ON A WINTER'S DAY: A LITTLE NEWS AND A LOT OF OTHER STUFF

Having just watched the Industrial Jazz Group's video of their tune Jazz-Pop Jerkoff, the music of which is taken from a gig in Yakima in September of 2008, according to Andrew Durkin IJG's musical director. The video is taken from several locations, including Mizz Pizz.

Andrew says: …featuring Cory Wright, Lee Elderton, Evan Francis, Ward Baxter, Mary-Sue Tobin, Mieke Bruggeman (reeds); Dan Rosenboom, Steph Richards, Ian Carroll, Nelson Bell (brass); Dan Schnelle, Oliver Newell (rhythm section); Jill Knapp, Tany Ling (vox), and me (compositions and scowling).

Watch it:

He adds: What is a "jazz-pop jerkoff"? Beats me. I suppose it's a metaphor for the inevitable intersection of the "art music" and "music industry" worlds. None of us is immune to this intersection, really -- even of the most "serious" (i.e., thoughtful, committed, talented) musicians still have to deal with the whole publicity / marketing / business side of things. That's such a common observation these days (not so much when I was growing up) that it hardly bears repeating. But that doesn't make the situation any less absurd. And we all know how I love absurdity.

We know. Btw….that's my buddy Spud Berry crossing in front of the camera…one of many crossing in front of the cam… a great touch.

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NOT EVERYBODY THINKS THE JAZZ FESTIVAL IS SO HOT

Not the music, but how it's run. I received a very disturbing email from a very prominent Portland musician blasting Bill Royston and how he runs the Portland Jazz Festival. I'm gonna sit on it for another week and find out some stuff.

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PAUL DELAY MEMORIAL MOVES ACROSS THE RIVER

This year's Paul deLay Memorial show is moving from the Portland Art Museum to the Aladdin. It'll be on Sunday, April 5 and will be a benefit for a music scholarship at Ethos in Paul's name. David Vest, Paul's last piano player has been on a Sun Ra binge lately and combined with some solo jazz piano recordings he made when he was living in Houston. He's been talking about playing with some horns at the April show.

Here's one of those Houston tunes, Streetcars of New Orleans:



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SF BLUES FESTIVAL DIES

As the economy crumbles, so does our culture. The San Francisco Blues Festival has shut its doors. Known as the country's oldest blues festival, it goes away after 36 years.

“The combination of rising production costs and lack of sponsorship support leaves me no choice but to cancel this year’s show,” said founder Tom Mazzolini, who has also been the show’s sole producer since the first festival in 1973. “I’m sad to say this, but we may well have seen the last San Francisco Blues Festival.”

Makes you fearful for festivals everywhere. There's one here (not the Waterfront Blues Festival) which is in the process of deciding whether or not to continue to operate. I'll let you know when I can release that info.

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MIZ KITTY…CATNIP FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOOFY ENTERTAINMENT

That's a compliment.

Her monthly Miz Kitty's Parlor is going strong at the Mission Theater and will present another evening of Vaudeville and fake eyelashes on Saturday, Feb 21. Here's the lineup:

BLAIR ST. MUGWUMPS: Vintage Raggity Blues!

BRITTANY: Amazing & Graceful Contortionist!

CARAVAN GOGH: Swing, Funk, Jazz & Mysterioso!

MALDON MEEHAN & FRIENDS: High Steppin' Irish Dancers with Live Music!

JAMES CLEM: Fingerstyle Blues, Sure to Please!

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ATONING IN THE CREEK

Artist/musician Ron Rogers' roots rock band, the Atonements, are playing at Rock Creek Friday, Feb 20th, 9 to 12.

If you never saw my story on Ron and his art, see it now:



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OLD, OLD NOAH

Noah Mickens, who I dubbed The Impressario of the Avant-Garde a few years ago, is turning THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OLD this week. Please help him across the street when you see him, and try to make it to the Fez on Sunday night for his Birthday Dance Party featuring several DJ's but, according to the aging man with the Top Hat, no bands, no art, no circus.

It's free. You must read what may be an excerpt from his forthcoming autobiography, but also serves as part of the media release for the event:

Embroiled since well before puberty in an arcane series of creative and criminal enterprises, Mickens has achieved numerous overlapping degrees and qualities of notoriety in various cities throughout the Union, leading to an internally-contradictory body of verbal mythology that has considerably outgrown the vessel of its origins. Nevertheless, the meat-and-bone entity known as Noah Mickens continues to this minute upon the labrynthine Work which drives his steps through all perplexity and disenchantment.

As he stumbled close to his 35th year of being, Mickens spontaneously came to detest the trappings of so-called "art" and "music" that had defined his being since the earliest memories left to him, and chose to celebrate the occasion by hosting a crazed dance party at his favorite nightclub and inviting everyone and their 18-year-old intern to attend for free.

Get with it, pussies.

You are instructed to dress cool.

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ISAAC SCOTT POTHUSMAS BLUES CD RELEASE AND MARDI GRAS PARTY

Norman Sylvester's good friend, the late Isaac Scott, known as "King of Seattle Blues," died a while ago but his new album is having a Portland release on Friday, Feb 20 at Trail's End Saloon, a great dive in Oregon City. Norman's band plus the Robbie Laws Band with Charlene Grant from Scott's band will play. Any place Mr. S is on Mardi Gras weekend is a good place to be.

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THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MUSIC BUT……

If you weren't offended by the new HBO series Eastbound & Down, you're not trying. In an upcoming episode, Ashley Schaeffer, the Will Ferrell character will do his own TV car commercial.

Ashley Schaeffer Motors Commercial - watch more funny videos

This reminded me of my own vile piece of work. The filthiest car commercial ever written (I'm proud to say). DO NOT PLAY THIS AROUND THOSE WITH TENDER EARS!!! You've been warned.
I had taken a job at an ad agency that specialized in screaming car commercials and after about 10 days, had mastered the art. I don't know what took me so long but I guess I was in shock. Anyway, we had a recording session to make some spots for a St. Louis dealership. I thought, You want an aggressive car commercial? I'll give you an aggressive car commercial.

Hence:



I warned you.

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Listen to my KMHD show on Saturday nights 10pm-2am. Jazz till 12 and then The Bar opens at Midnight!

You can hear my political talk show, "D'Antoni & Levine" with DC-based reporter Art Levine live on Thursdays at 2:30pm PT and then archived thereafter. Listen here.