Monday, October 8, 2001

staring at your silken lids

chestnut laden steeped and hid

ok, so i said i wasn't going to get into the lineup at the sfjazz fest, but there are a few standouts.

mccoy tyner, tommy flanagan + pharoah sanders | 10.24 | masonic : a dear friend + i were having a conversation recently about astounding, even legendary, musicians that we have yet to see. people whom we'd kick ourselves if they kicked + we never took the time to go see them. i can think of two such musicians that i've seen this year. this evening ...DEARLAWD... is filled with three in one show. just an amazing line-up of talent. to top it all off, the evening is billed as 'a love supreme' and commemorates john coltrane. all three played with him. such a unique opportunity to hear coltrane's music. no doubt they will improvise it nearly unidentifiable with their own genius.

bill frisell + greg leisz + boubacar traorÈ | 10.29 | palace of fine arts : i recently saw bill for the first time a few months ago. bill has been building an amazing new sound taking country further into jazz than i think it's ever been. leisz is a lap steel player who has backed up some of my favorite alt country artists. car car traorÈ is one of the most intense blues styled jazz i've heard.

charles lloyd + zakir hussain | 11.02 | grace cathedral : i have no idea what this will produce with sax + a breathtaking tabla master. stern grove did not do hussain justice. no doubt grace cathedral will

non jazz fest stuff:

dj shadow + cut chemist | 10.17 | fillmore : you know those shows that sum up pop music movements? the ones either on vh1 or the pbs rock 'n' roll series? ok, the fact that those shows acted like punk music went away from the period between sid's death + smells like teen spirit struck a raw chord in me. even worse, though, is their importance on the white artists who brought music that began in black communities to popularity. don't get me wrong. i love elvis, the beatles. dear god what would i do without the stones + they ripped it all! yeah, + i dig the beasties. but the glossing over of the foundations is just disturbing. anyway... in about 7 years when vh1 + pbs acknowledge turntables as a musical instrument, you can bet these guys will be among the white boys to get the credit. again, they're awesome. i just hope qbert + the like will get their due.

strictly bluegrass festival | 10.27 | speedway meadows in gg park: before you gloss over this one, take note that emmylou harris + alison krauss with union station will be playing. it's free from 11-5. for those who have forgotten, i will remind you... if i show up, emmylou will sing directly + only to me for the whole show. it's just the way it is. i'm sorry. the poor thing can't help herself for some reason. most people know alison has this unearthly voice, but she is also an amazing fiddle player. what's the difference between a violin + a fiddle? ...three beers.

on a related note
down from the mountain | 10.11-17 | red vic movie house : i promise i will not get into the habit of recommending movies, but this one is a documentary of the concert at the ryman auditorium featuring most of the musicians from the soundtrack to "o, brother, where art thou?"

then back to the music

the beta band | 11.5 | fillmore

pinback | 11.6 | gamh

death cab for cutie | 11.17+18 | gamh

previously mentioned (there has been many cancellations|postponements|etc... i can't keep up with them all, but i'll try):

apples in stereo | 10.9 | gamh
blackeyed peas | 10. 10 | justice league
midnight oil | 10.11 | fillmore
the derailers | 10.12 | slim's
el vez | 10.12 | gamh
sam butera | 10.12 | bimbo's
old 97s | 10.12 | fillmore
widespread panic | 10.12-13 | greek theatre
bob dylan | 10.13 | bill graham civic
los straitjackets feat. big sandy | 10.13 | slim's
ben folds | 10.14 | fillmore
ray davies | 10.16 | warfield
bjˆrk | 10.17 | paramount -oak
quasi | 10.17 | gamh
john hiatt + the goners | 10.17 | slim's
smog | 10.18 | BotH
st germain | 10.18 | warfield CANCELLED
the waterboys | 10.18 | fillmore
jon spencer blues explosion | 10.19 |bimbo's
beulah w/starlight mints | 10.20 | gamh
dirty dozen brass band | 10.20 | justice league
all tomorrow's parties |10.19-21 | ucla campus this has been postponed until some time in march, i think around the 15th
joe strummer | 10.20 | fillmore
stephen malkmus | 10.21 | fillmore
stereolab | 10.22-23 | fillmore
the breeders | 10.23-24 | slim's
travis | 10.25 | warfield
buddy + julie miller | 10.26 | slim's
oysterhead | 10.26 | greek theater - berk
rocket from the crypt | 10.27 | gamh
jane's addiction | 10.29 | oakland arena this has been moved to shoreline or concord
black heart procession | 10.30 | gamh
butthole surfers | 11.1 | GAMH
pernice bros | 11.1 | BotH also 11.2 at starry plough in berkeley
and you will know us by the trail of dead | 11.2 | BotH
loudon wainwright iii | 11.4 | gamh
superchunk | 11.7+8 | GAMH
maxwell | 11.10+ 11 | paramount oak (10th), bill graham (11th)
spiritualized | 11.11 | fillmore
tori amos | 11.11+12 | paramount oak
built to spill | 11.8-12 | slim's
jimmie vaughan | 11.13 | slim's
u2 | 11.15 | oakland arena
mike watt | 11.15 | BotH
lee scratch perry | 11.19 | justice league
jane siberry | 12.9 | gamh