Number 44 May 28, 2010

Last Sunday I went to a memorial benefit at the Spreckles Center in Rohnert Park for the great luthier Taku Sakashta, who was tragically murdered a couple of months ago.  Many of my luthier friends were there, including Al Milburn and John Mello.  I had approached Taku through mutual friends, Al and Yukimasa Kasuya about ordering a guitar last year, but Taku was very booked up.  The benefit had performances by The Black Market Blues Band, which featured my friend Joe Mloganoski, who co-owns Two-Rock Amplification, and Eric Gales, not to be confused with the late, great Eric Gale.  Tuck and Patti, who live in the area, and who I haven't seen in years, moved my friend Krisztina Lazar to tears.  The headliner was Robben Ford, with special guest Boz Skaggs, both of whom were playing Taku's guitars.  It was a very beautiful and fitting tribute.  Our time on this planet is very short, and I realized some years ago that whether we live to be very old, or die young, it is how we live, and that we live, that is important.

Number 43 May 17, 2010

Sonny Rollins last Thursday at Zellerbach as part of Cal Performances was fantastic, as always.  His first solo was a monumental 10 or 15 minute sermon that is tied for the most amazing display of energy and emotion I've ever heard in person from a sax player.  The other solo was just last year by Kenny Garret with The Five Peace Band and Kenny is half Sonny's age.  A living master, a genius, and one of the last living links to be-bop and hard-bop (musicians rightly never like labels, but Sonny invented the post be-bop sensibility) every show is nothing but the truth.   Kobie Watkins on drums was one of the most dynamic and manaically driving drummers I've ever seen, and reminded my of Al Foster's work with Miles and Sonny.  He had the entire auditorium pulsing.  With the ever steady and groovey Bob Cranshaw on bass, and the percussionist Victor See-Yuen, each tune had a perfect groove that made the 90 minute set seem like one short tune.  One of the secrets of Sonny's artistry, (and Miles') is that at heart the tunes are simple, even though the virtuosity is high.  A modal tune, a blues, a calypso, a standard.  Quotes from nursery rhymes.  I once heard him play a version of "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?" that I sing in my mind almost every day.  See Sonny Rollins while you can! 

Number 42 May 14, 2010

Another week of great and varied music performances.  Last Saturday night I saw Laurie Anderson at Zellerbach Auditorium.  I've seen Laurie many times, and she is always witty, thought provoking, and profound.  This piece, Homeland, was partially commissioned for the Vancouver Olympics and also by Cal Performances and BAM.  As with most of Laurie's pieces, it was multi-media, with computer and video driven projected images, an electronic score, and two jazz sax players wailing away behind back-lit screens.
Laurie made use of her by now familiar electronically altered voice.  Often used as a wry voice of mail authority, she stated that in this piece she wanted more of a dialogue between that voice and her own.  It's often easy to overlook what a wonderful violinist she is.  The piece was partially inspired by the recent death of her mother.  Very few artists can range from pathos to humor to political outrage in 90 minutes, and have it all somehow work.

Number 41 May 11, 2010

Last Friday I saw George Winston at Grace Cathedral    Emily Palen, who we recorded At Grace in January, attended the concert with me, and was very inspired.  After the concert our friend Brian Martin introduced us to George.  During the show George spoke of his influences; Vince Guaraldi, all the great stride pianists, and The Doors.  He played pieces by Vince, and ended the concert, before the encore, with Riders on the Storm.  He also played a solo harmonica piece, and a slack key Hawaiin piece on acoustic guitar.  His demeanor is very warm and humble. He invites a local action group to each of his events to raise money, for San Francisco it was St. Anthony's.  While my tastes lean toward the more adventurous, he is very inspiring in that he has followed his bliss, to paraphrase Joeseph Campbell, and plays from the heart.