John Allen started his show with "Flute Song" by Gil Evans. This piece is trademark Evans: hear the soft blues cradled in his subtle yet stirring dynamics. No one tone color stands out of his tight blend. Contrast this with Charles Mingus' "Group Dancers" from 1963's big band The Black Saint And Sinner Lady, played on Inflatable Squirrel Caucus with Rich Hazelton. Mingus manically, almost insanely, pumps so much sound into the piece, the orchestra floods over "Group Dancers" perimeter.
Here is the lo-fi approach: on 100% Whatever With Mary Wing, The Sam Houston High School Stage Band covered Herbie Hancock's "Fat Mama," first on Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda in 1969.
Daniel Blumin did a set that included Sir Douglas Quintet's "I Don't Wanna Go Home" and the George Gershwin piece, "Summertime," covered by Stereolab's Leatitia Sadler. In between he played Ioanna Yeorgakopoulou & Stellakis Perpiniadhis, and Pea Riba. All this music is threaded by natural,.organic instrumentation, but listen to the diversity Daniel runs the thread through. .
Trouble worked part of a set the opposite way. She played Big Blood's rustic treatment of "Heart Of Glass," then the guitar growl of Tom Jones' "She's A Lady" from 1970. The beat is similar, but listen to how the transition takes you from bare bones to electric boot rock and roll stomp. I don't know if DJs can plan this masterful play on contrast, but there's a special little jump you get in your diaphragm when a transition clicks so beautifully, and this one gave me that sensation.
Airborne Event With Dan Bodah started with a set this week that threaded together audio that emphasized words. If you can conceptualize "found poetry," Dan used sound from American Livestock Auctioneer Champions 1963-2002, and followed with Sylvia Plath, Public Enemy. and Captain Beefheart.
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