A Video Message for the New Heiruspecs Album
The new Heiruspecs album comes out in two weeks from today. We celebrate with a show at the Turf Club. You should buy tickets here.
3:33⅓ Happy Birthday Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith is everyone’s first favorite organ player. You might move on to a different player, but Jimmy Smith is usually the first organ player you hear about. I’ve fallen hard for Larry Young, for Jimmy McGriff and for othrs, but Jimmy Smith was the first one I understood to be a master. And that’s exactly what he is. To me, he’s America’s organist. And he was born on this day in 1925. So we are gonna celebrate Jimmy Smith all afternoon on Jazz88, including with a spin of “Root Down and Get it” at 3:33⅓ today.
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Sasha Berliner on the Turntable
Putting one more record on tonight for Jazz88. My friend Amy is friends with the team behind JMI in New York and they sent over a copy of the new Sasha Berliner record and it is a monster. Excited to give a spin to track one: Jade.
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3:33⅓ Wain McFarlane
Long live Minnesota Music. Especially those artists that in my opinion never got a fair shake. You ask most folks who were around MN in the 1980s and they’ll tell you that Ipso Facto in general and Wain McFarlane were heading for big things. And though national fame may have eluded them, Wain has been the soundtrack to so many great moments for so many Minnesotans. Tonight he and his family band are taking the stage of the Dakota at 7pm. Info here, Cath a vinyl spin of Wain’s rendition of “Wake Up Everybody” on Jazz88 at 3:33⅓ today.
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Superfluous Social Media
I have a huge soft spot in my heart for Bomani Jones, his podcast is one of my favorites. Like almost everyone I listen to right now, he is questioning the value of social media. He is also questioning whether what we need is an alternative to twitter that serves the same purpose. I get that, and as I listen to someone smart folks questioning the value of social media communication, I’m coming back to the same question I’ve been asking for the past two years? Is it working for me? The answer is frequently no. It has helped me get into careers I’ve really wanted and helped me advance reasonably far in those careers. But I am still curious what I’m missing out on by filling many free minutes with social media when I could enjoy the feeling of waiting, thinking, being with my own thoughts et cetera. Podcasts are an out and out good. Wikipedia has made the majority of my careers possible. I reached a lot of people on social media and that helped me build a fanbase. I owe it to the awesome content/music I make to spread the word about where they can consume such content. But, I owe it to myself to stay off of it otherwise. Who knows what my brain can conjure if it’s not pulled into that cesspool quite so often.
Music Rules
Here are all the rules of music.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a middle quality band unless John Frusciante is with them, then they are often a good band and occasionally a great band.
If the record involves Charlie Haden on bass and just one other person, buy it, they are all incredible discs.
Turntables have only sounded good in rock settings twice: Andrew Broder’s Fog project and Modest Mouse’s “The Lonesome Crowded West” record
Except for the years 1972-1980, the live version is never better than the studio version.
Songs with excellent drum breaks are often good songs.
Songs with sample friendly saxophone moments are often garbage songs.
If the first solo on a song is a bass solo, the ensemble is trying to hide something.
Percussion has to be really bad to make a song worse
If you can’t tell if it’s a Rhodes or a Wurlitzer, it’s a Rhodes
No band has ever made their best record after making ten or more records, keep swinging, but you’ve hit your peak
If you think a song doesn’t need back up singers on it. . .you’re right
Rage Against the Machine is punk mixed with rap. That’s great. Limp Bizkit is rock mixed with rap. That’s terrible.
Sade is even better than most of us realize.
If your song needs a fourth verse, there might be something wrong with the first three.
Trumpets make things better, and trombones make trumpets better.
The only Gorillaz songs you need to care about have rappers on them.
3:33⅓ Herb Alpert Tijuana Brass
Usually when someone says “what does this song mean to you” they are aiming for a deep answer that involves the connections between certain lyrics or textures that conjure deep spirits from the person being asked. Sometimes, music is a utility. Sometimes the best music is a utility. When they play that song at Wolves games where the voice says “everybody clap your hands” it to me means, “watch how few people are about to clap”. It’s a utility. For me, if you play “Spanish Flea” by Herb Alpert all I hear is trivia. For over a decade I ran trivia on The Current with Jill Riley and company for Trivia Mafia. This bed music outlasted co-hosts, hairstyles, studios and more. When I hear this tune, it’s time to run trivia. Periodt. I’m excited to hear it in a different application today. Catch it on Jazz88 at 3:33⅓ today.
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3:33⅓ The Three Sounds
Getting back into grind on a Monday is always easier with Jazz88 on the speakers. I decided to keep it simple today and pull out the Three Sounds. When I was just starting to get into jazz in high school me and Dad walked up to Cheapo on Snelling and one of the discs I got was the best of the Three Sounds. We need to celebrate those gateway drug artists. Long before I could really enjoy some of the jazz I now love. . .I could understand the Three Sounds, they were students of the groove, they didn’t do elaborate chord substitutions, you could hear the melody of a tune throughout every chorus, soloing or not. Spectacular musicianship. Love it. Love vinyl. Love DJing, love getting back to it.
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3:33⅓ A Blues Appetizer from B.B. King
Here at Jazz88 Fridays belong to the Blues. We get started at 7pm with Bobby Van Dell’s “Bridge to the Blues”. I always like to start things off with a couple blues appetizers before we go all blues. Today I brought in some B.B. King on vinyl. We’re going to enjoy the sounds of “Sweet Little Angel”. There’s a reason why B.B. King is the name most people think of when they think of the blues. The man had the spirit in spades and there is no better way to hear B.B. King than in a live setting.
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3:53⅓ Wayne Shorter - Adam’s Apple
Had to get the turntable rolling a little late on Jazz88 today. The turntable was only giving off one channel and I couldn’t figure it out. Thankfully, I’m getting a little more courageous trying things and I got it to work. I am fighting my desire to do nothing technological ever and starting to figure some things out about the gear I rely on which makes me happy. You know what else makes me happy? Wayne Shorter. I love how DIVERSE what he writes is. He writes bluesy, he writes abstract, the man just writes and he writes so well. ENJOY!
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3:33⅓ Vince Guaraldi - Skating
It’s snowglobe time here in Minnesota and I’m broadcasting on Jazz88. Yes, I’m playing a little Vince Guaraldi to get us in the spirit of the season.
I shoveled this morning. Why? I have no idea. It’s supposed to snow maybe 7 inches today, and I probably shoveled at maybe two inches. BETTER JUST GET A START, TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH, IT’S LESS SNOW LATER. These are all dumb ideas. Shoulda just waited.
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3:33⅓ Ramsey Lewis - Funky Serenity
I just successfully replaced a cartridge on a turntable for the first time in my life. And I did it under a time limit and while using my thumbnail as a screwdriver. I feel amazing. First off, I’m really glad I had an extra stylus in my car. I got paid some nice money to DJ a wedding this summer and I didn’t want to mess anything up so I bought some extras and some nice headphones. I’m really glad I did that, I listen to the music on Jazz88 on great headphones everyday and it really makes a difference. ATHM30x is the exact style that I chose to go with. But I had the stylus hanging in a bag in my car and I was able to replace the totally shot stylus on turntable number two over here at Jazz88. What a treat.
I am the opposite of handy but I am working to fight that. I can figure out a lot of stuff in life, I should be able to fix simple tools and implements that I rely on for my livelihood and my family’s comfort. So, a big moment for me to get that thing fixed and sounded good in time to play some music from Ramsey Lewis and I just adore how Ramsey does it on the electric keyboard (in this case I believe a Wurlitzer, not a Rhodes, but I could be wrong). Yum. Thank you Ramsey, and may you rest in peace.
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Punk is everywhere
The spirit of punk is always part of the greatest artists whether they are punk or not. And I don’t think the spirit of punk starts with music called punk. I hear it in the greats from all generations. It’s that willingness to cut a corner and break a rule to get to the important work of music conveying emotion. Any rule that stands in the way of that impulse is worthy of being discarded when it stands in the way of connecting emotionally.
The Triumph Blues
I’m excellent and I’m having an excellent night. I play with some of the greatest musicians I know. My brother Steve is not a joke on blues guitar. He’s got incredible chops and writes amazing pieces. Josh Peterson is a world class texturalist and he also has outlandish chops. We came up playing amazing shit. We were awesome in high school. Peter Leggett is the most unimpeachable. He is that one on drums. The best in the city know he’s with them period. Maybe he works another job but he can have any gigs he wants in my opinion. I got a nice shout from my guy Mike today! He was cheering me on and it put a smile on my face. I spoke with Benzilla, with Medium Zach, with Matt Palin, Felix (more on him later) and just good energy. My dad was there, Brenda was there, a drummer named Andrew Gillespie was there. Even the guy drinking wine next to me brought the good vibe.
I’m part of amazing crews and Ive been with excellence since early. Felix was at the bar tonight. He can write. He can freestyle and most importantly he is an mc who has the fundamentals. He finds the right ride on any kind of beat.
These skills are on top of doing other things for jobs. Doing good work and on the grind for music and more.
I heard Bill Deville on the way home. He’s my guy. He’s got the skills, the conversation. The knowledge and the knowledge to know when knowledge isn’t helping.
I come home and my wife tells me how she talked the whole family into to coming out to a bar at 5:40pm. No easy feat with a five year old who has homebody tendencies. But my wife navigated that cause she crafted a strategy. She’s world class connected with our children. She’s so creative and ambitious.
I’m dancing to my favorite Nipsey Hussle song of all time. It’s called More or Less and I know that there are songs that are more of anthems to me. But as far as the song goes, More or Less is that unicorn. It is Jeep ready, it is as perfect on a lonely night as Nina Simone or Jeff Buckley or Satie. Right. It’s the triumph blues. It hits you so right when every day is a mix of the joy and the pain. When you are in touch with it nothing scratches the itch like Nipsey. I can’t explain the Nipsey thing. I also can never understand my age mates who don’t keep going back to find new hip hop. There’s classics made every day. every day.
But I’m happy. The holidays were a treat. A demanding treat. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. This whole day I was telling Rachel how I feel like a MInnesota success story. I’m proud of Trivia Mafia, I’m proud of Heiruspecs, I’m proud of what I’ve done on the radio. It works. It works for me. When I’m at my most resourced self (that’s language with my therapist) I know what I’ve done is special. I’ve been a part of great crews and I’ve been a part of that greatness. I don’t do mediocre. I do excellence and I love doing it. I’m lucky and I’m excellent.
Shout out to Anomaly
First off can’t believe I’ve lived in a world where I have a friend named Anatomy and a friend named Anomaly. Anomaly is the name of Jayson Heinrichs and he died recently. Impressive musician, sweetheart, short lived drummer in Heiruspecs. Always respected him. Always. I’m thinking about him tonight cause I knew him when I was YOUNG with a capital Y. Like senior year in high school young. He told me randomly once that he was heading back to Northern Minnesota for Thanksgiving and he added that everyone from his town would be at the bars on Wednesdays. He said “a bunch of people drink on the night before Thanksgiving”. I had no idea. It was as novel an idea as people loving to hunt swans on the day before Halloween or any other completely made upr idea because. But here we are. Hanging with the swans, hanging with you. I have love for Jayson Heinrichs. Rest In Peace.
A Video of Big Trouble playing Low’s “California”
Big Trouble wanted to do something to recognize the contributions of Mimi Parker to our musical world and we decided to work up a cover of one of our favorite Low songs, California. If you are not aware of Mimi Parker, a great place to start is Andrea Swensson’s Pitchfork article outlining six amazing tracks from Parker’s catalog.
As we were working on the arrangement I realized that it is one of the few songs that Big Trouble has ever covered that we all kind of equally knew, we were all well aware of the sound, the arrangement, the feel. This was a big record to so many people all around the world, but I must say it came for the perfect time for me and it is still my favorite album by Low. I hope you enjoy our cover. And I hope you enjoy seeing my basement. We’ll be playing it live on Saturday November 26 over at White Squirrel. Our set is from 6-7:45. Maybe you can make it out!
Big Trouble performs the song “California” by Low.
3:33⅓ to Boldly Go-Go Where No Jazz DJ has ever Gone-Gone Before
When I tell you that I need some go-go today you simply need to trust me. I think you do too. The world is too much to not let Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers serenade you on Jazz88. Join me!
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Everyone is a Story Teller
Here’s a simple truth about the world right now. . .no matter what you do for a passion or a job you are allowed to, on any podcast you are legally permitted to appear on, say “but really, I’m a storyteller”. Here’s a couple hypotheticals:
I design fancy mayonnaises
PODCAST ANSWER: “For me sure, I have to know my flavors, egg ratios, focus on emulsification. But at the end of the day, the reason I put that apron on, it’s cause I tell stories. (long stupid pause, host of the podcast goes “ahhh” about three inches off the mic) I’m a storyteller, cause without the story, what is it? It’s just a condiment. But when you tell the story, you can see the counter where we first discovered the chili powder that gives it the kick, you see the farm where our eggs come from. We tell stories with mayonnaise.”
I assemble high-end computer chips
PODCAST ANSWER: “Right, this microphone, your keyboard, the phone your daughter always has in front of your face. These are storytelling machines. You don’t buy it for the camera right? You buy it for the story the camera tells. And we tell that story with a computer chip. I want to pack every microfiber of that absurdly small surface with a place to tell stories. In a way, I tell those stories, I tell the story that you can tell a story from your pocket, that first story, copyright yours fucking truly, is my story about how this little microchip tells a story.
I play competitive table tennis
PODCAST ANSWER: “You can see the game surface laid out in front of you. You learn the rules pretty quickly. But what has kept me working the pong til late into the next day for the last two thirds of my life. . .that. . .it’s not the Franklin ball spinning in the air. . .it’s the story I’m telling. When I serve I’m saying “once upon a time, 19 to 13, one point away from game point, I’m gonna serve this ball right pass your stupid little paddle, happily ever after you poor sap.”
3:33⅓ with Betty Carter
Maybe you wish you knew more about Betty Carter, too. I’ve been in that boat but I’ve been learning a lot. She is a jazz singer’s jazz singer, constantly namechecked as the ultimate jazz vocalist. She started her own record label. She started a educational series called Jazz Ahead that was instrumental in jumpstarting the careers of talents like Dave Holland, Kenny Washington, Benny Green and others.
In my book if you are revered by your peers and your critics, you start your own label to control your career and you pay it forward onto the next generation, you’re the greatest. Plus, the instrument, the song choices, the courage, the vocal moves. She’s the whole package. Thank you Betty Carter.
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