I hope you get this album because it is DYN-O-MITE!

Here's my review on Avant Music News:

http://avantmusicnews.com/2014/09/23/amn-reviews-apocryphal-in-new-york-sept-18-2014/

PHOTOGRAPH BY Michelle Arcila

http://www.michellearcila.net

Rivertowns Jazz Blog Captured by Robots!

Slowly but surely I am finding the Rivertowns Jazz Blog content I created. For now, I am just linking until I have time to re-do it all. I am thankful I am not completely DE-indexed from Google, but I am confused about the Patch and curious as to why the new owners have approached the situation this way.

I created something cool and involved that benefitted many people, including the Patch. To have it all just DISAPPEAR overnight like that...well, it is just confusing, to say the least.

I'm not sure people realize how many hours and hours and hours it takes to put something like this together....

Thank you for your patience. The links I've found so far are below. It doesn't look like any of the video carried over....

--Monique

INTERVIEW WITH DONTAE WINSLOW

http://patch.com/new-york/rivertowns/monique-interviews-musician-dontae-winslow--prefield-trip-content-as-we-get-ready-for-his-show-on-feb-18th-at-iridium-nyc#.VBQydlZVnKg


PEACE CIRCLES

http://patch.com/new-york/rivertowns/circles-of-peace-and-poems-that-make-soldiers-drop-their-weapons#.VBQzHVZVnKg


BLUES MOTHERS

http://patch.com/new-york/rivertowns/the-blues-mothers-and-womens-history-sunday#.VApxw1b5bKg


JULIUS RODRIGUEZ

http://patch.com/new-york/rivertowns/congratulations-julius-rodriguez--finalist-jazz-2014-youngarts#.VBQ-bVZVnKg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4hii5d7qPDc


DAVID JANEWAY

Hastings Jazz Collective

Review of Live Show at the Hastings Unitarian Society, April 27, 2013

by

Monique Avakian

You know, I got to go to church the other day in another way: through music. Specifically, jazz. Intentionally: Hastings.

I love Hastings. So many creative people live there. And the arts are really supported. You can go hear the Hastings Jazz Collective almost every Friday night at the Station Café for a donation. Plus, if you’re so inclined, these generous professionals open up the mic for improvisers to jam with them! Their generosity and good will are to be treasured!

Anyway, I wanted to write a little something about this particular show at the Unitarian Society because the musicians’ choices of tunes and arrangements were very thoughtful. Each song had a bluesy~gospel root and that made for a really enjoyable and threaded exploration. The standards and originals included Oscar Pettiford’s Laverne Walk, Kenny Wheeler’s Mark Time and Kenny Baron’s Voyage.

And this particular evening (part of the Common Ground Community Concerts series), each player took long, long solos. Each and every time. These cats got into it!

Ron Vincent on Drums:

If you’re ever in a bad mood and want to snap out of it, just imagine Ron’s face while he’s playing. He is so in touch with the joy of jazz, it is absolutely infectious. And as a player, he is constantly evolving.  He’s got the softest bass drum EVER and makes these Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em hits INSIDE a smooth ride feel that is so clean and free. He’s not afraid to get involved with the toms either, and he has this arresting slight drop~out~of~time feel at choice moments that’s simply magnetic. His arrangement of “Pick Yourself Up” was intriguing, especially when he went into a sudden Latin feel and then traded 4’s with himself rhythmically! I never heard a drummer do that before – too cool!

David Janeway on Keys:

David is not afraid to experiment in the moment and has a range of technique that allows him to test the waters fearlessly. And even though he can be as avant as the next guy, he chooses to go there just slightly. This is really effective and wonderful for listeners, because you don’t get lost or confused or exhausted. Yet, you are encouraged to evolve in your understanding of the complexity that is so attractive about jazz. David, too, is constantly evolving, and I have never heard one player have so many different ways of texturizing with arpeggios, tremolos, little endearing Monk-like tinkles, and soulful and inventive chord voicings. Completely relaxed, yet with appropriate authority, Mr. Janeway very much embodies the phrase: “Yours Truly.”

Tim Armacost on Sax:

Though his solos can be sweet and lilting, Armacost always has a good slab of grease on it. He’s got awesome lung power and this subtle feel~great vibrato sound which he sometimes offers at the end of an excursion. Armacost’s tone is especially warm way down low, but the man covers a lot of interesting territory all the way up and down the register.

Frank Tate on Bass:

Solid. Relaxed. Accomplished. This is a player that can be relied upon to respond to anything. Tate’s lead on their version of Willow Weep for Me on this particular evening was especially grand and meditative.

Check them out! At the Station Café, The Hastings Jazz Collective is often joined by Jay Azzolina on guitar, various bass players and all kinds of special guests. It’s a great hang.

VIDEO TASTE:

http://youtu.be/r2lu8Kp2A70

Hastings Station Café:  914-693-3175

Hastings Jazz Collective: http://www.hastingsjazzcollective.com/index

Monique’s other site: http://5over4.blogspot.com/

Avant Jazz: http://www.freejazzblog.org/

Jazz Times: http://jazztimes.com/contributors/31232-monique-avakian

Common Ground Community Concerts: http://commongroundfusw.com/

Winged: New Writing on Bees

CLICK HERE FOR MY POEM INCANTO INCOGNITO plus:   Winged: New Writing on Bees

I am pleased to announce that Winged has posted my poem and prose explanation about how the improvised music of this trio lifted me into BEE consciousness ! :

Ellery Eskelin     tenor sax    http://home.earthlink.net/~eskelin/Site/Ellery%20Eskelin.html

Susan Alcorn     pedal steel guitar       http://www.susanalcorn.net

Michael Formanek    upright bass  http://www.amibotheringyou.com

Their CD is available here:    http://www.discogs.com/Ellery-Eskelin-Susan-Alcorn-Michael-Formanek-Mirage/release/5029698

http://winged175.rssing.com/browser.php?indx=26979958&item=33

Show less

Winged: New Writing on Bees

winged175.rssing.com

Greasers in Greece: "It's Wild! It's Out-O-Sight!"

Review
     

As the debt ceiling continues to crash into the Government Shutdown, one wonders, why, again, this game of chicken?

As with other questions involving the paradoxical Chicken with a capital C, there are no easy answers.

Throughout history, this urge to win while risking suicide has motivated and amused countless hordes of dim-wits hell-bent on passing the time counter-productively. One could argue that war in general falls into the same category, actually, leading the baffled individual contemplating the finer points of human history to stumble into rather uncomfortable terrain….

So, as in all pivotal moments within a narrative arc, one reaches for the smoke-bomb, eject button, vial of antidote, or any kind of non-descript device invented by a mad-scientist tortured by cross purposes and glasses too thick to actually see through. My personal diversion from the scene crumbling around me? The comics.

To wit: Greasers in Greece. This hilarious offering by publishers GryphonKnights Comics, just now hot off the press, reads like the comics I remember from earlier days. Complete with fan-art, pin-ups, and interesting bios written by the creators themselves, this book is a steal at $9.95.

Writer Dimitrios Fragiskatos and Illustrator Thomas J. Griffin (a dynamic duo eerily reminiscent of the creative team from Michael Chabon’s, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay), both steer clear of the mundane while firmly embracing the familiar.

And maybe that’s why this story is so engaging: we know exactly what’s going to happen. As in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and every episode of Lost in Space, Wayne’s World, or even Gilligan’s Island for that matter, the reader/viewer is enthralled by the comfort of paradox couched in the familiar brought to us by characters who make us laugh.

This comic is filled with visual puns, running jokes, socio-cultural asides and masterful allusions to all kinds of 20^th century archetypes and motifs. The lay-out is easy to read and the art is involving. Overall, Griffin’s style is quite kinetic. I especially love the cover, with the careening hot-rod and Roman Chariot animated by the Zombie-esque hand of a Devil-god emperor puppeteer (pulling invisible strings, of course).

Inside, my favorite visual moment rests with the three-panel page where the car is sent through time. We get to observe the inked observer aging and not-aging while the words and visuals break through the paper and literally into our hands. The effect is further echoed by the crazed chicken drawn in the bottom right-hand bottom corner, careening once more with a squawk into the lower levels of consciousness…

As for dealing with the usual paradoxes found in time-travel stories, for some reason, my brain is assuaged. Or perhaps massaged. Or, better yet, sealed in a warm bath of CO-Q10 and placed on a shelf to glow in perpetuity alongside Einstein’s.

How did Dimitrios pull this off? Usually, with time travel stories, you reach that moment where you’re like: ok: if the characters do X, then that changes history and then they wouldn’t exist and none of this would be happening anyway, and why did I just waste another 45 minutes of my one wild and precious life thinking along this frustrating and useless path of inquiry?

But this moment does not occur in Greasers in Greece. I am guessing it has to do with the motive and powers of the evil Devil-god emperor, but I won’t speak of it, as I don’t want to spoil the fun for you, dear Reader.

Short Video Interviews conducted at the book signing:

With Dimitrios Fragiskatos, Writer:

http://youtu.be/AJ9x4rZ4iXo

With Thomas J. Griffin, Artist:

http://youtu.be/I18jXsDtAtA

With Sean Griffin, Editor:

http://youtu.be/J4mejkDgcGI

Greasers in Greece. It’s wild! It’s out-o-sight!

Available now at Mid-Town Comics/Grand Central:

http://www.midtowncomics.com/info.asp?tour=grand-central

https://www.facebook.com/gryphonknights

* (this review is slated for publication at MacDuff NYC, but I am posting this until that transpires because this is really a great comic, and I thought you'd like to be in the know...)

The Larry Roland Trio -- Jazz and Poetry Review

Larry Roland of 

The Larry Roland Trio – Jazz and Poetry

            Live Show, Blue Door Gallery, Yonkers, October 19, 2013

            Review by Monique Avakian

It’s like a desert sometimes, this country and the lack of access to poetry. So when I find an oasis of sound play and thoughtful wondering, you better believe I am all over it. Apparently, a lot of people have a similar thirst, because every seat was taken!

On October 19th, listeners at Blue Door Gallery were treated to a spectacular evening of textural context quietly and powerfully forged. Through questions and musings posed by poetry and jazz, The Larry Roland Trio brought us metaphor, sound~play, analogies, improvisation, loving~kindness, socio-political awareness and intense groove. All the familiar jazz standards helped the listener absorb the novel words and experience of poetry and music combined. The group really carried this sub-genre to a deep, yet completely accessible level. The words truly functioned as another instrument within the group structure, and the musicians proved adept and responsive to one another in an authentic and enjoyable way. From the very beginning, the experience itself came to embody the poet’s quest--all of us “in search of hope” became part of the “continuous pursuit (that) manifests.”

Dwayne Cook Broadnax on drums had a very small ride cymbal on a very small kit—a thoughtful choice that fit the realities of the room. His style was very commanding, yet completely quiet. I would describe him as skilled at leading from the back, which is very hard to do when poetry is involved. Though the words are structured, Mr. Roland’s rhythms are always variable and completely live in the moment. Mr. Broadnax rose to the occasion, showing a quiet, restrained leadership while playing completely in-the-pocket throughout the evening.

Waldron Ricks, on trumpet, also complimented the group without dominating. Playing on a horn specially made by Dave Monette in Oregon, Mr. Rick’s sound was warm and embracing. His style enhanced the words and the music equally, and he was not afraid of space during solos. His horn was very vibrant even when still. The bell on this instrument seemed very unique; truly one-of-a-kind. I can’t get the look of the bell out of my mind! So symbolic of the quality of the evening, where the listener was drawn in and in and in…..

As for the poetry, sometimes spoken word is off-putting to some people as the “one-up-man-ship” involved in the competitive aspect takes away from the connection between poet and audience. None of that is part of Larry Roland’s universe, where generosity and gentleness embrace and engage the listener. The man is totally for real and seeks connection at all turns. The content of his poetry is direct, deep, serious and well-crafted. Mr. Roland often writes about family and friends, with themes situated within a socio-historical context as well as the larger philosophical questions germane to the human condition. I think Larry Roland is especially powerful precisely because he asks a lot of questions. He takes you on a thoughtful journey that leaves you in a place of reverence for life. Larry Roland (who also plays bass) is a philosopher for Every Man.

After the program, as the large crowd spilled into the street, I was struck by the vibe carried forth by the people, who were clearly buoyed and sustained by the experience. During the break, Mr. Roland had stated: “I’m just tryin’ to be a force for good, you know what I mean? That’s where I’m coming from.”

It was evident from the timbre of the listener’s voices, as well as from the word choice involved in their reactions, that The Larry Roland Trio had succeeded in transforming the people who had come to hear.

Next performance of poetry and jazz at Blue Door:

Nov. 22

7-9pm

The Jazz & Poetry Choir Collective

Michael TA Thompson (conductor)

Golda Solomon

E.J. Antonio

Will Connell, Jr.

Rosi Hertlein

Larry Roland

Physlisha Villanueva

Blue Door Gallery -- just a hop, skip and a jump down Warburton

http://bluedoorartcenter.org/gallery

Video by Ben Gerstein: Sunset, Bach chorale "O Große Lieb" (O Mighty Love), St. John Passion

The Sun Ra Arkestra - Angels and Demons

Greasers in Greece: Sean Griffin -- a Short Interview with Monique Avakian

Greasers in Greece Thomas J. Griffin - a Short Interview with Monique Av...

Greasers in Greece: Dimitrios Fragiskatos -- a Short Interview with Moni...

Red Baraat "Chaal Baby" live

Over at the Rivertowns Jazz Blog....Jazzy Field Trips for Writers

Check it out!

I'm not lying -- two friends have had similar experiences to mine:

We go listen to live jazz and the next thing we know, our writing skyrockets into new realms of delight!

Listening to CDs works, too, but it's not as visceral.

Highly recommended:  Cornelia Street Cafe in the Village. Any group you see there will likely inspire you!

Join us sometime, won't you?

(You don't even have to share what you write!)

http://rivertowns.patch.com/groups/rivertowns-jazz-blog-by-monique-avakian/p/jazz-field-trip-for-writers

David Ullmann Octet at I-Beam, Brooklyn

I started writing over here, too!

Check it out!

They like it short at MacDuff.

http://macduffnyc.com/listen-to-jazz-i-beam-brookyln/

Ellery Eskeling Trio New York II -- CD Review

Ellery Eskelin Trio New York II

            “A free approach to the Great American Songbook”

by Monique Avakian

If there is a band to check out in 2013, this is IT.

I’m tempted to stop right there, or at least toss in a spoiler alert. Half the grand delight of listening to this album is the process of discovery as you uncover the multi-layered subtlety of this group’s free, beyond~interpretative stance. Another tasty slice of major happiness derives from recovering your relationship with some kick-ass standards through this visceral free improv. The Ellery Eskelin New York Trio II embodies the ideal of the avant aesthetic: forward movement, deeply rooted, and set free with honest emotion.

Overall, I would describe this trio as precise, kinesthetically supple and incredibly feline. You may not know they’re in the room until you feel their whiskers, but they already know all about you and everything you dreamed of before breakfast.

On this album, you’ll be treated to three musicians who take their respective instruments each and together into the wild and unexpected.

http://youtu.be/3qAWabSGcuY

Gary Versace expresses feelings and thoughts with the Hammond B3 Organ in a way that is simply unprecedented. What a supercool style! During the first listen, I didn’t even know he was playing a B3; I thought he was playing multiple synthesizers and getting the sonic variety out of electronic dials and settings. In Versace’s words: (The organ is the) “first kind of real time synthesizer. You can change the sound as you’re playing, you can hold a note, there’s vibrato, there’s air moving through it…(and I can) change phrase lengths and chord lengths as I see fit.” (*)

Gerald Cleaver is one of those super highly evolved drummers who can play anything he needs to super soft. If you’ve ever been anywhere near a drum kit, you know how difficult that is. Cleaver takes this concept even further through his careful choices of not playing. Whoever heard of a drummer not playing ?!? Especially when you reach a technical level, like Cleaver, where you can pretty much play anything. You could learn a lot about musicianship by studying his choice of silence. In Cleaver’s words: “I try and swing and try to do the things that feel the best….the idea of swinging is one of connectedness and having a real affinity for the piece, whatever it is.” (*)

And Ellery Eskelin, ooooh! His work on the tenor sax (now playing a 1927 Conn.) is complex and experimental, yet completely engaging and intimate. Conceptually, he’s all about paradox and sparking wonder, and this is made all the more appealing due to his natural and relaxed fearlessness. Even though he can knock your socks off with rapid, inventive runs, he never runs all over you. His phrasing is intuitive and often subliminal. Ellery Eskelin brings you inside—DEEP into the living breath of sound.

As for playing live with the trio, in Eskelin’s words: “We know that there are probably six or eight tunes that we might incorporate in some way, without me prescribing any kind of a treatment or rules at all for how those may or may not happen. It’s simply a matter of real-time musical negotiation between us, listening very hard to each other.” (**)

 http://youtu.be/6jrd-cJXo4E

Standout Tunes:

    The Midnight Sun

Like sparkles on water, sun and moon dance through threaded ideas traded with echoes. Some kind of unity forms from duality, and I am feeling the blazing sun late at night.

This trio achieves a sonic representation of emotional metaphor so central to the tune that at first listen I literally felt the sun and moon simultaneously appear without knowing anything about this song, including not having read the title – (! ! !) – I’m not making this up! The emotive quality engendered by the trio’s take on this lovely standard is completely involving. Wait a minute….is that stardust on my sleeve?!?!

   We See

This take on We See is like having déjà vu while simultaneously hallucinating inside a parallel universe. This version is out, yet NOT closed-off inside some phony fortress with a thousand doors locking you out. The Eskelin Trio is so open and inviting, even when the swing is sonically invisible, you feel it. And the Be-Bop confidence and rhythmic forcefulness are there, too, yet reached through the opposing sensibility of exaggerated pianissimos and small, subtle crescendos. Case in point: Versace gives that B3 ZAP chord every once in awhile, but he does this 

* s * o * f * t * l * y * -- as if using volume itself to make a rhythmic statement (?!)

Live:   Friday & Saturday, July 26th & 27th, 2013

at Cornelia Street Café   (Reservations recommended)

http://corneliastreetcafe.com/Performances.asp?sdate=7/26/2013&from_cal=0

LINKS:

http://elleryeskelin.blogspot.com/2012/11/interviews.html

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gerald-cleaver-mn0000945381

http://www.garyversace.com/

40Twenty: A Perpetual Puzzle Unfolding

by Monique Avakian

12/18/12 (long version)

This is the kind of album that leads a magically-minded person to start searching for hidden clues buried inside numerical relationships. Being lousy at math, this puts me in an awkward position. Don’t get me wrong – those of you well-versed and in-place will happily puzzle through all the various layers of rhythmic smoke bombs, harmonic fractals, (a)symmetrical puns, and inside jokes to be found in this wildly structured tripped-out way IN.

But since I speak for the poets among us, lets just go for the metaphor, shall we?

40Twenty invites you into a world that seems completely unknown, yet totally familiar. As Miranda Sielaff’s graphic on the back cover suggests, you are going to move beyond your usual daily kind of Self. As you listen, you may begin to ponder A~Universe~of~Ear or TheGeOgRaphYofWindOw. Certainly, you’ll get more familiar with The Essence of Spiral. You may even find a kind of ladder that goes everywhere inside a nowhere kind of square. The deeper you go with listening, you realize you really are solid. As in stabilized. As in GROUNDED.

And how cool is that, to feel grounded in the middle of such high level abstraction? Given the level of chaos most of us are experiencing nowadays, who wouldn’t want to feel safe enough to hear water become granite or steel turn to flax?

Believe me, this is an album that will simultaneously plant your feet and blow your mind.

Highlights of 4 Co-Creative Voices:

Keys/Jacob Sacks:

Ever true to the group improvisational spirit as well as his highly developed uber-individualistic style, Mr. Sacks takes us on simultaneously layered journeys of exploration, all defying simplistic categories of explanation. The most intriguing moments, to me, are those source spots where he winds us down into the lowest registers of resonance, as if drawing down the moon into an expanse of sea. Sacks works a kind of temporal magic here that is as subtle as it is benevolent. Whatever way you choose to connect (through math, sound, beauty, science, art, magic or spirit), you, as I, will be left with the concept of possibility and with a sure-footed feeling of empowerment.

Drums/Vinnie Sperrazza:

That Ride! What a sound! And all that Multi-Dimensional Sonic Wash! Ooooh! What’s he’s doing?!?! Sperrazza takes traditional cymbal techniques and elevates ideas of a sonic harmonics into a place of integrity and purpose that is not even close to what you might expect. It’s hard for a drummer to use sound-based ideas in a way that invites people in, but Sperrazza is so melodically involved in the harmony, it’s as though we’ve known him forever and what’s the big deal, we’re just cookin’ along like always. Yet, nothing here is typical. Whether made for emphasis, for cleansing, for contrast, for support, for transport, in the service of a rhythmic choice—whatever the particular need called for by the group at the moment, Sperrazza can be counted upon to go beyond convention and provide something you might miss if you are not paying attention. Pay attention! He’s so generous!

Bone/Jacob Garchik:

Melodically rapid to the point of incredulity, conceptually hearty like your favorite winter stew, sonically loping around when appropriate, stern yet completely warm in intent--this is a kind of wow in technique and approach you are not sure is for real because how could one person be so adept from so many different angles and starting points? Look out and get into it. Garchik’s steady and exponential evolutions will leave you completely exhausted and quite happily so. His bold relentlessness is oddly reassuring.

Bass/David Ambrosio:

Mr. Ambrosio provides a willful beacon to follow – if you dare. Lyrically-minded, melodically intent, ever open inside the search, consistently inventive in approach—you have to commit to taking the time to really get involved with the Soul Force that is this bass player. His level of focus might seem kind of scary at first, but that’s only because your attention span has been wrecked by irrelevant machines and superficial living. Ambrosio’s careful freedom allows the listener to cultivate an understanding rooted in intention, and his complexity expresses a level of sincerity that is as refreshing as it is enlightening. He offers us access to a world of abundance, but this is not to be entered into haphazardly without care. The onus is on you to prepare, but if you think about it, why would you want it any other way?

© Copyright - 40twenty / Yeah Yeah Records (700261364872)

jacobgarchik.com

jacobsacks.com

davidambrosio.com

vinniesperrazza.org

Yeah Yeah Records 0004

yeahyeahrecords.com

YY 0004

Global Oneness -- cool site!

A magical moment! They linked to some of my poetry videos and as I started exploring this site, I found so many fantastic links to all the facets of life I am currently interested in and learning about!

file:///Users/moniqueavakian/Desktop/www.experiencefestival.com:.webloc

Iris Piers' Interpretation of Eivind Opsvik's "Youth Hopeth, Believeth All Things" vimeo.com/40575187
— Monique Avakian (@monava9) May 14, 2012

This is really beautiful, and I think you'll dig it.

Free Jazz: Eivind Opsvik - Overseas IV (Loyal Label, 2012) **...

Free Jazz: Eivind Opsvik - Overseas IV (Loyal Label, 2012) **...: By Paul Acquaro I haven't yet heard Overseas I through III, but catching the series here at IV is quite a pleasure. Eivind Opsvik, with h...

Monique on Oprah! lol

The way Mr. Roland was improvising on bass transformed the rhythm of the poem. Tre' cool experience exponentially enhanced by Oprah's open-mindedness to poetry video! (1/1/2013 update -- she took down the set of videos that 200+ people sent in, but maybe she'll open up the site again to us this coming April for poetry month. I hope so. It was cool to listen to all the voices!
Here's the link to the YouTube video so you can hear this version of the Molasses Avenue portion of of my poem Brooklyn Boulevard.

http://myown.oprah.com/community/library/video_detail.html?entity_id=208932372&media_id=2

Very Meditative Experience!

"If This is Doomsday, Then I'm Ready for the Rapture"
Review of Live Show, Doomsayer, Cornelia Street Cafe

http://jazztimes.com/community/articles/28088-if-this-is-doom-s-day-then-i-am-ready-for-the-rapture

Pinnoclina Poem #1

Piano Jazz Improv Created by Me

http://www.box.net/shared/izqs7zirkeakzr6fej6t

Another Piano Jazz Improvisation Created by Me

http://www.box.net/shared/ll3squd207sqb8lkdlhi

www.yeahyeahrecords.com

Music Review: 4inObjects

4inObjects is a true conversation between 5 very talented musicians who take you on a very pleasurable journey with their CD of the same name. Overall, the most striking facet of 4inObjects is the highly skilled degree to which each musician holds the balance between the melodic and the percussive. If you like inventiveness, uniqueness, authenticity, integrity, playfulness, and soulfulness, get this CD immediately. Then, go see any and all of these people live as soon as you possibly can! Details:

Bass: David Ambrosio is so enticing! His style is relaxed in spirit: tightly economic, yet generous and rich; so soothing, yet so invigorating. He leads from the back and stands out at just the right moments with true organic integrity. His rhythmic skill remains in absolute balance with his melodic explorations throughout. Ambrosio enfolds you and holds you there in a very subtle way.

Drums: Dan Weiss adds his usual vocal sensibility to playing the drum kit, forever spicing through with just the right light touch. His overall technique is intimately and quietly piccolo-staccato, and that takes an enormous amount of stick control and highly developed skill. At the same time, Weiss is always relaxed and ever in the pocket in a very intriguing manner. He encourages your ear to investigate myriad percussive-melodic realms with open-eyed consistency and wise charm. And unlike many drummers, Mr. Weiss communicates with each player on an individualized basis.

Trombone:

Jacob Garchik takes the listener into a new level of sonic intrigue with his sound play and improv, but he never flops over into gimmicky tricks, which would be the easy way out. On the first track, his tone is so rich, I thought his initial sound was a man’s voice! Sometimes, after one of his more adventurous excursions, it feels like he’s going to get himself stuck in a corner, but he always finds a way out – often by constructing an entirely new room that envelopes the rest of the players. He does this in a very sly way. Mr. Garchik is teaching me how to love this instrument and is, perhaps, the Harold of my purple crayon…

Vocals:

Yoon Sun Choi’s voice is like no other in any way, ever. As previous reviewers have noted, she is completely unique in her interpretation, tone and phrasing. Her command is intensely textured and generously offered. Her scatting and vocal sound-play go well beyond the staccato-exercise-type abstract feel I usually perceive from vocalists. She, like her cohorts, is at once melodic and percussive, so open with her improvisation and so skilled in her technique. Effortless is the way she seems, and this allows the listener to be pulled along actively. Yoon Sun Choi is not singing to us, but draws us in as if breathing us back to life.

Keys:

Last but not least. Forever inventive, Jacob Sacks illustrates a high degree of artistic integrity as an in-the-moment improviser who is in constant, authentic communication with his band-mates. Mr. Sacks is like your favorite cousin, popping up and chiming in with well-timed and superlative poetic voicings, weaving and re-weaving himself within a rich and textured family gathering. Steeped in such playful and soulfilled musical metaphor, your mind and heart will never be the same after listening to Jacob Sacks. Additional Warning: Mr. Sacks has the habit of interrupting any auditory spacing-out that may occur while listening to this or any other recording where he is found as co-creator. He does this with a sure-footed authority rooted in joy and speaks to you in a very powerful, non-aggressive manner. I guess you might say that as an added bonus, he is a jazz musician of choice for anyone looking to develop a more sharpened auditory concentration. Jacob Sacks is certainly THE musician of choice for any poets in the audience.

Music Review -- 40Twenty, Jazz at I-Beam

40Twenty: The Essence Eternal

Playful, inventive, adventurous and engrossing: such are the choice adjectives needed to describe the compelling musicians of the jazz combo known as 40Twenty. With masterful command of musical technique, empathic communication and expressive intellectual concepts, the group took lucky listeners in house at Brooklyn’s I-Beam on an incredible journey through myriad layers of sound, rhythm and consciousness.

The 8:30 set held on July 30^th found Jacob Sacks on piano, Dave Ambrosio on upright bass, and Jacob Garchik on trombone. Nestled in the attractive, clear space of I-Beam, this group created spectacular improvised sound poems that unleashed a mojo of enlightened proportion throughout the room. Though the crisp white lamps and rectangular sound shocks swayed overhead in portent tandem with the group’s rhythmic romps, none of the players felt heavy handed in spirit or approach—quite the opposite, in fact.

Rhythmically, the group stood squarely on the shoulders of Dolphy and Monk, yet remained authentic and consistent in real-time communication with one another, exemplifying the art of Call and Response throughout the evening. Mad dash piano flam-plunks punctuated a playful dance of intrigue as the bass called forth and held court--simultaneously and curiously able to at once weigh anchor and set sail. The satisfying thrust and parry between keys and strings were at unpredictable moments sprinkled with authentic, yet surprising, multi-octave chromatic runs as Sacks impishly grinned at Ambrosio, who was clearly thrilled with the challenge each moment presented and only all too happy to up the ante in return. Trombonist Garchik heroically kept up the pace set by these instigators, taking the conventionally lackadaisical instrument for a serious thrill ride within the trio’s joyful house of mirrors.

Melodically, the most intriguing moments were carved from Ambrosio’s ballad, I-V. Soulful, rich and lush, but no less adventurous, and certainly no less intellectually satisfying, this unconventional piece spiraled directly to heart, pulling all in the room inward into a meditative state that brought a peaceful taste of reverie, (as well as a welcome rest to the frolic had before and after).

Harmonically, the arrangements took the listener to places most understandable to those “in the know.” Those of us less schooled in the intricacies of music theory, however, were not completely lost. This was as refreshing as it was reassuring and accomplished by secure and solid introductions and conclusions, clearly bookending for the audience the overall gist of each complex excursion. This allowed less skilled listeners to grab hold of the main ideas, even if they found the details out of reach. The two familiar tunes played were clearly identifiable, yet presented in a thematically consistent manner. As 40Twenty so adroitly worked the lathe, the standards up-ended with a rather Hegelian slight of hand through inventive voicing. This was very satisfying.

Poetically, there were visions, of course. Kadinsky spun forth predominantly through the sine waves, roving along with merry bands of angular shapes. Circles, squares, and arcs sparked through crisp modern lattices across an understated deep orange of sky. Memories of old-school Batman and Robin hi-jinx popped up from time to time, riding on the coat-tails of cherished and hilarious Marx Brothers’ routines. Rounding out the set with the ballad, Monet’s smeary soft blues and greens washed over the dreamy audience as Chagall’s flying lovers hovered quietly in a far off corner.

Oh, Yes! Three days and several trains later, I remain engaged with the essence eternal, thankful for I-Beam, 40Twenty and the jewel of Music’s crystalline spirit.

--Monique Avakian, 8/1/10

40Twenty – 10 nights, 2 weeks

July 27-31, 8:30 pm, 10 pm


August 3-7, 8:30 pm, 10 pm


$10 donation

I-Beam, 168 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

http://ibeambrooklyn.com

www.jacobgarchik.com


www.yeahyeahrecords.com

Monique playing Nature Boy on the vibes 2007

This is my first try at linking a self-created mp3 file to this blog. I used Box.net which is free at least for 14 days or a certain amount of GBs.

Believe in Yourself

“When One Speaks,

Another Can Stand.” *

--Monique Avakian, Literacy Specialist, M.Ed., Javits-Frazier Scholar (Gifted & Talented Ed.)

12/9/08


Hours have passed. It’s early Sunday morning. I keep trying to make the technology work—I’ve got to figure out how to save and upload this kid’s video! I am beat and completely lost at the moment, but I keep going anyway. I don’t want to let this student (T.G.) down. He’s done so much to bring me up with this project--through the power of his message and through the strength of his effort to try to read what he dictated to me several days ago.

“What This Election Means to Me.” Copy here. Paste there. “Believe in Yourself.” Upload. Submit. As I work with formatting the web pages, uploading the video and attaching his power point text, the significance of his accomplishment begins to take shape. It is difficult to explain, even with the video clip as illustration. How do I convey the complexity of feeling, of thought, of meaning-making that T. G. and I wrestled with as he talked and I typed? How do I begin to convey the weight of the effort that it took for him to read a printed copy of his own words while I videotaped him live? As I worked, I recommitted myself to this child, and focused on properly framing his passion, his intelligence and his struggle.

As is common with students who have Learning Disabilities (LD), T.G.’s oral vocabulary and understanding far out-pace what he is comfortably able to read from the page. Despite his learning difficulties, which include dyslexia, T.G. embraced the first part of this project and orally delivered his analysis of President Obama’s ability to lead us through these trying times. T.G.’s dictated speech included multi-syllabic words and complex concepts relating to the economy, his own political analysis of the election and his perception of Obama’s solution to the war in Iraq. I was nervous that he would have great difficulty reading his own words, get frustrated and give up before completing the video. But when I asked him if he wanted to practice reading what he wrote before filming, T.G. simply stated: “No, I don’t have to practice. It’s OK if I make a mistake.”

I still pause for breath when I think of the courage it took for him to say that, to act upon that statement, to believe in that idea, and to put himself out there in this way.

For so many years, this student has had major problems at school and in life: communication and behavior issues with others, psychological and emotional turmoil, horrendous difficulty with reading and writing. When TG came to us at Trailblazers Academy to begin 6th grade, he was reading at a Kindergarten level. In one year, he moved up to a Grade 2 level, which meant that he had progressed three reading levels. Last week he took the QRI Reading Assessment again and scored at Grade Level 4! He is still far from reading at grade level--yet, taking the message of his chosen candidate to heart, he is now starting to believe in his own ability to face fear and doubt, to step up, and as you see here, to make and deliver something of importance that inspires others.

As you can see from the video, he still very much struggles with reading, despite his progress. You should know that he has been retained and is repeating the 6th grade at Trailblazers. But you should also know that he continues to make progress, not only in reading, but step-by-step, emotionally, too.

As you watch this clip, which is the last minute or so of the 13 minute video, please take care to see that he keeps going despite his fatigue and frustration. You’ll see him bang his fist on the table, shake his head, gesture and sigh. But he keeps going because he has started to develop some confidence and faith in himself as a reader. He keeps going because he is determined to bring this message of hope and change to his peers, even though he has already been reading hard for 12 long minutes. He knows his peers care about his message because he had already received admiration from some of them out in the hallway as he pointed out his work to them on the bulletin board.

“I’m asking you to believe in yourself.” How powerful is a quote from a president? To T.G. and to me, these few words are as powerful as the historic importance of Barack Obama’s victory. As you’ll see in this video clip, T.G. is the active embodiment of the urgent importance of our president’s message. After all, this message is at once the inspiration for and the mirror of this young man’s own deeply thoughtful outlook on life, as well as a reflection of his own budding identity as a reader, a leader and a successful human being.

(* quote passed on by my colleague, Verdis, last month at the National Association For Gifted Children conference)

video clip available by request

Books I am Reading

The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood

by Ta-Nehisi Coates


I read this memoir, The Beautiful Struggle, over the summer, and I am reading it again. The writer, Mr. Coates, grew up when I grew up (1960s and 1970s), so the similarities and differences give me a lot to think about. Mr. Coates’ words wrap me up inside his head and simultaneously spin me out into the vast expanse of time and the world in a calm, unique and enlivening way. He goes through all his significant ups and downs, including fights and impulsive bad decisions, as he makes his way to Howard University while balancing the realities of the streets and his Vietnam-Vet-Black-Panther-Publisher father’s teachings about “consciousness” and “knowledge.” For example, Mr. Coates writes about being left off in the middle of woods as a survival test during a black empowerment summer camp experience. In addition to tracing popular culture and the more serious cultural shifts of the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Coates also details the rise of rap and crack in Baltimore during the 1980s. Mr. Coates is a now a poet and journalist who lives in NYC.

Excerpt from The Beautiful Struggle CHAPTER 1


There lived a little boy who was misled . . .

When they caught us down on Charles Street, they were all that I'd heard. They did not wave banners, flash amulets or secret signs. Still, I could feel their awful name advancing out of the lore. They were remarkable. They sported the Stetsons of Hollis, but with no gold. They were shadow and rangy, like they could three-piece you--jab, uppercut, jab--from a block away. They had no eyes. They shrieked and jeered, urged themselves on, danced wildly, chanted Rock and Roll is here to stay. When Murphy Homes closed in on us, the moon ducked behind its black cloak and Fell's Point dilettantes shuffled in boots.It was their numbers that tipped me off--no one else rolled this deep. We were surrounded by six to eight, but up and down the street, packs of them took up different corners. I was spaced-out as usual, lost…..



Their Eyes Were Watching God has always been one of my favorite books. When I think of all the women in my family through the generations and how they were held down, beat down, thrown back, cast aside, over-worked for no pay to an early grave, shunned and forgotten, I take heart in the vision and greatness of this African-American female who wrote her own way and succeeded at a time when all odds were against her. As for the story, I think it best to let the writer, Zora Neale Hurston (Harlem Renaissance), speak for herself through direct quotes!

Quote 13: "[Tea Cake] looked like the love thoughts of women. He could be a bee to a blossom - a pear tree blossom in the spring. He seemed to be crushing scent out of the world with his footsteps. Crushing aromatic herbs with every step he took. Spices hung about him. He was a glance from God."
(--Hurston, Chapter 11, p. 101).

Quote 3: “You know, honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways. You in particular. Ah was born back due in slavery so it wasn't for me to fulfill my dreams of whut a woman oughta be and to do . . . Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about colored women sittin' on high, but they wasn't no pulpit for me.”
(--Nanny Crawford, Chapter 2, p. 15).

Quote 5: "Janie pulled back a long time because he did not represent sun-up and pollen and blooming trees, but he spoke for far horizon. He spoke for change and chance."
(--Hurston, Chapter 4, p. 28)


Quote 18: "It's uh known fact, Pheoby, you got tuh go there tuh know there..Two things everybody's got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin' fuh theyselves."
(--Janie, Chapter 20, p. 183).


Quote 19: "Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see."
(--Hurston, Chapter 20, pg. 184)


*********************
Just being able to see the horizon, let alone have time to contemplate what lies beyond, or ever have even a sliver of an idea or hope of how to get oneself over and out to land where a woman’s dreams are sacred and can be realized……well, those are luxuries that my daughter and I now enjoy that my biological mother, grandmother and great-grandmother never had……

Other Stuff I am Reading

I am analyzing cartoons from the 1960s that show the influence of the Cold War, the Red Scare and Communism on the thinking and actions of mainstream Americans during the 1950s and 1960s.

I am trying to read really hard neuroscience articles because my daughter is into that, but I have a hard time understanding science articles. However, if scientists are developing ways to put implants into my brain to change my behavior, it is my opinion that I better learn about it so I can help make laws to fight their power!