GeneBlog

A Canceled Gig With A Happy Ending

2009-04-26T15:31:00.004-04:00

I went to play a Sunday brunch gig at the Waynesville Inn and Country Club today and as we were getting ready to set up our equipment, the restaurant manager came up and said something like "you're not playing today, I sent an email to the bandleader a few days ago. No more music for the Sunday brunch." Well, isn't that just grand. The leader of the trio got no such email and had an agreement (a verbal handshake agreement but legally binding nevertheless) that two weeks notice would be given if the music had to be discontinued. So I drive an hour for a $75 gig only to be turned away by a sketchy restaurant manager. Hissssssss! So where's the happy ending with that you ask?

As we sat outside in disappointment, a family that heard us play another time came up and said that they came especially to hear us play and were looking forward to the brunch. We told them the bad news and they too were disappointed. But here's what was a pleasant surprise - they said that they weren't going to patronize the place that unfairly treated us and invited us out for lunch with them at a different nearby restaurant! It was a good reminder that although there a lot of people who could care less about jazz, there are some who not only appreciate the music but also understand that the musicians need to be fairly treated from a business perspective too. I had a nice lunch with good food and good conversations with an interesting and pleasant family. Many thanks to this family for turning a bad gig into a good day.

Austin McBride Jazz Piano Lessons

2009-03-20T23:56:00.004-04:00

I don't know what to say about this:

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/92033_piano-jazz-five-four.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/92021_piano-jazz-trio.htm
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/92017_piano-jazz-progression.htm

All of his other lessons can be found here:

http://www.expertvillage.com/expert/1426.htm

He also teaches break dancing and golf ball tricks.

Why You Shouldn't Fly US Airways

2009-03-15T12:38:00.000-04:00

Don't fly US Airways. Here's why:

US Airways can't fly on time resulting in missed connections, especially through Charlotte. This happened to me (and a lot of other people) twice within a week with multi-hour layovers waiting for the rescheduled connection, which was also late (Flight 2511, check it.) A 3 1/2 hour flight ends up taking 7 hours.
After taking every phone number and email address you have during the booking process, they still won't use one of those numbers to contact you and tell you that your flight is late.
The gate agents don't smile. Ever. And don't ask questions, because they're too busy to deal with your problems. And if you do get through to them, make sure they answer the question you asked, not the one they want to answer because it's easier or more convenient.
US Airways will not sell a bereavement fare through certain airports like Washington Reagan. No reason is given. I guess they're happy to squeeze out some more money on a fare from someone whose relative just died. Real nice people, huh? If you complain to them, you'll receive a form letter back.
Checking a bag costs money, $15 and up. Better pack light.
Connecting flights are at different terminals a long, long walk away.
The flight attendants try to sell you a US Airways credit card during the flight. First there is a long speech over the intercom about the "benefits" of a high-interest rate US Airways credit card, then the flight attendants come through the cabin trying to give you the paperwork to fill out, then there is the follow-up information over the intercom for people who were suckered into signing up. So much for a quiet flight.
No snacks on board the plane. How much do pretzels cost? Really.

Long story short - fly Southwest or another carrier. There's no good reason to fly US Airways when there are other airlines offering better service.

Sushi conveyor

2009-03-02T21:14:00.004-05:00

Interesting expressions on people's faces. The kid's faces are naturally more curious and less concerned than the adults.

Jazz and the NSA

2009-02-06T20:26:00.003-05:00

I came across an interesting entry in a listing of videotapes (pdf) produced by the National Security Agency, the largest of the US intelligence agencies, titled "Jazz in the USSR." Running just over 46 minutes long and carrying a "For Official Use Only" classification, the 1985 program is described as a survey of jazz in the Soviet Union.

I wonder if this was made by some NSA employee/jazz fan attempting to make their job more fun or if there is more to it than that?

Verizon Cancellation Fee

2009-02-06T14:03:00.003-05:00

I canceled my long distance service on my phone in order to save some money but I found out that there is a fee to cancel it! While my actual long distance provider, Sprint, didn't charge anything (and the phone representative, Jose, was very polite) Verizon, the local carrier needs $8.70 to cancel it as a "programming change." It shouldn't cost the consumer extra for Verizon to type "cancel" into their computer to cancel a service. And these companies complain that they are in financial hardship! Arggh, they have me coming and going.

Bailouts & Bonuses

2009-02-02T19:21:00.007-05:00

Two articles about the ongoing financial crisis/money-grab, one from Paul Krugman of the New York Times and one from Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post.

My bailout factoid for the day:

If the $18,000,000,000 paid as bonuses to executives in bailed-out companies last year was recovered and given instead to the 2,600,000 children, age 3 and under who live in poverty in the US, every one of those children would receive $6,923.08, enough for diapers, food and other basic needs for a year.

Poverty data from the National Center for Children in Poverty

Brad Linde on DCist.com

2009-01-29T14:51:00.004-05:00

My good friend & colleague Brad Linde has an interview posted on DCist.com today:
http://dcist.com/2009/01/three_stars_brad_linde.php

I've written two arrangements for his nonet and there is a gracious mention of me in the interview.

Lots and Lots of Lightbulbs

2009-01-22T22:06:00.005-05:00

John Thain, the former CEO of Merrill Lynch, one of the large banks that was rescued with a taxpayer-subsidized sale, decided early last year (pre-bailout) that he needed a redecorated office to ~~entertain his buddies/hide his mistress/contemplate why his bank was collapsing~~ ah, it doesn't matter. The cost to the company: a mere $1.22 million, pocket change for a CEO, I guess.

Here's the news story http://www.cnbc.com/id/28793892 and the internal budget document (pdf file) with an itemization of all the goodies. Some of the outstanding ones: a $1,404 garbage can, four pairs of curtains for $28,090, $3,916.45 worth of light bulbs and extension cords and $15,122.68 for "miscellaneous" items. The interior designer for this critical project, Michael Smith, made out like a bandit too with his fee: $800,000.

I'm sure it's good policy for companies to spend lavishly on their CEO's. And I'm sure that there is some good reason that a trash can might cost $1,400. And I'm sure that $800,000 is a reasonable fee for an interior decorator. I mean, these executives have complicated, stressful jobs strategizing and leveraging and all that. They deserve a $16,000 custom coffee table and $3,500 worth of bathroom accessories.

As someone at the other end of the spectrum (I'm unemployed and can't pay my rent) it's certainly clear that money has a different value to different people. To some people $15,000 means "miscellaneous" items, to me, it means a warm, dry roof over my head for a year.

Poor Children Dying

2009-01-20T14:03:00.005-05:00

A good call to action for our new President and something for everyone to think about:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles_of_faith/1776/07/rev_susan_lee_o.html

Jazz by Invitation Only

2009-01-18T12:20:00.006-05:00

On CNN's website today there is an editorial by Wynton Marsalis in which he makes some general statements about our culture and society today. It isn't a deep article by any means and there aren't any specific solutions given to the problems presented, but there are a few things that stood out:

"In the din of expert voices on everything imaginable, what we don't hear is informed conversation on how central culture is to our national well-being."

Jazz is certainly part of this cultural significance. Wynton Marsalis, for better or for worse, is synonymous with jazz music in the eyes of many people outside of the jazz community but his style only represents a part of the art form. More people need to become visible spokespeople for jazz and the varied nature of jazz (straight-ahead, not straight-head etc.) needs to be better publicized even if the more original music isn't as accessible at first. Most critically, the government needs to take a bigger role in funding the arts at the local level. Instead of paying millions to make bombs to drop overseas we should pay millions to make music here at home. It would be real homeland security in the long run when the US is known as a cultural superpower that supports the arts.

"It's time for us to build a new mythology based on our many cultural triumphs instead of fixating on our never-ending missteps and conflicts."

I agree about emphasizing our own American culture more but mythology doesn't seem like the right word. How about just "public awareness." That seems more attainable. And while "fixating" on conflicts won't end up being productive, debating something can often lead to creativity.

"Almost everything and everyone seems to be for sale. Value is assessed solely in terms of dollars. Quality is sacrificed to commerce and truthful communication is supplanted by marketing."

This is the statement that stood out the most because it sums up a lot about the music business and how free-market thinking fails when applied to the arts. And, excepting the part about quality, it unfortunately refers to the jazz concert headlined by Wynton Marsalis at the Kennedy Center tomorrow.

If you are trying to actually go to the concert that's referred to at the beginning of the story (called "Let Freedom Swing" on the Kennedy Center website,) there are no tickets available. It is by "invitation only" (which usually means donors, politicians, "insiders" and maybe the press) and is "completely, completely overbooked" according to Lincoln Center except if you want to watch a TV simulcast elsewhere in the building.

It's somewhat ironic that Wynton's talking about coming together via jazz and the arts but his own concert is walled off from the public. Jazz, which is the perfect embodiment of American democracy, cannot be by invitation only. Putting jazz behind closed doors is so destructive. If Wynton is serious about change, next MLK day, have the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra play a free, public concert at the Lincoln Memorial instead. And how about releasing the invite list for the concert at the Kennedy Center so we can all see who is lucky or well-connected or wealthy enough to be invited to the show tomorrow?

The business of making a living playing jazz needs much change for jazz to survive beyond being background music for the wealthy or an obscure academic subject, like speaking Latin. More transparency would be an attainable first step and would lead to new, useful paths of action. High-profile figures like Marsalis need to practice what they preach with their own productions and make them open to all not just a select few.

10 out of 10 Jazz Piano Students at Banff Don't Recognize This Guy

2008-12-19T22:35:00.006-05:00

Ethan Iverson at Do The Math points out in a recent (and lengthy, natch) post that in a class he taught at the Banff arts center, all 10 pianists in the class didn't recognize a recording of "Carolina Shout" by James P. Johnson. Here's part of what he says about this:

"When teaching at Banff this past summer, 10 out 10 jazz young pianists were working on their post-Brad Mehldau/post-Keith Jarrett conception. That’s cool - I am full-on post-Jarrett myself, and in fact I’m influenced by Brad too - but the same 10 pianists then didn’t recognize James P. Johnson’s “Carolina Shout” when I played it for them in a master class."

"It’s really no big deal if any given young jazz pianist isn’t interested in James P. Johnson. One’s muses needn’t include early jazz if one wants to make good improvised music. But 10 out 10 pianists not recognizing “Carolina Shout” really bothered me."

It sure bothers me. If these students at Banff can play convincingly in a contemporary style (enough at least to gain admission to Banff) and know nothing of arguably one of the most famous recordings of this early jazz piano giant, there is something seriously wrong with the jazz education system these students come from and a disturbing sign that jazz is becoming increasingly watered down. I hope this bothers in particular the admissions people at Banff who should be looking for a little more depth in who they admit and who will reap the musical and financial benefits of saying they went to Banff and studied with so-and-so etc.

I disagree with Iverson on one point though; maybe his phrase "improvised music" is key but I do think that a pianist needs to be aware of James P. and the other early pianists to be a good jazz improviser. Understanding the history of this music (or anything, really) is vitally important to being able to express oneself in a larger, deeper context. If jazz history is discarded in favor of teaching the latest lick, rather than seeing them both as pieces of the same whole, the art form begins to wither.

Sheet Music Available

2008-12-06T23:37:00.002-05:00

I've placed some sheet music of my compositions online:
http://www.genedandrea.com/music.htm
Look for the section marked "Sheet Music". They are all in PDF format and I'll periodically (hopefully) post new tunes there. They are all licensed under a Creative Commons license which specifies what uses are permitted, namely non-commercial uses like playing at jam sessions and in schools. If someone wants to use the tunes in a commercial way, like a recording, they need to contact me first and get my OK. Creative Commons is a way of enhancing a copyright to make it more flexible and internet-friendly while retaining the legal rights granted under existing copyright law.

Prosecution by Pop-Up Ads

2008-11-26T20:37:00.003-05:00

Interesting story about a substitute teacher whose computer at school got infected with spyware causing pornographic pop-up ads to appear. The State of Connecticut unbelievably charged her with 4 felony counts of showing school children pornography (worth up to 40 years behind bars) and didn't so much as even conduct an expert forensic examination of the hard drive. Volunteer computer experts from around the country stepped in to examine the hard drive and found that indeed there was spyware and that the school system didn't maintain the computer properly. This still wasn't enough for the State's Attorney on the case, Michael Regan, or the Norwich, CT police dept. or the school IT people to admit they were in error and after 4 years, the accused agreed to a plea bargain because her health is declining fighting the case - $100 fine, pleading guilty to disorderly conduct and losing her CT teacher's certificate.

http://blogs.courant.com/rick_green/2008/11/
connecticut-drops-felony-charg.html

and

http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/
breaking-julie-amero-horror-is-over.html

Auto CEOs & Private Jets

2008-11-19T22:37:00.003-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/19/autos.ceo.jets/index.html

The CEOs claim that they need to fly private because of "security." Right. Maybe they thought Congress would give them the $25B in cash and they didn't want to bother trying to explain it to the TSA at Reagan National. Or maybe they just don't like sitting next to "Joe Six-Pack" on Southwest? N5116, a chartered Gulfstream G-IV landed a while ago in Detroit - was it the CEO of GM, Ford or Chrysler?

Molly Ringwald - Jazz Living Legend?

2008-11-19T21:22:00.004-05:00

I don't make a habit of reading tmz.com but this came up in a Google blog search (the first listing for jazz today!?) and caught my eye:
http://www.tmz.com/2008/11/19/molly-ringwald-jazz-legend/

OK, I'm sure Molly Ringwald is probably a fine singer, as good or or maybe even better than any other former 80's teenage star who tries their hand at singing jazz, but let me think - Ella Fitzgerald, legend (check), Billie Holiday, legend (check), Molly Ringwald, ???????? If she's serious about playing jazz she should tell her promoter to drop the legend stuff and let her music speak for itself.

Review: Ornette Coleman @ UNC

2008-11-18T11:51:00.002-05:00

Ornette Coleman and his band played at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last week (11/13/08). Here's my take on the performance:

Likes:

Ornette Coleman; I don't understand his dialect of improvising that well, but it seems he is fully committed to it. Whether on ballads or up-tempo tunes he plays from his heart - a big plus for me. He also has a plaintive tone on the alto which fits his compositions well.
His electric bassist and to some degree, his acoustic bassist also, listen well to Coleman and complement him. Again, the dialect that they're playing is a barrier for me, but I can tell they are interacting.
Well-rehearsed arrangements. This was the last concert in a tour so that helps in this regard.

Dislikes:

I didn't understand how the drummer (his son, Denardo) was relating to the group. Most of the night he seemed to be playing grooves based on a metric division of what the rest of the group was playing. Doing this for part of songs (a la Miles' 2nd quintet) or maybe even a whole song might be OK but during every song in a 2 hour concert was distracting at best.
Doctoring up Bach's 1st Cello Suite. First off, Bach's Cello Suites are written as solo pieces, with the cello accompanying itself, so expanding it to a group format needs to be carefully thought out and have a clear purpose. Second, I know bass players sometimes play the suites, but as any bass/player will tell you, bowing will show off any problems with intonation and there were plenty during that evening. Then there was the funk backbeat from the drums to drive the final nail in the coffin.
While we're on the bass, too much thumb position bowing. The bass player favored the upper register most of the evening which, for me, becomes texturally annoying after an hour or so. If the bowing is part of the group sound, why not try a cello?

Question: What's the deal with Ornette playing the trumpet? He just picked it up for 8 measures here and there and played some random tones (I don't know what it's called musically - just moving your fingers a lot on the valves)? Is it a texture thing? A tribute to Don Cherry?

Louder Oceans

2008-11-18T11:03:00.002-05:00

The oceans are getting louder thanks to global warming:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97058246

Another CNN article on jazz!

2008-11-07T10:32:00.004-05:00

CNN has another article on jazz today, this time about Washington DC saxophonist and educator Davey Yarborough. Keep the articles coming CNN!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/11/06/
heroes.marsalis.yarborough/index.html

Jazz club list on CNN today

2008-11-05T14:21:00.004-05:00

CNN has an article today on some lesser-known jazz clubs around the world:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/
getaways/11/05/jazz.cities/index.html

Scary Sign

2008-11-04T21:45:00.001-05:00

I saw this today next to a polling place. I'm sure the ignorant, intolerant opinion implied by this sign isn't representative of people who live in this area but it shows that there are people around who are very happy to spread hate.

3rd Presidential Debate

2008-10-15T20:55:00.004-04:00

Overall, McCain didn't get the "game changer" that he was looking for in this debate. He spent more time (again) attacking Obama than he did outlining his policies. He frequently was condescending to Obama when he responded to points he didn't agree with, unlike Obama, who stayed on message and stayed polite the whole night. McCain also kept bringing up a supporter named "Joe The Plumber," tonight's euphemism for "ordinary people," again trying to subtly portray Obama (and by extension, his supporters) as outside foreigners meddling in the affairs of Joe Six Pack, hockey moms etc. Obama skillfuly addressed Joe The Plumber (JTP) later in the debate and McCain had trouble incorporating it any more in his arguments. (There does happen to be a Joe The Plumber in Amarillo, TX - www.joetheplumber.com - maybe McCain was hoping he could unclog his campaign.) Here are some points that I noted as the debate progressed:

9:03 Why does McCain always write things down before the debate really starts?
9:04 McCain looks uncomfortable
9:09 Obama gets the first laugh of the night for saying that McCain has been watching too many of his own ads
9:11 McCain accuses Obama of "class warfare" without much explanation
9:13 McCain again uses his poor comparison to Ireland re: tax rates
9:17 Schieffer is popping in and out of the frame of the video and it's distracting
9:20 Obama brings up the Bush deficits
9:21 McCain says he's not President Bush; annoyed at Obama bringing up that McCain voted for Bush's budgets
9:23 Obama gets the second laugh for saying even Fox News disputes one of McCain's accusations
9:27 McCain brings up Rep. John Lewis's remarks about the McCain campaign
9:31 more Joe The Plumber references from McCain
9:32 Obama restates his mild repudiation of Rep. Lewis' comments
9:35 Obama staying on track with emphasizing his focus on policy change vs. McCain mudslinging
9:37 Obama clearly and succinctly refutes the allegations against him re: Ayers and ACORN
9:40 McCain refuses to accept Obama's statements
9:44 McCain says Palin's husband is a tough guy too (??!!??) in response to a question about running mates.
9:48 McCain comes across as condescending frequently in these debates as he just did answering a question about energy policy
9:52 McCain takes a jab at Obama saying he never traveled south of the border and he would understand it better if he did. Neither have I so I guess I can't say anything more.
9:53 Obama counters with "I understand it pretty well"
9:56 McCain comparing Obama to Herbert Hoover again
9:58 Obama outlining his health plan
10:00 More Joe The Plumber about health care (it's getting real old by now) claiming Joe will get fined under Obama's health care plan
10:01 Obama addresses Joe personally and says Joe will play no fines as McCain claims; McCain stunned, can't believe it.
10:03 McCain says Joe is rich now. Wishes him congratulations.
10:05 McCain (accidentally?) calls Obama, "Senator Government"
10:09 Schieffer pressing McCain on whether he would appoint a Supreme Court justice who supports abortion rights
10:13 McCain brings up some of Obama's votes about abortion in the Illinois State Senate which Obama has to address - a frequent tactic of McCain. Obama again skillfuly addresses the accusations.
10:16 Last question about education
10:18 Obama outlining his strategies for improving the education system including emphasizing the role of the parents (yay!)
10:19 McCain starts his response with something about civil rights and equal access to schools apparently in relation to charter schools
10:21 Obama says the Bush administration left the money behind with No Child Left Behind
10:27 McCain giddily sneaks in the last response before closing statements emphasizing his support for school vouchers
10:28 McCain - I'm a reformer, you can trust me, I'm in a "long line of McCain's" serving their country.
10:30 Obama - We live with failed policies. We need tax cuts for middle class, health care and better education. "It's not going to be easy, it's not going to be quick ... [but] I'm sure we can do it."

Jazz Programs & Competitions

2008-10-12T23:55:00.004-04:00

I recently applied to a jazz program with a band and found out that we weren't selected which was not entirely unexpected - I had spoken a few weeks ago to a colleague who had won entry into this program in the past and he thought someone was already hand picked for this year's program and mentioned their name. Frustrating but not unexpected. This made me think of the lack of transparency in many jazz competitions and auditions and how who knows who can make the difference between getting opportunities and not. After a certain point, actual talent and creativity frequently seem like secondary factors. Here are some ideas for making competitions fairer:

An anonymous application process. We were required to submit a picture of the band and this just serves to screen people out based on looks - young/old, black/white etc. Even names and addresses should be screened out so that judges don't know who is applying. I don't want someone thinking "D'Andrea from where...North Carolina?! That doesn't sound like anybody I know and they can't be serious if they aren't living in NYC." Only musical talent and other explicitly stated qualifications should be judged.
An anonymous audition behind a screen like in classical auditions. There a very few auditions at all in jazz (which is a topic for another post) and the ones that are around should be anonymous.
Know who the judges are - why are the judges who can make or break the future of a musician a secret? If the panel of judges are from a certain clique, applicants should know ahead of time so that they can decide whether it's worth the effort to apply.
Specific criteria for what the competition is looking for. Not just be a good player but whether the competition is looking for straight-ahead bebop, originals etc. Imagine if the Olympics didn't specify what events there were going to be and only said you'd better be a good athlete - this is currently what many competitions are like. What is the harm in a program saying we're only looking for people who play such-and-such a style?
Subsidize application fees so that a musician can apply for free. I understand that there are overhead costs for processing applications but there is too much temptation for an organization to try and get as many applications as possible just to get more money. Groups holding competitions should get grant funding or advertising revenue to pay for the overhead costs.
Provide feedback to the applicants as to why they weren't selected so that there is evidence that someone actually listened to the recordings and looked at the application. The "you weren't selected, have a nice life" form letter response is not helpful at all. Even a short, honest comment like "we didn't like the feel of the rhythm section" would give the musicians something to work on for next year.
Publish all the applicants' names and provide status reports as to who is getting further along in the competition. Again, sports is a good analogy.
Publish the finalists complete winning performances/qualifications so that other musicians can learn from it.

2nd Presidential Debate

2008-10-07T22:42:00.004-04:00

Overall, the same old stuff, different debate. Obama was too polite with all the jabs and factual liberties that McCain was taking. McCain is starting to sound more desperate but I'm sure he still is appealing to his base. The debate format was too restrictive too with Obama frequently needing to go outside of the time limits to respond to the inaccuracies of McCain's comments and McCain going over with tangents into different topics. Tom Brokaw could be heard on an open mic, after the debate concluded, saying that he was looking "for a trap door I could spring" and "two minutes, one minute, yeah right."

MacArthur Jazz Fellows

2008-09-30T12:31:00.004-04:00

A younger jazz musician, Miguel Zenon, won a MacArthur Fellowship this year aka a "genius grant." The prestigious grant, $500,000 given quarterly over five years, is quite a prize and it comes with no strings attached - the recipient can spend the money however they would like. There is no application process - people are nominated and judged in a secret selection process. Here's a list jazz musicians who have won the award to date:

Ran Blake
Anthony Braxton
Regina Carter
Ornette Coleman
Steve Lacy
George E. Lewis
Max Roach
George Russell
Gunther Schuller
Cecil Taylor
Ken Vandermark
Miguel Zenon
John Zorn

Looking at the list, there is definitely a leaning towards the avant-garde - I wonder what the nominators and judges look for? And who are these secret jazz fans doing the selecting?