Thursday, December 28, 2006
James Joseph Brown Jr.
May 3, 1933 or 1928 - December 25, 2006
"I got seventh-grade education but I have a doctorate in funk,
And I'd like to put that to good use.
When I'm on stage, I'm trying to do one thing: bring people joy.
Just like church does.
People don' go to church to find trouble, they go there to lose it.
The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing."
What more can be said of this man? Godfather of Soul, Soul Brother #1, Superbad, Sex Machine, - the man, music, and style affected my taste in music and way of playing. For me, being a bassist in a funk band was like lead guitar in a power trio. Whew!
One of my favorite memories of seeing JB was at the Montreal Jazz Fest in '97. A coincidence he happened to be playing, since I thought funky James Brown was anything but jazz. The moves and groove that he still had was amazing. 60+? An aspiration at any age.
JB - R.I.P.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Noodling at Beckett's
Attended Beckett's in Berkeley to see Marky and his brother's band play.
A four piece band with guitar, bass, drums, and percussion. "The Noodlers" is a good name.
Not a bad good time hippee stoner jam band.
I thought they were good for what they are - an improv experience, not in-your-face music.
Man, those guys seriously went on some extendo-jams. I mean, when do they take breaks? One ten minute song/jam just seemed to melt into another, a next thing you know two hours had slipped by. Melty! Kind of had a Widespread Panic kind of sound. Markys guitar was definitely noodlastic and the drums and bass kept the groove going, with the congas adding flavor to the mix. The need for quality lead vocals is apparent, since neither Mark or his brother had very strong vocals and the need for a good sound guy to to mix vocals (which sounded muddy) and mic the congas (which I could barely hear). A good sound mix always makes a band sound better, and the Noodlers needed one. Everyone in the audience seemed to be enjoying the music. Beckett's is a nice place to see a show.
A four piece band with guitar, bass, drums, and percussion. "The Noodlers" is a good name.
Not a bad good time hippee stoner jam band.
I thought they were good for what they are - an improv experience, not in-your-face music.
Man, those guys seriously went on some extendo-jams. I mean, when do they take breaks? One ten minute song/jam just seemed to melt into another, a next thing you know two hours had slipped by. Melty! Kind of had a Widespread Panic kind of sound. Markys guitar was definitely noodlastic and the drums and bass kept the groove going, with the congas adding flavor to the mix. The need for quality lead vocals is apparent, since neither Mark or his brother had very strong vocals and the need for a good sound guy to to mix vocals (which sounded muddy) and mic the congas (which I could barely hear). A good sound mix always makes a band sound better, and the Noodlers needed one. Everyone in the audience seemed to be enjoying the music. Beckett's is a nice place to see a show.
