Jeff Gauthier’s unique perspective
July 25th, 2008by Tom Chandler
Violinist Jeff Gauthier has long established himself as an active member of the West Coast improvising music scene, but he truly came into his own when he decided to start his own record label. Wanting an outlet to release his music and that of his friends, Gauthier has built Cryptogramophone into a kind of ideal jazz record label: beautiful packaging, warmly recorded, a string of incredibly strong releases, including discs by Nels Cline, Jenny Scheinman, Bennie Maupin, Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg, and Myra Melford as well as his own Jeff Gauthier Goatette. Despite his day job running the label and producing as well as playing orchestral sessions in Los Angeles (he claims to have played on most of the Star Trek soundtracks), when you listen to Gauthier play, it’s clear where his heart really lies. Read more…
Mudhoney Hits Twenty Years
July 25th, 2008Mark Arm chats about their new record, the woes of the record industry and…dancing with Charo
by Andrew Lau
“I’ve been driving all day, so I may be a little dazed.” Mudhoney front man/guitarist Mark Arm is somewhere within the Mountain Time zone. The band is driving back from a recent East Coast tour in support of their latest album, The Lucky Ones .
Here’s a band written off in some circles years ago, maybe as long ago as 1992 when they signed to a major label. Here’s a band that’s continued to make good music not in the face of adversity (because there really hasn’t been any) but because they can . Sure, they’ve hit a few snags and even lost original bassist Matt Lukin when he decided to retire from touring in 2000. His replacement however, former Monroe’s Fur/ Lubricated Goat bassist Guy Maddison, gave the group a new wind. Read more…
Unwed Sailor lightens up
July 25th, 2008
By Tom Chandler
With Little Wars , Jonathan Ford and his revolving cast of characters have created a gauzy dreamscape of an album. Backing off of the darkness of The White Ox , Ford has crafted the tenderest version of Unwed Sailor yet. With “Copper Islands,” a live staple from the last few years, as the cornerstone, Ford and his crew, including Matt Putman, Matt Depper, and Nic Tse, set about constructing the new songs from the ground up, working from rough demos Ford sent around and finding the right feel. The organic nature of the work paid off, with rich, chiming textures and upbeat lightness. Read more…
Painting pictures small yet profound: Marilyn Crispell and solo piano improvisation
June 13th, 2008
Interview by Tom Chandler
When Marilyn Crispell started recording for ECM in 1997, she moved somewhat into the mainstream, releasing a string of trio CDs (with either Gary Peacock or Mark Helias on bass, and Paul Motian on drums) that are uniformly brilliant, emphasizing space and deep listening and interplay. Her newest CD, however, bucks that trend slightly, because it’s completely solo. The dark spaciousness is still there however, both in her piano tone and in her musical conception. Read more…
Brazilian Explosion!
May 23rd, 2008Spring 2008 = great Brazilian music. Why? Beats the heck out of me, but there it is. Something about feijoada and caiparinhas maybe? Whatever the reason, the meeting of classic Brazilian sounds with modern production and psychedelia is bearing the most fruit of any kind of music around, it seems. The overall direction of modern pop from that part of the world has already been somewhat established (not least of which by local label Six Degrees), but three new discs really exemplify what’s best about the modern Brazilian sound. Read more…
Guilty Secrets
May 23rd, 2008Right about the time Transatlantanticism
came out, I asked my friend Steve to tell me his favorite Death Cab album. As you may have guessed already, Steve thought the first album was great and everything after that was crap. Well maybe that’s saying it too harshly, but it definitely was the perfect indie snob moment. Especially since I happen to know that Steve dragged his wife to see them at the Paramount in Oakland last year, that most comfortable of rock and roll venues, after the major label debut Plans. Read more…
Reggae Rising 2007
August 15th, 2007 After months of an intense war of words, various allegations and lawsuits People Productions finally managed
to move forth and produce their first annual Reggae Rising festival as the Mateel Community Center hangs on the old moniker of Reggae on the River. In the end the landowner gave permission for use of the site to the group who had the experience in throwing the festival in years passed. The win, unfortunately, was not without it’s drawbacks. Most attendees that weekend walking the path still referred to the annual event as Reggae on the River, but it was obvious that a few keys differences were in place and a looming sense of nervousness clouded the normally joyous event. Read more…