David Bronson Album Release Show Tomorrow

Earlier this year, we had several posts connected to the album Story by David Bronson (most prominently an interview he did in association with the 3rd NYC podcast). You may recall that the album was only half of a two-album work that documented a particularly difficult time in David's life. The second, The Long Lost, came out this week. David will be playing a release show tomorrow at Brooklyn Bowl. You should come!

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Oliver Lake: The Whole World

Oliver Lake (b. 1942) is an American jazz musician, composer and poet whose storied career you can read about here. Regardless, on May 21, 2013 he celebrated the release of his second big band album entitled Wheels. This eight track opus is a tour de force of style, compositional prowess, command performances, and outside the box thinking and hearing.

The responsible parties joining Oliver Lake in this endeavor are: Jason Marshall (baritone sax), Darius Jones (alto sax), Bruce Williams (alto sax), Mike Lee (tenor sax), James Stewart (tenor sax), Waldron Ricks (trumpet), Freddie Hendrix (trumpet), Nabate Isles (trumpet), E.J. Allen (trumpet), Aaron Johson (trombone), Stafford Hunter (trombone), Alfred Patterson (trombone), Terry Greene (trombone), Yoichi Uzeki (piano), Marc Cary (piano solo track 6), Robert Sabin (bass), and Chris Beck (drums).

This album caught my attention because of Oliver Lake's deft arrangement of the Outkast song The Whole World. It seemed like such a natural choice for big band interpretation that it's amazing it took this long to happen. However, what I enjoy most about Lake's arrangement isn't just that it's a head melody and then virtuosic blowing across the changes, but rather that the artists go to great lengths to involve the original vocal cadences from the rapped verses. It's an impressive showing of due diligence and one you need to hear.

Check out the track below and then read on for the full album and prerequisit Oliver Lake social media links. You dig?

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NYC Show Picks This Week September 11 Edition

You may have noticed a lack of posts on my behalf lately. Sorry about that. Been taking a little break to figure some stuff out. I might be rethinking my approach to the blog, but I will still be sharing music and writing one way or another. Anyways, here are some shows to check out this week.

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The Beards: Got Me A Beard

Here's a tasty little nugget I've been sitting on for awhile but would like to share with you all this morning. The Beards are an Australian band that writes music exclusively about the virtues of having a beard. Since 2005 they have released three albums entitled The Beards, Beards, Beards, Beards, and finally, Having a Beard is the New Not Having a Beard. The video below is the single from their latest album and is aptly titled Got Me a Beard. It is also hilarious and wonderfully well done by the whole team.

Read on for the complete video credits as well as more beard, and Beards related news.

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