The Panic Manual

TO Jazz Review: Ig Henneman Sextet, June 24, The Music Gallery

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27 Jun 2012

Paul

The Ig Henneman Sextet is, as the name suggests, a six piece band led by Dutch viola player and composer Ig Henneman. The band’s performance at The Music Gallery this past Sunday night offered up some interesting, unique music. Henneman’s compositions from their latest, Cut A Caper, were inspired by (or “inspired on,” as Henneman said at one point, noting that one of her bandmates had corrected her on that ) various sources, including Gillian Welch, a haiku, “dutch golden hits,” and other things. I appreciate the fact that she takes inspiration from non musical sources to inspire her pieces. I also appreciate the fact that the piece inspired by Welch (of whom Henneman admitted to being a great admirer) at first sounded nothing like her but as it went on, it somehow brought her to mind while still sounding wholly original.

The sextet (which features a couple of Canadians) makes music that is often improvisational in nature and would definitely fall under the umbrella of experimental or avant-garde jazz. The band, a unique configuration involving horns, viola, bass, and piano, are all impressive players. For one tune, the trumpet player was making some wonderfully weird breath noises through his horn. There were several nice moments like that throughout the set. At one point, the high pitched horn noises had some audience members holding their ears. I could be a smartass and mock them for it but truth is I’ve done the same at Mogwai shows.

I tend to listen to a lot of music that could be classified as avant-garde or experimental, but usually still falling within the context of the rock genre. This was, not surprisingly, a kindred spirit to that. It definitely had the same sort of vibe as some of the more improvisational/noisy bands I’ve seen (Acid Mothers Temple, Einsturzende Neubauten) but coming at it from a different angle. But unlike Neubauten, there weren’t any power tools incorporated into the performance. It could be something to consider though …

TO Jazz Review: The Bacchus Collective, Que Isso?, June 23

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27 Jun 2012

Mark

As much as I love the high-energy and big ticket acts at Nathan Phillips, it’s also important for me to get off the beaten track and explore the nooks and crannies of the jazz festival. Saturday night was my designated night of wandering. It led to the Distillery District to see The Bacchus Collective, a Toronto-based funk soul jazz outfit. They played the Trinity Stage, which is on Trinity street, in the heart of the Distillery. The quaint cobble-stoned streets were filled with people of all ages; from kids to adults.

I was enticed here by the words “funk soul”. Lead singer Justin Bacchus was accompanied by a strong rhythm section. While the music didn’t captivate me, the scenario certainly did. It’s weird to think that a place once used to distill whiskey and other adult spirits is now such a family-friendly destination. There were kids everywhere! They were dancing as kids do: the standard up-and-down bob with optional arm wave mixed in with the occasional jump. Many were unsuccessfully attempting to drag their shy parents to join in on the dance party. The band took it in stride and catered to the kids, encouraging them to shake up a storm. This got even funnier when they quickly tired of this funk soul business and tried to storm the stage (see picture above).

Next up was some beers in a park with some friends (a necessary ritual in hot Toronto summers). Bonus points because the park was extra sketchy. I was interested in some chill instrumental sounds, so I set my compass to the Dominon on Queen for some Brazilian jazz in Que Isso? That’s not a question, I really did go here. The question mark is part of the band name. I think it’s Spanish for “Brazillian Isso”. From the street you could hear some really tight jazz with that infectious laid back rhythm. Peering inside from the street, you could see a packed house; so packed that the Dominion was at capacity. People wanted in, and when they got a taste of this band, they were setting up camp for the night. I don’t blame them. In truth I had a better line of sight than the picture above. It was intentionally taken through bushes and grates because I’m a story teller. Shhh, don’t break the spell.

Que Isso? … The question mark is part of the band name. I think it’s Spanish for “Brazillian Isso”.

Fortunately at some point, the doors were nudged open just barely and the street view became standing room on the patio, which morphed into a table on the patio, and eventually led back inside near the end of the set. The drummer Kyle McGyle looked like he was having entirely too much fun hammering out rhythms. It was fun and legitimate jazz at a great club. I would love to see Que Isso? again in a less packed setting where I could spend a little more time absorbing the music. Either way, it was a rewarding treat for my night of festival wandering.

Concert Reviews: Mynabirds, Sean Bones, Black Cat, June 23rd

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26 Jun 2012

halley

Washington DC – The Mynabirds are phenomenal. That is the main message of this post, so if you read no further, walk away knowing that.

But let’s start from the beginning. Sean Bones, a Brooklyn, New York based band, are also extremely fun to see. They were Mynabirds’ second opener, and warmed up the crowd with a great mix of laid-back indie music accentuated by a neon-lit-up palm tree on stage. My favorite song of theirs was Dancehall, which was inspired by Obama coming to office. It’s got a cool message that includes a shout-out to a change in guards and a call to the people to come together and keep their eyes open. Don’t mistake this band as a politically fixated group though. I spoke briefly to the lead singer and he explained that that motivation was an outlier. Most of the songs are inspired by… love. Approved. (I also loved the fact that when this band came back to jam with Mynabirds at the end of the show, the lead singer was sporting binoculars. Kudos for ridiculous props, although I kind of which he’d been able to sneak the palm tree back no stage.) The band just released a new album – “Babylon Will Fall” – which would make a good summer listen for those looking for a sort of ‘tropical indie’ addition to their music collection.

Then the Mynabirds. The band is touring to promote their new album, Generals, but let me tell you – all their songs, old and new, were awesome. Lead singer Laura Burhenn is not only striking (woman took the stage in a slit-back-pure-white-onesie and her signature paper-machie fox – or possibly raccoon- headed cap) but has a voice for the ages. Her range is low, high, deep, throaty, fun, and always perfectly on-pitch. The band played a good, long set covering songs like General, Body of Work (my new favorite), and Numbers Don’t Lie. They also closed out the night with a cover of They Say It’s Your Birthday in honor of Laura’s mother who was in the crowd.

So much fun. How fun? Fun enough to keep me out way longer than my normal midnight curfew.

#theymustbegood #goseethemnow

TO Jazz Review: Get The Blessing, June 23, Nathan Phillips

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25 Jun 2012

Mark

Get The Blessing is a Bristol-based jazz funk rock band. They consist of the rhythm section of legendary trip-hoppers Portishead: Jim Barr on bass and Clive Deamer on drums. They’ve teamed up with Jake McMurchie on sax and Pete Judge on trumpet to make a sound that is, well, heavy. Strong and slightly haunting rhythms pair with some artful brass that were at times rocking and at times a little scary, but in a good way.

I only caught about half of their set, but was compelled to stay at Nathan Phillips for as long as I could once I dialed into the right frequency. Get the Blessing would be a great band to see in an intimate club if you want some music that can propel you forward and still feel substantial. If I was a goth with a father who loved jazz music and I appreciated that fact, I would listen to this music when I was getting ready to go out on one of my crazy goth Saturday nights. For the record, I’m not a goth, but I’ll still listen to Get The Blessing.

TO Jazz Review: Janelle Monae, June 22, Toronto Star Stage

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25 Jun 2012

Paul

Janelle Monae is a great singer. Moreover, she’s a great all around performer backed up by a solid band. Put simply, this lady knows a thing or two about how to entertain a crowd. The Kansas born funk/soul singer’s star has been steadily on the rise for awhile now, Panic Manual having been turned on to her early on after a SXSW set a few years back and she definitely lives up to the hype.

Monae opened for Of Montreal awhile back and I can only assume the association had some impact on her stage show, which included fancy dress/odd costumes on her bandmates, Monae painting onstage during one song, and other shenanigans like Monae beating up two guys onstage who seemed to be right out of Eyes Wide Shut. A little bit of theatricality goes a long way in making for an entertaining show.

Along with a fantastic cover of The Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back,” Monae offered up a few cover versions this night, some of which seemed to be her concession to the fact that she was playing a jazz festival. These included Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile,” which was preceded by a ’60s style jazzy solo from her guitarist and a medley of “You Only Live Twice” and “Goldfinger.” I guess when you’ve got a band this good, with strings and horns included, why not tackle a medley of Bond Themes? And why not wear a Bond-esque white tuxedo jacket while you’re at it?

My only real quibble with this show would be the sound mix. The bass seemed too loud, which sort of drowned out the efforts of the rest of the band at times. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some loud bass, but not at the expense of everything else. That aside, this was an impressive performance on the part of Janelle Monae and band.

Song of the Day: Amanda Mair – House (Club 8 Remix)

Posted on

25 Jun 2012

Ricky

This song has been repeat for me all weekend. Swedish act Amanda Mair‘s wise-beyond-her-years self titled debut was a mature and catchy affair and one of the singles off the record – House was given the remix treatment by label mates Club 8 and it’s amazing. Why haven’t Club 8 remixed more records? This could be a good gig.

The remix replaces the tender piano notes from the original with an 80s synth line and a disco vibe. Paired with Amanda Mair’s incredible voice, this tale of regret and abandonment becomes one of those songs you can now put on in your home in your darkest days and dance your pants off to it. There’s something magical about Mares voice, its sweet but not too sweet and has a hint of sadness and detachment to it at the same time. The original is good, but the remix takes it to another level. Quite an exception to your usual remixes.

Check it out