Sunday Music Muse Day - Pat Metheny, Jim Hall

This Sunday Music Muse Day findsme still enjoy the buzz from hearing one of my favoirte jazz guitatist in concert this week.  Lisa and I attended the Pat Metheny Side-Eye concert at the Kodak Center in Rochester NY.

It was the  first large concert we've attended since the John McLaughlin Farewell tour, outside of the small concert at the Rochester Jazz Featival, which have been held for the past two years because of the Covid 19 pandemic.  Sitting in our seat I looked around and wondered, "what are all these old people doing at a Pat Metheny concert?" Well...then it hit the me, if they discovered Metheny in their 20's like I did and followed his career that means they're all in my post-AARP age group.  Funny how the mind works. I first saw Pat Metheny on his first tour in support of Bright Size Life, his first ground breaking album, back in th 70s, at a small NYC gallery-by day/music club-by night just below 14th Street.  I remember Ralph Towner and John Abercrombie were in the audience to support the new kid.  I remember approaching Metheny during a break telling him how much I like his playing. He responded with a humble "thank you". Remaining  fan and following his career, we've sort of grown old together, as he's now 67 years old, and still going strong, but still his the boyish looks.

I actually picked up the CD, Pat Metheny Side-Eye  NYC several weeks ago.  It'ss a trio group with two young players, James Francies on organ, piano, and synths, and Marcus Gilmore on Drum, with Metheny on guitars, Guitar Bass, and Orchestrionic (more on the later).  First, in concert the trio offered a wide spectrum of Metheny's musical styles, from his classic tunes and tone, solo pieces, a touch of free jazz thrown in the mix.  His use of self made music machines he calls the "orchestrionic" are cross between sythesizer and old fashion hurdy-gurdy machines.  He did several CD's of music with these which are checking out.

The Kodak Center stage set was sparse, not large screen projections, just the three musicians, their instruments,  and rather lame smoke machine and light show.  When the smoke started I thought maybe a stage fire had started, but since the musicans didn't seem upset at it, I stayed in my sit. One of the highlights was he played Bright Size Life. mostly famous his best know tune and titla of his first album.  I remains a favorite of mine, but even on the CD it doesn't match the original with Jaco Pastrious on bass.  In the Side-Eye version the bases part played by James Frances on the keyboard, he does a good job, but it's just not the same.

I glad I got to see Metheny, as a lot of my music heroes are passing away, or retiring.  I'm happy Rochester is city that can still attract quality acts.  I looking forward to the Rochester Jazz Festival, which promoters have annouced will happen next spring. It something positive to look forward to.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Gregg Bendian, John Zorn

This Sunday Music Muse day has me venturing slightly off the beaten path.   What both selection have in common is that are concept projects inspired by other media, comic books, and movies.  First up Gregg Bendian's Interzone: Requiem for Jack Kirby. Gregg  is jazz fusion vibraphonist that with his group Interzone plays a mix of free-jazz and fusion.  Free jazz musicans, Nels Cline (guitar) and brother  Alex Cline (drums)  play on the project. This 1999 released is tribute to my comic hero Jack Kirby, the legendary comic book artist best known for creating and co-creating with Stan Lee Marvel Comics characters so popular in the Marvel Cinema Universe movies hitting the theaters today. Bendian post on the Jack Kirby Face page that a remastered version of Requiem for Jack Kirby was available on his website.  I have seen it on Youtube before. But I went old school and found a CD onliine. I'm glad I did since it has a nice fold out poster and KIrby art graphics on the CD.  The music is good, and worth a listen.  I used it as a soundtrack while reading the Kirby's Forth World saga, which he did for DC comics after leaving Marvel.

My second selection is also by a free jazz musican, John Zorn The Big Gundown: John Zorn plays the Music On Ennio Morricone - The 15th Anniversary Edition.  I know of John Zorn as  Free Jazz, as in "out there" type of music from CDs with Bill Frisell, who play on one cut on this,"landmark album that introduced Zorn's wild musical universe to a larger audience".  Okay, I'll have to take the liner note writer's word that.  Of course I knew Ennio Morricone's music for the Sergio Leone films like A Fistful of Dollar. infamously called Spagetti Westerns.  The music is interesting and "out there, but personally I'd rather hear the originals by Morricone.  But if you want to venture on a musical path less traveled, give this a try.

Stay safe, stay healthy.  And remember...Winter is Coming. 

Sunday Music Muse Day - Tribute Pat Martino

Today’s Sunday Music Muse is a tribute to Pat Martino, the legendary jazz guitarist, who passed away this week. I can’t equal the many tribute written about him online, remarking on his musical talent but also his human spirit in over becoming a brain injury that robbed him of his ability to play guitar. He amazingly taught himself to play again, in what can only be one of the most inspirational personal stories ever. So, I’ll choice to listen to his music from several CDs I have, ( I hsave several originally on vinyl albums) and enjoy a piece of the musical legacy he leaves behind. My thanks to my friend Rodney Means, who first introduced me to Pat Martino’s music. RIP Pat, and thanks the music.

Inktober 2021 - #25 to #31

Here's the week's Inktober 2021 drawings.   I have to say it was like pulling teeth to get throught this. month.

#25 - "Splat".

#26 - "Connect",  (For this I used an old Robot Sunday drawing, as I was short on time)

#27 - "Spark".

#28 - "Crispy".

#29 - "Patch".

#30 - "Slither".

#31 - "Risk",

I sort felt burn out by the last drawings, but I did finish.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Ralph Towner, Oregon with Ralph Towner.

This Sunday Music Muse day finds me enjoying a Raplgh Towner twin spin as my DJ friends say.  First it is Ralph Towner Time Line, another one of excellent solo session for ECM, released in 2006. I happy to say Towner is still performing, even now at the age of 81. I hope to see him again.

The second part of the Towner twin spin is Oregon Live at Yoshi's recorded in 2001. Of course, Oregon is the group he first came to fame with after meeting various members in the Paul Winter's Consort in the early 1970's. Oregon has been playing off and on since the '70's, with members coming and going, and new additions.  Their last recording as a group was 2017.

You can't have enough of Ralph Towner's music, he remains in a class by myself.

Inktober 2021 - #18 to 24

 Here's the next batch of drawings for Inktober 2021 prompts.

#18 - "Moon"

#19 - "Loop

#20 - "Sprout"

#21 - "Fuzzy"

#22 - "Open"

#23 - "Leak"

#24 - "Extinct"

One more week to go.  This Inktober has been a tough.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Mick Goodrick, John Scofield

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us catching a break after several days of heavy rains, but the temperture has dropped, so there is hint of winter coming.  So to warm the soul, here's my first pick, Mick Goodrick Biorhythums. Goodrick is a well known jazz guitarist, who I first associate with his playing with vibrophonist Gary Burton groups. Like Burton, Goodrick was instructor at the famous Berklee School of Music in Boston and taught many famous guitarists, Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny. He has along career as leader and sideman, often playing with his fromer students. Biorhythms is his second offering as a leader, from 1990.

My second selection is John Scofield Shinola.  Scofield was also a student of Mick Goodrick.  The roster of talented musicians that passed throught Berklee ia truly amazing. This Scofield CD is nice trio set that I actully had on vinyl and couldn't resist picking it up again, as Scofield is one of my favorite guitarist. His playing has an certian edge to it as if he's about to lose control but manages to pull it together masterfully.

In spike of the cooler weather, I'm holding off racking leaves for a week or two, I much rather listen to some good jazz.