Analog Spirit Quest Vol 1 by The Brothers Nylon & MK

My good friend, bandmate and neighbor Michael Kammers of MK Groove Orchestra swung by with his lady friend Amy Pace a few weeks back bringing four records to swap plus one of his for good measure.  

Michael is a mindblowing musician/composer who I've had the pleasure of saxing it up with in many projects and whose rockin' funk spacey big band MK Groove Orchestra, a 14 piece band which he leads and which plays dozens of his original compositions as well as awesome rearrangements of some of his cool favorites just got signed to Ropeadope Records, who have released the entire Michael Kammers back catalog, including the Abacus album by his math rock band, which is the bonus record he brought over for me.  Easy listening it's not, but for those times I just want to listen to something sick, smart and ultra stimulating, I look forward to taking it for a spin on the RCA Victor.  

The other four records which the two of them handed over included not one, but two records I already have.  This in itself was an anomaly, since it was the first time I'd received any duplicates; if that wasn't duplicitous enough the pair, on going through my shelves and picking out whatever they fancied managed to choose a record to take of which I had two copies!  By this time, having listened to two sides of Abacus, which made up just 20% of the records they brought, I started to feel like I was living in an algebraic equation.   5-4-4, 2x2 + 2x2 4 1x2 + 3x1.  Etc. Etc.  

Of the four they brought, one, which was not a duplicate, was in fact a double.  I was very pleased to have for the first time in my collection a copy of the WATTSTAX: The Living Word album.  I recently saw the movie again in the cinema with my boyfriend who was actually there (!!) and whose picture is hidden inside the gatefold, adding untold sentimental value to the new acquisition and qualifying it for the extremely limited not up for grabs shelf.   The music is, of course, also fantastic with great performances from Isaac Hayes, Albert King, The Staple Singers, Eddie Floyd and The Barkays from the amazing historic concert attended by over 100,000 people and for which tickets were only $1.  If you've never seen the WATTSTAX movie from which this double album showcases just snippets of the music performed that day, I highly recommend it.  

The other non-duplicate record was a little bit country .... well, actually more than a little bit.  Any record by Loretta Lynn that I've ever heard, and I've heard quite a few, has been completely nothing but country, and Amy, who hails from Louisiana via Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee and who I'd say is more than a little bit country herself chose Entertainer of the Year by Loretta Lynn featuring Rated X to bring along.  I've been half listening to it all morning and without ACTUALLY listening, I know these songs with titles such as Hanky Panky Woman, Ruby, Madge & Mable and Til The Pain Wears Out The Shame are all about extra marital sex and drinking.  They sound so good I really almost don't care what they're about.  Being basically a "lyrics are secondary" kind of music fan, Loretta's voice sounds like a magical perfect honey dripping instrument let loose over the lush, classic arrangements of her producer Owen Bradley on this collection from the golden age of country music.  I have to say, I'm a little bit country myself. 

More than that, I'm a Motown nut and in particular I could almost safely say that Diana Ross & The Supremes are my absolute favorites.  The Diana Ross & The Supremes Greatest Hits LP which MK and Amy brought -- another double album (and also a duplicate!), with 4 sides of 5 songs a piece, adding up to 20 actual hits, in my opinion some of the greatest hits of all time.  Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart, You Can't Hurry Love, Love Is Here But Now You're Gone, You Keep Me Hanging On, I Hear A Symphony, My World Is Empty Without You .... so many hits!  So many amazing pop songs!  Even my original copy of this double album is duplicitous since I have lots of Supremes in my collection and of course on my "device" - I've been playing these songs on bari sax for years purely for my own enjoyment.  It is my hope that some record swapper will pick up one these albums and can similarly catch the Supremes groove and enjoy the glamorous cover art.  

The fourth album brought by Amy & MK was a duplicate but not a double.  Let's Dance by David Bowie ... surprising that I had it in the first place but interesting in its generational appeal; growing up in the golden age of country which was also the golden age of radio pop, I enjoyed cuts from Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust and Young Americans on mainstream radio and TV ... by the time I was a snobby older teen and Mr. Bowie came out with Let's Dance in 1981, my punk rock know it all ass thought he'd lost the plot.  However, as I listen as I write, because after all what could this project be about if not listening to records, I'm realizing that Let's Dance is as excellent as anything I'd expect from the masterful Bowie genius and that my original beef with the record was probably based in the mire of me finding it "too mainstream", "too upbeat", "too slick", etc.  Whatever -- it's fucking great, and clearly powerful enough to have penetrated my mind since I'm completely singing along to Modern Love which obviously insinuated into my psyche despite my resistance over 3 decades ago.  One of the lovelier things about growing older is revisiting things and discovered what once bored or grossed you out is now perfectly enjoyable.  As a youth I was snotty over the version of China Girl on this record, probably opining that Bowie had murdered the brainchild of his friend Iggy Pop.  Listening now I'm marveling at how he improved upon it!  Not really, but it's a fine version and homage which I'm sure was executed lovingly.  

Really, one of the things I love about having started Bring A Record Take A Record is thinking about musical taste and identity ... thinking of how I've used my taste in music over my life as a vehicle for self expression.  It's also fascinating to observe this in all the people who've come -- I love seeing what they bring and what they're attracted to in my collection.  And what I've learned in this case is that I've had a perfectly enjoyable David Bowie album sitting collecting dust on my shelf for years and have been carrying around an outdated feeling of aversion unnecessarily.  I'm now thrilled to own this LP and also to have one to spare for the person who feels they'd like to take it home with them.  

So thanks x 4 to MK & Amy!  

The Voodoo Orchestra is returning to Club Helsinki tonight (Monday 23 Sept) playing the music of Miles Davis's Bitches Brew.

It's been a couple of weeks, and while the core of the group is the same we've actually EXPANDED the lineup - tonight we're welcoming new members Tony Jarvis on bass clarinet, Ben Senterfit on saxophone, Peter Wise on percussion, and Tony Kieraldo on keyboards! 

Besides myself, other performers include: Bobby Previte, Marco Benevento, Mike Kammers, Terence Murren, Dave Dreiwitz, and Jonathan Talbott!

This is some of the most exciting music I've ever made - make sure to come check it out!

8pm 

$5 adv/$7 door

Club Helsinki

405 Columbia St

Hi everyone,

Thanks to everyone who came out last Monday for the debut performance of Bobby Previte's Voodoo Orchestra North. We had a great time making music for all of you and are so appreciative of the overwhelmingly positive response you gave us!

Well, we're doing it again tonight (Monday 26 August)! We hope to do this again from time to time, but this is our last scheduled performance at this point, so if you enjoyed the set last week or if you missed it but wanted to check it out this will be your last chance for a while.  

Like last week we'll mostly be performing the music Miles Davis's Bitches Brew although we have a couple other tunes we might throw in tonight.

The group is comprised of incredible musicians: Bobby Previte, Adam Schatz, Michael Kammers, Mike Gamble, Jonathan Talbott, Marco Benevento, Terence Murren, and Dave Dreiwitz are also in the band!

The performance is at Club Helsinki, 405 Columbia Street. 8pm. $5 advance/$7 door.

I'm very excited about this! I'll be playing drums & percussion tonight (Monday August 19th) with Bobby Previte's Voodoo Orchestra North, performing the music of Miles Davis's Bitches Brew. 

The group is comprised of incredible musicians: Bobby Previte, Marty Ehrlich, Michael Kammers, Jonathan Talbott, Mike Gamble, Marco Benevento, Terence Murren, and Dave Dreiwitz are also in the band!