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May 30, 2014

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog Wowed PDX

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog pulled into Portland Tuesday night with one of the best sets I have seen in awhile. Ribot, along with Ches Smith (drums/electronics), and Shahzad Ismaily (bass/percussion/moog), displayed an amalgamation of genre bending sounds.  The trio's songbook flowed seamlessly from free improv, to punk, to math rock, to free-jazz(ish) in front of a packed house at the renowned Mississippi Studios












Even in unfamiliar territory, familiarity was found within a punk-fusion variation of Paul Desmond's Take 5; offering glossy licks and cool jazz scales over a turbulent free-punk mash.  Ribot switched gears by singing on a handful of numbers. His singer-songwriter persona brought a certain cynicism into the equation which was evident in songs like "Masters of the Internet."

Ceramic Dog's performance kept the crowd looking around the corner to see what was coming. Altogether a bitches brew containing Smith's melodic, mathy drumming, Ismaily's noisy, improvised base lines, and at the helm Ribot's thrashy, amplified guitar chops.
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You can check out Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog's latest studio album, Your Turn, at Northern Spy a Records.

May 26, 2014

PDX Show Announcement: Ceramic Dog with 1939 Ensemble

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog , a noise/avant-garde/free-punk outfit, will be playing at Mississippi Studios Tuesday night , 5/27/14.

Portland's ethereal vibe/drums duo, 1939 Ensemble, will be kicking things off at 8pm.

GIG INFO:
Ceramic Dog
05/27/14
Doors: 7pm, Show: 8pm
Mississippi Studios
3939 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227






May 22, 2014

Tabor Space is the Place

Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Sun Ra's arrival on the planet Terra...  Tomorrow Tabor Space is the place...

From the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble:
The PJCE celebrates Sun Ra with new pieces by George Colligan, Ken Ollis and Galen Clark.

6:30 — Meet the Composers, Appetizers and Silent Auction

7:30 — Concert

Tabor Space, 5441 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97215

$5-60 Sliding scale donation. (All donations above $10 are tax deductible.)




... Be there or be square.

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

May 17, 2014

New York Is Now!




I'm just off off the heels of visiting friends & family in New York.  Lingering on our time spent there I've been dialed into Ornette's 1968 Blue Note masterpiece, New York Is Now!

The Garden of Souls by Ornette Coleman on Grooveshark

Although I haven't posted about this album, I'm probably the most familiar with it from Coleman's large discography.  It's simple, well stated, and prominant in its presence.   Since this session is backed by Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison, a unique back drop is created for Coleman to work within.  

In typical Blue Note fashion this album swings, swings, and swings some more.  I love Jone's heavier use of the kick drum here.  It anchors the group with pops and flutters behind Coleman's melodic playing.  And Dewey Redman's presence is a welcomed contrast to Coleman's concepts.

New York Is Now! is a must listen for fans of Coleman, Coltrane's Classic Quartet, and post-bop.   It warrants re-listens, and appears to fit in the background of most situations.  

It's a small drop in Ornette's Large discography, and along with its sister release, Love Call, stands out from anything else he's released.