FAITU#52+#53+#54+#55+#56
FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN THE UNIVERSE
(FAITU#52 & #53 & #54 & #55 & #56)
2001-04-20
2002-04-20
2004-04-20
2005-04-20
2013-04-20
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2001-04-20
MMW c.2001
Source info:
2001-04-20.neumann-u89.117619.t-flac16
– ONE SET (tracks 1-23) –
– SHACK THOUGHTS –
Another opening slot with The Dropper, but this time the band basically jumps right into the tune and WE ARE ROLLING! Cool little Shack out of there and we move into *yet another* kick ass single spring set show! Super fun Acoustic Intro > Chubb Sub too …
enjoy the grooves,
dug
2002-04-20
MMW c.2002
Source info:
2002-04-20.schoeps641.9521.t-flac16
– SET I (tracks 1-7) –
– SET II (tracks 8-15) –
– SHACK THOUGHTS –
Speak of the devil! Take Me Nowhere pops up here … Lifeblood, again cool with an extended outro of sorts … Creole > Felic might be the highlight of the show for me … well, the Moti Mo to close is in competition but not quite … Nocturnal Transmission is a wicked tune! And the move into Where’s Sly? is wacked! HA!
Can’t speak to Dan the Automator additions to the show too much … I’m just not a DJ guy … I simply can’t recall one way or the other at the moment …
enjoy the grooves,
dug
2004-04-20
Wood & Martin 2004-05-28 @Harmony Park Music Garden, Geneva, MN
Source info:
2004-04-20.fob.dpa4023.23966.t-flac16
– SET I (tracks 1-11) –
– SET II (tracks 12-27) –
– SHACK THOUGHTS –
Standing out as one of the most incredible run of shows MMW has ever played, these April 2004 gigs of 100% improvisation exhibit the band at the height of their SHACK skills, pulling endless melodies and grooves out of thin air, along with the usual visits to more out-there/open space.
Each night encores with a tune intended for release on End Of the World Party (Just In Case) later in 2004 — Whiney Bitches never made it to the US release, but I think was on the Japanese release, and was later found on the Note Bleu-Best of the Blue Note Years 1998-2005 compilation disc.
All that to say: Dig into these gigs of pure musical exploration … you won’t be disappointed.
enjoy the grooves,
dug
2005-04-20
MMW @The Staircase, Scranton, PA 2005-05-13
Source info:
2005-04-20.akg463.29083.t-flac16
– SET I (tracks 1-5) –
– SET II (tracks 6-13) –
– SHACK THOUGHTS –
The show opens in fine form with lots of exploration solidifying in a tweaked-out groove — Medeski’s keys are wild! We move through 2 incredible improvisations in the first 30min — you have to listen to these guys constructing these pieces on the fly, it’s unreal, boiling down to Chris letting loose on a Bass Solo before illyB joins back in and the two groove out and play around for a few minutes before landing into Hegaz — this is an incredible tune the guys played throughout April ’05 thanks to Brahim Fribgane bringing over this Club D’Elf tune during his sit-in @Tonic in NYC the previous March. Thought it might be the Zorn tune Ziphim for a while, but it’s a D’Elf tune, I believe written by Brahim. John sticks on piano throughout for this one which is real nice — each version of this tune is worth checking out for what the band does over the course of its brief inclusion in the live repertoire. Curtis is a hard groove resolving to the soothing wackiness of ITAHTLMJ to close the set, a tune benefiting nicely from Medeski’s ’05 key sounds.
2nd set gets going with a solid (as always) EOTWP (love that bowed bass!), with a HUGE Reflector close on its heels containing a Drum Solo which is fairly common for the tune but not a given, so I like to note it, and this jams into the nice combo of New Planet > The Lover, leading to a Bass Improv Outro that takes us to the slink of Sasa. The quietness of Everyday People follows (ya know, I honestly hardly recognize this cover!), and Queen Bee (a common closer) rocks us out to end with the cries of Whiney Bitches — what a pairing to wrap-up the set! Every version of Whiney Bitches is worth hearing as well …
Who The Fuck? is a short but VERY sweet encore — FRICKIN’ LOVE THIS PJ Harvey tune! Never listened to the original because I’m afraid how much it might ruin my love for MMW’s version … it rocks SO HARD!
enjoy the grooves,
dug
2013-04-20
Wood @Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall, Davis, CA 2013-04-20
Source info:
2013-04-20.neumann-km140.124444.t-flac16
– SET I (tracks 1-6) –
– SET II (tracks 7-12) –
– SHACK THOUGHTS –
An electric gig drops on 4/20 in the midst of an acoustic run …
– SET I –
Some mildly piercing tweaks of feedback-like noise begin our journey through this 4/20 excursion, I believe the sounds are coming from Chris bowing below his bridge on the stand-up — it makes that kinda uncomfortable sounds. John is filling in some atmospheric sounds while Billy tinkers with some percussive injections. This open space is sifted and mined for groove until just after 5min or so the band allows the groove to emerge — Chris has already been building up the bassline, but @5:20 of track #2 John hits a mild riff and things evolve smoothly from there … this feels nice and welcoming even with its haunted edge. The last couple of minutes of the track sees the band developing what sounds like the beginning of an entirely new piece but it only lasts a couple of minutes … could really just be the outro from the previous improvisation, but I’ve noted it separately and it actually chills down to a very brief skittering from illyB on the kit before we reach silence.
Martin @Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall, Davis, CA 2013-04-20
The next track picks up the energy a bit with an illyBeat kicking hard before John chimes in with a nice and funky Clav riff followed by some nasty slide work from Chris on his electric — and we’re suddenly in a much funkier territory that’s almost feels scary to follow but also so nice. The organ comes in with a complimentary/contrasting riff to the Clavinet and this is a FUNKY TUNE, folks! Too bad we’ll never hear it again … THANK YOU TAPERS!!!
Track #4 I’ve dubbed “Mondavi Piano” — it’s incredible. It’s comprised of a few sections that sound to me like they all work together as a composition — spontaneous? I dunno … but listen and you’ll love it. The intro section moves smoothly into the main piano groove of the song c.3:40 — beautiful work from John here, complimented so perfectly by Chris and Billy. Wicked good. This builds to some chaos, out of which John continues a piano riff as the track rolls over and Billy joins in on percussion …
Medeski @Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall, Davis, CA 2013-04-20
Medeski drops out and illyB keeps playing his mettalic percussives for a spell, and then John slowly joins in with a murky little riff on (what I think is) the Wurlitzer — oh yeah, and Chris starts to compliment John as Billy switches to the kit and things start movin’ and groovin’. This is great and leads us to a Drum Solo closing the set — I recall an old interview where Billy noted the first time they ever did that, close a set with a Drum Solo, and how different it felt and how cool it was … not sure, think around ’03 … anyway, set break!
– SET II –
The 2nd set gets back to tunes, with a great selection, cool to hear, especially since in 2013 we weren’t hearing much else from the band other than the surrounding acoustic gigs that were the thrust of this spring ’13 tour. I think you had to hit some European festivals to catch MMW electric that year — HA! — so, lucky for our friends across the Atlantic. Anyway, great selection of tunes that are all at the top of their game, with a nice loose yet in control and confident feel.
Wood & Martin @Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall, Davis, CA 2013-04-20
Shacklyn Knights is a good slinky way to begin the set, followed by a Bass Solo, while LCTDT(P) is a particular highlight — stellar piano from John. JLIPI takes me back to my first live experience with MMW in ’98, and I’m a sucker for always hearing No Ke Ano Ahiahi for similar reasons — it’s a tune my wife and I both love as well. Heaven on Earth is a tune we could hear more from the band … if/when they play again more …
enjoy the grooves,
dug
THE SHACK STREAM
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Posted on April 20, 2018, in FAITU, Jazz, Live Music, Music and tagged 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2013, 4/20, Billy Martin, Chris Wood, Dan the Automator, FAITU, Friday Afternoon In The Universe, Improvisation, Jazz, John Medeski, Kenny Brooks, Live Music, Medeski Martin & Wood, MMW, Paul Hanson, Ralph Carney, Steven Bernstein, Stream Music, The Shack Project, Uninvisible Horns. Bookmark the permalink. Comments Off on FAITU#52+#53+#54+#55+#56.
The Shack Project 