Solid State

Ever wonder what would happen if Michael Bay did mushrooms while playing Atari?

PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.
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Though climatologists, meteorologists, and other assorted and sundry smart people may disagree, it ain't spring in Burlington until the lineup for that summer's Discover Jazz Fest is announced. At their annual press conference/ice cream social — yes, really — earlier this afternoon, the fine folks from the BDJF did just that, unveiling what looks to be an impressive and stylistically varied slate of talent.

Flynn MainStage highlights include jazz trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval (6/4), sax legend Sonny Rollins (6/12) and guitar god Jim Hall (6/11). Speaking of Hall, in addition to his own performance, he'll join Rollins to reprise their collaboration on the 1962 classic The Bridge. BTW, did you realize that Rollins is 80 years old? True story.

Notable FlynnSpace performances include The Tomaz Stanko Quintet (6/7), violinist Jason Kao Hwang (6/10) and Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza (6/9). In his description of the last performer, Flynn artistic director Arnie Malina suggested her blend of Bossa Nova and scat vocals evoke more powerful emotions than Ella Fitzgerald. Yeah … um, settle down, Arnie. Hyperbole aside, Souza really is a striking singer. Check it out …

Proving that "jazz" truly is in the ear of the beholder, this year's fest takes unprecedented liberty with the definition of the term. As usual, the Waterfront Tent will serve up not-explicitly-jazzy fare, including reggae (The Wailing Souls, The Itals, and Easy Star All-Stars, 6/12) as well as gospel, funk and R&B (Sharon Jones, 6/10 … woo hoo!). But how Levon Helm (6/13, Flynn MainStage) falls under the ever-widening umbrella of jazz is an argument I'd love to hear. Actually, screw it. I don't want to hear it. Let's just be psyched Levon freakin' Helm is playing in Burlington.

Anyway, that's just the tip of the iceberg. There is a ton of music not mentioned here that we'll get into in coming weeks. For now though, you can check the rest of the lineup here. And there will be even more good stuff announced soon. But there are two stories surrounding the 2010 Burlington Discover Jazz Fest that trump even the names on the Flynn marquee.

The first is that the memorial statue to iconic Burlington saxophonist, vocalist and bandleader Big Joe Burrell is (finally) completed and will be unveiled on the festival's opening afternoon at the Fountain Stage on the top block of Church Street. The second is that the annual Gospel throwdown on the fest's closing Sunday (6/14) will serve as a tribute to the late, great Sandra Wright, who passed away earlier this year. The City Hall Stage show will feature the Sandra Wright Band and plenty of special guests. Just throwin' this out there, but maybe Big Joe could use a pal a couple of blocks up the street …

And by the way, tickets are on sale right … about … now!

This just in: Nuclear Power Pants are playing 242 Main next Wednesday (4/14) with fellow Baltimore/Wham City outfit Height and local experimental songwriter tooth ache. Unfortunately, word of this show didn't come along in time for me to work a mention into my column this week. But judging by this video for NPP's "Got Soul, Need Body," it should be a interesting night at 242, to say the least.

As I've pointed out at least a couple of times now, Tuesday night pre-Honky Tonk at Radio Bean has become an interesting time slot to keep an eye on. Whether it's a month-long residency by folks like Jamie Masefield and Doug Perkins, or bigger touring acts with a night to kill, such as Christabel and the Jons or The Daredevil Christopher Wright, for some reason it seems there is always something cool going on at the Bean on Tuesdays at 8:30, week in and week out.

Tonight it's a San Fran freak-folk singer calling himself Plastic Fantastic Lover, aka Chris Jeffries, who apparently moonlights as a member of VT ex-pats The Jugtown Pirates (formerly of Lake Champlain). Small world. Anyway, here's a clip of the apparent Jefferson Airplane fan doing his thing. Enjoy.

Sierra Leone's Refugee Allstars are in town this week, preparing for their upcoming US tour, which begins at Higher Ground on Wednesday. The band, touring behind a new album, Rise and Shine — their first for Charlotte label Cumbancha — will make a special appearance at UVM's Ira Allen Chapel on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. They'll be showing clips from the award-winning 2005 documentary film about the band (trailer below) as well as answering questions about their lives, their story and, of course, their music.  

If the Midd Kid vid taught us what $50K a year buys you at Middlebury College, I guess this must be what half that — one-third if you're in-state — gets you at Keene State. Not a bad deal, all things considered. Anyway, here is "Granite State of Mind," a clever little spoof of Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind," from Boston-based satirists The Super Secret Project. Enjoy! (And note the nod to VT about midway through.)

Word to the wise, if you ever check out a show at the new House of Blues (formerly Avalon) on Lansdowne Street in Boston, don't buy tickets for the Mezzanine. The mammoth nightclub's second floor balcony wraps around the sides and rear of room but has seriously limited sight lines. Unless you are among the first, say, fifty or so people there lucky enough to get a spot along the railing, there is literally no vantage point to actually, y'know, see the show.

So it was that I experienced Spoon at HOB this past Saturday, alternately trying to hop above the four and five deep rows of almost comically tall people in front of me for a glimpse of the stage, and craning my neck at a projection screen simulcasting the concert that was just delayed enough to be annoying. It was sort of like watching a Red Sox home game on TV at the Cask and Flagon, the famed Lansdowne Street bar that is literally twenty feet from Fenway Park — if you've never done this, imagine hearing a David Ortiz home run thirty seconds before you see it. I'm exagerrating a bit. But you get the idea. Thank God for the surprisingly reasonable Narragansett tall boys. And the sound. Good lord, the sound.

I honestly can't remember the last time I saw, er, heard a show with sound so crystalline and balanced. I've long thought that Spoon's Jim Eno (drums) and Rob Pope (bass) form rock and roll's coolest rhythm section. But I have a profound new appreciation for their work having heard them like that. It was electrifying. The same goes for keyboardist/percussionist Ed Harvey. As for lead singer Britt Daniel? Well, I still want to be him when I grow up. All in all, it was the best show I never saw.

*******

Speaking of Britt Daniel, did you know that he used to be this guy?

And speaking of assumed names, Stephen King's kid might just be, well, the next Stephen King. Or would that be the next Richard Bachman?

Are you a local musician wondering how Obamacare will affect you? Our old friend Casey Rae-Hunter at the Future of Music Coalition is here to help.

Your pledge dollars at work! NPR currently has Dr. Dog's new album, Shame, Shame — the band's first for Anti- — available for your perusal here. The record hits shelves, real and electronic, on April 6. And here's an interview I did with bassist Toby Leaman about the record in January.

Finally! The guy responsible for Battlefield Earth apologizes.

The old gray lady of rock ’n’ roll rags, Rolling Stone, unveils its list of "Best New Bands of 2010" this Thursday. Chief among them are none other than our own Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, who got their start in, um, 2002. Nice that someone is finally paying attention to them. (BTW, it's just a coincidence that Thursday is April Fools Day, right?) Anyway, here's a new video for "Tiny Songs," from their forthcoming self-titled album, which is scheduled for release on June 6.

Last but not least, the Montreal Jazz Fest has just announced another slew of concerts for this year's edition. They have also apparently adjusted the scope of the term "jazz" to include the likes of Andrew Bird, Lou Reed, Lionel Ritchie and Steve Miller. On a related note, the Burlington Discover Jazz Fest now has a Twitter feed where they are soliciting suggestions for this year's lineup. I mean seriously, who wouldn't want to see Lionel Ritchie at the Flynn? 

Ever see that episode of South Park where Cartman blows his "funny fuse" and loses his ability to laugh? Well, I believe I have officially blown my snark-o-meter …

PHISH 3D - IN THEATERS APRIL 30TH from Phish on Vimeo.

Sorry for the lack of postings this week. Lots on the ol' plate. Hows about I make it up to you with a link dump? And maybe an ice cream cone? Moving on …

First up, James Kochalka raised enough money for his Glorkian Warrior project. I'm guessing he's pretty, um, wired about that.

Our old pal, and former 7D intern, Tyler Machado, has a new music blog. He even beat me to the punch breaking the news about Marco Benevento playing a couple of shows at Parima. Do that again and see what happens, Machado. (Just kidding, Tyler … or am I?)

How's your bracket? Probably not as good as this kid's. His is quite possibly the only perfect March Madness bracket remaining in the country. Oh, and did I mention he's autistic?

Speaking of sports, ever wonder how your salary compares to, say, stupidly rich pro athletes? According to this nifty little time waster from ESPN, Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer — newly signed to an unfathomably huge contract — makes my annual salary for every 1/3 of an at bat. Or put another way, after every strike. I knew I should have paid more attention in Little League. 

Burlington-based songwriter Anders Parker (will I ever get tired of writing that?) has a new album of guitar instrumentals called Cross Latitudes. It is available only via download. Check it out here.

Congrats to Waylon Speed, who were just added to this year's Gathering of the Vibes fest. They are also releasing a sweet little debut album this weekend, which you can read about here.

For yet another year, I couldn't go, but here's the best piece about SXSW I've read so far, from the New York Times' Jon Pareles.  

Feels more like March today, doesn't it? Honestly, I'm a little relieved. St. Patrick's Day was way too early for signs of spring like Sun Dress Day, geese flying north or the Beansie's Bus pulling into Battery Park. Anyway, for some reason dreary March weather always puts me in the mood for Sufjan Stevens. That's not a bad thing.

Last but not least, I hope to hell this trailer is real.

In my column this week, I mentioned that beginning this weekend, cozy Burlington creperie The Skinny Pancake would be taking an "intermission" until April. That's true. They are. What I didn't mention is that said intermission actually begins on Sunday, and that the 'cake does have two shows scheduled before they close their doors. Whoops! Anyhoo … 

Tonight, Seth Gallant and Maryse Smith take the stage for some singer-y songwriter-y sweetness. So if you're looking for a place to escape the madness of, um, March Madness that will surely grip downtown Burlington this evening, you could do worse. (Go Cats Go!)

And speaking of Gallant, the In Memory of Pluto front man will be at Radio Bean on Saturday playing with a new group called (at least for now) The Dirty Watts. According to Gallant, the band features members of IMOP, Cannon Fodder and "a dude that works at City Market." (Point of order: how many local bands don't feature a dude who works at City Market?) And just what does the new group sound like? Gallant writes, "The music is like the Rolling Stones' album Beggars Banquet." Giddyup.

Back to the 'cake, tomorrow night, Turkish-Balkan outfit Lokum will rock the joint's last show until April. According to an email from owner Benjy Adler, SP isn't expanding their footprint, but will essentially be re-imagining the layout to make it more conducive to table service and, one would guess, live music. And also, more Dan Bolles-themed crepes …

My apologies for the confusion/omissions. And here's wishing everyone a great (and warm!) weekend.