Welcome to the blog of Dennis J. Woodyard - Journeyman Artist, and Dragonfly Entertainment. Former TV animation producer/director, storyboard artist, character designer, writer, concept artist, Flip book designer, and other professional credits.
Happy New year. Here to start of the first Sunday Music Muse day with John Mclaughlin & the 4th Dimension- Jimmy Herring & the Invisible Whip - Live in San Francisco (man that's mouthful of title). Yesterday (Jan. 6) was John Mclaughlin's 77th birthday and I heard a radio interview from the end of the 2018 farewell tour that this album form the last concert is from. I caught the first concert of the this final tour, at the University of Buffalo. I'm glad I got to see McLaughlin. who's one of my favorite musical artist, not just as a great guitarist.
The radio interview was very insightful. One gem of interest was that he was invited to join Weather Report at its inception by co-founder bassist Miroslav Vitous, but turned down the offer as he was forming Mahavishu Orchestra. Weather Report is favorite non-guitar-centric groups. I think you can get feel for they would sound with a guitarist from their tune The Moors from I Sing the Body Electric album, their second, featuring Ralph Towner.
I sort of glad McLaughlin didn't join Weather Report as it might have
meant no Mahavishu Orchestra. What void in my music collection that
would have been.
Speaking of Weather Report, my next selection is from another founding member legendary saxophonist, Wayne Shorter. Wayne Shorter - Emanon is his latest release by 85 tear old recent Kennedy Center Honors recipient . Emanon is multimedia concept project with 3 CDs and 84 page science fiction graphic novel, illustrated by Randy DuBurke. I'm not familiar with the artist. The music is as adventurist as his early solo. Amazing.
Interestingly, this is not Wayne's first example of comic book art attached to his music. I came across an old album of his, Phantom Navigator, that has Wayne comic book art from his teen years on the inner sleeve.
There are other examples of jazz players who were into sci-fi, like bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White of Return to Forever. I'll have to do a post them sometime.
This Sunday Music Muse Day marks the our putting up the Holiday Tree. Unfortunately, I had to cancel plans to see Bob Snieder playing at the Bop Shop featuring his The Merry Gentlemen: Christmas on the Rocks CD. (Sorry Bob). If it's any conciliation I already bought the CD last week and I'm playing it as I write this.
The Merry Gentleman will be a great addition to our family Holiday Season soundtrack. I'll features more of them next week, as my sons aren't home from college yet. The tree will be unadorned until then, but we have the music of The Merry Gentleman to light up our spirits.
Again, this Sunday Music Muse Day finds us continuing our countdown to Holiday's big events. Here's some good tunes counter the onslaught of holiday music. First up is John Nyerges Jazz, Pictures and Poems. I admit pianist Nyerges is new to me, but his sidemen on this 2007 session included Rich Thompson (drums), Clay Jenkins (trumpet) and Jeff Campbell (bass) who make up the group Trio East, who I've featured many times before. It's nice to hear them in solid support of Nyerges's originals.
Next up is an another Gerry Mulligan find, Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker Reunion. This is an interesting collection of mono recorded tracks, and alternate takes, from the 1950s and 60's. You can't go wrong with Mulligan and Baker in any format.
Next week, we plan to get the Christmas tree, so I expect I'll post some holiday music favorites. Still enjoy.
As we enter the month of December, this Sunday Music Muse Day finds us gearing up for the holiday season. Christmas specials and classic cartoons are popping up on the TV. But I'll hold off on my Christmas music selection until the last minute, like I do with my shopping. In the meantime, here's some classic Miles Davis Bags Groove, a stellar collection recorded for Prestige Records in 1954 with several giants of jazz. With two versions of the title tune recorded on December 24, Christmas Eve, you could think of this CD as an early Christmas treat.
My second selection is also a player who made his mark the 1950s but continued living and playing into the 1990s. Gerry Mulligan Lonesome Boulevard, was record in 1989, seven years before he died in 1996 at age 69. I've been picking up more of the Baritone saxophonist's music the past year, as in many ways I prefer the sound of the baritone sax over the alto sax that dominates and defines much of jazz. Maybe I'm just mellowing in my old age.
Onward to the holidays, and when thinking of gift for family and friends, the gift of good music, is the gift that keep giving. Enjoy.
Here's my Robot Sunday pic. I've developed last week's design further.
I've named it "B3BOP" (Bebop) and realized I channeled Tom Servo from
MTS3K, and Vincent from Disney's Black Hole.
