Archive for May, 2010

Thoughts On The 5/22 Dudley Manlove Quartet “80s Prom”

May 24, 2010 by John No Comments »

Last Saturday The Dudley Manlove Quartet hosted our annual “80s Prom”. This year’s event took place at Neumos on Capital Hill, and was attended by nearly 300 people. We arrived early in the day and did a lot of setting up… there were streamers to be hung, balloons to fill, and lights to set up. All in all, the evening went incredibly smoothly and everyone had a great time. I was especially impressed at the effort put into prom wear and costumes. Some very clever and fashionable looks were on display. The official prom photographer did a nice job of recreating the classic photo setup, with fake marble pillars and a fabulous backdrop.

We had been rehearsing for weeks with the Plan 9 horns and our guest vocalist. I felt pretty confident about the songs we had worked up and once we settled on a final set order it was easy to get my patches in order. My new amp sounded great and I’m delighted with it. Having the additional headroom and clarity is wonderful, and it has a very warm tone. For the solo section in “The Power of Love” I went with a very clean compressed tone and just let the amp do the rest. For the big rocker tunes like “White Wedding” I set the Pork Loin pedal up to push the amp into some tube distortion and it sounded terrific. I may actually downsize my pedalboard later this summer and look for a smaller multi-effect unit that can handle modulation / delay effects.

Our set list for the prom:

Set 1
Working for the Weekend
Don’t You Forget About Me
Sunglasses at Night
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
I Ran
Rio
Sister Christian
Betty Davis Eyes
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Don’t You Want Me
One Step Beyond
Power of Love
St. Elmo’s Fire
Let’s Dance
Our House

Set 2
Safety Dance
Take On Me 
I Melt With You
Hold Me Now
Video Killed The Radio Star
True
Poison Arrow
White Wedding
Goodbye to You
Kids in America
Love Shack
Boy Meets Girl
The Final Countdown 
Don’t Stop Believin’

Many thanks to all who joined us for this glorious prom evening. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

 

Nigel Tufnel Explains Stonehenge

May 21, 2010 by John No Comments »

Stonehenge has always been my favorite thing on this planet. There have been books and videos offering various explanations of the origins and purpose of Stonehenge. National Geographic created a wonderful research site with interactive maps and other information. However, the true purpose and origin of Stonehenge has already been fully explained by Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap in a series of 5 interviews.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMofDWzfA6A&feature=player_embedded

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fczOE7AjtHs&feature=player_embedded

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrx19WonYWI&feature=player_embedded

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G3yKlaX3n8&feature=player_embedded

Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dQ5oDHFvEs&feature=player_embedded

 

New Amp!

May 20, 2010 by John 1 Comment »

Last weekend marked the debut of my new guitar amp, a 65 reissue Fender Twin. I’ve been using a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for most shows, but this amp is designed to distort at medium volume. That’s great for the 1 Uppers (my country band), but not ideal for The Dudley Manlove Quartet where I need a loud clean tone. For the past few months I’ve been looking at options for amplifiers and narrowed my search to a Fender Twin. The remaining question was whether to find a vintage silverface or get one of the reissues. After some hunting and a few test drives, I found a 65 reissue in fabulous condition and purchased it. I’ve already noticed how much fuller and warmer the tone is, and onstage it produces a beautiful sound.

So, why a Fender Twin? It’s probably the most common amp in the world, although I’m told the Hot Rod Deluxe has actually surpassed it in terms of total number sold. Still, the Twin has been omnipresent on stages since the mid-sixties, from blues to rock to country and beyond. It has the characteristic “big” Fender tone, can delivery prodigious volume, and has glorious reverb and tremolo. When we play music festivals, the stage is usually populated with “back line” equipment that has been rented by the promoter. You almost always find a Fender twin as the amp option. I’ve had many years of playing through this amp model, but until now have not owned one. Being a confirmed gear tweaker, I’m already considering some possible upgrades to this amp such as Weber speakers and a Mercury magnetics transformer. But my next purchase will be a flight case to protect this amp from the perils of the road. This weekend I’ll be using it at the DMQ “80s Prom” at Neumos. Come on down and join the fun!

 

Tony Levin : Soup

May 11, 2010 by John 1 Comment »

Tony Levin has released a CD “Soup”. Show your support for artists by purchasing direct whenever possible.
Just who is Tony Levin you ask? Let me tell you. Actually, let’s start with a few quotes from other musicians…

Tony Levin is one of the best bass players in the world, if not THE best” – Peter Gabriel

…that’s lovely bass. I love it!…” – John Lennon, during the recording of ‘Double Fantasy’

He’s really a genius. … he’s creating right in front of you… it’s like watching God make THURSDAY or something” – Ellis Paul

Tony’s musical resume is a musical history of the past four decades. He’s recorded and toured with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Paul Simon, Cher, Seal, YES, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, John Lennon, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, Lou Reed, Buddy Rich, Todd Rundgren, Gary Burton, James Taylor, The Roches, Herbie Mann, Judy Collins, Carly Simon, Peter Frampton, Tim Finn, Richie Sambora, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. He appears in the movie “One Trick Pony” with Paul Simon.

Tony has been inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk and celebrated with a lifetime achievement award courtesy of Bass Player Magazine. His personal web diary has been actively updated since being founded in 1995, before terms like “blog” or “the web” were even in common usage. Ask any bassist to name some favorite influences and his name will come up.

He plays fretted and fretless bass, Chapman Stick, synthesizer and tuba. In addition to being one of the world’s foremost bassists, Tony is also an excellent cook, an espresso enthusiast, and happens to be one heck of a nice person. After his performances, people wait patiently in line to meet him, shake his hand, take a picture with him, or just to tell him how much they love his music. I’ve seen this happen every time I’ve been around him. The guy radiates joy when he plays and is a spark plug for musical fun.

Tony’s playing is perfectly groovy. He always contributes the perfect bass line, and it’s often the element that makes the song memorable. I’m primarily a guitarist, but Tony Levin drew me to the dark side… after years of listening to his playing I become so fascinated that I bought as bass *and* a Chapman Stick. Criminey. Then I subscribed to Bass Player magazine. Oh, and I got a fretless bass after that, but Mick Karn can also be partially held responsible for influencing that purchase. I love bass players who sit in that perfect spot in the groove, tying the melody to the rhythmic pulse, and providing that crucial fundamental element of the backbone.

So what makes Tony’s playing unique and interesting? I think there are several important elements. First, he’s classically trained and has experience performing in symphonic settings, therefore he has good bow technique, understands phrasing, and is accustomed to working in a formal ensemble. Second, he is not a frustrated guitarist. The man plays is a bassist. He can solo, and contributes lead lines to many songs, but he’s not playing “lead bass”. Third, he’s a good listener. I think his greatest gift as a musician is being able to rapidly understand and adapt to the music around him. Earlier this year I watched him in concert with Allan Holdsworth, Terry Bozzio and Pat Mastolotto. The quartet performed two full sets of improvised music. That’s adaptability!

This newest CD “Soup” is released under the band name “Stick Men” and features Michael Bernier, Pat Mastolotto and Tony Levin. The music is an combination of great textures, wild playing, and brilliant surprises. The title track “Soup” is a good first taste of what’s to come; listen through headphones to get the crazy overtones off the partially muted Stick notes, liquid modulation effects, and to pick up on subtle percussion elements. “Hands (parts 1-3)” is a rollercoaster with three sections; dig the crazy tones flying by as the piece moves toward the final part – which opens with a Philip Glass-style arpeggio. “Inside The Red Pyramid” has a swirling feel that wafts like desert incense; this track is beautiful. “Fugue” is anchored by a wild percolating Stick pattern (guitar tappers, listen and be appropriately freaked out) then moves into a nice largo at the end. “Sasquatch” is the most Crimsonesque song on the album with interlocking angular Stick parts and rhythm elements. “Scarlet Wheel” is a magic carpet woven from quacking envelope-follower tones, backwards tapping licks, and cross-cultural percussion. “The Firebird Suite” is a wild take on the Stravinsky classic; the third and fourth movements have fabulous arco tones that suggest bowing, but this might be clever playing and EQ. The album’s final track “Relentless” is an aptly named three-movement piece that flows like a river of lava, has a contrasting middle section, and returns with a furious recap of the first two movements. 

I was listening to this CD today at work and one my co-workers (a bassist) came by to ask a work-related question. I said “hey, check this out” and handed him my headphones. His three minute reaction was “hmmm… a solo album by a rock bassist?… wait, this kinda cool… whoah how did he do that?… HOLY CRAP!”

OK, so you get it. Tony Levin has credits and credibility galore, and everybody loves working with him. He’s also one of those important independent voices in music who makes music for all the right reasons. By purchasing this CD directly from Tony, you are participating in a 1:1 transaction with the artist. And that represents a direct source of revenue and support for their work. You’ll also find this new release in your local music stores, and via digital download on iTunes, CDBaby and Amazon. Audio samples are available on Tony’s MySpace page.

 

Girls Just Wanna Have Prom : The Dudley Manlove Quartet 80s Prom

May 6, 2010 by John No Comments »

As you are probably aware, I play in a couple of local bands. People sometimes ask me to provide advance notice for my shows. So here it is: one of my bands is The Dudley Manlove Quartet and we’re hosting our annual “80s Prom” this month at Neumos. 80s prom?! Yes, that’s right… this year’s event is called Girls Just Wanna Have Prom, and we’ll be performing New Wave and Big Hair hits from MTV’s glory days, including chart-toppers from Journey, Cyndi Lauper, Night Ranger, Madness, Pat Benatar, Bryan Adams, David Bowie, the Buggles, Wang Chung, Europe, Huey Lewis and the News, and Duran Duran.

It’s like a Delorean-powered time machine to the land of total awesomeness. Think about it: you can relive your prom night from the 80s, possibly correcting errors in the space-time continuum (results not guaranteed). Here is your chance to (1) break out that great prom outfit that you’ve so carefully saved all these years (2) earn / re-earn your rightful designation as PROM KING / QUEEN (3) unabashedly sing along to your favorite songs from that zany decade and (4) stay out dancing until 2:00 AM without getting grounded (also not guaranteed). The decorating committee is hard at work… we’re making our horn section exercise their lung power blowing up balloons, and the tall guys are putting up streamers. And of course we’ll have a photo area, so you can carry a wallet-size memento of this glorious night. Dust off your best Molly Ringwald moves for an 80s Dance-Off, or compete for marginally valuable prizes in the Ugliest Prom Dress and Biggest Hair competitions. 80s-wear is WAY encouraged, but like totally optional. 

Advance tickets are available at eTix  http://tiny.cc/scfqq.

For more information, visit our web site: http://www.dudleymanlove.com/?p=816

 

Thoughts On The 4/30 Dudley Manlove Quartet Gig

May 5, 2010 by John No Comments »

Last Friday night the Dudley Manlove Quartet performed for the Seattle Rep’s annual fundraising gala. It was a fun event and I always enjoy being around the theater scene. After a late-afternoon load-in and soundcheck, we had quite a long break before we were to play. We took advantage of the free time to wander around and visited a few local restaurants for snacks and happy hour martinis. On the way back to the venue we stopped for some gourmet chocolate and espresso.

The first set was solid, and par for the course at such events, the audience wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about dancing until they’d had a few refreshments. By the end of the first set we had a good full dance floor. During the second set I turned up my amp a bit to get a little better stage coverage, and encountered the same issue I’ve experienced on a few previous occasions: my amp became increasingly distorted and I couldn’t get a clean tone at a decent volume level. We’re not all that loud onstage – especially at this kind of performance – and this issue has arisen more than once before. I’ve done some reading online in the forums and most people seem to feel this amp is designed to break up a bit at normal stage volume, producing an overdriven blues / rock tone. I really want the amp to be clean with a lot of headroom. It’s possible that I just won’t get this kind of performance from a 40 watt amp, but in Jumbalassy I used a 60 watt amp to drive my speaker cabinets and it was always squeaky clean at stage level. I’m not very interested in returning to that kind of setup, but it may be necessary to find a louder guitar amp for use in The Dudley Manlove Quartet. I’ve already started test-driving a few amps including the classic Fender Twin. I think I’d like to get a 65 Twin Reissue if I can find one at a decent price. If anyone is interested in selling one, please touch base with me.