Blog - Comments

Giftmacher comments on New addition! Announcements! Huzzah!

Giftmacher — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:14:44 +0000

I like the fiery paint work mate, that's a fine looking chimeric instrument ;)

I'm looking forward to your EP already!

Gift.

Mike comments on Best of 2009

Mike — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:57:20 +0000

You're right, it's definitely not as bad as I make it out to be. I dunno. I think I was just hoping for another record full of unskippable tracks. There are a couple tunes on there that I think are pretty alright. Just the album as a whole doesn't feel as genuine as her previous stuff to me. Go figure.

Been thinking about giving it another go soon. Maybe after some time has passed my opinion will change.

Mike

Giftmacher comments on Best of 2009

Giftmacher — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:23:08 +0000

Thanks for the heads up, I'll have to work my way through those albums (well the ones I haven't listened to anyway).

As a fellow Regina fan I think you're being a bit unfair about Far mate. It's by no means her best but it is very listen-able IMHO; I quite like Blue lips and Dance anthem for the 80's myself. Far may not be her most exciting work but the songs still hit an internal, sympathetic, rhythm in me so I wouldn't say it was a complete wash out.

Gift.

Giftmacher comments on Lesson Page Now Open!

Giftmacher — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:26:39 +0000

Hah you're making me want to dig my old guitar out, I'm so rusty I'm not even sure how bad I'll be any more. :D Got to get the action on my guitar lowered first mind, it's like playing razor wire and my fingers don't have the appropriate callouses through lack of play... :D

Gift.

Mike comments on Is Jazz Relevant in Today's Society?

Mike — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:51:04 +0000

@ Jason - Thanks for the comment. I'll definitely check out that episode of the show!

@ Gift - Listen without prejudice. Words to live by there. :D Anyways, I totally get what you're saying. The spirit of what jazz is definitely spills over into other genres of music. The thing that always gets me kind of fired up these days is that jazz is supposed to sound a certain way.

For instance, at the Jamey Aebersold jazz workshops I've been to, they teach jazz in a way that, honestly sounds like the recordings from the past 50-60 years. The problem to me is that, like you say, jazz is more than simply an old language of words and specific ways to phrase. They're almost taking it and turning it into the music world equivalent of Latin. Yeah, it still exists technically and it's the root for a lot of what we say, but no one speaks it in common practice anymore.

And besides... improvisation isn't even an idea that was unique to jazz. Classical music already did that hundreds of years ago in the Cadenza. And to raise a huge speculation, I would bet that ancient music did it thousands of years before that.

Ahh... All interesting things to think about.

- Mike

Giftmacher comments on Is Jazz Relevant in Today's Society?

Giftmacher — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:34:16 +0000

Argh missed a critical part of my argument out, meant to say jamming draws a great deal from the improvisational aspect of jazz.

Am I making sense? Ugh never post tired... ;)

Gift.

Giftmacher comments on Is Jazz Relevant in Today's Society?

Giftmacher — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:52:57 +0000

Sonny Rollins is right, asking whether jazz is relevant is a bit like asking whether freedom of expression is relevant. I'm only a casual listener, but it seems obvious to me that jazz as important a musical voice as any other method of approaching music.

Indeed, it's arguably the ideal many aspire to without even knowing it, after all what is a jam session if not a direct communication between artists? Don't most music lovers dream of jamming with their musical heroes? In this context I'd argue jazz is a connection, and exchange of musical ideas, what could be better than that?

Anyhoo, all in all I'd say all music is relevant, you just got to be open to hearing to it. Listen without prejudice as an old teacher of mine used to say...

Gift.

Jason Crane comments on Is Jazz Relevant in Today's Society?

Jason Crane — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:46:08 +0000

Hi Mike,

Thanks for linking to The Jazz Session. For folks who are interested in hearing more of Sonny's thoughts, he was on the show on Election Day 2008. You can find that audio here: http://thejazzsession.com/2008/11/04/the-jazz-session-49-sonny-rollins/

All the best,

Jason

Giftmacher comments on Choose my song!

Giftmacher — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:33:46 +0000

You picked a winner yet mate? I like take 2/3 myself, 2 probably edges it for me as the sound level is more consistent, 3 goes quiet/loud in places.

They all sound great though ;)

Gift.

Mike comments on Solid Gold (New Gig!!!!)

Mike — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:53:37 +0000

Thanks, man. It's definitely a good time. Apparently there's a guy that comes almost every week that takes pictures of us and then gives 'em to us. So needless to say, they're up here.

Also... didn't know you played some guitar! Been holdin' out on me!

No worries about the L4D action. Whenever you get the time, I'm down.