April 28 2012

Paco de Lucia played the Paramount Theater last night as part of SF Jazz.  I have a pretty strict definition of genius:  an artist who changes the way practitioners think of the medium.  Picasso, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix.  You can work through them, but you ignore them at your peril.  Miles said "I changed the music five or six times", and indeed he did.  Birth of the Cool, Walking, Kind of Blue, ESP, Silent Way, Bitches Brew, changed the way we thought, and felt, about music.  Paco, from his astounding work with Camaron, to Entre Dos Aguas, to Siroco, Zyryab, and Luzia, continually changes the way flamencos view their art form.  Originally criticized by "purists", his command of traditional material and technique is without equal.  His genius is in continually evolving and renewing the art form.  He is one of a handful of the most accomplished musicians on earth; Ravi Shankar comes to mind. This concert featured the great vocalist Duquende, and the spectacular young dancer Farru.  Paco was greeted with a standing ovation.  As is his custom, the opening piece was solo, a beautiful rondena.  The encore segued from Guardian Angels by John McLaughlin (which they used to play together) into Entre Dos Aguas.  In between were two hours of seamless magic.  Bravo Paco! 

April 25 20012

The New Charles Lloyd Quartet featuring Maria Farantouri played Herbst Sunday as part of SF Jazz.  This was a true meeting of world music.  Maria was the voice of Mikis Theodorakis' compositions, and a symbol of the resistance to the Greek military junta.  Charles Lloyd is one of my biggest musical influences.  To this day my love of major and minor 9ths and 13ths stems from his great quartet with Jack DeJohnette, Cecil McBee and Keith Jarrett. (For a while, Gabor Szabo was in the band!)  His New Quartet of the last several years includes Jason Moran, Eric Harland, and Reuben Rogers.  Along with Wayne Shorter's Quartet, I believe it is among the most important music being made.  Charles has known Maria for many years, and has studied Greek music.  All ethnic music has modes, and pentatonic scales, with micro tones (from Indian classical, to the blues).  Charles and Maria blended, seemingly effortlessly, while Eric Harland wove an infinite pattern of rhythms that would have confounded lesser talents.  True Genius!

April 21 2012

SF Jazz Spring Season is in full bloom, so you will be reading a lot about the music I'm seeing.  A disc jockey on our own local KPOO said recently that we shouldn't call it African American Classical music, or jazz, anymore, because it really has become a world music.  The great young flamenco guitarist Vicente Amigo played SF Jazz for the second time last month.  Like Paco De Lucia before him, Vicente incorporates jazz harmonies, while keeping the traditional rhythms and palos of flamenco. ("One must respect the compas!")  Anouska Shankar performed with flamenco musicians Thursday night, to demonstrate the influence of the Rajasthani Gypsy diaspora (there were two major treks across Europe from India, in roughly 750AD and 1400AD) on flamenco.  It was a pity that Anoushka didn't have a guitarist worthy of her at the gig. Pepe Hebechuela plays on her new record.  Perhaps an Anouska and Vicente gig someday!

April 7 2012

Many thanks to all of you who made Emily Palen's cd release party such a success.  Two weeks ago Cal Performances presented Zakir Hussain & Masters of Percussion.  Zakir is one of the world's greatest musicians.  A classical tabla virtuoso of the highest caliber, his fame extends beyond India as one of the founders of the world music movement.  From co-founding Shakti with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar, to recordings with Mickey Hart and Bill Laswell, he is always broadening our musical landscapes while re-invigorating his native traditions.  The performance featured Antonia Minnecola, an American dancer who is recognized as a leading exponent of the North Indian dance style Kathak.  Just as jazz and flamenco now have first rate artists from around the world, Zakir has spread the beauty of North Indian classical music far and wide.