Vandermark 5 at Rocco's 6-29-03

[Adam]

There's no organization like that in LA. We do need to help Rocco's try it, but he doesn't have money to fly anyone. I think we should persuade Riuth at the Bakery to have a "frontiers of jazz" week, with a few different acts, and create West Coast tours.

I think the second yell was pretty much the same as teh first, and from teh same person.

I think the number of fingers that KV held up was the number of bars until the next change. Who would solo next was indicated either by whom he pointed at, or was shown in the score, as there was a score for every piece.

Set list:

First set:

Outside Ticket

Knock Yourself Out

Gullina (for Lars Gullin)

Italiamentz (sp?)

Telethon

Second set:

? - sounded like Shadow - but laughter covered

Oslo Fugue

Breaking Point

Six of One

Encore:

Wherever Junebugs Go

[Guest Mnytime]

I think the number of fingers that KV held up was the number of bars until the next change. Who would solo next was indicated either by whom he pointed at, or was shown in the score, as there was a score for every piece.

I don't agree. The fingers represented who he wanted to solo. He would not need fingers to represent anything but who was to solo because as you mention they had scores for everything else.

Also, held up the same fingers several times and the same musicians that I posted the fingers represented always played their solo or as a group.

Everytime he held up a 3 they played as a group. Everytime he held up a 4 it was him and so on.

[Adam]

Sounds logical. I wasn't following it as closely as you, so I withdraw my theory.

[Johnny E]

Joe Christmas and I were at the show in Seattle last night and you guys got it all wrong with the hand signals. Joe and I figured it out.

If he scratched his head (which I will represent with a (t) then put up his index finger represented by (y) while he was holding his clarinet in his left hand (f1) [right hand would be (f2) of course], then Dave Rempis would create low register multiphonics (*) while Kent Kessler play pizzicato accents (v). In this way many variable can be created allowing syncratic systems to develop.

Example:

x = f1(t) = v * t

y = f2(t) =

sin(t)

abs(sin(t))

c * abs(sin(t))

Simple really.

[Adam]

It does seem appropriate then that I drank some absinthe before attending the show.

[Joe Christmas]

Johnny's right, but I could have sworn that he switched up that last extended piece by incorporating differentials. Then again, what the hell do I know? Nice to see you, man.

Great show, by the way. Although the token loudmouth at our show wasn't nearly as entertaining as yours...

About those signals... they were only used in one piece, "Italian Mentor." The composition was divided into clusters, all associated with one another. Seems like those signals were used to cue different swatches or motifs culled from the composition itself. Probably some sort of graphic notation. Anyway, they were *not* signals for solos. Shit, these guys are professionals. Even high school boys bands know how to use eye contact to their advantage.

Lots of good stuff played last night, I look forward to the new record. And Rempis is the stinky poop. That dude can play his ass off. Loved those softer Desmondish runs he was pulling off. And Little Tim Daisy was punchy. He really came alive in the second set to my surprise. I didn't know what to make of him in the first. He seemed a little restrained.

Like someone said above, Vandermark has made leaps and bounds on the big horn and uses that thing to great effect. I like the free funk direction he's taken with his writing. Although unlike Mny, I was glad that he didnt bring the bass clarinet, as he's pretty mousy with that horn and his approach to it isn't really suitable for the kind of music the 5's about.

Good shit all around.