Moody Blues still rock — for old guys

So there I was in the midst of the crowd of old farts, waiting for the older farts to come on stage. First to arrive is the backing band, looking young and lively, two gals, two guys. Then it's Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge taking the stage to thunderous applause. And the show was really pretty good. Hayward's voice got a bit strained from time to time, and Lodge's was a bit thin, but the band really helped out. With one gal on vocals, guitar, and keyboards and the other on flute, guitar, harmonica and vocals, an extra drummer (who also doubled on flute!) and a main keyboard player, the sound was quite full. The mix left a bit to be desired, but Interlochen has long had a reputation for poor sound. The vocals could have been punched up a bit, and the mellotron sound that was such a hallmark of the Moodies was waaaaaaaaaay in the background, but overall not bad.

The same could be said of the show. They didn't do any Pinder or Thomas songs, since those guys aren't with the band anymore, but with the many hits of Hayward and Lodge (plus a couple from Edge) there was more than enough material. "The Story in Your Eyes" is probably my favorite all-time fave Moodies track, along with "Question" and "Ride My See Saw," and all were part of the set, along with (predictably) "Nights in White Satin." Always hated that song.

There was little between-songs patter, particularly not with Hayward, who was content to sing, then play without glancing at the audience. He left that to Lodge, who strutted about the stage, pointing alternately to the the flutist, the keyboard player, and members of the crowd.

The playing was fine if not especially fiery, though "I'm Just a Singer," "Question" and "See-Saw" were exceptions. Overall a pretty satisfactory show, less boring than past excursions. Next up is probably David Sanborn, though maybe Lyle Lovett might be interesting. Elsewhere, Todd is in Muskegon in September, on the Todd/Healing tour, playing all the tracks from those two albums, so that's a must-see. Hopefully he'll be in fine form, as his voice is sounding pretty ragged these days. Tierney Sutton will be at the Opera House in Traverse City; anyone who appreciates female jazz singers should be there.

In marketing news, I'm struggling through Seth Godin's Linchpin right now. Love most of his books, but this is less immediately engaging. And his daily blog can border on the anemic or downright silly. Subscribe to it and you'll see what I mean, particularly when he belabors the state of education today.

Off to Ann Arbor tomorrow to see Mary's oncologist. Hopefully some news there on her fatigue and pain.

From the sublime to . . .

After John Lodge and Edgar Meyer, next up on the hit interview parade may be Bret Michaels, Celebrity Apprentice winner and remnant of the hair-band excesses of the 80s. If not, then maybe Meat Loaf or Henry Winkler, all appearing at the Kewadin Festival July 22-24 in Sault Ste. Marie.

In older cultural news, it's been a Lord of the Rings-athon, as I've watched all three LOTR movies. The scene in The Two Towers where Gandalf leaders the Riders of Rohan down the hill to the rescue still takes my breath away. Let's hear it for DVDs and flat screen TVs. Now for Blu-ray . . .

Last, quick listen to the new Incognito. Much more fun to come upon repeated listens, no doubt, but the opening cover of the Boz Scaggs classic "Lowdown" featuring Chaka Khan is a treat.

Different perspectives

Two very different bassists, two very different perspectives on music making. John Lodge, bassist for the Moody Blues for over four decades, tries to play every show just like the original recording. Edgar Meyer, the celebrated acoustic bassist who has played with everyone from Bela Fleck to Yo Yo Ma to James Taylor, sees each opportunity to play as a chance to reinvent himself to a degree.

Lodge has played with basically the same people since joining the Moody Blues in 1966: Mike Pinder left the group in 1978, but the remaining quartet stayed intact until Ray Thomas's retirement in 2003. The repertoire has also remained much the same, from "Tuesday Afternoon" to "In Your Wildest Dreams."

Meyer, on the other hand, is one of those restless spirits who effortlessly crosses musical boundaries. He's played with James Taylor, Yo Yo Ma, Sam Bush, Joshua Bell. He's done pop music, bluegrass, new age, classical. He says he looks for interesting people with whom to play, regardless of the genre. "It comes down to the personality of the players," he said.

Maybe that's the difference. Meyer wants to broaden his horizons and work with interesting people. Lodge has found his niche and wants to enjoy it at the expense of new horizons. After all, he wrote "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band."

John Lodge, still a singer in a rock and roll band

Interviewed John Lodge of the Moody Blues, one of four rock groups from the 60s I can name still out there touring with mostly the same members as when they hit it big. The others: the Stones (Mick, Keith, Woody, Charlie Watts), Yes (Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White, and throw in Rick Wakeman's son Oliver on keyboards), and the Who (Daltrey and Townshend). Maybe you can include Jethro Tull, with Ian Anderson and Martin Barre, but that's about it.

Lodge said the Moodies still enjoy touring and performing for their fans. To that end, he says the two favorite songs that he wrote for the group are "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band)" and "Isn't Life Strange." "That's what I am," he said of the former. "And that's what life is." Lodge is grateful for the band's longevity and success, though it seems to have come at a price. He says the group tries to always play the songs just like they were on the albums, "because otherwise the fans let us know." Seems like a bit of a constraint, or at least the key difference between rock and jazz. Reminds me of the dichotomy between Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth, the so-called jazz half of UK, and John Wetton and Eddie Jobson. Jobson wanted Holdsworth to play his solos the same way every night on tour, and Holdsworth couldn't and wouldn't. Bruford said the jazz half of the band was willing to compromise, and the rock half wasn't. The predictable result was a split after the group's debut album and tour, much to the chagrin of prog/fusion fans everywhere.

Close to the Edge - but not quite there

No Graeme Edge interview as it turns out. Instead, I'll be chatting tomorrow with bassist John Lodge, composer and vocalist on several of the Moodies' songs. Should be entertaining. They stay under assumed names when traveling - I think his is Ochocinco.

So back to the ECM fold for listening purposes. On board with D'ombre et de silence by Henri Dutilleux with Robert Levin and Ya-Fei Chuang on piano. Avant chamber stuff, made much better by headphones that actually work on both channels. The new ones were included as part of a keyboard package from Amazon features a Casio 61-key keyboard with a boatload of sounds and settings. So now I've got to figure that out along with that mysterious bass clef. Plus the flute I got a couple months ago. Maybe I should have stuck with trumpet. Nah.

Meanwhile, back at the professional musician recordings, Judith Berkson's Olyam features the composer on piano, Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric piano, organ and voice. Vaguely reminiscent of Annette Peacock, with wordplay and lyrical/vocal structure similar at times to Michael Franks, though nothing like his easy voice or melodies. Instead this is unsettling and almost dangerous-sounding at times. Fun stuff.

British Invasion circa 2010

The Moody Blues return to Interlochen on the 26th. Now pared down to a trio with appropriate touring backup, John Lodge (bass, vocals), Justin Hayward (guitar, vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums, spoken word) will take us back to when mellotrons ruled the earth. Classics like "Tuesday Afternoon," "The Story in Your Eyes" and "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band" will no doubt send the boomers into ecstasy. Thing is, the band is that good. Hayward's voice seemingly hasn't lost a thing (eat your heart out Greg Lake) and even if you're "Nights in White Satin"ed to death like me, there's so much more in the band's vast repertoire that it makes the show a great time.

Right now I'm looking to score an interview with Graeme Edge (previously interviewed Lodge and Hayward on other trips up north) and hope to have a review up after the show. Because it's hard to review it beforehand.

Mr. Nice Guy

Music notes and more . . .

A brief respite from my recent forays into the ECM chamber jazz esthetic, courtesy of Muthspeil & Goodrick, Jeff Lorber, & Garaj Mahal. The first is a guitar duo, comprised of Mick Goodrick (onetime Gary Burton foil) and mentor to Wolfgang Muthspeil. The two are obviously comfortable with one another; they give one another room and while complementing each other. The program is a mix of standards ("All the Things You Are," "Darn That Dream," "Stella By Starlight") with modern jazz by fellow axe-slinger Bill Frisell, bassist Steve Swallow and the duo itself.

Lorber might be viewed as the godfather of smooth jazz. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing is in the ear of the beholder. But given the fact he loosed Kenny G on the world, you could argue he's got a lot to make up for. This is pleasant enough, and his facile playing is always melodic and enjoyable. But the vocal selections are eminently forgettable.

Then there's Garaj Mahal. This jazz/funk jam band is one of the best things going today, sort of like what the Grateful Dead might have done if they were a jazz band and could really play. Bassist Kai Eckhardt is an undiscovered gem, and Fareed Haque is one of the few to have mastered the guitar synth. More Mr. Nice Guy is a delight throughout.

Speaking of nice guys, my former editor at Jazziz, Michael Koretzky, has demonstrated just what that is about. Fired from his job as faculty advisor to the student newspaper at Florida Atlantic University (supposedly because the University was "reorganizing" is media positions), at his (former) students' request, he continued on as unpaid guest lecturer. Link here to one version of the story; here to Koretzky's blog.

Music and a special event

More ECM in the fold: Ketil Bjornsad's "Remembrance" is pretty typical ECM chamber jazz. Interesting configuration, with the leader's piano alongside Tore Brunborg's tenor sax and ECM stalwart Jon Christensen's drums. Altogether more appealing are upcoming discs from Food and Dino Saluzzi. Food is a quartet featuring Iain Ballamy (Bill Bruford's Earthworks) on sax alongside drums, trumpet, and guitar, with the latter three throwing mucho electronic sparks in the air as well. Not unlistenable avant weird, like Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, but fun and engaging while sounding like nothing else. Or at least like not much else.

Saluzzi's "El Encuentro" is likewise great stuff. Again, more unique instrumentation, with the leader on bandoneon (a type of accordion), alongside cello, saxophone and orchestra. The approach varies from keening sounds to chamber orchestra/jazz.

I'm also in love — with Julie Slick. The versatile electric bassist is from the Trey Gunn/Brian Beller school of dark, doom and gloom avant rock. That should perhaps be expected with contributions from Gunn's occasional collaborator Marco Minnneman and his former Crimson bandmates Pat Mastelotto and the Fripp himself. Not the kind of thing you'll end up humming as you drive down the road, but hey, neither are the ECM discs.

In non-music news, Marc graduated today from Traverse City West High School. Summa cum laude, no less, and the outstanding Language Arts student. Pretty impressive kid. Takes after his mom.

New music from ECM

Too many riches! There's a boatload of great music here, but it will take some time to get through. Most of it will end up reviewed in Progression Magazine, but till then I'll keep updating here. Food's "Quiet Inlet" is great. A quartet with saxophone along with drums, trumpet, and guitar, where the latter three are also all credited with electronics. Outre and engaging. So much more to get through from A (Arild Anderson's box set of early quartets) to T (the always-unpredictable Steve Tibbets), with stops in between for Keith Jarrett (please, make him stop moaning) and former Peter Gabriel drummer Manu Katché's latest.

Meantime, the new David Benoit, Earthglow, offers pleasant ear candy as always, while Arturo Sandoval's A Time for Love is perhaps his most mellow offering ever. Lots of flugelhorn and muted trumpet, all in good taste, but curiously subdued. Not disappointing, because it's fine work, just not full-throttle as we're more used to.