The only thing I knew about this book when I picked it up is that was about baseball and that it had received rave reviews. I found it a wonderful novel – entertaining and thought-provoking. It is rare that the major flaw in a book is that it ends – I wanted it to go on forever.
What I liked most about the book were the characters. They were richly drawn. They were brilliantly confounding:
- One moment heroic, the next moment merely ordinary
- Driven, then slacking
- Exceptional, ordinary
- Straight, gay
- Monomaniacal, dispassionate
I wanted to understand these characters and get under their skin. The more I got to know them, the more they delighted. They had depth and breadth. I want to know what happens to these characters over the next few years.
Great book, highly recommend.
Of the Minneapolis big three of the late 80s (The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, and Soul Asylum) only Soul Asylum was unafraid of success: hit songs, big time MTV rotation, a lead singer with a big time movie star girlfriend, major label, etc. Grave Dancer’s Union arrived on the scene at the perfect moment – in the wake of Nirvana’s Nevermind – the rock audience was looking for more of the same.
Although they never repeated the success of Grave Dancer’s Union, they have continued to put our quality material over the years. Their latest, Delayed Reaction, adds to the resume. It is the Soul Asylum sound, but not nostalgic. Instead this is mature adult alternative rock. Sneaking into their 50s these guys continue to rock with relevance.
I find this a wonderful album. This fits me well, but then I am a Minneapolis kid just a couple of grades ahead of these guys. It is great to see a band of this vintage continuing to work their craft with great finesse. There a few singles here that would sound perfect in rotation in the early 90s, yet they don’t sound our of place on The Current today.
This the first single by the Chicago band whysowhite. I have had the opportunity to see these guys live a couple of times now. They are fantastic live. I hate to pigeonhole them to a genre, as they mix funk, hip hop, rock, a capella, pop, blue-eyed soul, etc. This song is on the pop side of whysowhite – not hurt your teeth sweet, but cane sugar sweet. The song is now available on iTunes and other services. It can be streamed above. This song is a good representation of the band, but don’t think this what they are all about – when we get a full album it will take several sharp angles. For now we have a great roll down your windows, slip off your shoes, and cruise Lake Shore Drive song.
One more legend crossed of the bucket list. I have always heard that Neil Diamond is the consummate crowd-pleaser and now I know what all the fuss is about. He is like the ultimate lounge singer – with major distinction: he wrote all the songs. Neil panders to the audience in such an over the top way that it actually works.
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I can’t do a better review than the local papers – so listen to the experts:
Set list:
Soolaimon/ Beautiful Noise/ Forever in Blue Jeans/ Hello Again/ Love on the Rocks/ Play Me/ Shilo/ Red Red Wine/ You Got To Me/ Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon/ Cherry Cherry/ Kentucky Woman/ Solitary Man/ Glory Road/ I’m a Believer (both a slow talk-sing version and then a rock version)/ You Don’t Bring Me Flowers/ Crunchy Granola Suite/ Holly Holy/ Sweet Caroline/ I Am…I Said ENCORE Cracklin Rosie/ America/ Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show/ I’ve Been This Way Before
This 1973 release is under the strong influence of Miles’ Bitches Brew. By this point the sound had been perfected by the Miles alum. This was Herbie’s first album for Columbia after a short stay with Warner Brothers. Over three albums at Warner Brothers Herbie had taken his electric sound from accessible funk to an “out there” sound – almost the electric jazz version of free or avant-garde jazz.
This release was even more free with just a touch of the funk of the previous three albums. Evidently the poor sales of this album inspired Herbie to go mainstream with his next album, the legendary Headhunters.
As much as I love Headhunters it is refreshing to see how wild Herbie could be. This album is not for everyone, but if you love Headhunters, but are slightly burned out by its accessibility, give this album a spin. Herbie has a wall of keyboards and uses their many tones artfully and not gimmicky. The other players are all extraordinary instrumentalists. Fans of challenging electronica and dub-step may find this album appealing.
I consider Miles Davis Bitches Brew one of the great album covers of all time. Tonight I wondered who was the artist? It is Mati Klarwein and he had several great covers including Gregg Allman’s Laid Back. Check out his website and see some of his amazing stuff.
A special treat is the album cover for the ill-fated Jimi Hendrix/Gil Evans collaboration.
A big thanks to Oz from Crowdnoize and Rule No One Collective for the great new logo. Oz was a complete pleasure to work with. I gave him some vague concepts and he came back with a logo that completely captures the spirit of what I am trying to do here at catchgroove.com . Wonderful job Oz. Send him some work!
This a review of the recent album (Everybody’s Talkin’) and of the concert 6/24/12 at the Minnesota Zoo. Last year’s Revelator album was on my 2011 best-of and seeing Derek Trucks in concert has been on my wish list. On numerous occasions I have missed out on the chance to see Derek and last year’s Tedeschi/Trucks visit to the Zoo was yet another conflict. Finally this year’s visit to the Twin Cities made my calendar. When Everybody’s Talkin’ came out this late this spring it was a great appetizer for the main course this past Sunday night.
I am embarrassed to say after 20 years of the Zoo being a concert venue in the Twin Cities this was my first show. The Amphitheater is a very intimate setting – I was about as far away as you can get stage left and yet I felt incredibly close. The sound was amazing and the view out over a small lake was a bonus. It was a perfect weather – which makes an outdoor show special.
I have been listening to Derek Trucks for about ten years, but nothing prepared me for hearing and seeing him live. His playing was completely transcendent. It is rare that a musician takes me to a higher place – but Derek did that with each solo all night. I can not adequately describe my response to Derek’s first solo. It was a narcotic and euphoric rush through my body. I felt sheer joy and I was totally in the moment. Derek’s tone is so thick and powerful – I could smell and taste it – it was stuck in my teeth like a good caramel – sweet and salty.
Susan Tedeschi is a great addition. Over the years I have always felt Derek needed a signature vocalist. Plus my impression is that Derek seems comfortable a bandleader, but not as a front-man. Susan as a front-woman puts the focus on someone else so Derek can focus on his guitar and band leader duties. Susan has a great voice and easy-going stage presence. An added bonus is that she is a legitimate guitar player too.
The set stayed pretty close to the Revelator and Everybody’s Talkin’ material. I found the concert even more adventurous than the live album. Each side-man was given a solo. Solos where perfect – long enough for each player to introduce themselves to the audience, but not so long as to test your patience.
So over all this was one of the best shows I have been to in the last 10 years: a great venue, a beautiful night, one of my favorite artist, an inspired performance and a great concert companion in my lovely bride. It is rare to have high expectations and have them exceeded – this happened Sunday night. As for the live album Everybody’s Talkin’ – it is as good a souvenir as you could have short of a recording of the actual show you saw. Bravo Tedeschi Trucks Band (AKA Tedeschi and The Trucks).
See StarTribune review by Jon Bream here.
One of my favorite jazz musicians is drummer/composer Tony Williams. He was merely 17 years old when he joined what has become known as Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet. In 1969 he was one of the founders of jazz rock fusion when he ignited the band: Tony Williams Lifetime.
Lifetime was an incredibly original band that played challenging, but rewarding music. It was virtuosic band featuring Williams on drums, John McLaughlin on guitar, Larry Williams on organ and Jack Bruce on bass. A later version of the band featured Alan Holdsworth on guitar. Tony Williams is hailed by many experts as the greatest drummer of all time.
I was pumped the other day to learn that Spectrum Road, an all-star Lifetime inspired band (dare I say super group) existed. Spectrum Road is: Vernon Reid (guitar hero and Living Colour), Jack Bruce (bass, vocalist, and who was in a little band called Cream), Cindy Blackman (Tony Williams protegé, sideman extraordinaire and wife of Carlos Santana) and John Medeski (organ GENIUS).
The album is fantastic. It invokes both early and late Lifetime. This is full-fledged blowing session – each player completely amazes. This is not easy listening music. This requires and open-minded and engaged listener. If you are new to the Lifetime sound, give it at least three serious listens and if you are jazz fan, jam band fan or just an overall adventurous listener you will enjoy. If you are Lifetime fan, prepare to wet yourself.
Billy Cobham has the distinction of being a member of a seminal jazz rock fusion band (Mahavishnu Orchestra) and the leader on one of the greatest jazz rock fusion albums of all time (Spectrum). I found this gem at the record sale in Maple Grove.
It is albums like this that keep me crate digging. I was not familiar with the album, but knew this was the prime of Cobham’s career, it had great side men and a couple of Spectrum songs I knew. The fact that it was in great shape and two buck is what made it an easy gamble. This is a great discovery and will be in steady rotation in the weeks ahead.
This is a live recording from 1974 (Rainbow Theatre – London and Montreux Music Festival) with an outstanding band (Brecker Brothers, John Abercrombie, etc.). This was the touring band for another outstanding Cobham recording – Total Eclipse. It has two previously unrecorded songs and two songs from the classic Spectrum album mentioned above. This is a freewheeling blowing session.
One of the coolest things about Billy Cobham is that he not only the premier drummer of the jazz rock fusion genre, but he is also an amazing composer – all 4 songs on the album are credited to Billy. This has more funky feel than Billy’s work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It is more in line with his work with Mile Davis (Jack Johnson). Randy Brecker does his take on Miles Davis’ muted and processed horn without sounding like an imitator, but innovator.
Axl's Catch Groove 