Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Cliff Lee - Pheeling the Philly Love
Perhaps he heard how much we missed him? Perhaps he really, really liked Philly? Or, perhaps, his wife was still a tad hurt by the NYC spittle thrown in her direction? Wouldn't it be funny if it was the latter as the media traditionally and out of lazy habit castigates the Philly Phans? Whatever.... Mr. Lee is back and that's simply unbelievable.
R2C2
Roy Hallyday.
Roy Ozwalt
Cole Hamels
Cliff Lee!!!!
The departed Jason Werth will have a hard time coming back to Philly (where he was, like Cliff Lee, likewise adored) and accomplishing anything against the Big Four. And playing in D.C., where nothing positive of consequence has been done in a while? Well....as Mr. Lee has shown, money is NOT everything.
2011 certainly does seem like it will be a better year.
Labels: Philly
Thursday, December 09, 2010
The Fightin' Phils Don't Necessarily Just Play Baseball
In the phine city of Philadelphia, the fightin' spirit is shared by many...even some of the elected officials.
You gotta love the feistiness although I felt a Workmen's Comp claim coming if the Commission Chairman's threat were to be carried out.
....'tis the season.....
You gotta love the feistiness although I felt a Workmen's Comp claim coming if the Commission Chairman's threat were to be carried out.
....'tis the season.....
Labels: Philly
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Lookin'
...you knew what was coming. Anyone who winessed last year's World Series had a clue.
And so, Brian Wilson, he of the shoe-polished beard not he of the "Fun, Fun, Fun" fame, a left-handed pitcher did what lefties did to Ryan Howard all last year in the playoffs and the World Series.
He struck him out.
Lookin'.
Not good company to be keeping for one's baseball fame.
It's over 36 hours later and I'm still bummed. It's not that I'm laying the full blame of the loss on Mr. Howard; he ended the playoffs with the best batting average of the Phils. It's just that, well..... you don't end your season with the wood parked on your shoulder.
Next year can't come around any sooner. For the Phils this year, it's no longer GO! It's GONE!
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?, Philly
Friday, October 22, 2010
Philly...set to win in SEVEN!
O.k., the National League Champion Series is back in Philly for the last 2 games.
San Fran had its chance and they blew it. From losing the clinching game, with Lincecum pitching against (as we found out later) a Roy Halladay pitching with one leg as he'd severely strained his groin muscle in the 2nd inning, to tromping out a gal and a hat to do the 7th inning rendition of "God Bless America", it was a night to remember.....
....if you were a Philly phan and one to forget if you were a Giants fan.
So, Saturday night, game #6 yelling, screaming, and hooting 'n hollerin' will create some sort of bedlam in South Philly.
And, for the 7th inning, they'll be sending out the professionals to show....
that gal in San Fran what costumes are all about.
What an amateur!!
San Fran had its chance and they blew it. From losing the clinching game, with Lincecum pitching against (as we found out later) a Roy Halladay pitching with one leg as he'd severely strained his groin muscle in the 2nd inning, to tromping out a gal and a hat to do the 7th inning rendition of "God Bless America", it was a night to remember.....
....if you were a Philly phan and one to forget if you were a Giants fan.
So, Saturday night, game #6 yelling, screaming, and hooting 'n hollerin' will create some sort of bedlam in South Philly.
And, for the 7th inning, they'll be sending out the professionals to show....
that gal in San Fran what costumes are all about.
What an amateur!!
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?, Philly
Thursday, October 21, 2010
I Heart Oswalt
Cody Ross, part of Halladay's Perfect Game while with the Marlins is hitting up a storm with the Giants, who picked him up off of waivers. For all of us who've been rejected at least once in our lives, who can't but cheer (even quietly) for this guy?
Then there's Roy Oswalt. Last night he offered up his services as a relief pitcher even though he'll be starting in the (hopefully to happen) 6th game of the playoffs. This guy's a kid in love with the game! earlier this year he offered to and eventually played left field against his previous team, the Houston Astros, in a game where the Phillies bench was bare....and he accorded himself rather well.
Truth be told, I had my doubts before the Phillies brought him over from the Astros. He did not want to come to the Phillies, preferring to stay in the Mid-West and away from the fairly blood-thirsty press corps that devours its athletes in Philadelphia. But, he eventually came over and the Phillie Phans took to him instantly. His humour, his hunger, and his abilities almost made pholks forget about the Cliff Lee deal that the Phils did NOT make at the end of last year. But, it soon became apparent that Mr. Lee and Mr. Oswalt are cut from the same cloth; they both are killers on the mound and they both want a World Series ring.
So, whatever happens tonight, I'll think that the Phillies had a successful year. If only Mr. Halladay can extend the series one more game and allow Mr. Oswalt to take to the mound.....
Well, then it may just turn out to be a fabulous year.
Go Phils!
Labels: Philly, The Sporting Thing
Sunday, October 03, 2010
It Ain't always Sunny in Philly...
On the freefall to ignominy that officially started today, a poll by the local Philly papers as to reader's opinions on the performance of the 4 quarterbacks ( wait...wait...wait) who were involved in the 17-12 defeat of the Iggles to the Capital of this country's Redskins, with their 80th ranked (I exaggerate, but just a touch) NFL defensive unit, it seems Mike Kafka of the Iggles beat out Kevin Kolb by 62% to 41%. The fact that Mr. Kafka (no relation to Franz, as far as we know) never let go of his clipboard, never donned his helmet, nor ever ventured onto the playing field gives you an indication of where the balance of the season will go for the unfortunate Mr. Kolb. His sad days have only begun. I hope he has a dog to come home to.
Andy Reid, involved in football since he first started sucking on a (kicking) tee, has still to grasp the concept of time and its necessary management. He is beyond doubt at this point in his coaching career, the worst on-field coach pacing the sidelines. It is a question of how uniquely he will squander time-outs these days; he keeps on inventing new versions of what was, until he came along, a limited field of possibilities.
Andy Reid, involved in football since he first started sucking on a (kicking) tee, has still to grasp the concept of time and its necessary management. He is beyond doubt at this point in his coaching career, the worst on-field coach pacing the sidelines. It is a question of how uniquely he will squander time-outs these days; he keeps on inventing new versions of what was, until he came along, a limited field of possibilities.
Labels: Philly
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Philly Stifles Cupcakes
Oh, Kaaaaate, don't take your cupcakes to town!"
Sung to the music of....
Town, that is, if you're talking about Philly.
Sung to the music of....
Town, that is, if you're talking about Philly.
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?, Philly
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sad Day in Philly
A few days after making national news with threats of taxing/licensing bloggers, Philly's enforcement agents (which specific agents they were seems to be in question...see the link) seized the goods and the truck of The Cupcake Lady on Tuesday, August the 24th.
That night, in Citizen's Bank Park, a minor league umpire, Scott Barry, decided that Philly seems to be the place to exercise excessive vested power. He ejected Ryan Howard, Philly's top power hitter, in the bottom of the 14th inning of a tense and interesting game against Houston. The Astros, loaded with ex-Phillies, went on to win 4-2 in 16 innings. Howard's ejection left a Phiilies bench bereft of position players so Roy Oswalt, a Houston Astro..make that a disgruntled Houston Astro just a month ago, went out to left filed for the Phils. Being there last night was testament as to how much more a live game carries for the fan than simply watching it on the tube. The crowd's incredibly loud serenading of Oswalt as he sauntered out way past his usual pitching mound territory toward left field left no doubt as to which team has the game's best fans.
Tonight, Roy Halladay, Phillies' Cy Young Contender, against Jay Haap, a Phillie a scant month ago. The fans will be vocally armed and dangerous, waiting for just one slip from the umpiring crew that has now cost them the last two games. At least 2 members of the 4 man crew will probably be eying where the nearest exit is at all times.
That night, in Citizen's Bank Park, a minor league umpire, Scott Barry, decided that Philly seems to be the place to exercise excessive vested power. He ejected Ryan Howard, Philly's top power hitter, in the bottom of the 14th inning of a tense and interesting game against Houston. The Astros, loaded with ex-Phillies, went on to win 4-2 in 16 innings. Howard's ejection left a Phiilies bench bereft of position players so Roy Oswalt, a Houston Astro..make that a disgruntled Houston Astro just a month ago, went out to left filed for the Phils. Being there last night was testament as to how much more a live game carries for the fan than simply watching it on the tube. The crowd's incredibly loud serenading of Oswalt as he sauntered out way past his usual pitching mound territory toward left field left no doubt as to which team has the game's best fans.
Tonight, Roy Halladay, Phillies' Cy Young Contender, against Jay Haap, a Phillie a scant month ago. The fans will be vocally armed and dangerous, waiting for just one slip from the umpiring crew that has now cost them the last two games. At least 2 members of the 4 man crew will probably be eying where the nearest exit is at all times.
Labels: Philly, The Sporting Thing
Friday, April 30, 2010
3 B-3 Wizards in Philly Tonight
But, before I do, let me make it up Broad to the Kimmel before the Phillies Phans get to their seats for the 1st of 3 home games against the (very surprising!!) 1st place National League East NY Mets and enjoy tonight's historic event. With 7.71 ERA Kyle Kendrick (Head Case #1 of 2) pitching for the Phils tonight, I think I rather be sitting @ the Kimmel tonight enjoying the soothing B3 as played by the 3 virtuosoes rather than gnashing my teeth and biting my fingers at Citizens as Mr. Kendrick potentially crashes and burns. I'll be crossing my phingers for the Phils but......I'll take the B-3's any day.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Fraser stars in Flyers 2-1 Shootout Victory over NY Rangers
The psort will certainly miss Mr. Fraser's judgement and his lve for the game. At 57 and fit as any human being could be at that age, I hope he decides to sit down and write a health maintenace book. Skating at that age, at that level, and at that long of a stretch of time is absolutely unbelievable! What's his story on this? Clean living or massive application of hair gel?
A down-in-the-mouth Toronto Maple Leafs (can you buy him a grammer book, please?) fan (is there any other type?) offers a list of Fraser-isms. Nothing like misery to make the mind sharp and the pen, sharper still. So, here now Sean McIndoe's list.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry to All
Quick-moving Santa on 12th Street in South Philly on Christmas Eve. SLOW-moving photographer with side window pulled down driving through sludge with one hand on wheel and other hand manipulating a camera. Santa was in full cheer and regalia, toting what seemed to this one-eye-on-the-road-one-eye-on-the-SouthPhilly-Santa an Extra Large plastic trash can filled with possible non-goodies. SouthPhilly Santa, complete down to his black patent leather Catholic nun shiny boots, heaved some Ho-Ho's our way but was not in the mood to stop and pose....which was a good thing as the driver on my bumper was throwing me some definitely non Ho-Ho's while I was slowing down to capture a glimpse of SouthPhilly Santa for posterity.
A typical South Philly window exhibit with noted matching scarved penguins serving to center a replcia of the garbage bag toting SouthPhilly Santa glimpsed above. Wish I had a bit more time to skulk about the neighborhood to provide additional evidence of Christmas cheer. From each house, a lot of noise wafted out to the fairly quiet and dark streets.
The carbon footprint last night in Phily was a Iggles Offensive Lineman shoe size 18. Much spirited discussion at a party centered around the need to bring back lighting that twinkled softly like stars pasted in the sky as opposed to the deer-in-the-headlight blinding on-off-on lights that set off catatonia.
Merry Christmas to All the passerbys through this site.
Monday, November 02, 2009
The Anvil and Its Shadow
Ray Didinger, a quite prescient commentator on football, specifically the travails of the Philly Iggles, commented this morning on last night's defeat of the beloved Phillies to the monsters from up North on I-95, the Yanquis. The Phils, as has been their practice this year clawed back from a 4-2 hole to tie it 4-4 in the bottom of the 8th inning.
In came Philly closer Brad Lidge, the 2008 hero, now the 2009 cursed goat, to close down the Yanquis in the top of the 9th and hopefully give the Phils a chance for another come-from-behind victory. He got 2 outs and then the wheels fell off of the wagon. The Yanquis came up with three runs, Mariano came out of his lair in the bottom of the 9th and put the nails in the coffin of game 4 of the World Series. Yanquis: 7, Phils: 4. Yanquis up, 3 games to 1.
Mr. Didinger's comment? Well, this whole year "...Phillies fans knew there was an anvil somewhere up there in the sky. Last night, the anvil (that is Mr. Lidge)'s shadow covered the field and came down with a thud."
So True.
My heart goes out to Brad Lidge; it just hasn't been his year and, unfortunately, as the Anvil, it doesn't seem like it will one for the Phils.
Now, All I ask...is that someone on the Phils remove that smirk from that self-aggrandizing Alex Rodriguez. I heave bile whenever that lying steroid taker is up at bat!
In came Philly closer Brad Lidge, the 2008 hero, now the 2009 cursed goat, to close down the Yanquis in the top of the 9th and hopefully give the Phils a chance for another come-from-behind victory. He got 2 outs and then the wheels fell off of the wagon. The Yanquis came up with three runs, Mariano came out of his lair in the bottom of the 9th and put the nails in the coffin of game 4 of the World Series. Yanquis: 7, Phils: 4. Yanquis up, 3 games to 1.
Mr. Didinger's comment? Well, this whole year "...Phillies fans knew there was an anvil somewhere up there in the sky. Last night, the anvil (that is Mr. Lidge)'s shadow covered the field and came down with a thud."
So True.
My heart goes out to Brad Lidge; it just hasn't been his year and, unfortunately, as the Anvil, it doesn't seem like it will one for the Phils.
Now, All I ask...is that someone on the Phils remove that smirk from that self-aggrandizing Alex Rodriguez. I heave bile whenever that lying steroid taker is up at bat!
Labels: Philly, Self-Therapy
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Not Fogetaboutit-ing!
Pouring gasoline on the fire, a certain NY-based scribe opined that Phillie Phans "chickened out" when they visited the not-so-hallowed-anymore bleachers of Yanqui Stadium. He even quoted a Philadelphian (a turncoat, to boot) that "New York fans are arrogant and obnoxious, Philly fans are needy and obnoxious."
This fan, "Howard Goldstein is a bleacher denizen and a lawyer. He lives in Philly and owns season tickets to both stadiums. In the Bronx, he is a Bleacher Creature wearing a Yankee cap in Section 203. In Philly for Game 3, he'll probably wear a red cap." May Mr. Goldstein (the worst sort of creature, a dual town fan) and other Yanqui fans find Games #3 and #4, within the warm and inviting confines of Citizen's Bank Park, to their liking as they realize that the Bronx Cheer is a mere whimper to Philadelphia's Sow-Philly Snear.
Labels: Philly
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wilco..in the Minors
Pretty neat stuff, this.Wilco, playing in a series of minor league stadiums.
July 10th, in Wilmington, DE home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. (YeeHaa! got some tix for this show)
July 11th in Lowell, MA home of the Lowell Spinners.
July 13th in Brooklyn, NY home of the Brooklyn Cyclones.
July 18 in Wappingers Falls, NY home of the Hudson Valley Renegades.
Contrary to the local rag's "crack" reporting, the Wilmington, DE Wilco appearance is NOT yet sold out. So, for Wilcomaniacs, Wilmington's still a possibility.
Addendum : Chicago Public Radio interview with Jeff Tweedy re. the new album, "Wilco (The Album)".
Addendum 7/13/09: Here's the Inquirer's Dan DeLuca's review. We were standing next to him for the first half of the concert, when Conor Oberst and the Short Band were playing. After Oberst finished, there was a rush forward to see Wilco. Mr. DeLuca was scribbling madly during Oberst's performance, left-handed, in a shorthand that was totally indiscernable from my peeks in his general direction. In the review, he writes, "Tweedy is not always the most articulate lyricist; I'm not quite sure what it means to be "cold as gasoline," as he sings on the new disc's "Solitaire."". It's funny; I knew exactly (or thought I knew) what Tweedy was getting at. "Hladno ko benzin" ("Cold as gasoline") is a Croatian expression, describing a condition where your experience of a situation is in direct opposition to the reaction that condition usually calls for.
Example.
Your child is born. You're depressed at the event. Your wife, from her birthing bed, observes the veil of unhappiness slithering down your face. "You're cold as gasoline", she says to you, poking around to see if she can find a match.
Me. DeLuca notes that "Cline was impressive all night, whether shredding violently on the extended "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" or the more lyrical "Impossible Germany.' His guitar, though, could have been louder. So, for that matter, could have been the whole band, which also comprises drummer Glenn Kotche, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, and superb keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen. It was as if the volume had to be kept down to keep from offending motorists speeding by on I-95." I figure he was way back in the crowd at that point. We were about 30 feet front-center from the stage and the sound was clean and powerful. Frawly baseball field borders on the third base line right by I-95, which cuts Wilmington in two at that point. The sky was ominous for a bit but no rain fell and with two encores, Jeff Tweedy and company were returning all of the love the adoring audience was pouring Wilco's way.
The band was outstandingly impressive, transforming, for at least for one night, Wilmington to, as Mr. Tweedy put it, Wilcoton. He promised they would come back; we can barely wait.
Addendum Deaux: The charming Mr. DeLuca, included a short note from me to him re. Cold as Gasoline.
Labels: Philly, Wilmington
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Jerry Seinfeld, Philly June 19, 2009
"Here's the thing. I'm old. I'm rich. I'm tired." was the response that Jerry Seinfeld gave to the packed house audience at the 2nd show on Friday, June 19th, when asked if he'd considered bringing back The Show. Keeping with the polite distance that he's effectively maintained with his audience since the early 1980's, Mr. Seinfeld silkily handled the adoring crowd. While we in the audience may have agreed with his "I’m rich." declaration, we knew he could not be serious about his other two proclamations. Looking particularly trim and vigorous in his finely tailored suit, he energetically paced himself through a solid hour and 20 minutes of mostly original material. "Tired?" "Old?" Mr. Seinfeld was using a dictionary I was not familiar with. If anything, he was more insightful and original than in his earlier years. Now married 10 years and with three kids, his source for material has expanded from the limitation of being single ("Dating is like playing waffle ball. You’re not even in the minors") to the motherlode of marriage and fatherhood ("It’s driving a truck with no brakes loaded TNT down a dark dirt road."). He dabbled into political humor ("...and what about these Al-Qaeda E. Coyotes with their rollerskates and jetpacks on their backs..."Boy, I hope it works this time; last time I did a loop-de-loop into a wall."") and continued his love of wordplay by doing his older bit about how how "doing Nothing is difficult (Since doing nothing is something that may lead to anything which eventually ends up with everything..." You get the idea, I hope) and then continuing on into the communication Sargasso Sea that is marriage. Hopefully, a DVD of this tour will be available as even a verbatim rendition does no justice to his complete performance.The Ever-Loving Wife, a fan from his first performance on Johnny Carson's "Late Night", was in bliss. A man talking with intelligence, manners and wit and in a fabulous suit? I, tight-lipped and blue-jeaned could not and would not (thanks to a mote of intelligence and manners) compete. She was well-prepared for his performance, pad and pen in hand. Aside from still practicing the ancient art of legible hand-writing, the ELW is quite skilled in taking copious notes while Mr. Seinfeld was rat-tat-tatting us with his observations. And in the dark, to boot!
So, what with synapses less snappy and recall functions not as rapid, the notebook that she came out with after the performance was gold. Since Friday's show, she’d bring out the book at different times during the weekend and recite a passage or two. Mr. Seinfeld's voice was still in our heads and the lines simply slipped into our mind’s stage and we’d relive Friday’s tour-de-force performance. A great way to start out the Father’s Day weekend.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Hunting & Gathering Laughs
Well, tonight the Ever-Loving Wife will be doing something we haven't done in over 21 years. She was carrying our spirited daughter, who was stirring up aplenty, eager to pounce out into the world. So, what better thing to do in that stage of pregnancy than to go see Jerry Seinfeld. This was in the day just after he'd first been on Carson (remember that guy?) and well before he was a speck on tv, on some show that NBC seemed to move around every virtual time slot in fear that people may watch it and like it. The fact that NBC actually stuck with the show is a minor miracle as the network seemed hellbent to kill the show at every bizarro time showing it unveiled it.
Anyway, tonight we'll be in Philly watching the master at work. The ELW will most probably be taking notes as she did the last time we saw him. Only this time, she won't have the benefit of having a natural desk that our daughter served as while the latter was taking up temporary residence in Chez ELW.
Aside from the continual laughing that night a century ago, I'm still amazed that we made it through the night without having a delivery.
A current show's review is here and here.
A video of the night of the Seinfeld show finale.
And, finally, some of the new stuff we're hoping to hear in person.
AND...AND the final one (I promise), a Serb-related OP piece.
Anyway, tonight we'll be in Philly watching the master at work. The ELW will most probably be taking notes as she did the last time we saw him. Only this time, she won't have the benefit of having a natural desk that our daughter served as while the latter was taking up temporary residence in Chez ELW.
Aside from the continual laughing that night a century ago, I'm still amazed that we made it through the night without having a delivery.
A current show's review is here and here.
A video of the night of the Seinfeld show finale.
And, finally, some of the new stuff we're hoping to hear in person.
AND...AND the final one (I promise), a Serb-related OP piece.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Bad Plus @ Chris' Jazz Cafe 3/28/2009
Saturday night in Philly. The L-shaped Chris' Jazz Café is packed, with the unfortunates, including 2 friends and yours truly, parked in the smaller horizontal part of the L. It’s the third of 4 shows for The Bad Plus at this venue. Friday’s two shows were similarly full, but the band seems none the worse for wear. Ethan Iverson, splendiferous in his sartorial appearance led the group out to the stage, which is parked at the vertical and horizontal juncture of the L. He sat at the piano, caught the eyes of Mr. David King, the linebacker-sized drummer, and the nod of Mr. Reid Anderson, the reedy and bearded bass player, and then launched into "Variation d’Apollon", a selection from their latest release, For All I Care. The band was as tight as their CDs documented, but much more lively than their recorded output reflected. Mr. King was an eternal motion machine, a fact that, from our vantage point, was evidenced by the amount of times we were able to espy his furiously flying wrists and hands extending into our view deep in the lower bowels of the L. The sound of the band luckily bounced back into our area and was loud enough to stifle the din of the waiters preying on the clientele. The band covered some of their older material, including Suspicious Activities' "Anthem for the Earnest". Did I mention that these guys are tight? Mr. Iverson's playing covered the gamut from a Hellhounds of Chaos style that had one quivering in one’s seat to a pastoral gamboling of ewes on a meadow evocation that brought moisture to one's eyes and a need to be dab it away. Mr. Anderson produced clear and singularly powerful notes that kept the web and tangle of the other two players from choking the spirit of some of the compositions. He was the calm in the storm of sound. The stage was set for the arrival of one more performer.
I did not know, nor do I know much more at this point of the story that is Wendy Lewis. Her site indicates other associations and other musical genres.The Bad Plus. Speaking for myself, I was a touch nervous about her appearance. How would she fit in with this group that was unto itself for such a long time? Would the trio be ruined by the addition of another angle? 180 degrees to 360 is a major change. The foursome commenced with Wilco’s Radio Cure, a cover form their latest album. There was no degradation of sound; it was addition with no bad pluses. The crowd went nuts, men were fist-thumping each other, an Eagles game had broken out. Ms. Lewis had us in her clutches and for the next 40 minutes she didn’t let go, The group covered the BeeGees’ "How Deep is Your Love" (much deeper in the Wendy Lewis rendition), Pink Floyd’s "Comfortably Numb", and even "Blue Velvet". For an encore, Reid Anderson started singing, in the Bad Plus style of things, Neil Young’s "Heart of Gold". Midway through, he relinquished the song to Wendy Lewis who then lifted it to another level.It left most of us breathless; the wait-staff, on the other hand, was still shilling for orders.
A great concert at a not-so-great venue. Oh, if only the Zanzibar Blue were still around. Robert Bynum, where art thou?
Saturday, March 28, 2009
It's a Philly Day
It's drizzlin' on and off and then on, a light pluvial orchestration to this day. It's cold, it's warm, it's raining, it seems the weather is of a dual personality. Not sure if it's still Winter, trying to break out in Spring.But, off to Philly for some standing and shuffling on the banks of the mighty Schuylkill River. Mad rowing followed by long periods of reading, eating, and photo-shooting, ending with more mad rowing. Rain in the air, rain in the water, water in the river, river being pushed aside by university crews.
But, tonight is The Bad Plus at Chris' Jazz Cafe, one of the few venues still in operation in Philly that caters solely to jazz. Aside from the trio, a vocalist, Wendy Lewis, will be joining the group on their latest tour. They're touting "For All I Care", which prominently features Ms. Lewis. Producer was Tchad Blake, a favorite of mine, who's done fantastic work with Los Lobos, Bonnie Raitt, and ex-wife, Suzanne Vega . He is the master of the Thick sound, which makes "For All I Care" a treat to listen to over and over and over.
Come rain or shine, it'll be a great night in Philly tonight.
Tomorrow, I'll be d.j.ing the usual on WVUD-91.3 from 9:00 until noon. Aside from pre-planned heavy medicinal does of the B-3, I'm sure I'll be playing The Bad Plus. Tune in, check it out.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Fugetaboutit!
Evidence that the U.S, the economy, and Philly are coming close to ending as we know it.
Then they got personal: "Tony sold out to The Man!"
Say it ain't so, Tony!
Then they got personal: "Tony sold out to The Man!"
Say it ain't so, Tony!
Labels: Philly
Monday, November 10, 2008
Marcin Wasilewski Trio at Chris' Jazz Cafe
Chris' Jazz Café, in Philly, is an "L" shaped room with the band of the night parked on a slightly raised staged located at the bend of the "L". Tables and chairs are packed tightly leaving little for the wait staff to be but very thin and very flexible. Our lovely waitress was of the service staff training that believe by letting you know what they liked on the limited menu was all the reason for you to order and like it yourself. She was also quite proficient in mouthing apologies, a talent that was de rigeur as the food delivery was quite spotty.The Ever Loving Wife and I arrived at 7:00 pm for an 8 p.m. show on Saturday, November the 8th. Reservations were a good idea but they did not guarantee your table location, so the early seating resulted in fabulous sight lines. As we were guided to our table, I noticed 3-4 guys sitting at some tables in the distance. Well, that distance became more immediate, namely the desired target area of the maître d's depositing of the two of us. She leaned over to one of the fellows and whispered something in his ear. I recognized him in the darkness and as he walked past us with his other mates I said, "Look, we're not making the band get up, are we?". Michal Miskiewicz, the drummer of the Marcin Wasilewski Trio (and the fellow on the right in the picture), turned his head a bit and snarled a definitive "Da!" in my direction. My pleads to sit elsewhere went unheeded, we sat down, opened our menus, and had the band pissed off at us. Well, I’ll leave it as "me", not "us"; nobody gets p.o.-ed at the ELW.
The description of the meal portion of the night's events will be short. I overheard another waiter mentioning to his table that the chef had just come from a stay at Le Bec Fin, one of Philly’s top five restaurants. After eating but not finishing any of the 4 courses I assumed his stay there was not ended due to his desire to leave but rather theirs.
Good enough! We were here mainly for the music. The band spent about an hour tuning up and getting mic levels set and commenced with their performance promptly at 8:05.
Why would promptness matter? Well, we’d decided to take in the early show rather than the 10:00 p.m. one, so a prompt start meant we’d hear a good hour and half, perhaps two hours of music, right?
The Trio immediately went into a selection from January, released in early 2008. The fabulous album has 10 songs, spanning 79 minutes 14 seconds. This night, Marcin Wasilewski and crew elected to play 4 songs, spanning 55 minutes. At 9:00, on the nose, the last gorgeous note floated through the air, all three musicians stood up, Wasilewski spoke for the first and only time, quickly introducing his bandmates, and then all dispersed to a table at the front of the club for a meal.
The four songs they played were not recognizable by yours truly. I've been listening and re-listening to January at home, trying to match the concert notes memories to the CD notes with minimal results. The playing was intense, connected, interwoven with reactions between all three musicians, and seemingly perfect. Little "jokes" poked their short-lived heads on occasion as Mr. Wasilewski went on one of his runs. The sound was precise without any touch of coldness. Michal Miskiewicz’s drumming was a solid backboard for the playing and poking of Mr. Wasilewksi and the double-bass player Slawomir Kurkiewicz. While "sameness" may be a condition thrown out to cover the general mood and projection of the pieces they played, one can’t deny the tightness of the band and the elasticity of the songs they played around with. The ELW had to excuse herself for 5 minutes or so, between songs #2 and #3. At the end of the rather short playlist, she glanced at her watch and noted that 3 songs in one hour was truly amazing. When I tried to point out that she was away for the ending of one composition and the start-up of another, she insisted that it was three songs, period. Only a too loud "Da!" on my part to her "Four songs, ha!" comment seemed to convince her.
We stuck around another 45 minutes, hoping that the trio would come on for one more short set. The snail-like delivery of our food made our stay legitimate although I personally was not awaiting our meals' arrival with anything other than trepidation.
