At a time when the Supreme Court has lost all claims to legitimacy and respect, and the Republican Party has essentially become a criminal organization, it feels like we have lost our way. But musicians still provide us with that needed and desired dose of humanity. Here are brief notes on a few new jazz releases you might want to check out.
The album opens with “Supersonic-25,” which has a bit of a Doors vibe as it begins, making me think of “Moonlight Drive.” Partly it’s the songs opening lines, and the way they’re delivered: “Let’s ride a zephyr to the/Castle in the sky/Let’s smoke pink ether in/Syncopated time.” This song’s lyrics also contain a reference to Rimbaud’s A Season In Hell, and the song has a cool psychedelic vibe. It’s been quite a while since I’ve dropped acid, but these days some of the edibles that are available take me to similar places and states. Erik Garcia urges us at the end, repeating, “Take supersonic-25.” That’s followed by “Quicksilver Thoughts.” The song’s title and first line bring to mind another psychedelic band, Quicksilver Messenger Service (I love those old concert posters of The Quick and The Dead). Check out this line: “Ripped up from the roots for a harlot’s honest bed.” Erik Garcia creates some interesting and unusual images. And John McDuffie’s pedal steel work is excellent here. This track features some cool, trippy guitar work in the middle.
On “Sunshine State,” guitarist Paul Lacques plays lap steel, Jason Chesney (from First National Band and Old Californio) is on bass, and Rob Waller and Debra Tala provide backing vocals. And don’t worry, I don’t think this song has anything to do with Florida, but rather a state of mind. It has a relaxed pace and vibe. This is the track on which Erik Garcia plays dobro acoustic guitar. Check out these lyrics: “And I know what you expected/Is more than you’ve achieved/But life is like a fire/Cracklin’ in your heart/You’re gonna have to struggle/To light what’s in the dark.” How are those for some true lyrics? Jason Chesney also plays bass on “Blue Skies.” These lines surprised me, and they are delivered with a sort of howl that is effective: “I want to see you full of lust again, again/I want to pin you down in the forest again, again/For my blood is wild as the wild geese in the west, in the west/For my head is full of confusion and unrest, unrest.” And that line about “wild geese in the west” of course makes me think of “I Know You Rider.”
Then Erik Garcia gives us “Trip At The Zoo.” Not a trip to the zoo, but a trip at a zoo. For me, that would probably not be a good trip, for I would feel compelled to free all the animals. But the song is a lot of fun. It’s a lively number, featuring a groovy bass line by Paul Marshall and some delicious work on organ from Carl Byron. On this one, Paul Lacques plays 12-string electric guitar, delivering some wonderful work. That’s followed by “Lost Illusion Canyon,” with Rob Waller providing backing vocal work on the song’s chorus: “Echo back the wavy trap/To Lost Illusion Canyon/To Lost Illusion Canyon,” and on the line “The bears march over seeds,” a line that calls to mind an image associated with the Grateful Dead (we all call them dancing bears, but originally they were seen as marching bears). This track has a great laid-back feel, and features more great stuff on pedal steel. Erik Garcia includes a sort of spoken word section in the middle.
“You Got To Love One Another” is a sweet country number that has a bit of a Neil Young vibe in the vocal work. “The fireplace roared while the band played/We called each other sweetheart and then we kissed/Our apparitions from the foggy white mist/You got to love all your virtues/You got to love all your sins/You got to love everything that you’ve been.” This track includes some wonderfully expressive work on pedal steel, plus some really nice stuff by Carl Byron on piano. That’s followed by “Hippie Girl, Hippie Wave.” What is this, a psychedelic country surf song? You bet! And it contains some of the lingo, heard in lines like “And she is wild as the surf/Shootin’ the curl, startin’ to swerve.” I particularly dig the drum work on this track. Then in “One Fine Day,” a great, laid-back country sound is established at the beginning, and a Neil Young influence can be heard in the vocal delivery at times. And of course there is something tremendously appealing in these lines: “I’ll drink your kerosene/But not your poison fear/I’m a rebel at heart/And we’re outlasting everything.”
D.B. Cooper was the name given to a man who hijacked an airplane in 1971, escaped with a parachute, and was never caught or even identified. It’s kind of a crazy story, and Erik Garcia’s “D.B. Cooper’s Letter” is told from that man’s perspective. “And that’s all I want forever/That’s what I decided and then I leaped/That’s my deserving/And that’s what’s owed to me from life/I’ll bid you goodbye so gracefully.” This track features some good work on organ and electric guitar. That’s followed by the album’s title track, “Interstellar Ascension,” a song with a strong, prominent rhythm. I love plays with language, and Erik Garcia does a bit of that here, combining two lines, two thoughts: “I’m coming in/Terstellar ascension.” There is a surprising spoken word section early in the song: “We are reaching the earth now/And we’ve brought psychedelic treats/Let our advancements be revealed/And let the cannibals die.” There is a second spoken work section a little later. This song also mentions Timothy Leary and his “Turn on, tune in and drop out” phrase. The album then concludes with “I Am Going To The Lordy, Hallelujah,” which begins with more of a folk vibe, with some nice work on harmonica. It then kicks in on the chorus, when it has more of a rock feel. And check out these lyrics: “Well, in the frames of the museums/I’ll be a shy, reclusive figure/My spirit in gleaming glass/Full of brilliant, fearless splendor.”
CD Track List
Interstellar Ascension was released on March 20, 2023. A second album is in the works.
At 9:08 p.m., James McMurtry and his band – Tim Holt on guitar, Cornbread on bass, and Daren Hess on drums – took the stage. “How ya doing?” James said. “Good to see you.” And then they got right into the music, opening the show with “Fuller Brush Man,” a funky and fun number from his Where’d You Hide The Body album. The band jammed at the end of it, then followed that with “Childish Things,” the title track from his 2005 release. At the end of the song, the blue lights at the back of the stage flickered as if applauding, as they had done during BettySoo’s set, which seemed rather silly, even a bit disconcerting. And after “Copper Canteen,” when it happened again, James McMurtry said, “Maybe no flashy flash with the lights,” reminding the lighting guy that they weren’t the youngest of folks up on stage (or in the audience either, for that matter). And that put an end to that, and the focus was back on the music. Tim Holt had switched from guitar to accordion for “Copper Canteen,” then went back to guitar for “Canola Fields,” which followed. “Canola Fields” is a song from James McMurtry’s latest release, 2021’s The Horses And The Hounds. McMurtry focused on music from this album, choosing to play a total of seven of its ten tracks last night.
In introducing “Choctaw Bingo,” James McMurtry joked, “We will now do a medley of our hit.” And someone shouted out, “Where’s your dress?” Back in May, James McMurtry protested Tennessee’s ridiculous anti-drag law by performing in a dress in Nashville. There was no need to make any such statements in southern California, of course, and McMurtry was wearing his customary hat and shirt. But that guy’s comment got me to wondering if people have been making such remarks at all his tour stops since May. I hope he doesn’t regret doing it because of such comments. “Choctaw Bingo” is a fun number, and the crowd became excited the moment the band started it. Afterward, the band left the stage so that James could perform “Blackberry Winter” solo. This was one of the highlights of the set. Not only did he play it on acoustic guitar, but unplugged and without a vocal microphone. He stepped to the edge of the stage and just played, completely quieting the audience, drawing everyone in. “Blackberry Winter” is a song from The Horses And The Hounds. When the band came back on stage after that song, James McMurtry took the opportunity to introduce them. They then played another three songs from the latest album: “Jackie,” “If It Don’t Bleed” and “Operation Never Mind.”
Tim Holt switched to accordion again for “You Got Me,” a sweet-sounding tune from 2015’s Complicated Game. That was followed by “Vaquero,” with Tim Holt again on accordion, and then “No More Buffalo,” which is from the 1997 album It Had To Happen. “Ft. Walton Wake-Up Call,” one of my favorite tracks from The Horses And The Hounds, was another of the set’s highlights, with Tim Holt delivering some great work on electric guitar. And likely most folks in the audience could relate to these lines: “But what’s really getting to me is I keep losing my glasses/I keep losing my glasses/I keep losing my glasses.” That was followed by “Levelland,” another crowd-pleaser, the audience recognizing it the moment he started it. After thanking the crowd, and reminding people to tip the servers, James McMurtry wrapped up the set with “Too Long In The Wasteland,” the title track from his 1989 debut. The band rocked this one, making it a strong finish to a great set. The encore was “These Things I’ve Come To Know,” which James performed solo, this time plugged in and using a vocal microphone. It was an effective way of drawing everyone in before letting them go. The show ended at 10:47 p.m.
Set List
Encore
Here are a few photos from the show:
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| BettySoo |
Saint Rocke is located at 142 Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach, California.
On the CD, the poems are presented in a different order from that in the book, and the disc opens with “Ah, New York,” one of my favorites from the fifth chapter. The track begins with the sounds of the city before the musicians come in, the song having a totally groovy jazzy rhythm and attitude, which is perfect. As I read the book, the rhythm for many of the poems felt like jazz to me. And Scottie Miller delivers some delicious work on piano. “Blow your horn, move your mime,/paint your face, bring your shoes to shine.” Here and there, there are minor changes from the book. For example, in the book, that line is “paint your face, bring shoes to shine.” The track ends as it began, with the sounds of the city. That’s followed by “Whiskey, Coffee,” a poem from the book’s first chapter. This is a somewhat mellower, contemplative piece, and it is one of the poems to mention Boston, making me a bit homesick. “Sewer gas in rising steam/carried through/Harvard Square.” Now that is an image to transport me there.
“Berklee” obviously is also about Boston, specifically the Berklee College of Music, and it features a delightful rhythm. Again, jazz is what I heard in my head while I read this poem, and this track features an instrumental section at the beginning to set the mood. This is the one I felt compelled to read to my girlfriend over the phone, as she’s from East Boston. Ah, but my delivery was nothing compared to the delightful rhythm and energy of Scottie Miller’s delivery here, so I’ll have to play this track for her soon. “Ghosts left there lingering/bewildered/in those studious clouds of education/that hover/in the November rains/of Boston.” Oh, yes! The disc then moves back to the fifth chapter for “Adrenalina.” Most of the poems that Scottie Miller chose to include on this album come from the first and fifth chapters of the book. This one has a different vibe, with a funky, fun sound. I dig that bass. For this one, he adds the line “Yeah, Adrenalina, yeah” and other vocal riffing. “I can’t control these highs and my depression’s gettin’ stronger.” Perhaps, but he is grooving here, and it doesn’t seem like depression is getting in the way too much.
Scottie Miller then goes back to the first chapter, and actually the poem that opens the book, “Walking On Eggs.” This one features a cool approach, the lines delivered as spoken word, with some work on piano that feels improvised, giving the piece an honest, intimate feel. Then from the book’s fifth chapter comes another cool track, “I Wake To Many Melodies,” its vibe calling to mind some of Tom Waits’ work. I mentioned in my review of the book that many of the poems deal in one way or another with music, and this is clearly one of those. It features some gorgeous work on strings. I also love this track’s rhythm. Also from that fifth chapter comes “Bleecker Street,” this one having a more somber and pretty opening on piano. Then as the strings come in, it becomes a dance, which is wonderful. “Sober and clear as an ice shelf adrift/letting it go, now I’m breathing a gift.”
“How Can The Poor Man Ever Win?” is the first track on the album to not come from either the book’s first or fifth chapter; it comes from the third. This one has a soulful sound and approach, with a beautiful vocal performance supported by some warm work on piano. That’s followed by “A Better Way To Cope,” with a sound so positive and promising as he delivers the first line, “There is magic floating through the air tonight.” Oh yes, you can feel it, perhaps, for a moment, but there is a certain melancholy here and a struggle that soon make themselves known and felt. The strings add a gorgeous element. “Truth and justice/are knocking at the door./As the day comes to a close,/there is the hope of something more.” This is one of my favorite tracks. Then “The Gritty Border” has a totally cool sound. Scottie Miller digs into this one vocally at moment, and delivers some delicious work on keys, particularly during that instrumental section in the middle, making this another of the disc’s highlights. “Space Heaters And Cocoa” has a playful vibe, which I love.
“Lowry Avenue Bridge” has an interesting sound as it begins, the piano having a sort of eerie feel, like a ghost, like a memory. The sound then becomes warmer as it goes deeper. “1800 Chicago Avenue” is delivered as spoken word, and features a nice groove. There is a bit of “Auld Lang Syne” delivered on piano toward the end when he says, “Global New Year’s resolutions put off once again.” That’s followed by “Stay.” Scottie Miller plays keyboards for Ruthie Foster on tour, and on this track she joins him on vocals. This one has more of a modern rhythm and blues vibe, with some of the lyrics delivered sort of as rap. And of course, Ruthie Foster gives a strong performance. As I mentioned earlier, there are some minor changes as the poems become songs. Here the line “Too much time in your hands” in the book becomes “Too much time in your own hands.”
“Conjunction” is one of only two poems from the book’s second section to be chosen for inclusion here, and interestingly, it is delivered a cappella. So basically this one is a poetry reading rather than a song, and that, not surprisingly, works well. It is followed by “There Will Be A Raining On My Heart,” one of only two poems from the fourth chapter, this one featuring some good work on strings and some moving work on piano. Scottie Miller’s delivery is loving and gentle, growing in power toward the end. Then “Yin And Yang” comes from the book’s third chapter. It is delivered as basically spoken word, with some beautiful and powerful work on piano supporting that vocal performance. “The only difference in you or me is a restless ancient melody.” Also from that third section comes “Minstrel, Monster, Alchemist.” I love the work on strings here, gorgeous and compelling. This track also features one of the disc’s best and most interesting vocal performances, and is another of my personal favorites. In “Silver Sky,” I especially like Scottie Miller’s delivery of “Too many of my nerves been broken,” and the way he repeats it here, which is different from the book.
“Division” is one of the poems that stood out for me when I read the book, and here it is delivered simply, honestly, his vocals supported by just piano, without any instrumental sections added, so it is one of the shortest tracks of the album. Then “China In Paris” has a rather mellow, soothing approach, growing as the strings enter. That’s followed by “Beggar, Banker, Fisherman Pay,” which begins with a pretty folk sound on the strings. “All are welcome and free to stay,/not one left out on this cold night – /beggar, banker, fisherman pay,/no mind their purse albeit light.” Those are wonderful closing lines, and this track leaves you feeling good. The book ends with “24 Hours In Mexico,” and so does the CD. There is a playful aspect to this track that is delightful, in the way he delivers certain lines, and how he demonstrates the clapping that is mentioned in the lyrics. In this one he recounts a tale, while the musicians groove. I love the way Scottie Miller varies his delivery of lines throughout the track.
CD Track List
Carnival Cocoon was released on September 15, 2022.
