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August 2013

Update: Patrick Krief, Round Two at Union Hall

by Melanie Wong

image from thelinknewspaper.ca

After a wildly discordant show at Bowery Electric, Patrick Krief challenged me to an aural rematch, and I accepted! Luckily for my ears, he gave a quietly soulful performance last week at Union Hall, where he performed songs from Hundred Thousand Pieces—this time as a small bluegrass-y trio, as opposed to a six-piece dirty rock mega-force.

Most importantly, the sound quality was dead-on, and his vocals delightfully captivating. I'm glad Mr. Krief and I were able to meet again, and it’s safe to say that we can chalk up his Bowery Electric performance to an off night in the wrong space. 


Charlie Parker Jazz Festival Closes with Sheila Jordan and Lee Konitz

Lee Konitz, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, the 21st annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival closed out with a pair of performances by NEA Jazz Masters Sheila Jordan and Lee Konitz, both of whom played with Bird himself. The Times has a review of Friday and Saturday's shows in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park. More pics—including those nattily dressed dancers—on the photo page.


Chamber Band Energizes Late-Night Crowd at Spike Hill

by Laura Wasson

Chamber Band at Spike Hill 1

After my rollicking interview with Chamber Band last week, I was more excited than ever to finally see them live at Spike Hill this past Friday. Despite the midnight set time, the group delivered a strong, ebullient performance that held the crowd of friends, family, and ardent fans captive from start to finish. While watching the quintet, I had two revelations:

Revelation One:  Storytelling isn’t a lost art—it’s merely a dormant one. Chamber Band’s debut LP, Deities, exists in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, a game I’ve never played and know precious little about. Their close to hour-long set included, among others, “Shapeshifter,” “Oh Io,” and “Yeenoghu”—all songs that reference various DnD gods, monsters, and lovelorn peasants. Listening carefully to the lyrics, I realized that while DnD might serve as the starting point for each, it doesn’t confine the songs; it enriches them.

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