Continuing to strut after more than 40 years of playing piano
Michael Wolff
‘Joe’s Strut’
**** out of *****
Jazz pianist Michael Wolff got his start in Cannonball Adderley’s band in 1975. ‘Joe’s Strut’ is dedicated to Joe Zawinul, a fellow jazz keyboardist and former member of Adderley’s band who died in 2007.
With instrumentation consisting of an alto saxophone, tenor sax and rhythm section, it gives each player plenty of opportunity to solo. The soft ballad “Wheel of Life” even features Steve Wilson on soprano saxophone.
Also, the use of an upright bass, as opposed to an electric bass, gives the walking bass lines a much more authentic, less-modern sound while Wolff doesn’t hesitate to use nearly all of the 88 keys on his resonant Steinway piano.
The title track “Joe’s Strut” showcases Wolff’s skills as a pianist with his left hand playing the same line as the bass and his right hand hammering out fast melodies. “Freedom” features over ten minutes of playing and the sound of Ian Young’s rich warm tenor sax fills out the quintet. Written by Zawinul, “74 Miles Away” closes the album on an upbeat note.
While tracks like “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “The Third You” are a little on the slow side, ‘Joe’s Strut’ as a whole is excellent. With over half of the tracks being composed by Wolff, it is evident that he is one of today’s more accomplished jazz musicians.
Even those that are reluctant to accept modern jazz should check this out because it has a very traditional sound.
Nick’s Picks: “Joe’s Strut,” “Freedom,” “74 Miles Away”
It’s no secret that I fucking love VH1 reality shows- especially the Rock of Love franchise. Sure, Bret Michaels’ dating show may set women back 25 years, but it’s damn good entertainment to see some drunken skank take a shot of Slippery Nipple out of another girl’s snatch (see Rock of Love Bus, episode 1).
In the March 2009 issue of Blender Magazine, Mark Yarm reports on the secrets of Bret’s sordid lifestyle, proving once and for all that the Poison front man is more disgusting than Kid Rock, Courtney Love, and Axl Rose combined.
Here are some highlights:
Bret lives in a Spanish-traditional home in Scottsdale, Arizona with one of his two daughters (named "Jorja") and former girlfriend Kristi Gibson. He’s lived with Gibson throughout all three seasons of Rock of Love, and their relationship status via Facebook is listed as “It’s Complicated.” Die-hard Rock of Love fans (me) might remember a time where Season 2 runner-up Daisy de la Hoya was chastised for "not being there for Bret" because she still lived with her ex-boyfriend. I smell hypocrisy.
Bret claims he had a not three, not four, but FIVEsome with some chicks at a truck stop in Iowa! From now on, when someone asks me where I'm from, I'll proudly say "the state where Bret Michaels got it on in a truck stop." Who wants to bet it was the Iowa 80?
Mark your calendar! Bret’s autobiography, Between a Rose and a Thorn, comes out in April of this year. And guess what? It’s going to be full of “lots of good, juicy, funny, sexual, crazy groupie stories.” Awesome! Here’s to hoping that the book will also contain a tiny electronic device that plays the acoustic version of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” on loop.
Bret lost his virginity at 15 to a “thicker” girl at a fish hatchery. He describes the romantic liaison thusly: “…it was quick. ‘Two-pump chump’ would be an overstatement!”
And the million dollar question……
Question: You’ve admitted that you wear “the finest [hair] extensions Europe has to offer.” Isn’t that a fancy way of saying you wear a wig?
Bret’s Answer: No. I have hair, but it’s not as long as I’d like it to be. I have baby-fine hair, slightly receding in the front, but not bald. Actually, they’re not called extensions anymore- they’re “individuals.” They tie in to each of your hairs. If it ever comes to a point where I need to do something about it- meaning get hair plugs- I will.
Evening ladies and gents, it's Grammy time. Your dear and devoted reporters Brian Dau (BD) and Melea Andrys (MA) will be with you throughout the night, providing you with our snarky perspective on the music industry's finest. First up, news from E's red carpet coverage.
BD - 6:30 - As a journalist, it's physically painful to watch Ryan Seacrest interact with other human beings. Whoever decided he needed to be let out of his cage from the set of American Idol made a huge mistake.
MA - If I could kill one person tonight, it would be Ryan Seacrest.
Sup guys?
BD - 6:43 - M.I.A. shows up smuggling seven watermelons past red carpet security. She claims pregnancy, but I'm not buying.
BD - 6:51 - Quincy Jones: "I remember in 1958 when..." Ryan Seacrest: "ZZZZZZZZZZ...."
BD - 6:55 - Hole in the Wall is on Fox!!! What were we watching?
BD - 6:59 - Mercifully, Hole in the Wall is over just in time to switch to CBS for the show proper. It's about to get real.
7:01 - Opening Performance by U2: MA: Is that Kanye? BD: Nope, it's U2. Sorry to disappoint. MA: Note: I'm wearing a shirt designed by Bono, with all the proceeds going to cure AIDS. I got it on clearance for $4 (originally 40). BD: You're a terrible person. MA: No, I'm just a smart shopper.
7:05 - Best R&B album, introduced by Ms. Whitney Houston: MA: Holy shit! Is that Whitney Houston? Shouldn't she be in rehab? Shouldn't Bobby Brown be hitting her? ...oh my god she's high as shit! BD: Trainwreck aside, if Raphael Saadiq doesn't win I'm cutting someone.
7:07 - Jennifer Hudson wins: BD: ...and we're one for one on disappointments tonight. But I'm not going to say too much about this one because I'm not that much of a jerk. MA: I will. Her album was not good. At all. Poor decision. That's it.
7:08 - Dwayne Johnson's opening: MA: The Rock can spell! Who knew?
7:11 - First performance, Justin Timberlake & Al Green & Boyz II Men: BD: "Take Me to the River?" Is that the track the singing bass sings? MA: Yes. BD: Love it! MA: Look at this impromptu performance. They're just karaoke-ing together.
7:21 - Performance, Coldplay (with Jay-Z): MA: Is that Kanye?!?!? BD: Well, Coldplay's on, so feel free to go make a sandwich or something. MA: I predict Coldplay will sweep tonight. BD: Sweep the Suck Awards in every category I just made up in my head! MA: You know how I know you're gay? BD: Because you listen to Coldplay?
7:28 - Yet Another Performance, Carrie Underwood: MA: She looks hot tonight. Too bad she can't sing. BD: I have nothing to add to that. MA: Carrie Underwood's guitarist is a smokin' hot babe-fox. I'd fuck her in a heartbeat.
MA: I don't think country music should be included in the Grammys. They have the Country Music Awards already, they should be segregated. BD: You know, if you replace "Country Music Awards" with "Source Awards," you sound like a total racist.
MA: Alternative name for the Grammys: "Waiting for Kanye"
7:37 - Highlight of the evening thus far is a commercial:
7:41 - Song of the Year (Coldplay wins): MA: Look at them! They look like a raggedy Sergeant Pepper's. BD: They just admitted to it! MA: Paul seems alright with it. I love Paul.
7:44 - Kid Rock performs a medley of crap: BD: Go ahead and make yourself another sandwich or something. Do you have the remote? Is this gonna last a while?
7:54 - Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift perform (FOR THE FIRST TIME EVERRRRR!!!): BD: Is this from High School Musical? MA: Miley Cyrus can't sing worth a shit. I'd rather listen to just Taylor Swift, and that's saying something. Also, it looks like a Miley was involved in some kind of sequin-related accident. BD: With any luck, this will be the first and last time they ever perform together.
8:01 - Jennifer Hudson performs: MA: Jennifer Hudson looks gorgeous. I wish she was singing a better song...Are those elephants on her ears? BD: No, they're those sticky hands you buy for 25 cents out of vending machines and throw against a wall for 5 minutes until you get bored.
8:10 - The JoBros and Stevie wonder perform: BD: I can't speak about this. It makes my heart hurt. I bet they told Stevie he's performing with, you know, somebody talented before they sent him onstage. BD: Oh my, now a gang of young white boys are accosting that old man. MA: I want to rip that scarf off that JoBro's neck. BD: The longer this song goes on, the more I lose the will to live.
8:23 - Katy Perry performs: MA: She really just should have lip-synched. But she does look good, and the set's hot. MA: The Jonas Brothers were underwhelmed by that performance.
8:27 - Kanye and Estelle perform: MA: It's KANYE!!!! (incomprehensible screaming) MA: I'm not sure why she's wearing a potato sack, though. BD: Good music! Yes! We're only an hour and a half in.
Don't worry guys, I'll save this show!
8:50 - M.I.A.'s baby opens for four rappers: MA: Look at these badasses. More Kanye! BD: We might as well stop watching. Nothing's topping this. M.I.A. is holding off labor just to perform! Her dance move is something I like to call the "hump your baby's head."
9:00 - Paul McCartney performs with Animal (Dave Grohl) on drums: BD: Following Sir McCartney's performance, Melea slipped into a euphoria-induced coma. So I think we might have to call it a night here. Enjoy the rest of the show, suckers!
Allow me to directly quote from the LA Times Blog:
"Variety is reporting that the Jonas Brothers -- Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, and the "Bonus Jonas" Frankie, 8 -- will star in -– are you ready? "Walter the Farting Dog."
The family-friendly film is based on a best-selling children's book series of the same name. The main character, Walter, is a grossly fat dog with really, really bad gas.
The Jonas Brothers will play musicians who help their parents care for their aunt's dog just before she passes away.
"By the time they’ve driven the dog home, everybody’s head is out the window of the family station wagon but Frankie, and only because he has a serious sinus problem and doesn’t notice the stench coming from Walter," director Peter Farrelly (“There’s Something About Mary”) told Variety.
Filming starts next spring.
Actually, it could be pretty funny. And pretty successful. Lord knows there are a lot of 6-year-olds, 16-year-olds, even 46-year-olds who just love canine flatulence humor. A comedy for all ages!
Let's just hope it's not released in smell-o-vision."
I beg to differ. There's no way this movie can be in any way amusing, unless of course the Jonas Brothers die in the end from inhalation poisoning. I'd pay to see that.
As everyone on the Internets knows by now, Christian Bale has been caught on tape flipping the fuck out on a DP during the filming of Terminator: Salvation.
Honestly, I don't care much whether Bale is an asshole. Plenty of talented people are and it no doubt reflects in the quality of their personal lives. But he's a good actor, so I'll keep seeing his movies as long as I enjoy them. It doesn't matter to me that I probably wouldn't want to be his friend.
Update:
Here's a great dance remix of Bale's temper tantrum:
...enjoy this "digital fairy tale," the story of a woman who discovers first-person video footage of her own life is being posted to YouTube from the future. Needless to say, "hijinks ensue."
And, if you're a lawyer, try to come up with a way to sue these people for negligent homicide. Murder by meat; death by deliciousness. There are worse ways to go.
