After midnight in NYC...

I have been on a tear recently checking out live jazz cds. Bear with me while I wax on about the need for the live jazz cd.

Jazz is, and always has been, about expression and improvisation. There is no greater challenge and validation of one's skills than in a live performance. That's just real. And the best of those are the ones that create a mood, and run with it.

I posted the cover to Charlie Haden and Kenny Barron's "Night and the City" because of two reasons. One, it was recorded in NYC at one of the premier jazz clubs, Iridium, and it perfectly evokes a mood. It's in the title itself: "Night And The City".

Ever been to NYC at night? It's a strange and wonderous place. There is one thing though that New York is known for but seldom acknowledged. It is one of the most romantic cities on the planet. You can walk down the street and feel the romantic vibe. I mean, it has some of the greatest restaurants, entertainment and eye candy you will ever witness and experience. That night, at Iridium, Charlie Haden and Kenny Barron bought that romantic vibe to the forefront. What's even better is that it is perfectly captured on this disc.

Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Barron, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, and many more have made classic live jazz albums for us to be enraptured to. You can picture yourself in the club or hall that night. You can hear the nuances of the tones, the mistakes and that one run that you know you will never hear again. For sheer perfection of enveloping a mood, there might be no greater CD than "Night And The City".

It's a late night CD. To be listened to with the lights low and no talking or any noise of any kind. It can be a romantic time or a time spent in reflection or even just listening to some beautiful music. This is not dinner music, even though some might make that mistake because of it's hushed tones and understatement. It's not the type of CD that will overpower a conversation but a conversation does not compliment it, either.

The music wraps itself around you like a soft, warm blanket and slowly takes you to a calming place. Where there are no need for words. It's the precursor of things to come. It sets the tone for the evening or winds it down. It is not meant for action, but reflection and appreciation.

Miles' "Live At The Plugged Nickel" set is totally different. It makes you listen to the master while he churns, burns and lets you partake of his mastery of his craft. His ballads are delicate while he bebops with fever. It is a breathtaking live accomplishment. "Night And The City" is a decidedly different beast. It's mastery lies in it's understatement and quiet moments. Jazz uses quiet as a note. Here it is used as an instrument.

It is one of the most beautiful CDs ever made. You should check it out. And while you're at it, check out some others too. Live jazz is wonderous thing. Enjoy it.

So what's the deal, Slade?

I'm going to adding more links soon. If you want to find some people who I have much respect for, then go over to Slade Wilson's War Journal for a more updated link page. Now, whassup? Just this.

Slade's Place - my lounge - will be primarily a Critic oriented blog. The entertainment industry will either be praised or set ablaze here. You might see some fiction, but for the most part - it's all about my thoughts about a show, a CD, a comic book, etc.

You want the hot babes? Head over to the HQ. You want my personal views (and they are strange, trust me) - head over to the War Journal. Here, for the most part, will be me getting serious about what entertains me and sometimes - what let's me down.

Now - a plug.

My brother - The Deacon aka Steve Fritz has his Animated Shorts over at Hero's Realm back up and he goes right for the now with an interview with "The Boondocks" creator, Aaron McGruder.

That's it for right now. Go visit my homeboy and tell him what you think. And then come back when I light this bad boy up.

Smoke em if you got em

The iTunes Takeover

Within the last five years, we have witnessed the establishment of purchasing or pirating our entertainment off the internet. The business that this has had the most liberal and lasting effect is the Music Business. The sales of CD's are down, even though internet music sales are up. Connect, napster, even to a certain extent, Rhapsody are making headway in music sales. Yahoo has recently re-structured their music section to allow payable downloads. But, no one has made the in-roads to music superstore as much as iTunes has.

The arguement can be made that the iPod has made it possible for iTunes to have this stranglehold on the industry. The iPod is the monster that rules MP3 players, all others are also-rans. The iPod has become a fashion accessory, pop culture icon, and anything else you want to label to it. But it's not the iPod that has made iTunes a major player, even though it has helped tremendously. While Rhapsody, Connect, napster and all the others have a massive library, nothing comes close to iTunes. And there lies the secret. No, it's not the price - it's the library and the subtleties that accompany it.

iTunes has street mixes. iTunes allows you to burn and convert their tracks to MP3. iTunes fixes your encoding. iTunes has a collection of live albums, exclusives, and mixes from both celebrities and professionals. It has audiobooks, and lets other programs incorporate them in the download process. The stronghold is happening at a rapid rate. And what is remarkable about it is that it is barely noticed.

The music industry, as it stands, has made an issue of the amount of money iTunes charges per download. This is a major mistake but one that the music industry has to make. The prevailing attitude is if you can take down the big dog, everyone else will follow suit. Too bad it's not going to happen.

Here's the deal in a nutshell. Artists are not losing money if they look out the box at their contracts. Their money deals with "sales" or "product" sold. Where the music industry is afraid that distribution, as it has stood for the last 50 or more years, has become obsolete. Who needs a physical product and the hassle that comes along with it (going to a store, sales tax, jewel cases, etc) when you can shop from home, when you want, and have your music almost instantaneously? Especially in this day and age, instant gratification is and will always be the more preferred route.

The winds of change has occurred. The movie industry and video game industries are next. And believe me, they know it. Then comes the television industry.

Welcome to the future.