Category Archives: Uncategorized

Durkin mumbles, mp3s, Uncategorized

Another side of the Industrial Jazz Group

5 Comments

DSC02609

Cleaning up some computer files yesterday, I came across a recording of an Industrial Jazz Group show from a few years back. I believe it was at Cafe Metropol, in LA, sometime in 2006. I honestly don’t remember who recorded it — it was some internet radio thing, and though I got a nice mixed (and processed) copy of the show many months later, I don’t know if any of it ever actually made it onto the web.

Until now! Here’s a thing of mine called “Rover,” which I believe was the opener.

Personnel: Cory Wright (alto sax), Damon Zick (soprano sax), Mike Richardson (trombone), Oliver Newell (bass), Dan Schnelle (drums).

Those of you who have come to the group recently may not realize that we began life as a much smaller ensemble — a quintet, to be exact. Our first album, Hardcore (only available digitally now), is a quintet album. This Metropol show also featured a quintet — not exactly the same configuration as the Hardcore band, as I had removed piano from the equation altogether by this point. Still, it’s a pretty good (live) souvenir of how we once sounded. Note that during the period when this was recorded, I was basically trying to keep the quintet and the big band working simultaneously.

I had almost forgotten that I used to write music that actually sounds like jazz! Anyway, enjoy if you can. I’ll probably be posting the rest of this concert soon.

Uncategorized

Cha cha cha!

4 Comments
Found this cool little organ in a quiet corner of the old church

As imperfect as this is, I wanted to post it anyway.

What is “it,” you ask? Well, I’ll tell ya: the Portland Jazz Composers’ Ensemble rendition of my tune, “Grabby McGee” (from last Friday’s concert at the Old Church in downtown Portland). Here ’tis:

Grabby McGee

It’s a brand-new thing. A further exploration of my current obsession with simplicity (or, perhaps more accurately, perceived simplicity — i.e., pieces that sound easy to play or write, but actually aren’t). It’s still very Industrial Jazz-y (it stuck out on the program like a damned sore thumb).

I’ve addressed some of my personal difficulties with writing for a band that is not the IJG here. They still obtain, but I think this piece worked a little better than last concert’s “Et Tu, Tutu?” (which I subsequently revised and added to the IJG repertoire).

Which is not to say that “Grabby” is an unmitigated success. Turns out the Old Church may not be the best place for my music. There is an awful lot of room reverberance in the recording — I think most of my stuff is better served by a bit more clarity/separation between the instruments. Many, many details — and even, in places, the whole trumpet section — get lost. And some of the intonation is a little ripe in spots (my bad — I seem to be very good at writing stuff that is hard to play in tune).

As you can hear, the audience dug it. I’m never quite sure I understand why that happens.

Anyway, my understanding is that Andrew Oliver (who co-leads this ensemble with Gus Slayton — and, by the way, both of them deserve some kind of medal for that endeavor) will be posting some of the other performances from the show soon. The band was stellar, and the other tunes were stellar, so those Mp3s will be well worth checking out, I assure you. Stay tuned to Andrew’s blog for more.

Continue reading Cha cha cha! →

Shows, Tany 'splains, Uncategorized

Moustache Mania

3 Comments

Tany Ling here. I’ve recently returned from a quick work trip to Florida to record some vocals for the new Trans-Siberian Orchestra album “Nightcastle”, due out later this year. It was fantastic to see some of the gang again, even though I was bonkers due to insomnia and all that time-traveling.

Anyhow, this Saturday I spent a lovely afternoon downtown attending L.A.’s first Renegade Craft Fair. I was expecting to catch the roving rabble-rousers Killsonic, which sometimes features IJG’s very own Daniel Rosenboom, but, alas, I was off by one day, as they’ll be stirring it up this Sunday at 3pm.

Yet, I was not disappointed with the offerings off the day. Notably, there was a plethora of moustaches all about this craft parade. I was particularly tickled by these plush ‘staches from Fuzzy Ink:
colorful_staches giant_stache
And, yes, I did enter the drawing to win the Monster ‘Stache.

Fuzzy-Ink also served up this graphic on a t-shirt

Also of note were these wearable ‘staches (below left), though you wouldn’t want to wear them on your face, unless you’re already pierced there:
staches_on_bag beards
No, the IJG hasn’t gone bearded as of yet, but those (above right), from I Made You A Beard were too fun to exclude.

So, what’s with all the moustaches? From the multiple artists here to the dudes from that United video, to the well-‘stached guy at the craft fair wearing the red sweater who I was too shy to ask for a photo op, I felt like I was a member of a popular taste-maker’s club. Because, you see, I, too have been ‘stached. All of us in the IJG, in fact, know the moustache well. As do our fans, as evidenced here:
IJGmoustaches2629

Soon, thanks to our new-ish tune “Theme For A Cable News Show”, all you lucky folks who’ll be able to catch us on our October 2009 tour (with many more dates/locations soon to be posted) throughout the North East will know the power of the moustache. Is there, perhaps, one lying in bed next to you right now?

Jill's Blather, Uncategorized

United breaks guitars

Our faux-mustachioed brethren, Sons of Maxwell, sing a true song of woe called United Breaks Guitars. The band’s singer/guitarist, Dave Carroll (no relation to our own Ian Carroll), had his Taylor guitar obliterated by the United ground crew at O’Hare, and when he didn’t get no satisfaction from that fine airline over the course of 9 months, he decided to get all songwritey and YouTubey about it. YES! I love this man!

This, my friends, is why The Industrial Jazz Group is a Southwest Airlines kind of band. I love their low fares, snarky attitude, no-change-fee policy, blah blah blah, all that. They just freakin’ rule.

You know, for all the cross-country flying that we do (which is a lot, considering we’re 17 people), I think Southwest should give us some kind of corporate sponsorship. Don’t you think? “The Industrial Jazz Group: The official avant-garde party band of Southwest Airlines” sounds pretty good to me.