Gigs We Dig

The Atlantic Guitar Quartet Concert

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The Atlantic Guitar Quartet is comprised of four musicians, all alumni of the esteemed Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, that share a desire to perform and promote music by living composers. In 2010 they were awarded a prestigious Artist-in-Residence position by the Engineers Club of the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion. The quartet seeks to heighten the concert experience for its audiences by merging art forms, performing educational outreach concerts, and offering a fresh, new perspective on classical chamber music.

They have a concert tomorrow May 1, 2011 at the Engineers Club at 5:00 pm. The concert program will feature works from Dowland, Gainey, Goss, Reily and Pearl with a special appearance by soprano Nola Richardson. Doors open at 4:30 with a cash bar available. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance here. The Engineers Club does have a business casual dress code so act accordingly.

You can also "like" the quartet on Facebook or follow them on Twitter for all your Atlantic Guitar Quartet needs.

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One Note One Phrase

Hank Mobley & Wynton Kelly

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One quality of a truly remarkable performance is that there is often one note and/or one phrase that can encapsulate the grace, fire, virtuosity, subtlety, or authenticity of the artist. I believe it is the duty of all Listeners and Performers to seek out, catalog, & utilize these gestures as references to further inform their aural pallets.

I was recently struck by a fleeting gesture from pianist Wnyton Kelly during Hank Mobley's recording of The Best Things In Life Are Free. It just goes to show how much there is do discern within music of quality and how many different ways you can listen to the same material.

Hank Mobley: The Best Things In Life Are Free

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Mp3s

Comparative Listening: Autumn Leaves

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While scrolling through my itunes library it occurred to me that I have 25 different recordings of the eternal jazz standard Autumn Leaves. This is a most likely the most recorded song in my collection, but I'd have to take a real inventory to say this conclusively.

What is most interesting to me about having so many takes on the same song is cataloging the myriad of ways artists fracture, obscure, orchestrate, interpret, and perform the tune.

Is there a point in which the song is no longer its original self? Is performance precedent the be all end all to interpretation, or is there merit in belligerent originality? If I played you 25 different recordings of the same song without telling you it was the same song, how many repetitions would it take before you noticed?

Today I would like to examine three recordings of Autumn Leaves from the most straight forward to the most far out. 

Bill Evans: Autumn Leaves

Oscar Peterson: Autumn Leaves

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Autumn Leaves

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Videos

Hezekiah Jones – Borrowed Heart (Shaking Through Session)

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Hezekiah Jones – Borrowed Heart (Shaking Through Session)

Hezekiah Jones recently recorded a Shaking Through session with the good people at Weathervane Music and WXPN in Philadelphia. It also features guest curation from fellow PCC member Bruce Warren (WXPN and Some Velvet Blog). The feature spotlights the songwriting and recording process of independent musicmaking.

"Volume 2 Episode 4 features Hezekiah Jones, a collection of Philadelphia-area artists orbiting around the songwriting talents of one Raphael Cutrufello. Raph and company recorded "Borrowed Heart" over the course of a two-day recording session-a timeless and hauntingly beautiful song that syncs exactly with a scene from the 1935 classic, Bride of Frankenstein."

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Yo-Yo Ma & Lil' Buck

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This is a video of world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performing "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saëns while LA dancer Charles Lil' Buck Riley interprets sound into movement. His liquid movements are a perfect response to Yo-Yo Ma's music and prove to be an immensely engaging few moments between an unlikely duo. 

The interaction of these two improbable artists was lucky enough to be caught on camera by Spike Jonze and furthermore, Yo-Yo Ma has an unexpected sense of humor at the end of the clip. 

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