The 'Lost Tribe' of Appalachia

I don't know why, but I found this story fascinating in many ways:

http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,53165,00.html

Cheers,
Jon

----- Original Message -----
From: "jonszanto" <JSZANTO@...>

> I don't know why, but I found this story fascinating in many ways:
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,53165,00.html

Thanks for turning me on to this...I'd never heard of these people.

dB,
who attended his nieces high scholl graduation
earlier this evening. High school band horns
warped Elgar's Pomp & Cirumstance, but real
offender was the Senior Chorus singing...with
vibrato like that, they should head for opera school!

* David Beardsley
* http://biink.com
* http://mp3.com/davidbeardsley

--- In metatuning@y..., "X. J. Scott" <xjscott@e...> wrote:
> I forget this is not common knowledge.

Well, I'm really humbled by either the gods, the forces of nature, or just plain serendipity. Why? Because, Jeff, it was *you* I had in mind when I read this! And I really didn't want to stick my foot in my mouth by assuming you knew about the stuff or were close to this area, but I at least *thought* so.

Guess I wasn't wrong this time!

And, yes, this is definitely _not_ common knowledge; this is a big country...

Glad you were reading metatuning, pal!

Cheers,
Jon

--- In metatuning@y..., David Beardsley <db@b...> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "jonszanto" <JSZANTO@A...>
>
> > I don't know why, but I found this story fascinating in many ways:
> >
> > http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,53165,00.html
>
> Thanks for turning me on to this...I'd never heard of these people.
>
>
> dB,
> who attended his nieces high scholl graduation
> earlier this evening. High school band horns
> warped Elgar's Pomp & Cirumstance, but real
> offender was the Senior Chorus singing...with
> vibrato like that, they should head for opera school!
>
> * David Beardsley
> * http://biink.com
> * http://mp3.com/davidbeardsley

i'm in nyc 'cuz i just went to my sister's high school graduation
tonight. the senior chorus was pretty good, but the best (and longest)
musical performance was when my sister played Lizst's Mephisto Waltz
with incredible clarity and emotion. she'll be joining me in boston
in the fall (she's going to NEC).

if anyone wants to get together in ny, let me know, i need to be back
in boston by sunday at 2, dave holland, and then branford marsalis,
and then take six are performing for free on the esplanade . . .

--- In metatuning@y..., "paulerlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> in boston by sunday at 2, dave holland, and then branford marsalis,
> and then take six are performing for free on the esplanade . . .

Ooooh, I hope it's Holland's "Prime Directive" band - they *smoke*!

Cheers,
Jon

--- In metatuning@y..., "jonszanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
> --- In metatuning@y..., "paulerlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> > in boston by sunday at 2, dave holland, and then branford
marsalis,
> > and then take six are performing for free on the esplanade . . .
>
> Ooooh, I hope it's Holland's "Prime Directive" band - they *smoke*!

don't know . . . i think it's the dave holland big band . . . some of
the boston improv (avant-garde/experimental) crew were lamenting that
the week-long jazz fest in boston contained no 'vanguard' artists,
holland having supposedly retreated from that position some time
ago . . .

is there a "prime directive" recording i can use to demostrate
otherwise (at least to myself)?

--- In metatuning@y..., "paulerlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> is there a "prime directive" recording i can use to demostrate
> otherwise (at least to myself)?

http://www.ecmrecords.com/ecm/recordings/1698.html

I don't offer that up as "proof" of anything to anyone, I just think it is a great band with an interesting concept of putting together pieces. I've heard this same lineup live as well, and it was massive.

Cheers,
Jon

--- In metatuning@y..., "jonszanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
> --- In metatuning@y..., "paulerlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> > is there a "prime directive" recording i can use to demostrate
> > otherwise (at least to myself)?
>
> http://www.ecmrecords.com/ecm/recordings/1698.html
>
> I don't offer that up as "proof" of anything to anyone, I just
>think it is a great band with an interesting concept of putting
>together pieces. I've heard this same lineup live as well, and it
>was massive.

thanks! chris potter is quite the player . . .

--- In metatuning@y..., "jonszanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
> --- In metatuning@y..., "paulerlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> > is there a "prime directive" recording i can use to demostrate
> > otherwise (at least to myself)?
>
> http://www.ecmrecords.com/ecm/recordings/1698.html

this *was* the group that performed, outdoors and for free, in boston
yesterday (though i'm not sure about the drummer's name)! thousands
of people there . . .

this music was right up my alley, jon. the odd time signatures,
syncopated vibraphone, clear strong harmonies in interesting yet
palatable progressions reminded me of gong albums such as _gazeuse_.
yet this was married with top-notch new orleans-style simultaneous
soloing, and dave holland's more-solid-than-ever acoustic bass, which
gave the whole thing a more organic feel and tremendous impact. chris
potter was jaw-dropping as always.

this was inspiring music, and anything i compose for the boston
microtonal collective is going to have affinities with this, i
promise . . .

i'll be seeing more of dave holland tonight, i'm sure, in the boston
premiere of _the miles davis story_:

http://www.coolidge.org/s_ser_jazz02.html#miles

--- In metatuning@y..., "paulerlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> this music was right up my alley, jon. the odd time signatures,
> syncopated vibraphone, clear strong harmonies in interesting yet
> palatable progressions reminded me of gong albums such as _gazeuse_.
> yet this was married with top-notch new orleans-style simultaneous
> soloing, and dave holland's more-solid-than-ever acoustic bass, which
> gave the whole thing a more organic feel and tremendous impact. chris
> potter was jaw-dropping as always.

Excellento! As I started over at ATL, you and I are in sync today, because this is *exactly* what I like about them. When I heard them live in SD last year the PD CD had been out for a while, and so they were touring, and some of the tunes they had done for a couple of years. So it was all very ingrained, not in a dull way, but in a very bone-deep understanding of the music *and* each other. The simultaneous improvisation had so few holes but without stepping on each other that it bested the best of composed complexity.

I have to say this is one of the best jazz bands of the last number of decades, rivaling some of the great groups of the 50's and 60's.

Glad you saw/heard them and were inspired!

Cheers,
Jon (who wants to hear about the Miles movie...)

--- In metatuning@y..., "jonszanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

> I have to say this is one of the best jazz bands of the last number
> of decades, rivaling some of the great groups of the 50's and 60's.

the band that followed them was branford marsalis's (with jeff "tain"
watts on drums, joey calderazo on piano, and a bassist). way too
modern, atonal, thorny for me (contrary to popular opinion about
branford). i've seen these guys several times before, and i'll keep
trying, but i just can't seem to get my ears around this kind of jazz
(or the equivalent in classical music).

> Glad you saw/heard them and were inspired!
>
> Cheers,
> Jon (who wants to hear about the Miles movie...)

very enjoyable, a little long on his personal life, a little short on
the music (my roommate and i were especially disappointed not to see
pete cosey). the interviews were very entertaining -- ron carter,
protesting against ian carr's use of the word "anchor" to describe
his role in miles' quintet, had the sold-out crowd roaring in
laughter. i knew a lot of the information already from the
autobiography and the new book "miles beyond" . . . but i had fun!
the film should be out on video by the end of the year, they
said . . .

--- In metatuning@y..., "paulerlich" <paul@s...> wrote:
> way too modern, atonal, thorny for me (contrary to popular
> opinion about branford). i've seen these guys several times
> before, and i'll keep trying, but i just can't seem to get my
> ears around this kind of jazz (or the equivalent in classical
> music).

Keep trying, we want you as 'outside' as possible! :)

Knowing that you like good structure, intelligent interplay betwixt musicians, and (maybe above all?) a deep harmonic sense, have you hear the Peter Erskine trio with Alan Pasqua on piano and Rob Carpenter on bass? Absolutely to die for! I think you *must* give this trio a listen - write me off list and I'll make recommendations...

> i knew a lot of the information already from the
> autobiography

The Quincy Troupe book?

> and the new book "miles beyond"

Haven't seen it but I'll look. There's a great band in town, made up of some of the finest locals, that occasionally puts on a Davis show. But it ain't nothing like the real thing, and I only wish, if I could transport to an earlier time, that I could see - live - the great quintets of the 50/60's. Man, what a time...

Cheers,
Jon