Intelligence, Sound, and the Concertgebouw

Posted on 3 April, 2013 by odo

The current state of our political system has taken its toll. The electorate’s complacency and ignorance has taken its toll. The media’s irresponsible performance of its duty to inform the public has taken its toll. All signs point to deadlock, to a divided populace polarized by irreconcilable differences of opinion and politicians paralyzed by a refusal to compromise. I’m jaded.

Enter Intelligence Squared, Oxford style debate held in the US. Each debate brings in four, not two, debaters who are well versed on the subject at hand. A well organized and moderated protocol keeps the discussion on track and levelheaded. With two opinions voiced on each side of the debate, we get a broader picture of the issues. Instead of two highly divergent guests locking horns, getting nowhere, and leaving the listeners yet more divided, we get multiple views voiced. A middle ground is uncovered and a clearer picture of the topic is formed. With more time to express complex ideas and dig deeper into the subject, listeners get a quantity and quality of information needed to form an informed opinion. With its expanded format, the audience has a chance to think along with the speakers and time to consider their views. These debates go to show that my low opinion of the public is not fully justified. Given a forum that presents us with more thorough discussions, sensible arguments, and less antithetical positions, we Americans can make better choices. But we need information, not sound bites. We need sound discussions, not talking heads screaming at each other. We need the Intelligence Squared type of reasonable and mature debate to get us out of deadlock. Check out the link and download the podcasts : [Intelligence Squared].

TTBOOK does it again. Listen to the podcast [Surrounded by Sound].

And on the lighter side, watch [Everything Sounds Better at the Concertgebouw] and [Scooters at the Concertgebouw] and [Construction at the Concertgebouw] and more [Sounds Better at the Concertgebouw].

Posted in Audio, Discover, Thoughts | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Gunn Collecting

Posted on 20 March, 2013 by odo

He’s no newcomer to jazz. He’s been recording for about twenty years as a sideman and a headliner. More than a competent musician, he’s a full blown, contemporary jazz giant and crossover artist, yet for all his talent and fame, I couldn’t find a complete discography on him, not even at his official website. But before I lose you, you need to know that Russell Gunn is more than jazz. His music is injected with funk, hip-hop, latin, and electronica. His sensibilities are anchored in jazz, but he waves his wings wide to whip up dazzling musical whirls.

My first exposure to Russell was from his 2008 release, Plays Miles. It’s a rare tribute album that takes another’s music, transforms it with his own artistic sensibilities, and does it without mimicry or obsequious groveling—a refreshing treat. After that first taste, I knew I had to take another shot of Gunn’s music. I chose to look for some earlier work. From what I could dig up, his first album, Young Gunn, was released in 1994. I probably should have started with it, but instead, I chose his second, Gunn Fu, released in 1997. Aside from being excellently engineered (Sound on Sound Studios, NYC), it shows that Gunn has been a significant contributor to the advancement of contemporary music from early in his career. He achieves a delicate fusion of yesterday and today with a style grounded in tradition, yet liberated by contemporary energy. That’s not an easy balancing act to accomplish. Too often this kind of blending ends up erring too far one way or the other leaving the listener with either uninspired bebop rehashing or psuedo-gansta grunting. For Gunn, the knack of smoothly connecting bebop to his own unique, savvy-chic style seems to flow instinctively. Okay, l’m over thinking this and you want to know if this music has a full clip or is it just another exercise in musical pocket billiards? Yes, it’s fully loaded. With two Gunns in my hands, it proves to me that he’s no flash-in-the-pan, that happiness is a warm Gunn. I want more. Next to explore are some of his crossover albums, the Ethnomusicology series. Time to goose up my Gunn collection.

A little note on the performance rating. Gunn’s performance is A+ throughout. Greg Tardy’s tenor playing is A+, but, like so many other sax players, his flute chops are sorry. Contrasted to the other stellar playing on the entire CD, it really sticks out and takes a toll on the overall album rating. See the previous review [Gunning Down Miles], and visit the website [GroidMusic].

(||) Rating — Music : A ║ Performance : A- ║ Recording : A ║
Russell Gunn, Gunn Fu, HighNote Records, 1997

Posted in Discover, Music reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment