Frenchy’s Fracas

First things first: some cunts over at rotterdamjazz dot com are splogging my posts through Technorati - no way of contacting them yet, but I have my traditional greeting for them: choke on it and drop dead, pretty please with sugar on top..

The Acts
Steely Dan
Paid me some extra cash to see these guys and it was worth it!! I was afraid Messrs. Fagen and Beecker would be al uptight and anal about the whole thing but they were relaxed and even funny sometimes. They played a great mix of hits and what really amazed me was how the sound was set up: almost everything was tightly arranged and sweetly balanced. Kudos to the sound people! - excellent show!

A Special Performance from London (Secret)
Funny thing, we were standing close to the entrance to listen to the announcer and when it turned out to be Jamie Collum, we got the hell out of there. We were just in time to see the tsunami of people hearing the news and running to get inside - not my cup of tea, waaaay too safe.

Benny Golson & Johnny Griffin: Remembering Trane
I was expecting mister Ron Carter, but he canceled, so that was too bad. BUT the replacements weren’t some talented hacks, these elder statemen of jazz rocked the stage with Heart and Love putting quite a lot of younger artists to shame - some real jazz, fantastic!

The Cinematic Orchestra
Interesting band, gonna check them out a bit more. The show was okay, dedicated and purposeful musicians - definitely on my to do list

Wicked Jazz Sounds Featuring Phil Horneman & Leroy Rey
Saw/heard DJ Leroy do his stuff in Paradiso a while back and this guy is incredible! His knowledge of rare grooves and oldies is huge, wow.. And he is one hell of a performer, setting up a beat, a mood and directing his audience to a place of pure Fun - people, you must check this guy out!

Hiernoymus Fox:
The gig took place on the roof terras under the beautiful sun. The dj I saw was Leroy and he really blew the crowd away with his mix of jazz and funk! He’s also a great entertainer, which really added something to the whole.

Roy Hargrove
Last year he performed with his RH Factor band, this year it’s back to jazz, solid work by a great group of genius musicians - loved it!

Maceo Parker
When we dropped in the show was already half way, seeing Maceo doing his James Brown style of entertainment is okay, but seeing him without his saxophone is disconcerting - didn’t like it at all.

Hieronymus Fox:
Donald Fagen was singing like in his best days and Walter Becker played very well and added a comic note to the whole now and then. They realy seemed to enjoy themselves and so did the audience!

Lura
Hieronymus Fox suggested we have a look/listen and it was a great suggestion. This lady mixes music from Cape Verde with different styles to create a passionate and warm sound - liked it!

Conclusion
Best of the second day were Steely Dan and DJ Leroy, with Messrs. Golson and Griffin as the icing on the cake.

Hieronymus Fox’s North Sea Jazz Journals at Last.fm:
Steely Dan
Golson & Johnny Griffing: Remembering Trane
The Cinematic Orchestra
Wicked Jazz
Roy Hargrove
Lura

Pictures at Flickr.com

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General Description
Artist/Band: Benny Sings
Album Title: Benny… At Home
Year: 2007

Funny, weird and Dutch..
 
How I Got Into This Music
Benny Sings is an incredible Dutch talent who also seems to be a one-man counter-culture. This band’s one of my last MTV discoveries, it’s a drag to watch that station nowadays (then again, I ain’t exactly in their demographics anymore, heheh..); from that I discovered the weird and fuzzy collaboration with Dutch DJ Rednose District, called Euh. This new album goes back to Benny’s previous interests: how to make a great pop album.

Album details at Artistdirect.com || Google Search for reviews of this album || Listen to the album at

Tracks that got my attention:
Coconut
Sweet intro, always lifts my mood . Delicate vocals, nice background percussion and the keyboards work fine too.

For Your Love
Uptempo Brazil beat, like the chorus and the bridge best.

Let Me In
Current single; can get a bit too repetitive for my nerves. Reminds me of other stuff he’s made in the past, Together from his Champange People album, to be exact. This track has reasonable airplay; wouldn’t be surprised if it’d be a hit here in Holland. Check out the video.

Feather
Heavy melancholy, combined with some light 10cc poppy-ness. Love it! Always get’s to my heart and soul. Check out all the weird effects going on in the background.

We’ll Make Lovesongs
Another one that reminds me a bit too much of his previous stuff. Love the effects halfway and near the end of the song. His vocals are utilised to the fullest production-wise, showing some well-needed diversity.

Blackberry Street ft. Urita
Return of the Casio pocket keyboard!! Heheh.. Miss Urita’s vocals are crisp and a nice addition to this track.

Over My Head
Don’t have the right reference for this track, but it’s almost Classic. Funny lyrics, very toned-down approach, love it!

Overnight
A bit more electronica on this one, good thing his vocals keep the song on the right track. Nice scratch/sample interlude.

All I’m Good For
Hmmm, must check my encyclopedia musicalis for this one, because I can’t think of the right name for the genre that’s being used here (is it Ragtime?). Very 70s feelgood, almost a Welcome Back feel (John Sebastian) to the whole thing; great track!

I Can’t Help Myself
Absolute Aerobics Music! It gets me all energized, hyped, and all that active stuff.

Conclusion
Hmm, prefer his previous works Champagne People and I Love You. This album doesn’t go anywhere and sounds a bit too much like the aforementioned albums. For the record: I think this guy is one of the most interesting and talented Dutch musicians ever and I think this style and approach to (producing) music will get him international recognition. Benny Sings has a bit of Steely Dan’s charm and quality, but he’s less anal about Perfection, thankgod. Maybe some people are glad he returned to this type of music after the excursion to Meta-Weirdness with Rednose, but this album lacks progression. So, I love it, but less than I expected.
But you know what? I think this guy’s gonna keep on doing what he likes or thinks is interesting, not paying that much attention to what other people think about his work. That’s what really distinguishes Benny Sings from a large number of entertainers.

Rating: (Always keep an eye/ear on this guy)

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Oooooo, daddy-o! Those crazy people of the North Sea Jazz Festival have anounced their line-up/program!! And it’s an interesting collection of artists that will be performing during those hot and sweaty days in July; here’s a few names:

• Amy Winehouse (still sober?)
• Snoop Dogg (WTF?)
• Steely Dan (the masters of silky pop)
• Sly & The Family Stone (xcellent surprise)
• Joshua Redman
• Ornette Coleman
• Wynton Marsalis (arrogant legend)
• Al Green (YES!!!!)

Me am happy, me start saving cash for three days of music, me am happyhappy!

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