Darcy Jame Argue's Secret Society - Infernal Machines (listen) This lovely and lush album on the fence of jazz and not-jazz was briefly mentioned in Nico Muhly's recent post about the notions and boundaries of scenes in New Music in New York. At first, I read this thinking I wish I had that problem, enough like-minded interesting people doing interesting things that they gather into clumps, but of course that happens here. It is difficult to write about the cultures of a place that instinctively keep to their respective owns.
itsnotyouitsme - Walled Gardens (listen) This group shares the New Amsterdam label, and thereby, maybe, a scene with the former, and has been one I keep in my handy on my phone for its quiet, slightly sad, calming qualities. My daughter and I were playing one of our bumbling beginner's chess games. Really, I am the only bumbler here because she soundly and strategically beat me while I was half- listening to this on my phone. She requested some "Harry Potter music, like the stuff without any words" and this was the only atmospheric, instrumental, to-a-kid-listenable alternative stuff on hand. I was thinking about this album while having my ass handed to he in the game: I love it, the NYTimes loved it, I'm sure their friends love it, but is that far as it goes? Should you be happy anybody at all loves what you do? Loves what you love?
Brad Mehldau - Largo (listen) - A lala listener to the Darcy James Argue records said of it:
Wow. Just plain wow. After one listen, it seems like this is my favorite jazz album since (and perhaps including) Brad Mehldau's "Largo." Unlike so many recent jazz records, it's fun to listen to, with a strong sense of texture and mood, without losing its modern adventurousness.which is enough of a recommendation to draw me in. But, I suppose, I'm easy. I love everybody. I'm a magpie. I make my nest out of all y'all's stuff. Who needs a scene when I have everything right here, at my fingertips?
BTW, this jazz Radiohead cover is tight... it should bisect at least one of your scenes, and therefore, be safe for you to check out.
As a Radiohead fanboy and a Brad M. non-fanboy, yes, your recommendaton does catch my scene. I'll give it a listen.
ReplyDeleteAlthough truth be told, the current track I'm streaming on lala is If U Seek Amy by B. Spears. I haven't yet found a path from that to all of the above.
Keep up the magpie-ing...