May 29, 2009
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The Real Ambassadors (hear “Remember Who You Are”)

This is a mostly out-of-print collaboration between Dave Brubeck and Louis Armstrong, along with a few other people.  The liner notes claim that this is a musical written by Dave and Iola Brubeck, but many of the high points consist of Armstrong singing very Satchmoey tunes - I suspect he contributed compositionally.

He was clearly the kind of guy who turned any group of people into “Louis Armstrong and a bunch of other people”.  It’s amazing to witness myself growing agitated listening to the chorus/Brubecky parts, only to be pulled right back into it by Louis.  I love Brubeck, I used to listen to Time Out, Time Further Out, Quiet as the Moon (Brubeck playing the Peanuts music), a live album or two.  It’s not that Brubeck fails (although the chorus does offer some screechy cacophonies), but that Armstrong is just such a bright light he casts shadows off everyone around him.

“Remember Who You Are” (side 1, track 4) is a killer.  I love the drums.  There’s so much reverb on the vocal, sounds like a plate reverb to me.  Trombonist Trummy Young sings the second verse.

Side 1: http://www.mediafire.com/file/jyzdgqfdlji/real_ambassadors_side_1.mp3

Side 2: http://www.mediafire.com/file/yi5ogohxzmj/real_ambassadors_side_2.mp3

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Tags: Louis Armstrong Broadway Dave Brubeck jazz Liner Notes intra-band relationships
May 19, 2009

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park

It’s very funny that DOE originally called themselves Whitey’s on the Moon UK, them being from New York and all.  Maybe I should name my band Saw Horse UK, now that some people in Maryland have started using Sawhorse.  Ehh, mixed feelings.  Of course, there was a punk band in San Fransisco in the early 90’s named Sawhorse, too, but I do feel regret at having to share language space with someone else.  Most frustrating is that I love my Saw Horse mascot and comics, and these new people seem unaware of the Sawhorse from the Wizard of Oz.  They’re very convincing about their existence, and I doubt I could influence them much, so I’m casting about for fresh fish to fry.

I admire the name Sparklehorse. Beyond its obvious qualities of meaning, sound, and form, it has the advantage of being searchable on Google.  Perhaps I’ll find another Wizard of Oz creature, and join the words together.

I might use the word “bark” somehow.  Saw Horse is a great band name, though.  Grumble.

At any rate, Department of Eagles is a name infinitely superior to Whitey’s on the Moon.  When I try to describe the music, I get something like Beach Boys Broadway Folk Rock, which description fails entirely as a predictor of how much I would like this, which is quite a bit.

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Tags: Broadway Saw Horse Sparklehorse folk-rock name Sawhorse
February 24, 2009

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

It’s good to hear Neko bring it down a little - I feel like she could make a truly deadly album in the vein of, say, Bonnie Prince Billy’s “The Letting Go”, or even better, Lisa Germano - something slow and focused. Does Case have some history with show tunes?  She is a Broadway singer, singing country songs, with indie-rock band.

Listen to NPR’s pre-release stream of the whole album on Lala.

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Tags: Bonnie Prince Billy Lisa Germano broadway
December 31, 2008

Petra Haden - Sings: The Who Sell Out

For the small subset of fanatic fans of The Who who can handle music outside of classic rock, this album is a master class in listening.  Haden’s recreation will be a perfect tool to draw the ear to unknown details and favorite harmonies.  Pete Townshend certainly approached it that way.  He says, “I was a little embarassed to realize I was enjoying my own music so much.”

Fans of broadway musicals and the like will also be fascinated by Haden’s voice and sass.

For everyone else, and by everyone I mean everyone except you, gentle reader, Haden’s album will be something between an idle curiosity and a salted wound, but for those sufficiently idle or masochistic it is worth checking out.  I am intrigued enough to follow the Petra breadcrumbs to her collaboration with Bill Frisell.

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Tags: Broadway Bill Frisell