I am seriously obsessed with Avishai Cohen's "Alon Basela"

Avishai Cohen is one of the world's leading jazz bassists. He has brought Israeli jazz to the world and Israel to jazz.

The song "Alon Basela" one of those songs that I played over and over again when I first heard it and then get an hankering for time to time.

I asked my Israeli pianist cousin about him and he emailed back:

Avishai Cohen is one of the more known and influential jazz musicians in Israel and also can be credited for bringing jazz music into the general public attention in Israel. He's also an amazing performer and very known worldwide. He was also a part of the Chick Corea trio and played with the most important groups. He's a bit arrogant but that's forgiven..most important thing: he created something that you can justly call authentic in terms of Israeli Jazz.

Also, you gotta love upright bassists that can also sing.

If you click on this video of "Alon Basela," the youtube video is on a playlist and will cycle through more songs on the new album Aurora. It's really beautiful.

The Swedish Radio Choir: leading in adventurous programming - another cool choir

The Swedish Radio Choir does not play it safe. They go all out for the rare, hard-hitting, obscure and difficult. And when a musical ensemble takes risks, it is memorable. Even a week later, my ears are still buzzing from some of the repertoire performed by The Swedish Radio Choir at Hertz Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. It was also exciting to see Ragnar Bohlin, Chorus Director of the San Francisco Symphony as guest conductor. He has worked with the Radio Choir in the past and teamed up with them for their 2010 Spring tour.

Even though I have sung in choirs for over half of my life and have a deep love for this music, I would not consider myself a choral music specialist. However, I will usually be familiar with at least one or two selections on any given program. From this program, I only recognized the names of Gustav Mahler and Johann Sebastian Bach. It is always exciting to hear music that is completely new to the ears. The Radio Choir features Swedish compositions, rarely performed pieces of the great masters and relatively obscure composers from all over the world.

The piece that I can still hear buzzing in my ears and that I am most excited about is Anders Hillborg's "Mouyayoum," composed for 16-part-chorus without text [hear excerpts in video below].

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE

Happy International Women's Day: "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)" and (mostly) Motown Girl Group mash-up

The Ronnettes (not part of Motown): an inspiration to many of the girl groups of today and yesterday

This is a really cute video/audio mash-up featuring Beyonce and Girl Groups of the 60s: The Ronnettes, The Supremes, Tina Turner, Martha and the Vandellas, The Marvellettes and more. The Motown backup track (no idea what it is) surprisingly fits really well with Beyonce's melody.

This mash-up is a great tribute to the girl groups of the 60s and puts Beyonce in the context of the amazing women who came before her.

Enjoy.

Noise Pop at Slim's: an evening of boys and their guitars - South by Southwest preview

The Lonely Forest

Not that I'm complaining. In fact I know Noise Pop 2010 featured many women this year from the San Francisco all-female chorus Conspiracy of Venus to Yoko Ono and the Watson Twins; I just happened upon a night that was very manly: Tempo No Tempo, Bear Hands, The Lonely Forest and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Usually I can be very hard on the indie rock boys and their guitars, but I rather enjoyed this music of funky boy bands.

All of four of the bands that played were new to me. I had heard of local band Tempo No Tempo and headlining band We Were Promised Jetpacks had caught my notice just because the name is so awesome. (Can I call my next band, You Said You Said You Were Going to Wear Polka Dots?)

All of these bands are on tour in the United States right now and headed to South by Southwest in Austin, so listen up!

MORE info on the band and to see more photos...

All of these gorgeous photos were taken by Anna Gazdowicz courtesy of the Bay Bridged

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Tempo No Tempo

The Lonely Forest

Bear Hands

Happy 332nd Birthday Antonio Vivaldi!!

I'm so glad I did not live in this century...just look at that outfit!

Antonio Vivaldi has somehow become my favorite classical music composer. I'm sure it started with his Concerto Grosso in G minor (listen below) being on my music history final in college. The "Allegro," the second movement is so ridiculously awesome. I always equated this music to being the heavy metal of its time with the virtuosity it requires. I remember walking to the lecture hall with this on my earphones feeling totally empowered. "I'm going to ROCK this exam!"

Over the years I've accumulated a few different Vivaldi CDs and compilations and he has become my "brain" music. When I need to concentrate, I put on some Vivaldi. Others choose Mozart for making them smart, I use good old Antonio.

There is something so regal about his music. To me it is soothing.

So, happy birthday old man! And to you readers, enjoy a couple of my favorite string concertos: one in G minor and one in D minor.

Preview the new Morning Benders Album: BIG ECHO

The Morning Benders of San Francisco have generously posted their new album Big Echo on their website. I'm digging what I'm hearing so far. Click here to watch the video for their gorgeous Phil Spector track "Excuses."

The Benders have embarked on a nationwide tour including both coasts, South by Southwest, parts of Canada and the Midwest. We'll see them when they'll be passing through the Bay Area and playing at the Independent on Tuesday March 30th.

The Kronos Quartet continues to push the boundaries of the string quartet

Jon Rose's "Music for 4 Fences"

Photo: Christina Johnson

It must be so much fun to be in the Kronos Quartet. Violinists David Harrington and John Sherba, violist Hank Dutt and cellist Jeffrey Zeigler walk out on stage and just emanate cool. They wear denim and leather, have messy hair, awesome lighting, prerecorded electronic tracks and enjoy making noise, both traditionally beautiful and ugly. Oh, and they also dedicated their entire performance to the late historian Howard Zinn. These guys are hip. The best part is that three out of four of them are old enough to be my Dad. My Dad is cool, but certainly not like this. (Love you, Dad!)

Friday night I attended the third of four performances all featuring Jon Rose’s piece “Music from 4 Fences.” Each of the four nights also included compositions by Terry Riley, Damon Albarn of Blur & Gorillaz, (what doesn’t that guy do?) John Zorn, Clint Mansell (Requiem for a Dream soundtrack), and Bryce Dessner of The National. I got to hear the Mansell piece in all of its intense glory.

One of the more interesting pieces they played was commissioned for the Kronos a couple yeas ago by the Palestinian collective, the Ramallah Underground called “Tashweesh.”

READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW

Pomplamoose; "Don't Want to Miss a Thing"

When Jack Conte told me that Pomplamoose was going to cover that silly pop song from the movie Armageddon, I was thinking, okay, "crappy silly dramatic love song that this band will make awesome." And they did. Of course. Everything that this band touches they turn into diamonds, or gold or.. whatever.

What makes this song for me is Nataly's ghostly angelic vocal interlude right after the bridge at 2:18. I've played just that little bit about 12 times now. It's absolutely stunning.

Pomplamoose produced Nulia Nune's most recent EP I Think you Know and the track "Through the Floorboards" features a vocal track that sounds very similar to the one you'll hear here.