Allow me to share an anecdote from my last trip to Rome.
The simple continental breakfast provided by a budget hostel was offered in a windowless room near the laundry facility. The lights were automatically extinguished every time someone exited the room, requiring a guest to get up and manually flip a switch. The Japanese and African travelers pretended to ignore the inconvenience. The German and English tourists muttered amongst themselves. A Californian couldn't restrain herself after the tenth blackout in about twenty minutes.
"F**king Italians," she screamed.
The Italian experience can prove maddening to outsiders. It's enchanting and annoying, beautiful and grating, lovely and obnoxious, sublime and confrontational. That's how I feel when I listen to Dalla In Jazz.
The collection contains smooth jazz, smarmy lounge jazz, adventurous improvisational sounds worthy of Soul Note and ECM, Serge Gainsbourg-style sleaze (that's a good thing) and a couple selections with a Tunisian twist. It's fair to say that I have no idea what's going on. I had no prior awareness of Lucio Dalla when I began listening to the tribute album. I'm only vaguely familiar with a couple of the musicians, but among the interesting aritsts now on my radar are Vinicio Capossela, Gegé Telesforo and the adventurous trumpet/accordion duo of Fabrizio Bosso and Luciano Biondini.
I love Italy.
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I reviewed Rockfest.
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Antennas Up made an amusing video for "Coming On".
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Footage of Reach and an excellent band opening for Talib Kweli features drummer Ryan Lee on keyboards.
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Helker may represent the future of rock and roll. RIYL: Dio, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest.
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I'm pleased to introduce you to LeCroix Winget. RIYL: Michelle Shocked, Lightinin' Hopkins, Kimya Dawson. (Via Beau Bledsoe.)
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Last week I wrote that I was looking forward to hearing Joshua Redman's new album Walking Shadows. Well, I loathe it. The strings don't bother me. The extreme conservatism, however, grates on me.
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The lineup for the 27th annual JazzReggae Fest doesn't include a single jazz artist. Even so, I approve of any festival that presents both Barrington Levy and Common.
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After I listen to the new album by Red Line Chemistry, I'm going to check out this week's new releases by Anamanaguchi, Jason Boland, Will Calhoun, the Del-Lords, Dillinger Escape Plan, Eve, Juan Luis Guerra, Immolation, Jaga Jazzist, Glenn Jones, Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood, Christian McBride, Laura Mvula and George Strait.
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Kansas City Click: Hansel und Gretyl appear at the Riot Room on Tuesday.
Scribbling Idiots are part of Wednesday's bill at the RecordBar.
Alan Ferber and Matt Otto perform Thursday at the Westport Coffee House.
(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)
2 comments:
I am interested in your take on the new releases (especially Mark Lanegan), but I'm worried about your ability to hear them. I could hear Rockfest from inside my house over two miles away, so the volume levels up close must have been off the charts.. As a concerned parent might say, I hope you used protection.
What? Speak up.
The volume didn't seem extreme at Rockfest, Steve. The huge scale of the event necessitates several banks of loudspeakers spread out over several hundred yards. No single on-site location gets hit with all that sound.
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