Michael Jackson’s Pepsi Commercial
June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson’s 1984 Pepsi commercial. Do you guys remember how huge this was? I thought Alfonso was the luckiest kid around and I tried my damnedest to moonwalk. I actually got pretty good.
Quincy Jones remembers Michael Jackson
June 25, 2009
Legendary composer, conducter, producer and trumpeteer Quincy Jones has issed a statement regarding the sudden death of Michael Jackson. Jones worked with Jackson on The Wiz, Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad.
“I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words.
Divinity brought our souls together on The Wiz and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the 80′s.
To this day, the music we created together on “Off The Wall,” “Thriller” and “Bad” is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all…talent, grace, professionalism and dedication.
He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever.”
R.I.P. — Michael Jackson (1958-2009)
June 25, 2009
OMG! Michael Jackson has died of cardiac arrest today at the age of 50 according to TMZ. Unbelievable. Truly an amazing talent and loss. Rest in peace, Michael. We are very saddened. 13 number one hits, Thriller is the biggest selling album of all time, 13 Grammy awards, sold 750 million albums worldwide… More to come..
“Ben”:
Smooth Criminal:
Billie Jean in 2001:
Pat Metheny on Kenny G
June 25, 2009
I read this several years ago, but hadn’t thought about until today when Pat popped up on the iPod while on shuffle. Pat basically rips Kenny to shreds and doesn’t mince words about his views on Pat’s musicianship (or lack thereof). An interesting read.
Kenny G is not a musician I really had much of an opinion about at all until recently. There was not much about the way he played that interested me one way or the other either live or on records.
I first heard him a number of years ago playing as a sideman with Jeff Lorber when they opened a concert for my band. My impression was that he was someone who had spent a fair amount of time listening to the more pop oriented sax players of that time, like Grover Washington or David Sanborn, but was not really an advanced player, even in that style. He had major rhythmic problems and his harmonic and melodic vocabulary was extremely limited, mostly to pentatonic based and blues-lick derived patterns, and he basically exhibited only a rudimentary understanding of how to function as a professional soloist in an ensemble – Lorber was basically playing him off the bandstand in terms of actual music.
But he did show a knack for connecting to the basest impulses of the large crowd by deploying his two or three most effective licks (holding long notes and playing fast runs – never mind that there were lots of harmonic clams in them) at the key moments to elicit a powerful crowd reaction (over and over again). The other main thing I noticed was that he also, as he does to this day, played horribly out of tune – consistently sharp. (more…)
Metallica — Winnipeg, CA (12/13/86)
June 25, 2009
1. BatteryDid You Know??
June 25, 2009
While in Miami for his obscenity trial ini 1970, Jim Morrison attended an Elvis Presley concert. Morrison was greatly impressed with Elvis’ bassist, Jerry Scheff. The Doors never had an offical bassist and asked Scheff to play bass on their excellent, L.A. Woman. After these sessions, Scheff was asked to become a member of The Doors. It wasn’t meant to be, as L.A. Woman served as the band’s swan song and Morrison died in Paris in July of ’71. Scheff continued as Presley’s bassist until “The King” bowed out on 8/16/77.
SCI plays first show since 8/12/07
June 25, 2009
Colorado’s String Cheese Incident played a private show last night at Denver’s Ogden Theater, which would appear to be a warm up show for their upcoming slot at Rothbury. Setlist is as follows:
I. Lonesome Fiddle Blues > Lost > Rhum N Zouc, Just One Story, Panama Red > Whiskey Before Breakfast, Jellyfish > Birdland > Johnny Cash > Birdland
II: Rivertrance > Piece of Mine > MLT > Sometimes A River, Barstool, Black & White, Land’s End > Search
E1: It Is What It Is
E2: I Know You Rider
R.I.P. — Hillel Slovak (1962-1988)
June 25, 2009
Founding member along with Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hillel Slovak died on this date in 1988 of a heroin overdose. He was only 26. Here’s the band with Slovak in ’85 with “Get Up and Jump”:
Vintage Stills interview
June 25, 2009
From 1972.
Phish confirms track listing for Joy
June 25, 2009
Good news from JamBands.com, we’ve got a tracklisting:
Phish has confirmed the track listing for its first studio album in five years, Joy. The album is named after the new Trey Anastasio song “Joy”—an emotional ballad Phish debuted in Camden, NJ earlier this month.
In total, the Vermont Quartet performed nine of the album’s ten tracks this summer: “Twenty Years Later,” “Backwards Down the Number Line,” “Stealing Time From the Faulty Plan,” “Light,” “Joy,” “Sugar Shack,” “Ocelot,” “Kill Devil Falls” and “Time Turns Elastic.” The latter song was also released as a single through iTunes. In addition, Joy will include the previously unaired “I’ve Been Around.” The Anastasio original “Alaska” is the only new song from the group’s reunion run that is not slated for inclusion on Joy.
Read more here.
