jazz streaming

i wished i have discovered this earlier!

well... i have been watching iview for a while... catching up on "Collectors", the odd "GA"... I have even spent x-s bandwidth on SBS, streaming "Luke's Vietnam" of late...
but now i have discovered streaming radio - not just any radio stations, but streaming ABC jazz radio!

of cos' there are loads of other (alternative) stations to explore as well - house, chill, hip pop etc...
now i'll have my own "noise" to counter mcduck's and snowflake's TV noise (esp noisy morning breakfast programs full of infomercials!)

bjork strikes (the note) again!

after the drought of 15 years without hearing bjork live (last in hk 1993)... there was great anticipation for 23th jan! first there was the loss of not being able to get a ticket on its first release (was on the phone and internet for 3 hours)... then came the delight of being able to get

a ticket on its second release... and finally the day came for the show...it was earned not without

prolonged periods of waiting (one hour queue to get in even though a ticket was at hand) and physically demanding seating on the opera house forecourt steps (for 3 1/2 hours)...

and to my relief - all was worth waiting for!!

most of my fave songs got thier airing:

• desired constellation - what hi tech gadget was that beats-control-board-thingy?! <-- i searched and searched and finally found out it was a new electronic instrument "REACTable" - see it on youtube! v cool!


• unravel - tears in my eyes...


• army of me - the start of energy and beats in the concert


• all time favourite - HYPERBALLAD - wow!!!she invited us to sing along!


• all time favourite - COVER ME!! - i was speechless with this mesmirising version, involving only bjork and the dud on the synth - was he improvising or what?! totally speechless against the juxtaposition of a clear ice-pick voice and mingling dischords from the synth


• pluto - more concert explosions!


• oceania - even though i didn't really warm to this tune in the past, the salsa sounding jazzed up version made one uncontrollably sway one's hips


• declare independence - "higher, higher!" "higher, higher!" what a finale! and she gave us a little talk as an prelude! much better live than on the CD...heads bopping up and down, fireworks, confetti, sparkles, explosive lighting!!! that really sumed up the vibe for the whole show
  
  
  
  
  
  

** the security was really tight, bag checks and confiscating cameras**

bjork outside the opera house was way better than tori inside the opera house!

bjork, when will you be back again?? better start lining up for tix now...

tori's fans are deluded!

yesterday, i was recounting my experiences at the tori amos concert, hoping it was a nightmare created by my own senses... and then, i found out bjork will be coming over in january! (so will have to queue up on Nov 2)

after the bad tori experience just a few days ago, i am starting to have reservations about another concert of another well-loved artist of mine...

would this future encounter tarnish my good "childhood" musical memories like it did for me at the recent tori's?

back to tori - or should i say clyde (one of the doll posses)...

the Sept 24 at the SOH was a disaster (for me) - contrary to reviews of other fans on"undented"... <-- i was really surprised! not a negative review in sight!

well... here is mine ((slightly?) negative reveiw)...

the acoustics were unsatisfactory - soooooo loud... this wasn't helped by clyde / tori's delivery either, cos all the songs have absolutely no variations in volume (where are the pp and the ff???) ... all songs with no discrimiation were belted out hard!

this included the beloved "cloud on my tongue" - why was it sung at the same tempo all the way through??? v disappointed... at the moment i thought it might have been the bad acoustics... but i didn't think so now...

the song choices were not my fave either... may be because i am not accustomed to her american doll posse pieces... but i was not the biggest fan of the bee keeper either...

the last concert i went was tori's hammersmith appollo original sinsulaity concert... and boy, that was way better... (i don't think she had the band there... i can't remb) ... the thing i remb was that "silent all these years" ( couldn't believe she played that for encore!) nearly moved me to tears...

i wish her band would take a backseat and let her and her Bo shine!

** i was sad to say that tori didn't do a fan's request segment or a "covers" segment!!! this should be compulsory!**

herbie hancock at the state theater

i knew for a while the great jazz musician was coming to australia. i've only been exposed to 'gershwin's world' and therefore did not think much of it, until i saw him on the 7:30 report with kerry o'brien... then i realise, if i don't see it, i may never get the chance to see it again - live! so i got a tix at the dress circle A aisle and on the left, thirty odd seat, and got a best view of the hand-acrobatics!

the other blokes in the band were amazing as well, there was Lionel Loueke (guitar) was born in Benin on the west coast of Africa, lives in New York and playsaround the world. his solo guitar & voice n beats number was beyond creative. there were elements of african beats laced with aboriginal undertones. Nathan East (bass) has an amazingly soulful voice - at the end they did do a rendition of stevie wonder's, "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Vincent Colaiuto (drums) has quite beefy arms - from all the hard hitting - emotionally charged with (blood - may be not), sweat and tears.

they started off with a tranquill piece then moved straight onto some funky beats and watermelon man. the highlight of the show (i reckon) was herbie's solo towards the end - a quiet / impressionist / debussy like piece (i wish i know the name, but with my limited knowledge of his discography, i'll have to do much further googling and listening)... he had the best control in volume and tempo ( not just in the fast funky pieces but also in this one)! he was able to transfer me from a highly energized, to a meditative / tranquil state in a moment of time - that experience cannot be found (fully) on a CD and i am so glad that my thrifty ways did not get in the way of me going!

and the variations on the intros!!! jaw droppingly complex (yes... if memory serves me right... i think it was "Chameleon" at the end)... and the chord progessions - so different! but as a whole all came together and belonged to each other...

so now apart from expenses from my new found hobbies - surfing and scootering - i'll have to add herbie and co on the list (yes i remember!... starbucks & "possibilities" - i did hear that being plugged no less than 3 times during the amazing show)