Saw Guru and his Jazzmatazz tour last night. Show was aight. Really went
to see Bernard Purdie and he was NOT there. Guru runs a tight show, Donald
Bird and Reuben Wilson were a joy to watch/hear! Also present were DJ
Seanski, A funky wawa guitar man, a drummer and horn player from the
Soulsonics and two women singers(no big deal)! Something was missing
tho....Couldn't really figure out what was wrong.... I wondered how these
heavy hitting jazz players felt about playing to prerecorded rhythym
tracks. They each had songs that they were highlighted on (ie. some
soloing) but IF THEY HAD A BASS PLAYER ON STAGE they wouldn't have needed
the dat deck running all the time! Even the Dj soloed over a running dat
track with pre-recorded scratches! Don't get me wrong here folks. I'm NO
purist. I'm even working on a hiphop/jazz band that relies on
samples/sequences,etc. and it is not because I am a bass player, but Guru
could have took this to another level with a full on LIVE back-up band.
Opening was a very WACK Vanessa Daou(sp?) Pseudo sexy-eurofunk-undulation.
I'm guessing her appeal is to the testostarossa college boys in the haus.
Pretty hollow lyrically and musically...Zipless?!? Whatever?!?
Spearhead were here a month ago and I feel they are stupendous! Best live
band I have seen in ... well a while.... Disk aint bad either. Opening were
the Brooklyn Funk Essential and they couldn't hold a candle to the
headliner (I wanted to like them really!)
Sampler: This is a great thing, and I wan't in (yes I'll drive to Chicago
for a regional recording session. anybody have studio space) but it seems
we are putting more effort in it's conception that might be necessary. What
are we talking hear, a limited edition pressing of maybe 40-100 cd's? Sure
a nice package is important and even a cool title but, who's going to see
this thing? You and me and that about it.....
R.
R. Davies UW-Madison Biochemistry
Media Lab
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