tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14369343989064802192023-11-15T22:06:59.665-08:00Goings on @ Urban Nerds...Various items about bassist Daren Burns and Urban Nerds Records. Including: Practice Tips, listening lists, project creation, and more.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-27716453668634422312012-02-23T13:43:00.008-08:002012-02-23T13:52:13.886-08:00Pre-order The New Urban Nerds Release, "Fear Is Not The Natural State Of Civilized People"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub_ymYNMgfnyZnw-GG_v9NF1tejOGiHWvMB60Hw5gYvNaDxh4fi5_GyYmdj_gVJ9bmH6p-Z-vtFYNGTIhdk4rDTEiGo_jSdbwbS7Zl0DzkipdbI6t2WAruQSrcBS-dpQE4UPQ20hqU_c/s1600/Fear+Is+Not+CD+Cover.jpg" style="font-weight: normal; "><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub_ymYNMgfnyZnw-GG_v9NF1tejOGiHWvMB60Hw5gYvNaDxh4fi5_GyYmdj_gVJ9bmH6p-Z-vtFYNGTIhdk4rDTEiGo_jSdbwbS7Zl0DzkipdbI6t2WAruQSrcBS-dpQE4UPQ20hqU_c/s200/Fear+Is+Not+CD+Cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712450763292303298" /></a><br /><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="small" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><b><div style="display: inline !important; "><b>Email:</b><span style="font-weight: normal; "> </span><a href="mailto:daren@darenburns.com" style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 51, 102); text-decoration: none; ">daren@darenburns.com</a></div></b></div></span><span class="small" style="font-weight: normal; font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b>Music:</b> <a href="http://urbannerds.bandcamp.com/track/goyathlay?permalink" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 102); text-decoration: none; ">http://urbannerds.bandcamp.com/track/goyathlay?permalink</a></span><div style="font-weight: normal; "><span><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"></span><span class="normal" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Pre-order the new Urban Nerds release, "Fear Is Not The Natural State Of Civilized People" CD for $12, download it now and when the CD is officially released on 3-15-12, we’ll send you a copy.<br /><br />Recording features four new compositions by bassist Daren Burns, the mastery of trumpeter <a href="http://www.wadadaleosmith.com/">Wadada Leo Smith</a>, guitarist <a href="http://www.guitarchitecture.org/">Scott Collins</a>, pianist Sarah Phillips, and drummer Craig Bunch.<br /><br />www.UrbanNerds.Com<br /><br />The title of this CD is a quote from the Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi (who was recently released again; for how long, we'll have to see) and the music is my comment on the US post 9/11. As We have been running scared for now over eleven years, and seem willing to give up our most important and basic freedoms based only on fear, I say that maybe it's time we looked at some of the true heroes of the world, some of them peaceful others violent; who stood up, with 100% of their total energy and focus for what they believed in while paying greatly with their own personal costs. Blindly and foolishly giving up constitutional rights for the illusion of safety is not the answer.<br /><br />This recording is dedicated to Goyathlay (Geronimo) the great Apache leader, Gandhi the Indian revolutionary, Aung San Suu Kyi the Burmese political prisoner, Fela Kuti the Nigerian fighter of governmental corruption, and anyone else who believes that life based on fear is not an option.<br /><br />Music Is the Weapon.</span><div style="font-size: 100%; "><span class="normal" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 100%; "><span class="normal" style="font-family: verdana, arial, geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />credits<br />released 15 March 2012<br />Daren Burns - composer/fretless bass<br />Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet<br />Scott Collins - guitar<br />Sarah Phillips - piano<br />Craig Bunch - drums<br /><br />Recorded 6-23-09<br />Mixed 9-15 and 11-24-09<br />by Wayne Peet @ Newzone Studios, Los Angeles<br /><br />Artwork and design by Kio Griffith</span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-83634429709553640132010-10-05T08:40:00.000-07:002010-10-05T08:52:12.124-07:00Live video from my band Onibabas last gig 08-07-10<p>Here is some video of a recent performance by my band <a href="http://www.onibabamusic.com/">Onibaba</a> recorded live @ <a href="http://www.royal-t.org/">Royal/T</a> in Culver City, LA and presented by<a href="http://www.roccoinla.com/"> Rocco Somazzi</a> and his <a href="http://www.angelcityjazz.com/">Angel City Arts</a></p><p><br />Onibaba is:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vinnygolia.com/">Vinny Golia</a> - woodwinds<br /><a href="http://www.home.earthlink.net/%7Eslidewars">George McMullen</a> - trombone<br /><a href="http://www.guitarchtecture.com/">Scott Collins</a> - guitar<br /><a href="http://www.darenburns.com/">Daren Burns</a> - bass<br /><a href="http://www.joeberardi.com/">Joe Berardi</a> - drums/percussion<br /><a href="http://www.kiogriffith.com/">Kio Griffith</a> - live video</p><p>Onibaba exists between composition and improvisation and is described as being somewhere between the light and the dark, the ethereal and the earthly - Creative Music. Created by Daren Burns in 2006, the band synthesizes its sound by using elements of the Chicago avant-garde, jazz, rock, world, techno, noise, and classical, to create a new type of fusion that is definitely not the smooth, funky jazz of the 80’s and 90’s, but a new living music.<br /><br /></p>Set 1:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="240" width="320"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=15098347&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=15098347&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="240" width="320"></embed></object><br /></div><br /><br />Set 2:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="240" width="320"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=15520947&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=15520947&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="240" width="320"></embed></object></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">© Urban Nerds 2010 </div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.urbannerds.com/">www.urbannerds.com</a></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-60884973314262020352010-06-07T22:15:00.000-07:002010-06-07T23:04:54.344-07:00Mick Karn Diagnosed With Advanced Stages Of Cancer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mickkarn.net/images/photo/live%20images/bc_amsterdam_mk1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 438px;" src="http://www.mickkarn.net/images/photo/live%20images/bc_amsterdam_mk1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.mickkarn.net/">Mick Karn</a> is one of my favorite fretless bassists of all time. He is a true original voice on the instrument and maybe not for everyone; however, his playing is f</span>ree of fusion cliche´s and downright quirky<span style="font-size:100%;">. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">There is not another like him</span>.<span style="font-size:100%;"> (No easy feat as his work with the band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_%28band%29">Japan</a> is post Jaco) </span><br /><br />When I heard he was diagnosed with advanced cancer I was stunned. I also heard he had been having some financial difficulties for the past few years and this is a horrible situation for his family. A fund for his family has been set-up and your kind donations will be much appreciated, I'm sure.<br /><br />Mick, I hope you make a full recovery.<br /><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>Repost from the Mick Karn website:</strong></span></h2><h2><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong>MICK KARN APPEAL - Posted 4th June 2010</strong></span></h2> <p><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>With great sadness we regret to inform you that Mick has recently been diagnosed with advanced stages of cancer. Mick is currently in a positive mood and undergoing further tests and treatment. His family and friends are close with him, supporting him in practical ways, and surrounding him with their love, friendship and care.</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Mick has been struggling financially for some considerable time now and we are hoping that this appeal may help to raise funds for any necessary treatment and perhaps go some way towards providing a small degree of financial support whilst Mick's immediate family provide the care and comfort we would all wish for him. We are hoping that his friends, fans and musical colleagues will, over the coming months, offer any support they feel capable of giving. Quite aside from the sheer brunt of daunting medically-related costs, Mick's clear and major concern is for the security and well being of his wife and young son. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">If you would like to make a donation whether as an individual or as a group, you can do so via the paypal link below which has been set up for this sole and express purpose. Any support you are able to give, no matter how small, could make a difference in helping Mick cope during this difficult period. His friends will be looking at a variety of ways to raise funds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">If you would simply like to leave your kind messages of support for Mick, please do so, here: <a href="http://www.mickkarn.net/Pages/Message.htm">Messages</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Steve Jansen has kindly agreed to donate all proceeds from the sale of any Mick Karn portrait from his website to the Mick Karn Appeal. The images can be purchased from <a href="http://www.stevejansen.com/imageshop/" target="_blank">http://www.stevejansen.com/imageshop/</a></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">We will keep you all updated as often as we can. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Please do note that news is released with Mick's full approval.<br /></span> </p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Posted: 3rd June 2010 </span></p> <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"> <div align="center"> <input name="cmd" value="_s-xclick" type="hidden"> <input name="hosted_button_id" value="TBBHKTDW8K7B6" type="hidden"> <input src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/GB/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online." type="image" border="0"> <img alt="" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_GB/i/scr/pixel.gif" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> </div> </form>http://www.mickkarn.netAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-4825662152756188292010-05-10T15:43:00.000-07:002010-06-06T11:57:19.128-07:00Practice Concepts: Using A Drone With Fretless<span style="font-weight: bold;">Simple practice tip for fretless:</span> Use a drone to practice with so you are always playing against a tonal reference.<br /><br />Having studied North Indian music, I decided to utilize their concept of 'drone' (playing with a tambura) into my daily practice regimen as it really helps in getting your ears together on fretless bass.<br /><br />So an easy way to set this up for practice is to use a software program. I personally use Ableton Live and have a whole practice set-up that I use so it is always ready to go. I have drones in all 12 keys set-up plus various chord sequences drum beats and meters all ready to go so I don't have top waste time setting materials up. I am also always adding new materials to it as I need. It really has become an indispensable tool for my practicing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_sNPwPTnh5XzFEtS2twf5lYow-nEEjsXgBc4yX4qelcVmZY3JRudJWoEJ-qR_pCxM30jphgSVlC-CCoqFgtxu48IOcq8StHNmbO1ZGrsocVWqyYbPXG9seQOlxEr5bpPidSt_YWP-zc/s1600/Drone+Screenshot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_sNPwPTnh5XzFEtS2twf5lYow-nEEjsXgBc4yX4qelcVmZY3JRudJWoEJ-qR_pCxM30jphgSVlC-CCoqFgtxu48IOcq8StHNmbO1ZGrsocVWqyYbPXG9seQOlxEr5bpPidSt_YWP-zc/s200/Drone+Screenshot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469776112485930370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I then practice scales, arpeggios, and more with the drone so I am always referencing a tonal center. You can do this with tunes and melodies as well. Also, you can try playing with a drone that isn't the tonal center; from the fifth, fourth, third, or wherever. (try from a half-step!) This makes you hear the intervals in a new context. I feel this has really helped in getting my ears together and I hope it helps you out!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-52625327026134673102010-05-10T13:53:00.000-07:002010-05-10T21:50:22.374-07:00Practice Concepts: Getting A Grasp On The 12 KeysFeeling bogged down and overwhelmed with learning all of your scales, arpeggios, and modes in all 12 keys? Try this great practice idea I got from the great bassist, <a href="http://www.puttersmith.com/">Putter Smith</a>.<br /><br />Practice scales and arpeggios at the pace of one key a week. I thought this was a brilliant idea as it takes a big subject and breaks it down into manageable parts. So, instead of trying to cram all of your major and minor scales, arpeggios, plus modes; in all 12 keys, into your daily practice, proceed weekly through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths">Circle of 4ths</a>. (You can also use the Circle of 5ths if you prefer) So on Monday of you first week of practice, you start in the key of 'C', then the following Monday you move to 'F', 'Bb' after that, and so on... After 12 weeks, you are back at 'C'.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.oreshko.co.uk/studentimages/circle4ths.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 244px;" src="http://www.oreshko.co.uk/studentimages/circle4ths.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This way of practicing takes a longer time to unfold as you are on a 12-week cycle (You do get through all 12 keys at least 4 times a year); but remember, we're running a marathon here, not a sprint. The 'up' side is that in the long run, you end up with a more thorough understanding of all of the various keys. Also, you don't spend your entire practice time only working on mechanics and burn yourself out. This way of practicing allows you to make this daunting subject manageable so you can get on to other musical items like learning tunes, playing techniques, and whatnot.<br /><br />Hope this helps!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-67239872624127978132010-03-27T17:18:00.000-07:002010-03-27T17:40:32.628-07:00Dr. John Ciambotti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiomTmdeqS6Ej-KRfcKJNYT7oZx_i0CTiTyFxXHRDpcN9xotIyzojsNnqRyO-CGleJOMM-_JnE9LWYBtxJyt7cjElZxIMTTUByAliN2_RUUgO84mZolPuvwQ26qNyihSL3CN3ZV3VF3Ps/s1600/clover187.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiomTmdeqS6Ej-KRfcKJNYT7oZx_i0CTiTyFxXHRDpcN9xotIyzojsNnqRyO-CGleJOMM-_JnE9LWYBtxJyt7cjElZxIMTTUByAliN2_RUUgO84mZolPuvwQ26qNyihSL3CN3ZV3VF3Ps/s200/clover187.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453477051275614402" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I just learned today that <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dr. John Ciambotti </span>has passed on. He was my chiropractor for years, but so much more. He was the bassist in the underground, influential band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clover_%28band%29">Clover</a>, who became <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Costello">Elvis Costello'</a>s back-up band on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Aim_Is_True">My Aim Is True</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huey_Lewis">Huey Lewis</a>' band (Had songwriting credit on a song or two on Huey Lewis album "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_%28Huey_Lewis_and_the_News_album%29">Sports</a>"), he played and managed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucinda_Williams">Lucinda Williams</a>, played with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Prine">John Prine</a>, turned down the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones">Rolling Stones</a> when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Wyman">Bill Wyman</a> left the band, had stories of hanging with just about everybody in Rock & Roll.<br /><br />He helped a lot of musicians in LA with repetitive motion problems, I benefited greatly from him and know many who have. We always shot the shit at our appointments and talked "shop". He was way into playing upright bass again. My heart goes out to his family.<br /><br />Dr. John will be sorely missed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCshriX0EDzZF3AV4ISEE2nLTf15OEvlG5JOBdroerHC9UkR2rUFx7iXd0mfQ3XUs6GoD_gEtul4EcxMLUwvwK9GkUp5HcL_4GURyKfkxjyM_9buaqIltimLJm93G1DwNHBOHqL6AGnPo/s1600/DrJohnHead.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCshriX0EDzZF3AV4ISEE2nLTf15OEvlG5JOBdroerHC9UkR2rUFx7iXd0mfQ3XUs6GoD_gEtul4EcxMLUwvwK9GkUp5HcL_4GURyKfkxjyM_9buaqIltimLJm93G1DwNHBOHqL6AGnPo/s200/DrJohnHead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453473569467663282" border="0" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-4868716342011074232010-03-13T11:31:00.000-08:002010-03-13T12:26:45.435-08:00Gig Advice from Dave Carpenter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.jazzadvocate.com/National%20Jazz%20Articles/images/carpenter_dave.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 249px; height: 326px;" src="http://www.jazzadvocate.com/National%20Jazz%20Articles/images/carpenter_dave.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I was fortunate enough to study with the great bassist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Carpenter">Dave Carpenter</a> (Allan Holdsworth, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Boz Skaggs, Peter Erskine) for about a year-and-a-half while I was attending <a href="http://www.calarts.edu/">CalArts</a> and I learned a lot from him about music and professionalism. I remember that he had some great, simple advice about the requirements for taking a gig.<br /><br />Dave's simple criteria is as follows:<br /><br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Who's it with?-</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span>You don't want to turn down a gig to play with a big name or a local guy that will take your career to the next level and provide you with real opportunity.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Where's it at?-</span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>You want to make sure you can physically get to the gig and you need to know if the gig is down the street or possibly in another state or country.<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">How much? </span>You want to know what you will be compensated for your time and skills.</li></ol>This was the order. Notice that money was last. Dave's reasoning was this. If you are offered a gig with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Shorter">Wayne Shorter </a>at a club 5 miles away, but it only paid $50 bucks, you take it. The exposure alone was worth the little money and you get to play with Wayne!<br /><br />If you are offered a casual gig with a top forty group in 120 miles away, but it pays $300, you take it. Money compensates you for the 7 or more hours of time to do your job.<br /><br />If <a href="http://www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/images/scmods/scenes/the-blues-brothers/murph-and-the-magic-tones.jpg">Murph and the Magic Tones</a> calls you for a gig at the Holiday Inn, 90 miles away for $25, you can respectfully decline (unless you are really hard up!)<br /><br />The thing I really liked about this is that it really puts the music and your experience first. If the above scenarios all were offered on the same evening, the Wayne Shorter gig for $50 is still probably the gig to take because simply, the exposure would most likely pay you back ten-fold to the higher paying casual and it takes less of your time. As well, it still gives you time to schedule other gigs or lessons with students before the evenings performance.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-87116374901613139742010-02-06T15:10:00.000-08:002010-02-06T16:16:54.408-08:00Top Ten Electric Miles Davis Recordings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://nightafternight.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/miles_davis_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 371px;" src="http://nightafternight.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/miles_davis_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I decided to list my top ten favorite <a href="http://www.milesdavis.com/">Miles Davis</a> recordings of the electric period. Miles is not just one of the biggest musicians of all time, but one of the biggest artists of all time- regardless of discipline. His entire career output is of the highest quality, extremely forward thinking, and extremely varied. I am a big fan of all of his periods, but the area I think he his going to be remembered the most is for his revolutionary electric period. In this period he not only created cutting edge music, but he actually invented a new genre or two and with <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Corner">'On The Corner'</a></span>, he and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teo_Macero">Teo Macero</a> pioneered and revolutionized modern record making techniques. Don't listen to those who say he sold out, they just simply have not listened. Miles' electric period, especially in the early stages before his first retirement is some of the most challenging listening you will encounter. The music is groove-oriented dissonance which keeps me going back again and again. Plus, you have the extremely amazing bass playing of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Henderson">Michael Henderson</a>, one of my favorites bassists period.<br /><br />So here it is:<br /><br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWAF?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004VWAF">On the Corner</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004VWAF" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000J7SS?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000J7SS">Bitches Brew</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00000J7SS" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002AH5?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002AH5">In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002AH5" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006GO9Q?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00006GO9Q">In a Silent Way</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00006GO9Q" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000027DZ?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000027DZ">Agharta</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000027DZ" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00074CBFG?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00074CBFG">A Tribute to Jack Johnson</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00074CBFG" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002AH1?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002AH1">Live-Evil</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002AH1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000273I?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000273I">Pangaea</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00000273I" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002AH2?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002AH2">Dark Magus: Live At Carnegie Hall</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002AH2" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWA5?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004VWA5">Get Up with It</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004VWA5" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></li></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-51057311483774740382010-01-18T18:03:00.000-08:002010-01-18T18:37:53.992-08:00Ornette Coleman's 2007 Lifetime Achievement Speech<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Ornette-Coleman-2008-Heidelberg-schindelbeck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 379px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Ornette-Coleman-2008-Heidelberg-schindelbeck.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I found a transcript of Ornette Colemans 2007 Lifetime Achievement award, acceptance speech on <a href="http://jazzclinic.net/">The Jazz Clinic</a> blog by Matt (no last name and actually from his old blog site) and even though it is about three years old now, I thought it was too good, beautiful, and timeless to pass up. I remember <a href="http://calarts.edu/faculty_bios/music/faculty/aashishkhan/aashishkhan">Aashish Khan</a> (who himself was also nominated along with Zakir Hussain for best world music album that year at the Grammies) attended the party and told me about what a beautiful speech Ornette had given that night.<br /><br />image by <a href="http://www.schindelbeck.org/">Frank Schindelbeck</a><br /><br />Here it is:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ornette Coleman: </span><br /><br />It is really very, very real to be here tonight, in relationship to life and death and I’m sure they both love each other.<br /><br />I really don’t have any present thoughts about why I’m standing here other than trying to figure out something to say that could be useful to someone that believes.<br /><br />One of the things I am experiencing is very important and that is: You don’t have to die to kill and you don’t have to kill to die. And above all, nothing exists that is not in the form of life because life is eternal with or without people so we are grateful for life to be here at this very moment.<br /><br />For myself, I’d rather be human than to be dead. And I would also die to be human. So you can’t die, you can’t die to be neither one, regardless of what you say or think so that’s why I believe that music itself is eternal in relationship to sound, meaning, intelligence…all the things that have to have something to do with being alive because you were born and because someone else made it possible for you to be here, which we call our parents etc. etc.<br /><br />For me, the most eternal thing is that I would like to live until I learn what it is and what it isn’t…that is, how do we kill death since it kills everything?<br /><br />And it’s hard to realize that being in the human form is not as easy as wondering what is going to happen to you even if you do know what it is and it doesn’t depend on if you know what is going to happen to you.<br /><br />No one can know anything that life creates since no one is life itself. And it’s obvious, at least I believe, it’s obvious the one reason why we as human beings get there and do things that seem to be valuable to us in relationship to intelligence… uh, what is it called…creativity and love and all the things that have to do with waking up every morning believing it’s going to be a better day today or tomorrow and yet at the same time death, life, sadness, anger, fear, all of those things are present at the same time as we are living and breathing.<br /><br />It is really, really eternal, this that we are constantly being created as human beings to know that exists and it’s really, really unbelievable to know that nothing that’s alive can die unless it’s been killed. So what we should try to realize is to remove that part of what it is so that whatever we are, life is all there is and I thank you very much.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-72853717901146450052009-12-28T13:21:00.000-08:002009-12-28T15:43:42.112-08:00Jeff Berlin-Impact and Thoughts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.weblo.com/music/images/artists/thumbnail/Jeff_Berlin_48f724bf22461.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 286px;" src="http://www.weblo.com/music/images/artists/thumbnail/Jeff_Berlin_48f724bf22461.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I was lucky enough to study with electric bass great, <a href="http://www.jeffberlinmusic.com/">Jeff Berlin</a> a couple of times throughout my life; while I was at <a href="http://www.mi.edu/">Musicians Institute</a> (although I was 18 and intimidated and mostly just sat and listened to his playing), privately at <a href="http://www.basscentre.com/">The Bass Centre</a>, when it was near Laurel Canyon (now only in London), and lastly when he taught for a year at <a href="http://www.calarts.edu/">CalArts</a>, right before he started his <a href="http://www.playerschool.com/">Players School</a> in Clearwater, FL.<br /><br />He is, without a doubt, one of the top-two, best pedagogical experiences I have ever had for tonal improvisation. (<a href="http://www.garywillis.com/">Gary Willis</a> and him are tied as far as I'm concerned. Both an extreme wealth of information.) I still work on the material he gave me 15 years ago; partly from procrastination on my part and mostly because of the overwhelming amount of information to absorb!<br /><br />Jeff's material is not always the best in my opinion, but his playing is undeniable. A <span style="font-weight: bold;">true</span> master. Forget what people think or say about him and listen to what he plays, it is of the highest caliber and unlike any other bass player out there. No licks, all idea-based improvisation, and all with a deep knowledge of harmonic thinking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Listen</span>:<a href="http://www.darenburns.com/music/Jeff_Berlin_Manos_De_Piedra_bass_solo.m3u"> Bass Solo on "Manos de Piedra"</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Listen:</span> <a href="http://www.darenburns.com/music/Jeff_Berlin_WaterOnTheBrain.m3u">Bass Solo on "Water On The Brain Pt.2"</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Listen:</span> <a href="http://www.darenburns.com/music/Jeff_Berlin_Dixie.m3u">Unaccompanied Bass solo "Dixie"</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">As an extra:</span> There is a lot of bullshit reactions on the internet about Jeff (from people who don't know Jeff, or have ever met him quite frankly) and some of his pedagogical beliefs: not using metronomes, fretless bass, 5 & 6 string basses, anti-tablature, and so on. The fact of the matter is that these are his truths and he is passionate about them. A lot of people thought Charles Mingus or Miles Davis were a dicks as well. Doesn't negate their genius, end of story.<br /><br />I have to say when I studied with him, I was (and still am) a 5-string, fretless bass player and you know what? He called me on it and I explained that this is what I wanted to do (I had been playing fretless exclusively for 4 years in 1994, when I last studied with him. I didn't even own a fretted bass from 1990 to 1996). In the end, he told me, "To each his own" and talked about the extra work to get your ears developed and a couple of lessons later gave me my biggest compliment by saying that I "didn't sound like <a href="http://www.jacopastorius.com/">Jaco</a>". I think that is <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">THE</span> highest compliment a fretless player can hear after so many were subjected to third-rate Jaco clones for so many years.<br /><br />Also, on the matter of metronomes, even though Jeff doesn't advise using metronomes<span style="font-weight: bold;">*</span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>, I have used metronomes all throughout my practice time, clicking only on 2&4, only on 1,2,3, or 4, etc. I think they can help a bit, but I also think that using a metronome hasn't been the major reason for success in my time feel. Over the last couple of years, I have become a bit ambivalent about them. I attribute "good time" more to the learning and thinking in subdivisions that studying <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tala_%28music%29">Indian Tala</a> has taught me, <span style="font-style: italic;">i.e.: What speed (subdivision) are we in? 2 speed (1/8th), 4-speed (1/16th), 3-speed (12/8)?</span> I think that in thinking in this way, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">It has become easier to play with metronomes</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Let's be clear:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">That is the opposite effect of what is supposed to be the prescribed course of "playing w/ metronome=good time".</span><br /><br />My observations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">*</span><span style="font-style: italic;">(He's hardly the only one. Tabla master, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.swapanchaudhuri.com/">Swapan Chaudhuri</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> also told his tala class on the first day not to use a metronome; as well, I heard West African drummer </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://music.calarts.edu/%7Ealadzekp">Alfred Ladzekpo</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> tell his class to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">listen</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> for speeding up and slowing down instead of using a metronome)<br /><br /><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-4685136872849327242009-12-21T16:11:00.000-08:002009-12-21T17:21:59.592-08:00A List Of 21 Must Listen Fretless Bass Recordings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.miretail.com/products/optionLarge/MusicMan/565538.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 242px;" src="http://images.miretail.com/products/optionLarge/MusicMan/565538.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />From the jazziness of Jaco to the wildness of Mick Karn, I've compiled a list of twenty-one recordings that have fretless bass featured, if not exclusively, at least prominently on them. This is in no way a comprehensive list, although I did try to include as many players as possible, I also tried to include many landmark albums of players like Jaco and Gary Willis, who are two of the more prominent players of the instrument.If you are serious about playing fretless, I feel these recordings are a great place to start and are basically required listening to get a sense of the wide variety of sounds and styles out there for the fretless bass. Also check out: Michael Manring, Baba Elefante, Bill Wyman, Sting, Mark Egan, Alphonso Johnson, Tony Franklin, Steve Bailey, Jeff Ament, Les Claypool<br /><br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWA7?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004VWA7">Jaco Pastorius</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004VWA7" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Jaco Pastorius</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000025JS2?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000025JS2">Masques</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000025JS2" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Brand X (Percy Jones)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000189F?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000189F">The Waking Hour</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00000189F" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Dali's Car (Mick Karn)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000025000?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000025000">The Secret of Association</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000025000" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Paul Young (Pino Palladino)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000065V9Y?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000065V9Y">Us</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000065V9Y" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Peter Gabriel (Tony Levin)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002AGE?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002AGE">Heavy Weather</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002AGE" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Weather Report (Jaco Pastorius)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000261L9?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000261L9">Bright Size Life</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000261L9" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Pat Metheny</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000E71U?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00000E71U">Nomad</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00000E71U" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Tribal Tech (Gary Willis)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000005BK9?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000005BK9">No Sweat</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000005BK9" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Gary Willis</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NQPSOO?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000NQPSOO">Slaughterhouse 3</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000NQPSOO" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Slaughterhouse 3 (Gary Willis)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000025K7?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000025K7">Night Passage</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000025K7" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Weather Report (Jaco Pastorius)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F3T7XI?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000F3T7XI">Tin Drum</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000F3T7XI" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Japan (Mick Karn)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001CNJ?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000001CNJ">Elegant Punk</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000001CNJ" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Jonas Hellborg<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002GYC?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002GYC">Hejira</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002GYC" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Joni Mitchell (Jaco Pastorius)<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000008H80?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000008H80">Bestial Cluster</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000008H80" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Mick Karn</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004C4HZ?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004C4HZ">Polytown</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004C4HZ" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Torn/Karn/Bozzio</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000046MA?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000046MA">Paul Motian and the Electric Bebop Band</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000046MA" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Paul Motian (Stomu Takeishi)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R5HE3Y?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000R5HE3Y">Actual Fiction</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000R5HE3Y" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Gary Willis</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006J677?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00006J677">I, Assassin</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00006J677" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Gary Numan (Pino Palladino)</li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CO94FY?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002CO94FY">Antipodes</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002CO94FY" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - Steuart Liebig<br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001S2Q4JK?ie=UTF8&tag=darenburnsele-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001S2Q4JK">Have We Met?</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=darenburnsele-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001S2Q4JK" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" width="1" height="1" /> - 3 Squares (Daren Burns...hey it's my list!)<br /></li></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-66538359159405569242009-12-14T14:06:00.000-08:002009-12-14T14:19:14.499-08:00New Onibaba project<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://achmadsya.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/noh-wiki.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 202px;" src="http://achmadsya.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/noh-wiki.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Working on a new project with <a href="http://www.kiogriffith.com/">Kio Griffith</a>. It is going to include <a href="http://www.onibabamusic.com/">Onibaba</a>, Kio's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VJ_%28video_performance_artist%29">video art</a>, and a <a href="http://www.zenbutoh.com/history.htm">butoh dancer</a>. I'm going to set set the stage like a contemporary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noh">Noh</a> play and have been working with some design thoughts.<br /><br />Working on a proposal and I am going to actively pursue grants and other options of funding to get this work performed. Hope to perform the work a few times and maybe do a little tour. We'll see. I am pretty excited about it so far.<br /><br />The project is going to be about America, its current status, past, and future. Kind of like an apocalyptic "A Christmas Carol". I think there are some good ideas present.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-85898860099149329482009-12-01T22:39:00.000-08:002009-12-01T23:24:48.660-08:00Fretless Bass<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Flatwound_01.JPG/800px-Flatwound_01.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 176px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Flatwound_01.JPG/800px-Flatwound_01.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This kind of goes with <a href="http://www.jacopastorius.com/">Jaco's</a> birthday. I am really into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fretless_guitar">fretless bass</a> and I play it mostly because of his influence. I played it exclusively from 1991 to 1999 (meaning I didn't even own a fretted bass and didn't care about losing gigs because of it. I had a sink or swim attitude and played it exclusively) and still, it is the only bass I really practice. It is my default bass and passion.<br /><br />Over my career, I have been lucky enough to study with <a href="http://www.garywillis.com/">Gary Willis</a> when I was 18-20 and also <a href="http://www.myspace.com/babaelefante">Baba Elefante</a>, both fantastic fretless players. In fact you probably know who Willis is....Baba, everybody should know, he is one of the hardest working, and the single most overlooked bass player in my opinion. Phenomenal.<br /><br />Well, this article is about the fretless electric bass. most people think Jaco invented it and that it is used as a replacement for upright bass in jazz, which is somewhat accurate but not completely and actually not really at all. The first player I know of to play the instrument is <a href="http://www.billwyman.com/">Bill Wyman</a> of the Rolling Stones on "Paint It Black", I believe (<span style="font-style: italic;">Roberts, Jim (2001). 'How The Fender Bass Changed the World' or Jon Sievert interview with Bill Wyman, guitar player magazine December (1978)</span>). Many people do not know this and Bill Wyman never really advertised it, he was just looking for a sound and just did it.<br /><br />Over the years, there have also been many other players of this instrument that have nothing to do with jazz or the "Jaco" lineage. For instance <a href="http://www.mickkarn.net/">Mick Karn</a>, <a href="http://www.jackbruce.com/">Jack Bruce</a>, <a href="http://www.percyjones.net/">Percy Jones</a>, <a href="http://www.papabear.com/">Tony Levin</a>, and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/pinopalladinomusic">Pino Palladino</a>. Some developing right alongside without knowledge of Jaco and others after, but not really influenced by Jaco's sound. In fact, these guys are really known more for rock types of music and not jazz. That to me is extremely interesting. I also believe that <a href="http://www.embamba.com/">Alphonso Johnson</a> was playing fretless in <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Weather+Report">Weather Report</a> before Jaco joined than band.<br /><br />This is ripe for research in a musicological area. I highly suggest you checkout some of these other players to give the fretless bass a new perspective.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-84626333281018547732009-12-01T09:13:00.000-08:002009-12-01T09:38:44.076-08:00John Francis Pastorius III<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rarwriter.com/images/jacoenlarge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 203px;" src="http://www.rarwriter.com/images/jacoenlarge.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I just saw it is Jaco's birthday today. For those who don't know, he was the equivalent to electric bass guitar that Jimi Hendrix was to electric guitar. The way that the instrument is looked at was forever altered and it's possibilities dramatically increased by his contributions. He passed on in the late 80's. I was a youngster just starting on bass an was mostly into Def Leppard and Kiss, when my life was forever changed by two records I bought simultaneously: Stanley Clarkes first album and Jaco's first album.<br /><br />Not only did Jaco bring fretless bass to the masses, he also possesed uncanny abilities; the use of harmonics in particular (guys really didn't know what he was doing it was esoteric and uncharted territory for the vast majority of players). His facility and fluidity were just about untouchable, light years beyond most bassists and the best part, his groove never suffered. His time feel is organic and never seems to falter.<br /><br />Also, in the days of muddy bass his tone was crisp, punchy, and up front. Not always the ideal bass tone for working bassists, but you hear him play one note and you instantly know it is Jaco.<br /><br />Undeniable.<br /><br />Listening List:<br /><br />Jaco Pastorius- Jaco<br />Joni Mitchell - Shadows and Light<br />Joni Mitchell - Hejira<br />Jaco Pastorius - Word of Mouth<br />Jaco Pastorius - Twins I & II<br />Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life<br />Albert Mangelsdorff - Trilogue - Live!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-75945052221217528322009-11-25T13:16:00.000-08:002009-11-26T09:45:12.878-08:00Thanks!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8OhU5n97q17OHlaiHawPhsz2y_GmSaa5smB3WwKoZ-F7G2HKmy0f99uCJHJiyDQ5yXuEVumwNuMWMSD4lrxDidhrWsc22L1T6eEsVubBHtugEVKygW_GAiWQ7OvwegegiikHA6M2upQ/s1600/DSCN1412.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8OhU5n97q17OHlaiHawPhsz2y_GmSaa5smB3WwKoZ-F7G2HKmy0f99uCJHJiyDQ5yXuEVumwNuMWMSD4lrxDidhrWsc22L1T6eEsVubBHtugEVKygW_GAiWQ7OvwegegiikHA6M2upQ/s200/DSCN1412.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408469475629508754" border="0" /></a><br />Of all of the holidays, I think I like Thanksgiving best. To me it is the most real holiday and is about being with friends or family, not gifts and any other distractions. I give thanks to my wife for all of her support and to all of my friends and family. I am honored to know so many wonderful and beautiful musicians to share music and good times with. I can't imagine any other life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-35340602326756283412009-11-23T12:30:00.000-08:002009-11-23T13:19:01.336-08:00New CD being completed....release set for late Jan or early Feb<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://decideforyourself.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/aung_san_suu_kyi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 210px;" src="http://decideforyourself.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/aung_san_suu_kyi.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zoto.com/kiidogo/img/45/9747ad54d5bb69242267c3cccc97efc1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 209px;" src="http://www.zoto.com/kiidogo/img/45/9747ad54d5bb69242267c3cccc97efc1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Mixing the last two tracks of my latest CD (and first entirely solo CD I might add), <span style="font-style: italic;">"Fear Is Not The Natural State Of Civilized People"</span>, the second release on <a href="http://www.urbannerds.com/">Urban Nerds Records</a>, tomorrow at the amazing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Peet">Wayne Peet</a>s. We have to mix the tracks <span style="font-style: italic;">"Aung San Suu Kyi"</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">"Fela Kuti"</span>. I am going to track some bass on <span style="font-style: italic;">"Aung San..."</span> as well, easier than fixing, I just want to tighten up the melody between me and Wadada and I want to follow his phrasing closer. Can't wait, CD is coming out very nicely and I am hoping to have a January or February release date. Fantastic playing by <a href="http://www.pharas.net/">Sarah Phillips</a> on piano, <a href="http://www.guitarchitecture.net/">Scott Collins</a> on guitar, Craig Bunch on drums, and of course <a href="http://music.calarts.edu/%7Ewls">Wadada Leo Smith</a> on trumpet.<br /><br />CD is a concept album about political prisoners and freedom fighters and includes tracks for <a href="http://www.snowwowl.com/nativeleaders/goyathlaypg1.html">Goyathlay</a> (Geronimo), <a href="http://www.mkgandhi.org/">Gandhi</a>, <a href="http://http//www.dassk.com">Aung San Suu Kyi</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti">Fela Kuti</a>. In these times, I think it is time that people look closely at human rights again, it seems that things are getting worse and most of the world seems to be okay with the idea of holding people prisoner without any real due cause and without due process as long as its not <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">them</span>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-19596958420224653412009-11-20T12:45:00.000-08:002009-11-20T13:27:07.317-08:00Thoughts on a Los Angeles Creative Music VenueThinking of interview questions I would ask some of the musicians who are involved with the Creative Music scene in Los Angeles. I want to interview some of the bigger names, but I would also like to interview some up and coming musicians to get a well rounded view of improvised music in Southern California.<br /><br />One big topic on my mind is the idea of live performance venues. Los Angeles, unlike New York doesn't have its <a href="http://www.thestonenyc.com">The Stone</a> to allow artists room to play and a source where people can go to hear this music seven nights a week. We have a rag tag collection of coffee houses, libraries, museums, clubs, and galleries that musicians utilize, but there isn't any one central place that can build an audience, not since Cryptonights series at Club Tropical shut down. People have tried and there were some successful series for a good amount of time like Line Space Line and Dangerous Curves and such, but it seems to me that the players need their own venue which is run seven nights a week, is a hub for presenting their music, and is <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">not dependent on outside business for it success or failure</span>.<br /><br />I'm wondering how to get this done. A space and a sound system. What else do you need?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-47292560523758819412009-11-16T11:29:00.000-08:002009-11-16T13:06:42.414-08:00Can Jazz Be Saved......http://flatacre.mp/blog/can-jazz-be-saved-a-humbly-offered-solution<br /><br />Every so often I read these posts about whether or not Jazz can be saved. The articles are mostly the same tired info recycled for the past year or two that I have read over and over. I think the question itself is erroneous. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">There are probably more people than ever creating "jazz" music and there are certainly more schools offering Jazz curriculum than ever before.</span> I don't think that Jazz needs to be saved, it is alive and well. If you are talking about it's mainstream popularity and the musicians making a living, those are quite different questions altogether.<br /><br />I don't think the world needs a "Neo Tin Pan Alley" songwriting movement to reinvigorate the music. When the jackasses involved in Lincoln Center decided they knew what Jazz was and everybody else was wrong, they killed their version of Jazz from ever growing and having a modern existence. It's museum music and a moldy fig indeed. It is not the 40's or 50's anymore.<br /><br />There are plenty of players creating vibrant, cutting edge music: Wadada Leo Smith, Keith Jarrett, Joe Lovano, Ornette Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Dave Douglas, Benny Maupin, Larry Koonse, Ben Monder, Tim Berne and on, and on, and on....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jazz doesn't need to be popular to survive, it just needs to be keep being created by the musicians to survive, and survive it does</span>. The Jazz police just don't like what it has become and try to keep it locked in its retro time loop for all eternity. Anytime Jazz is mixed with Hip Hop or electronics or anything like this, and not kept in its <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">predetermined role</span>, they are the first to say thats not Jazz. Like the players are supposed to ignore any music created in the last 50 years. How can you be an honest musician and block out most of what you heard to concentrate on what something is supposed to be? That is when something is dead and cannot truly be saved.<br /><br />My 2 centsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-56077425997784924292009-11-16T10:13:00.000-08:002009-11-16T10:46:07.670-08:00Music Competition, Inspirations, and ObservationsMy wife chaired the <a href="http://www.mtac.org/">MTAC</a> contemporary music Festival yesterday and had <a href="http://www.michaeljonfink.com/">Michael Jon Fink</a>, <a href="http://www.ulrich-krieger.de/">Ulrich Krieger</a>, and <a href="http://www.bryanpezzone.net/">Brian Pezzone</a> judging the performances.(talk about overkill in the judging department!)<br /><br />I helped out last year and saw the performances of these talented kids and they were good; last night, I saw some of the same kids perform almost one year later and I have to say, what an eye opener! Some of these kids were stunning! The improvement was 100%, almost across the board! I saw about 3-4 kids who were about as good as any performance I saw in college. Mind blowing and to have such improvement in 11 months was inspiring!<br /><br />The one kid who stood out in my mind was a Japanese male (I have since learned that this kid was the first place winner) who played <span style="font-style: italic;">'Serpents Kiss'</span> by <a href="http://www.williambolcom.com/">William Bolcom</a> (I've never heard of the composer before but it looks like he has won the Pulitzer!). The music wasn't my cup of tea, but it definitely had some great moments, including extended percussive techniques of tapping on the piano body, rhythmic vocalization, and foot rhythm. The best part though was that this kid owned the music, 100% owned, like he wrote it. It was a fantastic display.<br /><br />There was another little kid who was maybe 8 or 9 that had a heartbreaking evening. He had a memory slip after about 8 bars and couldn't continue and he sat on stage crying. It was too bad, the first 8 bars were some of the best music I heard yesterday evening. The judges are giving him a special award (I learned that they thought exactly as I did about his performance).<br /><br />This brings up another subject to deal with at a later time. Are music competitions really worth having? There are some big Pro's and Con's to either side.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-34297157711282671082009-11-14T16:22:00.000-08:002009-11-14T17:07:11.480-08:00The Ox and The Lunatic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2664944335_8314719ef5.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 220px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2664944335_8314719ef5.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I have always loved <a href="http://www.thewho.com/">The Who</a>, (In<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span> fact when someone asks the lame, 60's, mod or rocker, BS question, "Are you a Beatles fan, or a Rolling Stones fan?" I always give the answer "Neither, I'm a Who fan!" (Believe me I still hear this question from time to time!)) and I have been listening to them a lot recently. <a href="http://www.johnentwistle.com/">John Entwistle</a> is one of my all-time favorite bassists and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Moon">Keith Moon</a> is one of my all-time favorite drummers, regardless of genre. Together they made one of the most amazing rhythm sections of all time. The only rhythm section I think that offers any similarity, in its scope of dynamic interaction and its ability to bring fresh ideas to a song over and over again, is that of <a href="http://www.garrisonjazz.com/Jimmy%20Garrison.html">Jimmy Garrison</a>/<a href="http://www.elvinjones.com/">Elvin Jones</a> from <a href="http://www.johncoltrane.com/">John Coltrane</a>'s classic quartet.<br /><br />A lot of bands play Rolling Stones songs and a lot of people perform Beatles songs, but hardly anyone covers The Who and if so, there are only 3-4 tunes people play. I think a lot of it has to do with th fact that it is a hard band to cover. The songs themselves are easily coverable; however, the way that the drums and bass are usually interacting is really an improvisatory and jazz-like, form of accompaniment. It is not easy to capture the same feel and energy; especially for musicians mostly steeped in rock idioms. I think this is why. There aren't, for the most part, easily graspable parts to learn in the drums or bass. It all feels very spontaneous and in the moment so you can really play what you feel and change it from night to night.<br /><br />There will never be another rhythm section quite like this one.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-84069029800511114462009-11-12T14:14:00.000-08:002009-11-12T14:38:34.816-08:00Improvisation/CompositionIs it important to know whether or not the music you are listening too is composed or improvised? Does it change your listening criteria? Is the quality affected? Does the knowledge change your listening perception?<br /><br />I remember a well known harpist telling me that she didn't like listening to composed music much anymore because she could almost always hear where the music was going and could second guess the musical outcome, but when listening to free improvisation, she was constantly surprised in the directions that the music would take and that it was always more fulfilling to her in the end.<br /><br />Not the usual response from a music listener...in fact I almost always hear the exact opposite response from people. I hear people don't like improvisation because it is formless and sounds chaotic. They like the safe harbor of form and structures laid out before them.<br /><br />Don't know exactly where I am going with this, but it is fascinating,.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-21524771821332333352009-11-11T08:56:00.000-08:002009-11-11T19:19:17.799-08:00Tracy Caldwell/Daren Burns Quartet rehearsal...Interesting how after not playing with someone for 12 years, the passage of time can be erased almost immediately by the simple act of making music. Tracy and I went to <a href="http://www.calarts.edu/">CalArts</a> together in the mid to late 90's, she pursuing her MFA, me on the way to my BFA. we kept in touch over the years but we never got together to make music for whatever reasons that would rear their head; life, work, and whatnot.<br /><br />We set up a gig at <a href="http://www.redcat.org/">Redcat</a> this coming Sunday, 11-15 and Tracy Caldwell and I wrote some new music for the quartet we decided on. It was kind of eerie how similar our music was, in flavor at least; not necessarily in its construct. Chalk it up to both being students of <a href="http://music.calarts.edu/%7Ewls">Wadada Leo Smith</a> I suppose!<br /><br />Rehearsal went well, with Josh Charney on keyboard and Craig Bunch on drums. I am looking forward to the performance this Sunday!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-51661310966056298132009-11-10T14:44:00.000-08:002009-11-10T15:05:59.993-08:00Onibaba one of Bricks Picks of the week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs004.snc1/2802_1162554783710_1223057182_30445277_4986664_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 282px; height: 211px;" src="http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs004.snc1/2802_1162554783710_1223057182_30445277_4986664_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Just had a great show with my band <a href="http://www.onibabamusic.com/">Onibaba</a> @ the <a href="http://www.neonmona.org/">Museum of Neon Art</a> and I was fortunate enough to be included in the <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/">LA Weekly</a>'s Brick's Picks article (Jazz picks of the week) along with McCoy Tyner, Lanny Morgan, and Larry Goldings (yikes!). Thanks to those who came out. Special thanks to<a href="http://www.davidwitham.com/"> David Witham</a> and <a href="http://www.cryptogramophone.com/">Jeff Gauthier</a> at <a href="http://www.downbeast.com/">Cryptonight</a> and Kim Koga at <a href="http://www.neonmona.org/">Mona</a>!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2009-11-05/music/brick-s-picks-the-real-mccoy/">Brick's Picks Article</a><br /><br />Band included:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ulrich-krieger.de">Ulrich Krieger</a> - Sax/bass clarinet<br /><a href="http://home.earthlink.net/%7Eslidewars/index.html">George Mcmullen</a> - Trombone<br />Eric Klerks - Guitar<br />Me - Bass<br />Craig Bunch - Drumset<br /><a href="http://www.kiogriffith.com">Kio Griffith</a> - Live VideoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1436934398906480219.post-87826203384714853492009-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:002009-11-10T14:43:00.294-08:00Welcome!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1ZjtMk8UEn9545jIpQT1aTsdWThby5z51HkqPJxGvSwAoqzw2n8WkFR9hXYFuS5qilg9k_iC0f8Q3JjiSJvNSTAoVPYNw4mSWE9_AcEm3P8St1eboikp6JaGhgjHzqLuh1mdo1kINPY/s1600-h/Daren+Nova+small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1ZjtMk8UEn9545jIpQT1aTsdWThby5z51HkqPJxGvSwAoqzw2n8WkFR9hXYFuS5qilg9k_iC0f8Q3JjiSJvNSTAoVPYNw4mSWE9_AcEm3P8St1eboikp6JaGhgjHzqLuh1mdo1kINPY/s200/Daren+Nova+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402608896359576098" border="0" /></a>This blog will about my thoughts on improvisation, composition, bass, and other various meanderings. I hope to touch on web 2.0, music business and whatever is on my mind.<br /><br />Some of my favorite quotes:<br /><p><em>"Real music is not for wealth, not for honours or even the joys of the mind... but as a path for realisation and salvation."</em>-Ali Akbar Khan</p> <p><em>“If you miss the sensual part of music, you risk becoming a gynecologist and not a lover”</em>-Rabih Abou-Khalil</p><span style="font-style: italic;">"Don't play whats there, play whats not there."</span> -Miles Davis<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"It was when I learned you can make mistakes that I knew I was on to something." </span>-Ornette Coleman<br /><br />About me:<br /> <p align="justify"><strong>Daren Howard Burns</strong>, fretted and fretless electric bass player, composer, and improviser has been playing and making music for more than half of his life. Much of his musical interest lies in the area of improvisation and how to make new systems for developing improvisation in new ways. In the past few years he has also become interested in classical Indian rhythmic and melodic systems.</p> <p align="justify">Born in El Centro, California, but moving all around as child, to places like New Mexico, Texas, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Burn’s musical life began in Junior High School when he purchased his first bass with money from a paper route he had. At this time, he was immersed in the rock music of the time, but was quickly turned on to jazz by purchasing bassists, Jaco Pastorious and Stanley Clarke’s first albums and classical Indian music by listening to Ravi Shankar. He received his formal education from Fullerton junior College (1991-1994), California Institute of the Arts (1994-97, BFA; 2006-08, MFA). He also studied privately with Wadada Leo Smith, Ralph Rose, Baba Elephante, Gary Willis, Aloke Dutta, Aashish Khan, Vinny Golia, and Jeff Berlin.</p> <p align="justify">As an Improviser/Composer Burns has studied, Western European music, the classical music of North and South India, Ghana music of Africa, Japanese, Eastern European/Arabic music, and American Blues, Rock, and Jazz. He is working on notation systems that incorporate world music and jazz and open structures that give the musician freedom while also giving the composer his realized ideas.</p> <p align="justify">Daren has taught privately from his home and at Woodlowe Music in Woodland Hills, CA for over ten years. He is a member of the American Composers Forum and an ASCAP member. He was a winner of the Dan Radlauer composition competition in 1994.</p> <p align="justify">As a composer he has written for soloists, various ensembles, and creative orchestras. As a performer he has played in every situation imaginable and has shared the stage with Wadada Leo Smith, Vinny Golia, John ‘Drumbo’ French, Neil Sadler, Butch Morris, Mike Keneally, Nels Cline, Jeff Kaiser, Motoko Honda, Ori Barel, Chris Opperman, Andre LaFosse, John Bergamo, Randy Gloss, Houman Pourmehdi, Miroslav Tadic, Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharp, George McMullen, Kurt McGettrick, Bruce Fowler, David Roitstein, Joe LaBarbera, Eleanor Academia, Frank Macchia, and many, many, many others.</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16965521129251998195noreply@blogger.com0