Lounge Lizards vs. Jazz Passengers info wanted
Calvin Tullos
Hall in NYC.....I also saw a posting of an upcoming
gig by the Jazz Passengers at the Knitting Factory.
Is there a connection between these two groups?
I thought the LL broke up?????
calvin
Sheryl D. Chapin
> Last night (dec 18th), the Lounge Lizards played Town
> Hall in NYC.....I also saw a posting of an upcoming
> gig by the Jazz Passengers at the Knitting Factory.
>
> Is there a connection between these two groups?
The Lizards didn't break up, just went through a temporary identity crisis.
They started out as a somewhat cooperative organization with John Lurie as
the leader, and ended up as basically, John Lurie and, Oh yeah, those
other guys.
In order to pursue their own thing Roy Nathanson and Curtis Fowlkes
split off to form the Jazz Passengers, which essentially began as
just a sax/bone duet, but as they were recording their first album
(BROKEN NIGHT, RED LIGHT -- crepescule) they began adding instruments.
Eventually, they found themselves with a really burning septet among the
members of which were E.J.Rodriguez and Marc Ribot also of the Lizards.
Roy told me that he had originally, when asked by John to join the
Lizards, seen that band as a chance to play the kind of music he liked
without the hangups of being a band leader. But John being something of
a tyrant that wasn't meant to be.
This wasn't just Roy and Curtis by the way. John managed to alienate the
entire "Live in Tokyo"/"Voice of Chunk"/"No Pain for Cakes" crowd out
of his band (including his brother Evan!) The current band is entirely
knew, with Brandon Ross and I don't know who else (I should, but I
don't).
My oddball JP story is the tale of the Jazz Passengers in Egypt. A play
which they've been working on for months. I finally saw it at La Mama,
and it was really something. Six new compositions that really burned. The
play was a bit wobbly -- envisioned as a kind of po-mo Marx Brothers
fiasco it neither the pacing nor the wit to live up to that model. There
were some really funny bits though (even, yes, some John Lurie jokes).
They labeled it as a work in progress. I'd really like to see the thing
when it's done.
Other interesting JP/Lizard info:
"Little Fred" is Roy Nathanson's quintet album newly released on Crepescule
(which, by the way, Tower carries). It is recognized as a subset of
the Passengers, featuring Nathanson, Bill Ware (vibes), Rodriguez (drums),
Brad Jones (bass), and Jim Nolet (violin). Roy says he created the quintet
to give him something to do when Curtis was out of town. Still it
does have a different focus from the Passengers, and, to be frank, burns
like a mother. A few originals pad out a repertoire of "Giant Steps,"
"Cherokee," "Tin Tin Deo" (with Rodriguez singing the Spanish) and a few
others (including a vocal with Syd Straw). Really something.
Evan Lurie's "Selling Water by the Side of the River" (which I've mentioned
before) is still out there, and it is still staggeringly beautiful.
Jim Nolet's Quintet (with cellist Deidre Murray and bassist Fred Hopkins)
which is called the Crayon Quintette is playing out the Knitting Factory
on January 20th. Aside from what I've heard in the Passengers, I've
heard Nolet perform solo, in duet with Nathanson, in trio with Murray
and Hopkins, and in a related quartet. If you like strings (and even
if you son't) this stuff kicks ass -- very energetic, very out. I would
recommend all you Gotham roamers to hit this date. By the way, if
you haven't had a chance to hear Deidre Murray, yet, this would be a
good chance (also note that the Murray/Hopkins Quartet, with Brandon
Ross and Newman Baker is due to release an album on About Time in
January or February -- also Murray is set to be featured in a piece
on jazz/new music cellists which I wrote for the March (maybe June)
issue of Option, the piece will also feature Tom Cora and Abdul Wadud,
someone else did a feature piece on hank Roberts).
Back from my wandering I wish you all a good and music filled new year.
Swiss Krissly,
Gary Parker Chapin
--
It was only for kicks cracks and flacks plicks and placks and plickers--
Lackplacker Lackplicker loundwadtti Daago--Nickers flickers lackplicker--
Kicks flicks plack and ack lackflacmac ack ack macflackack ...
-- Roscoe Mitchell
Sheryl D. Chapin
I am not. You're just picking up on some of the residual resentment that I
got from Roy, Curt, Mark and the rest of the band. I've never
met John (though I have met Evan) and have nothing to say about him
personally.
As a composer he's something else. If you haven';t tried VOICE OF CHUNK yet,
do. Better yet, hunt down a copy of BIG HEART-LIVE IN TOKYO, the Japanese
import CD has over twenty-five minutes of extra music. This stuff will
blow you away.
the termite of temptation
Broadcasting live from Mars, here's ace reporter tul...@stsci.EDU (Calvin Tullos):
>Is there a connection between these two groups?
Sure is. JP founders Curtis Fowlkes and Roy Nathanson are both ex-Lizards.
>I thought the LL broke up?????
I dunno, I haven't been keeping very close track lately. Even if they
had, though, John Lurie would probably just form a new band and call
them the Lounge Lizards...after all, the "No Pain For Cakes" LL's had
only the Lurie brothers in common with the first edition LL's.
-- Stewart
--
Zen koans for the 90's (#37):
What is the sound of Milli Vanilli singing?
/* uunet!sco!stewarte -or- stew...@sco.COM -or- Stewart Evans */
Sheryl D. Chapin
> Broadcasting live from Mars, here's ace reporter tul...@stsci.EDU (Calvin Tullos):
>
> I dunno, I haven't been keeping very close track lately. Even if they
> had, though, John Lurie would probably just form a new band and call
> them the Lounge Lizards...after all, the "No Pain For Cakes" LL's had
> only the Lurie brothers in common with the first edition LL's.
>
> -- Stewart
If you look at the Lizards' whole history, rather than the landmarks of
albums you'll realize that there actually has been a flow of people into and
out of the band (until VOICE OF CHUNK, the culmination of which saw a mass
exodus of personel from the group) rather than Lurie standing around saying,
"Whoops, time to form a band!"
Anyway, the current group, which debuted this month at Town Hall (NY) and which
is doing a week at the Knitting Factory from Feb. 24 - March 2, comprises
John Lurie, reeds; Michael Blake, reeds; Steve Bernstein, trumpets;
Bryan Carrott, vibes; Jane Scarpantoni, cello; Michele Navazio (of the Reggie
Workman Ensemble), guitar; Oren Bloedow, bass; Calvin Weston (of Blood Ulmer's
groups), drums; and Billy Martin, percussion.
Actually, I'm pretty excited about this. With the vibes, cello, and trumpet
it sounds like Lurie is really stretching the band's voice (although
Marc Ribot did play some trumpet back when). I'll be there at the end of
February.
Squt
the termite of temptation
Broadcasting live from Mars, here's ace reporter s...@rick.att.com (Sheryl D. Chapin) (really Gary Parker Chapin):
>Anyway, the current group, which debuted this month at Town Hall (NY) and which
>is doing a week at the Knitting Factory from Feb. 24 - March 2, comprises
>John Lurie, reeds; Michael Blake, reeds; Steve Bernstein, trumpets;
>Bryan Carrott, vibes; Jane Scarpantoni, cello; Michele Navazio (of the Reggie
>Workman Ensemble), guitar; Oren Bloedow, bass; Calvin Weston (of Blood Ulmer's
>groups), drums; and Billy Martin, percussion.
Sounds very interesting. Somehow I find it a little hard to imagine
someone of Weston's raw energy in the Lounge Lizards, but I'm sure it'll
make for an interesting blend in practice.
Wasn't Scarpantoni formerly in Tiny Lights? I recall liking her work.
Is cello _the_ instrument of the '90s, or what? Even Tom Waits is
currently touring with a cellist...
-- Stewart
--
"Remember, alcohol and writing don't mix.
If they do, it takes a long time to sort them out again."
-- Tom Waits
Jim Scandale
>
>Wasn't Scarpantoni formerly in Tiny Lights? I recall liking her work.
>Is cello _the_ instrument of the '90s, or what? Even Tom Waits is
>currently touring with a cellist...
>