Reviews

The Return of the Blue Cat by F.D. Reeve, a review

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Who is the Blue Cat? That is the question. At times he is a stray, at times F.D. Reeve himself. Certainly the best collection of poems I’ve read in a long while. F.D. Reeve is a little bit of Eliot and a smidgeon of Pound with a wink. At first I was skeptical. “Oh God, he’s breaking into French.” In my case it was the cd which turned me around and made the experience enlightening. The book is accompanied by a cd with readings by F.D. Reeve and music by Exit 59. This poetry is playful, almost like a cat playing with a ball of fluff. The music is good jazz which compliments a good reading by Reeve.
Let’s face it I’m a sucker for poetry with good music. My associates and I have been mixing the music with poetry for several years so I know the challenge in front of Exit 59. The reading by F.D. Reeve is really full of character and wit. The jazz by Exit 59 is superb. These guys did a wonderful job of adding music that makes me play the cd often. In fact it’s headed to my IPOD. The music is good folks. The poetry is excellent and together they break new ground for poetry. F.D. Reeves is a literary poet of the caliber of Pound and these poems combine humor and wit to make a statement of our times as well as the human condition. I highly recommend this book. You will love it. I also highly recommend the accompanying cd. Awesome!

The Return of the Blue Cat
F.D. Reeve
Other Press LLC
New York, NY

***

David Michael Jackson

Group Mural Painting and Guitar Rag in Scottsville

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This is a great video from The Allen County Arts Council in Scottsville, Ky. Beautifully filmed and the music is good. The art is worth the effort. I like the ending.

I found this video while surfing links to this site. Some come through our associations, this one through my friend, Chris Carmichael. I looked over at the wave next to my surfboard and ended up somewhere in Kentucky listening to Eddie Pennington and Tommy Emmanuel playing Guitar Rag. Surfing, surfing, end up where? Oddly enough wherever you land you sometimes find talent, this time in Kaintuck, and these guys can play!

If you watched the other video, you’ll have to turn the volume up for this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXVKayok0ig&feature=player_embedded#!

Scottsville is cool.

Tommy Emmanuel on Youtube      Eddie Pennington on Youtube 
 
 

david michael jackson on internet    july 22,2012 editors@artvilla.com send more music

Clora Bryant and the Girls in the Band

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Features Clora’s great horn , voice and, oh yes, on piano, Roger Fleming, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Bruz Freeman, Walter Benton on tenor and trumpeter Normie Faye

Buy On Google Play

Clora Bryant Jazz

Clora Bryant

She toured with Billie Holiday, and she is the only woman trumpet player who ever recorded with Dizzy Gillespie and played with Charlie Parker.


The ladies haven’t finished their work. It’s still hard for a young lady to be properly recognized for talent with an instrument. We have to mention male names for reference to the trumpet, don’t we? I’m being harsh because it’s common for musicians to mention with whom they  played. It’s their resume.but these recordings show talent equal to Charlie and Dizzy. Where were her trips to Europe? To say  ladies like Clora and Marian McPartland were breaking ground is an understatement. It was more like concrete. It still is.

if you came here looking for an Wiki on Clora Bryant, here it is.
There is another place where anyone should be proud to be as well, Old Dominion University did this exhibition on Women in Jazz

Another place she is showing up is

THE GIRLS IN THE BAND  a film by One Step Productions  tells the “poignant, untold stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists and their fascinating, groundbreaking journeys from the late 30′s to the present day.“

Here is an excellent article about  Clora by Judy Tweet  who has a new book called WOMEN WHO DARED

This is a very good interview with a great lady:

This sweet video shows the mentor:

 

Reasearch always turns up a surprise or two, like this poem for Clora by Professor McNair We like his panache whatever that it is. Did I say we? There I go again. There are just Tigger and me and these chickens.

We have decided, Tigger and I, that you want more music from more of the ladies in  this  blog starring  women featured in THE GIRLS IN THE BAND.

The Girls in the Band
 
Produced by Judy Chaikin, Michael Greene, Nancy Kissock. Executive producer, Greene. Co-producer, Hugh M. Hefner. Directed by Judy Chaikin. Written by Chaikin, Edward Osei-Gyimah

 

david michael jackson july 19,2012 editors@artvilla.com send caramel kisses

Right Like It Is

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Right Like it Is

Buy Right Like It Is  on Google Play

Yes it is the most unnoticed album in the history of albums. Too bad the guys only did one album because these instrumentals are special.

“Dreamy new age guitar noodlings go with rainy days and cafes better than umbrellas and lattes.”
……Nick Dedina Listen.com

 

Thanks Nick but a lot of good it did. This is one of my albums. It’s one of those to throw against the wall in my angst.  You know, one of those times where you really thought the world should beat its way to the door but that’s not how it ends. Time just goes by and so many albums are lost because they were published. All most hear, or will ever hear are clips. Putting it up for sale is very much like hiding the candle until someone pays to see the light. If no one ever pays, then no one ever sees the light.

It  “don’t matter anyway”. I’m singing in the wilderness of a billion websites. Here I’ll knock down this tree, see if it makes a sound. Ain’t nobody out there but them chickens and they’s eatin’ corn. Quit whining and get back to work, Jackson.

 

Right Like it Is Concert

 

There were times when

cliche wasn’t necessary when

the music flowed like a

winter stream

through the snow,

like water flowing over rocks

in a tiny nook

near a spring.

There are times when

the air vibrates and

times when it does not

silence is golden

only because the

bird sings.

 

david michael jackson     july 16, 2012   editors@artvilla.com    send Gandhi

Marian McPartland, Benny Carter, Harry Sweets Edison, Al Grey, Louie Bellson, Milt Hinton Jam

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On Green Dolphin Street

Marian McPartland on piano
on alto, Benny Carter
on trumpet, Harry Sweets Edison
Al Grey on trombone

Milt Hinton on bass and
Louie Bellson on drums.
This was recorded in Vienna in Austria in 1991. Our latest entries about Marian McPartland

Buy at Google Play

Marian McPartland   Benny Carter  Sweets Edison   Al Grey    Milt Hinton   Louie Bellson

This is one great jam. These artists are so relaxed with each other and no one is showboating. I love this about jazz. This:

Everybody gets their say, their turn, yet they all spend most of the time in a supporting role. It is a lesson in humility and respect for each other.

That’s when art sneaks out
and grabs you,
doesn’t it?
Grabs you and says,
hey this is
beautiful
these sounds
they go out
into this air
this air I breathe
these sounds they go out
and disappear like
yesterday’s flower

david michael jackson on internet editors@artvilla.com send more

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi India Splendor

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If you have Netflix then check out this movie
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

It’s sweet to see a love story again. A deception. You know all along he will be found out. Beautiful scenes of India, a look at culture, songs, and love.

It’s really cool to review only the ones you like. Those who do this for a living have to bring tiny scalpels. They know more stuff than I. Also I’m late. My cat ate my review and I had to……..it’s a long story.

The header is good, the music is great, I watch the credits like I do with the good ones. Here is a quote:

“Oh God why do you add spice to our sugar sweet love story?”

…or something like that. …bloggers do extensive research. Everyone knows that.

It’s just about the best sugar sweet love story with spice I’ve seen in a while. Don’t worry Aunt Grace they put the words on the screen so ya’ll kin see what they are a sayin’

This little video clip strikes a pose for the movie. An artistic pose. Is it a conflict between the new and the old as well as a conflict between western culture and other cultures. Is it tradition itself versus Brando and Dean? Is it a cliche’. Yes and it’s, well it’s,

It’s a walloping good story with great music. That’s what it is.  A story where you love these people not these characters. Yeah I got a sweet tooth mama!

I can accept the glasses hiding Superman’s identity, the mask for others. There are great films where we can set reason aside. Superman puts on the glasses, Lois Lane can’t tell it’s him.  With most movies we don’t accept such things, we point them out. With great movies we accept anything they say. We leap gladly.

In Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi we accept gladly a lady who does not recognize her husband without a mustache. We accept it gladly, as gladly as Superman’s glasses, Zorro’s mask. It’s the great story overcoming the details. The drab conventional husband becomes the cool lover guy at his wife’s dance class. She ultimately has to choose.

I love a good cliche’. Somebody spent some big money to make a splendor of color and culture. This movie seems so close to failure that it succeeds wonderfully.

Oh my goodness Aunt Grace

Let’s cook.

 

 

david michael jackson july 2, 2012  editors@artvilla.com   send onions