Well, that was fun. Our fundraiser print sale was a big success, and both Peter and I are pleased and grateful and convey our thanks to everyone. All three photographs sold well, "Havana" the best.
I'm going to take the day off, for one reason because I say I always take Saturdays off, even though I seldom do, and another being that I'm sick as a dog. (And lazy as a dog, and I want a dog's life, and I don't want to work like a dog. Why do we pick on dogs like that in our expressions?) I have stomach flu. Which is not flu, I hear, but don't blame me—I am not in charge.
Music to whose ears?
But before I go, music notes. For your Saturday delectation, a beautiful little video explaining why Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica from 1969 is so good:
The tagline is "Why this awful sounding album is a masterpiece," which I think is funny.
For a followup to the first video, Bob B. suggested another minute and forty-five seconds of Captain Beefheart.
I love that channel—Vox Earworm, I mean. Their video about the Coltrane Changes is great—finally I understand why that very famous Coltrane song, and album, is called "Giant Steps."
Mike
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Hey MIke - get well, but take it from me as someone who has felt a certain connection with your own struggles - just eat normal balanced diet....
Posted by: Richard Tugwell | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 02:04 PM
Go easy on the Imodium, Mike. I took that once in my life and swore I'd only ever take it again in the most dire emergency.
Posted by: Tom | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 02:06 PM
Yep. She's good, hm? I also loved and wrote about this one: https://wolfgang.lonien.de/2018/11/music-photography-design/
Posted by: Wolfgang Lonien | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 02:50 PM
Forgot to say: get better soon, Mike!
Posted by: Wolfgang Lonien | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 03:13 PM
Trout Mask Replica album cover photo by Ed Caraeff (additional photo credit to Cal Schenkel). “Chef” Eddie had a healthy restaurant in Santa Monica until recently, but has a boatload of credits in R&R album world. Including iconic infrared “Hot Rats” cover for Zappa. He hit it young, making iconic snap of Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire at Monterey. He was 17, I think had but a single roll of film, but one of the old pros backstage with him suggested he always keep an exposure or 2 in reserve, “cause you never know what’s going to happen.” As I recall, he said he had just one left for the end of the show, but was ready when Jimi set his guitar fire.
Posted by: Eric Peterson | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 03:16 PM
Hi Mike,
Music photography is one of my hobbies, but my main interest (in this area) these days is the evolution and emergence of new genres.
For instance, apropos of your post, the movement of certain jazz towards a more rock-like sound (without sounding on the beat).
Good examples of this are I think "Sons of Kemet" from Shabaka Hutchings (more jazzy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmN3vFIukk4 )) (e.g. and Shining (Norway) for more rocky/metally informed jazz (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGwBp7Yr0Oo )
This seems to be something that is happening in more places, with even more heavy bands in the "new wave of Dutch heavy jazz" for instance. (Dead Neanderthals, Cactus Truck, etc.).
In any case, maybe people find this interesting.
Posted by: Herman | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 04:12 PM
Just have boiled rice for a day or two. It settles like concrete, which kinda balances life out, in a way.
Don't go for walks until you've had the rice.
:-)
Posted by: Rob Campbell | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 04:48 PM
Here is a music channel on youtube that I have enjoyed
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnkp4xDOwqqJD7sSM3xdUiQ
Posted by: psu | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 05:19 PM
Hah. Did not even watch the video to realize that Mr. Neely is in it. Ah well. His other stuff is good too.
Posted by: psu | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 05:20 PM
In 1969, I bought that Captain Beefheart album. I don't think I ever listened to the whole thing. No matter what condition I was in at the time.
Posted by: Dogman | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 06:29 PM
It's a dog eat doggerel world out there.
My first job as a photo assistant in 1978 was working with Larry Williams doing a portrait of Captain Beefheart. My instructions were "Talk to Don. Agree with him." We were in the writer's apartment on eleventh street across from "the house that blew up" as everyone called it. We had what seemed at the time to be the most extreme free association riff on politics, the effect of the earth's magnetic field on the human body, Dustin Hoffman's proximity to the explosion, and always wanting to know if he was facing North when the flash went off.
Something of a character to say the least.
Posted by: hugh crawford | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 09:34 PM
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band live in concert (February, 1971) was one of the greatest musical eperiences I've ever had. They could play that crazy music live, perfectly, with inspiration.
The opening act (Ry Cooder) wasn't too shabby either.
Posted by: Stephen Cowdery | Saturday, 01 December 2018 at 11:05 PM
Stealing a quote from somewhere else: Beefheart's music is better than it sounds.
Posted by: Bourquek | Sunday, 02 December 2018 at 11:55 AM
Thanks for linking the video on Giant Steps. That was like music to my ears.
Posted by: Sergio Bartelsman | Sunday, 02 December 2018 at 06:42 PM
I have enjoyed "Giant Steps" for many, many years, and had a vague sense of the musical foundations, but the Earworm video explained it nicely. As an engineer, by training and by nature, I like knowing how it works.
But, I would almost rather not know all the details. I'm afraid it would lose some of the magic that make my monkeybone move subconsciously and uncontrollably.
Like your sample Koudelka photo, it's fascinating, but as soon as you analyze the angles and spaces and light and shadows, the magic goes away.
At least for me, since I will never be a musical composer or a photographic master (except rarely, through subconscious luck), I'd rather leave the magic alone.
Posted by: Luke | Sunday, 02 December 2018 at 08:34 PM
Mike,
Thanks for the heads-up on Vox Earworm. Really enjoyed the episode on Giant Steps, even though the music theory was over my head.
Posted by: Mike Potter | Monday, 03 December 2018 at 11:52 PM