From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V9 #345 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Monday, December 8 2003 Volume 09 : Number 345 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Fiery Furnaces [Neile Graham ] e.s.t ["Lyle Howard" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2003 14:07:19 -0800 From: Neile Graham Subject: Re: Fiery Furnaces Michael Curry wrote: > Thanks for the links! I used the RA ones, and they played just >fine. Now I find myself....frightened. But in that odd sort of >Marianne Nowottny way, which means I should probably buy the album. >*grin* Yes, that makes sense. They're weird in a different vector, though, and make me want to dance. - --Neile - -- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neile Graham .... neile@sff.net/@drizzle.com ... www.sff.net/people/neile Les Semaines: A Weekly Journal ........ www.sff.net/people/neile/semaines Editor, The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music ........... www.ectoguide.org Workshop Administrator, Clarion West ................ www.clarionwest.org ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 00:56:09 +0000 From: "Lyle Howard" Subject: e.s.t Howdy, I will happily elaborate on the e.s.t album, _Somewhere Else Before_. e.s.t. is pianist Esbjorn Svenson, bassist Dan Berglund, and drummer Magnus Ostrom. I first heard these guys when the local jazz station played "Dodge the Dodo." I was struck by the unrelenting funk drumming of the song. It sounded like the Tower of Power drummer, whacking every drum he could reach. On top of that was a piano ostinato in the upper bass range, with an insistent piano theme thrown in when the pianist got tired of playing the bass pattern. The bass player came in bowing his bass, playing in the upper range of the bass. The whole song is quite memorable. That is one thing I look for in jazz, a theme I can get my mind around. I suppose I have a folk-song approach to jazz. I like a compact song with a repeating theme. The thing I like about the trio is how they integrate electronics into jazz. They do sound like a traditional jazz trio, but also highlight parts of their music with electronic keyboards and (I think) loops. The electronic layering doesn't involve a wailing synthesized brass tone ripping off a solo. More, the electronics supplement the piano: a brief organ line will come in and join the piano line or a subtle countermelody on a synth will come in. One trick I like is their use of a doppler-shifted/phased cymbal sound. I assume it is effected cymbal, but it could well be an FM cymbal sound pitch-shifted using MIDI. Vocoder pops up on one song. The drummer doesn't spend a lot of time playing traditional jazz drums: emphasis on keeping time with hi hat and swinging ride cymbal. He is more of a rock drummer, using bass drum and snare to move the song instead of cymbals. He does, though, love to do long rolls on his cymbals using mallets. On "The Face of Love," tablas, bowed bass, and an eastern-flavored scale provide a change from the impressionism of the other songs. On "The Wraith" a drum and bass loop (subtle, not overly obnoxious) ticks along until at one point the drummer joins in imitating a drum and bass loop. I don't know how a drummer is able to keep that kind energy going for more than a few seconds. The band as a whole is not overly hyper, though what I have just written may make you think that. For the most part the music is quiet and impressionistic, with bursts of energy to keep the listener from going to sleep. Though, the sounds makes fine drifting-off-to-sleep music. I just looked at Amazon to see what reviewers said about e.s.t. Bill Evans gets mentioned frequently. One guy said the music is not jazz but is good nonetheless. After listening to New Orleans jazz, big band jazz, Jerry Hahn, Chet Atkins, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Monk, numberless jazz guitarists, Dave Brubeck, etc., I wonder what jazz is anyway. I think it is not-rock and not-classical, preferably with a little swing to it. So that gives people plenty of room to jam whatever they want to in the jazz category. I suppose I don't like categories anyway. The album is full of good songs. If you have jazz leanings at least listen to the samples on Amazon and decide what you think. There is an article in the current Harper's about Clear Channel trying to take over the music in local venues. I can't see that happening around here, but you never know. Bye, Lyle _________________________________________________________________ Get holiday tips for festive fun. http://special.msn.com/network/happyholidays.armx ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V9 #345 **************************