Ars Brevis

Dave Douglas & Keystone @ Zankel Hall:  If you buy the record, watch the included DVD first. It took seeing band play live in counterpoint to the projected film to drive that lesson home for me -- I kept putting off watching the included version of Fatty and Mabel Adrift, much to my own detriment. Also, keyboardist Adam Benjamin was apparently suffering from severe food poisoning and barely made the gig. Maybe he should buy all of his meals from street vendors at 4 AM from now on, because he played the standout solo of the night.

A short Arbuckle film scored by Douglas (not included on the Keystone DVD) is available here.

Other blogospheric accounts: Husky Slacks, susypro.

John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet + Kneebody @ Tonic: Kneebody trumpet player Shane Endsley calls the Claudia Quintet "the coolest band in New York." He's right. Hypnotic through-composed works with surging breakbeat/postrock grooves and an expansive, almost orchestral sonic palette. Impossible to single out any one player for praise, but: Matt. Moran. Damn.

Kneebody's new material is surprisingly spacious, patient, subtle, and interactive. Many in the crowd were jonesing for the heavy, prog-jam influenced electrojazz (like the tracks on MySpace), and the band eventually obliged, but it's good to see that the popular LA+NYC supergroup hasn't stopped expanding their horizons. Great gig.

Comments

[mwanji]

1.

I've been listening to the Claudia Quintet's "Semi-Formal" recently and it's even more surprising and individual than "I, Claudia," which is saying a lot, IMO. With "A Blessing" and "Semi-Formal," Hollenbeck is definitely on a roll.

I've been listening to Kneebody's album (downloaded from emusic), which is quite good. I'm somewhat less taken by "Keystone," but I don't have the DVD.

All this listening was, unfortunately, cut short when I lost my iRiver on friday...

[DJA]

2.

I'm somewhat less taken by "Keystone," but I don't have the DVD.

It really is essential. I was a bit underwhelmed, too, until I saw how the music works with the film -- which is, after all, the whole point of this project.

There's a short Arbuckle film available on the Greenleaf Music website, which gives you a good idea of how the music works with the visuals. I should maybe link to that in the main post.

All this listening was, unfortunately, cut short when I lost my iRiver on friday...

Damn. That sucks.

I consider it something of a minor miracle that I have actually managed to hold on to my iPod for four years now.