Sunday 30 October 2011
στις
17:57
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
This a post about Nefeli Liouta, one of my favorite musicians out there, one of the biggest talents Greece has ever produced (along with Nicos Galis) and one of the most beautiful human beings, that grace this world with their existence (along with Byron Theodoropoulos and Beoll Sarakinos).
We are not close friends, but one day we 'll be. Maybe I'll play some drums for her too.
Nefeli has published her first album under the "Nefeli Walking Undercover" nickname. The album title is "Τα μολύβια-κομάντος", which in English would probably be something like "Pencil-comandos". You can listen to or download the whole album here.
This is not an underground album... If some lazy, uneducated music editor-journalist labels it by using this word, don't believe a wordof what he's saying. This term has in our days evolved from just a word to a huge cloud protecting the masses from reality, honesty and sincerity. This album shows to us listeners how Greek pop music should sound. Songs, that should be filling the airwaves. And just to prove, that I'm totally serious about what I'm talking about, I swear in front of my loyal readers, that I'll find his address and personally buttfuck him all night long... And I'm not even gay. Enjoy...
Ps. I know nobody is going to watch these 4 videos. I did. Frank Zappa's testimony at the PMRC Senate hearing on rock lyrics. The famous "Parental Advisory" stickers campaign driven by Tipper Gore (Al Gore's wife) ,among others. Al Gore is the world's greatest democrat who will save the world.
I hadn't listened to Donny Hathaway's live album for a long time. I had totally forgotten what a masterpiece it is. Do yourself a favor and find it... Enjoy...
Antonio Sanchez, with Pat Metheny and Christian McBride in Lugano... Great taste. Outstanding technique and chops. Enormous musicality... And yet so humble. I'd certainly like to have a tequila with Antonio... Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. Here's another video of Antonio, from his great educational DVD called "Master Series".
Ps1. If you're a drummer and haven't still subscribed to the Hudson Music channel in Youtube, you certainly have a serious problem... Do it...Do it now...
Rich Redmond is a drummer I learned from Modern Drummer magazine. He was voted "Best Country Drummer" in MD's annual poll. He plays for a guy called Jason Aldean, who I suppose is huge in the USA. He is actually a really good drummer and he seems like a cool person too.
Watch him track down an awful song on his first take. Learn from this video, even if you don't like his playing. Watch how focused and relaxed he is... Watch how the years of playing and recording experience influence his studio fills and playing... He knows what will sound good and big in the mixing process. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. Here's an other video of him recording an awful song...
"In October 2006, Icelandic avante-garde musician Jóhann Jóhannsson released the album 'IBM 1401, A User's Manual through music publisher 4AD. The concept is based upon work done in 1964 by his father, Jóhann Gunnarsson, chief maintenance engineer of one of the country’s first computers, and Elias Davidsson, one of the first programmers in the country. The album was originally written for a string quartet, organ and electronics and to accompany a dance piece by long-standing collaborator friend, Erna Ómarsdóttir. For the album recording, Johann has rewritten it for a sixty-piece string orchestra, adding a new final movement and incorporating electronics and vintage reel-to-reel recordings of a singing IBM 1401 found in his father’s attic."
Read the album's data, written by the artist himself. Enjoy...
Friday 14 October 2011
στις
02:03
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
Tomorrow is the premiere of Dimitra Galani's and Vassilikos's series of concerts in Athens. The concerts will take place at Gazarte. I'll play the drums...
Saturday 8 October 2011
στις
16:01
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
Such great news... Death from above 1979 are back on the road... The original DFA... Not the nu-disco motherfucker who set up a multimillion record label and stole their name with the help of his lawyers... Enjoy...
This post is obviously inspired by my previous one. It's useless right now to over-analyze James Jamerson's style of playing and its influence in modern music. I just want to enjoy the music. Here are several videos with isolated bass tracks played by the master himself. Bassists and musicians pay close attention. Listen and realize how you can still hear the whole song structure without the vocals, without the drums, without anything. Just bass... And you can still sing along.
Ps. Hey... And before I forget... You can shove all your 5string, 6string, 1245string active basses up your ass. The truth hurts you wannabe guitarists...
Ps1. Bear in mind that James recorded the whole "What's going on" bass line while lying on the floor and looking at the ceiling.
Yesterday, at about 4:00 am, I watched a great documentary called "Standing in the shadows of Motown". The title is obviously a paraphrase of "Standing in the shadows of love", a song performed by the Four Tops, which by the way is a song that clearly reveals the origins of US House.
It's the story of the Funk Brothers, the legendary group of session musicians, that shaped the so called Motown sound, performed on and wrote hundreds of hits known to everybody and who still remain unknown and poorly paid. At least half of them have died, tormented. Like James Jamerson, the bass prodigy, drummerBenny Benjamin, keyboardist Earl Van Dyke and guitarist Robert White, who is the inventor of the famous "My Girl" guitar lick.
The documentary also includes a one and only reunion concert of the Funk Brothers featuring guest vocalists like Meshell Ndegeocello, Chaka Khan, Ben Harper, Bootsy Collins, to name a few. It's a really moving documentary and you should definitely watch it and spread the word. It's the least we can do for this legendary group of friends and musicians. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Here's the trailer.
And here is a classic Motown song, whose title perfectly fits the occasion... By the way this classic guitar lick belongs again to the genius Robert White.
Thursday 6 October 2011
στις
16:40
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
Watch the following video... Imagine Danny Carey is a greek session drummer. Imagine that he plays in Poseidonio, or Romeo, or Rex, or Thalassa, or something... He has set up a drum cam, so he can show the videos to his friends. Imagine that Nikos Oikonomopoulos sings instead of Maynard and that this song is part of his "modern" repertoire. Imagine the blondie dancing to this song and gracing us with his usual stage performance. I now understand, that I already have a really vivid imagination... LSD is my next step. I'll conquer that fortress. I'll even take LSD with my morning coffee. Enjoy...
Ok...My friends know that I'm a gear freak...I like to talk about things, that I'm never going to purchase and pretend that I know shit about them... I'm actually really good at it... Just name a topic and I'll totally persuade you I know about it. I can give lectures driven by my sciolism. Check out Tool's gear tour. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. Take a look at the sticker, that appears on Adam Jones's Plexi at 4:05...Yeah baby...
Wednesday 5 October 2011
στις
18:41
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
Attention please... One of my best friends and favorite musicians in the world, Dimitris Aronis (aka Mitsos Modrec) is ready to release his first solo record via the new record label Restless Wind. His name is "Moa Bones" and the album's title is "Aquarelles". His release party-concert will take place at the Nixon Screening room on the 31st of October and 1st of November. I know I'll be there. I hope you will be there too. Both days. Drink some booze and calmly travel to places. Enjoy...
Two huge gifts from youtube and it's not even Christmas. Two Joe Morello DVDs, "The natural approach to technique" and "Around the kit" in full length. That's a gift. For those who don't know, Joe Morello was the drummer for the Dave Brubeck Quartet and one of the greatest drummers that graced us with their musicality and their existence. Great technique, generous hand motions that should be taught at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, huge sound, really delicate groove etc. If you wonder why Joe Morello constantly wore sunglasses, bear in mind that he was partially blind since birth.
One of Joe Morello's greatest virtues was his approach to drum soloing. Here we have a drummer, that had studied with George Lawrence Stone (yep the Stick Control guy himself) and he, inspired by Joe's ideas dedicated him his next book, "Accents and Rebounds". He also studied with Billy Gladstone who was the pioneer of the finger technique in drums. That means using the fingers to control the rebound of the stick. Although he could easily impress the audience only by using his incredible chops, Joe Morello always played from the heart. Constantly hunting phrases that floated around in his head and could be sung by anybody and always incorporating a really clever build-up. Bear also in mind that many of his solos were in odd meters 3s, 5s etc, meters that during the 50s and 60s were really radical, groundbreaking and unexplored.
Here is his recorded solo on "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck. Listen how smooth he is. He takes his time and plays with the listener. And the most important, he makes the listener feel comfortable with the 5/4 time signature, rather than puzzling him. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps. Take your time and study these DVDs and don't forget to take a look at Joe's "Rudimental Jazz" book too.
Ps1. Take a youtube walk and watch his solos from back in the days.
Tuesday 4 October 2011
στις
16:41
Αναρτήθηκε από
sergian
Tosin Abasi is a beast on the guitar... I learned him last year from a guitar magazine. I usually don't like guitarists with such a sound, but he has some really interesting ideas on his head... "Animals as Leaders", his band, are a great progressive metal band, that probably will offer us some great music in the future. Enjoy...
When I grow up I want to be James Gadson... Some kids want to grow up and become Michael Jordan. I want to grow up and become James Gadson. Period. He doesn't even need a solo to show you his mad skills. Read his story. One of the most recorded drummers in the history of music and you probably don't even know it. But, you have listened to this cat, whether you are a musician or a CEO. Enjoy...
Yours, Serafeim
Ps1. James Gadson makes you wanna slow down things a little bit. In music and in life...
Gang Starr are one of my all time favorite hip-hop duos. Mad rhymes by Guru(R.I.P), insane beats by DJ Premier. I can't describe with words the magnitude of Primo's influence in modern hip-hop. Enjoy...
I've been kind of busy lately... I've collected a lot of stuff, that I'll share with you on the following days. Here's a video, that I really enjoy watching. I wish Bill Hicks was alive... Justin Bieber would have a really tough time. Enjoy...
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