[NewMusic] breathtakingly bad 21Grand

[Phillip Greenlief]

PG:

Amendola can play. He just forgets he can play. I'd forget too if I had
to play with Madeline Peyrow, or whatever her name is. Fucking Billie
Holliday clone...makes me sick.

I heard him do a marvelous improvisation with Donald Robison once on a
Larry Ochs Sax and Drumming Core set. They were communicating in a
really beautiful way and time was not particularly present or important.
The truth is: he can play his ass off at times. Steve Adams put together
a double trio once that I played in, Gino and Amendola on drums...that
was nice!

I am a solid veteran of the Scott Amendola experience. We parted due to
economic reasons. It's a long story, but not terribly interesting. I'd
tell it, but as I once said on this list, I'm trying to live by that
lesson so many of our mothers tried to teach: "If you can't say
something nice about someone, don't say anything". The truth is, I
respect him regardless of our differences - as a human being. As a
drummer, he does certain things very well, and one of those things is
laying down a groove.

With a little more regard to his playing, I grew tired of always having
the big beat shoved up my ass. It's probably best we parted ways.  He's
a heavy handed drummer. Sometimes that's just what you want. But I'd
rather play with Tom Hassett any day of the week - but no one (certainly
not your average hipster) knows who Tom Hassett is, so he's probably not
a very good drummer...

;)

PG



----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of David Slusser
Subject: [NewMusic] breathtakingly bad 21Grand

Pardon more verbiage, but there are still points out there to be
made.  Tuesday's show @ 21Grand (7/26) may be an example.
I missed the write-up in the Express, and don't know precisely
what drew the nice size audience (besides the kids from Oregon
traveling with their boy/girl friends).  The auslanders certainly
resemble Jacob's description - I found them predictable with
barely tolerable technique, but actually enjoyed the energy when
they would finally build up a head of steam (and le Gruntfest's
guest turn certainly elevated the proceedings).  Hopefully they will
develop.  I think the WWCC was exceptionally good, but doubt the
audience was attracted to the prospect of "too much gloom for one
room" (in other words, a clarinet ensemble).

Perhaps it was the appeal of the Amendola/Bossi duo that graced us
with their audience.  I certainly won't look a gift horse in the mouth
for putting butts in seats for a night of improvised music.  I don't
think the percussionists were being disingenuous about trying to
play a totally free music set.  Why do I view them with a jaundiced
eye?  Because they don't play free music all the time?  Because they
may be more calculating or aggressive about making it in the music
business?  That there's an audience willing to hear them do just
about anything?  Are these the hipsters Jacob mentioned?  We
should thank the duo for bringing the hipsters in and hope our best
efforts rubbed off on them.

For those that split before the headliners - there were bits that were
predictable and cute, but those are also elements that widen the net
for audience.  I liked their counterpoint and textures, and how they
morphed.  Good listening is not so hard in a duo, but I felt they
used it more to just keep an implied time going - almost desperate
some times.  Perhaps that makes them visitors to the scene - they
didn't really let go of time...maybe that's too much to expect of
drummers.  Otherwise, their imaginativeness and taste were quite
enjoyable.  They could use a few lessons from Moe and Gino about
playing the floor and other off-set surfaces/objects - but at least
they tried the concept.

  Hipsters welcomed?