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Consequence of Sound
12/29/2020
Consequence of Sound

Consequence of Sound

Nearly two million slabs of vinyl were sold in the week leading up to Christmas.

The Oddysy
12/04/2020
The Oddysy

The Oddysy

Bassist-Singer KJ x DJ Johnny Juice mixing you a bespoke cocktail of funk, jazz, hip-hop, and neo-soul ✌🏻✌🏼✌🏽✌🏾✌🏿

11/01/2020
Avant Garde Music

Avant Garde Music

Pat Metheny - New England Digital Synclavier Demonstration - Old Grey Whistle Test - Roland G-303

Super rare footage from the British television show 'The Old Grey Whistle Test'. I believe the clip was pulled for years as the original broadcast included the tune "Tell It All', from "First Circle" and this was blocked by WBM Group from being shown . Great to have it back!

10/08/2020
The GuitArchive

The GuitArchive

Eddie Van Halen performs a rare live Instrumental version of "Panama" on Late Night With David Letterman back in 1985.

10/07/2020
Forgotten Guitar

Forgotten Guitar

Rare backstage footage Eddie Van Halen cutting loose on a strat.

09/10/2020
Abrasivo Cultural

Abrasivo Cultural

Jeff Beck - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
Live at Ronnie Scott's
November 10, 2008

Rumors were rampant about a special musical event scheduled to occur in London in November 2007. Then the news came out: 63-year-old jazz/rock guitar legend Jeff Beck was going to perform for five nights of unparalleled musicianship at the legendary Ronnie Scott's jazz club at 47 Frith Street in Soho. For Beck's legion of fans – including his long-time friends and musical colleagues Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page (who, like Beck, performed with The Yardbirds in the '60s) – this was a rare opportunity to witness Beck's brilliance in an intimate setting. Even after a lavish remodeling of its celebrated, cozy interior, the main room of Ronnie Scott's is still limited to a seating capacity of only 220, allowing for a very personal connection between musicians and audience. A local institution since it opened in 1959 under original owner and namesake Ronnie Scott (who died in 1996), the club was inherited by Scott's friend Pete King, who kept it going for another nine years. In 2005 the venue was sold to London theater impresario Sally Greene, who closed it down for three months in early 2006, gave it a lavish interior makeover by Parisian designer Jacques Garcia, and reopened it in June of that same year.

It was noted saxophonist Leo Green, Ronnie Scott's artistic director and now-former club manager, who convinced Beck to perform at the venue despite the guitarist's initial misgivings about playing loud jazz/rock fusion typically performed in larger, more sonically expansive settings. Beck had some additional incentive, however: A few months earlier, in July, he'd appeared at the club to accept the inaugural Ronnie Scott's Award for Blues Artist of the Year, and spontaneously fronted the house band with a show-stopping interpretation of his favorite Charles Mingus standard, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," shifting with flawless finesse into his own composition, "Brush With the Blues." (For the benefit of Beck fans everywhere, that breathtaking combination is repeated in this high-def performance.)

As it turned out, Beck needn't have worried about acoustics: After a one-night period of adjustment, his five-night stint at Ronnie Scott's (introduced on this disc by Leo Green) turned out to be one of the highlights of his amazing career, and his satisfaction is buoyantly evident throughout the 100-minute set that is beautifully captured on this must-have Blu-ray concert disc. Simply put, this is one of the most astonishing guitar performances ever captured for posterity. Equal praise is well-earned by the hand-picked touring band that Beck had been traveling with prior to the Ronnie Scott's gigs: This is arguably the best band Beck has ever assembled, from the amazing precision of drummer Vinnie Colaiuta to the fleet-fingered excellence of keyboardist Jason Rebello (like Colaiuta, a veteran of Sting's touring band) and, perhaps most impressively, the amazingly skilled Tal Wilkenfeld, a 22-year-old Australian electric bass prodigy whom Beck sincerely compares to the late, great bassist Jaco Pastorius – and if you know anything about jazz, you know that praise simply doesn't get any higher than that.

Beck had been playing with this band for only six months when the Ronnie Scott gigs came up, with previous gigs including Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago (available on DVD) and a brief series of European concert dates in July 2007. Wilkenfeld and Colaiuta had played together before (that's obvious when you see how well they groove together), and the entire unit was thick as thieves by the time they took the stage at Ronnie's. The only problem was the club itself: Beck and the band had been playing a similar set in much larger venues, and the first night at Ronnie's ("disastrous" is how Beck describes it) was essentially trial-by-error, allowing the musicians to fine-tune their sound with each successive performance until they perfected it. By the end of the fifth sold-out performance -- seen here with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant and Jimmy Page in the rapturous audience – Beck was beaming with obvious elation, proclaiming to the intimate crowd, "This is the end of the best week I've had." You can take his word for it, because 'Live at Ronnie Scott's' should now be considered essential listening for anyone with even an inkling of interest in masterful jazz/rock fusion.

The entire 100-minute, 21-song performance consists of highlights, so choosing favorite songs is purely a matter of individual taste and familiarity with Beck's musical legacy. By trimming out songs and solos that worked better in larger venues, Beck honed the Ronnie Scott gigs into a comprehensive survey of his career, opening with "Beck's Bolero," a familiar track (composed by Page) from the Jeff Beck Group's 1968 debut LP "Truth." After that, the highlights just keep on coming, so we'll select a few here for special mention. After stunning performances of "Eternity's Breath" (a favorite composition by Beck's longtime friend, collaborator and mentor John McLaughlin) and Billy Cobham's rhythmically challenging "Stratus," Beck smoothly launches into a stunning version of Stevie Wonder's "'Cause We've Ended As Lovers" (a signature hit from his groundbreaking 1975 LP, "Blow By Blow"), featuring a jaw-dropping bass solo by Tal Wilkenfeld that has deservedly become a viral sensation on YouTube. Even Beck appears astonished by Wilkenfeld's majestic solo, and when the young bassist flashes a playful expression that says "take THAT, mister bandleader!" Beck bows to her talent as they share a big, beaming exchange of smiles. The moment is pure magic for musicians and audience alike.

Next up is the reggae-driven "Behind the Veil" and the power-trio blast of "You Never Know" (composed by Beck's longtime keyboard player Jan Hammer, who skipped this gig due to travel concerns) before Beck segues into "Nadia," a breathtakingly beautiful melody by Nitin Sawhney that's one of Beck's personal favorites in this set. Among the other highlights: Colaiuta's explosive backing and drum solo on "Led Boots" (even Beck seems a bit taken aback by Vinnie's virtuosity); "Angel (Footsteps)," with Beck using a bottleneck slide to perfectly tap a high refrain on the strings below his fret-board (to the awe and amazement of guitarists everywhere); a face-melting performance of the ultra-fast, Beck-composed "Scatterbrain"; the aforementioned "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" followed by "Brush With the Blues"; and a brilliant rendition of The Beatles' "A Day in the Life" that Beck first performed at a tribute for George Harrison, so elegantly loyal that song's gorgeous melody that you may find yourself weeping at the sheer beauty of it. And this is just a sampling of the set's 21 songs, so it's easy to understand why the lucky crowds at Ronnie Scott's were so thrilled to witness Beck at the peak of his musical prowess.

Since it's always a good idea to mix it up in performance (lest anyone in the audience gets fidgety), Beck made a brilliant decision to include some very special guests at the Ronnie Scott's gigs. In form-fitting jeans and a red tank-top, Joss Stone slinks onstage for a deeply soulful performance of Curtis Mayfield's classic "People Get Ready" (which Beck first popularized with Rod Stewart on vocal); and the equally lovely Imogen Heap comes on stage to lend a bluesy vocal to her own composition "Blanket" and the swampy, grinding groove on the McKinley Morganfeld classic "Rollin' and Tumblin'," which is about as close as this set gets to a full-on blues performance. Both of these sexy performers provide perfect counterpoint to the rest of the set.

Then there's the big surprise that nobody in the audience was prepared for: Beck announces the arrival of "a guy who knows his way around a Fender Stratocaster," and Eric Clapton joins Beck and the band for a flawless rendition of Muddy Waters' "Little Brown Bird" (a personal favorite of Beck and Clapton's from their early days), with Beck providing awe-inspiring bottleneck accompaniment to Clapton's deep-blues vocal and Fender lead. This is followed by Willie Dixon's "You Need Love," with Beck and Clapton trading priceless licks while Beck's guitar achieves perfect harmony with Clapton's vocal. When you consider the shared history of these guitar legends, this rare appearance of Beck and Clapton together is well worth the price of this disc, and then some. Guitar mastery simply doesn't get any better than this. Ever. Anywhere.

Jeff Beck – guitar
Jason Rebello – keyboards
Tal Wilkenfeld – bass
Vinnie Colaiuta – drums

The New Yorker Cartoons
09/07/2020

The New Yorker Cartoons

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

09/05/2020
Paul Simon

Paul Simon

This year we are celebrating ‘You Can Call Me Al’s 34th anniversary!

08/29/2020
Avant Garde Music

Avant Garde Music

Curtis Mayfield - We Got To Have Peace
Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test / BBC2 (1972)

Roots, which came out in 1971, found the great Curtis Mayfield momentarily catching his breath, collecting himself between peaks of achievement. He had already made his mark with the Impressions in the Sixties, blending the fervor of the black church with the optimistic conviction of the civil-rights movement on such masterpieces as “I’m So Proud,” “Keep on Pushin’,” “People Get Ready” and “Amen.” Then, in 1970, he successfully went solo, releasing Curtis, followed by Curtis/Live! the next year.

The background explains the confidence, poise and stylistic range so evident on Roots. Mayfield explores the sources of his inspiration, as well as the influential song form that he helped invent — expanded, soulful meditations on subjects personal and political. The album’s high point is “We Got to Have Peace,” an anti-war dance jam that, in perfect Mayfield fashion, combines an uplifting message with an unstoppable groove. “Beautiful Brother of Mine” delivers an impassioned plea to the African-American community (“Together we’re truly black power/Learning to trust by the hour”) in the wake of the previous decade’s social gains. “Now You’re Gone” binds a bluesy, hypnotic spell on the theme of lost love, while “Love to Keep You in My Mind” ends the album on a luxurious note of fulfillment.

Throughout Roots, as throughout his entire career, Mayfield sings in that signature voice of his: a sensuous tenor croon that glides effortlessly into a swoon-inducing falsetto. It’s a complex sound simultaneously imbued with calm and urgency, one well suited to a singer-songwriter committed to the subtlety of every situation and emotion. On Roots, Mayfield was beginning to appreciate the full reach of his talents. And Superfly was lurking just around the corner.

(Anthony DeCurtis)

08/01/2020
Tricky

Tricky

Christiansands 1998

07/25/2020
The Oddysy

The Oddysy

Never more than now.
#Alone Dir. by @atoessandoh

Beautiful faces @soomdawg @ladybirdcrystal @bradfleischer33 @corarlevin @tesfa17 @gozeface @jengordonthomas @cleothegray

@theroyalkj @djjohnnyjuice
#bass #bassist #theoddysy #bassistsofinstagram #hiphop #musicvideo #youmustbejustdontknowwhoiis #nyc #fodera #epifani #labellastrings #johnnyjuice #dj #theroyalkj #atoessandoh #music #brooklyn #subway #blm #togetherwestand

07/17/2020
The Oddysy

The Oddysy

#FLY
#TheOddysy
TheRoyal KJ
Johnny Rosado

07/17/2020
Argonautadellamusica

Argonautadellamusica

Frank Zappa - Black Napkins - Live on The Mike Douglas Show - 1976

07/06/2020
The Oddysy

The Oddysy

Juice on the loose 🧃
Darryl DMC McDaniels x Johnny Rosado x TheRoyal KJ
✌🏻✌🏼✌🏽✌🏾✌🏿
#RunDMC

06/25/2020
The Oddysy

The Oddysy

Peter Piper 🎧 Darryl DMC McDaniels x Johnny Juice x TheRoyal KJj ✌🏻✌🏼✌🏽✌🏾✌🏿
. . .
Long Island Music Hall of Fame Run DMC

06/19/2020
Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan

In 1982, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played a breakthrough set at the Montreux Jazz Festival. By the time the trio returned to Montreux in 1985, they were superstars. Watch SRV’s opener to that latter set!

Listen to more here: lnk.to/SRVPlaylist!fb

06/01/2020
Avant Garde Music

Avant Garde Music

B.B.King - How Blue Can You Get (1998)

Montreux '98

06/01/2020
Johnny Juice

Johnny Juice

Shout out to all essential healthcare workers. We appreciate you. Here's a quarantine performance by me and the King of Rock Darryl DMC McDaniels featuring The Royal KJ of The Oddysy on the bass for the @Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

05/29/2020
The Oddysy

The Oddysy

#Crazy 😳 Johnny Rosado 🎙 TheRoyal KJ 🕺🏻

05/25/2020
Avant Garde Music

Avant Garde Music

Gary Burton Quartet - Sirabhorn (Pat Metheny)

Live at Club 7
Oslo, Norway
November 25, 1976

Gary Burton - vibraphone
Pat Metheny - guitar
Steve Swallow - bass
Dan Gottlieb - drums

05/24/2020
Avant Garde Music

Avant Garde Music

Baden Powell | Prelude in A minor | Live in Poland

05/16/2020
Altered Station

Altered Station

Jane's Addiction - Jane Says
Live on Guitar Center Sessions

05/14/2020
New Wave Generation

New Wave Generation

Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
Live at the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
April 11, 1980

05/10/2020
The Blues Foundation

The Blues Foundation

BB King called the Blues "the mother of American music." Happy Mother's Day!

05/10/2020
Texas Blues Alley

Texas Blues Alley

This is too good not to share. Several years ago I tracked down a ripped VCD (low res video disc) copy of SRV's performance of "Say What" on Saturday Night Live in 1986.

I attempted to resize that video to HD resolution, and even shared it here on FB. It's fun to watch, but the quality just wasn't great.

Being a video nerd, I'm always on the lookout for advancements in technology that make it possible to remaster old videos in better quality. Within the past year, a few companies have put out photo tools that use "Machine Learning" or AI to do upscaling and de-noising on photos with some pretty unbelievable results.

Well, one of those companies called Topaz Labs has taken that same technology and applied it to video. I discovered that they have an on-demand service where you upload a source video, they apply their new AI enhanced upscaling and denoising algorithms, and send you the result.

I had no idea if they'd check what the source video was, but I decided to spend the $5 to see if it would work. I uploaded my old 320x240 resolution copy and asked for the 4x upscale option.

The results are shockingly good. Imagine if Saturday Night Live remastered the original tapes to give us this performance in real HD or 4k quality. That may never happen, but this is good enough for me (for now).

Enjoy :-)

05/06/2020
The GuitArchive

The GuitArchive

50 years ago today, Jimi Hendrix recorded Voodoo Child (Slight Return) at the Record Plant, New York City.

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