Why the love?

With the Cars on tour again behind their new album, Bob Seger touring, and Bob Dylan celebrating 70, this seems like a propitious time to admit the following: I don't get any of these folks. It's not that I dismiss them - after all, they all had a lot of hits. It's not like I hate them. I just don't understand how or why they are so popular.

Look, I'm not a Van Halen fan, but I admit I paid attention to them. They were loud, crass, occasionally fun, and good copy, especially with Diamond Dave. They rocked, they had some great riffs ("Jump" jumps readily to mind), Eddie could really play till he became a caricature of himself. Ditto Duran Duran. Rio was the best album Spandau Ballet never made, replete with hooks, sleekness, and pretty boys and girls for the MTV era. Def Leppard was a joke, but "Photograph" still gets it.

But these three artists I just could never embrace, or understand the appeal of. Start with the Cars. They had hits with hooks, but did anybody really miss them while they were gone? Live they sound just like the album. Ric Ocasek could be replaced by a cardboard cutout and no one would know.*

     *I saw the Turtles on one of the very first oldies package tours back in
     the summer of '84, and they had lifesize cardboard cutouts of
     themselves onstage alongside the real thing. It was hysterical, and
     they were great. And big Tigers fans, as Mark Volman noted, saying
     "We put a bunch of money down on the Tigers in Vegas at the
     beginning of the year, and Sparky's making us look pretty good."

With the loss of bassist Ben Orr, their one claim to charisma, the Cars are sputtering, at least according to the majority of reviews. They didn't even replace him, but have Greg Hawkes playing synth bass. A smarter way to go would have been to have someone else step in on bass, maybe Kasim Sulton from the Todd Rundgren-led New Cars. But he oozes charisma, and would certainly have overshadowed Ocasek, so that was a no-go.

Then there's Dylan. The songwriter. Granddaddy of protest songs. The man who plugged in folk.

Who cares. The guy can't sing. Never could. That whiny nasal twang was always enough to send anyone with an ear for tunefulness running for the volume control, if not the power switch. I've always been totally baffled by his deification. Of all the acts bridging folk and rock, he was the least melodic, the least musical, the least. Period. Give me the Everly Brothers or Simon and Garfunkel or Pete Seeger or anybody at all. "Like a Rolling Stone," "The Times, They Are A-Changin'," "Tangled Up in Blue" - I've heard better wheezing.

The All Music Guide says "His best albums became undisputed classics of the rock and roll canon." Not at my house they didn't. I'm proud to say I've never had a Dylan album and I never will.

Then there's Bob Seger, the ramblin' gamblin' man. Hey, I actually liked that song. But that was it. His Americana rock and roll left me cold. If that's your style, then how about a shout-out to Springsteen, or Mellencamp, or Southside. If you want to go to the roots of Detroit rock, then Mitch Ryder. Or if you just want rootsy, the Blasters. Yeah, the Blasters. Now there's a band that rocks, with visual imagery second to none ("Long White Cadillac" or "Trouble Bound" for example), and in Steve Berlin and Lee Allen, two saxists who could both cut Alto Reed.

While I'm at it, take the Grateful Dead. Please. Their legendary open-ended jams were fine for the drug-addled, but those interested in melody, or instrumental proficiency, or tuneful, soulful singing were simply out of luck. Dave Marsh once famously called them the worst band in the world, and he was right.

Freddie Hubbard lives

One of the greatest trumpeters of all time left us two and a half years ago, but two new/old CDs bring back the spirit, joy and bravura playing of Freddie Hubbard. First Light is part of the wonderful CTI reissue series, along with discs by George Benson, Don Sebesky, Deodato, and others. CTI was at the vanguard of the whole crossover jazz thing, decried by purists while making near-household names of Benson, Chuck Mangione, the Crusaders, Bob James, and others. The orchestral backing on "Lonely Town," including the harp, sounds today like the perfect accompaniment. His playing is great, especially on the title track. As a bonus, the new reissue includes a live version of "First Light."

Pinnacle is a live date that includes "Happiness is Now," the lead track from his 1979 album Skagly. It's a perfect vehicle for his relaxed blowing. Another track from that overlooked album is his version of "The Summer Knows (theme from Summer of '42)," featuring his work on flugelhorn. Perhaps the highlight is "Giant Steps," which closes the disc.

Can't get 'em out of my head

Songs that are playing over and over in my brain . . .

"I Hear Your Name" and "1975" by Incognito. The world's best funk/r&b band has been doing it for over 20 years, 30 if you include its lone 80s release, 1981's Jazz Funk. "I Hear Your Name" hails from the 1995 collection 100º and Rising, and features great vocals by Joy Malcom and Pamela Anderson, propulsive percussion, tight horn work, and lush strings. Last year's Transatlantic R.P.M. included the instant singalong "1975,"which namedropped EWF, Santana, Roberta Flack, Herbie Hancock, and a host of other r&b/funk hitmakers from that decade, all wrapped in a delicious discofied track. It doesn't get any better than this.

"Matte Kudesai" by Kurt Elling. Elling wraps his rich voice around this standout track by the 80s quartet version of King Crimson. He's appearing at Interlochen this summer in what's sure to be one of the top performances of the summer. Don't miss it.

"Do-Re-Mi" by the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orchestra. This mashup of "Do-Re-Mi" and the Jackson 5's "ABC" is hilarious and spot-on. What great chutzpah. And it was approved by the estate for the von Trapp family. Amazing.

"Led Boots" by Jeff Beck. One of the standout tracks from the brilliant concert at Devos Hall in Grand Rapids April 19. Beck and his band, including the hard-hitting Narada Michael Walden on drums, were on fire from the first note. "Led Boots" was the only track from Wired to make the cut ( it would have been great to hear "Blue Wind") and was among the many highlights of the evening. Check for my upcoming piece on Beck in Progression magazine.

Grammys continue to be a joke

So now the Grammy Awards have done away with a host of award categories, ostensibly to look at the "underlying infrastructure and rationale across all the awards as to how we're doing this," as Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow told Billboard Magazine. Gone are the delineations between traditional and contemporary blues, as well as gender-based categories in pop, R&B, rock and country. There will no longer be separate awards for male or female vocals, simply an award in each genre for a single "solo performance." In R&B, for example, the three categories of female, male and duo or a group vocal performance have been consolidated to R&B performance. Several instrumental categories have been eliminated as well, including the key Latin Jazz category, home to numerous well-loved artists over the past 40 years.

It's surely no coincidence that this restructuring happened on the heels of the win by independent band Arcade Fire for Album of the Year. The Canadian band shocked the music world by taking the Grammy over industry heavyweights such as Eminem and Lady Gaga. That prompted longtime marketing/music exec and hip-hop insider Steve Stoute to take out a full-page ad in the New York Times taking NARAS to task. Stoute basically made the point that in years when major artists are flourishing that NARAS can’t deny the album sales and have to recognize it on Grammy night, indicating that Justin Bieber, Eminem, and Lady Gaga should have won the major awards. In other words, there's no artistic relevance here, it's just a popularity contest. This restructuring of the Grammy Awards certainly favored the major labels and undermined the work of independent record labels. Steve, why don't you just take your ball and go home?

Well, why would he when he can gain Portnow's ear? After Stoute called the show "a series of hypocrisies and contradictions" in that full-page ad, he and Portnow buddied up. After meeting several days later, the two issued a joint statement saying they would discuss how the Recording Academy could evolve "in an ever-changing cultural environment." Talk about the tail wagging the dog. Portnow later said the changes that were made were already in play prior to his meeting with Stoute. Oh, we all certainly believe that.

Look, with a few exceptions (Herbie Hancock winning Album of the Year), the Grammys are and have almost always been a joke. They have been skewed towards popularity at the expense of artistry. We all know the example of Milli Vanilli, who sucked to start with, before being found out as impostors.

For further proof, look no further than 1979, when the Best New Artist Grammy went not to the Cars, Elvis Costello, Chris Rea, or Toto, all of whom were nominated, but instead to those influential tastemakers, A Taste of Honey. No, I'm not kidding. Or that the first ever Heavy Metal Grammy went to - Jethro Tull? Yes, the band that gave us "Bungle in the Jungle" and "Songs from the Wood"has always been one of my favorite head-banging outfits.

So yes, by all means, let's penalize the musicians some more. Take away more opportunities for artists to break in and garner some accolades. Idiots.

Grammys continue to be a joke

So now the Grammy Awards have done away with a host of award categories, ostensibly to look at the "underlying infrastructure and rationale across all the awards as to how we're doing this," as Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow told Billboard Magazine. Gone are the delineations between traditional and contemporary blues, as well as gender-based categories in pop, R&B, rock and country. There will no longer be separate awards for male or female vocals, simply an award in each genre for a single "solo performance." In R&B, for example, the three categories of female, male and duo or a group vocal performance have been consolidated to R&B performance. Several instrumental categories have been eliminated as well, including the key Latin Jazz category, home to numerous well-loved artists over the past 40 years.

It's surely no coincidence that this restructuring happened on the heels of the win by independent band Arcade Fire for Album of the Year. The Canadian band shocked the music world by taking the Grammy over industry heavyweights such as Eminem and Lady Gaga. That prompted longtime marketing/music exec and hip-hop insider Steve Stoute to take out a full-page ad in the New York Times taking NARAS to task. Stoute basically made the point that in years when major artists are flourishing that NARAS can’t deny the album sales and have to recognize it on Grammy night, indicating that Justin Bieber, Eminem, and Lady Gaga should have won the major awards. In other words, there's no artistic relevance here, it's just a popularity contest. This restructuring of the Grammy Awards certainly favored the major labels and undermined the work of independent record labels. Steve, why don't you just take your ball and go home?

Well, why would he when he can gain Portnow's ear? After Stoute called the show "a series of hypocrisies and contradictions" in that full-page ad, he and Portnow buddied up. After meeting several days later, the two issued a joint statement saying they would discuss how the Recording Academy could evolve "in an ever-changing cultural environment." Talk about the tail wagging the dog. Portnow later said the changes that were made were already in play prior to his meeting with Stoute. Oh, we all certainly believe that.

Look, with a few exceptions (Herbie Hancock winning Album of the Year), the Grammys are and have almost always been a joke. They have almost always been skewed towards popularity at the expense of artistry recognize artistry. We all know the example of Milli Vanilli, who sucked to start with, before being found out as impostors.

For further proof, look no further than 1979, when the Best New Artist Grammy went not to the Cars, Elvis Costello, Chris Rea, or Toto, all of whom were nominated, but instead to those influential tastemakers, A Taste of Honey. No, I'm not kidding. Or that the first ever Heavy Metal Grammy went to - Jethro Tull? Yes, the band that gave us "Bungle in the Jungle" and "Songs from the Wood"has always been one of my favorite head-banging outfits.

So yes, by all means, let's penalize the musicians some more. Take away more opportunities for artists to break in and garner some accolades. Idiots.

Gohar Vardanyan's six-string magic

 They say you can’t go home again. As far as Gohar Vardanyan is concerned, they’re wrong.

Vardanyan returned to Interlochen Center for the Arts, where she studied from 2001 to 2004, for a classical guitar recital Wednesday April 6. The small but enthusiastic audience was rewarded with a program of uncommon skill and verve.

The opening set of three Argentinian pieces immediately established Vardanyan’s ability. She has a marvelous technical aptitude, effortlessly rendering arpeggios and runs. Best of all, it doesn’t come off as something difficult, but rather very fluid.

That was the case throughout the evening. Her playing made the difficult passages sing. The “Introduccion y Rondo Op. 2 No. 2” by Aguado was a prime example. Almost jaunty, her fingers never got ahead of her passion. She continued to warm to the occasion, performing three other pieces before a brief intermission, each more evocative than the last.

The second half of the program was even better. Whether she was more relaxed or simply more comfortable with the music, Vardanyan showed she’s both a formidable talent and an engaging one. Joaquin Turina’s “Sonata, Op. 61” showed a greater dynamic range, and Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Invocacion y Danza” found her fingers dancing up and down the fretboard and inviting the audience to do likewise.

Despite a player’s prowess, sometimes the classical guitar repertoire can sound a bit tiresome, like exercises meant to challenge or build up the student’s ability, rather than a composition people (other than guitarists) will enjoy hearing. That’s why the Scarlatti Sonatas were such a delight. The two pieces by the baroque composer were melodic, joyful, and far too brief.

Early on, Vardanyan paid homage to John Wunsch, her former instructor at Interlochen. Throughout the show it was engaging to see his reaction to her playing, beaming, bobbing his head in time to the runs, as his student demonstrated how she’s grown.

Onetime Genesis axe-slinger Steve Hackett, whose album “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” showcased his acoustic playing with orchestra and topped the classical charts, has said there is an orchestra inside the guitar. Vardanyan had no difficulty finding it and conducted it well.  

Music old and new

Yes in concert - takes you back a few years. My first Yesshow was in 1976 at Wings Stadium, with Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White, and Patrick Moraz. Later shows featured Rick Wakeman, Geoff Downes & Trevor Horn, Wakeman and Anderson again, and then the mega-Yes, with Bill Bruford,Tony Kaye and Trevor Rabin among the eight-member assemblage.

Squire, Howe and White remain, along with Oliver Wakeman on keyboards (yes, Rick's son) and Benoit David on vocals. The show at the Orbit Room in Grand Rapids was a step down from previous excursions at Wings, Joe Louis, Olympia and the like, at least in size. Never mind the fact the promised comps and photo pass did not materialize, how was the show? First, the good. Howe and Squire haven't lost a thing technically. And there's still a lot of fire there, including White, pounding out the polyrhythms.

The set list was interesting, with two tracks from Going for the One and Drama, and de rigeur classics "Close to the Edge,""Roundabout" and "Owner of A Lonely Heart" (Howe has managed to put his stamp on that Rabin raveup). They went back as far as The Yes Album for "Yours Is No Disgrace," and the "Soon" excerpt from "To Be Over" on Relayer was a highlight. But no tracks from the more recent The Ladder or their upcoming CD, which was quite disappointing. "Owner" was the only Rabin-era track, and similarly no tracks from Tales From Topographic Oceans, though there were some brief quotes in Howe's guitar solo.

Also, in a smaller venue, the stage set was spare, with none of the Roger and Martyn Dean creations or lasers. But the biggest disappointment was the sound mix. Must be Squire was in charge, because his bass sounds totally overshadowed everything else, save Howe's electric guitar. When Howe pulled out the mandolin for "I've Seen All Good People" you couldn't hear it. Ditto Wakeman's phalanx of keyboards, with the exception of one; it must have been set on 11 and the rest on 3. Dad would never have allowed that.

The vocals too were difficult to discern, and David had an unfortunate tendency to go flat. A stronger mix might have helped even in that regard.

Overall,  the playing was impeccable, the stage presence of Squire and Howe strong, if less so for David.

On to the jazz side of things. Dave Grusin has a new CD, DVD, and iPad app: A Night with Dave Grusin includes his originals as well as music from Bernstein and others. Guests include Patti Austin, Gary Burton, Nestor Torres, Arturo Sandoval and Jon Secada. Stirring, cinematic music, even those tracks not from movies.

Grusin is a charming man and for someone with the career he's had - scoring 60+ movies, releasing another 20+ recordings, performing worldwide, and helping save jazz in the 80s by starting the GRP label with partner Larry Rosen - affable, humble and enjoyable to talk to. He gives much of the credit to Rosen, who he said took the idea of a concert and turned it into an event.

That includes the first-ever iPad app of its kind. It gives you not only the music but photos, bios, interviews, and several additional camera angles from the show. Fun stuff.