U2/Elton John/Hal Willner tribute to T.Rex is out...w/ horn arrangement by Jonathan Freilich

My latest credit is somewhat high profile. The late Hal Willner was making a tribute album to T.Rex and asked me to write and contract the horn section for the track. It’s the single from the record. It’s also the great T.Rex number, Bang A Gong. I see it’s now available on iTunes and elsewhere so I thought I’d throw the post up. Hit the link and check it out.

I got some of my favorite fellows from New Orleans to play on it-

Ashlin Parker-tpt
Charlie Halloran & Jeff Albert&Trombone Shorty-tb
Brad Walker/Ray Moore-sax

Brice Miller Interview Part 3

     After a very long pause I am posting the conclusion to the interview segment of my conversation with Trumpeter/ Bandleader/ Educator, Brice Miller from the Summer of 2013.
     Brice is finishing up a degree, dissertation is complete- so partially I'd like to use this as a congratulatory gesture for his landmark accomplishment.

     (In fact, I also just completed a degree myself so I can get back to these interviews.)

    There are two other, highly recommendable, earlier segments to this interview, of course. 

In Part 3 of this interview Brice touches on the following...

Brass bands in other parts of the United States; the "mythical" Congo Square; the role of formal musical education in the development early jazz artists- Buddy Bolden; brass bands around the world; jazz funerals, 2nd lines, benevolent societies and their roles in solidifying the place of people of color in the city- the taking of it; why brass bands in New Orleans have outlived the traditions in other cities; political needs for brass bands; more on cultural mentorship, cultural capital, social capital; the relation of brass band music to other musics in the city;  Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Nicholas Payton- their start associated with the brass band tradition; being able to speak collectively; Trombone Shorty; the difficulties of talking to music press and their false ideas of what audiences will find interesting; the maligning or ignoring of intellectual sides to musicians in the press; coming out of depression after Katrina; the way that Brice's identity was used and became a caricature after the storm;  going to the University of Alabama; telling the story of real New Orleans music, and the 200 year history of brass bands, honestly; the indignity of the reduction of all narratives of people of color to slavery; the influence of personal understanding of history on personal identity development; final comments- retelling your own stories.

Believe it or not, there is a whole other more conversational and, perhaps more evocative section to this that I will post soon.

Conclusion of interview with saxophonist Dan Oestreicher

Catch the heated debate about New Orleans musical life in the conclusion to this interview with Dan Oestreicher.  Dan is Bari sax man for Trombone Shorty.  He also is the main chap in town for the all too rare, Bass saxophone.

get the interview here...

Part 2 of Interview with saxophonist, Dan Oestreicher

Here is Part 2 of a very coherent interview with one of the hardest working horn players currently in New Orleans (or mostly out of it right now since he has been with the meteorically rising, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.)

Dan Oestreicher first hit the radar for this writer when he presented himself at a Naked Orchestra show at the Mermaid lounge and made clear that he should be playing with the group.  He did that for the rest of that evening and for a long time afterward.  

He played with many of the most forward thinking New Orleans musicians and frequently he is there right when they are looking the most forward.  This includes the The Other Planets, The Magnetic Ear, 3 now 4, James Singleton, Irvin Mayfield's New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Roger Lewis's Baritone quintet (where Dan is playing Bass sax instead of his more heard, Bari sax,) The Naked Orchestra, The Jonathan Freilich group, his own group- The Diesel Combustion Orchestra, and more.  He is seen playing some tuba and really tends to go very deep when he is exploring anything, but especially music.  He also knows a good deal about saxophone lore and trade as well as the other end of the spectrum, analog synthesis.

He is in Trombone Shorty's band, touring constantly, and because of this he is in a unique position to discuss the meaning of New Orleans music (if there is really such a thing at all) and improvisation as it stands in the world outside of New Orleans. His perspectives are well informed and if nothing at all show a blazing mind for inquiry and a fearless and healthy statement of opinion.  He could go anywhere from here.  If you were into horse racing you might see him listed in the racing form as one to watch.

The interviews are still available as a podcast on itunes or from the interviews page here...

Part 1 of new audio interview with saxophonist Dan Oestreicher

The interviews are back!

This interview was recorded during jazzfest (5/2/12) and Dan, riding high on the Trombone Shorty wave, ponders, philosophizes, and argues about music and what he is doing with it.  

This has much of interest about New Orleans music and the burdens and freedoms of its positive and negative associations.  There is also a good deal of general chatter about the art form in general and some intriguing particulars.

If you are interested in the music around New Orleans, you'll want to take a listen.

The interview is here...