ultramog

Let's go back a year or so --

2009-03-20T12:57:00.002-04:00

Johnny Winter at B.B. Kings: excellent. Not sure I was ready for how damn down & dirty he was. Mostly nasty loud blues, bucketfuls of soul. A couple of Texas swingers in there really played right. Its hard to get that un-corny swing, unless you don't have to try. Like a real Texan. Then the encore he busts out the slide and the Explorer and takes up a level. I probably wouldn't have any complaints except that I wish the whole show levitated like the encore.

Allan Holdsworth in Ridgewood: Bassist was no Jimmy Johnson, but Wackerman was totally on. He and AH were telepathic. AH was actually mind blowing. You hear it on record and you can't really imagine that its a guy with a guitar playing all that stuff. But it is and he does. Felt like true improvisation too. Its not "like Trane" but that is the only analogy you could even attempt.

Kurt Rosenwinkel at the Highline: Drummer overplayed like a madman, kind of distracting. Interesting compositions. Material and interaction were more like Juju-Speak No Evil than anything else. KR was a little posessed. There was more bop and long single note lines than I expected. The rock-esque stuff was more powerful. Aaron Parks was a great foil.

John Scofield at the Blue Note: with Swallow and Stewart. Excellent as you'd expect. Definitely less passion than 15 year ago, but the high points were really high. Blue Note was pretty fun too. Great seats, very intimate.

Paul Motian/Joe Lovano/Bill Frisell at the Vanguard. I love the Vanguard. These guys played their hearts out. Was staring directly into Motian's shades all night. Very intense and focused. Also about 8 feet from the bell of Lovano's tenor. Gorgeous.

Satriani at that theater on upper Broadway. Nice place. Party atmosphere. Not great seats, not great sound. Whole band was on, Satch was amazing, having fun, very musical. Controlled, but rocking. Rewarding to see.

Satriani at Starland Ballroom, Sayreville: Way better! Great sound, general admission, friendly crowd, you could get up close, go to the bar, whatever. Much more rock and roll energy all around. Stu Hamm really freakin grooves. Great holding down the bottom, makes a bass player proud. And Satch was even more than you might expect. Really unbelievable how good he is; the singing part of the guitar playing is what puts it over the top. Great versions of Andalucia/Asik Veysal. Really great. And seeing him and Leslie West do Stormy Monday was one to remember.

B.B. King at the Wellmont: still got it. Voice is ragged, but has the soul. And when he turns up the volume and rips into Lucille everything else fades to black. The room levitates. The contrast to *all* the recordings I've heard is remarkable. Amazing.

Robben Ford in Ridgewood: Part of a review/package tour, so short set. Jorma's was actually better; great acoustic blues. RF seemed nervous at first; too many notes. Then he relaxed into it but the songs seemed short, probably due to time constraint. It was a short set before the opener, then Jorma came on for guest appearances. Highlight of the night was RF and JK together. RF had that amazing tone and tasty improv but I'd like to seem him on a dedicated set with time to stretch out.

Next week, Derek Trucks

Shut Up Already

2008-03-04T23:11:00.002-05:00

You, no me, I need to learn all the notes before ghosting them. So its too many notes in the learning phase. Playing sweet is abstracting from the possibilities on the melody side; on the rhythm side, I need to be able to play at least twice as much as I'm playing. This way you imply the double time. That is feel. That is what it is. You imply polyrhythms. Think about it; T-Bone Walker, SRV, the best rhythm players, that's what they do. For me to get it down solid, I need to play them *all* first. Then we back off and we're Albert King.

Get Out Of My Yard

2008-03-04T23:04:00.003-05:00

While undoubtedly a shredder's shredder, I think I've found the difference. Its in the writing. Paul Gilbert writes riffs. Monster killer clever riffs. But they pile up. Riff, then riff, and another riff. Satch writes like a jazz guy. Melodies within a harmonic universe that doesn't have to be played, but its there. Brings depth and discovery to the guitar playing. He's choosing what to play; it could have been any number of things, but this is what came out. The sound of surprise as Balliet says. Gilbert sounds inevitable. Impressive and fun; just not as, what, musical? That's not it. Not as sophisticated? Something like that.

Is this CH1?

2007-11-05T11:22:00.000-05:00

Rock Stars

2007-11-04T22:52:00.000-05:00

Even Superheroes Have To Eat

2007-11-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

Tone

2007-10-15T22:48:00.000-04:00

Crappy Otis Rush recordings from eMusic reveal nice tunes excellent guitar playing; and amazing tone. That guitar just sings. Some stringiness, some bight, plenty of body and some grunge in the lower register. Wow just learning to recognize the ES-335/176 thing; its sweet. Blues somehow always meant a Strat to me, without even thinking. Now I'm glad I've got the LP setup. A little more flexible I think. If you have a Strat, well then you damn well know what its supposed to sound like. With dual humbuckers you can go biting (not as sharp as a Fender) like a semi-hollow, warmer like Les' Paul, through stinging like Albert King and into grunge or roar from Ribot to Page to Satriani. Hooray.

Cheap Wine

2007-10-15T22:40:00.000-04:00

$5(!) Peter Mertes Riesling Kabinett; drinkable! Yay!

Urban Oak Tempranillo: from a region new to me. Everything you'd want in an under $10 Tempranillo; perhaps a little forward compared to a Rioja or Toro, but the saddle leather is there; some structure and a noticeable finish. *. I did not like the Urban Oak (Argentine) Malbec.

Long Flat Eden Valley Riesling; refreshing, very dry. Just a bit of the slate that counters the sweetness in other Rieslings. <$10 = *.

Gallo Merlot Sonoma Reserve; characterful; smooth but not velvety. Plummy, some black cherry. Fun and stands up to food. Not as balanced, say, as the tempranillo above, but fun. $10-ish. *.

End of Summer

2007-09-05T11:16:00.001-04:00

More Satch

2007-08-14T11:55:00.000-04:00

So Joe studied with Lennie Tristano. And he professes his appreciation for many of the bop greats, which got me thinking. You can hear the connection in his level of execution and the intensity of his improvisations; but you don't necessarily hear it in the harmony. And the improvs are very guitaristic in a rock way; riff-based and not using extended melodic lines. Jazz guitarists usually claim to be attempting to liberate the guitar from guitarisms so they can emulate a tenor player. Really Jim Hall, Allan Holdsworth and John Scofield have all said that. And you can hear it in the lineage from Charlie Christian to Pat Martino. Wes Montgomery excepted, I think. And despite what he says, Sco, along with other contemporaries like Adam Rogers are incorporating guitarisms into the jazz vocabulary. But Satch's music is just rock; its not a hybrid. His ambitions are personal, I guess I'm trying to say, and thats what gives him such a strong voice; its the sound of commitment.

Return of the Sardon

2007-08-07T11:01:00.001-04:00

Sardon de Duero, Seleccion Especial, '01; was beautiful on first release 2 years ago, now it verges on magnificent. In addition to velvety mouthfeel, rich merlot-y flavor profile, add leathery, robust structure and even longer finish; beautifully bulked up. Mahvelous: **** $18 at BK.

Busted!

2007-07-30T12:55:00.000-04:00

Jack was on guitar (First Act into a Line 6 Spider III) kicking out the jams at Dave's garage when the Montclair fuzz shut 'em down for noise violations on Oxford Street last Friday. Man, I was 17 before I was that cool. Kids today...

Commercial Garbage

2007-07-30T12:49:00.001-04:00

Mixing work play. Ugh.

Sun & Sand & ...Vino!

2007-07-08T18:45:00.000-04:00

Quinta do Ameal Vinho Verde $9. Tasty & very refreshing! More tangy than sweet, which is what I expected from my first such. Yummy.

Primus Chilean meritage MM-MM-Good! ***; poised, round mouth-feal, looong finish.

Mulderbosch Stellenbosch (S.A. Sauvignon Blanc), New Zealand-esque; kiwi/lime etc with enough structure to balance it out. Very nice **.

Numanthia '03, second bottle; super duper fabulous. ****

OK roger that 10-4 gud buddy.

Holdsworth

2007-06-19T22:57:00.001-04:00

All Night Wrong; live trio from '02, I think. He really only does one thing; the album didn't really grab me at first, but something brings me back constantly. Obviously, amazing tone, great harmonic development and a zillion perfectly played notes. But I think what he gets at is explicating this basically Trane thing and its uniquely beautiful. More power to him. I enjoy it more with every listen; and I've never heard the compressed intensity that he offers before.

Post Apocalypse

2007-06-19T22:52:00.001-04:00

Just started Cormac McCarthy's The Road. What a return to form. Harrowing beauty. Prose is almost Hemingway-direct. Quite an evolution from the surging formal baroque, through neo-classical (All The Pretty Horses) to the old man just riffs now; he's internalized all the thought, ambition and theory. And he doesn't need it any more.

Recent Good Fortune

2007-06-19T22:47:00.000-04:00

Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc ** yummy, not as complex as Kim Crawford, but full-featured and refreshing.

Le Casalte Vino Nobile di Montepulciano straight outta Venice via Meg. ** Soft, rich, satisfying. Long finish. Awesome with food.

Finca Flichman Tupungato Malbec-Cab-Merlot ** Macho, with structure; big, balanced obviously great with grillage. Will get more...

Sebastiani Sonoma Merlot ('03 or '04); buttery, complex, with black cherry very long finish. Classy & a bargain.

Ridge Zin

2007-05-09T22:22:00.000-04:00

3 Valleys. Well not just a zin, they had 5 other grapes in there. Carignan, and maybe grenache, franc, syrah, not so sure. Anyway, a nice zin character, softened and somewhat stiffened by the Carignan. Tasted like California. A good buy by M at $12. *

Don Melchor '03

2007-05-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

OK, so my favorite wine of *all time*, back for another round. Boy, is it different! Where the '01 was perfectly balanced, all smooth dark raspberry balanced perfectly by tobacco & a hint of leather and finish from here to Montana, this starts out aggresive, if not huge, with some blackberry and somewhat unstructured tannins evident. Over the hour is gradually smooths out into a balanced, if not excessively character-full Bordeaux. But I know there is something fine in there (WS and RP agree, FWIW.) The range of notes and the conviction with which they are delivered has me sold on another to lay down for 8-10 years.

With very good lamb dish at Blu. Well conceived and executed, missing that sparkle that we get at our favorites, like Culinariane, Nouveau Sushi and Fascino...

Black Cherry Extreme

2007-05-02T20:39:00.000-04:00

Ercavio; an Eric Solomon presentation from three Castilian (chick) vintners. Complex! Nose is alcoholic, Zinfandel-ish. Medium-light bodied, with a huge black cherry presence; this is not sweet, its savory. Tastes unbalanced at first, set off wonderfully by moroccan olives, then its intriguing. Ends as a very characterful glass of organic goodness. I think it will age well. And super easy to lay down at $8 ***

Satch

2007-04-26T20:24:00.000-04:00

WTF? Cheesy 80's guitar hero makes music I really dig. Obviously, chops out the wazoo, but believably in the service of music. Great way with his newer melodies; simple yet sophisticated, leaving the response to the mind of the listener, a la Wayne or Miles themes. Wonderful tone. Newer tunes have short, discrete solos; the older ones have themes that are not as satisfying, but he really owns them and the solos build beautifully. Rhythm is great; they don't freelance much, but kick butt and are tasty.

Amanti Ozzies

2007-04-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

Probably not a kosher Oz-reference, but whatever. Guilty seems to be a well-crafted, medium-big shiraz. I can appreciate it, but the fruity booty on it still leaves me a bit cold. The Turk is a shiraz-cab-something blend; to me more satisfying with some smoky tannin character. Good with food. Still I prefer continentalistic stuff, I guess.

Thanks to Linda who, with Scott, provided the fine grape and a lovely conversational evening. Scott has a crazy significant job; managing the digging up and archival of bones & other detritus from a newly examined 9/11 site.

Oh and she left a Spanish Viognier (!) with us that turned out to be a nice treat. A little grassy, but lacking the lavendery vibe that has turned me off especially from domestic versions...

Others

2007-04-26T20:12:00.000-04:00

Let's see. Hess Select has been enjoyable; typical Cali Cab. A something-or-other "Anna" 2000 Gran Reserva for $8 at Costco was nice. Medium-light bodied, clean with a hint of tobacco on the long finish.

Spiropolous

2007-04-26T20:08:00.000-04:00

No, it's not the city-state I extracted sufficient tribute from for the Senate to finance my triumph. Merely a grassy, acidic, lemony, tasty Moschofilero from Mantinia. *. From that fancy Far West Chelsea shop that gave us a run-of-the-mill Douro and a yummy and cheap litre of Gruner.

Medeski, Sco, etc.

2007-02-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

New M, S, M & W is excellent. Wood on Stingray for the most part. Very loose Meters/Bitches Brew vibe. What I expected from the first one. Man, Medeski gets some truly trashy keyboard sounds. Martin plays a little behind like many doublers, Wood seems to grab handfuls off string on bass guitar, so they sound a little clunky & not as locked-in as they might be. But its loud loose & fun.

Catena

2007-01-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

Chardonnay $12, probably an '05. Fruity, not oaky or vanilli. Tastes like grapes. Actually enjoyable Chardonnay & M agrees. Intend to try their higher end version. ** just because its a Chardonnay that I like to drink.

Ghost In The Shell

2007-01-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

Fantastic: stunning art, thoughtful dramatic detective thriller sci-fi screenplay. Philip K. Dick-esque. Gorgeous to look at. Emotionally satisfying. Should look up sequels, but we may have binged a bit on cartoons lately.

Spatlase

2007-01-04T22:35:00.000-05:00

First Spatlese, an '04 Alsheimer Fruhmesse; it did taste sweet at first, filled out nicely with roast chicken, and served as a dramatically integrated foil for roasted vegetables with a soy ginger olive oil vinaigrette. Continuing to provide more than balance for the food, it seemed to meld with their flavor. Fun.

First '03 Crianza

2006-11-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

Marques de Caceras, an old favorite. Very nice, medium-bodied, somewhat jammy (in a good way), classic tempranillio profile. Not as big or three-dimensional as the '01, but what is? A good friend returns, and cheap at $10. **.

Beer Lives!

2006-11-29T15:15:00.000-05:00

Stoudt's Double IPA. Bottle-Conditioned, Ameri-Hopped, but with tremendous back bone, halfway to Salvator, that balances the top end completely. Most exciting new beer I've had since I was in Belgium.

Polybius

2006-11-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

Main point is that after 250 years the Roman Republic's constitutional balance of powers enabled the popular sustained effort and focus on long-term self interest through the first two Punic Wars. This was the birth of empire on an unprecendented scale.

Interesting to consider that the third Punic war, the preemptive destruction of Carthage, presaged the era of domestic military political violence that resulted in tyranny a mere century hence.

Numanthia-Termes

2006-11-14T15:05:00.000-05:00

First the Numanthia '03. Buckled down and got a bottle this year after letting it go by for two. Very rewarding: full, rich, satisfying. Fruit beautifully balanced with some blackberry & leather. Full-bodied (not massive-bodied) just gets better sip after sip. ****. $38.

Termes '04 is simpler than in previous years. More balanced than the '02, which I really liked, it doesn't really jump out at you, but I'd like to give it another try. Maybe in a few years as we have one laid down. $18. **.

Leth

2006-11-14T14:59:00.000-05:00

Gruner Veltliner (so hot!) best served chilled. Delicious at delicious Moxie in Seattle. Dry but approachable, gentle but not delicate; a little gravelly. Like a compressed kabinett riesling. Apparently $12 in NJ. Will have to hunt it down. **. M probably says ***.

The Future

2006-11-14T14:57:00.000-05:00

37 minute video of powerpoint of seamlessly integrating .HTML, AJAX and ActionScript in a single client run-time!
Oh Boy!

A home-made GUIEventBroadcaster, with not one, but two event collections!
Oh boy!

From Hell?

2006-11-14T14:55:00.000-05:00

Can't tell if its over or not. Working 80-90 hours a week for 5 weeks, now sitting on hands. Time to blog anyway.

Do I Drink Too Much?

2006-09-11T15:47:00.000-04:00

Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon D.O. Puente Alto '04 $15; superb! Balanced, dignified, not fruit-forward, some terroir, some saddle-leather, tannins fold right into the body in the (Non-International) Chilean style. Great with food. ***

Juan Benegas Malbec '04; medium-light bodied (especially for a Malbec.) Balanced, refined flavor, a real food wine. Again small, but enjoyable. M liked it even more than me; I missed the Malbec-blueberry thing. Consulted by M. Rolland, to which I would ascribe the Bordeaux-like profile. W*, M**. $11, on sale for 9.

Alto Almanzora Este '04; an Eric Solomon blend I think, there's no D.O. Beautiful at $9; soft fruit at the front; medium-full bodied, just yummy. By the end of the bottle real structure appears. Great with snacks or food, or on its own. **. Reminds me of the Sardon de Duero. I'll bet the grapes are from the Duero. And a bargain.

1919 Shiraz '04. Full-bodied, fruity but not overbearing. Holds up nicely through the whole bottle. Great with grilled meat. *.

Lots of Grapes

2006-08-27T15:38:00.000-04:00

'03 Termes; dignified, round, smooth, medium-large, still quite closed. Tasty but expected to shine in a few years.

'01 Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial; just as good as ever. Full, round, open fruit, dignifed, long finish. ***

'05 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; All the pear/kiwi/lime flavors you'd expect up front, but blended seamlessly. Nothing jumps out; the acidic front end is backed by a smooth, slightly sweet finish that provides the backdrop to appreciate the front end. I've felt that most of the other N.Z. Sauvignon Blancs go off the acid deep end; too puckered up. Loved this, my favorite Sauvignon Blanc. **** $18

Sterling Chardonnay $18; seemed well done, I just don't enjoy any Oak or Malolactic.

Bonny Doon '02 Madiran, from the club. Big, distinctive, red. A bit of shale or gravel; lots of personality, but balanced and mature. Haven't had anything quite like it. Very enjoyable **.

R.L. Buller Muscat $14. Fabulous; heady, sweet, herbacious, very long finish. Very satisfying, especially w/ J's Oxford Street Pear cobbler. ****. RP 97 FWIW.

More o' Moro

2006-08-19T22:15:00.000-04:00

Emilio Moro '03. Ribera del Duero; tinto fino (tempranillo, or tempranillo clone?) Lovely soft, structured, balanced, long finish. With spinach/feta sausage, cous-cous and greens, peppers, nasturtium salad. A great expression of a single grape. The winery has 8-10 vineyards, each distinctive, so though its one grape, it is a kind of cuvee.

Wholly satisfying; tastes of dignity, optimism. Incredible balance. ****.

Loved the '01 which Chad & Nancy turned us on to as a house-warming present. Jeez that must have been the '99 as its a Crianza. Time flies. Anyhow we loved the '01 too. This is just as good or better.

Nothing Special

2006-08-19T16:51:00.000-04:00

Peter Lehmann Cabernet '02 $15. Amazingly fruity for a 4 1/2 year old wine. Obviously well made and M really likes it. I don't get enough body or finish to balance the front end; it ends up tasting a little generic. Not getting distinctive Cabernet or terroir elements. Then I remembered we really liked the Clancy's blend. Maybe we should pick some of that up.

VRAC good clean "chardonnay"; white Cotes-du-Rhone. Agreable to both of us.

Fat Bastard Chardonnay. Oaky yet thin. Quite a trick.

Minutemen

2006-08-16T21:42:00.000-04:00

Saw We Jam Econo last night. Touching, inspirational. I guess I remember the intensity. And that stuff mattered. Probably more than Jazz did after 1967 anyway. Amazing to see Mike so young. By the time I met him in '84 he was Watt, not the baby-faced innocent in some of the video. Enough of the live stuff was up to snuff to confirm that these are no rosy-colored glasses we hear through; genius of precision, concision, conviction.

A generation has passed since then.

More Rheingold

2006-08-14T21:52:00.000-04:00

Prinz von Hesen '04 $10 **. Wonderful off-dry, slightly acidic peach notes perfectly balanced with sweetness, some stony shale too. Consumed w/o food, but would be great with lots of stuff. I liked it even better than the Dr. Loosen Blue Slate.

Meat!

2006-08-07T17:15:00.000-04:00

Catena Malbec '03. $17, which is their middle tier I think. From the masters; does *not* need to shriek from the top of Mendoza "I'm a Big Bad Malbec, Rrrraawrr!" Clean, balanced, full, long finish; not fruit-forward. First dignified Malbec I've had. Don't get me wrong I love Malbec. **.

Fantastic with Bobby Flay's steak (NY Strip) with Chimichurri. Substitute water for the honey in Bobby's recipe. Serranos from the back yard.

3 Goodies

2006-07-30T16:53:00.000-04:00

Dr Loosen Blue Slate Riesling. $13. Off-dry, refined, maybe a little peach in there. Dignified and very enjoyable. All the promise of the original $10 Dr. Loosen boosted 30%. *

Joseph Phelps Pastiche; lots of grapes in there. Nice California-ish full bodied satisfiying, balanced drinker. $12 *

Hayman Hill Pinot Noir: wine of the month at Bottle King. Wunnerful; a little full-bodied for Pinot, but I don't mind a bit. Very satisfying, dignified and that aromatic top-end we love. Real character there. ** $13

Dona Paula Chardonnay

2006-07-14T21:35:00.000-04:00

Nice! Nice for $8. Not oaky, plenty going on. *. Great winery.

Yellowjackets(ouch!)

2006-07-14T21:30:00.000-04:00

Had been lecturing M on the merits of the contrabass guitar as a solo instrument the night previous. BGO has a chooglin' kind of organ groove going; slightly cheesy and not as soulful as Jimmy Smith with a big band, but that kind of thing. And the bass is a guitar. Swinging, tasteful, pushing the beat. Then he takes a solo; nice chops modern note choices evolving into a crowd pleasing bluesy well-architected solo. It's the Yellowjackets. So, I guess Jimmy Haslip really can play, and after 20 years the band plays some bebop. Who knew?

Something Old, Something New

2006-07-14T21:21:00.000-04:00

Altos de Luzon '03. Popped another of these which were fabulous a year ago. Still fabulous; plum is coming to the fore, still wonderfully balanced and tastes of potential. 2 more in the cellar are staying for 2-4 years.

Altos de Luzon '04. First bottle; nice, balanced Jumilla. Doesn't have the je n' sais quois of the '03. Missing structure and 3-dimensionality of the '03. But a nice wine.

Terrazas de los Andes Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve '03. Brawny with fruit rather than oak or tannins. Some blueberry and cassis. Right now its a big food wine. I'd bet that it will coalesce nicely with age, though its not speaking directly to me. I bought it on the strength of their marvelous Malbec at the same price. That's a better wine than this is now.

Mas Donis

2006-06-25T20:36:00.000-04:00

Barrica 2003; more Spanish wonderfullness. D.O.C. Montsant Capcanes estates in Tarragona, a new one on me. Balanced, vibrant, full, some chalky tannins; but welcomingly fruity. Apparently Garnacha/Syrah (traditional for the appellation.)

Hey Mark what was that '99 you brought yesterday? I recycled the bottle but it was great.

Dona Paula

2006-06-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

Cabernet '04 **. Dignified, full-bodied. Great with food. Just as good as the Malbec. $9.

Wayne

2006-06-25T20:33:00.000-04:00

Hears Tranes's notes the way Trane hears the changes. And plays what's needed.

Structure

2006-06-08T22:50:00.000-04:00

You know it when you taste it. Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial '01. $20. Cabernet-Merlot-Tempranillo; a super-duero, if you will. A great winery, and an '01, so there you go. Structure, character, balance. Had a bottle with a wonderful meal at our totally legit neighborhood bistro, Culinariane. It was just as good at home with frozen tortellini. We laid a couple bottles down; they should be even better. ***

Don't forget Retuerta's Sardon De Duero. '03 is out now. Also fabulous for $14. **.

Return of the X

2006-06-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

Popped some of my favorite $6.99 Equis. Blended by Eric Solomon from Bobal - Merlot - Tempranillo - Garnacha. From Castilla/La Mancha. Have always like it. M went off it for a while but Sunday's bottle was really good. Opens up beautifully. Bigger and less fruity than previous vintages. * or **? Will have to open another to confirm.

I'm So Proud

2006-06-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

Jack: Lele says that in China the government won't let you listen to rock music.

Me: Well, that's true, Jack.

Jack: I could never go there.

Double Bass (Guitar)

2006-06-02T22:24:00.000-04:00

The new Roy Hargrove Rh Factor record has 2 bass guitarists playing through the whole thing. Reggie Washington play a lot of mid-bass subhooks (as he has been doing for 15 years.) I've seen him in a couple settings where he hangs out in the upper register all night, soloing and comping. He has a hot Jazz-bass sound. The other bassist is Lonny Stallworth, whom I've never heard of. He's got a neck-through Fodera-ish sound. Both have the funk; the rhythm section is playing just ahead of the beat, pretty much P-Funk territory. Both bassists play the whole time, panned a bit left and right. They get in the same register regularly and the groove never suffers. Overall impression is just That's Some Funky Sh*t, and very thick. I guess P-Funk had Bernie, but these guys aren't doubling each other. They just leave some space for each other and its contrapuntal. We must note that while there is some serious groovesmanship, serious trumpet playing and serious tune-age, there is some cheesy R&B as well. I think the good stuff is worth it. M is not so sure...

Lack of Internationalism

2006-06-02T22:09:00.000-04:00

Just had a Las Rocas Garnacha '04 ($10) with a typical dinner. The wine was more distinctive than any red I've had lately. You know the Ste. Michelle Syrah we had the other night was not that different from the the Rosenblum Zin that followed it. The Las Rocas tasted like a place; they left some shale in there at the expense of fullness or roundness. More distinctive, more intriguing. Ultimately more satisfying if less seductive. We've been drinking this since the '01s and its always been excellent. The first time we had it at a superb dinner at Il Forno before seeing Roseanne Cash and her husband do a beautiful, gut-wrenching show in a church right after her father died. She did "I Still Miss Someone." Oh my.

Gruner

2006-06-02T22:07:00.000-04:00

Trevor & Teka brought over a Gruner Veltliner on Monday. Very enjoyable; like a lighter semi-sweet riesling.

Ch. Ste. Michelle

2006-06-02T07:23:00.000-04:00

Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah '03. Large, not huge. Fruity but not too. Missing the white pepper, but satisfyingly round. With another excellent Bobby Flay concoction: grilled chicken thighs with a caribbeanish curry dry rub and mango-habenero salsa. mmm. $12-ish. *.

Can't find a reference to it, but we really enjoyed a (lower Rhone?) rose a couple weeks ago. Had 5 varietals; usual suspects syrah, grenache, cinsault, and some cabernet sauvignon. Indeed it was a little bigger, but very refreshing. $9, I think. *.

5 minutes in the life

2006-06-02T07:21:00.000-04:00

Post bop bass guitar

2006-05-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

Steve Swallow (in Bass Player) says he hasn't found anyone else leading the charge either. Now I feel better about the fruitlessness of my search. Though I must say Gary Willis was doing exactly what we're asking; its just that he was in a loudish electric context. What's Lincoln Goines doing?

Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre '04

2006-05-18T10:19:00.000-04:00

$15 at Costco. Restrained, dry, dignified. Not seductive. Possibly superb with food. Opened after another excellent bottle of Rosenblum Syrah Fess Parker with sausages and salad. Still a great buy.

Wha Happen?

2006-05-13T19:15:00.000-04:00

Marques de Caceres Crianza '01: Not so good lately.
Sierra Cantabria Cuvee Especial '01: Ditto.
Piscina de la Pesce Crianza '01 or whatever it was: Ditto.

We've been drinking these for a couple years and they had been uniformly superb. Bad luck? More likely to have been mis-handled after this amount of time? Or do they just not last? Hmm.

Just opened a C & T Casillero del Diablo Merlot '04; very nice for $9. Soft tannins, some structure, no obvious oak, none too fruity.

Gold Bug

2006-03-31T18:12:00.000-05:00

Just finished The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers. Concentrated prose style. Intricate subject matter entwined with a very humane, personal plot. Learned a bit about genetics and theory of The Goldberg Variations. Very satisfying. I'd say its a very good novel; that's meant as high praise. To pull off something this ambitious without falling into the mud requires real talent and great discipline. Recommended to people who love writing and literature and have 650 pages of thoughtful concentration to spare. Its enjoyable, satisfying and pays dividends.

That was hard to write. It's kind of hard to explain this book.

Prince

2006-03-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

has arguably had a longer run of pure genius than the Godfather hisself. If we grant that JB was (merely) a great stylist until Out of Sight in '64. And give him until Living in America in '85 (which is generous) thats 21 years. Prince released Dirty Mind in 1980 and if you ask me, which you have just done, he's going as great as ever. That's 26 years and counting.

Who else do we have? Duke hit the Cotton Club in '27 and never dropped the ball before passing in '74. Thats 47 years. Mingus '53 or so until '75. Dizzy counts, but didn't really reinvent himself after the awesome afro-cuban big bands in the mid-50s. Oh, duh, Miles: Birth of the Cool in '49 until passing in '91. 42 years.

So longest reign of Geniusosity, in order: 1)Duke 2)Miles 3)Prince.

Jack London

2006-03-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

Kenwood Jack London Zinfandel '03. Lovely. Structured, big but not overripe. Less fruity than Rosenblums I've had. Opens up beautifully at the end of the bottle. $20 at the corner. **. With rice and beans. I don't like the tequila in the sausage. Adds a harsh, acidic note.

Tears When

2006-03-13T14:25:00.000-05:00

The incomprehensible gulf between the real and the possible is recognized.

Neither Beauty

2006-03-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

Nor grace, nor compassion.

We aim for efficiency.

Lincoln Center Electric

2006-03-09T13:09:00.000-05:00

Flea on a Josh Redmon album. Brad Mehldau on a John Patitucci album. Marcus Miller at Lincoln Center. I was *there*, 15 years ago... What I/they see is a blending of electric/acoustic that doesn't degenerate into chops-fest because performance is subsumed in strong composition and the discipline required of great jazz. Earlier success was had by Weather Report and Miles; they were followed by jazzy jammers playing rock music that didn't rock. Give me Eddie Van Halen any time...

Also, bass guitar can blend beautifully with acoustic instruments; providing stronger harmonic support than the fuzzy intonations of an upright :).

Also, Patitucci seems to be wimping out of the quest to integrate bass guitar functionally into a post bop context. Using it almost exclusively for melodic and solo work, even playing guitar while his upright supplies the bass. So sad :(.

And what's up with the cult of Anthony Jackson? Only recent "jazz" I could find is an annoying work by Steve Smith. Bad songs, annoying keyboard, stiff stiff stiff drumming. Jackson's tone is nice. And Dave Liebman is excellent, but that hardly compensates. Please explain.

Town Hall Impeachment Event

2006-03-03T09:28:00.000-05:00

Short Version:

Rep. John Conyers: We're slowly building a comprehensive case. We'll be able to implement it when Democrats control congress and can form a Select Committee. First charges will be on the false case for Iraq.

Michael Ratner: Comprehensive is good, but we have a prima facie "slam dunk" (twitters all around) on 3 other charges:

1) Domestic surveillance in violation of FISA

2) Torture in violation of the Anti-Torture Act

3) What was the third charge? Maybe it was disclosing identity of NOC operative. Answers here:

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/ccr/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2702

Also, articles based on secret Cambodia bombing actually didn't make it out of committee when Nixon was impeached. Foreign affairs may be tougher than the "slam dunk" articles outlined above.

Liz Holtzmann: Recent disclosure of concealing White House emails relating to the Plame investigation point to a clear charge of Obstruction of Justice. Nearly identical to the first thing Nixon was succesfully indicted on.

Also, with Conyers: This is doable. Think how far off the reservation MLK was when he announced comprehensive coordinated civil rights movement. How much support Nixon had when impeachment was initiated against him.

John Dean: Impeachment is technically viable and laudable. Not sure its politically plausible. Facetiously pointed out that the remedy of a Cheney presidency may be worse than the illness. Also made interesting point that (he was there) Nixon was ready and willing to fight to the bitter end. He only abandoned the effort when his staff stopped supporting. This happened after some lower-lever indictments and on the eve of congressional efforts urging him to step down.

Me: Perhaps a Rove/Cheney indictment could trigger something similar in this case.

Lewis Lapham: Impeachment is a good remedy instituted by the authors of the constitution. It provides a constitutional means to protect the Republic from extra-constitutional activities. It should be used more often.

Q&A: after being implored several times by the moderator, panelists and audience, questioners insisted on pontificating rather than presenting questions to the extraordinarily qualified panel.

Spain

2006-02-28T15:10:00.000-05:00

2003 Termes. Smoother, cherrier, less exotic than '02. Classy, long finish. Rating ***. Got one in the shed.

2001 Sierra Cantabria Cuvee Especial. Lighter , longer, more complex than the lovely crianza. Rating **.

Rosenblum blowing up

2006-02-28T15:02:00.000-05:00

Zinfandel Cuvee Michelle, best I've yet had, at $14. ** Actually $10. Hooray.

Syrah Fess Parker, fantastic. Smoother less fruit-laden than Aussies. Long finish. Superb. $18 (?) **

Both with seafood from Cafe One Fifteen. Very nice time w/ Steven, Susan & Miles. Jack fell asleep. Food was pretty good. Honestly I think The Pit is better...

Trajectory

2006-02-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

"Todd, I now see, wanted me only for my ability to tell if he too was destined to disappear in late twenties after a passionate start."

Richard Powers, The Gold Bug Variations, p. 290

On Cicero

2006-02-06T11:21:00.000-05:00

From his writings:

Elements of a well-led life:

A) Wisdom, which is deeply entwined with rectitude (Tusculum V)

B) Responsibility(ies) (On Duties II)

C) Friendship(s) (On Friendship)

From his life: was it possible to love the Republic too much? Senate incapable of competent administration of the Empire. Cicero lives and practices on principle until abridging principle to support Octavian as the last best hope. Pays the ultimate price after standing down, yet refusing to abandon Rome. His last lonely walk 12 miles back to Rome leaves enough time for agents of the triumverate to detain and execute him.

Merlot(!)

2006-02-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

Given the Sideways backlash and the amount planted, varietal may present value opportunity at higher end.

Steltzner Stag's Leap Merlot. Superb. Balanced, full bodied, smooth. Bordeaux-ish. **. Yummy with Susan's drumsticks.

Some Recent Wines

2006-01-24T17:32:00.000-05:00

Norton Ridge Pinot Noir with Susan's Roast Chicken. Beautiful pink-red color. Light, subtle, well-crafted; preceded by Leasingham Magnus (for founding vintner Magnus Badger.) Dark, full-bodied, jammy. Too jammy for M, I enjoyed it.

Clos Du Bois Chardonnay; well-done, typical.
Argyle Chardonnay; very clean, discernable terroir, little or no oak, very enjoyable. * Only $10.
Sierra Cantabria 2001 Crianza; superb Rioja. Medium bodied, fragrant nose, long finish. Been drinking this for 2 years, it keeps getting better. **.

Leasingham Riesling 2004

2006-01-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

With stir fry. Good wine, very enjoyable. Dry with a bit of that riesling, je ne sais quoi, tangy honey. No response from M. Last week claimed not to like riesling, but what did we have for wedding dinner?

Past drunk

2006-01-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

2001 Don Melchor, Concha Y Toro ****
2002 Termes, Numanthia-Termes ***
2001 Miguel Torres, Manso de Velasco *** I don't remember this one.
2004 Barrancas, Finca Flichman **
2003 Altos de Luzon, Finca Luzon **

Rosenblum

2006-01-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

Vintner's Cuvee XXVI (I think) with Monday Night Roast Chicken. On a Sunday. Fruity at first, solidifies by the last glass. Good with food or without. M likes this one every time. *

Fascism, Anatomy of

2005-10-05T16:43:00.000-04:00

: us?

Robert O. Paxton prerequisitions sacrifice of liberties (PATRIOT Act +), conservative elite-pleb alliance (Cheney-Dobson), cult of personality (W!), irrational economics (Tax Cuts/Deficits), expansive war(s) of choice (Iraq, Iran, Syria) , decrementing rule of law (numerous & varied)...

These factors map directly, if softly...

Fred

2005-10-05T16:35:00.000-04:00

At the container store jumps , dives.

2005-06-08T15:34:00.000-04:00

Jack 2002

ultramog

2005-06-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

ultramog from blog this

Artichoke

2005-06-08T15:29:00.000-04:00

Hearts

Green

2005-06-08T15:26:00.000-04:00

Olives

Greek

2005-06-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

Salad

Its

2005-06-08T12:49:00.000-04:00

Lunch time