Have you ever tried to purchase a music video featuring a Blues artist? Last night, I googled and amazoned my way through a host of sites that claimed to sell Blues music videos. I couldn’t find a single one. I found Blues Cd’s and Rock music videos, but no DVDs headlining Blues artists. Maybe they are out there, but if they are, they are hard to find.
Guess what? EC Scott through her production company ECS Productions is going to change all that. Last night, Sunday, February 22, 2009, ECS Productions and the Mid-peninsula Media Center hosted a blockbuster Video Screening Party to honor the debut of three music videos. The Media Center studio was jammed with Bay Area and International Blues greats gathered to honor this great moment in Blues History. EC Scott wants to shake off any notion that the Blues is not a current force in American music. EC Scott wants the world to know that the Blues is constantly evolving and changing and modernizing! But if not everyone can make it to clubs, how will they ever see and hear the new face of the Blues? By watching music videos that are distributed via the web/TV/radio convergence!. Ms. Scott pioneered the use of blues music clips in her groundbreaking Cable Access Show produced here at the Media Center, the Jook Joint, which is shown on hundreds of Cable Access stations across the nation. Ms. Scott has taken the concept one step further by producing music videos through her production company. She rolled out three videos to the audience at the Media Center in what turned out to be not only a “movie” premiere, but also a dinner party, jam session and overall Blues love fest. If we could have harnessed the energy in the studio last night, we could have powered the mid-peninsula for a year.
The evening began with a red carpet reception and press interviews. EC Scott will be sharing these interviews in upcoming segments of the Jook Joint. We enjoyed a catered dinner before Blues DJ Noel Hayes of KPOO radio, the Master of Ceremonies convened the Blues meeting for us. Gospel diva Freda Mitchell kicked things off with her rousing “Go Run and Tell.” She sings as if you are the only person in the room. That’s how personal her sound is. And then some light speech-making by ECS Productions Vice President Greg Mitchell and Ms. Scott herself. Among those credited for making these music videos possible were MC Production manager Karen Adams and long time MC volunteers Dan Beaulieu and Steve Hall.
Two of the three videos screened were pretty straight ahead productions of blues artists performing their signature songs. Contemporary blues soloist Robin Rogers performance of her great single “Moan” was a great vehicle for Ms. Rogers steamy performance. A band video featuring the Jackie Payne/Steve Edmonson band was up next with “Overnight Sensation.” Mr. Payne’s incredible singing story-telling was just up-out-your- chair entertainment at its best and Mr. Edmonson’s Blues guitar riveting. The headliner video of the evening was Ronnie Baker Brooks’ “Love Again”. Juxtaposing clips of Ronnie’s singing in a club after hours with clips of the sultry story behind his journey back from a broken heart, the LOVE AGAIN video succeeds both in telling a great story visually and in showcasing the amazing talent of this Chicago-based blues-man.
The three videos were received with thunderous applause, but the evening did not end there. What followed was music offered by EC Scott’s band SMOKE, including drummer Don Thomas, guitarist Bill Ireton and bassist Jay “Geech” Goudeau. Amazing is all I can say about these guys. Audio was provided by sound engineer Kirk Williams who uses the largest Bose speakers I have ever seen and no monitors! Amazing sound. Once Smoke got the place warmed up it was a Who’s Who of Blues just parading up to perform for the enthusiastic crowd.
In no particular order, members of the jazz community who performed included: Jackie Payne and Steve Edmonson. Jackie wore red, Steve lavender and the sound was Bright Blues!
Sonny Rhodes came down from Reno and gave us a set of his particular brand of Texas blues.
Craig Horton stopped in from Oakland and gave us his specialty blend of Blues with an R&B, jazz and rock and roll twist.
Keyboard legend Bobby Alexis who played with Albert Collins and his Icebreakers for almost thirty years sat down and practically ripped the keys off their stand.
West coast blues queen, our own San Francisco based Barbara Gainer.
Also the Media Center’s own volunteer Eric Baker even took a turn at the keyboards as well.
I heard someone say the Legget Brothers were in the house? Did anyone see them?
Ronnie Baker Brooks took center stage to play several of his original songs that have his unique Chicago twist of funk, soul and blues all rolled. He is truly a crossover artist, able to attract a broader audience and young recruits by playing the traditional Blues in a new way. And anybody who has ever seen him play the guitar with his tongue, well, it’s worth a second look.
And then Ms. Scott herself took the stage and delighted us with her combination of 90s funk and traditional gospel and blues. The crowd was on its feet more than once last night as the Media Center blues jam lasted well beyond closing night. Also of note in the house were several significant figures in the local blues scene:
Velma Landers, owner and operator of San Francisco blues destination club Velma’s, attended and spoke briefly. She has started a Music Mentoring Program to enlist local blues artists to teach their craft to the younger generation. Kids can no longer sneak into clubs like they did in the old days and hear the greats — which is how so many of today’s artists got their start — hearing the greats of previous generations play in clubs. She is changing the Blues world by pairing young people with artists. She says each new success makes her more daring. Truly a visionary lady.
Another visionary, Steven Suen and his wife Tina Zhou were in the house. Without his intervention, San Francisco might well have lost a premier Blues night club. Steven spoke briefly as well. He has owned and operated Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco for three years. Prior to his acquisition of the club, a series of management changes had pretty much left the club dying on the vine. Steven, a native of Hong Kong and lover of the Blues, painstakingly rebuilt the club with the encouragement and support of his wife. Now the club is thriving once again.
Also spotted in the room was Vince Caminiti. He presides over a most touted blues jam over at the Little fox.
There are a dozen people I am not paying the proper homage to. There were dozens of beautifully clad ladies as well as silk-suited and finely-”haberdashed” gentlemen. Many of the cast members of the LOVE AGAIN video were there. I wished I could have talked to them all. It was a great night for the Media Center, a great night for Ms. Scott and her family of friends and colleagues, but above all it was a great night for the Blues.
Woody Guthrie’s “machine kills fascists.” “This machine kills hipsters” is just one of the phrases Nik Bartunek has graffiti-ed onto one of the two acoustic guitars he plays as lead vocal and principal songwriter with the band Picture Atlantic. The five member seriously Indie band were guests on American Songwriter at the Media Center in Palo Alto, Friday, February 20, 2009. If their music kills hipsters, it delights, entertains and astounds the rest of us. They played an “acoustic” style set of five of their original songs from KLEOS, their 14 cut record. We were really lucky to snag Picture Atlantic because they embark on a one month tour of the west coast and the interior western states tomorrow.
Their music is NOT easy to pigeonhole. They combine electric, acoustic and synthesized instruments to create a highly-produced, natural sound LIVE! No one band member puts his instrument before the others, so there is this gorgeous ocean of music to swim in. Add to that, Nik’s incredibly versatile vocal range of expression including a lush falsetto that would make an angel weep, and you can be swept away. Yes, their music is that good!
Highlights for me – Watching Nik perform is sometimes like watching a play. He delivers each song with satisfying emotional force. There is great depth to his lyrics. Often drawing on mythological and literary allusions to fill out very personal meanings to his song, Nik’s lyrics are truly poetic and at times painfully beautiful. Brian Graves on keys brings a harmonium into the mix and wow, a harmonium really is a rock instrument. Brian’s address of the harmonium adds an entirely new mellifluous texture that melds well with the band. Rico Rodriguez on drums, Ryan Blair on bass and Patrick Chu on lead guitar all blend perfectly to create a rich sound tapestry. No one’s taking solos, but the bottom might drop out of the full band arrangement and we’re left with a single instrument or a duet or a trio that really matches the lyrics or the theme.
Each song’s melodies, arrangements, lyrics, tone and texture are consistent and integrated. In my listening experience, it is rare for a young band to get there so fast. The Greek word KLEOS means something along the lines of pride and glory, particularly that by which one will be remembered. Picture Atlantic has given us a fresh and differentiated sound that can’t be forgotten.
Picture Atlantic on American Songwriter will debut on Friday, February 27 at 9 pm on Comcast Channel 27 in the Midpeninsula service areas of Atherton, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Stanford. The show can be watched simulcast at www.midpenmedia.org. The show will repeat the following Wednesday at 9 pm. Additional playbacks can be found on the schedule page at www.midpenmedia.org. Finally! We will be loading the show to blip at keylargomusic.blip.tv. Watch Picture Atlantic and our prior shows on Blip.
Last night I checked out the inaugural band night at the Study at the Almaden Community Center at 6445 Camden Avenue in San Jose. I was so impressed with what the staff at the Community Center were doing I wrote a separate blog about the venue. Please check that out.
Five bands played between 6:30 and 10 p.m. with headliner Picture Atlantic being the closer.
New acoustic band Today in Paradise (mypace.com/tipinsanjose) played first. I liked the trio’s simple, open sound. They just started up. They have had three rehearsals and the lead vocalist/guitarist Derek Post has written a handful of songs. They were worth listening to for sure, and I’ll be watching their development.
Second in the line-up was “I The MIGHTY”, an acoustic-tinged rock-band. This five piece band has it all — great melodies, lyrics that take you some place, interesting arrangements of their original songs, with lead vocalist/songwriter Brent meshing well with the back-up vocals. Solid and entertaining but not at the top of their game yet — which is great, because they are so good already with the best yet to come? Definitely catch them.
Dizzy Balloon was up next. What can I say about these guys? They are just HAPPY and you can’t help but be happy, grinning ear to ear with them. Even when their songs embrace downer themes (that’s how life is, right?) they have a bounce-back knack, which is why their band name is so appropriate (I first saw them at the Cafe du Nord where they won the Live 105 Band Competition.) High energy, great singable melodies that invite you to sing along, and unusual arrangements that build on old styles in a new way, and tight tight tight. Solid musicianship. There is no way you can be that good and not work hard. It takes hard work to make it look easy. When you’re that sure of your craft, you can kick back and have fun — which they really really do.
Now the band that I didn’t get 100%, not gonna lie, was Sky Highway. I like what I hear on their myspace page. And they sang some good solid songs for us last night. But the performance felt a tad uneven to me. The front man Kylee brought his girlfriend up on stage and sang to her for Valentine’s Day which was nice, but then he broke off in the middle of the song to ask people in the front to stop talking. I couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking. Overlooking a stage persona I couldn’t quite understand, I enjoyed seeing four guitars lined up in a row and rocking out. The solid drummer tied it all together and provided back up vocals. I’ll definitely be seeing these guys again.
The headliner of the night, Picture Atlantic, which co-incidentally, will be guests on the next taping of American Songwriter this Friday, February 20, was far away the strongest Indie band of the evening. It’s a taste thing, I know, so it’s nothing off the other bands. For me, the startlingly fresh arrangements of original songs kept me engaged and I was surprised when their forty-minute set was over so soon. Songwriter/vocalist/acoustic guitarist Nik has an amazing voice that quickly shifts mood and tone. His lush falsetto is captivating and takes the band’s songs to an entirely different level. Not always the case with other singers, every note Nik sang rang true. Spot on perfect pitch. Every band member is strong in his own right and each adds texture to the arrangements to bring the songs forward off the stage and into the room. Intricate and fascinating keyboard parts, solid rhythm section and judicious use of the solo acoustic guitar all contributed to the tight clean sculpted sound of Picture Atlantic.
One final note: my hat’s off to the organizers of the evening Brandon Kwock of the City of San Jose’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services and Bryce Freeman of Slacker Boy Productions. They put together a show of bands that meshed well together but were entirely different, something for everyone who loves indie music.
And I always like to see who is there supporting other bands. Erin Keely of Please Do Not Fight, Kevin of Westwood and Willow in his signature striped knit cap, as well as singer/songwriter Vincent Do were there to cheer on the bands.
Check out Erin Keely’s Valentine video blog of the evening.
www.myspace.com/pleasedonotfight
Last night, I dropped by the Almaden Community Center on Camden Avenue last night to catch the indie band show I’d heard about. The center provides a clean, well-lighted space for kids. I learned that last night was the center’s first band night. I asked around, and found out that the show was produced by Brandon Kwock. Brandon is a youth coordinator for the City of San Jose’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS). I got to meet Brandon. Brandon is an energetic, dynamic visionary. I could easily see him in a high tech start-up, but I get that his passion is keeping kids engaged and safe. Brandon’s vision is to produce two shows a month for the underage to hear great music, dance a little, and have a safe, good time.
As with every government agency in California, money’s tight at the PRNS. In order to be viable, Brandon has to demonstrate his program won’t lose money. He thinks he made it by the skin of his teeth last night with about 175 kids coming. He hopes that by publicizing the show and drawing on the amazing talent of bands we have here in the Bay Area he can keep this great program running.
To that end he’s brought in another young visionary, Bryce Freeman of Slacker Boy Productions. Bryce put together the band line-up and found Josh Roman to run the audio board. It’s all very new as they were setting up and tinkering with the audio a bit. But the space has great acoustics and they worked hard to iron out the kinks and give the kids a great show. Kids will take themselves seriously if the adults around them take them seriously, right? The production team demonstrated a real commitment to the youth of the city by the quality of the show they delivered.
As a fan of the local indie scene, I commend Brandon and Bryce for putting the show on and tapping into the rich community of bands. The show meets a real and present need for our young people to have a welcoming place to meet up.
In addition to being funded by the PRNS, the show and the concept behind the show could be held up as a model for other Parks and Recreational Services in the Bay Area. Bands are looking for venues and a way to build their fan base. Kids love to support local bands. Wouldn’t it be cool if the Parks and Recreational Services networked, so that bands could go on tour in playing at all the Community Centers?
Right now, Brandon’s got his hands full just launching the Band Nights at the Almaden Community Center. Way to go, Brandon. I applaud you and really hope you get the funding you need to keep this great program going.
Eighth-grader, Matt Jaffe, our youngest guest thus far, appeared on AMERICAN SONGWRITER February 3, 2009. Playing the guitar, Matt sang 5 original songs: Sitting Ducks, When You Can’t Walk in a Straight Line, Scientific Reasoning, Speechless, and Realizations. We asked Matt to join us after hearing him at the West Coast Songwriters Song Competition held at the Freight and Salvage in Oakland last October. He won best song that night with Speechless.
AT 13, Matt is quite a musical phenomenon. He has played violin since he was five. He taught himself the guitar a few years ago; he also plays the mandolin and the piano. He has a clear, mellifluous voice and has a keen enough understanding of human nature to write lyrics worth listening to. As I said, “phenomenal.” He is so natural and easy-going, however, that it’s easy to see that being phenomenal is not his goal. All the wows and ooos fade fast against the backdrop of interesting melodies with great twists, thought-provoking lyrics and flat-out terrific finger-work on the guitar. This young man is entertaining as well as gifted. And he is so earnest, that he can really put over his songs (and the covers he does on occasion as well.) On the guitar, he plays very challenging riffs that he has created for himself with youthful vitality yet mature expression. His guitar performances are already masterful and riveting.
His themes touch on environmental issues a little in Sitting Ducks and a lot in “Scientific Reasoning” where a lyric runs “scientists change their hypotheses so they’re always right” and an implication at the end of the song that only the planet is doing scientific reasoning. In “Speechless”, a song about someone hit hard by life not working out, Matt sings, “you end up where you started from, just because you tried to get ahead.” “When you Can’t Walk in a Straight Line” is about someone who’s life is so directionless and meaningless they’ve lost their bearings. I had a lot of fun deciphering Matt’s sometimes-cryptic lyrics and listening to others thinking, “Yeah, I get that, but how did he know that?”
When he mentioned his parents never had the TV on, that he reads the paper, that he didn’t really play video games and that he liked listening to Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Django Reinhardt and the Waybacks, to name just a few; and that he liked David Byrne from his Talking Heads days right through to Byrne’s recent work with Brian Eno, I said to myself, “AHA!” Maybe this guy is phenomenal for a reason — he’s been given a great chance to explore his interests and creativity without all the electronic distractions we can’t live without. Or to turn that around, every kid, if given the chance, might be phenomenal in some way unique to him or her.
Clearly, Matt is a naturally-talented, gifted musician. He is very upfront about his aspirations. He knows it’s not an easy life – choosing music as a career. On the other hand, he can’t imagine a life without music. I’m glad for that!
