mbaez Projekt
So I've decided on a project to undertake now that it's summer. The other day, I decided to make a list of all my favourite basslines...fifteen of them or so. I've found that all I really need in a song is a good bassline - everything else can be just terrible, and I won't notice. And I want you all to hear these basslines the way I hear them!
My original plan was to just write about each of them and post youtube links. This plan was quickly crushed when I discovered that not only were some songs inaccessible on the internet, but the ones that were around were of horrifically bad quality! Therefore, I've decided to record these basslines myself, with any other instruments necessary for context, and post them along with my thoughts on them. I'll aim to post one every couple of days. The first is already underway!
My original plan was to just write about each of them and post youtube links. This plan was quickly crushed when I discovered that not only were some songs inaccessible on the internet, but the ones that were around were of horrifically bad quality! Therefore, I've decided to record these basslines myself, with any other instruments necessary for context, and post them along with my thoughts on them. I'll aim to post one every couple of days. The first is already underway!
April 20, 2009
April is kicking March's ass.
I'm listening to THE Jazz Show hosted by Gavin Walker at this moment. It's an episode from a while back, featuring the album Sonny Side Up by Dizzy, Sonny Rollins, and Sonny Stitt. It's nice to listen to jazz after a couple weeks of ignoring it. It's like getting a serious dose of reality!
But the reality I've been living in is pretty boss, too. Utopian, really. On April 1, I got a very unpleasant fine on the skytrain, and had to find myself some way of paying it. So I immediately began experimenting with busking. I actually paid the fine within about ten days. And now I can basically say I have a part-time job where I set my own hours, I work outside in the gorgeous weather, and I get paid way above minimum wage in cash. An ideal job.
And outside of that brilliance, Veronica played a gig with Thee AHs at the Cultch on the 11th. Two five-song sets. She played a bit of sax, but is mostly on bass duties now, which she likes more anyway. Here they are playing my personal favourite song of theirs, Strange Little Scene:
They're going to be playing a gob-smacking set of hits tomorrow at Heritage Hall at 7:00, and again at Lugz cafe (main and broadway) on friday at 9:00.
Furthermore, I went and saw Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke at the Rio with Fab a while back. They were absolutely stunning, and went well with the cherry blossoms lining the streets.
But the reality I've been living in is pretty boss, too. Utopian, really. On April 1, I got a very unpleasant fine on the skytrain, and had to find myself some way of paying it. So I immediately began experimenting with busking. I actually paid the fine within about ten days. And now I can basically say I have a part-time job where I set my own hours, I work outside in the gorgeous weather, and I get paid way above minimum wage in cash. An ideal job.
And outside of that brilliance, Veronica played a gig with Thee AHs at the Cultch on the 11th. Two five-song sets. She played a bit of sax, but is mostly on bass duties now, which she likes more anyway. Here they are playing my personal favourite song of theirs, Strange Little Scene:
They're going to be playing a gob-smacking set of hits tomorrow at Heritage Hall at 7:00, and again at Lugz cafe (main and broadway) on friday at 9:00.
Furthermore, I went and saw Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke at the Rio with Fab a while back. They were absolutely stunning, and went well with the cherry blossoms lining the streets.
March 18, 2009
The middle of a wednesday
Yesterday, after two weeks of half-hearted looking, I finally found my olive-green notebook from 2006. It contains Occupant lyrics, other lyrics, lists of my favourite albums (which haven't changed too much, which is either good or totally embarrassing), guitar riffs, band names (some of which I still think are really great), and notes on a board game that Stella and I were developing. It's quite the thing to find.
But today, I'm actually in a state that I very seldom fall into. It's a state that can really only be brought on by one's own laziness, or in this case, being blase about all the things that are available to me in my abode. That state is the mental poison known as boredom. I tried figuring out the chords to The Best of Jill Hives by GBV, but I was highly ineffective. I kept thinking, "there are probably only about 4 chords in this song, all of them barre chords, but I just can't get them!" Eventually I cracked and looked it up on the internet. I soon found a tab that sounds really quite accurate, and was astonished to see chords like Amaj7 and E/D# smattered in there! So that's what I get for underestimating rock music...
I also called a few people, but none of them answered their damn telephones! I guess they have call display, eh?
Well, here are Thee Ahs featuring that divilishly attractive Veronica girl:
But today, I'm actually in a state that I very seldom fall into. It's a state that can really only be brought on by one's own laziness, or in this case, being blase about all the things that are available to me in my abode. That state is the mental poison known as boredom. I tried figuring out the chords to The Best of Jill Hives by GBV, but I was highly ineffective. I kept thinking, "there are probably only about 4 chords in this song, all of them barre chords, but I just can't get them!" Eventually I cracked and looked it up on the internet. I soon found a tab that sounds really quite accurate, and was astonished to see chords like Amaj7 and E/D# smattered in there! So that's what I get for underestimating rock music...
I also called a few people, but none of them answered their damn telephones! I guess they have call display, eh?
Well, here are Thee Ahs featuring that divilishly attractive Veronica girl:
March 14, 2009
Instead of doing the work, I shall complain about it
I was just thinking about where I can register general complaints. I figure this is the place to do it!
I'm on spring 'break' now, but it seems I have the equivalent of three weeks worth of homework to do. I have to do some kind of project on human rights (obviously a relaxation-inducing topic), write as much poetry as possible, and do some journals. I ran out of journal topics before the end of grade ten - need to wade 300 words into a bunch of random topics, which is too much for an irrelevant topic, and far too little for anything that's actually worth thinking about. I also need to think about a model of the universe (this will probably wind up being an enlarged photo of my face in the end).
I also need to figure out the chords to The Best Of Jill Hives!
I'm on spring 'break' now, but it seems I have the equivalent of three weeks worth of homework to do. I have to do some kind of project on human rights (obviously a relaxation-inducing topic), write as much poetry as possible, and do some journals. I ran out of journal topics before the end of grade ten - need to wade 300 words into a bunch of random topics, which is too much for an irrelevant topic, and far too little for anything that's actually worth thinking about. I also need to think about a model of the universe (this will probably wind up being an enlarged photo of my face in the end).
I also need to figure out the chords to The Best Of Jill Hives!
February 27, 2009
On the Roof
Hello there children,
Back in merry old August, Fab and I played a couple of tunes out at UBC. I thought I ought to post a tune from this landmark performance. It's a tune I wrote called On the Roof, and as you will hear...well, it's pretty sick.
Back in merry old August, Fab and I played a couple of tunes out at UBC. I thought I ought to post a tune from this landmark performance. It's a tune I wrote called On the Roof, and as you will hear...well, it's pretty sick.
Click here!
You can't really hear my spoken invocation at the beginning; basically, I'm just saying, "Close your eyes and picture rain as you hear this."
February 21, 2009
Hey guys!
I know, I know. You're all pretty mad at me. I was in charge of your sole source of entertainment, this blog, and I neglected it. But I'm certain you'll forgive me when you see what I'm posting for your benefit!
Scoping around craigslist, I found a local band called Thee Ahs looking for someone to open for them. So I checked out their myspace, and lo, I had a new favourite band. To imagine how a band can be this good - well, it's a waste of time. Obviously, bands like this just blink into existence. Argal, I give you:
Of course, I couldn't respond to the ad, as the night they were playing happened to be the night of the City School cabaret. Plus, I didn't have a band that could open for anything until the day before said cababret. And that still needs some hammering out, you understand.
Scoping around craigslist, I found a local band called Thee Ahs looking for someone to open for them. So I checked out their myspace, and lo, I had a new favourite band. To imagine how a band can be this good - well, it's a waste of time. Obviously, bands like this just blink into existence. Argal, I give you:
Enjoy!
Of course, I couldn't respond to the ad, as the night they were playing happened to be the night of the City School cabaret. Plus, I didn't have a band that could open for anything until the day before said cababret. And that still needs some hammering out, you understand.
August 10, 2008
Another large day
Today, we moved a PA system from O'brien's abode to Liza's with the help of The Fab. O'brien scooped this item from the tai chi garage sale yesterday. 2 monitor speakers, 2 mics, 2 mic stands, and a mixer. Liza and I had to rearrange the better part of the abode to accommodate the system, and our livingroom-studio now looks much larger. Last week, we also received a pair of congas from the Nils abode. They were taking up space in storage. So now we have percussion, which will sound even better with the reverb supplied by the new mixer. (I guess it could sound good 'clean', but we'll leave that for people who can actually play the congas.)
Did I mention jazz is back? It's at the Libra room from 5 til 7:30 on sundays. Of course, I couldn't go today, because we were working with the PA until a few minutes ago, and also no one is around to go with me. Jason is in Japan until around the 21st, and without him there, it's a bit difficult, especially since there's a much different group of musicians there now.
Fab and I have been practicing the tune I wrote a while back, On the roof. The form is AAB. The A sections have a quiet, rain-like quality, and the B section is loud and mostly just one chord. (That's not to say it's exactly like a Nirvana song...) The focus of the band is on providing tension and release using elements other than harmony. I got this idea when I was reading a Jamey Aebersold book, and there was a table listing different things that provide tension and release. On the tension side, there were things like playing loud, ascending lines, faster notes, and dissonant harmony. On the release side, there were things like playing soft, descending lines, longer notes, and consonant harmony. So I thought, why not write a tune based mostly on dynamics? A good thing about this format is that it forces me and Fab to listen to each other.
Anyhow, we have to have it down by next sunday - we have a half-hour performance at IDEC that we're preparing for. I am also preparing for the finest concert ever conceived, which will occur on friday. The Liars opening for Radiohead....wow.
Did I mention jazz is back? It's at the Libra room from 5 til 7:30 on sundays. Of course, I couldn't go today, because we were working with the PA until a few minutes ago, and also no one is around to go with me. Jason is in Japan until around the 21st, and without him there, it's a bit difficult, especially since there's a much different group of musicians there now.
Fab and I have been practicing the tune I wrote a while back, On the roof. The form is AAB. The A sections have a quiet, rain-like quality, and the B section is loud and mostly just one chord. (That's not to say it's exactly like a Nirvana song...) The focus of the band is on providing tension and release using elements other than harmony. I got this idea when I was reading a Jamey Aebersold book, and there was a table listing different things that provide tension and release. On the tension side, there were things like playing loud, ascending lines, faster notes, and dissonant harmony. On the release side, there were things like playing soft, descending lines, longer notes, and consonant harmony. So I thought, why not write a tune based mostly on dynamics? A good thing about this format is that it forces me and Fab to listen to each other.
Anyhow, we have to have it down by next sunday - we have a half-hour performance at IDEC that we're preparing for. I am also preparing for the finest concert ever conceived, which will occur on friday. The Liars opening for Radiohead....wow.
August 1, 2008
String trio
This is a string trio I wrote in about 3 hours a few days ago. The title of it is 'Snap' - an homage to a particular video game....Fab knows. I hope you enjoy the talent of the 1-mm high musicians who live in my computer!
July 28, 2008
At least I got the tip jar once.
I had the teeth removed on wednesday with Matty, Ilsa and Kler in attendance in the waiting room. I felt nothing, and there was some bizarre fashion show on the TV in the ceiling, so I felt no desire to pay attention to the proceedings. My face was totally frozen on one side on the way home, but I was almost fully recovered within a few hours. I recuperated for the next day or so, but was awake enough on friday to see Paprika at the ahht gallery with Kler.
Sax playing was out the window for a few days, but I've been taking stabs at it yesterday and today. It does cause me pain, though, so I was forced to spread my attention equally between all of my instruments. I've been working on learning tunes off the record, which can be fun, but it can be quite frustrating. For instance, Eric Dolphy's Serene has only a bass outlining the chords, and it's not always audible, so figuring out dem changes is a colossal struggle!
A while ago, I borrowed a piano book called Blues Hannon from Marg. I was looking at it today. I figure if I can learn some basic blues piano starting now, and practice a lot, I'll be able to play things like Equinox or K.C. Blues within 6 months....school permitting. I'm not looking forward to that.
Guitar-wise, I've been working on pinch harmonics. I used to screw around with those all the time, but only on the high frets, and I didn't even know what note was gonna come out. And finally, bass-wise, I am the best bassist in the world, as usual.
I got an e-mail from Yiorgos today saying:
The band:
Jason, Joel, Jon, Jim, Jim, Jeff, Ian, Steve, Alexei, Nathan, Aleisha, Mike, Graham, Gerry, Yiorgos, The Fab (and his friend whose name Ian can never remember), Andrew, Caralyn, Catherine, Pete, Peter, The Girl with the Vibes, Eric (the one time he was there, he was great), and everyone else.
Sax playing was out the window for a few days, but I've been taking stabs at it yesterday and today. It does cause me pain, though, so I was forced to spread my attention equally between all of my instruments. I've been working on learning tunes off the record, which can be fun, but it can be quite frustrating. For instance, Eric Dolphy's Serene has only a bass outlining the chords, and it's not always audible, so figuring out dem changes is a colossal struggle!
A while ago, I borrowed a piano book called Blues Hannon from Marg. I was looking at it today. I figure if I can learn some basic blues piano starting now, and practice a lot, I'll be able to play things like Equinox or K.C. Blues within 6 months....school permitting. I'm not looking forward to that.
Guitar-wise, I've been working on pinch harmonics. I used to screw around with those all the time, but only on the high frets, and I didn't even know what note was gonna come out. And finally, bass-wise, I am the best bassist in the world, as usual.
I got an e-mail from Yiorgos today saying:
"Well, the rumours were true and The End Cafe has been sold. It is officially changing hands on Wednesday and will be closed down for a week for renovations. It looks unlikely that the Sunday jam will be continuing there...."So that's that! Of course, the End gets the prize for being the first business to survive for more than two weeks in that location. So, thanks to the whole band for making it happen, and to Kler, Tamlyn, Sarah, Nello, Kim and her friend, Melissa, Kian, SAMMEH, Liam, Adrian, Watson, Jacob, Luc, Luan, Logan, Pixie, Anne, Peter, Ernie, Margie, Liz, Victor, Cole, Gary, and Ilsa and O'Brien for coming out to support us.
The band:
Jason, Joel, Jon, Jim, Jim, Jeff, Ian, Steve, Alexei, Nathan, Aleisha, Mike, Graham, Gerry, Yiorgos, The Fab (and his friend whose name Ian can never remember), Andrew, Caralyn, Catherine, Pete, Peter, The Girl with the Vibes, Eric (the one time he was there, he was great), and everyone else.
July 22, 2008
Specks
Yesterday Kler, Ilsa and I went to Loan and Persuade to purchase a Saxophone, who we've named Dot. We then proceeded to the Krazy! show at the VAG, where we perused some Manga and watched part of an Anime movie in a room that, contrary to what the VAG seems to stand for, was very comfortable. Then we went to the gallery cafe to sharply inhale some sustenance.
Today, we threw a frizbee around during our Cookie-walk, then Ilsa went to teach the girls in west Van. In the afternoon, I sat down at the paezano for a couple of hours and wrote a tune employing mostly Lydian (super-happy) chords. It's the first jazz tune I've ever completed! It even has a title - On the roof. Fab was over and I gave him the lead sheet to take home. We're also working on a song that will include elements from jazz, funk (ya right), metal, prog rock, and the blues.
I wrote a wicked bassline for a guitar riff of his, too.
Tomorrow, I am for sure getting my wisdom teeth out at 3 o'clock. I'll be wise no more!
Today, we threw a frizbee around during our Cookie-walk, then Ilsa went to teach the girls in west Van. In the afternoon, I sat down at the paezano for a couple of hours and wrote a tune employing mostly Lydian (super-happy) chords. It's the first jazz tune I've ever completed! It even has a title - On the roof. Fab was over and I gave him the lead sheet to take home. We're also working on a song that will include elements from jazz, funk (ya right), metal, prog rock, and the blues.
I wrote a wicked bassline for a guitar riff of his, too.
Tomorrow, I am for sure getting my wisdom teeth out at 3 o'clock. I'll be wise no more!
July 3, 2008
The Yanks did'n invade....
I was supposed to get my wisdom teeth out today, but it turned out the dentist didn't even know if it was necessary! So I have to consult my ortho tomorrow.
In cooler news, I had a two-hour sax lesson with Jason the other day. We went over phrasing, breathing, articulation, and other important things. I've practiced a lot in the two days since, and it's hard work! I don't get bored, but I get overheated (sax playing is not particularly cooling) and tired. I have a lot of things to think about, and a lot of tunes I want to learn. I was thinking of learining Segment by Charlie Porker, and I worked with it a lot, but those quick ii-V7-i's get me! I can already play the melody for Autumn Leaves, and I pretty much have the changes memorized, so I'll work on solidifying that tune tomorrow. I also need to work on Cousin Mary, cauz it's a fave, but I still don't have it down.
In cooler news, I had a two-hour sax lesson with Jason the other day. We went over phrasing, breathing, articulation, and other important things. I've practiced a lot in the two days since, and it's hard work! I don't get bored, but I get overheated (sax playing is not particularly cooling) and tired. I have a lot of things to think about, and a lot of tunes I want to learn. I was thinking of learining Segment by Charlie Porker, and I worked with it a lot, but those quick ii-V7-i's get me! I can already play the melody for Autumn Leaves, and I pretty much have the changes memorized, so I'll work on solidifying that tune tomorrow. I also need to work on Cousin Mary, cauz it's a fave, but I still don't have it down.
June 24, 2008
Pile o' paint scrapers
So now my exams are completely done with (as of this morning). I have to pick up my report card from school on thursday between 10 am and noon, which sounds shifty. They might as well say "come to the back door and knock three times" as well.
Nils, Fab and I all rolled down to hear some ear-splitting noise at the Roundhouse last night. A cool $26 to see Evan Parker (tenor only, sadly), Barry Guy (baez and paintbrushes), Paul Lytton (drums and objects), and Agusti Fernandez (pianoforte and some kind of brick), plus The Thing with Ken Vandermark. The latter act I had never heard, so the whole event was more explosive than I could have imagined. This was my first 'free music' concert, and I couldn't believe how much better it was live!
When we sat down, Fab and I gathered round the Village Elder, Nils, and he told us many tales of the realm of free jazz. He was talking a lot about how one person might play something, then another will pick up on it/react to it, and it might just ricochet through the whole band. And when they came on, it didn't take much hard listening to notice this kind of thing; it was happening the entire time!
Paul Lytton's drum kit was surrounded on all sides by various objects on the floor, such as sticks, small cymbals, wooden frogs, paint scrapers, shells - anything that made sound. Which is everything. Most of the time he'd be reaching onto the floor to grab something new and putting it in the pile on top of his snare drum. It got full up there, so stuff was falling off constantly.
I find I like Barry Guy's playing best when he's on his own, but he wasn't without his highlights. The best part was when he had something that looked like a hairless bow shoved up under the strings, and whenever he touched it, it would rock back and forth, making a really cool sound.
Fernandez I hadn't heard more than about a minute of before. He looked conspicuous, because while the other three band members were wearing all black, he had on this lipstick-red shirt. He looked like Florian Schneider on the cover of The Man Machine. Anyhoot, he made fine use of harmonics on the piano throughout, and of course wasn't afraid to play using his elbows.
I wasn't familiar with anyone in The Thing or Ken Vandermark, but they were a treat. Interestingly, where the Evan Parker band would play in a sort of straight line, moving wherever they happened to move, The Thing tended to sort of build more. The two horn players, Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson, constantly played off each other; one might start a riff, and the other might either play lines over it or kind of expand it.
The ultimate treat with this band was, of course, getting to hear TWO baritone saxes at once!
Nils, Fab and I all rolled down to hear some ear-splitting noise at the Roundhouse last night. A cool $26 to see Evan Parker (tenor only, sadly), Barry Guy (baez and paintbrushes), Paul Lytton (drums and objects), and Agusti Fernandez (pianoforte and some kind of brick), plus The Thing with Ken Vandermark. The latter act I had never heard, so the whole event was more explosive than I could have imagined. This was my first 'free music' concert, and I couldn't believe how much better it was live!
When we sat down, Fab and I gathered round the Village Elder, Nils, and he told us many tales of the realm of free jazz. He was talking a lot about how one person might play something, then another will pick up on it/react to it, and it might just ricochet through the whole band. And when they came on, it didn't take much hard listening to notice this kind of thing; it was happening the entire time!
Paul Lytton's drum kit was surrounded on all sides by various objects on the floor, such as sticks, small cymbals, wooden frogs, paint scrapers, shells - anything that made sound. Which is everything. Most of the time he'd be reaching onto the floor to grab something new and putting it in the pile on top of his snare drum. It got full up there, so stuff was falling off constantly.
I find I like Barry Guy's playing best when he's on his own, but he wasn't without his highlights. The best part was when he had something that looked like a hairless bow shoved up under the strings, and whenever he touched it, it would rock back and forth, making a really cool sound.
Fernandez I hadn't heard more than about a minute of before. He looked conspicuous, because while the other three band members were wearing all black, he had on this lipstick-red shirt. He looked like Florian Schneider on the cover of The Man Machine. Anyhoot, he made fine use of harmonics on the piano throughout, and of course wasn't afraid to play using his elbows.
I wasn't familiar with anyone in The Thing or Ken Vandermark, but they were a treat. Interestingly, where the Evan Parker band would play in a sort of straight line, moving wherever they happened to move, The Thing tended to sort of build more. The two horn players, Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson, constantly played off each other; one might start a riff, and the other might either play lines over it or kind of expand it.
The ultimate treat with this band was, of course, getting to hear TWO baritone saxes at once!
May 28, 2008
Why everyone should learn an instrument
A persuasive essay for English.
In my experience, I’d say learning even the basics of my first instrument - the bass guitar - was as beneficial to me as learning the alphabet. First off, I will present some simple reasons why leaning an instrument is so rewarding.
Ø It’s a challenge, and it builds patience.
Of course, the level of the challenge changes depending on the instrument you’re taking on. But in any case, your instrument will pose some immediate challenges. For instance, on a guitar or bass, you have to develop calluses on your fingers - pressing those strings down hurts. But persistence pays off quickly - you can wake up in the morning with the ability to play something you couldn’t the night before. With these rock instruments in particular, you can learn to jam with other musicians very quickly, and jamming is some of the most fun you can have.
Ø You can have fun with it at any skill level.
Part of the reason for this is that more advanced musicians will gladly jam with a beginner - in my case, when I was just a young bassist, I had the opportunity to play with virtuoso guitarist Keston Barker, a fellow Windsor Housian, and this helped me to develop. You’re always on your feet when you’re playing with someone with more experience. Now when I’m playing with a beginning player, I find it not only lets me relax a lot while playing, but it helps me learn how to play simple things.
Ø Improvement is a constant possibility.
I went to a saxophone workshop in north Van a while back, and one of the instructors, who’d been playing for (about) 30+ years said, “If I ever run out of things to practice, I’m gonna quit playing.” They talked about a pianist friend of theirs, who’d died at around age 75, and they said that up until his last month, he would still come home from gigs at 2 a.m. and then practice until 4 a.m. Whether you’re just learning your instrument casually, or you’re a 70-year-old pianist named McCoy Tyner who played with John Coltrane, you’re never gonna reach a dead end.
Ø You listen to music in a totally different way.
Of course, if you’ve never touched an instrument in your life, it’s easy to take music for granted - not to say that non-musicians can’t like music, but I myself couldn’t appreciate a great guitarist like Nick Drake before taking up the instrument.
You start to listen to everything, and picture what the music would feel like if you were playing it. You start to ask, “How is that done?” And when you start learning theory, if you choose that path, you can recognize certain chord progressions, rhythms, or scales by ear - even in sounds that aren’t music, like human speech, or traffic sounds. Also, the theory can lead you to listen to music you wouldn’t have considered before - for instance, you could just be playing Nirvana all day, then suddenly become an Eric Dolphy fan. For instance.
Now, here are some arguments that I’d like to settle.
Ø An instrument? That’s a huge commitment! I don’t have time for that!
Not true. You don’t have to devote your whole life to it - like I said before, you can enjoy yourself with only four chords. And anyways, it’s a much better way of avoiding your homework than watching the boob tube.
Ø I like music, but I can’t play it. I’m not musical.
Of course you’re not musical if you don’t try an instrument. If you try it, you are musical. No one is born with the ability to play. If you are inclined to play, you can play.
Ø But I can’t even keep a beat!
What do you think drummers and metronomes are for?
Ø I can’t read music.
You don’t need to be able to read music to play it, especially if you’re just starting out. Whatever you need to learn off the top, a friend can show you.
I’d like to conclude that music can not only improve your life in all the ways I’ve mentioned and more, but that it puts good vibes in the air and improves the quality of life of people around you. I have had two people in my co-op, people I hardly even know, come up to me and say almost exactly the same thing: “I love hearing the saxophone - I feel like I’m living in Europe!” People want to hear music. Give it to ‘em.
In my experience, I’d say learning even the basics of my first instrument - the bass guitar - was as beneficial to me as learning the alphabet. First off, I will present some simple reasons why leaning an instrument is so rewarding.
Ø It’s a challenge, and it builds patience.
Of course, the level of the challenge changes depending on the instrument you’re taking on. But in any case, your instrument will pose some immediate challenges. For instance, on a guitar or bass, you have to develop calluses on your fingers - pressing those strings down hurts. But persistence pays off quickly - you can wake up in the morning with the ability to play something you couldn’t the night before. With these rock instruments in particular, you can learn to jam with other musicians very quickly, and jamming is some of the most fun you can have.
Ø You can have fun with it at any skill level.
Part of the reason for this is that more advanced musicians will gladly jam with a beginner - in my case, when I was just a young bassist, I had the opportunity to play with virtuoso guitarist Keston Barker, a fellow Windsor Housian, and this helped me to develop. You’re always on your feet when you’re playing with someone with more experience. Now when I’m playing with a beginning player, I find it not only lets me relax a lot while playing, but it helps me learn how to play simple things.
Ø Improvement is a constant possibility.
I went to a saxophone workshop in north Van a while back, and one of the instructors, who’d been playing for (about) 30+ years said, “If I ever run out of things to practice, I’m gonna quit playing.” They talked about a pianist friend of theirs, who’d died at around age 75, and they said that up until his last month, he would still come home from gigs at 2 a.m. and then practice until 4 a.m. Whether you’re just learning your instrument casually, or you’re a 70-year-old pianist named McCoy Tyner who played with John Coltrane, you’re never gonna reach a dead end.
Ø You listen to music in a totally different way.
Of course, if you’ve never touched an instrument in your life, it’s easy to take music for granted - not to say that non-musicians can’t like music, but I myself couldn’t appreciate a great guitarist like Nick Drake before taking up the instrument.
You start to listen to everything, and picture what the music would feel like if you were playing it. You start to ask, “How is that done?” And when you start learning theory, if you choose that path, you can recognize certain chord progressions, rhythms, or scales by ear - even in sounds that aren’t music, like human speech, or traffic sounds. Also, the theory can lead you to listen to music you wouldn’t have considered before - for instance, you could just be playing Nirvana all day, then suddenly become an Eric Dolphy fan. For instance.
Now, here are some arguments that I’d like to settle.
Ø An instrument? That’s a huge commitment! I don’t have time for that!
Not true. You don’t have to devote your whole life to it - like I said before, you can enjoy yourself with only four chords. And anyways, it’s a much better way of avoiding your homework than watching the boob tube.
Ø I like music, but I can’t play it. I’m not musical.
Of course you’re not musical if you don’t try an instrument. If you try it, you are musical. No one is born with the ability to play. If you are inclined to play, you can play.
Ø But I can’t even keep a beat!
What do you think drummers and metronomes are for?
Ø I can’t read music.
You don’t need to be able to read music to play it, especially if you’re just starting out. Whatever you need to learn off the top, a friend can show you.
I’d like to conclude that music can not only improve your life in all the ways I’ve mentioned and more, but that it puts good vibes in the air and improves the quality of life of people around you. I have had two people in my co-op, people I hardly even know, come up to me and say almost exactly the same thing: “I love hearing the saxophone - I feel like I’m living in Europe!” People want to hear music. Give it to ‘em.
May 24, 2008
Today is definately a blog day.
"One might think that this blog has died but alas, no."
-Nils on Goaded by Vices
Couldn't a put it better meese elf. But a lot of stuff happened today and in the last few days.
I was home from school the other day, sick, but by the mid-afternoon I was well enough to assist Ilsa in removing the trash from our CD shelves (the first and third Hole albums? Stinko!) and bringing it to the Audiopile. We got a cool $50 worth of credit, so we got a Liars EP, Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage, and a 2-CD live set of the Charles Mingus sextet with Eric Dolphy, with $17 left. I asked them to order a 2-disc Swans set for me, which I'm insanely excited for.
Today I rose quite late, and consumed a mild breakfast. Ilsa and I then escorted Cookie to trout lake and fetched Slurpees. When we arrived home, I found a non-moving being on the bathroom floor on top of a towel. We have had many brief mouse sightings in the last month, so we found it bizarre to see him sitting still. We elected to bury the small creature. I lifted the edge of the towel, and whad du ya gno, the being moved. He scampered a foot or so, but then found himself cornered. He couldn't move very fast, and was limping slightly. We scooped him up in a paper towel and took him across to the park so that Cookie wouldn't bother us. We figured he would gain strength if we cared for him, so we put him in a large flower pot and put some things in there for him and put it in the bathtub. We decided we'd take him to trout lake and let him go tomorrow. About an hour later, we checked on him, and he looked ill. He convulsed a bit, and then he was dead. I'm glad we were at least there when it happened. We did wind up burying him.
I had to write a persuasive essay for English, and duly sat down to and completed my task within 2 hours. I will post this essay, Why everyone should learn an instrument, soon. It was good to get this thing over with - it was easy, but took the mental energy of coercing myself into doing it.
At about 4, I went to O'Brien's. He had had some enormous score at a garage sale earlier - some post-college students had out a box of CD's for two bucks apiece, and he vacuumed up a dozen or so of them - deluxe My aim is true, some John Cage, Charlie Hayden, Hatful of Hollow, Basement tapes, Talking Heads:77 and The name of this band is Talking Heads (a double-live set), Hounds of love, etc. Then there was the mutha lode: a small, highly portable guitar amp. I brought the Squire with me to test it, and wound up playing around with it for an hour. It yields some massive overdrive, which is very fine, but you can also get some good clean sounds out of it. Mr. O'brien obtained all these things at the garage sale for $30. We had some fud, then Ilsa swung by and we headed over to Fab's - we were getting a ride to see Fab's play, an abridged version of The Complete works of William Shakespeare abridged. Ilsa grabbed a bite before the show, and we got in for free because we brought in a man to threaten the usher. The play was very pleasing, especially Macbeth. Fab's part was much more voluminous than previous plays I've seen him in.
I am now going to venture to the room adjacent to this one, my bedroom. The reason I'm doing this is that my bed is located therein, and my bed is where I sleep. Oh yes, the Pixmeister is coming in just a week! I'm quite excited about it. But what I'm not excited about is that I recently found out my wisdom teeth are gonna be pulled in July. Yeow!
-Nils on Goaded by Vices
Couldn't a put it better meese elf. But a lot of stuff happened today and in the last few days.
I was home from school the other day, sick, but by the mid-afternoon I was well enough to assist Ilsa in removing the trash from our CD shelves (the first and third Hole albums? Stinko!) and bringing it to the Audiopile. We got a cool $50 worth of credit, so we got a Liars EP, Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage, and a 2-CD live set of the Charles Mingus sextet with Eric Dolphy, with $17 left. I asked them to order a 2-disc Swans set for me, which I'm insanely excited for.
Today I rose quite late, and consumed a mild breakfast. Ilsa and I then escorted Cookie to trout lake and fetched Slurpees. When we arrived home, I found a non-moving being on the bathroom floor on top of a towel. We have had many brief mouse sightings in the last month, so we found it bizarre to see him sitting still. We elected to bury the small creature. I lifted the edge of the towel, and whad du ya gno, the being moved. He scampered a foot or so, but then found himself cornered. He couldn't move very fast, and was limping slightly. We scooped him up in a paper towel and took him across to the park so that Cookie wouldn't bother us. We figured he would gain strength if we cared for him, so we put him in a large flower pot and put some things in there for him and put it in the bathtub. We decided we'd take him to trout lake and let him go tomorrow. About an hour later, we checked on him, and he looked ill. He convulsed a bit, and then he was dead. I'm glad we were at least there when it happened. We did wind up burying him.
I had to write a persuasive essay for English, and duly sat down to and completed my task within 2 hours. I will post this essay, Why everyone should learn an instrument, soon. It was good to get this thing over with - it was easy, but took the mental energy of coercing myself into doing it.
At about 4, I went to O'Brien's. He had had some enormous score at a garage sale earlier - some post-college students had out a box of CD's for two bucks apiece, and he vacuumed up a dozen or so of them - deluxe My aim is true, some John Cage, Charlie Hayden, Hatful of Hollow, Basement tapes, Talking Heads:77 and The name of this band is Talking Heads (a double-live set), Hounds of love, etc. Then there was the mutha lode: a small, highly portable guitar amp. I brought the Squire with me to test it, and wound up playing around with it for an hour. It yields some massive overdrive, which is very fine, but you can also get some good clean sounds out of it. Mr. O'brien obtained all these things at the garage sale for $30. We had some fud, then Ilsa swung by and we headed over to Fab's - we were getting a ride to see Fab's play, an abridged version of The Complete works of William Shakespeare abridged. Ilsa grabbed a bite before the show, and we got in for free because we brought in a man to threaten the usher. The play was very pleasing, especially Macbeth. Fab's part was much more voluminous than previous plays I've seen him in.
I am now going to venture to the room adjacent to this one, my bedroom. The reason I'm doing this is that my bed is located therein, and my bed is where I sleep. Oh yes, the Pixmeister is coming in just a week! I'm quite excited about it. But what I'm not excited about is that I recently found out my wisdom teeth are gonna be pulled in July. Yeow!
March 27, 2008
Little sunflower
The second jazz piece Fab and I ever learned, yet no recordings have arrived on the internet yet! Well, here's one from the End cafe from March 23rd. Fab's not on this one - he had something fah more important to attend to than play some trivial cocktail music - if he was, the recording would go up on glissando. Some new material will be appearing on that page soon.
Steve Kaposy - drums / Jason Walters - tenor / Jerry Boey - trumpet / Ian Cameron - bass / Yiorgos - organ / Ridley - alto / Jim Burns - guitar
Click here!!
Steve Kaposy - drums / Jason Walters - tenor / Jerry Boey - trumpet / Ian Cameron - bass / Yiorgos - organ / Ridley - alto / Jim Burns - guitar
Click here!!
March 6, 2008
Mediums?
We had an English assignment in which we had to write a poem that had a lot of very strict rules. It wasn't a specific form, they were just arbitrary regulations. It had to be twenty-four lines long, and each line had to have some specific things - for example, line one had to have a noun, a number, and a colour. So I went to work on this, talked about a guy named Pauline playing a bass solo. When I had ten lines left, I thought, "Maybe I'll submit a bass solo with it!" I wrote the solo, then decided to just complete the assignment as usual, keeping the solo for something else. I was still interested in combining two media in one piece, though. I told the Cosmic Cop about it, and asked if she'd be instristed in cola-BO-rating on something. She agreed. Now, I've been working on some music for three days, and am going quite fast. When it's done, I'll record it and submit a cassette to the Cosmic Conundrum and she'll illustrate it. And it just might be the greatest piece of art of all time!
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