Introduction 2 Think Fast


We mentioned Steelydoc before, he won a C$ sticker with his WB and DF license plates. But Mizar5 is now proud to present yet another Steely Dan ‘pro’, because that’s what you might like to call these very devoted Steely Dan fans who, well… just read for yourselves what Carsten (47) from Danmark in Europe has to say! We start with a letter from May 29th and take it from there, showing you pictures of some familiar and unfamiliar Steely memorabilia and a review of a concert from the Steve Lukather’s No Jazz Tour. Carsten, of course, has also won a C$ sticker.

carsten(click images!) Way back when in seventy seven / eighty seven a friend introduced me to Aja which immediately blew me away and I have been a fan ever since. Shortly after I bought Katy Lied and Royal Scam. I was very fascinated by the incredible musicianship, the perfectionism, the amazing drum grooves, the horn arrangements, the bass lines, the fabulous guitar solos, I simply enjoyed every single note. At that time I had started playing the drums, and of course all of the great Steely Dan drummers have since been a big influence. Then came Gaucho and The Nightfly, both incredible albums, and I stayed an enthusiastic fan for some more years.

At that time I was also enjoying music by Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott, Dave Grusin, Little Feat, Average White Band, David Sanborn, George Duke etc. Still… Steely Dan was my main influence. From mid 80’ I slowly moved into a more jazzy period and Steely Dan went a little in the background. It was now Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Herbie Hancock, Michel Camilo, various Big Band music etc. that had my main attention. Of course I loved Kamakiriad and Alive in America when they were released but it was not until 2000 when Two Against Nature was released that I kind of rediscovered Steely Dan. Then I wanted to know more.

From 2000 and ’til today I have tried to find out more and more about Donald and Walter, the music, the background, the lyrics. In my first period (late 70’s and ’til mid 80’s) it was only about the music, I tried hard but I didn’t really understand much of the cryptic lyrics. I had Katy Lied and Royal Scam, but none of the earlier albums. I believe that is the reason why I today still consider Katy Lied, Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho as my “The magnificent four”.

Since 2000 I have studied the history since Bard College, bought all the remaining early albums, read Brian Sweet’s several times, Dandom Digest, Blue Book, Yellow, searched the internet to keep myself up to date, Mizar5, Radio Dupree, various outtakes, some bootleg recordings, bought all the Tribute CD’s that I have been able to find, searched at lot on related and earlier involved musicians… what have they been doing over the years, what are they involved in today and so on… so yes.. I am back as a 200% Steely Dan Fan, and for sure… I am DAN’ish.

I must admit that over the past two years or so, I have almost only been listening to all sorts of Steely Dan, bootlegs, tributes, early recordings etc. I will love to share my interest and enthusiasm for Steely Dan and related stuff. And I love the new era, 2vN, EMG, MTC, am thrilled about Circus Money and hopefully there will be a new Steely Dan album soon and some concerts in Europa. Nowadays, when I have a little spare time from listening to Steely Dan, it will most probable be Robben Ford, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Tower of Power or other various kinds of jazz.


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Pictures: Zitadelle, Berlin (2007); A Circus Money stand at Carsten’s house; Is there gas in the car?; He Got The Steely Dan T-Shirt (and more).

carstenberlin circusmoneystand carsticker

carsten2Yesterday, Saturday June 28th, my brother and I went to see Steve Lukather and his band, we were both blown away by the incredible musicianship of the whole band. I had heard Stab In The Back but I hadn’t bought the album so we were both unprepared and had no special expectations, but Steve and the other band members simply blew us away, it was a fantastic concert. When Steve introduced “Stab In The Back” he said that it was dedicated to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. After the concert both my brother and I bought the CD, talked to all the band members and got the CD signed (I send you a scanned copy), it was a great night. By the way, I saw TOTO (with the great Jeff Porcaro) back in 1989 in Copenhagen.

luke

dirkvervaet
Theo de Jong, Peter Hertmans, Lionel Beuvens, Daniel Stokart
(photo: © Dirk Vervaet; click image for All About Jazz review)

The radio can still be a medium to sweep you off your feet, off to different worlds, away from the day to day grind or mayhem one might like to escape from. While at work, some time ago, i was listening to Klara radio, a Belgian station for classical music and jazz. This particular evening, i was struck by what i heard and learned it was a Belgian guitarist by the name of Peter Hertmans. Next to touring with a variety in ensembles, he teaches guitar and music theory at the Royal Brussels Conservatory.

Via his label Mogno Music, i got in touch with him and he sent me his latest album Cadences. A review has been published today, in All About Jazz. Besides the music of Georg Wadenius, which i’ve listened to a lot lately due to my involvement in creating his MySpace site, there hasn’t been much jazz guitar coming my way tickling me enough to ‘investigate’ further.

But there is something about Peter Hertmans’ guitar playing, whether it’s his technical ability and ease or the depth in his compositions, that made me curious to hear more.
And i was not disappointed.

Daniel Stokart (soprano sax), Theo de Jong (bass) and Lionel Beuvens (drums), according to Hertmans, are stimulating musicians who pushed him to rethink his way of composing. The opening track, “Tritone Song,” leaves nothing to be desired as Stokart takes off in an exhilarant flight, backed by the rhythmic pulses of his fellow musicians until Hertmans takes over in a consolidating manner that sets the reoccurring groove throughout the entire composition.”


wbplate dfplate

A few days ago we had a little contest here in Mizar5 which prompted a response from Steelydoc in Pennsylvania, USA. If anyone deserved one of the C$ stickers, it would be him. He’s the guy quickly becoming as famous as the founders of Steely Dan and even noticed by them. Well, it’s these props actually that do the trick. They’ve been present at many concerts already! Click the images for a better view on these exclusive one-of-a-kind license plates.

plates
In return for sending him a C$ sticker, i got an SD one. Whilst Doc’s package is up in the air literally, the SD sticker’s already stuck to my car’s rear end.

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© 2008 Hernan Hernandez, Beacon show, June 20th. Click image.
Here’s a couple of reviews and comments regarding the Think Fast tour, by the way.
Tampa Calling
The Big Picture

rossif
(click image for his MySpace site)

He’s not a new or rising star, although chances are he’ll attract a whole lot of attention once his album will be officially released. Rossif Sutherland joined MySpace in 2006 and when i found his music by chance early 2007, his deep voice and songwriting skills blew me away at once.

Tracks like These Words, Miracle and Snow Covered Roads are classics already. They’re easy on the ear and thus very catchy, with lyrics that range from contemplative reflection to melancholic moods, approaching the human condition and emotions from sincere and heartfelt perspectives.

Recently he’s added two slightly more obscure tracks. Monkey Business is uptempo with a scent of playfulness in both music and lyrics, while Finish Line deals with the loss of a loved one in a beautiful haunting and appropriate orchestration. Answering Machine, the final song in the MySpace music player, is leaning towards the style that makes you want to play These Words, Miracle and Snow Covered Roads in repeat mode. So be careful if you visit Rossif’s page :-)


(updated June 22)
Click HERE for a Walter Becker interview in the Boston Herald. And check Radio Dupree for Walter Becker as DJ on Sirius. Serious!!!

circusmoney(click image) Kind of in a rush today, but wanted to mention the C$ bumper stickers arrived this morning. The first one will be sent to Pennsylvania in the US of A.
Steelydoc, a regular traveller in Blue, owns a collection of Steely Dan license plates and even has a Walter Becker plate. The C$ sticker, of course, fits perfectly well then!


And yes, there’s MUSIC when you enter Mizar5. We tickled Garageband and Walter’s new disc and had us a swaying good time. Must say mr. Becker’s tough to sing along with, so pardon me collapsing here and there in version 2 and 3. tried to smoothen out some of the glitches and the result is version 4 and 5 (grin) in the player below. there will be a version 6 because in version 5, i’m rushing in the first chorus, no can do :-)


ginacs



Oleander's review of Walter Becker's 'Circus Money' 

(Click the image—which, btw, comes from this page—to read Oleander’s Circus Money review as posted at St. Al’s Banyan Trees forum.)

 

I had planned to do my own review of Walter Becker’s Circus Money, but I was not rushing into it because I need time for repeated listenings in order to digest such things.  Plus I often will put a CD aside after that initial listening burst to give things time to sink down in the bottom of my subconscious and then I return to it later with a (possibly) fresh perspective.

 

During that initial exposure phase I did manage to jot down some simple notes and a skeletal framework which I planned to expand eventually.  My style was going to be to list Walter’s own blurby track by track comments and follow each with my own 2-bit opinions and views of the songs.

 

Well, as it turns out I was too slow on the draw.  Oleander, beloved founder of the hallowed Fever Dreams site, has posted her own Circus Money review at St. Al’s Banyan Trees forum and by sheer coincidence she used the same basic stylistic framework I had planned.  She even points readers toward Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” as it relates to “Darkling Down” (which again, I also planned to do).  Here’s some general analysis of “Dover Beach” which does not relate it to Circus Money.

 

Oh well, quite honestly Oleander says everything I wanted to say and then goes on to add tons more info and analysis which I’d have never come up with if I had a year to do a review.  And she says it all with much more style and intelligence than I could ever hope to approach.  I bow in awe of her scholarship.  She certainly made me aware of many details and possibilities as to song derivations and meanings.  So if you’re interested in a thoughtful, intelligent rumination on Circus Money from a true fan’s perspective, do yourself a favor and read her review.  I think you’ll be glad you did.

 

Oh yeah…  I guess the one thing I can add of my own is just a simple listing of my favorite tracks, though not necessarily ranked:

 

  • God’s Eye View
  • Somebody’s Saturday Night
  • Upside Looking Down
  • Darkling Down
  • Circus Money

 

Other songs not listed are still entering my consciousness more and more and could end up in my fave five depending on time of day and mood.  Many folks seem particularly fond of “Paging Audrey,” “Downtown Canon,” and “Three Picture Deal.”  I can’t say they’re wrong.  Bear in mind that many Dan fans go first for the music and the words are secondary (if not almost irrelevant sometimes), but I’ve always found my taste is more lyrically-focused. 

 

There’s not a bad tune anywhere in this batch of “whack.”  There’s no “filler” material here.  It can only serve to intensify (in a good way) the ongoing debate as to Walter’s specific Steely contributions.  I really enjoy the way he turns a phrase and comes at you from unexpected directions sometimes (”She looks good in the available light…”).

We have two goodies for you, first the radio interview with Walter Becker on the KFOG Morning Show.
Courtesy of mr. Greg McQuaid,
producer of the KFOG Morning Show in San Francisco.
Click image for the interview (1.47 minutes)

kfog

And thanks to Radio Dupree, for sending us the link to this UK press release, also available at www.walterbecker.com. Besides Walter explaining the songs on Circus Money, there’s much more for your reading pleasure.

(click image)wbuk

(updated May 16th)
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You can click the image above that will welcome you in the Walter Becker Store where you can order his new album “Circus Money.” There is, of course, more in store for early birds!

A faint google search landed right in the middle of a BLOG that features the C$ sample player.

We’d feel better if you visit Walter Becker dot com, but if you’re desperate for an immediate fix, we’ll gladly run this method on bus to accommodate your tasteful need.

=====>>clicky here<<=====

And as if that isn’t enough to send you off to 2222: Another Space Odyssey, here’s what the Swedish Ginger Cuckoo Bird from Radio Dupree sent us, a link to this Walter Beckerian Toob. Click image!

beckertube

nkandla

If you click the thumbnail, you’ll see a screenshot from a 2005 Mizar5 entry about The Orphans of Nkandla. Back then, we’ve also decided to participate in a CD Universe affiliate program and the 6% of sales through the Mizar5 links, were all meant to help these children. That hasn’t changed, if even so the links to purchase CD’s and DVD’s haven’t been up in Mizar5 due to various lay-out changes and loss of data.

These children are orphaned because their parents die of AIDS. They are in Nkandla, which is a town in Zululand, South-Africa. AIDS is almost a synonym for the continent of Africa. It’s very sad to realize that AIDS has become a major weapon of war in African countries, as was stated by a doctor in a recent documentary i saw on television. Women are brutally raped and mutilated in Eastern Congo by soldiers who in most, if not all cases are not convicted for their vicious crimes. Here is a useful link to the website of Global Fund For Women about the sexual violence and genocide in Eastern Congo. Lorna Chiu worked for Doctors Without Borders and she mentioned there are various articles on the website concerning the issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Mizar5 sidebar helps you to navigate the site. We’ve also placed adds to CD Universe, free music downloads from All About Jazz (every day a new free download!) and we profile musicians worthy of your time, attention and willing ear. In Canada (Montreal, Quebec) there’s Jay Atwill and Coral Egan.

Please buy your CD’s using these CD Universe links, and help the Orphans of Nkandla.
Thank you!

Well. It’s a long story. Hm. Actually… not. I was working on another site, installed Wordpress and wanted to delete it. But when i stumbled over to the admin section, i forgot to switch domains. So i deleted Mizar5. Yep. All and everything. Oops!
I know, i know. I should be breathing in and out of a paper bag by now for making such a stupid mistake. But i’m not. No panic attack. No sadness, no grief. Which is quite a surprise, given the fact what Mizar5 meant to those who liked to visit over the years. And all those articles, interviews, trivia and newsflashes…

There are some strange things occurring. So i know the universe is on my side, even though Mizar5 going down the cyberdrain seems like a terrible loss. But it will work out fine. Somehow. I installed a NEW Wordpress thingy, as you can see. Browse the chapters, scroll up and down, you know the drill, don’t ya?
Strange thing is, when i browsed the content backstage, i could see stuff from the old Mizar5 in there. But it’s not in here. And it shouldn’t be back there either. So i’m puzzled and intrigued at the same time. Which is 00.22 in my humble European timezone. I am off to bed now. The bedbugs are eager to sharpen their teeth whilst chewing on my sun-tanned skin. Maybe tomorrow, when i wake up, this whole Mizar5 thing was just a strange dream. It’s not a nightmare, or else i’d be breathing in and out of a paper bag. Oh. And there is also Tom, who’s got this Mizar5.com dental thing. Trademarked and all. Maybe the universe helped me, to some extent. Like show me the way.

I have no clue if the ‘old’ Mizar5 will be up again.
We’ll just roll the dice, and see what the heavy rollers do.
Try again tomorrow…