Hot Ptah Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) This album has received some positive reviews, and the reviewers tend to focus on the fun quality of the music as well as its substance. Saxophonist Jon Irabagon just won the Thelonious Monk competition. Has anyone heard this album, and what are your reactions? Edited January 21, 2009 by Hot Ptah Quote
BruceH Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 Does it have anything to do with cows? Quote
papsrus Posted January 21, 2009 Report Posted January 21, 2009 (edited) I'm listening to it now, prompted by your post. I'd ordered it a couple of weeks ago and gave it a few spins straight out of the mailbox, but hadn't revisited it again until now. It's kind of free jazz party music. Swings like mad sometimes, and then it'll turn on a dime and head off down some rabbit hole full-throttle. They'll take the head and play it fairly straight, then spend the next five minutes tearing the framework of the music completely apart in a very excessive but gleeful way. They can crank it up and then take it way down low really fast, too. Lotta changes in tempo, intensity, volume, etc., that come at you suddenly. There's a little bit of Reptet in these guys for sure, but they're maybe a little more apt to take the music as far "outside" as it'll go, and just deconstruct the hell out of it to the point of being farcical -- but it works cause everybody's in on the joke. There's sort of a carnival flavor to the whole proceedings, like some free jazz minstrel show. Brassy and ballsy. It's what music would be if it were jumping out of bed an hour late -- half asleep but wide awake -- running to get dressed with a cup cold coffee in one hand and shirt tail hanging out and shaving cream behind the ears and hopping up and down on one foot while putting on a shoe while the kids run around in circles and the dog escapes out the front door then ... bam! ... suddenly it's the quiet of the car ride to work. ... Like that. Oh yeah, the album winds up with a fairly straight ahead version of Allentown. Everything about the album has something to do with Pennsylvania, apparently. I think the song titles use names for Pennsylvania towns. I guess they're from Pennsylvania. Edited January 22, 2009 by papsrus Quote
Guest Bill Barton Posted January 22, 2009 Report Posted January 22, 2009 That's a great description of this music, papsrus! Anybody here ever been to Moosic? Or maybe even live in Moosic? I agree that the CD is worth checking out. Quote
jlhoots Posted January 22, 2009 Report Posted January 22, 2009 (edited) This album has received some positive reviews, and the reviewers tend to focus on the fun quality of the music as well as its substance. Saxophonist Jon Irabagon just won the Thelonious Monk competition. Has anyone heard this album, and what are your reactions? I answered you over at "that other place". I would add to this thread that their earlier CD, Shamokin', is also very good. Edited January 22, 2009 by jlhoots Quote
seeline Posted January 22, 2009 Report Posted January 22, 2009 Anybody here ever been to Moosic? Or maybe even live in Moosic? I've driven past it. Quote
ep1str0phy Posted January 22, 2009 Report Posted January 22, 2009 I'll want to check this out, as I'm familiar and have been impressed by a couple of the principals. The Irabagon I've heard certainly does sound like "free jazz party music". Quote
JSngry Posted January 22, 2009 Report Posted January 22, 2009 That Ornette cover is all the rage these days... From 2007: Quote
BruceH Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 I remember seeing that Ornette cover reproduced on an Etch-A-Sketch. Quote
JSngry Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 If you could post a copy of that, I'd be much appreciateful! Quote
Jazzmoose Posted January 23, 2009 Report Posted January 23, 2009 Anybody here ever been to Moosic? Or maybe even live in Moosic? Heck, I'm ready to move; sounds like a cool place! Quote
Hoppy T. Frog Posted January 24, 2009 Report Posted January 24, 2009 Peter Evans was the name that grabbed me. I like his solo "More and More" and the Trio record on Firehouse 12. Quote
seeline Posted January 24, 2009 Report Posted January 24, 2009 Anybody here ever been to Moosic? Or maybe even live in Moosic? Heck, I'm ready to move; sounds like a cool place! Well, it's a small town in the mountains of NE Pennsylvania - not exactly prime jazz territory. Since I'm from PA, too, I love the way Elliot and his band are using small-town names for a lot of their pieces, but that doesn't make the places "cool" by default. Quote
7/4 Posted January 25, 2009 Report Posted January 25, 2009 Maybe I'll check 'em out when there's a Moosic box. dB Quote
papsrus Posted January 25, 2009 Report Posted January 25, 2009 Maybe I'll check 'em out when there's a Moosic box. dB Quote
Guest Bill Barton Posted January 25, 2009 Report Posted January 25, 2009 Anybody here ever been to Moosic? Or maybe even live in Moosic? Heck, I'm ready to move; sounds like a cool place! Well, it's a small town in the mountains of NE Pennsylvania - not exactly prime jazz territory. Since I'm from PA, too, I love the way Elliot and his band are using small-town names for a lot of their pieces, but that doesn't make the places "cool" by default. Hmmm... Maybe some of our Pacific Northwest musicians could come up with a few good track titles that way. Let's see, there's Index and Concrete for starters, two of the oddest names for towns that I've ever heard. Index is a very beautiful place, by the way. Quote
seeline Posted January 25, 2009 Report Posted January 25, 2009 I like that idea - nifty names, too! (Index especially.) Quote
Jazzmoose Posted January 25, 2009 Report Posted January 25, 2009 Maybe I'll check 'em out when there's a Moosic box. You'll burn for that one... Quote
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